1) Democrats got a slew of wins in the proposed agreement including SNAP benefits being paid in full — if you were on SNAP you’d be very relieved.
2) They secured a guarantee that there will be a vote on ACA subsidies by Dec 14. If the Republicans vote against that they will pay dearly in the future.
3) There were agreements to fully pay all the back pay to all fed workers.
4) All fired workers during the shutdown will have their firing nullified.
5) and more.
So, it’s not like Democrats just gave away the farm. Not even close.
And carefully consider those 8 who agreed to go along — they are not fools or jerks. See what their reasoning was before condemning them so loudly. Recall fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
I agree. Democrats are in a very tenuous position, and care had to be taken to stop the poorest Americans from starving. I want to see the House reconvened to see Adelita Grijalva sworn into office, and look forward to the fallout trump suffers when the epstein files are released. All the mechanics, along with protecting our free and fair elections and our right to vote, spell disaster for the fascist party in 2026.
Author of 4 books about Donald Trump, Michael Wolff HAS THE TAPES in his possession. He's going thru 100 hours of conversations with Trump (and Epstein who he also interviewed at length). It will all come out eventually, as it always does when so many know so much. I'm not sayin' when, but it will.
These were not “wins.” Those workers were required to be paid BY LAW. These people absolutely caved and sold out every voter that went to the polls on Tuesday and told them to fight. They are cowards, and Chuck Schumer is a weak fool that must go. There is no other way to read this - ask the Republicans how they’re feeling today and they’ll say: like winners.
I do not think they caved. That gave a bit but a lot of people will eat this month if the government begins to function again. This is just one play in a big game. I believe the democrats are looking at a bigger picture and the long run. We can give on this one if we can make a better place for all of us in the years to come.
I agree with you Dirk! I am concerned with the people that are suffering because of the shutdown. I think the Dems did the right thing by working toward an end to it so that we can work on the fundamental problems we have. We now have to make sure to make clear to everyone how the Republicans vote and what we fight for!
However, and it’s a big one, last night’s vote to capitulate on extending ACA tax credits, will go down as the first meaningful unraveling of the ACA. Republicans will not vote for it, EVER, and they will not offer an alternative plan because they don’t care. Premiums will increase wildly, people will opt out, and we’ll return to the days when millions of fellow citizens were uninsured. And those same people will suffer the consequences of neglecting their healthcare, because they can’t afford it, and many will die. It is not an exaggeration to say that the good old United States of America has become a “shit hole” country.
If you're right Nancy, the people will rise up and revolt. They are not going to "take it" forever. "An oppressed people will revolt -- always." Always.
When (not IF) the GOP senators voted no to take healthcare from constituents it will make a great campaign ad for 2026, but it sure feels like caving for an awful lot of voters who are fired up.
It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me to cave on a week when Democratic candidates crushed it, when there is momtentum and enthusiasm. Totally on board for cooler heads, but can’t help but feel the timing is wrong.
There is no compromise or negotiation with lawless fascists - that is what the Republican Party has become. I’m pretty sure that’s the crux of people’s outrage at what these foolish politicians have done. It’s certainly mine.
It is maddening but I am with you Douglas! We the People' must continue to make our voices heard. We still see the mean spirit of this administration and their continued fear of releasing the Epstein file. There's no place left for them to hide. Like Joyce said, people need to see what Trump said during the Viktor Orbán meeting. He is openly all about being a dictator. We need to keep throwing that in his face.
They are going to have a damned-if-you-do,-damned-if-you-don't moment - open the house and have to swear in Adelita Grijalva and then get reopening the government and the Epstein Files discharge petition in the same package. Or, not reopen the House and have a happy tRump but an instant own of the shutdown. All things considered, I think the rethugs have made a bed they will not enjoy sleeping in.
Keep the faith and remember it is the "many vs the money". Ultimately, "We the People" will prevail after trying everything else. The vote to extend the tax credits for the ACA doesn't stand " snowball's chance in hell of passing in December and the pain this will inflict will convince the electorate that we must have universal health care. The midterms will deliver a blue tsunami allowing We the People to remove this admiinistration and return us to our grand democratic experiment.
"Not all Democrats are on board with the contours of this proposal," writes JV.
<bitter chuckle> Yeah, one could say that. Or one could say that a small handful of Democratic poseurs posturing as fighting for the people against oligarchic autocracy totally capitulated and sold the rest of us down the river, for nothing. FOR NOTHING. They got NOTHING in return.
And they proved that the bad guys can always play vicious hardball, hit below the belt, and win, because the Dems will _always_ collapse.
No doubt rivers of ink will be spilled and the wires will be humming with commentary on this subject over the coming days. For starters, read Robert Hubbell's plain-spoken, pull-no-punches Substack about the treachery eight Democrats just committed. https://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/the-sellout-caucus. Read it and weep.
I'm beyond infuriated with Democrats. I'm beyond spitting nails. I actually feel physically nauseous. Somehow, we gotta keep going, gotta keep pushing back, even though our own supposed party just kicked our pins out from under us despite what we told the whole fucking world last Tuesday. We, the people, are gonna have to take our country back on our own. Our elected "leaders" are clearly incapable or unwilling to do so.
Your anger and frustration make perfect sense, though to be fair, you should be infuriated (maybe) only with those Democrats who defected. Every other Democrat even in the Senate held firm, alongside the entire House bloc. Schumer actually held this disparate group together for 40 days, which is longer than any shutdown in history.
We are seeing every flaw in our constitutional and institutional arrangements between House and Senate, every mistake in granting a demented, out-of-control president unwarranted and undeserved power, our imperfect Electoral College with its skewed arithmetic favoring less populated states, our gerrymandered House -- all collide in a kind of institutional breakdown we haven't seen in generations. And a demented baby still organizes Great Gatsby parties in Florida as befit his taste and mentality.
A reminder also, that even if this becomes law, it expires on January 30. Then we have to do it all over again....
Doesn't it seem sometimes that the Dem Party apparatus doesn't want the left to win? I remember being stunned when Al Gore just folded after the Supreme Court stopped the recount, and then handed the presidency to Bush in Bush v. Gore. Not a peep out of Gore, or any of them. Like the weren't the opposition party at all. They just went along. That's not normal behavior.
I think the Democrats needed to help end the shutdown! If this had continued to Thanksgiving or beyond, it's the Democrats who would pay the price...in other words, a continued shutdown would hurt the Dems and if the shutdown ends now, it will be more obvious to everyone that the Republicans are the real villains since they will undoubtedly continue to deny health care to all the persons who need it.
Yes, there perhaps a chance that SNAP benefits would be paid. Maybe enough republican constituents might have gotten thru to their representatives about the insurance situation and swayed some minds . But now those hopes are gone. They will ram this through with no concessions and everyone, except the rich and powerful, will pay the price.
I still think that the Democrats would be hurt more if this handful of Dems don't vote to stop the shutdown! By "barely" allowing the shutdown to end, the DEMs are saving the economy and allowing all Americans to enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays with their families, while the Republicans are exposed for their true colors, as they continue to hurt millions of SNAP and other poor Americans!
Up until now, the Republicans have gotten "cover" because the shutdown allows them to blame the Democrats for everything.
When the shutdown ends, the Republicans will be totally exposed for their true motives...
The republicans have wanted to repeal the ACA since day one. They have a clear path to do that now per their P2025 manifesto. So, true, the dems have been removed from the equation.
Lucinda, yes. This “plan” will roll back the ACA just will like “Medicare Disadvantage” rolls back Medicare”. Insurance companies will have free rein to deny coverage, delay approvals, and expand the fraudulent plans on the government’s dime. And of course, those who can least afford good plans will be most at risk.
I don’t think it’s simple. Kicking the can down the road is how this dysfunctional government has been operating for years. Don’t see it changing over night. If I was one of those federal workers or a person waiting for SNAP benefits, I’d be grateful for the can getting kicked down the road. Would I be that person having to hold the line? Lose my home, give up getting my medication for the “greater good“. What about the Epstein files? Adelita Grivalja needing to be sworn in? And what about the big maybe? Maybe the Republicans wouldn’t have moved an inch regardless of how long the government was shut down.?
I keep posting. According to Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-CA) Trumpepstein may cause an "Epstein bomb" causing over 100 Republican members to "jailbreak" from Trump.
I cannot bring myself into affinity with farmers. They voted for Trump. No doubt farmers would be a lot smarter had they gone to Trump University. Let farmers eat soybeans. Soybeans are a great source of protein.
“All of us who are dismayed by the present state of the union, this is no time to give up,” Biden declared. “It’s time to get up. Get up now, get up.”
If you have become overwhelmed, rely on my 2 buckets to sanity. 2 buckets says stay in the fight. We are winning with a year to midterms. If you stay in, we will shut them down.
Angus King, Susan Collins? OK, sad, but not too out of character and record. BUT, Tim Kaine? WTF??? OK, these folks learned no lessons from, for instance, the labor movement: you fragment - you LOSE! Next, I have to wonder what they might have been offered under the table.
I felt the same but read that 400K Fed employees live in VA…at least I understand his motivation. Read HCRs “Letters from an American” today - excellent explainer. Let’s keep up the fight - a great woman (JV) says giving up is unforgivable.
Completely devastated by the Dem. cave. And that’s what it is. We had a huge win on Tuesday. We had momentum. It’s gone. The Dem party will be torn apart by this, fighting each other instead of our common enemy. How to pick ourselves up from this blow. . .
Trump has little to no interest in ending the shutdown (he prefers to rule without Congress) and little Mikey J. will not do anything without Trump's approval. Our national GDP and reputation decline every week the shutdown continues. Federal employees will not be paid, and SNAP recipients will probably not receive their deserved benefits until the shutdown ends (or at least SCOTUS allows it). The deal some Dems have agreed to may be the best deal they can get, even in the long run, until they regain control of at least 1 branch of Congress. At least, if an ironclad deal goes thru, federal employees including air traffic controllers resume paychecks and SNAP recipients receive their benefits, and a vote is forced on continuing ACA subsidies. Republicans will likely vote against, which Dems can use in ads during the next election campaign. The key necessity is for Dems to regain control of the House and ideally the Senate. If this deal allows them to do it, it will be a success. If Dems hold out for another month, federal employees and SNAP beneficiaries may be angry at Dems, rather than Republicans, for refusing to make a deal. So far, voters blame Republicans more than Dems, but that could change if Dems are intransigent. Dems can't win this fight as long as they can't get 60 votes in the Senate and Trump refuses to deal. However, they can make it very clear that they care about affordability of health insurance and paying workers, and Republicans do not.
Interesting that Alito, who has criticized "Obergefell" regularly (along with the other usual suspect on the Court, RV Thomas) as a "made up" right especially when in seemingly conflict with Free Exercise, in a speech last month described it as a precedent entitled to respect under stare decisis. He also clarified that nothing in the "Dobbs" decision was intended to disturb the "Obergefell" ruling. Of course we know all about the majority view of supposed "settled law" and precedent.
Little noticed but certainly if nothing else, symbolically significant, was the resignation this past Friday (7) of Mark Wolf, former Chief Judge and most recently Senior Judge of of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, who was appointed to the federal bench by Ronald Reagan in 1985. Wolf said he “looked forward to serving for the rest of my life,” but can “no longer bear to be restrained by what judges can say publicly or do outside the courtroom.” The former DOJ attorney* accused Trump of “using the law for partisan purposes” and wrote: “The White House’s assault on the rule of law is so deeply disturbing to me that I feel compelled to speak out. Silence, for me, is now intolerable.” Wolf noted that his resignation will not give Trump the opportunity to fill his seat; Wolf’s successor, Senior Judge Patti B. Saris, was appointed when he became a senior judge in 2013. Saris was nominated as a U.S. District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts by Bill Clinton in 1993.
*Wolf served in the DOJ as a Special Assistant to the Deputy Attorney General (1974) and the Attorney General (1975-1977), and as Deputy U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts and Chief of the Public Corruption unit in that office (1981-1985).
How would a Trump supporter explain why it's okay to have a Great Gatsby party (after you explain who the Great Gatsby is) while children are going hungry?
They've already accepted the premise that Trump and his billionaire buddies deserve to enjoy a life at a totally different level than we mere peons. They must like having our noses rubbed in the hateful contempt of the elite.
It's unclear whether the same bill then needs to pass the Senate and be signed by Trump. I've heard some say that is the case, which seems likely, but there's not a lot of discussion about it. Johnson will seat Grijalva when he chooses to. In TX there hasn't even been a date scheduled for the election to fill the seat left vacant by a congressman's death 8 months ago. Republicans miss no opportunity to abuse the system, and lax rules allow for it. I don't hold my breath for any positive development.
I think we are seeing the beginning of the deep spiral down for trump and his clowns…whether the govt opens or not…it will get uglier on the way to their fall
I about spit out my tea when I read this part: "Wouldn’t it be easier to make federal law enforcement follow the law?" 😄 Yeah! Wouldn't it? And I also laughed at the idea that the government would be "irreparably harmed" by paying the SNAP benefits that have been collected specifically for that purpose. None of these things are laughing matters, but the sheer absurdity sometimes gets to me. I have so many questions: about T sleeping through the press conference, rumors about multiple copies of the Epstein files which haven't leaked. (Yet.) The ICC getting serious about the murders in the Caribbean. And for us, how do we convince Dems not to cave in on " deals"? So much to keep track of. Thanks, Joyce!
We don't have to speculate on whether Trump's end game is to fix our political system so that the Republicans will automatically win every election in the future. He said it!
During a January 2024 campaign event in Clinton, Iowa, Donald Trump told supporters: “You’re not going to have to vote anymore. You know what I’m talking about.” And he's made similar comments since then. The fix is in, and it's up to us, the American people, to resist his repeated conspiracies and attempts to put us in a political straight jacket.
As Trump gets more obviously delusional, a curious question arises: Who’s next? Which GOP character can command similar obeisance? Quick answer: No one, all present company included.
Where is Kim Davis getting the money to go on fighting this in court? She was already ordered to pay $360,000 to the people that she harmed. Her salary is about $87K. Who is funding this fight?
This is another example of how massive wealth is bending reality in this country. In ordinary times, she would have her outrageous opinion, there in Rowan County, KY (population about 20,000), and everyone in town would know, and tut, and life would go on. But some rich right-wing people are funding this fight, bending reality the way they want it to go.
We need to go back to the taxation laws of the 1960s, where the highest tax brackets were taxed at 94%. Think how many libraries, schools, roads, hospitals, clinics, and free lunches we could fund! And -- Medicare for all.
TRUMP ECHOES MARIE ANTOINETTE: “LET THEM EAT CAKE”
Trump flies down to Mar a Lago, plays golf on Saturday, and then hosts a luxurious lobster buffet, while millions of Americans are without pay and SNAP recipients (1/8th of the American population) are without food.
This reminds me of French Queen Marie Antoinette’s “Let them eat cake,” when responding to a French population that was desperately hungry after a harvest failure.
I agree with those Democrats who have no trust in any Trump agreement. Despite the ‘compromise’ short-term Senate agreement, prompted by the sustained suffering of so many Americans, I fear that Trumpublicans will pursue the screwing of over 10,000,000 participants in the current federal health program.
It's Charlie Brown and the football, with Lucy promising over and over that she won't pull it away just as he kicks, and then he's flat on his back, surprised that she's done it again. That's any and every El Trompo "agreement." He is completely unreliable. That may be his only constancy, aside from greed.
Joyce, my wife and I love your posts, not just the political focus, but also re. your chickens. We used to have, inherited really, 3 brawny hens and then brought home 2 chicks that, of course, turned out to be males. At that time we had a wonderful, loving, Basset Hound, super gentle, but he decided his duty was to police our new backyard, hens especially. When they would (easily and frequently) fly over the not high fence around their coop/pen, if we were home he would chase them seemingly to get them back in, but obviously not with much "heart". If we came home quietly so that he wouldn't notice, we could clearly see that the previous behavior was just performative, as we suspected. Unaware of our presence, he let the "flock" eat from his outdoor food bowl, just lolling while they wandered around him. Then, if/when he realized we were home, he would return to the normal performance and really so would they.
Thomas has argued that the Constitution does not confer a right to same-sex marriage, calling it "atextual" and "novel" He has regularly called for the Imperial Court to reconsider precedents like "Obergefell v. Hodges." In contrast, Thomas has not called for overturning the precedent set by "Loving v. Virginia," the 1967 case that struck down laws prohibiting interracial marriage. He has not cited "Loving" as a decision that should be revisited, even though he has called for reconsidering other precedents that rely on similar legal reasoning. I believe this is widely known as blatant hypocrisy.
For the Senate bill to pass the House it needs a simple majority or 218 votes. The Republicans hold 219 seats. A bill that does not pass the House after being sent from the Senate simply dies for that congressional session and must be reintroduced in the next Congress to be considered again. However, it can be amended and sent back to the Senate for approval.
Absolutely sickened that they took the momentum from Election Day and threw it away to cave.
A few things:
1) Democrats got a slew of wins in the proposed agreement including SNAP benefits being paid in full — if you were on SNAP you’d be very relieved.
2) They secured a guarantee that there will be a vote on ACA subsidies by Dec 14. If the Republicans vote against that they will pay dearly in the future.
3) There were agreements to fully pay all the back pay to all fed workers.
4) All fired workers during the shutdown will have their firing nullified.
5) and more.
So, it’s not like Democrats just gave away the farm. Not even close.
And carefully consider those 8 who agreed to go along — they are not fools or jerks. See what their reasoning was before condemning them so loudly. Recall fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
I agree. Democrats are in a very tenuous position, and care had to be taken to stop the poorest Americans from starving. I want to see the House reconvened to see Adelita Grijalva sworn into office, and look forward to the fallout trump suffers when the epstein files are released. All the mechanics, along with protecting our free and fair elections and our right to vote, spell disaster for the fascist party in 2026.
The democrats are choosing between food and healthcare. Are you sure the Epstein files weren't scrubbed?
Author of 4 books about Donald Trump, Michael Wolff HAS THE TAPES in his possession. He's going thru 100 hours of conversations with Trump (and Epstein who he also interviewed at length). It will all come out eventually, as it always does when so many know so much. I'm not sayin' when, but it will.
Yes
These were not “wins.” Those workers were required to be paid BY LAW. These people absolutely caved and sold out every voter that went to the polls on Tuesday and told them to fight. They are cowards, and Chuck Schumer is a weak fool that must go. There is no other way to read this - ask the Republicans how they’re feeling today and they’ll say: like winners.
I do not think they caved. That gave a bit but a lot of people will eat this month if the government begins to function again. This is just one play in a big game. I believe the democrats are looking at a bigger picture and the long run. We can give on this one if we can make a better place for all of us in the years to come.
I agree with you Dirk! I am concerned with the people that are suffering because of the shutdown. I think the Dems did the right thing by working toward an end to it so that we can work on the fundamental problems we have. We now have to make sure to make clear to everyone how the Republicans vote and what we fight for!
However, and it’s a big one, last night’s vote to capitulate on extending ACA tax credits, will go down as the first meaningful unraveling of the ACA. Republicans will not vote for it, EVER, and they will not offer an alternative plan because they don’t care. Premiums will increase wildly, people will opt out, and we’ll return to the days when millions of fellow citizens were uninsured. And those same people will suffer the consequences of neglecting their healthcare, because they can’t afford it, and many will die. It is not an exaggeration to say that the good old United States of America has become a “shit hole” country.
If you're right Nancy, the people will rise up and revolt. They are not going to "take it" forever. "An oppressed people will revolt -- always." Always.
There was nothing gained. Everything that was in the agreement was set to happen before the shutdown.
This, thank you Kathleen. This. IT was a cave-in and no amount of pretty bows will change that. 🎯
We are a step toward a functioning government. That is something.
That's the illusion. Last Tuesday was the step forward, This is a kick in the face back.
When (not IF) the GOP senators voted no to take healthcare from constituents it will make a great campaign ad for 2026, but it sure feels like caving for an awful lot of voters who are fired up.
Yes but anger and pride is not always helpful. We need to act and be smart here.
It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me to cave on a week when Democratic candidates crushed it, when there is momtentum and enthusiasm. Totally on board for cooler heads, but can’t help but feel the timing is wrong.
There is no compromise or negotiation with lawless fascists - that is what the Republican Party has become. I’m pretty sure that’s the crux of people’s outrage at what these foolish politicians have done. It’s certainly mine.
Yeah, so disappointing, but I/WE WILL NOT BE DISHEARTENED. Stay strong, keep commenting, keep contacting our representatives!
It is maddening but I am with you Douglas! We the People' must continue to make our voices heard. We still see the mean spirit of this administration and their continued fear of releasing the Epstein file. There's no place left for them to hide. Like Joyce said, people need to see what Trump said during the Viktor Orbán meeting. He is openly all about being a dictator. We need to keep throwing that in his face.
They are going to have a damned-if-you-do,-damned-if-you-don't moment - open the house and have to swear in Adelita Grijalva and then get reopening the government and the Epstein Files discharge petition in the same package. Or, not reopen the House and have a happy tRump but an instant own of the shutdown. All things considered, I think the rethugs have made a bed they will not enjoy sleeping in.
You have summed it up well. They are like wrestling with a well oiled pig!
Keep the faith and remember it is the "many vs the money". Ultimately, "We the People" will prevail after trying everything else. The vote to extend the tax credits for the ACA doesn't stand " snowball's chance in hell of passing in December and the pain this will inflict will convince the electorate that we must have universal health care. The midterms will deliver a blue tsunami allowing We the People to remove this admiinistration and return us to our grand democratic experiment.
I hope this is so.
"Not all Democrats are on board with the contours of this proposal," writes JV.
<bitter chuckle> Yeah, one could say that. Or one could say that a small handful of Democratic poseurs posturing as fighting for the people against oligarchic autocracy totally capitulated and sold the rest of us down the river, for nothing. FOR NOTHING. They got NOTHING in return.
And they proved that the bad guys can always play vicious hardball, hit below the belt, and win, because the Dems will _always_ collapse.
No doubt rivers of ink will be spilled and the wires will be humming with commentary on this subject over the coming days. For starters, read Robert Hubbell's plain-spoken, pull-no-punches Substack about the treachery eight Democrats just committed. https://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/the-sellout-caucus. Read it and weep.
I'm beyond infuriated with Democrats. I'm beyond spitting nails. I actually feel physically nauseous. Somehow, we gotta keep going, gotta keep pushing back, even though our own supposed party just kicked our pins out from under us despite what we told the whole fucking world last Tuesday. We, the people, are gonna have to take our country back on our own. Our elected "leaders" are clearly incapable or unwilling to do so.
Your anger and frustration make perfect sense, though to be fair, you should be infuriated (maybe) only with those Democrats who defected. Every other Democrat even in the Senate held firm, alongside the entire House bloc. Schumer actually held this disparate group together for 40 days, which is longer than any shutdown in history.
We are seeing every flaw in our constitutional and institutional arrangements between House and Senate, every mistake in granting a demented, out-of-control president unwarranted and undeserved power, our imperfect Electoral College with its skewed arithmetic favoring less populated states, our gerrymandered House -- all collide in a kind of institutional breakdown we haven't seen in generations. And a demented baby still organizes Great Gatsby parties in Florida as befit his taste and mentality.
A reminder also, that even if this becomes law, it expires on January 30. Then we have to do it all over again....
Very well said. I feel exactly the same.
I think I get it now.
Doesn't it seem sometimes that the Dem Party apparatus doesn't want the left to win? I remember being stunned when Al Gore just folded after the Supreme Court stopped the recount, and then handed the presidency to Bush in Bush v. Gore. Not a peep out of Gore, or any of them. Like the weren't the opposition party at all. They just went along. That's not normal behavior.
Do you recall Al Gore doing the macarena? It's the same thing, it's how he rolls.
I think the Democrats needed to help end the shutdown! If this had continued to Thanksgiving or beyond, it's the Democrats who would pay the price...in other words, a continued shutdown would hurt the Dems and if the shutdown ends now, it will be more obvious to everyone that the Republicans are the real villains since they will undoubtedly continue to deny health care to all the persons who need it.
Yes, there perhaps a chance that SNAP benefits would be paid. Maybe enough republican constituents might have gotten thru to their representatives about the insurance situation and swayed some minds . But now those hopes are gone. They will ram this through with no concessions and everyone, except the rich and powerful, will pay the price.
I still think that the Democrats would be hurt more if this handful of Dems don't vote to stop the shutdown! By "barely" allowing the shutdown to end, the DEMs are saving the economy and allowing all Americans to enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays with their families, while the Republicans are exposed for their true colors, as they continue to hurt millions of SNAP and other poor Americans!
Up until now, the Republicans have gotten "cover" because the shutdown allows them to blame the Democrats for everything.
When the shutdown ends, the Republicans will be totally exposed for their true motives...
The republicans have wanted to repeal the ACA since day one. They have a clear path to do that now per their P2025 manifesto. So, true, the dems have been removed from the equation.
Lucinda, yes. This “plan” will roll back the ACA just will like “Medicare Disadvantage” rolls back Medicare”. Insurance companies will have free rein to deny coverage, delay approvals, and expand the fraudulent plans on the government’s dime. And of course, those who can least afford good plans will be most at risk.
Very well said. Thanks!
I don’t think it’s simple. Kicking the can down the road is how this dysfunctional government has been operating for years. Don’t see it changing over night. If I was one of those federal workers or a person waiting for SNAP benefits, I’d be grateful for the can getting kicked down the road. Would I be that person having to hold the line? Lose my home, give up getting my medication for the “greater good“. What about the Epstein files? Adelita Grivalja needing to be sworn in? And what about the big maybe? Maybe the Republicans wouldn’t have moved an inch regardless of how long the government was shut down.?
Not over yet. Still goes to the House. Jeffries says he is still firm. This should bring the House back. The Epstein petition awaits.
Many Congressional Republicans privately admit Trump is nuts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNzVt7q0W5A
I keep posting. According to Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-CA) Trumpepstein may cause an "Epstein bomb" causing over 100 Republican members to "jailbreak" from Trump.
Massive Congressional visits November 18.
https://www.instagram.com/flare.usa/p/DP_mdOyjdiG/
Visit CongressionalRepublicans.
https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/851451/
I think that if we play our cards right, many can be convinced by the election outcome to come forward.
I cannot bring myself into affinity with farmers. They voted for Trump. No doubt farmers would be a lot smarter had they gone to Trump University. Let farmers eat soybeans. Soybeans are a great source of protein.
“All of us who are dismayed by the present state of the union, this is no time to give up,” Biden declared. “It’s time to get up. Get up now, get up.”
If you have become overwhelmed, rely on my 2 buckets to sanity. 2 buckets says stay in the fight. We are winning with a year to midterms. If you stay in, we will shut them down.
https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/too-much-two-buckets-to-sanity?r=3m1bs
Constituents of those 8 senators, please call them immediately and tell them how you feel. This is very important.
Cave-dwellers.
Another Charlie Brown moment - Dems have the football grabbed away by their own cowardice!
Angus King, Susan Collins? OK, sad, but not too out of character and record. BUT, Tim Kaine? WTF??? OK, these folks learned no lessons from, for instance, the labor movement: you fragment - you LOSE! Next, I have to wonder what they might have been offered under the table.
Good grief! NO, bad grief!
Where did you ever get the idea Tim Kaine is worth the energy it would take to whack him in the head with a baseball bat?
I felt the same but read that 400K Fed employees live in VA…at least I understand his motivation. Read HCRs “Letters from an American” today - excellent explainer. Let’s keep up the fight - a great woman (JV) says giving up is unforgivable.
I too, am bitterly disappointed in Kaine. I guess I don't know enough about him, but I did not expect this.
Completely devastated by the Dem. cave. And that’s what it is. We had a huge win on Tuesday. We had momentum. It’s gone. The Dem party will be torn apart by this, fighting each other instead of our common enemy. How to pick ourselves up from this blow. . .
Trump has little to no interest in ending the shutdown (he prefers to rule without Congress) and little Mikey J. will not do anything without Trump's approval. Our national GDP and reputation decline every week the shutdown continues. Federal employees will not be paid, and SNAP recipients will probably not receive their deserved benefits until the shutdown ends (or at least SCOTUS allows it). The deal some Dems have agreed to may be the best deal they can get, even in the long run, until they regain control of at least 1 branch of Congress. At least, if an ironclad deal goes thru, federal employees including air traffic controllers resume paychecks and SNAP recipients receive their benefits, and a vote is forced on continuing ACA subsidies. Republicans will likely vote against, which Dems can use in ads during the next election campaign. The key necessity is for Dems to regain control of the House and ideally the Senate. If this deal allows them to do it, it will be a success. If Dems hold out for another month, federal employees and SNAP beneficiaries may be angry at Dems, rather than Republicans, for refusing to make a deal. So far, voters blame Republicans more than Dems, but that could change if Dems are intransigent. Dems can't win this fight as long as they can't get 60 votes in the Senate and Trump refuses to deal. However, they can make it very clear that they care about affordability of health insurance and paying workers, and Republicans do not.
Very well written! Thanks!
I think there is a method to what seems like madness, hang in there.
What was the momentum?
Interesting that Alito, who has criticized "Obergefell" regularly (along with the other usual suspect on the Court, RV Thomas) as a "made up" right especially when in seemingly conflict with Free Exercise, in a speech last month described it as a precedent entitled to respect under stare decisis. He also clarified that nothing in the "Dobbs" decision was intended to disturb the "Obergefell" ruling. Of course we know all about the majority view of supposed "settled law" and precedent.
Little noticed but certainly if nothing else, symbolically significant, was the resignation this past Friday (7) of Mark Wolf, former Chief Judge and most recently Senior Judge of of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, who was appointed to the federal bench by Ronald Reagan in 1985. Wolf said he “looked forward to serving for the rest of my life,” but can “no longer bear to be restrained by what judges can say publicly or do outside the courtroom.” The former DOJ attorney* accused Trump of “using the law for partisan purposes” and wrote: “The White House’s assault on the rule of law is so deeply disturbing to me that I feel compelled to speak out. Silence, for me, is now intolerable.” Wolf noted that his resignation will not give Trump the opportunity to fill his seat; Wolf’s successor, Senior Judge Patti B. Saris, was appointed when he became a senior judge in 2013. Saris was nominated as a U.S. District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts by Bill Clinton in 1993.
*Wolf served in the DOJ as a Special Assistant to the Deputy Attorney General (1974) and the Attorney General (1975-1977), and as Deputy U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts and Chief of the Public Corruption unit in that office (1981-1985).
How would a Trump supporter explain why it's okay to have a Great Gatsby party (after you explain who the Great Gatsby is) while children are going hungry?
Their reply: Oh, that Donald—he’s such a guy!
And, "If you work really hard and earn a lot of money and donate to the GOP, you can have a Great Gatsby party, too!"
“On second thought, just give ME the money … and I’ll ask my followers to spring for a Big Mac.”
They've already accepted the premise that Trump and his billionaire buddies deserve to enjoy a life at a totally different level than we mere peons. They must like having our noses rubbed in the hateful contempt of the elite.
"Oh, it's not about him, he only ever eats hamberders."
Do they have to bring back the R caucus in the House to do this? I’d think so and then mighty Mike would need to swear in the new Dem seat?
Yup! You got it. Move past the shutdown and on to the next main event. There'll be wailing and anguish aplenty when Epstein's file gets aired.
It's unclear whether the same bill then needs to pass the Senate and be signed by Trump. I've heard some say that is the case, which seems likely, but there's not a lot of discussion about it. Johnson will seat Grijalva when he chooses to. In TX there hasn't even been a date scheduled for the election to fill the seat left vacant by a congressman's death 8 months ago. Republicans miss no opportunity to abuse the system, and lax rules allow for it. I don't hold my breath for any positive development.
I think we are seeing the beginning of the deep spiral down for trump and his clowns…whether the govt opens or not…it will get uglier on the way to their fall
There is simply nothing to say. With apologies to your book title: Caving is Unforgivable.
Yes, apologies again, Joyce.“Appeasement Is Unforgivable”
I about spit out my tea when I read this part: "Wouldn’t it be easier to make federal law enforcement follow the law?" 😄 Yeah! Wouldn't it? And I also laughed at the idea that the government would be "irreparably harmed" by paying the SNAP benefits that have been collected specifically for that purpose. None of these things are laughing matters, but the sheer absurdity sometimes gets to me. I have so many questions: about T sleeping through the press conference, rumors about multiple copies of the Epstein files which haven't leaked. (Yet.) The ICC getting serious about the murders in the Caribbean. And for us, how do we convince Dems not to cave in on " deals"? So much to keep track of. Thanks, Joyce!
Yeah, i snorted when i read that sentence too. Joyce is good.
We don't have to speculate on whether Trump's end game is to fix our political system so that the Republicans will automatically win every election in the future. He said it!
During a January 2024 campaign event in Clinton, Iowa, Donald Trump told supporters: “You’re not going to have to vote anymore. You know what I’m talking about.” And he's made similar comments since then. The fix is in, and it's up to us, the American people, to resist his repeated conspiracies and attempts to put us in a political straight jacket.
As Trump gets more obviously delusional, a curious question arises: Who’s next? Which GOP character can command similar obeisance? Quick answer: No one, all present company included.
David, from your lips to God’s ears!
I hope not.
This obese deluded man has single-handedly destroyed the GOP—no one therein is at all trustworthy … and perhaps even MAGA notices.
Agree
Where is Kim Davis getting the money to go on fighting this in court? She was already ordered to pay $360,000 to the people that she harmed. Her salary is about $87K. Who is funding this fight?
This is another example of how massive wealth is bending reality in this country. In ordinary times, she would have her outrageous opinion, there in Rowan County, KY (population about 20,000), and everyone in town would know, and tut, and life would go on. But some rich right-wing people are funding this fight, bending reality the way they want it to go.
We need to go back to the taxation laws of the 1960s, where the highest tax brackets were taxed at 94%. Think how many libraries, schools, roads, hospitals, clinics, and free lunches we could fund! And -- Medicare for all.
I am furious that 8 Demo rats have folded. I am beyond angry.
What they think they have accomplished.
Thank you for the revealing video of the feast at MaLG. I have posted it.
I hope I can sleep tonight.
My phone is angry too. It left out words- hope you can figure out what I mean.
TRUMP ECHOES MARIE ANTOINETTE: “LET THEM EAT CAKE”
Trump flies down to Mar a Lago, plays golf on Saturday, and then hosts a luxurious lobster buffet, while millions of Americans are without pay and SNAP recipients (1/8th of the American population) are without food.
This reminds me of French Queen Marie Antoinette’s “Let them eat cake,” when responding to a French population that was desperately hungry after a harvest failure.
I agree with those Democrats who have no trust in any Trump agreement. Despite the ‘compromise’ short-term Senate agreement, prompted by the sustained suffering of so many Americans, I fear that Trumpublicans will pursue the screwing of over 10,000,000 participants in the current federal health program.
It's Charlie Brown and the football, with Lucy promising over and over that she won't pull it away just as he kicks, and then he's flat on his back, surprised that she's done it again. That's any and every El Trompo "agreement." He is completely unreliable. That may be his only constancy, aside from greed.
Noorillah Lucy, not Bone Spur, had a modicum of charm.
Joyce, my wife and I love your posts, not just the political focus, but also re. your chickens. We used to have, inherited really, 3 brawny hens and then brought home 2 chicks that, of course, turned out to be males. At that time we had a wonderful, loving, Basset Hound, super gentle, but he decided his duty was to police our new backyard, hens especially. When they would (easily and frequently) fly over the not high fence around their coop/pen, if we were home he would chase them seemingly to get them back in, but obviously not with much "heart". If we came home quietly so that he wouldn't notice, we could clearly see that the previous behavior was just performative, as we suspected. Unaware of our presence, he let the "flock" eat from his outdoor food bowl, just lolling while they wandered around him. Then, if/when he realized we were home, he would return to the normal performance and really so would they.
LOVE your flock! Beautiful!
Very funny, very Basset Hound! Thanks for that story on an otherwise grim night.
I would like to ask Justice Thomas why is same-sex marriage wrong … but miscegenation okay?
Thomas has argued that the Constitution does not confer a right to same-sex marriage, calling it "atextual" and "novel" He has regularly called for the Imperial Court to reconsider precedents like "Obergefell v. Hodges." In contrast, Thomas has not called for overturning the precedent set by "Loving v. Virginia," the 1967 case that struck down laws prohibiting interracial marriage. He has not cited "Loving" as a decision that should be revisited, even though he has called for reconsidering other precedents that rely on similar legal reasoning. I believe this is widely known as blatant hypocrisy.
Precisely: I’m exempt. A DEI hire - and affirmative action recipient - thanks his grateful audience.
It's the oreo exception clause.
Got that right … cookie!
Born in New Orleans, sugar.
Tres beignet!
Where you gumbo?
Thanks—I’ll have a Minneapolitan, shaken not slurred.
For the Senate bill to pass the House it needs a simple majority or 218 votes. The Republicans hold 219 seats. A bill that does not pass the House after being sent from the Senate simply dies for that congressional session and must be reintroduced in the next Congress to be considered again. However, it can be amended and sent back to the Senate for approval.