Yesterday, I received an email from Robert Reich which is so packed with information – information which is in opposition to the tons of misinformation that is out there – that I fely I had to reproduce it in full – and before the next Erinyes. So short takes will have to wait a day.
Cartoon –
Congress is on recess this week, which offers me a chance to summarize where President Biden’s economic plan is at this point, make a few predictions, and clear up some bogus claims in the media. On Friday night, the House of Representatives passed the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill by a vote of 228-206. Thirteen Republicans voted for the plan and six Democrats voted against it. This is a big win for America. The infrastructure bill will provide close to $600 billion in new federal spending over the next decade for roads, rail, ports, water systems, bridges, dams, airports, and broadband. It puts $47 billion toward helping communities deal with the impacts of climate change. Progressives had wanted the infrastructure vote to coincide with a vote on Biden’s social and climate package (“Build Back Better”) -– which includes healthcare, childcare, paid leave, affordable housing, prescription drug reform, and climate initiatives. They feared that once the infrastructure bill was passed, conservative Democrats might have no interest in further legislation. For the last two months, progressives have acted as a bloc to withhold their votes from the infrastructure package to protect against this possibility. But on Friday, a small group of conservative Democrats — Representative Ed Case from Hawaii, Jared Golden from Maine, Stephanie Murphy from Florida, Kathleen Rice from New York, Kurt Schrader from Oregon, and Abigail Spanberger from Virginia — derailed that plan. The conservative Democrats demanded that before they vote on the social and climate package, the Congressional Budget Office estimate its costs. The estimate won’t be ready until next week. Progressives led by Washington representative Pramila Jayapal decided to accept a commitment from the conservative holdouts that they’ll vote for the social and climate package once they receive the cost estimates. All but one Democratic member of the House (Golden) has committed to voting for it — enough votes for passage. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has indicated that the social and climate package will come to the House floor after the Veterans Day recess. The media (not just Fox News but several mainstream reporters and commentators) are spinning several falsehoods about where things stand right now: 1. “Democrats are in disarray.” This has been a trope of CNN and the New York Times. To the contrary, Democrats have worked hard to come to a series of agreements that are likely to result in a considerable portion of Biden’s economic plan being enacted. (If you want to see a party in real disarray, look across the aisle at the Trumpers and the few courageous Never Trumpers.) 2. “It’s been an epic battle between progressive and moderate Democrats.” This has been repeated by the Times, Washington Post, and CNN. Wrong again. Democratic lawmakers aren’t nearly evenly split. Almost all support the social and climate bill. A small minority in the House (listed above) and in the Senate (essentially, Manchin and Sinema) are opposed. And it’s not at all an “epic battle.” There’s little bad blood between progressives and conservative Democrats. I know several on both sides, and they overwhelmingly like and respect each other (can’t say that for the Republicans). 3. “Progressive Democrats lost.” This is being blasted by Fox News and rightwing radio, but it’s also wrong. The negotiations have succeeded in bringing conservative Democrats to the table to hammer out the social and climate package — a major victory. Earlier in the fall, Senator Joe Manchin had called for a “strategic pause” until next year on the social and climate package. Now it’s on track to get done this year. 4. “The Democrat’s social and climate package is a vast overreach.” The New York Times editorial page is saying this, reflecting its increasing role as mouthpiece for corporate and Wall Street Democrats. It’s utter rubbish. Every measure in the package – paid leave, childcare, pre-K, Medicare dental and hearing benefits, lower prescription drug prices, and the climate initiatives — is hugely popular. Poll after poll shows them supported by 75% to 88% of Americans, even in the districts of conservative Democrats. A majority of Republican voters support them. Enacting them would put the United States on par with most other rich nations, which already provide them. 5. “In the end, conservative House Democrats won’t go along with the social and climate package.” That’s always a risk, but they’ve given their commitments. Speaker Nancy Pelosi knows how to enforce such commitments. 6. “What the House does is irrelevant because Manchin, Sinema, and other conservative Senate Democrats won’t vote for this anyway” That’s certainly possible, but conservative Senate Democrats are far more willing to compromise now than they were months ago (see #3 above). And as specific measures in the social and climate package become better understood by the public, the response is likely to continue to grow more favorable – which helps even with Democratic lawmakers who respond to big money. I don’t mean to paint too rosy a picture. I’m frustrated that so much of the original plan has been scuttled, and I continue to be concerned about the amount of corporate money flowing into the coffers of Democrats. (By paying off Kathleen Rice and Kurt Schrader, for example, Big Pharma has so far killed the measure allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices.) I also worry that even if the social and climate package is enacted, Democrats may lose the opportunity and political will to pass voting rights — which is even more important in the longer term. But there is good news, and we should be grateful. Food for Thought: |
6 Responses to “Open Thread for November 9, 2021”
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Cartoon: “During his time in power, Napoleon often posed for paintings with his hand in his vest, leading to some speculation after his death that he had been plagued by stomach pain (cancer) for years.” *history.com
Good to know that the trillion infrastructure bill passed. Yes, it’s a big win.
FFT: YAY! Great news out of GA. Boy, howdy!
TJI:
“If you ever make billions, be a superhero. Don’t become a supervillain.” ~ George Takei ~
2. “Green thumbs come from all over the world to attend the weeklong horticulture class at Great Dixter in southeast England, which is like getting a Ph.D. in gardening.” ~ Susan Chira, NYT ~
3. “The American people sent @POTUS to the White House and Democratic Majorities to Congress to deliver results that make their lives better. Last night, by sending an historic and bipartisan infrastructure package to the President’s desk, that is exactly what we have done.” ~ Nancy Pelosi ~
4.”Georgia Democrats FLIPPED 41 seats in 21 counties across Georgia on Tuesday. Has anyone heard the media mention this?” ~ Meidas Touch ~
5. “The Cat Union has not agreed to eat its dinner one hour later, and firmly rejects the end of daylight savings.” ~ Caroledwine ~
TJI #1 – Sadly, the characteristics of most people who succeed in making billions are not the characteristics whoch make a superhero. And don’t even get me started on the characteristics of most people who are born into billions.
TJI #2 – A Brit’s garden and a Brit’s dog, are two things you don’t ever want to disparage. They are, shall we say, invested in them.
TJI #3 & #4 – Good news should be savored. Wedon’t get nearly enough of it.
TJI #5 – Like the cats, I’d love to keep DST year round. But I’m not holding my breath.
Comment from Mitch –
‘Toon: Napoleon Blownapart!RR: I am disappointed to read of the NY Times’ position, I’d developed a more positive image of them, long ago, whether, an accurate one, or not, I’m no longer sure.
FFT: That’s nice to see.
Mitch
Cartoon: Isn’t there a little island in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico where you can send TFG? And do it right the first time; remember Napoleon escaped from the first island, Elba, to wreak havoc all over again and finally end up on St Helena.
Thanks for Robert Reich’s explanation of what really happened these past weeks.
FFT: Democrats really need to learn how to sell themselves. There is so much they can be rightly proud of and use as a media up, contrary to the GQP who has nothing to be proud of, yet manages to convince their base they have. The Republican propaganda machine is about the only thing that works for them.
I’d like to put him somewhere in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle. Although I’d settle for Gitmo.
Repulicans have the ear of the mainstream media to a degree which we don’t – and they have the ear of the explicitly right wing hedia all the time. I really think it’s not that we can’t speak for ourselves, but than no one is there to amplify the message. So we don’t get heard.
Appreciate you posting Robert Reich’s email clarifying all of the misinformation going around regarding the infrastructure bill that finally passed this past week. It’s despicable to see the lies these rotten R’s/GOP can get away with creating. I honestly thought that things were going to improve with tRumpy out of the W.H. Never thought these creeps would become tRump gang members who would carry his ugly acts of hate and violence on, instead of doing what they were voted into office to do and that was to serve the people.
Food for Thought: Nope. The Democrats need to continue fighting with all the powers to get their seats back. Otherwise we’re in deep sh*t.
Hope your day was pleasant.
Take care. Thanks Joanne