I wanted to get this OT done “early” so that on Tuesday I can do one for Wednesday when I won’t be able to do a full OT because of physio and teaching. I hope the world does not blow up over night forcing me to compose again. Anyway, I have not heard anything more about TC’s recovery but no news is good news, right? JD and Nameless?
JigZone Puzzle
Today’s took me 3:52 (average 4:52). To do it, click here. (This link will automatically open to a new page.) How did you do?
AlterNet — … Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is calling on Democrats in Congress to rip a page of out the Georgia Republican’s playbook by creating—and aggressively pushing—a new progressive version of the Contract With America in order to galvanize the nation, offer real solutions to its most urgent problems, and go beyond being simply anti-Trump.
In stark contrast to Gingrich’s original version—”a radical right-wing agenda full of tax breaks for the wealthy, massive cuts to programs vital to working families, and racist and cruel bills to ‘reform’ welfare and our criminal-justice system”—Sanders argues in a Washington Post op-ed on Thursday that Democrats should instead forge a vision that “reflects the needs of working Americans — centered on economic, political, social, racial and environmental justice.” …
… it simply “is not good enough for Democrats to just be the anti-Trump party.” …
Specifically, argues Sanders, the new Democratic majority in the House should spend its first 100 days next year passing an unmistakably bold legislative agenda that includes:
Increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour and indexing it to median wage growth thereafter. The current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is a starvation wage that must be increased to a living wage — at least $15 an hour. This would give more than 40 million Americans a raise and would generate more than $100 billion in higher wages throughout the country.
A path toward Medicare-for-all. The Medicare-for-all bill widely supported in the Senate has a four-year phase-in period on the way to guaranteeing health care for every man, woman and child. Over the first year, it would lower the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 55, cover dental, hearing and vision care for seniors, provide health care to every young person in the United States and lower the cost of prescription drugs.
Click through for the other 8 points. From Bernie’s op-ed in the Washington Post:
“To a significant degree, the American people rejected President Trump’s agenda benefiting the wealthy and the powerful, as well as his racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia and religious bigotry.”
But are the Democrats willing to go to the wall for American middle and working class families? Love Bernie’s comment in the short video within the Washington Post article: “The Republican Party is bankrupt . . . intellectually.” And more! Amen Bernie!!!
CNN — The storm of false information that never stopped throughout 2018 has led Dictionary.com to name “misinformation” its annual “Word of the Year.”
Think Progress — A group of “centrist” donors spent millions to protect some of the most vulnerable House Republicans in the 2018 election, but now is pushing to dictate the terms of who House Democrats pick to lead their new majority.The No Labels super PAC, an outside group funded heavily by rich Chicago mega-donors, spent more than $2.5 million in the 2018 campaign to buck up vulnerable House Republicans hoping to retain their positions in the face of the blue wave. Several vulnerable GOP incumbents held on, thanks in part to this group’s largess. The biggest beneficiary, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), narrowly won after the group spent nearly $600,000 to help re-elect him, though six-figure “independent expenditures” for Republican Reps. Carlos Curbelo of Florida ($436,965), Leonard Lance of New Jersey ($420,712), and Mike Coffman of Colorado ($369,935) were not enough to save their seats.
The super PAC reported spending only about half as much (just over $1.25 million) in support of centrist House Democrats.
Now, after impeding the new Democratic majority and helping to limit the size of its majority, No Labels wants to condition which Democrat gets lead the House on a series of House rule changes designed to limit the majority’s power. The group is trying to demand that Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) or any other candidate for Speaker of the House agree to a “Break the Gridlock” package being offered by its Congressional arm, the Problem Solvers Caucus.
I had never heard of No Labels until all the kerfuffle about Pelosi’s House Speaker campaign. Slate has an excellent article about Nancy Pelosi’s battle, and the battle for the House. I’ll be clear, I detest the lack of bipartisanship in Congress, but I also detest this kind of move which I think is deceptive. So some of this was in place during the 115th Congress, but guess what . . . Republicans in the House Problem Solvers Caucus did not play by their rules. Surprise! Surprise! Now a big push to limit the majority party, the Democrats. It certainly seems that the Problem Solvers are nothing more than corporate shills. It is clear to me that based on the clearly increasing number to progressives that were elected, a move to the side of corporate interests is not what the electorate voted for.
My Universe
The indignity! I’ll never be able to
show my face in the neighbourhood again!
Posted to Care2 HERE
12 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 27 November 2018”
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5:03 Seems like an odd name for a lake … oh, wait. Never mind.
1) No, haven’t heard. 2) Also hoping no news good.
Not that anyone here needs to be convinced, but here’s more evidence that Republicans kill. It’s what they do.
AlterNet – He’s right, of course. We may not be able to get it passed outside the House, but we need to get it out there and into the national consciousness and associated with us. AND we need to do a lot of investigating. But we can’t stop with that. I know it’s tempting, because it’s through investigations we will get anything done, IF we get anything done. But we must play a long game. We also need to show everyone Democrats are not afraid of hard work (like Republicans.)
CNN – I’d always understood that the difference was in the intent. (Which of ten translate that the “dis” are the people putting it out, while the “mis” are the people receiving and believing it, though they may also be apreading it.)
TP – To those of us who lived through the 70’s (and 80’s and 90’s and 00’s) – or at least for me – the instant i heard the words “No Labels” I knew that the group was about undermining helping people who need help, just as “color blind” was about undermining equal opportunity for people of color. What was that about remembering history? As for bipartisanship – remember TC’s cartoon on Republican bipartisanship.
Universe – Oh, poor kitty!
I just love that cartoon about Republican bipartisanship! It is so, so true! And Drumpf’s ‘my way or the highway’ fits right in.
AN: WTG, Bernie. Go, DEMS!! in the House, get ‘er done! I feel energized already!!!
CNN: Hmmm…..interesting. Good video too, passing on. I like the notion of one on one conversations, imho.
TP: I’m glad that Ms. Pelosi is seeing through this. Cartoon says it all, thx, Joanne.
Cartoon: Aww……
I do hope that Tom is doing all right, and feeling better, sending comforting thoughts and hugs!! Thanks so much, Lynn for getting out the OT too. Appreciate you!
*This just in: “If you are okay with teargassing asylum seekers and children, I pity you and your heartless soul.” ~ Jordan L. ~
Might be a heartless soul. Might be a soulless heart. Might be a soulless, heartless shell.
Exactly, Joanne.
Devoid of any emotions, or empathy.
Bernie is definitely a national treasure!
Alternet: Bernie has some wonderful ideas, and the Dems might feel some pressure to move a bit more to the left, but do not hold your breath.
CNN: “We sure can tell that we are in the Trump era can’t we . . . unfortunately.” Yup! And Dumpy’s recent claims that Mueller, and his people, have gone into panic mode, etc., sounds just like what we’ve been reading about Dumpy!
TP: It seems like These guys are looking to buy them some congressional leverage, what a system!
“… Dumpy’s recent claims that Mueller, and his people, have gone into panic mode …” — That is all projection! Drumpf is the one in panic mode!
Alternet: Yes! Bernie rules! “[G]o beyond being simply anti-Trump,” that is exactly what Democrats need to do a.s.a.p. and frankly should have done two years ago. His proposed “unmistakably bold legislative agenda” is very much alike to what he campaigned on and with which he got so many people enthusiastic for (progressive) politics. In my opinion, the Democrats as a party have failed to make it their Democratic agenda; most progressives who have won their seats have done so on their own progressive agenda and merits. Unity in being anti-Trump is not enough, America now needs unity over (his) bold legislative agenda. So what if its bills won’t pas the Senate (yet)? By being bold and by seen working on it, the next step will be a Senate who will pass it in 2020.
CNN: So, if I understand it correctly, when Steve Bannon, Republican leaders and Faux News are sending out information, or by their true name: lies and propaganda, with the intend to mislead the public it is called “disinformation”, but when people believe the information they are passing along is true, it is called misinformation. The question then is: Does Drumpf spread Faux New’s disinformation as misinformation, or is he craftily spreading disinformation too? And shouldn’t Fox viewers be called pitifully disinformed instead of misinformed?
TP: First the No Labels super PAC supported Republicans in trouble and now they want to push Pelosi out? That leaves little doubt about their real intentions, despite calling themselves “centrist” donors. Follow the money, I’d say. It wouldn’t be a big surprise if it’s the same old right-wing corporatskis who are behind it, trying to divide and destabilize the country.
MU: Is that the cat or the dog speaking? ?
Thanks for a wonderful thread, Lynn.
I also hope we’ll soon hear how TomCat, and Wendy, is doing.
Definitely the cat! The dog is not smart enough to feel shame!
Not only is No Labels ‘centrist’, did you notice that there are 9 Dems now with that caucus? Must be DINOs!
AN: Bernie sure has some good ideas. Hope he can persuade others to go forward with them.CNN: Good video. Cartoon: CuteThanks Lynn
Thanks all.