The GOP lives in fear that they will do something that may make life easier for poor people. Infrastructure is inherently dangerous in this case as they can’t control who might benefit.
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It’s functioning just fine for the GOP unfortunately.
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Is telling the Dems what to do really Charles Blow’s job?
In the face of all this, Democrats need to stop talking about reaching across the aisle, compromise and common ground.
They need to go on the record and speak plainly: The Republican Party has given up on the idea of a true and full democracy. They are attempting to tear it down and erect in its place a system that reduces voter rolls and skews the will of the American people.
For the Republican Party, the success of democracy — that growing numbers of people could participate — is its failure.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/20/opinion/republicans-democrats-manchin-filibuster.html
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Smell the bipartisanship! Smell it!!
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Charles Blow and countless others. They KNOW. The real question is what are they so afraid of? No Republican is going to vote for Sinema et al. I don’t know about Manchin, but he’s old. They’ll be demonized by Fox and McConnell no matter what - so be fucking bold. It’s not like they don’t know.
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“… infrastructure talks may be nearing a make-or-break point…”
This is an indescribable outrage. I can recall bridges 30 years ago, made of concrete and rebar. The concrete – the “binder” – had eroded by at least 1/3 and one could literally see through the concrete/rebar beams. That was in the NYC, LI area. Yesterday a “box girder” construction bridge in DC collapsed. One can only imagine the corrosion that had accumulated.
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Good. Biden is calling out McConnell’s bluff on the ‘pay fors’. Gas and EV taxes are poison pills. The GOP could simply omit them and pass the bill as is without pay fors and Dems will handle all of the revenue issues in reconciliation. GOP only put up this bipartisan front to distract Senate Dems from going all in on reconciliation. After the WH, via Psaki, said yesterday that such a gambit will not work and Dems are moving forward with a reconciliation bill, Mitch is suddenly losing interest. Oh the horror. Seriously, this was always a bad faith endeavor by Mitch. Fortunately, Manchin appears to have some fundamental disagreements with the GOP pay fors and actually wants much of what’s in the AFP. The AFP is the key to winning the '22 midterms. There will be expansion/extension of ACA subsidies, child tax credit, and medicare eligibility. We might even get comprehensive immigration reform. These are game changers.
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Did I mention fuck Joe Manchin?
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I should have copyrighted that shit…sigh…well, at least someone’s saying who has a bigger platform than I ever will.
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Funny how the only thing the Senate can agree on is that the Senate is powerless.
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False flag…FALSE FLAG!!!
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I knew a guy who negotiated with a balrog once.
Once.
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At the end of the day, as long as it gets done and construction projects begin long before the midterms then we’ve lost nothing. I would even argue that by letting them drag out talks for so long, Dems have forcefully made the case that these people cannot be reasoned with even when it involves benefiting their own constituents, even when it means bringing jobs to their voters. That’s not a terrible message to take into the midterms.
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So, Republicans won’t participate in a bipartisan deal, and they won’t allow the Democrats to implement their own plan.
Republicans in the Senate are extorting the American people.
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Exercising your God-given right to exclusive rulership of the country is not extortion, heathen!
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Good story. Good position for the Dems. We need to start feeling that we have power.
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“Inch by inch we’re making progress, and it’s my hope that we can get something done by the end of the day,” Romney said, adding that meetings were continuing after an afternoon vote.
Inch by inch, “no” by “no”
Gonna talk to Capito
All it takes is a fake and a show
And a slim bipartisan ground
Inch by inch, “no” by “no”
McConnell squashed these seeds I sow
Sinema’s keeping her head low
Till 60 votes come tumbling down
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It works. Their voters love them. They suffer no harm for ANYTHING they do. From stealing SCOTUS seats to refusing to convict DJT, twice, to refusing to investigate a damned insurrection.
This system is supposed to be self correcting by voters. It’s not.
I guess I should be glad they are not still selected by state legislatures.
And their bullshit policies don’t get tested. They hide behind the Filibuster.
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It is funny that just three years ago, the conservatives were lamenting the laziness of GOP senators, begging them to do something about Democrat obstruction rather than fuck off on August vacation. Now suddenly this legislative sloth is praised! Do nothing! Obstruct! Vaycay!
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“Senators Acknowledge That Time Is Running Out For A Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal”
Isn’t that the point? McConnell’s clear goal to deny Democratic presidents any legislative ‘victories’ (especially those that might appeal to average American citizens who are Republican)?
The mindset underlying McConnell’s actions is that he values party over nation.
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