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

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#186176: May 2nd 2017 at 7:51:23 AM

[up]Hopefully it won't be necessary. But I also approve.

Disgusted, but not surprised
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#186177: May 2nd 2017 at 7:54:26 AM

The recent spending deal specifically disallows funding of a border wall; all extra money for border security is destined for things like surveillance.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
Medinoc from France (Before Recorded History)
#186179: May 2nd 2017 at 8:23:06 AM

The 60 votes margin for spending bills is simply a matter of Senate procedure.
I never really understood, is the need for a supermajority a normal thing for spending bills, or is it a filibuster-related matter? Same question about the Supreme Court, since the voting rule change has been called "nuking the filibuster"...

"And as long as a sack of shit is not a good thing to be, chivalry will never die."
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#186180: May 2nd 2017 at 8:25:53 AM

[up][up][up][up][up][up]That's great! There should be consequences for companies that support Trump's vile and inefficient policies.

edited 2nd May '17 8:34:52 AM by Fourthspartan56

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#186181: May 2nd 2017 at 8:33:53 AM

^^^Seems like it's more rumour than possibility so far, thank Pele.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#186182: May 2nd 2017 at 8:35:36 AM

[up] Hopefully so. I really don't want to find out the answer to the question "How will Trump's next Supreme Court Justice pick be worse than Gorsuch?"

Disgusted, but not surprised
CenturyEye Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign? from I don't know where the Yith sent me this time... Since: Jan, 2017 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?
#186183: May 2nd 2017 at 8:54:14 AM

Well, Justice Kennedy hasn't confirmed his retirement, but yeah, him leaving would be more than missing a chance. It is only slight exaggeration to say that:

Kennedy controls the outcome of cases like no other justice in more than a decade. With four conservatives to his right, four liberals to his left, he often holds the decisive vote on business and regulatory matters as well.

Still, all the more reason to put work into 2018 and 2020.

Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives
NoName999 Since: May, 2011
#186184: May 2nd 2017 at 8:57:05 AM

Democrats lead the way and extend legal Marijuana Protections to 44+ states

So between this and the protecting retired miners benefits, that's at LEAST 2 things the out of touch Dems did two things for the common American compared to the GOP's nada.

They're the worst at being snobs. [lol]

BonsaiForest Since: Jan, 2001
#186185: May 2nd 2017 at 9:03:01 AM

Why the markets shrugged off Trump's threat to break up the big banks

A reporter for Bloomberg News asked the president during an Oval Office interview if he’s going to follow through on his campaign promise to enact a “21st century” version of the 1933 Glass-Steagall law that required the separation of consumer and investment banking.

“I’m looking at that right now,” Trump replied. “There’s some people that want to go back to the old system, right? So we’re going to look at that.”

If Barack Obama had made this same pronouncement during the first year of his presidency, it would have sent shockwaves across Wall Street. Bank stocks would have collapsed, and the industry would have poured millions into a furious lobbying campaign.

When Trump said it, the markets yawned. Immediately after the Bloomberg story posted, the share prices for all the major bank stocks dropped. But they recovered within 25 minutes. Not only that, they closed up for the day!

Why? Because investors don’t take Trump seriously. They know he’s surrounded by Wall Street guys, and they see this as just the latest campaign promise he plans to break. In short, the money men are not afraid of him anymore.

A guest on CNBC confidently advised traders that it is safe to disregard this president. "Stop — please don't make changes to your portfolio based on things that get blurted out," said Josh Brown, the CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, a few minutes after the Bloomberg story appeared on the terminal. “Do not trade this news!”

Trump doesn’t appreciate it yet, but this dynamic cheapens the presidency and devalues his own currency. From the House floor to the trading floor, he is increasingly perceived as the boy who cries wolf.

TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#186186: May 2nd 2017 at 9:05:46 AM

Plus breaking up the banks would almost certainly cause a recession.

New Survey coming this weekend!
AmbarSonofDeshar Since: Jan, 2010
#186187: May 2nd 2017 at 9:08:39 AM

So between this and the protecting retired miners benefits, that's at LEAST 2 things the out of touch Dems did two things for the common American compared to the GOP's nada.

They need to stop doing this. Let all the stoner bros and the coal miners find out what voting for Trump (or Johnson or Stein) has accomplished for them.

I swear, the Dems are like the parents of an ignorant bully so much of the time, trying to protect their kid from the consequences of his actions, while only teaching him to be worse. At some point they need to stand back and let him burn for his actions.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#186188: May 2nd 2017 at 9:11:05 AM

[up] What the Democrats need to do is advertise. They need to get out the message that "Hey, these benefits? You're welcome."

edited 2nd May '17 9:11:16 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#186190: May 2nd 2017 at 9:18:25 AM

So apparently we can blame the possible shutdown on FOX News.

Basically, Trump's desire to shut down the government is due to FOX News calling the deal a loss for Trump.

edited 2nd May '17 9:18:39 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#186191: May 2nd 2017 at 9:18:58 AM

[up]I'm sure he did.

[up][up][up]This is where the idea of issue advocacy comes in. What needs to happen is grassroots organizers need to step in, and run issue advocacy campaigns now, to lay the groundwork for electorial advocacy in 2018.

https://www.resistanceschool.com/summary-session-two/

[down] grin

edited 2nd May '17 9:23:43 AM by megaeliz

CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#186192: May 2nd 2017 at 9:21:53 AM

"Who has Congress by the balls? We do, we do!" "Who keeps Trump from funding walls? We do, we do!"

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
unexplainedEnemy from hell pit Since: Apr, 2016 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
#186193: May 2nd 2017 at 9:26:36 AM

The thing about "let's just let the Republicans fuck everything up even worse for the WWC so they'll see that the Democrats are their one saving grace" is that, if/when that happens, the Republicans absolutely will try to spin it as entirely the Democrats' fault, and the WWC will absolutely buy that. So the options here are "help out the WWC, and still lose", or "don't help them out, and still lose anyway". I'm not really sure if there IS a way for Democrats to win over coal miners, actually.

they're gonna find intelligent life up there on the moon/and the canterbury tales will shoot up to the top of the best-seller list
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#186194: May 2nd 2017 at 9:27:17 AM

[up] Again, issue advocacy and organizing is key.

For the first time in American history, during the 2016 election neither the Hillary Clinton nor the Donald trump campaign ran on-the-ground persuasion programs. This lack of persuasion doesn’t simply hurt a campaign — it hurts the very fabric of our democracy. It creates barriers between elected officials and their voters, increases partisan polarization, and leads to demonization instead of bridge-building. We must engage with people that we disagree with, even if — especially if — it is uncomfortable. After all, the future of our country depends on it.

https://www.resistanceschool.com/summary-session-two/

https://www.resistanceschool.com/session-two-1/

It's impossible to win over everyone, but we must start somewhere.

edited 2nd May '17 9:36:10 AM by megaeliz

PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#186195: May 2nd 2017 at 9:40:56 AM

We must engage with people that we disagree with, even if — especially if — it is uncomfortable.

So... this is directed specifically towards politicians, right? Because, in my experience, for average citizens like me, this is an entirely pointless endeavor.

i'm tired, my friend
CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#186196: May 2nd 2017 at 9:42:04 AM

Can we just take a minute to appreciate the unsung Democratic congressional leadership? They're a battered minority party in both houses, yet they roped the GOP into passing a spending bill so Democratic in character, it feels like it was part of the 111th Congress's corpus of legislation.

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#186197: May 2nd 2017 at 9:44:00 AM

[up] And they won't get any thanks, credit, or appreciation for it. Either in the media, far left circles like TYT and Secular Talk OR general public

New Survey coming this weekend!
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#186198: May 2nd 2017 at 9:44:49 AM

I feel like there are a lot of issues with the implications that politicians shouldn't try and help people just because some of the people will be either ungrateful or bainwashed into thinking that their opponents did it.

Honestly, it mostly comes off as spite trying to masquerade at as pragmatism. (Or at least as a pragmatic approach that has spite as the "icing".)

Beyond that, something like that probably wouldn't work, the Republicans could just say "The Dems aren't trying to help you!" only they'd finally be telling the truth.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#186199: May 2nd 2017 at 9:49:27 AM

Honestly, I just want more people to be aware of who is actually responsible for the good and the bad in their lives, policy-wise. Mainly because then they'd be less inclined to vote for the people who want to screw over all of us.

Democratic voters at least will appreciate their Congresspeople fighting tooth and nail for them. Even if improving turnout isn't enough on its own to win elections.

edited 2nd May '17 9:50:37 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#186200: May 2nd 2017 at 9:51:04 AM

Rep. Tom Rooney (R-Fl.) says bringing back Earmarks will help end gridlock and will help Republicans legislate, vows to try and bring them back.

Keep in mind that it was Republicans in 2010, especially the Teapublicans, that voted to kill off all Earmarks, especially because they were being abused.


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