It’s another tired-painful day here in the CatBox. I lost most of my map time yesterday. My toilet was so badly plugged that Maintenance could not fix it with a regular 10′ snake. They had to take the toilet out into the hallway and bring a 30′ electric snake from the downtown office. They were just finishing up when WWWendy arrived. Tuesday is flush your Republicans Day. Mine were so vile that they tried to barricade the way down. I should be in the saddle tomorrow.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:26 (average 7:00). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Cartoon:
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: As Barack Obama’s inauguration kicked off on Jan. 20, 2009, LGBTQ Americans across the country watched with mixed emotions while evangelical pastor Rick Warren delivered the invocation. Though the vast majority of them had voted for Obama, Warren had urged members of his California-based megachurch to vote in favor of a ballot measure stripping marriage rights from same-sex couples; indeed, Proposition 8 narrowly passed on the same night Obama was elevated to the highest office in the land. Election Night had been a double-edged sword for gay and transgender individuals, and Warren’s presence made the inauguration bittersweet as well.
But Obama’s pick of Warren symbolized what ultimately emerged as a stumbling block to his ability to accomplish many of the priorities liberals had voted for in 2008 and which were also broadly popular—action on immigration, climate change, and, at least initially, queer rights. Obama was an incrementalist at heart, and he was still approaching Republicans as rational players in America’s democratic experiment. Including an anti-gay evangelical pastor in his inauguration was one of several olive branches Obama extended to conservatives in the early days of his administration in what would prove to be a fruitless effort to win their cooperation. A dozen years later, however, Obama’s former No. 2—a man who was viewed in the 2020 Democratic primary as far less progressive than Obama was seen in the 2008 contest—is quickly advancing a far more unapologetically progressive agenda from Day One of his administration.
In fact, President Joe Biden has quickly dispensed of many of the old Obama-era battles that flummoxed liberals and eventually drew them to the streets to protest the administration’s inaction. Biden has already sent Congress a bold immigration bill that unequivocally includes a pathway to citizenship, expanded green card access, and fortifies the DACA program for Dreamers established by Obama in 2012. Biden also immediately yanked the Keystone XL pipeline permit—an action Obama didn’t take until 2015, after years of pushing by climate activists. And building on the many hard-fought Obama-era wins on LGBTQ equality, Biden quickly signed an order pushing the most aggressive interpretation of Title VII protections for transgender and gay Americans in employment, housing, and education.
Sure, these are old battles. And to some extent, Biden has benefited from a natural evolution of the issues over a decade. That is particularly true on policies concerning the LGBTQ movement, which emerged from Obama’s presidency lightyears ahead of where it began. But it is also a measure of how far the progressive movement has come over the past decade that we aren’t immediately having to go to battle with a Democratic administration that seems less intent on advancing liberal causes than using them as bargaining chips on the way to accomplishing other goals. So far, that vestige of 90s-era Clintonian politics seems to have finally been laid to rest in the Biden White House.
The departure is clearly throwing some Washington journalists for a loop after decades of watching Democrats kowtow to Republicans.
I really expected Biden to fall into the same trap Obama did, and have repeatedly discussed how we need to hold his feet to the fire. So far, I’ve been wrong and happy to be so. RESIST the Republican Reich!!
From NY Times: Senator Mitch McConnell on Monday dropped his demand that the new Democratic Senate majority promise to preserve the filibuster — which Republicans could use to obstruct President Biden’s agenda — ending an impasse that had prevented Democrats from assuming full power even after their election wins.
In his negotiations with Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the new majority leader, Mr. McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, had refused to agree to a plan for organizing the chamber without a pledge from Democrats to protect the filibuster, a condition that Mr. Schumer had rejected.
But late Monday, as the stalemate persisted, Mr. McConnell found a way out by pointing to statements by two centrist Democrats, Senators Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, that said they opposed getting rid of the procedural tool — a position they had held for months — as enough of a guarantee to move forward without a formal promise from Mr. Schumer.
“With these assurances, I look forward to moving ahead with a power-sharing agreement modeled on that precedent,” Mr. McConnell said in a statement.
Democrats had been anticipating a capitulation by Mr. McConnell and said they believed he had overreached in the negotiation.
LOL! He chickened-out! This is wonderful! See the Cartoon above. RESIST the Republican Reich!!
From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Schumer Considering Expanding Judiciary To Balance Courts Packed By McConnell
I agree with him on expanding the judiciary. However, he should be pushing to expand the Supreme Court, because it is now SCROTUS (Republican anti-Constitutional VD). RESIST the Republican Reich!!
From YouTube (a blast from the past): America – A horse with no name (clip HQ)
Ah… the memories! RESIST the Republican Reich!!
Build the Future. It Belongs to YOU!
20 Responses to “Open Thread – 1/26/2021”
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Cartoon: Isn’t that what he does best?
DK: Joe seems to be doing what’s right and I applaud his actions, and his resolve. Yes, resisting the R’s is an everyday action.
NYT: PTL !!
MSNBC: Yep, I agree that the SCROTUS should be expanded, and the judiciary.
BFTP: Great song! Like your quote too, at the end.
Well, I’m glad that that’s done with the drain auger. Relieved that it’s resolved. Now…you should have a clear line too. Hope that you have a good rest of your day. Take good, good care, and Thanks, Tom.
*This just in: “Janet Yellen, the first woman to be the Treasury Secretary is sworn in by the first woman to be Vice President, Kamala Harris.” ~ Alan Rappeport ~
2. “You guys hear that?? No insane tweets. No criminal scandals. No taxpayer funded golf! Just boring Presidenting. How positively Delightful! ~ Brooklyn Dad Defiant ~
3. “Dan Crenshaw is questioning Biden’s christianity. John Cornyn is threatening to impeach former presidents. Ken Paxton is bragging about filing another useless lawsuit. Ted Cruz is fighting with Seth Rogan. Texas politicians are having a ‘dumbest politician ‘death match’.” ~ Kelly W. ~
4. “To anybody interviewing congressional republicans: first ask them if, in one word, they accept the results of the 2020 election. If they say anything other than yes, cut their mics and end the interview. Better yet, find out ahead of time and don’t have them on at all. ~Mary Trump ~
5. Isn’t it nice to have a President who doesn’t look like a complete schlub in a business suit? It makes me ebullient. Every time I see POTUS, I know he wasn’t just lying on his bed, in his suit, watching cable news, eating chocolate cake and cheeseburgers. ~ Steve Schmidt ~
TJI #2 – So very refreshing & welcomed!
Thanks, Nameless!
TJI #3 – No one knows this better than you, Pat. I am so sorry, You – and all Texans – deserve better.
TJI #4 – This is absolutely right on the nailhead, and should have been applied by George Stephanopoulos when he was interviewing Rand Paul.
TJI #5 – This brand new Democrat can be very observant.
Each TJI speaks its own truth.
Thanks, Pat.
Ditto what Nameless said!
DK:Saw that earlier, am encouraged, having thought Biden too middle of the road, previously. It may be yet one more sad irony, that Dumpshits actions have energized the Dems, that 1/6 showed that there can be no pussyfooting around with the pussy grabbing bastards!
NYT: McTurtle found a way out that included saving his very ugly, rancid, odious face.
MSNBC: Schumer is probably wise to await the report that Biden has asked for, without giving what might be obvious, or hopefully so, to many of us. I expect the hypocritical GOPIGGIES to squeal their frigging heads off when/if the Dems go to expand, or fill courts.
BFP: Love that old Porsche in the opening clip. I used to know the name of the model. Oh, great song,too.
Wasn’t that a 911T? 🚗
TJI’s all wonderful, and it’s a bit hard to pick a fav, but I’ll go with #’1 1 and 2.
It’s cold here – a high of 23°F today and not much warmer expected+ for over a week. I didn’t look to see whether there’s snow. I’m so sorry you are in pain and lost so much sleep. Sleep certainly helps when nothing else does. I hope you get some today!
Cartoon – Indeed.
DK and NYT – In a way these two stories are the same story, an that is that Democrats have ALWAYS had a spine, and have now learned that there is NOTHING to gain from “playing nice,” because Republicans simply will not do so. In different ways, both the Obama administration years and the Trump** regime years mad that very clear. Biden and Schumer are now putting those lessons to goos ude. It’s ironic that, of all people, Manchin turned out to be of use for once – but BBM grasping at him and Sinema as a last gasp to prove he can “play nice” only proves the opposite. There may well be things we end up having to push for, but that may be a good thing. We need to keep our “stay involved and active” muscles in good condition because we never know when they will be needed.
MSNBC – TC, I think Schumer’s move on this is brilliant. Because the population has increased and the size of the judiciary has not, expending the judiciary it going to be a much easier sell. And then we will have a precedent which will make expanding the Supreme Court a much easier sell. Of course, if I can see that, there are some Republicans who also can, which is why I say “easier,” and not “easy,” which is what it should be but won’t.
Blast – Catchy – and iconic – but I’m only now realizing it’s about ecology. Great choice.
Cartoon: Worthless fool. Can’t stand to look or listen to him.
DK: Glad to see Joe is changing things in a positive direction. Seeing him today speak out condemning the wrongful death of George Floyd, then he Issues Executive Orders to address racial inequity. It’s definitely a huge move in the right direction.
MSNBC: I too agree with Schumer.
BFTP: Great tune.
Sorry to hear that you had wild day yesterday. That you didn’t get to rest.
Hopefully your day today was much better and you were able to nap.
Take care. Thanks TomCat
Your day sounded both tiring and embarrassing, best to get a lot of rest and forget all about it, TomCat.
4:33 Not edible but you can call for pizza delivery.
Cartoon: And he’ll keep on doing that as long as he keeps his Senate seat.
DK: Republicans and Trump have taken policies back on many issues, but they never realised that the did it only to please a minority of the people and the rest of it moved on in their thinking. What were really progressive issues 4-6 years ago have become normalised for a majority of Americans, including all Democrats in Biden’s party. So Biden didn’t have to have a discussion on the executive orders with the Democrats, they were all on returning things to where the were, old hat as far as discussions go. The discussions will flare up when issues like Medicare for all or student loans come up. Then the progressives of this decade will want to take things further than their fellow Democrats.
NYT: McConnell may seem to have chickened out but he also know that Manchin has voted with Republicans before and he has now called on Manchin and Sinema to face the music when filibustering is on the agenda. Now Schumer has to face two possible dissidents in his won party, while McConnell may have more up his sleeve.
MSNBC: For the average American it is good that the judiciary will be expanded with more liberal judges, but for federal matters, i.e. governmental matters it is vital that SCOTUS becomes more balanced, either by decreasing the numbers and taking the last additions off the bench or by expanding the numbers. It must happen soon because Republicans only see the lower courts as stepping stones to SCOTUS, quickly to be skipped over to get to ‘their’ court and this habit will be taken up soon to deny Biden and Democrats their decrees and laws.
BFTP: Thanks for one of my favourite Americas 😉
I thought you all might enjoy a recent Seth Myers – A Closer Look.
I love Seth. The overloaded outlets analogy is brilliant. As a former property insurance professional I am well aware how dangerous that is. (To answer Seth’s question, NO Republican has any shame at all.) If anything is missing from the White House or the Trump** administration, I know where it is – Trump** stole it. Case closed.
YIKES! A 30′ snake to solve the problem? If it took that length, it might have been from the previous tenant.
I’ve been here for a year and a half.
If Nameless stands by his statement, I’ll back him. It takes a long time for things to build up like that.
Thanks and crazy Hump Day Hugs to all!