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[neurosisxeno]

That would explain that then. Can't wait until we stop drilling domestically and importing all of our oil instead. It will be like the twilight zone.

 

[Officerrob]

Morning Joe praising Trump for pulling off a standard event

 

[sazzy]

Why doesn't the Senate change rules and throw out the filibuster for this SCOTUS nominee, and then change rules back to what they are now after he is confirmed?

 

[kmag]

Why doesn't the Senate change rules and throw out the filibuster for this SCOTUS nominee, and then change rules back to what they are now after he is confirmed?

Because once the option is done once, it'll be done every other time a pick is selected without one side having a supermajority.

 

[Chumley]

Mark Halperin is visibily trying not to call Joe Scarborough an idiot to his face for thinking Heidi Heitkamp will have to support the SCOTUS pick.

 

[Diablos]

Morning Joe praising Trump for pulling off a standard event

"He showed up to work! Amazing!"

 

[Officerrob]

Scarborough has clearly been given his marching orders:

"Last nights event was great. Trump was in his element. The staging was perfect"
"The issue with the travel ban is a positive, as they are clearly learning from their mistakes"
"I've reached out to 8-12 Trump voters and they are deliriously happy"

 

[Aaron Strife]

Yeah, all that's probably fair.

I guess that's the problem with being on the left, subscribing to basic human decency means you're probably not a gigantic asshole. Probably.

Right. No one in their right mind (or left mind, as it were) would propose deliberately making it harder for rural voters or other typical Republican demographics to vote, not even the "voting integrity" *wink wink nudge nudge* crap that Republicans usually pull. I l

Look at North Carolina. The GOP stripped the incoming Dem governor of his powers. Would that have happened in the reverse? Hell no. The closest I can think of is Massachusetts ping-ponging Senate appointment powers based on which party is in charge, but that doesn't even come close to what the GOP did in NC. Some might argue that Democrats just aren't as good at playing the game - I prefer to see it as we're simply not assholes. Or as big of assholes anyway.

 

[Pixieking]

Right. No one in their right mind (or left mind, as it were) would propose deliberately making it harder for rural voters or other typical Republican demographics to vote, not even the "voting integrity" *wink wink nudge nudge* crap that Republicans usually pull. I l

Look at North Carolina. The GOP stripped the incoming Dem governor of his powers. Would that have happened in the reverse? Hell no. The closest I can think of is Massachusetts ping-ponging Senate appointment powers based on which party is in charge, but that doesn't even come close to what the GOP did in NC. Some might argue that Democrats just aren't as good at playing the game - I prefer to see it as we're simply not assholes. Or as big of assholes anyway.

Buuuuuuuuuut...

I think there's something to be said for the Democrats becoming assholes for the betterment of the country. Because, to say they aren't as good at playing the game doesn't quite illustrate the stakes properly. Give the GOP power, and they will make life undoubtedly worse for everyone but the rich. But give the Democrats power and let them be assholes (to some degree), and they'll make the country better for most people.

For instance, imagine if Hillary had lied as much as Trump did during the campaign, and won because of it. Also assume her lies were simply to get votes, and that she is a good person underneath (both fair assumptions, I think). She'd be seen as an asshole (bitch?) who lied to win an election, but who then gave the US better health-care, better mental health-care, a liberal SCOTUS (maybe, depending upon Senate), continue to keep foreign relations stable, and tax the rich. No doubt, her promising rural voters unicorns is an asshole thing, but the long-play of it makes the US better for all, including those rural voters.

 

[Aaron Strife]

Buuuuuuuuuut...

I think there's something to be said for the Democrats becoming assholes for the betterment of the country. Because, to say they aren't as good at playing the game doesn't quite illustrate the stakes properly. Give the GOP power, and they will make life undoubtedly worse for everyone but the rich. But give the Democrats power and let them be assholes (to some degree), and they'll make the country better for most people.

For instance, imagine if Hillary had lied as much as Trump did during the campaign, and won because of it. Also assume her lies were simply to get votes, and that she is a good person underneath (both fair assumptions, I think). She'd be seen as an asshole (bitch?) who lied to win an election, but who then gave the US better health-care, better mental health-care, a liberal SCOTUS (maybe, depending upon Senate), continue to keep foreign relations stable, and tax the rich. No doubt, her promising rural voters unicorns is an asshole thing, but the long-play of it makes the US better for all, including those rural voters.

Sure, I guess I just wouldn't want that to blow up in our faces.

Trump is at least ten times worse than Bush who ran a horribly corrupt and unpopular administration, and then Obama swept in a Democratic wave on what was overall a fairly honest campaign.

We don't need to lie to win - that being said, we don't need to lie to all-out resist Trump either. So even if we did fight dirty, it's not like we'd be stooping to their level.

I would love to see a Dem wave in 2018/2020 lead by a president who just says from the outset "You know what? We're going to get this and this and this done," nukes the filibuster and ticks off every progressive wishlist item they can in two years.

I appreciate what Obama got done in his first two years, but I understand why it was received with a kind of "meh" by the nation at large. Dodd-Frank is too abstract for most Americans, the stimulus law was too small and spread too thin, and the healthcare fight dragged on way too long that people were just sick of it. Plus kowtowing to the 60 vote rule in the Senate meant none of these were going to be as effective as they should have been.

But free college? National light rail? $15 minimum wage? Medicare expansion? All instantly understood, and if done right, massively popular. If we're in a recession, hire people to dig holes and fill them back up, I dunno. Get this stuff done and you might not even get blown out in 2022. A man can dream.

 

[Plinko]

Morning Joe praising Trump for pulling off a standard event

Mark Halperin is visibily trying not to call Joe Scarborough an idiot to his face for thinking Heidi Heitkamp will have to support the SCOTUS pick.

I'll ask the same question I did last year: why do you do this to yourself? Why put yourself through watching him?

 

[Diablos]

But free college? National light rail? $15 minimum wage? Medicare expansion? All instantly understood, and if done right, massively popular. If we're in a recession, hire people to dig holes and fill them back up, I dunno. Get this stuff done and you might not even get blown out in 2022. A man can dream.

The progressive agenda is in serious danger though. If Trump gets more justices on the SCOTUS, things like universal healthcare, a national minimum wage, campaign finance reform, basically any moderate to major left leaning agenda is gone for 20+ years.

Blue dog Democrats will be back like a bad habit and the GOP will continue to erode logic and reason throughout the government and thus society. Forget the safety net. They'll gut it and any attempt at revival will be declared unconstitutional.

2016 was one for the ages. Depending on what happens in the next couple years it may just make more sense to give up.

 

[Chumley]

I'll ask the same question I did last year: why do you do this to yourself? Why put yourself through watching him?

Because I hate myself and have an addiction to MARK HALPERIN's dulcet tones.

 

[Crocodile]

I'm not going to pretend to know what the best political move to do is with regards to this SCOTUS pick but its' pretty obvious what the base wants and its clear the Democrat's leadership's language and stance has been changing these past few days. People are lit.

The progressive agenda is in serious danger though. If Trump gets more justices on the SCOTUS, things like universal healthcare, a national minimum wage, campaign finance reform, basically any moderate to major left leaning agenda is gone for 20+ years.

Blue dog Democrats will be back like a bad habit and the GOP will continue to erode logic and reason throughout the government and thus society. Forget the safety net. They'll gut it and any attempt at revival will be declared unconstitutional.

2016 was one for the ages. Depending on what happens in the next couple years it may just make more sense to give up.

Jesus you can be self defeating as fuck. You know that is why people make fun of you right? Now I'm back to wondering how you make it through the day. Sorry if I'm being harsh but at no point does it ever make sense to give up. Shit has been bad in the past and could be bad moving forward. That just means you fight HARDER, not quit. When has anything good in life or the history of this country come from giving up? I can understand being pessimistic or realistic but if your only contribution is "maybe we should give up" then keep quiet - you aren't helping.

 

[Plinko]

Democrats have to fight this. Someone made the point earlier--you can't show your constituents you don't care. You can't. That causes apathy and hopelessness, which leads to fewer voters.

This is, by far, the most public interest I have ever seen in democratic politician actions. Time to capitalize on that. Get the DNC garbage in order, pick a leader, and start publicly showing your constituents you are actually doing something.

 

[Poodlestrike]

Democrats have to fight this. Someone made the point earlier--you can't show your constituents you don't care. You can't. That causes apathy and hopelessness, which leads to fewer voters.

This is, by far, the most public interest I have ever seen in democratic politician actions. Time to capitalize on that. Get the DNC garbage in order, pick a leader, and start publicly showing your constituents you are actually doing something.

This. We have a rare groundswell of attention and activity we can capitalize, if we start moving ASAP. When is the Dec chair election happening?

Also, side note, but I agree that the Indiana mayor is not who we want there- he's waaaaay too charismatic to waste in an organizing role. Start prepping him for governor or a Senate run.

 

[TestOfTide]

The progressive agenda is in serious danger though. If Trump gets more justices on the SCOTUS, things like universal healthcare, a national minimum wage, campaign finance reform, basically any moderate to major left leaning agenda is gone for 20+ years.

If SCOTUS actually tries to block all of the Democrats' agendas, then Democrats can just respond by stacking the courts.

Blue dog Democrats will be back like a bad habit and the GOP will continue to erode logic and reason throughout the government and thus society. Forget the safety net. They'll gut it and any attempt at revival will be declared unconstitutional.

You forget that blue dogs helped democrats pass a shit load of bills in the house when Pelosi was in charge.

 

[ErasureAcer]

Democrats are set in their ways, no tact. Nancy Pelosi was asked about capitalism last night by a young man who said most people his age don't think highly of capitalism. Her response, capitalism is great!(yes with an exclamation point). This on the heels of her saying Democrats aren't friends of Wall St from the previous questioner. Such a horrible, conflicting message she was trying to present. Someone should tell Nancy that Wall St. is capitalism.

 

[shinra-bansho]

This. We have a rare groundswell of attention and activity we can capitalize, if we start moving ASAP. When is the Dec chair election happening?

Also, side note, but I agree that the Indiana mayor is not who we want there- he's waaaaay too charismatic to waste in an organizing role. Start prepping him for governor or a Senate run.

Yeah. That'll work in Indiana.

...

Exactly. Any Dem voting for him will get primaried into oblivion and destroyed. End of story.

Yeah. That'll work in Indiana.

 

[Chumley]

Democrats have to fight this. Someone made the point earlier--you can't show your constituents you don't care. You can't. That causes apathy and hopelessness, which leads to fewer voters.

This is, by far, the most public interest I have ever seen in democratic politician actions. Time to capitalize on that. Get the DNC garbage in order, pick a leader, and start publicly showing your constituents you are actually doing something.

Exactly. Any Dem voting for him will get primaried into oblivion and destroyed. End of story.

 

[cartoon_soldier]

Democrats are set in their ways, no tact. Nancy Pelosi was asked about capitalism last night by a young man who said most people his age don't think highly of capitalism. Her response, capitalism is great!(yes with an exclamation point). This on the heels of her saying Democrats aren't friends of Wall St from the previous questioner. Such a horrible, conflicting message she was trying to present. Someone should tell Nancy that Wall St. is capitalism.

I don't see how the messages are conflicting.

Democrats will get nowhere anyway unless they can put pressure on Blue State GOP Congress folks.

Protest and all that, Trump will do what Trump will do.

And the only options really for Dems here are Dean Heller and Susan Collins. Maybe Cory Gardner.

Dems should be focusing om mobilizing everybody against Trump in these 3 states to put pressure on the Senators there.

 

[dramatis]

Capitalism is much broader than Wall Street alone.

 

[Pixieking]

Capitalism is much broader than Wall Street alone.

Though I'm starting to realise how Hillary got screwed with her Wall Street connections/speeches, if there's people who conflate capitalism and Wall Street without any nuance.

 

[Black Republican]

Tomi Lahren on this weeks Bill Maher's Real Time

oh man

 

[dramatis]

Though I'm starting to realise how Hillary got screwed with her Wall Street connections/speeches, if there's people who conflate capitalism and Wall Street without any nuance.

With the Vice article on big data what I've come to realize is that the supposedly "most savvy" of us, the millennials, are also the most gullible.

We can resent the boomers but we are also the architects of our own ruined futures.

 

[Diablos]

Dems can stack the courts but we need to win a wave election before even flirting with the idea. And then of course they need to have the actual nerve to do it. And you never know with Dems...

I'm not giving up yet but I'm saying that depending on how things go in Trump's first term we may be resigned to the consequences of this election for a long, long time. Like it or not. Sometimes in life you do have to give up. We're not there yet but everyone should be prepared for the possibility.

 

[Chumley]

Tomi Lahren on this weeks Bill Maher's Real Time

oh man

Fucking what.

Maher is going to murder that girl on live TV.

 

[Pixieking]

With the Vice article on big data what I've come to realize is that the supposedly "most savvy" of us, the millennials, are also the most gullible.

We can resent the boomers but we are also the architects of our own ruined futures.

Yeah, I've noticed that gullibility too. Perhaps related to the "Anyone can be a journalist" phase of the internet? That removal of barriers to being a journalist - with all the critical thinking and analysis that it requires if you're a professional - was maybe the start of the breakdown in critically appraising what's being said.

It also reminds me somewhat of this:

https://twitter.com/mode7games/status/825266854973284353

Paul Kilduff-Taylor
‏@mode7games

"Keep politics out of games" is closely related to critical thinking: normal behaviour for writers and journalists but not for audiences

Paul Kilduff-Taylor ‏@mode7games Jan 28

@mode7games so you're often starting from a place where someone sees *any* critical thinking as pretentious or an imposition

It's an interesting Twitter thread about critical thinking. And whilst looking for the link to that, I found this:

Fascism

Learn what fascism is. It's not just another way of looking at things, or a philosophy of government to compete with socialism. The bare definition doesn't encapsulate what it actually means.

It's the political leveraging of capitalism to create the most damage possible to the most vulnerable sections of society, and then finding ways to hold them responsible for that damage.

Like its constituent bare-bones capitalism, it has an in-built mechanism of self-propagation: it encourages its followers to wipe out its opponents by force if possible, or where force is not possible, by censorship, abuse and condescending dismissal.

Edit:

EU and Mexico agree to accelerate trade talks

The next two rounds for the EU-Mexico trade negotiations will take place in April and June 2017

The European Union and Mexico will hold two additional negotiating rounds before the summer as part of an accelerated negotiation schedule for a new, reformed Free Trade Agreement.

Mexico leveraging an EU trade deal against Trump in the near future?

 

[nature boy]

Democrats have to fight this. Someone made the point earlier--you can't show your constituents you don't care. You can't. That causes apathy and hopelessness, which leads to fewer voters.

This is, by far, the most public interest I have ever seen in democratic politician actions. Time to capitalize on that. Get the DNC garbage in order, pick a leader, and start publicly showing your constituents you are actually doing something.

Yeah why is picking a new DNC chair taking so fucking long?

 

[Wilsongt]

United States was a mistake. It's nothing but trash.

 

[metalslimer]

United States was a mistake. It's nothing but trash.

Well for the most part this isn't wrong.

 

[Teggy]

I bet we'll hear a lot of opposition from Republicans come March /s

Mark Knoller‏ @markknoller

.@USTreasury reminds Congress that the suspension of the Debt Limit ends March 15. Urges Congress to extend it or raise it by then.
8:47 AM · Feb 1, 2017

 

[kess]

Yeah, I've noticed that gullibility too. Perhaps related to the "Anyone can be a journalist" phase of the internet? That removal of barriers to being a journalist - with all the critical thinking and analysis that it requires if you're a professional - was maybe the start of the breakdown in critically appraising what's being said.

A hundred years of PR evolution and data algorithms tailored to individual users doesn't hurt either, but I think there's a trend of emergent technology during any generation becoming something of a disruptive and persuasive source. It was radio for a generation, TV for the next, and so on. It's really remarkable how the most ham-handed messages can become ensconced in a person's psyche if they are exposed to them in early adulthood -- dumb Boomers treating movies like The China Syndrome and Midnight Express as serious reflections of reality are distressingly common in my experience.

I really dont know how it bodes that at the "peak" of the Millenial generation Trump becomes President. If the Orange Fucker actually pulls it off, we're in for 40 years of political misery, if he fucks it up bad, well, I wouldn't want to be the GOP.

 

[thefro]

This. We have a rare groundswell of attention and activity we can capitalize, if we start moving ASAP. When is the Dec chair election happening?

Also, side note, but I agree that the Indiana mayor is not who we want there- he's waaaaay too charismatic to waste in an organizing role. Start prepping him for governor or a Senate run.

IN Governor Seat isn't up until 2020 and Todd Young's Senate seat isn't until 2022 in Indiana. Neither Holcomb or Young will be easy to beat since they're not super crazy Republicans (by the current standards).

We need to go with the best available candidate, because a really good DNC Chair is going to strengthen our bench immeasurably (amongst a lot of other things).

Yeah why is picking a new DNC chair taking so fucking long?

It's always been planned for Feb 23-26. There's regional forums for all the DNC members to meet the candidates and ask questions.

 

[Valhelm]

BBC has been running an interview with the Saudi Arabian Oil Minister, where he speaks quite highly of Donald Trump. Looks like we're about to send a bunch of money to the middle east folks!

It's no coincidence that the country most responsible for Islamic terrorism was not affected by Trump's bullshit immigration policy!

 

[Wilsongt]

In the last 8 years Republicans have managed to turn the most respected office in the world into a laughing stock.

They made Americans hate the presidency under Obama and have made the world laugh at it under Trump.

 

[Manmademan]

Dems can stack the courts but we need to win a wave election before even flirting with the idea. And then of course they need to have the actual nerve to do it. And you never know with Dems...

I'm not giving up yet but I'm saying that depending on how things go in Trump's first term we may be resigned to the consequences of this election for a long, long time. Like it or not. Sometimes in life you do have to give up. We're not there yet but everyone should be prepared for the possibility.

The only silver lining here is that a narrow Clinton win in 2016 likely would have meant brutal, punishing losses in the 2018 midterms and a difficult 2020 reelection.

I don't think that's realistic anymore, democrats are more organized and engaged than I've ever seen them.

The next two years are going to be painful, but if this is sustainable (50/50 odds, really) I can live with it.

 

[Wilsongt]

Uh....

Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday morning suspended the rules and voted to approve President Donald Trump's nominees to lead the Treasury Department and the Department of Health and Human Services even though Democrats on the committee were not present.

Democrats on the committee refused to vote on Steve Mnuchin and Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) until both nominees answered additional questions.

AP Politics‏ @AP_Politics

BREAKING: Senate committee approves Trump Treasury, Health nominees without Dems present after GOP changes panel's rules.
9:44 AM · Feb 1, 2017

 

[Manmademan]

Uh....






AP Politics‏ @AP_Politics

BREAKING: Senate committee approves Trump Treasury, Health nominees without Dems present after GOP changes panel's rules.
9:44 AM · Feb 1, 2017

Not really a surprise. This was a protest move for the dems, and was only ever going to end one way.

 

[benicillin]

Uh....

AP Politics‏ @AP_Politics

BREAKING: Senate committee approves Trump Treasury, Health nominees without Dems present after GOP changes panel's rules.
9:44 AM · Feb 1, 2017

Further proof that there's no reason to save the filibuster.

 

[Dubbedinenglish]

Uh....






AP Politics‏ @AP_Politics

BREAKING: Senate committee approves Trump Treasury, Health nominees without Dems present after GOP changes panel's rules.
9:44 AM · Feb 1, 2017

Time for Dems to go on a surprise vacation

 

[JP_]

Further proof that there's no reason to save the filibuster.

☝

 

[tedrotheredro]

David Frum ‏@davidfrum

Trump just described Frederick Douglass as "someone who has done a terrific job that is being recognized by more and more people"



I think this guy is falling apart at the seams.

 

[Valhelm]

David Frum ‏@davidfrum

Trump just described Frederick Douglass as "someone who has done a terrific job that is being recognized by more and more people"



I think this guy is falling apart at the seams.

He's just throwing black Americans a rhetorical bone so his supporters can insist he's not racist

 

[Tall4Life]

David Frum ‏@davidfrum

Trump just described Frederick Douglass as "someone who has done a terrific job that is being recognized by more and more people"



I think this guy is falling apart at the seams.

im sure he thinks he invented peanut butter or something

 

[greatgeek]

He's just throwing black Americans a rhetorical bone so his supporters can insist he's not racist

Of course it's not really effective since his comment strongly suggests that he doesn't known who Frederick Douglass was.

 

[Dubbedinenglish]

David Frum ‏@davidfrum

Trump just described Frederick Douglass as "someone who has done a terrific job that is being recognized by more and more people"



I think this guy is falling apart at the seams.

Placing bets this is the template for every black person they talk about.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

David Frum ‏@davidfrum

Trump just described Frederick Douglass as "someone who has done a terrific job that is being recognized by more and more people"



I think this guy is falling apart at the seams.

He has no idea who Frederick Douglass is, that's completely obvious.

 

[You Know Nothing]

He has no idea who Frederick Douglass is, that's completely obvious.

Exactly. Talking about him as if he hasn't been dead for over a century. Like he could just walk in at any moment.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

Someone should tell Trump he was the guy who ran against Lincoln!