Post 2022 Election

[Harry Bosch]

"The Democrats generational wheel has begun to turn, the Party’s emerging bench is very, very strong"

Noting the D leadership's graceful handover of power to a much younger leadership. The D leadership no longer looks like the Soviet Union's leadership in its last years. It's the R leadership that now has lots of strife.

Biden Administration – Harris, Raimondo, Buttigieg, Becerra, Granholm…

Govs - Newsom, Whitmer, Shapiro, Wes Moore, Polis, Healey, Hobbs, Cooper…

More – Padilla, Cortez Masto, Kelly, Warnock, Ossoff, Harrison, Fetterman, the new House leadership crew, the House Members who’ve survived tough battles in 2020 and 2022…..

But not mentioning the steadily growing "Squad".

"Hispanic vote narrative needs a rewrite, Dems crushing it in the Southwest" and "Dems need to lean in hard to the youth vote" and "NeverTrumpers played an important role" - R's like Liz Cheney, Bill Kristol, Sarah Longwell, Michael Steele, Matthew Dowd, etc.

Democrats need a party wide project to win the economic argument in 2024 - The Democratic Party is simply not going to do what it wants to do as a national Party if we are losing the economy by 10-15 points to Republicans. As we argue in our With Democrats Things Get Better presentation, and in a related thread, our trailing the Rs on economic issues remains perplexing when the story since 1989 has been strong growth/lower deficits/progress under Ds, recessions/spiraling deficits/decline under Rs. Using the implementation of the big 3 bill Biden bills as a backdrop - infrastructure, CHIPs, climate - we need to together make a commitment to pull ahead of the Rs on the economy by the summer of 2024.

Good bit here. It may be hard for the D's to have a good economic message without displeasing their deeper-pocketed donors, however.

You are a lot more optimistic than I! I'm excited about the 2022 election. However, far more republicans voted that dems. Dem turnout was down. Hispanics are turning republican. We didn't lose as bad as anticipated because so many republicans split their vote, not wanting to vote for Qrepublicans. We need to change this direction. Agree with you that we need improve with our economics vote. Also agree with you that stressing infrastructure and Chips is wise. Regarding Chips, we should focus on "reshoring", safe guarding our supply chain. If China were to invade Taiwan tomorrow, our economy would go in the toilet immediately. They make 85% of the worlds chips.

We need to change our messaging and win back the Hispanic vote.

 

[ZiprHead]

I am not so sure about Trump winning the GOP primary. Several polls show DeSantis doing much better than Trump among the far right Republicans. Of course 2 years in politics is a long, long time. Trump's age might be an easy off ramp for some. And by 2024 Trump's electability among voters as a whole will be a big issue. All avoiding the issues of insurrectionism, tax cheating et al.

There are rumors that Trump is considering running as a third party.

Only if he can raise the money. He isn't paying for it out of pocket.

Does he pay for anything out of his own pocket?

 

[ZiprHead]

So McCarthy is already moving into the Speaker's Office.

This could be embarrassing.

 

[lpetrich]

Larger squad? How the Hill’s newest progressives plan to wield power. - POLITICO

An optimistic crop of liberal first-year lawmakers is confident they can pry back the majority from Republicans in two years. In the meantime, add another five members, aligned with the liberal Working Families Party, to the ever-expanding list of those vowing to push President Joe Biden’s administration to the left on priorities like workers’ rights, climate change and immigration.

I agree that that is rather optimistic.  Party divisions of United States Congresses

Bill Clinton lost all of Congress in his second year, and never got them back. Barack Obama lost the House in his second year, though he only lost the Senate in his sixth year.

They’re also helping each other find affordable housing, with Ramirez and Lee planning to room together to save money in the expensive D.C. area. Mirroring squad members’ penchant for talking about their own everyday hardships in life, Ramirez spoke plainly about her financial struggles that made a roommate necessary, even with a six-figure congressional salary. She listed off credit card debt, medical debt from two recent miscarriages, her husband working as a freelancer and a mortgage back home.

“I don’t want to feel embarrassed, but damn, that’s not the reality, or something that many of my colleagues have to ever worry about,” said Ramirez, the self-described “housing legislator.” Ramirez said she and her husband made the tough decision for him to stay back in Illinois and visit D.C. occasionally.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez can't afford to rent an apartment in D.C. - Thu, Nov 8 2018

How I Get It Done: Congresswoman Lauren Underwood - Feb. 12, 2019 - her roommate in 2019 was Katie Hill

 

[lpetrich]

Rep-elect Delia Ramirez on Cori Bush:

“I just appreciate her honesty, how authentic she is, but also how intentional she is about how to move the needle, even if it means outside of the legislative process,” said Ramirez, who said her one-on-one with Bush during orientation was one of her “most profound conversations.” The Illinoisian also said she was squad-member Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s (D-Mass.) “biggest fan, and she knows this.”

Rep-elect Greg Casar:

“We need to push and work with the Biden administration to get as much as we can done,” Casar said, citing stronger overtime rules and labor protections as some of his top priorities. He’s set to wield power as the Congressional Progressive Caucus’ Whip in the upcoming term.

Casar is used to butting heads with the GOP and finding creative workarounds. His stint on the Democratic City Council in Austin, Texas was marked by statewide Republicans’ constant efforts to preempt much of their local legislation, such as when the Legislature passed a law that forced local governments to allow law enforcement to ask suspects about their immigration status. Casar said the city found a way to implement the legislation that effectively neutered the GOP-led law.

Experience that will come in handy, I'm sure.

 

[lpetrich]

• Democratic caucus will be the most progressive "in decades," Rep. Jayapal says
• Progressives and the midterms: Maxwell Frost, Delia Ramirez, Greg Casar, and Summer Lee might just be the new Squad.
  and
• Larger squad? How the Hill’s newest progressives plan to wield power. - POLITICO

Greg Casar on Twitter: "Ready to fight for working families
@DeliaRamirezIL
@MaxwellFrostFL
@SummerForPA
@BeccaBalintVT
@JasmineForUS
(pic link)" / Twitter

Squad and almost-squad Congresspeople elected in recent years.

Elected 2018: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez NY, Ayanna Pressley MA, Rashida Tlaib MI, Ilhan Omar MN, (Katie Porter CA)

Elected 2020: Jamaal Bowman NY, Cori Bush MO, (Marie Newman IL, Mondaire Jones NY - both lost in 2022)

Elected 2022: Greg Casar TX, Delia Ramirez IL, Maxwell Frost FL, Summer Lee PA, Becca Balint VT (Morgan McGarvey KY, Robert Garcia CA, Shri Thanedar MI, Jasmine Crockett TX, Jill Tokuda HI, Jonathan Jackson IL)

 

[Politesse]

The R's were complaining about inflation without offering any solutions

Republicans never have any solutions to any problems. Ignorance and rage are their whole schtick. Sometimes that seems to work for them at the ballot box, and sometimes it doesn't.

 

[lpetrich]

Last December, Progressive Caucus on Twitter: "The CPC held its elections for leadership for the 118th Congress today, the 16th Congress in our history.
This group — with @RepJayapal as Chair and @Ilhan as Deputy Chair — will oversee the largest CPC ever.
Join us in congratulating these tremendous progressive leaders! (pic link)" / Twitter

CPC Announces Elected Leadership for the 118th Congress

Congressional Progressive Caucus members elected their next leadership today, who will assume their role in January. They include:

• Rep Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) as Chair
• Rep Ilhan Omar (MN-05) as Deputy Chair
• Rep-Elect Greg Casar (TX-35) as Whip
• Rep-Elect Jill Tokuda (HI-02) for Vice Chair as Communications
• Rep Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18) as Vice Chair for Inter-Caucus Relations
• Rep Mark Takano (CA-41) for Vice Chair as Policy
• Rep Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) as Vice Chair for Labor
• Rep Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) as Vice Chair for Member Services
• Rep-Elect Becca Balint (VT-AL) as Vice Chair for New Members
• Reps David Cicilline (RI-01), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), and Rep-Elect Maxwell Frost (FL-10) as Vice Chairs-at-Large

Additional members will be appointed to the CPC executive board, including Chairs Emeriti Reps Raúl Grijalva, Barbara Lee, and Mark Pocan.

Ilhan Omar as second in command at the CPC? I checked on Press Releases | Congressional Progressive Caucus and she was the CPC's whip in 2021-22 and 2019-20.

Congressional Progressive Caucus Elects Leadership for the 116th Congress | Press Releases | Congressional Progressive Caucus
Congressional Progressive Caucus Announces Leadership Team for the 117th Congress | Press Releases | Congressional Progressive Caucus
Congressional Progressive Caucus Announces Elected Leadership for 118th Congress | Press Releases | Congressional Progressive Caucus
Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Appoints Members to Complete Caucus Executive Board for 118th Congress | Press Releases | Congressional Progressive Caucus

How did Maxwell Frost get a Vice-Chair-at-Large position? His activism experience?

 

[lpetrich]

JUST IN: Republicans Scream At Matt Gaetz As He Launches Fresh House Floor Attack On McCarthy - YouTube -- a clickbait title from Forbes Breaking News, since it is mostly about MG's nomination of Donald Trump.

After saying what a great patriot Rep. Mike Garcia is, Rep. Gaetz stated that he did not agree with Rep. Garcia that KMC had earned the position of Speaker.

You only earn the position of Speaker of the House if you can get the votes. Mr. McCarthy doesn't have the votes today, he will not have the votes tomorrow, and he will not have the votes next week, next month, next year, and so one must wonder, Madam Clerk, is this an exercise in vanity for someone who has done the math, taken the counts, and is putting this institution through something that absolutely is avoidable? My colleague Mr Garcia did not say this, but many of my other Republican colleagues have they believe that Mr. McCarthy has earned the position of Speaker of the house because he raised half a billion dollars to get Republicans elected.

Then a lot of people said things that were difficult to make out, and the clerk used her gavel, said "The gentleman is not recognized", and reminded everybody not to engage in personal attacks.

Several believe that one earns the position of Speaker by raising enormous sums of money, and there is no doubt that the individual that was nominated by Mr. Garcia is the LeBron James of special interest fundraising in this town. There is nobody better, but I would suggest that there are qualifications for Speaker that are far more important. There are attributes that are far more important. Jim Jordan has those and I am submitting his name for nomination at this time.

After noting that a supporter of KMC said that he has "pure selfless intent", he said that JJ has lots of that quality.

Then referring to backroom negotiations. He continued by talking about how some House members are being interfered with, and then about the growing national debt, and he stated that KMC came out and said that some Congresspeople only want jobs for themselves. "That. is. not. pure."

He continued with selflessness. "Selflessness is not selling shares of yourself to the lobby corps, and then doing their bidding at the expense of the American people." He got applause for that, and he continued with how a certain person's ambition is now "paralyzing" the House.

He then said that there is great trust in JJ, but not such great trust in KMC. Then mentioning rules changes that would make the House Speaker less powerful and more ceremonial, like that of the British House of Commons.


YouTube now has auto-generated transcripts, using speech-to-text AI software. I've used the one for this video, but I've had to edit it to look like good written text.

 

[lpetrich]

bryan metzger on Twitter: "pretty sizable roster of new @USProgressives caucus members set to speak at a presser with Chair @PramilaJayapal on Sunday (pic link)" / Twitter
Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Greg Casar (TX-35), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Summer Lee (PA-12), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Jill Tokuda (HI-02)
Names to watch, at least for me.

Maxwell Alejandro Frost, Gen Z’s First Congressman, Is Living His Abuela’s ‘Wildest Dream’ | Vogue
Abuela = grandmother in Spanish

Red wave? Latino Democrats made major wins in state and congressional races
noting
Julián Castro on Twitter: "Democrats are poised to pick up 7 new Latino members in Congress—making this the largest @HispanicCaucus class in history.

Their average age is 38! And includes:
-the 1st Latina to rep midwest
-the 1st Gen-Z in Congress
-the 1st Latino to rep Austin
-the 1st LGBTQ immigrant" / Twitter
Delia Ramirez, Maxwell Alejandro Frost, Greg Casar, Robert Garcia

 

[ZiprHead]

Texas Republicans in turmoil as party launches attack ad aimed at GOP House speaker

A civil war has broken out among Republicans in Texas after the state party paid for an attack ad aimed at the House speaker -- who is also a Republican.At issue is House Speaker Dade Phelan's (R) refusal to kick Democrats out of key committee chairmanships as he also blocked a rules package...

www.rawstory.com

A civil war has broken out among Republicans in Texas after the state party paid for an attack ad aimed at the House speaker -- who is also a Republican.


At issue is House Speaker Dade Phelan's (R) refusal to kick Democrats out of key committee chairmanships as he also blocked a rules package from far-right members from being voted upon.

As WFAA is reporting, the Texas Republican Party is attempting to turn up the heat on Phelan, running an ad that asks conservative voters to "Tell him to be a Republican."

According to the report, "In the minute-long ad, a narrator says the speaker is 'teaming up with Democrats to kill our Republican priorities.' The spot started running Wednesday in Phelan’s Southeast Texas district, according to a tweet from Texas GOP Chair Matt Rinaldi," before adding the party has already spent $15,000 attacking their own -- so far.

So they can't get their shit together at the state level too.

 

[Worldtraveller]

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Texas Republicans in turmoil as party launches attack ad aimed at GOP House speaker

A civil war has broken out among Republicans in Texas after the state party paid for an attack ad aimed at the House speaker -- who is also a Republican.At issue is House Speaker Dade Phelan's (R) refusal to kick Democrats out of key committee chairmanships as he also blocked a rules package...

www.rawstory.com

A civil war has broken out among Republicans in Texas after the state party paid for an attack ad aimed at the House speaker -- who is also a Republican.


At issue is House Speaker Dade Phelan's (R) refusal to kick Democrats out of key committee chairmanships as he also blocked a rules package from far-right members from being voted upon.

As WFAA is reporting, the Texas Republican Party is attempting to turn up the heat on Phelan, running an ad that asks conservative voters to "Tell him to be a Republican."

According to the report, "In the minute-long ad, a narrator says the speaker is 'teaming up with Democrats to kill our Republican priorities.' The spot started running Wednesday in Phelan’s Southeast Texas district, according to a tweet from Texas GOP Chair Matt Rinaldi," before adding the party has already spent $15,000 attacking their own -- so far.

So they can't get their shit together at the state level too.

This isn't being disorganized, this is about the ultras trying to consolidate power within the party.

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

Arizona. Reuben Gallego announces he will run in 2024 for Senate. Goodbye Krysten Simema?

Rep. Gallego announces bid for Sinema’s Arizona Senate seat

PHOENIX (AP) — Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego , a liberal firebrand and prominent Latino lawmaker, announced Monday he'll challenge independent U.S. Sen.

apnews.com

 

[ZiprHead]

 

[blastula]

GOP to vote Friday on McDaniel, Dhillon, Lindell as new RNC chief

Republican National Committee (RNC) members will elect a new chair of the party on Friday, ending a race that has seen Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel’s leadership tested by two rivals. McDan…

thehill.com

If pillow guy doesn't win, it was rigged.

 

[blastula]

Another stolen election.

GOP Chair Ronna McDaniel defeats rival in leadership vote

DANA POINT, Calif. (AP) — Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel won her bid Friday to lead the GOP for two more years, prevailing in an election that highlighted fierce internal divisions that threaten to plague the party into the next presidential season.

apnews.com

Trump-backed McDaniel beat DeSantis- backed Dhillon, fwiw.

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

Pillowman has conceded. "There were no machines. It was a fair election."

 

[Ford]

Pillowman has conceded. "There were no machines. It was a fair election."

For a second there, I thought you were talking about the 2020 election. Then I looked and found out he was talking about the RNC vote. Whew!

And hey...nothing says "winning" like McRomney being in charge again after (checks notes) losing an easy win in 2022.

 

[lpetrich]

Greg Casar on Twitter: "There will now be more progressives in Congress than at any other time in modern history. Meet the new members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus! (pix link)" / Twitter
No light-haired people among them, though some already-present members do have light-colored hair.

Maxwell Alejandro Frost on Twitter: "Just applied to an apartment in DC ..." / Twitter

Just applied to an apartment in DC where I told the guy that my credit was really bad. He said I’d be fine. Got denied, lost the apartment, and the application fee.

This ain’t meant for people who don’t already have money.

For those asking, I have bad credit cause I ran up a lot of debt running for Congress for a year and a half. Didn’t make enough money from Uber itself to pay for my living.

It isn’t magic that we won our very difficult race. For that primary, I quit my full time job cause I knew that to win at 25 yrs old, I’d need to be a full time candidate. 7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day. It’s not sustainable or right but it’s what we had to do.

As a candidate, you can’t give yourself a stipend or anything till the very end of your campaign. So most of the run, you have no $ coming in unless you work a second job.

@AOC went through something similar in 2018 and it’s still a problem! I also recognize that I’m speaking from a point of privilege cause in 2 years time, my credit will be okay because of my new salary that starts next year. We have to do better for the whole country.

Yes, this: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez can't afford to rent an apartment in D.C.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Been there. ..." / Twitter

Been there. This is one of many ways Congress structures itself to exclude and push out the few working class people who *do* get elected.

These systems are built for people who can lean on wealth. It’s shocking how detached from reality a lot of the details are - but I got you!

And don’t let people make you feel bad about your credit. It doesn’t speak to your character or worth.

A lot of folks don’t know the US credit system is not objective or reliable. It is designed to be deeply slanted against working people.

But you can do this! I’ll help

And when I say how Congress structures it, here’s one example:

1. Your first paycheck comes in Feb. You need to work for a full month in a new city before getting paid. Your 1st month you have to pay work-required DC rent, home rent, living expenses, and furnishings w/ no income

Gabe Vasquez on Twitter: "@AOC @MaxwellFrostFL I’m crashing on a couch for my first month in Congress for this very same reason." / Twitter