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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
ScubaWolf from South Carolina Since: Feb, 2020
#338977: Nov 11th 2020 at 9:33:39 PM

Some of her cases she took as a prosecutor paint her in a...less than favorable light.

Edited by ScubaWolf on Nov 11th 2020 at 12:35:44 PM

"In a move surprising absolutely no one"
AzurePaladin She/Her Pronouns from Forest of Magic Since: Apr, 2018 Relationship Status: Mu
She/Her Pronouns
#338978: Nov 11th 2020 at 9:36:40 PM

To recap: while Chief Prosecutor in California, used her office to do her hardest to prevent trans prisoners from getting surgeries by declaring that she know what was essential for them and what wasn't. When asked to apologize within the past year, said the buck stopped with her...before blaming her subordinates. Refused to say she regretted it and would do differently.

Became Senator. Co-wrote, promoted, passed, and pushed for SESTA-FOSTA, which attacked sex workers generally, but considering that a disproportionate number of sex workers were trans compared to the average...again, has not given even a halfway decent apology.

Edited by AzurePaladin on Nov 11th 2020 at 12:36:54 PM

The awful things he says and does are burned into our cultural consciousness like a CRT display left on the same picture too long. -Fighteer
RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#338979: Nov 11th 2020 at 9:39:32 PM

Also, in general, trans rights don't represent a super huge constituency. And if politicians want to pick one group to drop, why not the one that's likely to die when you ignore it?

[down] You saw no typos. tongue

Edited by RainehDaze on Nov 11th 2020 at 5:54:57 PM

Altris from the Vortex Since: Aug, 2019 Relationship Status: Not caught up in your love affair
#338980: Nov 11th 2020 at 9:42:52 PM

I believe the word is constituency?

But yeah, that's concerning. Hopefully Biden being pro-LGBTQ will mitigate that somewhat.

So, let's hang an anchor from the sun... also my Tumblr
BearyScary Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: You spin me right round, baby
#338981: Nov 11th 2020 at 10:24:31 PM

I have concerns about Harris' record on trans and sex worker rights. Yet, I think she was invited to a pride parade last year, and I remember during the primaries that a trans pride flag was set up outside of her office.

Do not obey in advance.
AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#338982: Nov 11th 2020 at 11:03:57 PM

From what I take it, although Harris's record on the matter is genuinely shitty, she also isn't so much of a hard ideologue that she wouldn't (begrudgingly) move along on the matter either, even if only for optics' sake. The fact that she put her pronouns in her Twitter bio indicates she is at least aware that a lot of people have their eye on her regarding her future steps on trans issues. So while she's no ally, at the same time I also don't expect her to try to stonewall the Biden administration's attempts at trans legislation either.

Edited by AlleyOop on Nov 11th 2020 at 2:09:20 PM

3of4 Just a harmless giant from a foreign land. from Five Seconds in the Future. Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: GAR for Archer
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
#338983: Nov 11th 2020 at 11:52:56 PM

One unrelated thought: Biden picking isn't going to take over a healthy administration next year.

He is going to take over what's left after 4 years of Trump cronyism and the semi-systemic destruction of Institutional Knowledge.

Reconstruction of the executive. branch will be more than necessary.

Not to mention the damage Trump will bring the next 2 months

"You can reply to this Message!"
RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#338984: Nov 12th 2020 at 12:38:39 AM

For what it's worth, Biden looking to pick trans folks for his transition team is a positive sign, for me. The feeling I get from it is, "I may not understand everything that matters to queer folks, which is why I'm hiring people who will". And that's a good thing.

It's been fun.
Imca (Veteran)
#338985: Nov 12th 2020 at 12:50:43 AM

A leader's job is not to be the smartest person in the room, but rather to find the smartest people that they can and delegate effectively...

Thats one of the big problems with some one like Trump who thinks of themselfs as supreme, and honestly a pretty consistent flaw I see people go for in leaders in general....

BearyScary Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: You spin me right round, baby
#338986: Nov 12th 2020 at 12:51:28 AM

Agreed. smile

Do not obey in advance.
Codafett Knows-Many-Things Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Waiting for you *wink*
Knows-Many-Things
#338987: Nov 12th 2020 at 1:07:06 AM

Regardless of Harris' feelings on trans people, I can't imagine things will get worse with her around. Compared to Trump almost declaring them second class citizens.

Just Having Fun
nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#338989: Nov 12th 2020 at 4:27:26 AM

A few months back, I posted the opinions of Democratic Senators on the filibuster. Since that time, a few have updated their positions, a few new people were elected and a Biden administration has become a fact, though Senate control is up in the air. So, reposting with the latest.

     Senators on the filibuster 

  • Jeff Merkley [1]

"When the Senate doesn't debate or vote on the major issues facing America, it doesn't serve anyone. Senator Merkley strongly believes that the path to fixing the broken Senate must include more opportunities for the minority to influence floor debate and require votes on their amendments. He is fighting to break the gridlock and ensure that all senators, not just the Majority Leader, get a say in the floor process."

  • Elizabeth Warren [2]

"If Mitch McConnell is going to do to the next Democratic president what he did to President Obama, and that is try to block every single thing he does, then we are going to roll back the filibuster."

"I'm very open to it. Look, I was governor of a state with two legislatures and everything is operated by simple majority. It works fine."

"The rules are just not that important to me. What is important to me is getting stuff done so if we were to get a majority. There is a lot of stuff that I want to get done and if trying to get the minimum wage increased for example, if Republicans throw up an artificial roadblock in my way, I am inclined to say, 'Wait, it is what people want, it is what we promised.' I am not going to elevate an artificial rule over the substance of what I am here for, but I also don't come into this saying we have to change a rule to change a rule."

  • Mazie Hirono [5]

"The filibuster is intended to protect the minority views. But notice that we're in the minority and our views are not protected at all. And in fact, [Republicans] just roll over everything. So in order to get things done around here, I would be very open to changing the filibuster."

  • Bernie Sanders [6]

"President Obama is absolutely right. It is an outrage that modern-day poll taxes, gerrymandering, I.D. requirements, and other forms of voter suppression still exist today. We must pass a comprehensive agenda to guarantee the rights and dignity of everyone in this country. And that means, among other things, reauthorizing and expanding the Voting Rights Act, for which Congressman John Lewis put his life on the line. As President Obama said, if that requires us to eliminate the filibuster, then that is what we must do."

  • Amy Klobuchar [7]

Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Rules Committee, said she's "open to it and considering it" and she'd vote for the rules change if Republicans "are just blocking major pieces of legislation that we cannot just wait anymore for as a country. We have to have such a momentous session next year. We're going have to do more on the pandemic. All of these things like minimum wage, climate change, that have been sitting around with no action for years and so I've always said during the presidential campaign that we should consider it but it should be leverage."

  • Kamala Harris [8]

"If they fail to act, as president of the United States, I am prepared to get rid of the filibuster to pass a Green New Deal."

Markey expressed support for changing the rules of the Senate filibuster - a tactic used to delay a vote on a bill by extending debate. The current procedure for breaking a filibuster requires 60 votes. Markey said he'd consider a change if Democrats do not seize control of the Senate and Republicans block votes. "At that point, we will have to talk about changing the filibuster."

"We've got to eliminate the filibuster," Brown told me. "I don't know if it has unanimity, but I've not talked to anybody that says 'I don't want to do it.'"


"I will not stand idly by for four years and watch the Biden administration's initiatives blocked at every turn. I am gonna try really hard to find a path forward that doesn't require removing what's left of the structural guardrails, but if there's a Biden administration, it will be inheriting a mess, at home and abroad. It requires urgent and effective action."

"We're going to be the House of Representatives by the time my term is done. And that will be McConnell's legacy. We're headed to a majoritarian institution. And maybe we're better off. Maybe we'd be able to have actual debates and real amendments. The House has more debate than we do."

"I would be shocked if the filibuster sticks around for the entirety of my second term in the Senate," said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who was re-elected last year. "It is very hard to figure out how you do a major health care reform without changing the rules." Murphy said he's open to changes to the rules but said his party shouldn't get ahead of themselves: "We'll win first and worry about how to get stuff done second."

Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, Schumer's No. 2, sounded open to changing the rules and pushed back on the concerns that the body would be forever changed. "This institution's been changed forever by Mitch McConnell, make no mistake," Durbin said, referring to McConnell holding a Supreme Court seat vacant during Obama's final year in office and then gutting filibuster rules for high court nominees. "So let's be honest. This is not the Senate that I was elected to, and it's not the Senate most people read about when they study the Constitution. The question is how can we make this Senate functional and fair in the future."

"Job No. 1 for us is to get the majority. We don't take anything for granted, but it's looking better and better. Once we get the majority, we'll discuss it in our caucus. Nothing's off the table."

"We cannot go through another 10 years here like the last 10 years."

"If people continue for their own political reasons to make it impossible for the majority to exercise its will, filibuster reform may have to be on the table"

"Look, I like the filibuster. I think bringing people together to find common ground is really important," said Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana. "But I will also tell you I didn't come here to do nothing. So if Republicans are in the minority and they just stonewall stuff, and it doesn't look like we are going to get anything done, I will reconsider."

Virginia's junior senator Mark Warner says he's in favor of keeping the filibuster "at this point," but he also "understand[s] the frustrations" of opponents.

"I'm going to tell you that for me that door is not closed... And so when you talk about changing the filibuster rule I understand that we are heading, right now, we are heading that way, to people on both sides. We are heading that way... But understand my perspective on this which comes from decades of living in one of the most vulnerable communities in the country. And if Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, Donald Trump for the last two years had complete sway they wouldn't have just changed policy, which is nice. They would have hurt people in my community."

  • Tammy Duckworth [23]

"I think everything is on the table. I think it is something for our caucus to discuss as a caucus, but the Republicans have not included us in many of those considerations so I don't understand why they would think they should get any input at this point."

Murray said in a statement that she’d prefer bipartisanship, but "I also know we've got a long list of challenges that grow more urgent by the day. And I'm not interested in watching Sen. McConnell or Senate Republicans keep us from acting if we have the chance."

"I think it is an important protection for the minority and some incentive toward bipartisan legislation is important, but that is based upon the premise, however, that the minority does not abuse the rule. If it is abused, I am subject to changing my view."

  • John Hickenlooper [26]

Former Gov. John Hickenlooper, national Democrats' pick in the race, said during a forum last month that he would "listen to any rule change," quickly adding: "I certainly think the way the filibuster is being used now is a joke."

On two other issues of importance, packing the Supreme Court and getting rid of the Senate's long-standing 60-vote filibuster rule... Lujan is "open" to both.

"When he's elected, Mark will consider how any changes to the way the Senate does business could help improve the lives of Arizonans," campaign spokesman Jacob Peters said.

Pennsylvania's Bob Casey, who said Merkley recently pitched him in his private office, has come around to being open to eliminating the filibuster, after opposing that kind of move "probably a year ago, or two years ago."

"If Republicans still think climate change is a hoax and won't play ball, and they take the ball and go back to their court, we'll find other ways to proceed... Getting rid of the filibuster - that shouldn't be the first thing we should lead with. But Republicans should have in the back of their minds that it could come to that."

"There is a breaking point when Americans look at the United States Senate and they see that the Senate under Mitch McConnell has been turned into nothing more than a vehicle for obstructing progress rather than making progress," said Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), who echoed she was open to all options — but likewise would not back eliminating the filibuster yet.

  • Debbie Stabenow [32]

"I'm not telling you we're going to eliminate the filibuster," added Stabenow. "Certainly there's a real hesitancy on that because my colleagues and I want to govern."

"We've had almost four years of creating problems and adding to problems,” Stabenow said. "Everything is on the table depending on how our Republican colleagues choose to operate."

  • Sheldon Whitehouse [33]
It could well be. It will be easier for a lot of Democrats to use budget reconciliation, which is a way around the filibuster and easier for many Democrats to vote through a filibuster once there has been actual obstruction on an actual measure of critical importance, so the public knows what we are fighting over and why. You don't want to play your cards too soon and you don't want to argue for things until you have made your case. Because Republicans will come back and say, 'see, they are radicals and you can't trust them.' Doing our homework is something we absolutely must do. Then a whole lot of remedies that aren't available now may open up.

"I've been here for 26 years [and] found it stood well for the body. If it's not broke, don't fix it."

"I think the filibuster serves a purpose. It is not often used, it's often less used now than when I first came, and I think it's part of the Senate that differentiates itself. Ask me when we win the majority."

  • Kyrsten Sinema [36]
"I've spoken about this many times before - and I do not believe we should take away the filibuster."


  • Senators not listed above who didn't sign the 2017 bipartisan letter advocating for keeping the filibuster (assuming, obviously, that if they didn't support keeping the filibuster when they were in the minority, they won't support it when they're in the majority)
Catherine Cortez Masto, Richard Blumenthal, Chris Van Hollen, Gary Peters, Ron Wyden, Tammy Baldwin

I think Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema will be a package deal - they'll move together on this. Seeing as so many people have shifted their positions, even within the last few months (including King and Tester), I can't really imagine anyone else being hold-outs when it comes down to it. Except for Manchin... are there any pet projects or policies he's passionate about that Democrats can promise in exchange for his vote?

Of course, none of this matters if they don't win both seats in Georgia.

Edited by nova92 on Nov 12th 2020 at 4:28:21 AM

Alycus Since: Apr, 2018
#338990: Nov 12th 2020 at 4:37:42 AM

I know it all boils down to Georgia, but it's encouraging at least to see abolishing the filibuster go from a fringe position to becoming the majority opinion among Democrats.

miraculous Goku Black (Apprentice)
Goku Black
#338991: Nov 12th 2020 at 5:01:53 AM

Gov. DeSantis hires mask denier as Covid-19 analyst - CNN Video

"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."
clemont107 Mega Togekiss?! from Land of Missed Opportunities (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
Mega Togekiss?!
#338992: Nov 12th 2020 at 5:09:28 AM

[up]Despicable. I really wonder why they voted him as Governor 2 years ago even when he made a joke about his African-American opponent Andrew Gillum "monkeying around".

"Wow, no Mega Togekiss in Legends Z-A. Or any non-Froslass new Sinnoh Mega Evolutions. Round of applause, everybody." - Dawn
Imca (Veteran)
#338993: Nov 12th 2020 at 5:26:32 AM

Same reason a state full of senior citizens elected some one guilty of what was at the tine the largest Medicare fraud as there previous governor and now congressmen.

They have an R next to there name not a D.

miraculous Goku Black (Apprentice)
Goku Black
#338994: Nov 12th 2020 at 5:35:58 AM

I'm confused though. Other governors are doing a shit job but De Santis seems like es hellbbent on actually spreading the thing. Does he know that most of his voters are the elderly so this would devastate that.

"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."
Imca (Veteran)
#338995: Nov 12th 2020 at 5:40:02 AM

The thing I remember most about him is that when his election was happening the people here were sharing the adds he ran, which were so kiss assy to Trump even by republician standards.... one involved him praising trump to his kids as a bedtime story...

He probaly just doesnt care, Trump says the virus isnt a big deal and it needs to be denied, so that's what he does... nothing else maters, he has to appease his lord and savior 45.

Edited by Imca on Nov 12th 2020 at 5:40:59 AM

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#338996: Nov 12th 2020 at 5:44:18 AM

Look at the states he lost that he desperately needed:

Reddit repost:

  • He insulted recently deceased John Lewis. Lost Georgia.
  • He insulted Mc Cain when he was alive and dead. Lost Arizona.
  • He didn't back the Governor of Michigan when a group of white men planned to murder her and her family. Lost Michigan.
  • Showed up to Pennsylvania and insulted Philadelphia. Then campaigned throughout Pennsylvania and insulted every city he went to by claiming he never planned on visiting them and only did so because he needed their support. Lost Pennsylvania.
  • Nevada and Wisconsin are two states that are in deep trouble because of COVID. Nevada relies heavily on tourism which COVID has decimated and Wisconsin is one of the first midwest states to start surging during the fall when all the experts warned this would be arguably worse for COVID then in the Spring.

It just amazes me that if this guy just put a little bit of work in and put his ego aside he could have won this.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Nov 12th 2020 at 5:59:22 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Reflextion from a post-sanity world (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: What's love got to do with it?
#338997: Nov 12th 2020 at 5:48:45 AM

It just amazes me that if this guy just put a little bit of work in and put his ego aside he could have won this.

If Trump were the sort of person who could do either of those things, very little of the last four years would've happened the way it did.

Someone did tell me life was going to be this way.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#338998: Nov 12th 2020 at 5:57:27 AM

If Trump was that kind of person he probably wouldn't have run for POTUS in the first place.

Disgusted, but not surprised
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#338999: Nov 12th 2020 at 6:33:00 AM

[up]x3 Also Minnesota. He campaigned here heavily (he stopped in Minneapolis, Duluth, Mankato, Rochester, Burnsville, and Pence went there a couple times as well), hoping to flip it from blue to red. It didn't happen (although, like 2016, there were a lot more GOP votes than I would've liked to see).

Really, when you take all these things together, this election was a huge blow to his ego. No wonder he's pissed.

Edited by speedyboris on Nov 12th 2020 at 8:00:29 AM

Scarecrow4774 from In Wonderland Since: Mar, 2017 Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
#339000: Nov 12th 2020 at 7:38:25 AM

[up] George Floyd also died in Minneapolis. Bet that also killed Trump's chances.

Edited by Scarecrow4774 on Nov 12th 2020 at 10:38:40 AM

“We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.” - Lewis Carroll

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