Lots of us have been focused on U.S. politics lately because one of our two viable political parties has signaled they’re done with democracy and Republicans + 2 won’t let the sole remaining pro-democracy party address that. But the world ain’t sleeping; here’s one for the “Not now, Putin!” file, via CNN:
The US has information that indicates Russia has prepositioned a group of operatives to conduct a false-flag operation in eastern Ukraine, a US official told CNN on Friday, in an attempt to create a pretext for an invasion.
The official said the US has evidence that the operatives are trained in urban warfare and in using explosives to carry out acts of sabotage against Russia’s own proxy forces.
The allegation echoes a statement released by Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense on Friday, which said that Russian special services are preparing provocations against Russian forces in an attempt to frame Ukraine. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan hinted at the intelligence during a briefing with reporters on Thursday.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph. I’d seen some reassuring speculation that the Russian troop buildup was a feint. Maybe not. My guess is the antics of the Republicans + 2 are emboldening the world’s autocrats, so we should expect more of this.
Next up, some Tony Jay bait — BoJo hosted a staff party on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral, even though pandemic restrictions were such that the Queen sat alone at her husband’s service:
You've gotta be kidding me!
The next day, the widowed queen sat alone in the church during her husband’s funeral service adhering to social distancing rules that barred indoor mixing. https://t.co/F6zw1GwzwT via @HuffPostPol
— Betty Cracker ? (@bettycrackerfl) January 14, 2022
Surely BoJo is toast now, right? Not even Netanyahu could survive a choreographed, cascading scandal like this, right? Should we start a political dead pool, UK edition?
Lastly, closer to home, here are thoughts about midterm messaging if Republicans + 2 succeed in tanking Biden’s domestic agenda, from Crooked Media’s Brian Beutler (Big Tent newsletter):
Biden gave a great speech at the Capitol on the anniversary of the riot; he gave another great one this week in Atlanta, where he framed the democracy fight in simple good vs. evil terms. “Do you want to be on the side of Dr. King or George Wallace? Do you want to be on the side of John Lewis or Bull Connor? Do you want to be on the side of Abraham Lincoln or Jefferson Davis?” That’s more or less the pacing and the tone he needs to maintain if he wants the midterms to be about democracy. He’ll also need the rest of the party to be similarly focused and unsparing.
Instead, Republicans pretended to be mad, and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin said, “perhaps the President went a little too far in his rhetoric…” I think a lot will turn on whether Democrats comport themselves more like Biden has over the past week, or more like Dick Durbin.
I agree with Beutler on that. As I mentioned in the morning thread, Con Media is unified on this theme: Biden promised to heal divisions, but instead, he’s demonizing Republicans — even Democrats Manchin and Sinema don’t take Biden’s claims about voter suppression and election subversion seriously.
But perhaps Biden has a hidden strength here. As the old Vulcan proverb says, “Only Nixon could go to China.” Well, Biden built his senate career on reaching across the aisle and was famously friends with vipers like Lindsey Graham back in the day. So who better to make a convincing case that this ain’t your grandfather’s Republican Party? That they really are trying to dismantle American democracy, and oh by the way, lets review the footage from January 6th?
I’m not saying it will work. I’m saying it could work. But it would require message discipline, so put a sock in it, Durbin.
Open thread.
dlwchico
Bezos needs to open his wallet for more of The Expanse!
Tractarian
If Trump did what Johnson did, it literally wouldn’t even make the news. Sigh.
JMG
Durbin is and always has been a timid soul much more comfortable in the majority. In this case, I think Manchin yelled at him. Too bad. Biden should call him and Sinema out by name.
Librarian
I really believe that Tony Jay should be made a front pager so we can read his thoughts on British politics more easily.
Baud
Happy with chastising Durban, but IIRC just before Sinema’s anti-Mr. Smith moment, Biden was getting hit from the left. One thing I’m pretty sure of is that our worst position would be taking it from both ends of the party simultaneously.
Layer8Problem
How many Republicans voted to extend the Voting Rights Act in 2006 again, Senator Durbin, as opposed to their lack of support on the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act?
Chief Oshkosh
@JMG: did you mean “in the minority”?
yes, Durbin is a bleater
Yarrow
The No. 10 staffers at one of these parties (there are a lot of them) ran out of booze. So they sent someone out to the Co-op to get some more and that person brought it back in a suitcase. The Suitcase Full of Booze now has its own Twitter account (of course).
brendancalling
Unrelated to Biden/Durbin/Mansinema, I am ready to kill someone today.
A doctor friend of mine and I were messaging last night, and of course covid came up. She asked about my vaccination, and I told her I got the J&J in March, and the Pfizer booster in November. She asked “two doses of Pfizer, right?” I said no, they told me all I needed was the one. She said that guidance was wrong, and that I am effectively unvaccinated.
Well, THAT was concerning, so I called in late to work, and went to the vaccine clinic pop-up down the street this AM. They told me I wasn’t eligible, because I’d already been boosted—J&J plus one Pfizer. But when I checked against my online chart at my doctor’s office, it said I needed TWO more doses of Pfizer, and for some reason my J&J wasn’t listed at all. I had to enter it manually, I guess Medicaid never sent along the info, go figure!
So at this point, I’ve gotten 4 different messages. My doctor friend says I need a second dose, and possibly the whole series. The clinic says I DON’T need another dose. The nurse at my doctor’s office concurs with the clinic. But my chart at my doctor’s office says I need to get TWO more vaccinations and no record of J&J which is also confusing. I am waiting for a callback. It’s been nearly 2 hours. I know, I know: they’re understaffed. Meanwhile, I am possibly unprotected right now, and I work in a high school. Current mood: simultaneously furious and terrified. Maybe someone will call me back today, but I will likely have to make the call.
I officially hate everyone today. Everyone can go suck a bag of dicks.
kindness
Naa. No way any Republicans try to help Joe get anything through now. Between the 2 Senate prima donnas and yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling I’m still feeling gut punched.
gene108
Message discipline is the Democrats’ Achilles heel, and the Republicans greatest superpower.
I’m getting to the point of “fuck it, let Republicans burn everything to the ground”, because Democrats sure as fuck aren’t going to have the discipline to get anything significant done.
Manchin and Sinema have not only tanked President Biden’s agenda, making him more unpopular than TFG ever was, they’ve also handed Republicans a great opportunity to retake both houses of Congress.
If Manchin gave a shit about his committee assignments, his seniority, and committee chairmanship, I’d think he’d realize undermining Biden is undermining his chances of holding those jobs. But if he doesn’t give a fuck about what his status is in the majority versus what it’d be in the minority, why should I care?
Yarrow
@brendancalling: The doctor friend is misinformed, according to the CDC. With J&J they recommend one mRNA booster shot. Link.
Ladyracterinok
What a time to be alive!!
We’ve got Republicans walking to destroy our country Ie our democracy, in Tulsa covert is strong and all zip codes. and a major snowstorm is coming in tonight lasting through tomorrow.
The assisted living place where I am has closed the dining room and is delivering all meals to the rooms of the residents and all of the resident activities have been canceled this to last at least through next Thursday. This is really not the way I thought I would spend my senior years!!!
Barney
Here’s the actor Rory Kinnear, on another funeral and another Downing Street party (there have been so many, it turns out that government offices are a major social institution, if you’re in the right crowd):
Professor Bigfoot
@dlwchico: I’m putting off watching EP6 just because I don’t want it to end.
trollhattan
@Yarrow: The only way to make that better would be “Devin Nunes’ Suitcase full of Booze.”
Heard there was not one, but two parties at #10 that evening.
I hope BoJo is quivering in his bespoke loafers ATM. He should note well what just happened to Andrew.
Yarrow
@Barney: The absolute anguish in this man’s voice is something else.
Brachiator
Autos been cratting for a while now. Funny how stories about crackdowns in China, India, Myanmar and other places don’t get much comment, while there is lots of focus on Ukraine. The world does not need us to decide whether they will do evil. And I suspect that the GOP is sad that they can’t do more domestic mischief. But they are trying hard.
The Tories might not be able to settle on a potential replacement for the still strangely popular Boris. Boris was the superstar brought in to displace the lackluster Theresa May (who certainly must be tremendously enjoying Johnson’s slapdown). He did look deflated at the last Prime Minister’s Question session.
The right wing uses this nonsense to try to deflect from the evil that they have done. They don’t practice bipartisanship and yet expect to be forgiven for their obstructionism.
They deserve Biden’s scolding and more.
Totally agree that Biden is best able “to make a convincing case that this ain’t your grandfather’s Republican Party? That they really are trying to dismantle American democracy, and oh by the way, lets review the footage from January 6th?”
The GOP cannot attack Biden on his integrity or honesty.
Yarrow
@trollhattan: There seem to have been parties every night. They broke the PM’s son’s swing in the No. 10 garden. They spilled wine on the rug. One of the advisors DJ’d at one of the parties. They sent someone out to get more booze and brought it back in a suitcase. The absolute disregard for the rules is something to behold. The police should arrest them.
Eolirin
@Brachiator: Which is why they claim he’s senile and being secretely controlled by people like Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders.
Served
Biden, congressional Democrats, and anyone with a brain, are in a very difficult position right now. The midterms are in 10 months, and with two snakes in the senate impeding any meaningful policy to campaign on, the wins need to start coming from somewhere.
Yes, they won some significant early victories, but politics is a “what have you done for me lately” game.
Yes, it’s two nominally centrist senators who are the log jam, but Presidents own the circumstances and results of their term.
Yes, Republicans are all crazy, but there’s not much I can do other than not vote for them, and hope that the Democrats I vote for don’t do something as stupid as Manchin and Sinema.
People are tired and fed up from dealing with COVID. Each wave comes and adds a new layer of anxiety and stress, and it never fully recedes before the next wave. The testing shortage and “Google it” messaging could not be more out of touch with reality. There doesn’t seem to be a coherent message on the pathway out and up from the White House. They are up against a deep bog of crazy, including hostile governors, but I think they’re on the wrong track here.
A corner needs to be turned or the midterms are going to be extremely troubling. Hopefully they can carve out some executive orders the will survive the odiousness of our judicial branch and eke out some notable legislation before summer. With two big agenda items eating dust in the past two months, we need something winnable and meaningful to get behind and trumpet in the campaign.
Villago Delenda Est
Funny how Gleiwitz has moved to the Donbass.
West of the Rockies
Sure be nice to get a few more positive political stories. Yesterday’s two bad–one good exchange sucked (Sinema/SCOTUS vs. Oath Keepers indictments).
...now I try to be amused
Biden might need to go all Andrew Jackson on the Republican Supreme Court’s ass. “John Roberts has made his decision; now let him enforce it.”
From now on, zero fucks given!
Brachiator
@Eolirin:
The Republicans have been playing this losing hand since the 2020 presidential primaries. This nonsense only fires up hard core Republicans.
gvg
I want more Democrats to point out that the reason the Republicans are trying to fix the elections so they can ignore results they don’t like is that they don’t think they can win a fair election anymore. They wouldn’t be doing it over 1 election result, that they are doing this reveals that they don’t think they can ever win a majority again. If they can’t win without changing, they don’t want to play by the rules. The are cheaters and cowards.
Call them all losers, often and loudly.
I think this is related to the overall demographic trends people have been predicting for years. They put themselves in a box by appealing to racists as there were fewer racists growing up. They can not moderate the messages because if they actually do anything nice for minorities, they will abruptly lose a chunk of their current voters, but the actual minorities (and whites that have wised up) won’t consider voting for a republican even if they say they will do something nice….until they have proven non racist actions for some time. this is because “moderate” republicans have promised before and not done a thing.
In the 80’s democrats had lost a certain part of the middle that they needed and they were losing elections in a lot of places.They had to moderate for a while to regain some voters. This was mainly related to worshiping capitalism at the time. A lot of younger people criticize the moderate democrats like Clinton but they weren’t there. The moderates stopped even worse things from happening and vetoed a few important things. If you don’t win, you have no power. Times have changed. Now the republicans need to moderate and they can’t seem too because they have quite a few nutty voters.
Tony Jay
I’m certainly no fan of Rich Lizzie and her sprawling clan of chinless spongers, but I absolutely love to bits the stark, unmistakable contrast between that old woman sitting alone and dead-eyed at her husband’s burial service and the braying mob of classless crotchstains larking it up at Flobalob’s Sigma Eta Iota Tau frat-house the night before. That’s a really nice contrast. Plenty of cut-through.
And that’s not all that’s spilling out. Turns out everybody had a party or ten. Including, believe it or not, a boozy leaving party for the then head of the Covid Taskforce. Yes the woman responsible for making sure people stuck to the rules just casually broke them.
It’s all over bar the execution. Get in that barrel you lardy joke of a man, time to ride the waterfall.
CaseyL
The Black men and women who persisted against all odds, all despair, and against so much officially-sanctioned violence to achieve success… still wound up having to wait until the country, the politicians, and SCOTUS were perfectly aligned to partner with them. A wait of about 90 years, if you date from when Rutherford B. Hayes was permitted to become President on condition that he end Reconstruction., to the signing of the VRA in 1965.
Political tides are tides: they’re cyclic. We’re in a trough. We need to persist and keep trying, but we also need to be clear-eyed about the sheer size of the (red) tide we’re fighting.
JMG
@Served: If covid recedes, I believe Biden will benefit. That is the “normal” voters want, just not having to worry about themselves or their families getting sick as much as they do noe. If it doesn’t, then your analysis is likely correct.
p.a.
Anyone who follows the NFL knows ownership there is one of the best arguments for confiscatory estate taxes; out of 31 or 32 billionaire owner families (Packers are publicly owned) 25+ are idiots. Why should our Senators be any different??
Baud
@gene108:
Seems like Dems are never happy and Republicans are only happy when Republicans are in charge, so that’s a natural advantage for the other side.
Jimmm
@Librarian:
Or his thoughts on anything, really… he has a definite gift for thrilling invective. ;-)
Leto
Speaking of message discipline, remember when the National School Board Association released the message saying that educators and school board members were under assault, and needed more help? Here’s a more detailed story regarding the 80 year, bipartisan organization:
(WaPo) National School Boards Association stumbles into politics and is blasted apart
Like most conservative freak outs (hello Acorn), ofc it was based on distortion:
Just the continued destruction of our education system, or another day ending in -y.
patrick II
As angry as I am at Sinema and Manchin for blocking any chance for scuttling the Freedom to Vote bill, I wonder how much good it would have done anyway. We had a perfectly good VRA already that the Roberts court disemboweled based upon specious legal reasoning driven by Robert’s desire to return us all to the proper master/servant relationship. What are the odds this Supreme Court wouldn’t find a way to undercut any law that would bring more free and fair elections? Hell, yesterday they decided to let thousands die and hundreds of thousands be hospitalized because reasons.
Mitch was right about the long-term advantage of partisan owning of the Supreme Court. Congress can write any law it wants — and then the fanatic five plus Roberts will tell you what you can do with it.
Brachiator
We are still waiting to see whether Biden will get some version of the BBB bill passed. Meanwhile the expanded and refundable credits available to lower and middle income taxpayers this tax season will make a huge difference to families with children.
This is also going to pump billions of dollars into the economy.
I teach tax preparers on the tax changes and on the use of certain tax products. Recently, one customer wanted help in reviewing a return. He thought he did something wrong because the refund was much higher than last year.
I predict that the total amounts of refunds point will be significantly higher than in the past. It will be interesting to see how economic and financial journalists report on this and how the additional income will affect the economy.
Biden and the Democrats have done something extraordinary. Millions will be raised out of poverty. Others may be able to save or reduce debt that they owe. Others may get a cushion to give themselves space to find a better job.
I also expect right wing dopes to whine about tax fraud and the undeserving poor.
Meanwhile, putting money in the hands of people instead of corporations will be a public good.
Matt
The “moderates” have always been on the second side of these divides, tutting that they simply can’t support such divisive hippies even though the fascists make them squeamish.
See also posters here whinging about “the left hitting Biden” to distract from Durbin’s ratfucking, because a bunch of noisy folks on Twitter are equally powerful to a Senator.
...now I try to be amused
@patrick II:
One law the Supreme Court can’t overturn is one regarding how many seats it has. Just sayin’.
Baud
@Matt: See, your inability to distinguish between us regular Democrats and the Manchinema’s of the world are what help weaken our side and help the fascists. That fact that you are not Manchinema doesn’t make you good guys.
Served
@Brachiator: Tax season this year will be a huge opportunity to gin up some positive press. A few well-timed executive actions could turn it into a huge splash.
brendancalling
@Yarrow: Thank you for this. I’m still waiting for my doctor to get back to me, but it looks like manually adding my prior vaccine (the J&J) successfully updated my chart to “fully vaccinated,” so that is encouraging.
The amount of misinformation floating around is driving me batty. But at least now I’m 95% sure I’m up to date with vaccination.
Yarrow
@brendancalling: You’re welcome. Maybe your doctor friend would benefit from the information too. It’s worrying she’s spreading wrong information. Perhaps she misunderstood your vaccine schedule and thought you’d only had the one Pfizer.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Thread on a Florida Doctor (Florida Man, MD, a new series starring Jack Klugman) who was arrested for taking part in 1/6
Another one of those white guys who turned to trumpism because Democrats abandoned “the working class”, according to… some asshole the other day
ETA: for clarity, he lost his job and his wife left him after he was arrested for 1/6
JGreen
Hello, all. I’m unlurking for a bit, but while I’m here, I want to add my appreciation for all the great posters like WaterGirl, Betty Cracker, Anne Laurie, etc. And the Balloon Juice Minister for British Affairs, Tony Jay. Which brings me to a related topic.
If you want a some more about the travails of Boris Johnson and the UK while you wait for Tony Jay to post again, you should check out Phil Moorhouse on YouTube. He posts videos under the title “A Different Bias” that last about 10 minutes and are all about the latest developments in the UK especially in regard to Brexit and Boris Johnson. He is pretty much with Tony, but not as creative with his language. He does do a good job of explaining why the disasters are happening and are likely to continue. If I understand it correctly, he thinks that Johnson will have to go, but it won’t happen until Tory MP’s find the scandals dangerous to their own chances of re-election. If the scandal is focused on Johnson only, the Tories can wait until a more advantageous time for them before they dump him.
It’s fascinating to listen to, especially for someone as far away from the action as I am. Check it out, but warning: Phil has a strong Northern accent (I don’t know which area) and it could be hard for some to understand. It’s worth the time anyway until Tony Jay’s next magnum opus.
danielx
@Yarrow:
Best comment from a twitter commentator: Credit where credit’s due – the government can organize a piss up.
Kalakal
One has to sympathise with the Metropolitan Police’s reluctance to investigate the alleged parties at No 10.
All they have is photographs, emailed invitations, a confession, eye witness accounts, and everybody entering and leaving the building being monitored by their own officers. All in all not much to proceed with
Yarrow
@Kalakal: And of course their stated position that they don’t investigate potential crimes after they’ve been committed.
Brachiator
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
And of course many of these people are well off. I was watching a CNN clip of a woman from a Texas suburb who flew to the insurrection with some buddies in a private jet.
Many of these people live in purple areas where an increasing number of newcomers are upwardly mobile nonwhite neighbors. These right wing MAGA heads went crazy when Obama was elected and don’t just hate poor people, they hate the idea that their economic equals are increasingly people of color, and they want a white supremacist America.
Betty
To add to the general unhappiness, Steve Benen at The Maddow Blog reported that the new USPS board is quite happy with DeJoy. So much for hoping good mail service would be restored.
lowtechcyclist
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Lemme get out my microscope and see if I can find the world’s smallest violin.
gene108
@Baud:
I think if Congress had passed Biden’s agenda, most Democrats would be happy. Manchin and Sinema have taken a flamethrower to the Party, at all levels, burning whatever energy was leftover from 2018 and 2020.
I’m really bummed out after yesterday. Two Senators tearing down the rest of the party, without any clear reason as to why.
Kathleen
@CaseyL: The Democraric Party is being undermined by the right. the left, Russia and who knows who else, and the media. The last line between democracy and fascism plus it is the only party interested in or capable of governing. They’re being assaulted at unprecedented levels by 24×7 by well funded and coordinated forces. They and their families are being threatened. I think they’re holding up magnificently and I’m so proud of them.
I believe they are targets especially because Black people wield power and influence in our party and Black voters are a huge block. Again, racism is the animus driving this train. If we don’t understand this bigger picture we will have problems effectively dealing with these evil forces. It’s bigger than 2 senators. It’s bigger than Donald Trump.
On a positive note, Ohio Supreme Court rejected the congressional maps so both our maps will be redrawn.
Baud
@gene108: Maybe. I’d certainly prefer that alternative timeline, but my gut tells me we’d just be upset over something else.
I think we’d be happy if Biden’s polling numbers were really high, but that’s literally impossible because he’ll always get disapproval from the GOP no matter how good things are going.
ETA: Frankly, we have a bad habit of falling apart whenever we hit an obstacle.
Baud
@Betty: Any reason given?
Kalakal
@Yarrow: Here’s the police’s boss on Johnson having parties during lockdown
https://twitter.com/PippaCrerar/status/1481291488130736131/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1481291488130736131%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&r
And here’s what the police’s boss has to say about the proles having parties during lockdown
https://mobile.twitter.com/PeterStefanovi2/status/1481383354532605952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1481383354532605952%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thepoke.co.uk%2F2022%2F01%2F13%2Fpriti-patel-just-backed-boris-johnson-and-the-best-riposte-came-from-priti-patel%2F
I hate these people
Tony Jay
@Matt:
I know you put it in inverted commas, but ‘moderates’ is not the word anyone on the Left should be using to describe the people who, as you say, would rather punch a hippy than a fascist. See also ‘centrists’, ‘realists’, ‘grown-ups’ and ‘fierce but attentive lovers’.
These are all terms they’ve adopted to disguise the reality that they are pretty conservative, rather cowardly, and have internalised a lot more of the Right’s worldview than they’d ever care to admit.
Real centrists and moderates are always willing to work in good faith with the Left, actual realists will be honest about where they can and where they can’t. While the fierce but attentive lovers, well, they can speak for themselves, maybe over a glass of wine and a muted Lewis Capaldi album.
You’ll find all of those here, and they’ll all be equally offended to be tarred with the Lefty-bashing brush. Don’t help the shitstirrers wedge natural allies apart through their deliberate misuse of terminology.
YM of course MV.
Old School
@Baud:
…
The Moar You Know
@gene108: you keep your assignments and seniority regardless of who’s in control of the Senate. The only real change for Manchin is that if the GOP takes back the Senate, he won’t be calling the shots on Energy, but that hardly matters to him as the GOP and his goals on that committee are 100% in sync. Moar coal.
Baud
@Old School: Weird.
Tony Jay
@Kalakal:
Bottom line. All of this, from the leaks to the suddenly anti-Johnson coverage to the noises emanating from the face-anuses of the likes of Patel, Truss, Raab, Sunak, etc, is about the same thing.
The Tories are a Party of factions who don’t like or trust each other, backed by a variety of donor interests who all want slightly different things, and they’re about to face an existential wedge-issue in the question of who succeeds Johnson.
As much as the Blairites have hollowed out Labour, that’s nothing to how badly the Tories are going to implode over who their next leader will be. It’s going to be abattoirial.
Your hate will be well fed.
the pollyanna from hell
I will live up to my nym by finding hope in the reflection that while Dems get discouraged Repubs die of covid.
Geminid
@Kathleen: All right! Ohio’s Republican redistricters fu#ked around and found out. I hope you get a good District out of this.
taumaturgo
@Matt
This is what conservative democrats (moderates?) do to have both ways, be in charge and take whatever credit and blame the left when they fuck up, as in no unity, no bipartisanship, no BBB, and a pared to the bone infrastructure bill. To be fair they claim that something is better than nothing, enjoy your crumbs.
WaterGirl
Jen Psaki talked about the false-flag operation in her press briefing yesterday – well, it’s probably more correct to say that National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan talked about it at the press briefing. It was good, if anyone wants to watch.
gene108
@Baud:
I don’t know. I’ve never seen Democrats united enough to not self-sabotage, when they have momentum. In 2009, after the House passed healthcare reform in the spring, Sen. Dodd signed off on whatever part he was responsible for in the Senate, but Senator Baucus decided he needed more time to think about the bill, so Democrats headed into the 2009 summer recess without this big piece of legislation they promised.
Biden’s never going to do better than 55/45 approve/disapprove, because of how partisan things are, but he’s badly under water partly due to omicron surge and to Manchin and Sinema making it look like he’s not in control.
Even Republicans fall apart, when things go badly for them. They just have very prominent cheerleaders in the media that try to mask their problems, so it’s not as obvious. Their party can’t pass a budget without Democrats help, when they’re in power. They drove off their last two Speakers for not being conservative enough.
Mike in NC
Putin is clearly unhappy that we dumped his idiot puppet, so he needs to fuck with people.
Sloane Ranger
Cabinet Ministers are still being sent out to praise Boris’ leadership, remind the faithful that he “Got Brexit Done” and to say that we should “look forward, not back ” because all this fixation on partying while COVID-19 burned is taking the Great Leader’s attention away from putting the Great back in Great Britain.
Omnes Omnibus
@CaseyL: No, we aren’t in a trough. There are both good and bad things happening at the same time. If all we focus on is the bad, it will be demoralizing. We have had good decisions from the OH and WI supreme courts in the past couple of days. The seditious conspiracy charge thing is going to be huge. We are raise money like crazy for Michigan. Tony Evers has raised shitload of money for his re-election campaign. There is a ton of money just waiting for Ron Johnson’s Democratic opponent to be named. I could go on….
Laura Too
45 got away with his pussy grabbing comment. Bojo is saying he pulled out early and he didn’t enjoy it. Similar? I hope he pays more of a price.
Brachiator
@Served:
Yep. The administration can play this up big time. Maybe profile some West Virginia taxpayers.
Kalakal
@Tony Jay: Oh I know :)
All the likely choices are incompetent, highly ambitious grifters with the charisma of earwax and more teeth than braincells who all happen to hate each other. Johnson has reached the point where the teflon has worn off and now everything sticks instead of sliding off. As often happens in UK politics people somehow skate for years over disastrous screwups and then get hammered flat over something trivial. In Johnsons case the proximate cause is going to be a suitcase of booze, not all the lies, corruption, covid, brexit etc though they will be driving the storm that hits him. It’s like the old causes of WWI thing, yes the trigger was Sarajevo but there was a lot more behind that.
One thing I have to admire is the surgical precision with which the leaks are coming out. One thing I have to say about Cummings is that he’s one hell of a good hater
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Maybe not
also the administration passed an infrastructure bill, something trump couldn’t do, that’s half-again as big as the ARRA
and let’s not fall into the trap of “judges or whatever” the day after the USSC threw a wrench into Biden’s van mandate based on pure ideological self-indulgence
Kalakal
@Omnes Omnibus: Well said.
Brachiator
@Sloane Ranger:
This is wild since, by any reasonable measure, BREXIT has not been a huge success.
I don’t know. It must feel like a punch in the gut to all the people who obeyed the rules and avoided gatherings, and visiting sick loved ones while they were partying it up at Number 10.
I don’t see how they can get around the stark images of the Queen sitting alone and trying to obey the rules. The contrast in behavior is devastating.
Kathleen
@Geminid: Thank you!
Felanius Kootea
@patrick II: At some point, when the fanatic five hands down new rules that make public health disasters infinitely worse, they may simply get ignored. That’s a danger no one seems to be taking into account – what that potential loss of credibility and authority means for the future of the Supreme Court as an institution. If you know the game is rigged against you, you stop going to the crooked refs for decisions and find a way around. It’s human nature and how many “third world” countries end up in a mess – all the “official” channels for doing things “properly” are corrupted, so people make another way.
Brachiator
@gene108:
Maybe not. Manchin has made a big deal about how he cannot support Biden’s attempt to increase the child tax credit and other benefits.
But as I noted here, all these credits are fully in force for this tax year. Families are going to see in real terms how much Biden has helped them. We will see how the availability of extra income boosts the economy.
Manchin and the GOP can talk all kinds of trash about the theoretical effect these stimulus programs might have on the economy. But we will get to see and measure it for ourselves. All before the mid-term elections.
Kalakal
@Brachiator: To many of the faithful it has
Think of how Magats view TFG or masks or whatever and you’ve got Brexiteers. They don’t use ” any reasonable measure” .
Also so far they’ve been using Covid to hide the effects of Brexit. The effects of Brexit will really start to kick in this year as the temporary arrangements with the EU expired 1st Jan. The economic consequences will be catastrophic but so far the self proclaimed ‘party of business’ has been happy with a leader whose response has been “fuck business”.
Captain C
@Mike in NC: He also has to distract his own people from the fact that he’s been in power for 20 years and in many ways and places in Russia, things are not better and, since COVID, are in some ways worse.
Not to mention the danger he’ll be in from his own supporters if the Western nations start confiscating various oligarchs’ bolt hole properties and bank accounts in retaliation for a Ukraine invasion and the flummery that would go with it.
And it’s entirely possible that, like Republicans, the once ‘steely-eyed realists’ in the Russian power structure have succumbed to a serious case of huffing their own farts (cf. the later Brezhnev-era USSR). Lavrov’s speech, if indeed it’s not pure posturing and conscious bullshit, seems to be an indication of this.
Betty
@Baud: Sorry I didn’t see this earlier. The newly elected chair is a retired investment banker so I guess they see eye to eye.
Brachiator
@Tony Jay:
There don’t seem to be any moderate Tories. They were all purged, if they ever existed. And the hardliners, who wanted a no deal BREXIT or who opposed any Covid lockdowns, are despicable elitists who are even more openly disdainful of the people. They cannot hide their disgust of the masses under a mop of blowsy blonde hair and crazy talk the way that Boris did.
Kalakal
@Brachiator: It seems that even marine mammals are smart enough to see Brexit for the disaster it is
BBC News – Norfolk rescued orphaned seal found relaxing on French beach
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-59982168
When you’ve lost the pinniped vote…
Laura Too
@Kalakal: Thanks, I needed the upbeat story and the laugh. Bleak day today.
Brachiator
@Kalakal:
Very funny.
J R in WV
@patrick II:
prostratedragon
@Betty: Late I know, but have Biden’s new appointments actually taken office yet?
Mike in DC
Translated from German by
Article in the
@Bild
from tomorrow. I don’t think the federal government and most Germans realize what is happening here. Europe stands on the brink of a war that could indeed turn into a catastrophe for us all. And we sleepwalk.
Julian Röpcke on Twitter: “Artikel in der @Bild vom morgen. Ich glaube, die Bundesregierung und die meisten Deutschen realisieren überhaupt nicht, was hier gerade passiert. Europa steht an der Schwelle zu einem Krieg, der tatsächlich zu einer Katastrophe für uns alle werden könnte. Und wir schlafwandeln. https://t.co/Mnz6xHeEJh” / Twitter