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President Biden's Infrastructure Plans

AOC prefers (1) all the programs for less time to (2) some of the programs for more time. She expects that if they are successful enough, then that will provoke a lot of pressure to continue them. Like how the Republicans failed to repeal Obamacare.
In other words, she demands all the spending, just with an appearance of cutting the spending.
I do not think Manchin and Sinema will fall for that transparent trick.

Democrats need to seize the opportunity to show that we keep our promises. We can't fail to deliver on fighting climate change and lowering drug prices after promising for decades on Election Day that we would do just that.
Most of the $3.5T is the child tax credit. The climate stuff is a small fraction of the total bill and some of it is those weird climate paramilitaries or whatever they are called rather than real programs like EV charging network, improvements to the electric grid or improving public transit in cities.

We also know that these programs will be successful
In the sense that people like "free" money.
The Great Resignation (and Squad policies) in a nutshell:


Finally, if we only pick some of these programs, then some of our constituents will get nothing. We can't keep pitting seniors against children, rural communities against urban communities, and students against working families.
Sounds like Squid Games, lmao. Somebody has been watching too much Netflix. Less Netflix, more chill, or is that bearded boyfriend of hers sick of her ass too?

Very good points. After promising stuff like this, then one ought to at least try to deliver, rather than wimping out and wringing one's hands about how hard it is. I saw Bill Clinton do it, and I saw Barack Obama do it.

But Biden did not promise all that crap during the election. He ran as a moderate. He never mentioned $3.5T in new entitlements.

Biden did not run to stage a revolution. Progressives should stop demanding one.

WaPo said:
House progressives responded with a letter arguing that Democrats should not cut programs but merely fund all of them for a shorter period of time. “This is our moment to make the President’s vision a reality,” the letter read. “This bill offers us a chance to fundamentally transform the relationship between the American people and their government.” But that is not what President Biden promised when he ran for president. Mr. Biden handily beat the left’s candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), in the Democratic primaries, arguing that one need not stage a revolution to do good. He spoke about returning normalcy and competence to Washington, not renegotiating the social contract.
 
Meanwhile, Joe Biden is doing a bang-up job on climate in his first year as president.
Annual U.S. coal-fired electricity generation will increase for the first time since 2014
Ok, it may not be entirely his fault, but the buck does stop at the Resolute Desk. Also, compare Obama's Secretaries of Energy, both physicists with Biden's SecEnergy who is a common politician and a political science and French major with no science background whatsoever. But she is a woman, and identity politics über alles, über alles in der Welt ...
 
Meanwhile, Joe Biden is doing a bang-up job on climate in his first year as president.
Annual U.S. coal-fired electricity generation will increase for the first time since 2014
Ok, it may not be entirely his fault, but the buck does stop at the Resolute Desk. Also, compare Obama's Secretaries of Energy, both physicists with Biden's SecEnergy who is a common politician and a political science and French major with no science background whatsoever. But she is a woman, and identity politics über alles, über alles in der Welt ...

So why aren't US nat gas producers pumping more? Same goes for oil in which price per barrel is well beyond their breakeven point. There is no reason US producers can not keep prices of both low and stable. Soon as the dems take control, these producers decide dividends and paying down debt become their priority not opening up more wells. Or so goes the excuse which is a bit of a head-scratcher.
 
Meanwhile, Joe Biden is doing a bang-up job on climate in his first year as president.
Annual U.S. coal-fired electricity generation will increase for the first time since 2014
Ok, it may not be entirely his fault, but the buck does stop at the Resolute Desk. Also, compare Obama's Secretaries of Energy, both physicists with Biden's SecEnergy who is a common politician and a political science and French major with no science background whatsoever. But she is a woman, and identity politics über alles, über alles in der Welt ...

So why aren't US nat gas producers pumping more? Same goes for oil in which price per barrel is well beyond their breakeven point. There is no reason US producers can not keep prices of both low and stable. Soon as the dems take control, these producers decide dividends and paying down debt become their priority not opening up more wells. Or so goes the excuse which is a bit of a head-scratcher.
Are they? I thought OPEC was trying to make up for losses and is slow to prop up supply. The US can't single handledly control the prices in the market. Regardless, I'm glad Derec was able to insert a void Thug or Bitch comment where it is completely irrelevant.
 
Meanwhile, Joe Biden is doing a bang-up job on climate in his first year as president.
Annual U.S. coal-fired electricity generation will increase for the first time since 2014
Ok, it may not be entirely his fault, but the buck does stop at the Resolute Desk. Also, compare Obama's Secretaries of Energy, both physicists with Biden's SecEnergy who is a common politician and a political science and French major with no science background whatsoever. But she is a woman, and identity politics über alles, über alles in der Welt ...

So why aren't US nat gas producers pumping more? Same goes for oil in which price per barrel is well beyond their breakeven point. There is no reason US producers can not keep prices of both low and stable. Soon as the dems take control, these producers decide dividends and paying down debt become their priority not opening up more wells. Or so goes the excuse which is a bit of a head-scratcher.
Are they? I thought OPEC was trying to make up for losses and is slow to prop up supply. The US can't single handledly control the prices in the market. Regardless, I'm glad Derec was able to insert a void Thug or Bitch comment where it is completely irrelevant.

Nat Gas Production by Country

Crude Oil Production by Country

OPEC vs. the US

As oil prices rise, U.S. oil companies pump out more oil to capture higher profits, limiting OPEC's ability to influence its price. Historically, OPEC's production cuts had devastating effects on global economies, although this is no longer always the case. The U.S. is one of the world's top consumers of oil, and as production at home increases, there will be less demand for OPEC oil in the U.S.

I don't see why not. We're the number one producer of both. We've been fucking with OPEC since we started fracking, who out of necessity became OPEC+ due to said fucking.

They don't want to get busy pumping, we should turn the federal screws. Get the BLM, BOEM, BSEE, EPA, FERC, SEC, DOE, and the Coast Guard on them.
 
Big pharma has a powerful new shill, Kyrsten Sinema, fighting drug price reform | Andrew Perez and David Sirota | The Guardian
“The pharmaceutical lobby is very savvy,” Representative Ro Khanna, Democrat from California, said earlier this week. “They pick the one or two people they need to block things, on the relevant committees or at the relevant time.”

“It may differ from Congress to Congress,” explained Khanna, who is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. “We try to get 90-95% [of the caucus]. They are focused not on 90% , but the blockers.”

In the current Congress, Big Pharma appears to have zeroed in on Senator Kyrsten Sinema, Democrat from Arizona, as one of their lead obstructionists to help kill or gut the Democrats’ drug pricing plan. In the 2020 election cycle, pharmaceutical political action committees suddenly funneled more money to her than they did the whole six years she served in the US House.

Pharmaceutical companies can charge up to four times as much in the United States for name-brand pharmaceuticals than in other countries, in part because Congress barred Medicare from using its bulk purchasing power to negotiate lower drug prices. President Joe Biden and most Democrats support lifting that prohibition in their reconciliation legislation, a move that would save hundreds of billions of dollars – but Sinema has emerged as the party’s most prominent opponent to the plan.

Her heel turn on drug pricing is a dramatic shift. A one-time progressive activist, Sinema campaigned on lowering drug prices in her 2018 Senate race, and she was still calling on Congress to address rising drug costs as recently as last year, boasting on her Senate website that she was fighting to “ensure life-saving drugs” would be more affordable.
But she then let herself be bought. The KS of 20 years ago would say that present-day KS is shamelessly taking bribes.

She doesn't appear on public-affairs programs, she doesn't talk to reporters, she doesn't hold town halls, she doesn't talk to most of her colleagues, ... But she does talk to her donors.
 
KS is trying to obstruct a payment mechanism for Build Back Better: reduction in cost for prescription drugs. Let's see how bad the problem is. KS herself promised to try to address it -- before 2020.

francesca fiorentini on Twitter: "Fun fact: ..." / Twitter
Fun fact: In order to save money, Utah has a program — embraced by Republicans and Democrats— that flies state employees to Mexico first class, picks them up in a limo, drives them to buy medicine in pharmacies and back, because it’s CHEAPER than paying full price in the US.

Think about how nuts that is. This was a tidbit we couldn’t include in “Red White and Who”, my hour-long @MSNBC special on healthcare but it was by far the most shocking thing we learned. Republicans DO want to lower prescription drug prices, but few will admit it.

None of y'all even watched the special to see what we *did* cover, so not sure why everyone's tripping. We followed healthcare activists in 3 states fighting for Medicaid expansion & M4A, explained M4A at the height of 2019/2020 presidential campaign when most outlets wouldn't

Big Pharma was a huge piece that producers felt was too big to tackle in the same 45 min. special. Anyway, it turned out to be a one-off episode. You can watch clips here:
'Red, White & Who' explores healthcare in America - some snippets from late 2019

Ka'a Póra on Twitter: "@franifio @RamonaMassachi That reminds me of this. (pic link)" / Twitter
The picture claimed these numbers for the average cost of a hip replacement: US $40,364, Spain $7,371

TopKat on Twitter: "@franifio @fuckyouimbetter @RamonaMassachi When working in CCR (Open Heart Recovery) ward in Vancouver,BC had many Americans having their surgery done in Canada as recommended by their American health insurers because it was cheaper & shorter wait times." / Twitter

Eric the Red on Twitter: "@franifio $500 bonus too, according to this Guardian article (link)" / Twitter

Utah cuts healthcare costs by flying employees to Mexico for prescriptions | US healthcare | The Guardian - "Utah’s plan lets people collect medications at a fraction of the US cost, while other states are looking to import drugs from Canada"

(((Bek Zek))) on Twitter: "@franifio A few years back I flew to Mexico for dental work, stayed a whole week visiting the place and it was still much cheaper than going to a dentist down the street in Portland" / Twitter
Here's a favorite stop for dental-work tourism: Molar City is Los Algodones Mexico. Los Algodones Map. - it's about 16 km / 10 mi west of Yuma, AZ
 
“Kyrsten Sinema Fought For Seniors”
The insurance industry is bankrolling misleading ads and lobbying to derail Democratic legislation that would expand Medicare benefits and cut into their profits.

As Medicare Advantage continues to drive profits for the nation’s major health insurance companies, the industry is lobbying against a provision in the reconciliation bill that could save the government nearly $150 billion over the next decade on a much-needed expansion of the country’s Medicare program and prevent even more money from being funneled to private health insurance companies.

The Daily Poster on Twitter: "HAPPENING NOW: Health insurers' dark money group has just launched a massive ad campaign thanking @SenatorSinema & @Sen_JoeManchin for working to kill the reconciliation bill's provisions expanding Medicare benefits for America's seniors. (link)" / Twitter

Then
Paula Jean Swearengin on Twitter: "How do these people sleep at night?!?" / Twitter
 
They're more likely to be in precincts with long lines.

And who runs the counties that those precincts are in?
Note though that in 2020 there was a switch to touchscreen that prints out a paper ballot that you then feed through a scanner. That threw a spanner into the works so to speak.
I am in one of the busy counties that had long lines. I found 2nd week of early voting was ok though. First week the lines were snaking out of that library through the parking lot and out into the street. I drove on. Second week, I was in and out in 15 minutes. Combination of avoiding the early rush and workers getting a handle on the new system. A lot of the media coverage of Georgia voting chaos was from the first few days of early voting. Combine new system with "new iPhone" like early rush and of course you get chaos.

It's red states that are where the problem is. Who is in control in a red state??
 
Hear here! Mostly that bolded part. It's going to be a LOT more difficult on average for a Democrat to vote in 2022 than for a Republican.
How do you figure that? Laws like the one recently enacted in Georgia apply to everyone. Do you think Dems are particularly susceptible to dehydration or something?

Here's a simple test to see if you have the slightest clue.

I. Which group of voters is more likely to want to drink water while they wait?
. . . A. Those waiting in short lines.
. . . B. Those waiting in long lines.

II. Which party, when in power, likes to under-equip voting stations in precincts likely to vote for the other Party?
. . . A. QAnon.
. . . B. Other ____
. . . C. Don't know. Don't care.

This is an "open-book" exam. You may ask other TFTers for help.

@Derec — Although you attempted a response, I notice that you were unable to answer either question. :( Remember, it's "open-book" and you're free to ask for help.
I've tried to make the quiz VERY easy for you. On question I, for example, you need only respond with 'A' or 'B'.

Meanwhile ...

Jeff Bezos really needs those $12,000 per year for this four kids. #Justice4Jeff

First: Make up your mind! Your ilk likes to whine and whinge that Pocahontas wants to confiscate billions of dollars of hard-earned wealth from Jeff. Now you're whining that the same people want to give him an extra $12,000! Is this consistent? You don't want to give Jeff an extra dollar in tax relief, nor take away a dollar. You think that Ted Cruz, Steve Bannon and the rest of Trump's coven have stumbled on the PERFECT tax table, the tax table Yahweh would have come up with if he had a vote?

Second: Please try to keep up! It's already been patiently explained that means-testing introduces unnecessary costs and inequities. Uncle Sam can simply give with one hand (an extra exemption box to click) and take back with the other hand (higher rates in the tax table). Presto: No means-testing, no welfare "cliffs", Bezos doesn't net that $12,000 of so much concern to you.

(About 95% of right-wingers will make a pointless whinge at this point: "Nanner nanner, you said it yourself. Sam gives with one hand and takes with the other. That's what we're trying to pound into numskull libtard brains." Let's see if YOU can rise above that rant. Better yet, write a brief essay on why that right-wing meme would be stupid.)

@Derec — You have told us, over and over, that you have no children yourself and begrudge your tax dollars going to help other people's children. Perhaps that's why you resent the extra $12,000 for Bezos' kids (despite that Pocahontas wants millions back from Jeff in return!) The tax code isn't optimized for my benefit either. Do you understand that when debating public policy in a forum like this we want to focus on general benefit and not just our own tax?

BTW, since benefits to the well-to-do will be effectively canceled by higher taxes on the well-to-do, is it interesting that QOP is the Party that insists on means testing? Do you wonder why that is?

If you think you know the answer, write a brief 50-word essay on the topic. Suggested title: "Making voters resentful: Directing hatred at non-existent Welfare Mama elects Republicans."
 
This was even formalized into the "Hastert Rule": Every GOPster must vote for a motion that a majority of GOPsters support.

You are either misrepresenting or misunderstanding the Hastert Rule. If a House Speaker invokes this informal rule, it simply means that he or she will not bring a bill to vote unless there is majority support for it in his own conference even if there would be a majority for the bill in the full House. It has nothing to do with forcing members to vote a certain way.
Are you unaware that the power of the House Speaker is not absolute? A motion to vacate the Office of Speaker is always in order. Admittedly, such a motion is extremely rare, but any QOPsters opposed to the Hastert Rule could have simply voted elsehow at the beginning of any session. They didn't.

Anyway, I didn't know we were playing Congressional Trivia. "I'll take Hastert's bedtime stories for $200, Alex."

I'll guess that there are two GOP Senators who would vote in favor of democratic elections or in favor of a path to citizenship if they could vote secretly. But they can't, so they vote as instructed by their party leaders. To counter this, wouldn't it be nice if DINOs like JM or KS had similar party loyalty?
Even if the Hastert rule meant what you wrote it meant, it's a House thing, not a Senate thing. And Senators frequently break rank. Again, remember John McCain?
Whether John McCain died in 2017 or 2018, the point is that he is dead. You wanted to name a Senator who isn't in the Kremlin-Koch pocket and could only come up with a dead guy!

BTW, I think there's an easy reason why Obamacare has never been repealed despite all the QOP efforts. QOPsters know (or at least the ones with 100+ IQs know) that repealing Obamacare would be a chaotic disaster. QOP has no interest in the well-being of citizens, but they don't want to cause a disaster that they would be blamed for. Talking about repealing Obamacare is just a talking-point for the base. Most of the QOPster Senators were probably grateful that McCain voted Nay to save the Party from itself.
 
Biden's disapproval rating is 55% in AZ and 77% in WV. And, of course, nationally his approval is in the 30s. Little incentive for the Gentleman and the Lady to go along with amnesia Joe.
 
Biden's disapproval rating is 55% in AZ and 77% in WV. And, of course, nationally his approval is in the 30s. Little incentive for the Gentleman and the Lady to go along with amnesia Joe.

Under Biden, U.S. leadership ratings rebound around the globe after plummeting under Trump..

Interesting...

View attachment 35760

Almost as if the world thought Trump was a crap leader, or they didn't trust him or something.

Why should the Gentleman and the Lady care about what foreigners supposedly think when their own constituents think Biden is incompetent?

Also- Parliament holds Joe Biden in contempt over Afghanistan
 
Interesting...

View attachment 35760

Almost as if the world thought Trump was a crap leader, or they didn't trust him or something.

Why should the Gentleman and the Lady care about what foreigners supposedly think when their own constituents think Biden is incompetent?

Also- Parliament holds Joe Biden in contempt over Afghanistan

The Brits are welcome to continue a campaign in Afghanistan all they want. I'm sure it would be quite popular.
 
So why aren't US nat gas producers pumping more? Same goes for oil in which price per barrel is well beyond their breakeven point. There is no reason US producers can not keep prices of both low and stable. Soon as the dems take control, these producers decide dividends and paying down debt become their priority not opening up more wells. Or so goes the excuse which is a bit of a head-scratcher.

Are you suggesting some kind of conspiracy theory where US producers are pumping less (or at least not increasing production enough) and thus foregoing profits simply to harm the Biden administration? And that it has nothing to do with the anti oil/gas policies?

The Biden administration, citing climate change, halted oil and gas lease sales in January. Now, what?

The leasing was resumed by a federal judge a few months later, but it is clear that the Biden administration is not exactly friendly toward domestic oil and gas industry. Of course, Biden's left flank wants him to be even more anti-oil and gas, even shutting down pipelines like DAPL and Line 3 after he already blocked Keystone XL for purely political reasons.
 
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