Cathy, you may be right, but I think it is a very close call. 2022 is already bearing down on us and the time for patience will run out quickly, as will this moment of relative unity within the Democratic party. The "serious people" are telling us that we may be stuck with the filibuster and that there are several Democrats not entirely …
Cathy, you may be right, but I think it is a very close call. 2022 is already bearing down on us and the time for patience will run out quickly, as will this moment of relative unity within the Democratic party. The "serious people" are telling us that we may be stuck with the filibuster and that there are several Democrats not entirely on board with respect to Biden's ambitious (but necessary) agenda. In any case, telling the truth about what the GOP is up to is not the same as being "drawn into GOP sound bites and craziness." A nationally televised presidential speech is not the same as a tweet. At some point bastards like McConnell will need to be soundly defeated and basically run out of town.
Yes, I agree this is not going to be easy and possibly not soon enough. If For the People doesn't pass, Republicans could take back the Congress in 2022 and the Presidency in 2024 and then declare the end of democracy. The thing that gives me hope is how prepared President Biden is for this moment in time. 30 years experience in the US Senate means he will find a way if anyone can. He has three difficult but great things to accomplish -- getting COVID under control; restoring voting rights; growing the economy with jobs. He's laid out excellent plans for each of these. Yes, I hope it will all happen before November 2022!
In a little over two months, President Biden has undone so much of the dreck that fraud45 imposed on us for 4 years that it is nothing short of miraculous. I’m happy to let him keep to his timetable and get the virus under control before the maskless hoards kill us all. It’s on the rise again and cannot be ignored and yet the faithful cult of 45 continues to make it political. Why should we expect them to listen to reason?
Sorry, I like to be supportive generally, but what is his strategy for S1? Perhaps I am missing it but what I see is no comment and unsure about the filibuster. NO comments on the committee.
Schumer's current stategy on passing S1 is to use an obscure rule from somewhere in ancient law codes to attach it to a non-filibusterable (word I made up) bill, and to continue to negotiate with Manchin and Sinema. I think what actually will happen is that Coca Cola, Delta and American Airlines, Home Depot, Merck, Microsoft, UPS, et al, will threaten to stop funding Republican candidate campaigns if they support S1 and voter suppression. We the People have voted withbour wallets.
I think it will be something like MaryPat suggests. These big corporations siding with the People could make a huge difference. It negates the dark money corrupt of Citizens United. We need to tell both our Senators and these corporations how much we appreciate their support of democracy for the People. The People do have power if we stand together. The Republicans have to wake up that they won't win re-elect if they don't go beyond the Trumpian cult base. Moderate Republican voters are polling that they like S1 especially the part about getting the dark money out of politics. It isn't one person one vote until Citizens United is overturned! We the People, All of Us This Time!
Unfortunately, we herein are preaching to the choir when it comes to reminding one another to contact our Senators and the corporations. What is needed is a massive outpouring of Republicans doing the same to say they support S1, oppose voter suppression, want the infrastructure package to go through, and abhor filthy dark money in politics.
It looks like Biden is figuring to use the same approach to infrastructure as to covid relief, with a longer time allowed to build wide public support and let the congressional R's either join in or hang themselves with the public as open non-participants. After that, use the accumulated political support to enable Manchin to do whatever it takes to pass the For the People Act.
You all sound more savvy than I. The only problem I see is since your observations are really thoughts and hopes with no observables, if this is not what is happening, the time it takes to discover that is lost.
President Biden is playing a tougher stance than Democrats have in the past. He isn't going to play the Republican game of delay and promises if such is added and then isn't honored. He's going ahead without the Republicans Senators. And, he can claim it is has bipartisan support by both R and D ... and the big I... voters. there are more Independents almost than R and D put together. We the People, All of Us This Time!
Agree. Infrastructure has been kicked down the road for way too many years. First, we must address the dangerous situations in our nation due to neglect and aging. Second, we much create jobs and get people back to work after this extreme pandemic and pay them a living wage. Next, we need to keep the manufacturing and creation of infrastructure materials and such inside our country for the best building of our economy. It can be done. It's just a huge, huge endeavor.
I am late to reviewing comments, but I heartily agree with you MaryPat that climate change has been pushed down the stack by trumped up emergencies - insurrection on top of voting rights on top of campaign finance on top of...but there are some green aspect of the infrastructure package, which is a start and hopefully not too contentious. We shall see.
The idea I have, acknowledging a very limited experience with this stuff, is that a popular part of S1 is to expose dark money and its influence on elections. Dark money is also synonymous with not only corporations but with the very wealthy. Therefore, the notion that the very wealthy are a big part of our problem with our electoral process is a given. So instead of just writing to our representatives (who have been bought) what about calling out those people who have done the buying?
These super wealthy people are young souls, (you may not be into soul ages but) as young souls they are very concerned with how they look to other people. Getting the super wealthy to go on record as to their personal view of S1 would be the idea. If they come out against I believe the center Republicans who are considering leaving the party would be more incensed to leave. If they come out in favor then all the better, Republicans love to align with the money. Plus it sends a message to our bought reps that their sponsors are not solid.
Anyway that is the idea. I'm weak on the implementation.
True. It is idealistic but what if we started from the question of 'how would we actually want our candidates to come forward and how do we actually want to learn about them such that we can choose?' Our elections have become huge media events like football games. Is that what we actually want? We know that media will always seek profit and that means advertising and that means audience size and that means emphasizing the outlier, the conflict and the negative.
True. And all the more reason to get rid of it. If Biden truly believes in campaign finance reform, as he has indicated throughout his career, I hope more Democrats join him in that view. Getting a few sanctimonious Republicans to give up the pots of gold would be good, too.
David, I agree with you that we can’t just sit back and expect Biden’s good deeds to speak for themselves. Democrats, for far too long, didn’t go on the offensive with the result that laws, judges, etc. were all put in place by the Republicans and now we have a massive hill to climb. We need to publicize loudly and by as many voices as possible, that the election was NOT stolen.
Cathy, you may be right, but I think it is a very close call. 2022 is already bearing down on us and the time for patience will run out quickly, as will this moment of relative unity within the Democratic party. The "serious people" are telling us that we may be stuck with the filibuster and that there are several Democrats not entirely on board with respect to Biden's ambitious (but necessary) agenda. In any case, telling the truth about what the GOP is up to is not the same as being "drawn into GOP sound bites and craziness." A nationally televised presidential speech is not the same as a tweet. At some point bastards like McConnell will need to be soundly defeated and basically run out of town.
Yes, I agree this is not going to be easy and possibly not soon enough. If For the People doesn't pass, Republicans could take back the Congress in 2022 and the Presidency in 2024 and then declare the end of democracy. The thing that gives me hope is how prepared President Biden is for this moment in time. 30 years experience in the US Senate means he will find a way if anyone can. He has three difficult but great things to accomplish -- getting COVID under control; restoring voting rights; growing the economy with jobs. He's laid out excellent plans for each of these. Yes, I hope it will all happen before November 2022!
I would only add that I don't think it's a matter of COULD take back Congress and the Presidency if HR 1 is not passed, they WILL.
In a little over two months, President Biden has undone so much of the dreck that fraud45 imposed on us for 4 years that it is nothing short of miraculous. I’m happy to let him keep to his timetable and get the virus under control before the maskless hoards kill us all. It’s on the rise again and cannot be ignored and yet the faithful cult of 45 continues to make it political. Why should we expect them to listen to reason?
Sorry, I like to be supportive generally, but what is his strategy for S1? Perhaps I am missing it but what I see is no comment and unsure about the filibuster. NO comments on the committee.
Schumer's current stategy on passing S1 is to use an obscure rule from somewhere in ancient law codes to attach it to a non-filibusterable (word I made up) bill, and to continue to negotiate with Manchin and Sinema. I think what actually will happen is that Coca Cola, Delta and American Airlines, Home Depot, Merck, Microsoft, UPS, et al, will threaten to stop funding Republican candidate campaigns if they support S1 and voter suppression. We the People have voted withbour wallets.
And so much goes on behind the scenes.
Biden and his team are exquisite at that!
I think it will be something like MaryPat suggests. These big corporations siding with the People could make a huge difference. It negates the dark money corrupt of Citizens United. We need to tell both our Senators and these corporations how much we appreciate their support of democracy for the People. The People do have power if we stand together. The Republicans have to wake up that they won't win re-elect if they don't go beyond the Trumpian cult base. Moderate Republican voters are polling that they like S1 especially the part about getting the dark money out of politics. It isn't one person one vote until Citizens United is overturned! We the People, All of Us This Time!
Unfortunately, we herein are preaching to the choir when it comes to reminding one another to contact our Senators and the corporations. What is needed is a massive outpouring of Republicans doing the same to say they support S1, oppose voter suppression, want the infrastructure package to go through, and abhor filthy dark money in politics.
Hear! Hear!
It looks like Biden is figuring to use the same approach to infrastructure as to covid relief, with a longer time allowed to build wide public support and let the congressional R's either join in or hang themselves with the public as open non-participants. After that, use the accumulated political support to enable Manchin to do whatever it takes to pass the For the People Act.
You all sound more savvy than I. The only problem I see is since your observations are really thoughts and hopes with no observables, if this is not what is happening, the time it takes to discover that is lost.
President Biden is playing a tougher stance than Democrats have in the past. He isn't going to play the Republican game of delay and promises if such is added and then isn't honored. He's going ahead without the Republicans Senators. And, he can claim it is has bipartisan support by both R and D ... and the big I... voters. there are more Independents almost than R and D put together. We the People, All of Us This Time!
Agree. Infrastructure has been kicked down the road for way too many years. First, we must address the dangerous situations in our nation due to neglect and aging. Second, we much create jobs and get people back to work after this extreme pandemic and pay them a living wage. Next, we need to keep the manufacturing and creation of infrastructure materials and such inside our country for the best building of our economy. It can be done. It's just a huge, huge endeavor.
And we must see all that through a climate change lens.
I am late to reviewing comments, but I heartily agree with you MaryPat that climate change has been pushed down the stack by trumped up emergencies - insurrection on top of voting rights on top of campaign finance on top of...but there are some green aspect of the infrastructure package, which is a start and hopefully not too contentious. We shall see.
Do you have some ideas on how to move it along, beyond donating to Fair Fight and contacting Congress people?
The idea I have, acknowledging a very limited experience with this stuff, is that a popular part of S1 is to expose dark money and its influence on elections. Dark money is also synonymous with not only corporations but with the very wealthy. Therefore, the notion that the very wealthy are a big part of our problem with our electoral process is a given. So instead of just writing to our representatives (who have been bought) what about calling out those people who have done the buying?
These super wealthy people are young souls, (you may not be into soul ages but) as young souls they are very concerned with how they look to other people. Getting the super wealthy to go on record as to their personal view of S1 would be the idea. If they come out against I believe the center Republicans who are considering leaving the party would be more incensed to leave. If they come out in favor then all the better, Republicans love to align with the money. Plus it sends a message to our bought reps that their sponsors are not solid.
Anyway that is the idea. I'm weak on the implementation.
I like your thinking but we will have to be prepared for the fact to be illuminated that dark money flows to both parties.
True. It is idealistic but what if we started from the question of 'how would we actually want our candidates to come forward and how do we actually want to learn about them such that we can choose?' Our elections have become huge media events like football games. Is that what we actually want? We know that media will always seek profit and that means advertising and that means audience size and that means emphasizing the outlier, the conflict and the negative.
True. And all the more reason to get rid of it. If Biden truly believes in campaign finance reform, as he has indicated throughout his career, I hope more Democrats join him in that view. Getting a few sanctimonious Republicans to give up the pots of gold would be good, too.
David, I agree with you that we can’t just sit back and expect Biden’s good deeds to speak for themselves. Democrats, for far too long, didn’t go on the offensive with the result that laws, judges, etc. were all put in place by the Republicans and now we have a massive hill to climb. We need to publicize loudly and by as many voices as possible, that the election was NOT stolen.