Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

The “burn-it-down” people are good with that until they become part of the kindling.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

He wakes up lying, and he lies all day.

A norm that restrains only one side really is not a norm – it is a trap.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

The media handbook says “controversial” is the most negative description that can be used for a Republican.

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

You cannot love your country only when you win.

I am pretty sure these ‘journalists’ were not always such a bootlicking sycophants.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Nothing says ‘pro-life’ like letting children go hungry.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

If you can’t control your emotions, someone else will.

Too little, too late, ftfnyt. fuck all the way off.

Keep the Immigrants and deport the fascists!

I did not have this on my fuck 2025 bingo card.

We need to vote them all out and restore sane Democratic government.

Every one of the “Roberts Six” lied to get on the court.

The unpunished coup was a training exercise.

You are here: Home / Politics / Covid Relief Package Moves Forward, One Step Closer to Reconciliation

Reader Interactions

133Comments

  6. 6.

    Spanky

    @WaterGirl:

    Short-timer’s Disease? He wants to be accepted in polite company once he finishes the Senate gig, but doesn’t want to run afoul of the Qaucus. IOW, he’s spineless.

  9. 9.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: Do you know what all the next steps are for reconciliation?  I thought I heard Jen P. say today that the soonest it could be voted on as reconciliation was 2/16.

    I might have the date wrong, but it seemed like a long time from now.

  11. 11.

    Jeffro

    Mrs. Fro and I are taking turns extolling the virtues of NFLTG Biden (with breaks for lulz over the GQP’s “efforts” at a “bipartisan” package, naturally)

    It might be a while

  14. 14.

    Immanentize

    Hmmmm. Which is most accurate:

    All Democrats voted in favor of moving the bill forward.

    No Republicans voted against moving the bill forward

    Our media at work.

  23. 23.

    Ken

    Is anyone keeping a list of Republican Senators who are calling this “unprecedented” or similar phrases?  I want to compare it to those who pushed through the 2017 tax cuts.

  25. 25.

    Immanentize

    @WaterGirl: Now both the House and the Senate have voted for reconciliation.  Now, the House must produce and vote out a bill.  Then, with the reconciliation orders just passed, the Senate Committees responsible must pass their portions of the bill.

    I am AMAZED this all can happen in two short weeks.

    Plus impeachment trial.

  28. 28.

    Immanentize

    @WaterGirl: not all of them.  One Republican was not voting.  All Republicans voting voted against.  Yes.  But not all Republicans.  Period.

  30. 30.

    cope

    Thanks for the uplifting update. I admit to sweating a bit what with the Democrats being, well, Democrats. Let’s hope they get in the habit of doing this even when public support is not so widespread.

  33. 33.

    Doc Sardonic

    @Immanentize: Tricky part is the Senate committees are still under GQP control so the likelihood of it coming out of committee is somewhere south of nil. Much like Judge Garland getting a quick hearing for confirmation as AG.

  40. 40.

    West of the Rockies

    The US has come up with several vaccines.  The EU has one, I believe.  Even Russia has one now.  Has China produced a vaccine yet?

  43. 43.

    Brachiator

    @Doc Sardonic: 

    Tricky part is the Senate committees are still under GQP control so the likelihood of it coming out of committee is somewhere south of nil.

    Wait. What? This is potentially not good.

  45. 45.

    Brachiator

    @West of the Rockies:

    The US has come up with several vaccines. The EU has one, I believe. Even Russia has one now. Has China produced a vaccine yet?

    Pretty sure China has a vaccine. Aren’t they selling some of it to Pakistan?

  46. 46.

    nevsky42

    This is what getting sh*t done looks like.

    I love seeing Biden prove my dumb *ss wrong day after day for not picking him in the primaries.

  48. 48.

    Doc Sardonic

    @Immanentize: Not unless it got done today. McConnell has only agreed to the language of the reorganization, it still needs 60 and then 51 to get done if I recall correctly since it did not get unanimous consent.

  50. 50.

    Chetan Murthy

    @West of the Rockies: Several.  Google “Sinovac”, I think.  But there are several, and they’re already exporting them widely.  Though …. I think they’re not as effective as the first two the US approved.  BTW, the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine was, fairly attributed, invented in Germany.

  55. 55.

    Roger Moore

    @West of the Rockies:

    Has China produced a vaccine yet?

    I don’t think any of the Chinese vaccines have been approved for general use.  They have several that are in late stage clinical trials and have been approved (in China) to be given to high-risk individuals.

  57. 57.

    Lyrebird

    @Chetan Murthy: … the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine was, fairly attributed, invented in Germany.

    By Turkish immigrants or kids of Turkish immigrants, woo hoo!  Immigrants, they get the job done! (only Hamilton quote I know, but it’s a good one)

  58. 58.

    Brachiator

    @Roger Moore: 
    Has China produced a vaccine yet?

    I don’t think any of the Chinese vaccines have been approved for general use. They have several that are in late stage clinical trials and have been approved (in China) to be given to high-risk individuals.

    China may not be following Western protocols to secure approval. Neither is Russia.

    From Al Jazeera:

    Pakistan has received its first doses of the coronavirus vaccine, with China donating half a million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to the country, the health minister says.

  59. 59.

    raven

    BREAKING NEWS: Georgia launches investigation into Trump lawyer Lin Wood for ‘voting illegally’ during the election after he championed the president’s fraud claims

  63. 63.

    Immanentize

    Durbin indicated to reporters Tuesday that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is the reason for the organizing resolution holdup even after he backed down from his filibuster threat a few weeks ago. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) released official committee assignments Tuesday evening, one of the last points of debate holding up the resolution. A resolution vote could happen as soon as tomorrow.

    TPM

  65. 65.

    JMS

    Speaking of PA, this is kind of inside baseball, but our beleaguered mandated sole Republican commissioner here in Montgomery County is probably envious of Bruce Castor’s gig defending Trump and has referred to him (Castor) as “Shapiro’s lapdog” from their earlier time on the Montco Commission. Look up Joe Gale if you want to see more of his impotent lunacy and sigh with relief that he’s not your coworker. One assumes Shapiro is the favorite to take over for Tom Wolf. It would be too much to hope for Montco taking over all Pa (though why not?), but if Fetterman (wearing a suit no less) were promoted to the US Senate, we could do worse than our current Montco head Commissioner Val in higher office.

  67. 67.

    Barbara

    @Immanentize: ​
      Toomey’s biggest interest is trade policy but he probably isn’t simpatico with Biden’s priorities. He wasn’t simpatico with Trump’s either. Not sure what else he would be interested in. Ambassador to Ireland? That seems to appeal to quite a few ex-politicos.

  70. 70.

    Doc Sardonic

    @Immanentize: Good….however not holding my breath because because I would not be surprised if that colossal Texas armadillo turd Cruz or the Tribble headed Kentucky wonderment Paul decided to grab a little limelight and filibuster it. Hope I get surprised since I tend to expect the worst from people, that way I am rarely disappointed but sometimes happily surprised.

  74. 74.

    Barbara

    @Brachiator: ​
     UK, India, China, Russia and US. Pfizer vaccine is actually the invention of a German company (headed by a husband wife duo of doctors with Turkish immigrant parents).
    I’m a little surprised Japan and Israel haven’t come up with vaccines.

  75. 75.

    TS (the original)

    How very bipartisan of the republicans. They won’t govern themselves and just hate that someone else may do the job they are elected to do.

  78. 78.

    Chetan Murthy

    @Barbara:

    I’m a little surprised Japan and Israel haven’t come up with vaccines.

    I read that Japan is having trouble sourcing vaccines; one supposes that after this, the Japanese government will be pushing their pharma sector to get the lead out and prepare for the next time so they don’t have to rely on other countries.

  79. 79.

    Spanky

    Well, Obama sent Dan Rooney to Ireland as ambassador in 2009, so why shouldn’t Biden send Toomey?

    A Rooney and a Toomey!

  82. 82.

    WaterGirl

    @Immanentize: I just meant the he would commit voter fraud to prove that there was voter fraud.  :-)

    Is that saying the cousin of “if you have the facts, pound the facts, if you have the law, pound the law, if you don’t have either, pound the table”?

  87. 87.

    WaterGirl

    OT but if you like Penzey’s spices, for today only – until midnight – you can buy a $50 gift card for $35.

    Sometimes I give them as gifts, sometimes I keep them for myself.  It’s a good deal.

  88. 88.

    Barbara

    @WaterGirl: ​
     There have been people who tried to do just that, to prove how easy it would be. They didn’t seem to factor in the felony charge if caught doing it.

  90. 90.

    randy khan

    @Immanentize:

    I’m actually in favor of the framing that no Republicans were willing to move the bill forward.  This legislation is favored by a huge majority of the American people, so reminding them who is against it is a good thing.

  93. 93.

    Doc Sardonic

    @Spanky:

    A Rooney and a Toomey

    Sounds like a truly odd Irish restaurant menu item or a snockered Lawrence Welk counting off the band.

  96. 96.

    jonas

    @randy khan: Due to gerrymandering in the House and the nature of the Senate over-representing the residents of rural, red states, Republicans have the luxury of not giving a shit what regular Americans want or don’t want from their government.

  98. 98.

    Ken

    @Barbara: It’s not just voter fraud, either, though I have my doubts whenever the claim is made.  “Of course you were running a sting operation, Senator; but don’t you think it would have been wise to inform the police or district attorney of your intention to solicit minors?”

  100. 100.

    JMG

    There are gonna be issues on which Manchin will not stand with the Democrats. But on money for people, he will. He’s like a 1958 guy in 2021.

  101. 101.

    randy khan

    @jonas:

    Lest we forget, formerly bright-red Georgia now has two Democratic Senators and gave its electoral votes to a Democrat.  The Senate race, in particular, was people deciding that they didn’t like what the Republicans were selling.  So making the Republicans own who they are can help.

  104. 104.

    burnspbesq

    @raven:

    He’s likely to at least get suspended from practice, if not disbarred, after refusing to do the psych eval that was ordered by the disciplinary authorities. He said he will sue.

    “Siri, corner the market for popcorn futures.”

  108. 108.

    CatFacts

    One step closer to passage is a good thing.

    Somehow, I can comment in Visual mode again on Firefox 85.0. No idea why it’s suddenly working but so far so good.

  109. 109.

    Brachiator

    @Barbara: ​
     

    Ambassador to Ireland? That seems to appeal to quite a few ex-politicos.

    Ireland and the UK are becoming diplomatic hot spots. Ireland, in particular, is becoming a post-BREXIT hot zone.

  111. 111.

    WaterGirl

    @CatFacts: A few people have reported that, but I am still thinking that’s a fluke and it won’t last, because we haven’t changed a thing.

    If it really does seem consistently to work in visual mode, let me know!  Or if you see an 85.x that is not 85.0

  113. 113.

    Another Scott

    TheWeek – Fire The Parliamentarian!!1:

    It would take the Senate Democratic majority roughly five minutes to use the so-called “nuclear option,” to end the Senate filibuster rule and pass any bill they want with a simple majority. The problem is a few Senate Democrats, like Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.), refuse to do that. So the next two years in politics are going to be largely focused on the bizarre and often convoluted ways Democrats can pass their agenda without Republican support and without officially ending the filibuster. Here are five, ranked by likelihood.

    1. Fire the parliamentarian

    […]

    Interesting, and well worth a click.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  116. 116.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Baud:

     

    No idea.

    Have you ever been on Amazon and looked at the Q and A on a product where someone asks a question like “does this work with potatoes?” and some dude “answers” by saying something like “I don’t know; I’ve only tried it with squash”? You are that dude!

  118. 118.

    Steve in the ATL

    @WaterGirl: in addition, tan suit, without or without flag in=I hate America.  As does being black, or a Democrat, etc. et al ad nauseum.

  119. 119.

    WaterGirl

    Finally!  (from the Washington Post)

    The House voted Tuesday night to penalize lawmakers who seek to bypass the security screening measures that have been enacted in the wake of the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob, with members facing a $5,000 fine for the first offense and $10,000 each time thereafter.

    The measure passed on a 216-to-210 vote, with all but three Democrats present voting in favor and all Republicans present voting “no.”

    Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Rules Committee, defended the move in an impassioned floor speech in which he blasted the “elitist mentality” of those who have ignored the screening procedures, imploring his fellow lawmakers to recognize that “the rules apply to us, too — and it’s time all of us acted like it.”

  120. 120.

    Ken

    @Brachiator: Ireland, in particular, is becoming a post-BREXIT hot zone.

    I can see the attraction for economists, because there must be a trade barrier somewhere between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom, but it’s impossible to identify where.  It might even draw the attention of physicists; it sounds very quantum.

  121. 121.

    Ken

    @WaterGirl: Personally I would have made the penalties $5000, then $10000, then a warning shot to the head, and finally expulsion from Congress, but I can see that might be more difficult to pass.

  122. 122.

    WaterGirl

    @Steve in the ATL: If the media didn’t play along, that kind of crap wouldn’t happen nearly as much as it does.

    My best friend’s wife is allergic to the cats, so when she is there, cats do not get to come upstairs where the bedrooms are.  She spends a couple months in France at a time, and as soon as she leaves, they sleep in the bed until she returns.

    No one has to tell them, or invite them into the bedroom once she’s gone, or has to kick them out when she returns.  There is one set of rules when she’s there, and another when she’s not.

    Pretty impressive for cats.

    Not so impressive when it’s the fucking so-called “fourth estate” that is supposed to be one of the pillars of democracy.

    They don’t even hide that there is one set of rules for when Dems are in charge, and another for Republicans.  It’s infuriating.

  129. 129.

    Jeffro

    @WaterGirl: here’s hoping they also institute “do not pass” physical barriers to the House chamber…these Q crazies are nuts enough to blow off the fines and still “carry” down on the House floor, knowing their idiot followers will send them $$$ anytime they make a plea for funds against the “anti-2A Left”

    (Also: nonzero chance that these wackaloons end up brandishing arms on the House floor…even during the SOTU or some other crazy shit.  “You Lie!” would pale in comparison)

    Bar them from entry if you must (and you must!) Nancy Smash!

  131. 131.

    Yutsano

    @NotMax: ​
    We joke, but we also know every Jewish man has that One Good Suit. No matter how old it is or how few occasions it’s worn. It’s always there in the closet.

  133. 133.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Baud: Good job. Heighten those contradictions.

    Someone else has read Waiting for Hitler. Indeed, that worked so well for the Communists.

Comments are closed.