Category Archives: Politics
The New National Pastime is Politics
Georgia’s legislature passed a law President Biden didn’t like and major league baseball agreed. Now the new national pastime is politics.
Joe Biden called Georgia’s new voter legislation a sick “Jim Crow” law. Worse even than Jim Crow. “It’s Jim Eagle!” Baseball Commissioner Bob Manfred jumped on board and moved the All Star game out of Atlanta.
Biden Unlikes Filibuster Relic of Jim Crow Era
President Biden has unliked the filibuster. He now thinks it’s a relic of the Jim Crow past.
However, he used to think the filibuster was a relic of “fair play.” He said so in a speech on the Senate floor in 2005. Senator Ben Sasse read Biden’s speech aloud on Wednesday night. But if you’d like to hear it from the crow’s mouth here’s Senator Biden himself.
By the way, Jim Crow is “Jim Eagle” compared to the Georgia voting law passed last week.
Scorched Earth Response to Filibuster Nuclear Option
Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell gave a “scorched earth” speech last week. Democrats have been threatening to end the filibuster which requires 60 votes to pass legislation. But McConnell said if they do that they’ll turn the Senate into a “100 car pile-up.” And nothing will get done:
Let me say this very clearly for all 99 of my colleagues: Nobody serving in this chamber can even begin — can even begin to imagine — what a completely scorched earth Senate would look like.
Mitch McConnell on the U.S. Senate floor
Senate rules require the consent of all its members to conduct business. So Republicans could easily grind the place to a halt. For example they could withhold consent to minor votes without quorum calls.
Harry Reid invoked the “nuclear option” in 2013 to kill the filibuster for approving most presidential appointments. But when the worm turned McConnell added Supreme Court nominees to Reid’s list and Trump landed three new justices.
More than Covid Relief in Covid Relief Bill
The $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill was about more than Covid relief. $350 billion went to state governments and another $129 billion to schools. Here’s a breakdown from the Tax Foundation.
Bad Look for Cuomo, Hands Down
It’s a bad look for Andrew Cuomo, hands down. At least six women have accused the governor of harassment. Debra Katz an attorney for one of the women says Cuomo liked to brag about the size of his hands. Conversely, Donald Trump’s tormenters, including not a few cartoonists, delighted in mocking his allegedly tiny hands. The larger point, however, is that Cuomo insisted in 2018, during the Brett Kavanaugh hysteria, that women must be believed. Now, on the other hand, he urges that we not rush to judgement.
