The Progressive Wing

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/02/09/republicans-came-within-90000-votes-controlling-all-washington/

Just a bit of a heads up to Biden and the democratic establishment.

Despite the popular vote victory there is this!

The 2020 election was bad for Republicans, full stop. For the first time since 1932, a president came into office with both chambers of Congress under his party’s control, and lost both of them and reelection. Democrats also have unified control of all three levers of power for the first time in a decade.
That said, post-election analysis often overstates just how dire the situation is for a political party. And that’s certainly the case for Republicans and 2020, as they confront their post-Trump reality.
The reality, though, is far from that. In fact, Republicans came, at most, 43,000 votes from winning each of the three levers of power. And that will surely temper any move toward drastic corrective action vis-a-vis former president Donald Trump.
The Democrats’ narrow retention of the House is surely one of the biggest surprises of 2020. In an election in which most analysts expected the Democrats to gain seats, they wound up losing 14, including virtually all of the “toss-ups.” While the GOP lost the presidential race and control of the Senate, we very nearly had a much different outcome.
While Democrat Joe Biden won the popular vote by more than four points and the electoral college 306 to 232, the result was much closer to flipping than that would suggest. Biden won the three decisive states — Arizona, Georgia and Wisconsin — by 0.6 percentage points or less, which was similar to Trump’s 2016 victory. If you flip fewer than 43,000 votes across those three states, the electoral college is tied 269 to 269. In that case, Trump would probably have won, given that the race would be decided by one vote for each House delegation, of which Republicans control more.
The closest of all, of course, was the Senate. Democrats won effective control of the chamber by getting to a 50-50 split and having Vice President Harris break the tie. But even fewer votes could have led to a different result.
While incumbent David Perdue (R-Ga.) lost the closest Senate race in a runoff last month with now-Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) by about 55,000 votes, he previously came very close to avoiding the runoff altogether. On Election Day, he took 49.7 percent of the vote — fewer than 14,000 votes from winning the race outright. That would have foreclosed any chance Democrats had at winning the Senate.
So, 43,000 votes for president, 32,000 votes for the House and 14,000 votes for the Senate. Shifts of 0.6 percent for president, 2.2 percent for the House, and 0.3 percent for the Senate.

Due to the Democrats abysmal showing in the House races Republicans are now in charge of many state redistricting opportunities. Good show DCCC
run by Pelosi’s choice of Cheri Bustos.

Keep in mind WAPO’s owner, Borg head Bezos. He is a control freak who has said he’s spending more time personally running/ further ruining the newspaper. 🤮💩

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/09/business/biden-coronavirus-aid-minimum-wage.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

So who does he run to? Not the voters that might gain!

WASHINGTON — President Biden on Tuesday pressed business leaders to back his $1.9 trillion economic aid package, but received no public declarations of support for a $15 minimum wage that is part of the legislation and that the president has said is vital to providing relief for struggling Americans.
Mr. Biden hosted a group including the top executives of Walmart, Gap Inc. and JPMorgan Chase in the Oval Office as part of his push to rally support for his American Rescue Plan, which the House Education and Labor Committee began debating on Tuesday.
But some of the attendees, including Doug McMillon of Walmart and the chief executive of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Tom Donohue, have said they oppose Mr. Biden’s proposal to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour from $7.25.
The president acknowledged some disagreements, telling reporters before the meeting that “we’re approaching this issue to see if we can find some common ground.” He expressed optimism that he and Democrats on Capitol Hill would succeed in winning broad-based support for the plan, citing his experience with persuading opponents on other issues.

https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/personal-finance/articles/stimulus-check-news-house-democrats-announce-the-specifics-of-their-relief-plan/

Then there is the minor issue of the shrinking $2000 checks.

Here’s what Democrats are planning for coronavirus relief as they put President Biden’s plan into action.
President Joe Biden announced the framework of a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill even before being sworn in. Democrats are now drafting legislation based on the president’s plans.
The House Committee on Ways and Means announced that it is considering nine specific legislation proposals, which will comprise half of the $1.9 trillion total relief package. Other House committees are drafting other pieces of the legislation. All of the separate legislative proposals will then be combined into one bill that will be voted on by the full U.S. House of Representatives.
Here are the specifics of what the House Committee on Ways and Means has outlined, including details on the $1,400 stimulus check that will go to most Americans.
Biden and other Democrats promised Americans they would fulfill former President Donald Trump’s failed proposal to provide $2,000 checks. And the House Committee on Ways and Means proposal includes direct payments aimed at doing just that.
The checks are for $1,400, rather than the full $2,000, because they combine with the $600 delivered by a relief bill passed at the end of last December. The $1,400 will be available for each adult and for each dependent. This includes both child and adult dependents, while prior coronavirus relief checks have been limited to just child dependents under 17.
The income threshold to be eligible for the full check amount is the same as it was under previous bills. Singles with incomes up to $75,000 and married couples with incomes up to $150,000 will receive the full check. However, eligibility phases out faster under this proposal than under past checks. Single tax filers will receive no payments once their income reaches $100,000 and married couples will see no payments once their income reaches $200,000.

I have no doubt that those in dire need will not notice the reduction.🤔🙄

charliehorse

If the stimulus checks turn out to be $1400 or less, the political ads write themselves in 2022. There are plenty of clips of Ossoff, Warnock, and Biden touting the $2K checks on day one.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/329423/americans-views-impeachment-trump-record-issues.aspx

While I am not a big fan of polling there is this.

I still think that it can be distorted by who you poll and the questions asked.🤔

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
52% favor their senators convicting Donald Trump; 45% do not
51% think the U.S. made progress on the economy with Trump in office
62% say the country lost ground on the federal debt while he was president

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Gallup is a RWing polling source. Any educated political junkie knows it, too.

yes. we remembered that during the primaries. no less true now. polls are ever more suspect now that propaganda is more blatant.

https://finance.yahoo.com/finance/news/china-urges-chipmakers-allocate-more-081705089.html

Not Biden’s fault unless he does not move to correct it.

It is true that the sanctions were imposed by Trump’s administration but the impact is showing up NOW.

People only reflect on the fact they are being laid off not who was the cause.

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s industry ministry said on Tuesday it met with automotive and chip companies and asked them to help ease a supply shortage which has forced many automakers across the world to halt production.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology urged companies to “place high importance on” and “increase production capacity allocation” for China’s auto market, the world’s biggest, according to a statement on its website.
It did not name which companies attended the meeting.
The ministry also asked the firms to improve logistics efficiency and supply chain coordination to support the industry’s development, according to the statement.
An acute shortage of chips since the end of last year, which in some cases has been exacerbated by the former U.S. administration’s sanctions on Chinese chip factories, has hit the automotive sector particularly hard.
Automakers from General Motors to Stellantis and Honda Motor are shutting assembly lines due to the shortages, while some firms have also furloughed staff.
Asian chipmakers are rushing to expand their production capacity to appease the global shortage, but firms warn it may take months to plug the supply gap as they struggle to keep up with strong demand.

bolding by me.

There is no reason why this country can’t restart its manufacturing. None except for a bunch of bought off politicos. 💩💩💩💩

crazy me. let’s open a few factories. oh we’d have to pay them more.

Aint Supposed to Die A Natural Death

We need worker owned factories.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-justice-assange/biden-administration-plans-to-continue-to-seek-extradition-of-wikileaks-assange-official-idUSKBN2A92T4

Probably mentioned yesterday but it is worth repeating.

This is a sure winner with progressives!🤦‍♀️🤦‍♂️😥

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden’s administration plans to continue to seek to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from the United Kingdom to the United States to face hacking conspiracy charges, the U.S. Justice Department said.
Justice Department spokesman Marc Raimondi on Tuesday said the U.S. government will continue to challenge a British judge’s ruling last month that Assange should not be extradited to the United States because of the risk he would commit suicide.
In a Jan. 4 ruling, the judge, Vanessa Baraitser, said, “I find that the mental condition of Mr. Assange is such that it would be oppressive to extradite him to the United States of America.”
The British judge set Friday as a deadline for the United States to appeal her ruling forbidding Assange’s extradition.

A bit of a refresher from the past!

Obama/Biden were awful with charging whistleblowers. charging with espionage. putting in solitary. just awful.

I join all defenders of freedom of the press in demanding that the Biden administration drop the unconstitutional indictment of Julian Assange and accept–not appeal–the decision of the British judge not to extradite him.https://t.co/NnkYUscStY
— Daniel Ellsberg (@DanielEllsberg) February 9, 2021

The United States has a long tradition of protecting war criminals and crucifying the journalists who told the world about their crimes.
By continuing to hunt down #Assange, Joe Biden is proving he's no different.
— Drop The MIC (@DROPTHEMIC2020) February 10, 2021

This is not heartwarming. This is a horrifying story of people having to sacrifice because political leaders have failed us all. https://t.co/lqKeoLxg3Q
— Lee J. Carter (@carterforva) February 9, 2021

Torabs

Exactly. Bankrupting the future because of society’s failures is a recurring theme in modern times, and it’s a horrifying indictment of how evil the system that creates such awful outcomes is.

My thoughts, too. A dog & pony show to distract. https://t.co/9NTnkNMxD5
— 🌹Ꭰąղց Ͳąղցօ🌹 (@WarriorLemming) February 9, 2021

REMINDER:
You can't change the establishment.
It will change you.
I speak from experience.
— Peter Daou (@peterdaou) February 10, 2021

👏👏

Just like the first one, If your an R you can commit a crime and suffer no consequence’s from the R party

Torabs

This has shades of the FTV issue all over again. There is merit in reminding people who the Republicans are. Especially with Lying Joe being so sure on the campaign trail that Republicans would change form with Trump out of office.

Having said all this I will be back later to respond to any comments.

Get plenty of beauty sleep. 😂😊😂

https://www.budget.senate.gov/omb-nomination-hearing-of-ms-neera-tanden-

T and R, humphrey aka Mr. Ornery/“cranky” !! 😂😂👍☮️😊 All kidding aside, have you been over to c99 lately? There have been concerned diaries posted expressing fear about their shutting down. I can’t see that happening cos they are bigger than our Nest with a lot more traffic ( I’m sure).

Benny

If anyone has the time and inclination, Neera Tanden’s hearing by the Budget Committee is at 10ET, and here’s the link:

Benny

Her opening statement is very weak. Bernie asked her to reflect on her attacks on social media, including him. She regrets comments to all, but did not specifically apologize to the Chairman. He also asked about her special interest monies received at CAP. Will those special interests affect her decision making at OMB? She says no, but very faint no. Then he gets her on the record of supporting some of the progressive agenda that Biden embraced in the Dem platform.

Benny

Tanden is also slightly admonished by Stebenow about her “mean tweets” but alluded to mean tweets by GOPers. Toomey also jabs her about her social media comments, especially about the 2016 election.

Torabs

Bernie should have gone harder.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/10/us/politics/republicans-leaving-party.html

This is why the Dem’s need to tie Republicans to the insurrection at the impeachment trial. They are never going to convict. Even though it might help them in a Republican primary, make those Trump lackeys pay a political price in the general election.

Voting registration data indicates a stronger-than-usual flight from the G.O.P. since the Capitol riot, with an intensely fluid period in American politics now underway.

In the days after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, the phone lines and websites of local election officials across the country were jumping: Tens of thousands of Republicans were calling or logging on to switch their party affiliations.
In California, more than 33,000 registered Republicans left the party during the three weeks after the Washington riot. In Pennsylvania, more than 12,000 voters left the G.O.P. in the past month, and more than 10,000 Republicans changed their registration in Arizona.
An analysis of January voting records by The New York Times found that nearly 140,000 Republicans had quit the party in 25 states that had readily available data (19 states do not have registration by party). Voting experts said the data indicated a stronger-than-usual flight from a political party after a presidential election, as well as the potential start of a damaging period for G.O.P. registrations as voters recoil from the Capitol violence and its fallout.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/329561/gop-image-slides-giving-democrats-strong-advantage.aspx?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_content=morelink&utm_campaign=syndication

Americans’ opinions of the Republican Party have worsened in recent months, with 37% now saying they have a favorable view of the party, down from 43% in November. This decline, along with a slight increase in the Democratic Party’s positive ratings, to 48%, gives the Democrats a rare double-digit advantage in favorability.
The Jan. 21-Feb. 2 poll was conducted in the weeks after the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol by people seeking to disrupt the counting of the 2020 presidential election electoral votes. Former president Donald Trump is on trial this week in the U.S. Senate after the House of Representatives filed impeachment charges against him for his actions leading up to those riots. Most Republicans in the House voted against impeaching Trump, and most Republican senators objected to the trial proceeding in a Jan. 26 vote on the constitutionality of convicting a former president of impeachment charges.
Since November, the GOP’s image has suffered the most among Republican Party identifiers, from 90% favorable to 78%. Independents’ and Democrats’ opinions are essentially unchanged.

With the exception of a few congress people my image of both parties is very low

dems are really where a lot of them are anyway, so it should be easy.

Its around 300k nationwide from the estimates i’ve seen, but once the next election rolls around they still will vote the R. I have no doubts about it.

https://www.salon.com/2021/02/10/impeachment-trial-2-day-1-now-the-republicans-are-the-party-of-terrorism/

Senate Republicans have already signaled that they will not vote to convict Donald Trump for his crimes against the country. It is highly unlikely that there any amount of evidence could convince them otherwise.
Why? At this point, they have pledged their allegiance to Donald Trump. The Republican Party is now his. Trump’s voters view him as a demigod and shadow president who was “betrayed” by the deep state and other forces who unjustly stole the 2020 election from him (and them).
Trumpism, like today’s version of conservatism more generally, is a type of religious politics. As such, the Trumpists will punish any Republican officials who dare to criticize Trump in any way. Most importantly, the Republicans in Congress overwhelmingly agree with Donald Trump’s neofascist, anti-democratic politics. Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley appeared to cheer on the Capitol attackers. Some Republicans may even have assisted Trump’s mob in their assault on Congress by providing information on the layout of the Capitol complex and the locations of Mike Pence, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other congresspeople who were in danger of kidnapping, assault and likely execution.
Trump may no longer be president but his hold over the Republican Party and its voters remains largely intact.
In voting to acquit Donald Trump for encouraging political violence and insurrection, with the evident goal of nullifying the 2020 presidential election and overthrowing democracy, Republicans in Congress are formally announcing their endorsement of right-wing terrorism as a legitimate means of gaining and securing political power.

The Democrats and President Biden must understand that “unity” and “compromise” and attempts at bipartisanship with today’s Republican Party are to be avoided. Any such efforts do the work of betraying democracy, the common good, the rule of law and the Constitution.
Democrats have the presidency and control both chambers of Congress — but only by tenuous margins. They have a public mandate for their agenda, and Biden’s efforts so far have been embraced by a large majority of Americans. After the horrors of the Age of Trump, the Democrats must use their power for the common good. More important still, they must accept that today’s Republicans view politics as a life-and-death struggle where winning is everything, not a give-and-take governed by shared values.
:
As they will show by acquitting Donald Trump and continuing their full-on embrace of American fascism and white supremacy, today’s Republican Party considers the Democrats and their voters as existential enemies. It is long past time for the Democrats to respond in kind.

They never show the craziest part of the coup footage.
Right after the attempted murder on a cop with an American flag, after they form a lynch mob & try to overthrow the govt, there’s a part that shows how white privilege works:
It’s the part when they just blithely walk home.
— Michael Harriot (@michaelharriot) February 9, 2021

Even if Trump dodges a Senate conviction, top New York prosecutors will be waiting for him.@thisisinsider dug through clips and court records to find the lawyers taking on Trump https://t.co/ghChGekQzL
— Kayla Epstein 📰 (@KaylaEpstein) February 8, 2021

That’s when the real fun starts, not the dog and pony show that going on now and wasting money. Get your popcorn ready for these trials

don’t forget: since most GOP senators either actively fostered or quietly acquiesced in Trump’s lies about the election, a vote to acquit him is also a vote to acquit themselves
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) February 10, 2021

By @matthewjdowd: Trumpian conspiracy theories come from unresolved issues of the Civil War https://t.co/2hWpSgaTq6 via @usatoday @usatodayopinion
— Jill Lawrence (@JillDLawrence) February 9, 2021

and that’s why we need to find a way to resolve this and firmly let them know they lost the war, the war is over. time to respect us all.

another thing i was listening to a biologist the other day, not sure what specialty, and they said that there truly is not such thing as race–it’s a political construct. biologically speaking. in a way, it’s obvious, if not for the constant hating what is perceived as the other.

Perhaps the biggest change is how the idea of a monthly child allowance treats children: not just as a private responsibility but as a societal good deserving public support. https://t.co/AjKFONKE40
— The Upshot (@UpshotNYT) February 10, 2021

https://morningconsult.com/2021/02/10/covid-19-stimulus-checks-income-threshold-polling/

Support for keeping the threshold at $75,000 or making it higher is at 59%. Support for lowering the threshold is at 28%. Support for lowering the threshold is actually highest among those with the lowest incomes, while support for raising the threshold is highest among those with the highest incomes, which shows that there is some self interest at work.

yeah, it’s kinda sad, but typical of our culture. some people are entirely rethinking history’s and biology’s lessons and positing that humans are actually more disposed to cooperation than we’ve had drilled into us for eons.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/09/dakota-access-pipeline-biden-harris-letter-celebrities-indigenous-leaders

A coalition of prominent celebrities, indigenous leaders and environmental groups have written to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris urging them to shut down the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL) which is operating without a legal permit.
Actors, musicians and athletes including Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr, Don Cheadle, Cher, Cyndi Lauper, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Aaron Rodgers, Jane Fonda, Joaquin Phoenix and Orlando Bloom are calling on the White House to close down the oil pipeline which poses serious environmental risks to tribal lands, water and wildlife, as well as indigenous cultural and religious practices.
The president also faces pressure from a group of Lakota Native American youth who are today taking part in a 93-mile relay run across the Standing Rock Sioux Nation to the Cannonball River, the site of the #NoDAPL resistance camps in 2016.
The actions follow a wave of environmental justice and climate action policies announced by Biden since taking office which include cancelling the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline, rejoining the Paris agreement and halting construction of the southern border wall.
The letter, which is also signed by the Sunrise Movement, Indigenous Environmental Network, 350.org, Zero Hour and the Sierra Club, urges Biden and Harris to remedy what they refer to as a historic injustice.
“As your administration takes action to address the climate crisis and strengthen relationships with Indigenous communities, we respectfully urge you to reverse another harmful Trump administration decision and immediately shut down the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL) during its court-ordered environmental review,” the letter states.