Lawrence Tribe's Change of Mind on the Debt Limit

[Jimmy Higgins]

I don't think McCarthy wanted to go as far as Roy and the "Freedom" caucus wanted to... but oddly enough, I haven't read anything from Gaetz yet. The "Freedom" Caucus has the power to prevent this by expelling McCarthy. But they don't seem to be posturing to do that, before it is passed.

Matt Gaetz joins growing rebellion over McCarthy's debt ceiling deal

The Florida congressman looks set to join several other GOP lawmakers in opposing Kevin McCarthy's bill.

www.newsweek.com

So Gaetz says he won't vote for the bill. Ummm... who cares. If Biden supports it, the Dems can almost pass it themselves. But what about his leverage on McCarthy?

Gaetz added during the stream that he didn't believe there was any "serious threat" to McCarthy's role as House Speaker even if there is some GOP opposition to the debt ceiling deal.

So it looks like Matt Gaetz identifies as "paper tiger" or maybe just a "rectum" (occasionally full of shit, but generally just taking up space, and smells). Again, I'd rather have that than a constitutional crisis, but what an anal wart that guy is.

But all this damn posturing and talk and threats... and then they do nothing.

 

[Copernicus]

Consider the possibility that Gaetz's opposition to the bill could help get it passed.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I think McCarthy gains from the two year agreement as much as Biden does. It provides the "Freedom" Caucus less leverage too. How messed up is the GOP that McCarthy conceding to Biden is small victory for himself?

They get money taken from the IRS--big win for them.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

With both far-right and hard-left lawmakers in revolt over the deal, it fell to a bipartisan coalition powered by Democrats to push the bill over the finish line, throwing their support behind the compromise in an effort to break the fiscal stalemate that had gripped Washington for weeks. On the final vote, 149 Republicans and 165 Democrats backed the measure, while 71 Republicans and 46 Democrats opposed it.

That was a blow to the Republican speaker, whose hard-fought victory on the measure was dampened by the fact that more Democrats ultimately voted for the bill than members of his own party.

The measure nearly collapsed on its way to the House floor, when hard-right Republicans sought to block its consideration, and in a suspenseful scene, Democrats waited several minutes before swooping in to supply their votes for a procedural measure that allowed the plan to move ahead.

link

So the alt-right tried to block it via procedure, but the Democrats broke it through that. I think the alt-right had more ammunition, but decided not to use it. All bluster it seems. I suppose that is the problem when you don't actually have principles to stand by.

 

[southernhybrid]

Hope it gets through the Senate quickly. It looks like there aren't more than 30 dissenters. This entire thing was such drama and Biden did a great job of getting a more than decent compromise. When will those on the edges come to understand that compromise is usually the only way to get anything done, particularly in a divided country.

Biden has done a remarkable job, imo and it's sad that he is so under appreciated. I don't know how he gets the energy to do all that he does, both domestically and in foreign policy. Of course, the majority is never happy when compromises are made, but I'm thankful we don't have an incompetent mad man in the WH, but instead have a very experienced, reasonable man, who of course has made many mistakes in his political career, but unlike Trump and the Republicans, he admits his mistakes, and has never claimed to be perfect. At his point, I think most of his Democratic critics are simply ageist, the last acceptable form of bigotry.

Ok. I'm going off topic and ranting. I couldn't help myself.

 

[Copernicus]

...At his point, I think most of his Democratic critics are simply ageist, the last acceptable form of bigotry.

A bit of an exaggeration. There are all kinds of acceptable forms of bigotry still out there, and it isn't just being prejudiced against old people. I think that criticisms of Biden go beyond just his age. There are progressives who genuinely think he is too moderate. It is also legitimate to be concerned about his mental and physical vigor, because the presidency can age people more quickly than less stressful jobs. Personally, I think that he is going to have a rough time holding up during campaign season, even though he is vigorous for a man of his age. Decline in health is inevitable as we age, especially when we reach the 8th decade of our lives. I intend to vote for Biden, if he wins the nomination. But I would much prefer a younger Democrat, who would be more in touch with younger voters and perhaps have broader appeal. I'm not confident that Trump will be the Republican nominee, and I think that Biden will be more of a liability for Democrats if Republicans come up with a candidate that is younger and more energetic.

 

[southernhybrid]

...At his point, I think most of his Democratic critics are simply ageist, the last acceptable form of bigotry.

A bit of an exaggeration. There are all kinds of acceptable forms of bigotry still out there, and it isn't just being prejudiced against old people. I think that criticisms of Biden go beyond just his age. There are progressives who genuinely think he is too moderate. It is also legitimate to be concerned about his mental and physical vigor, because the presidency can age people more quickly than less stressful jobs. Personally, I think that he is going to have a rough time holding up during campaign season, even though he is vigorous for a man of his age. Decline in health is inevitable as we age, especially when we reach the 8th decade of our lives. I intend to vote for Biden, if he wins the nomination. But I would much prefer a younger Democrat, who would be more in touch with younger voters and perhaps have broader appeal. I'm not confident that Trump will be the Republican nominee, and I think that Biden will be more of a liability for Democrats if Republicans come up with a candidate that is younger and more energetic.

Yes. There is some truth in what you have said, but I have known some people in their 90s who were sharper and in better physical shape compared to some in their 40s. I guess that was my point. Ageism still seems to be very acceptable, even among decent young people who will likely eventually be old people. I always learned and admired older people since I was in my early 20s, so it's something I don't understand.

Perhaps people fear getting old. I get it as an old person myself, but that is no reason to make generalizations based on age. Biden slipped on the stage yesterday after standing for two full hours. He slipped on a sandbag, was helped up and carried on to the end. Yet, I imagine the right wing is probably going to dwell on his fall instead of how energetic he was during the ceremony. Anyone can slip and fall if something is in their way. When I was younger I used to walk for miles, and there were a few times when I slipped on something. and fell. Why do people make such big issues over something so trivial? At least he's not riding a gulf cart everywhere.

If there was a very sharp, charismatic younger Democrat, who also had plenty of experience and wisdom, and also wanted that very stressful job, I'm with you on that. I just don't see who that would be. I think Cory Booker would be good, but he has no intention of running, at least not in the near future. There have been a few others who have been mentioned that might be excellent candidates, who have also said they don't want the job. I certainly can't blame anyone who doesn't want the job, especially in our very divided nation, where whoever the president is, they will be highly criticized. I just hate it when Democrats are very critical of a man who has done as much as Biden. I can't imagine having his energy level at any age......well maybe in my 20s and early 30s, but despite being in good health and always exercising etc. there is no way I could have kept up with him at any age much past 25 or so. It's his experience and wisdom that have made him capable of doing the job. There aren't too many like that who want that job.

I do wish that Harris was more popular. It's hard to know how she would do if Biden couldn't finish out his term. Even my Black friends don't care for her. She may be a lot better than people think. I keep trying to persuade a close friend of that, but she just rolls her eyes at me. Of course, she will still vote for Biden but we do worry about independents and how they perceive Harris.. I've seen a lot of comments in WaPo and the NYTimes say they are more concerned about her than they are about Biden. Sure, Biden could crap out due to his age, but being younger doesn't mean a person will survive a presidential term either.

Anyway, we should all be pleased that the government isn't going into default.

 

[Gospel]

The challenges that America is facing:

• The economy: The economy is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, and inflation is on the rise.
• Healthcare: The Affordable Care Act is still under threat, and many Americans do not have access to affordable healthcare.
• Climate change: Climate change is a major threat to the country, and Biden has pledged to take action to address it.
• Gun violence: Gun violence is a major problem in the country, and Biden has pledged to take action to reduce it.
• Immigration: Immigration is a complex issue, and Biden has pledged to take a more humane approach to immigration policy.

What half of America is talking about:

• Slip and fall

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

The alt-right is out there fighting windmills while actual dragons are about to kill them from behind.

 

[southernhybrid]

The challenges that America is facing:

• The economy: The economy is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, and inflation is on the rise.
• Healthcare: The Affordable Care Act is still under threat, and many Americans do not have access to affordable healthcare.
• Climate change: Climate change is a major threat to the country, and Biden has pledged to take action to address it.
• Gun violence: Gun violence is a major problem in the country, and Biden has pledged to take action to reduce it.
• Immigration: Immigration is a complex issue, and Biden has pledged to take a more humane approach to immigration policy.

What half of America is talking about:

• Slip and fall

Yes. Biden would like to accomplish all of those things, but he needs the support of a lot of Republicans and sadly that's not happening. It's amazing that he's been able to get several big bipartisan bills passed at all, considering the divided country we live in and some of the total nut cases in the R party. I was reading about MTG this morning and all the people she wants to see impeached, despite there is no evidence that any of them have done anything wrong. How any president can deal with this type of shit is beyond me.

And you got it right. Things like Biden making a gaffe or slipping on a sandbag on a stage he's been standing for over two hours is the most important thing to be concerned about today.