The Presidency of the Joes: more like INFRASTRUCTURE WEAK

[Bigoldnit]

How much, if at all, would the ability to get justices and cabinet appointees confirmed factor into your analysis?

[VoteForSocialists]

is there a dumber nyt opinion guy than brett fucking stephens?

@RiskyFlush

Gail: Now it’s your turn. Pretend you’re the senator from Ohio, Rob Portman, who’s part of the negotiating. What will you offer me back?

Bret: Well, considering that he won’t be running for re-election next year, I guess the answer is another G.O.P. Senate seat that’s up for grabs. But, in terms of some grand bargains, if I were Portman I’d urge my Republican colleagues to support comprehensive immigration reform in exchange for a Biden promise to complete the border wall. No compromise is perfect and there’s a lot I don’t like about a wall, but this one makes moral, political and economic sense for both sides.

[Riverman]

Great job NYT employing a guy who emailed a random twitter commenter’s boss to try to get him fired.

[grue]

lmao imagine spending one millisecond on the fantasy that Biden will “complete” (1500+ miles?) Donald Trump’s border wall. All of my wats.

[NotBruceZ]

I would trade a promise to complete the border wall in exchange for passage of an immigration reform bill written solely by Democrats, carte blanche on a COVID/stimulus bill, and a return of the stolen Supreme Court seat. I should probably ask for more.

[StimAbuser]

Agreed.

Then knock it down and tell them to eat a dick

[NotBruceZ]

Don’t want to risk making Matt Gaetz happy.

[iron81]

Nobody is going to care how big the checks were 2 years from now. The Rs aren’t going to rip the Ds for checks that are too small, if anything they’ll run on checks that are too big to the wrong people.

[ChrisV]

@VoteForSocialists

is there a dumber nyt opinion guy than brett fucking stephens?

I was going to suggest Bari Weiss but I remembered that she quit because of her colleagues being mean to her about how dumb she was.

Edit: I think Stephens is dumber tbh, I just wanted to play devil’s advocate.

[TrueNorth32]

Chris Hayes does lurk here:

Chris Hayes Begs Senate Dems Not to Means Test Covid Aid

[eyebooger]

@anon3530961

I fail to see why that matters. If he isn’t helping to pass shit that Dems need to get through to not get swept in 2022, then who he caucuses with seems irrelevant because he is helping the Republican party either way. It might even be to the benefit of the Dems in 2022 if he caucuses with the GOP because at least then it doesn’t look like the Dems failed miserably with a majority, they can put the spotlight of blame on him.

I get the frustration, but no.

I would prefer that the selected replacement for born in the 1930s Stephen Breyer actually come up for a vote.

[Riverman]

Seeing Tim Kaine of all people chuckle heartily, like Chris Hayes is some kind of overly idealistic high school student or something, makes me want to scream.

These people just don’t get it.

This isn’t a political science experiment assholes, you either decisively win elections or we become Russia. Means testing these checks is the surest possible way to lose.

[clovis8]

Every other county is giving their citizens monthly cheques and the US is squabbling over means testing a one time payment of $1,400 over a year long pandemic.

Just so insane.

You all have zero chance of ever having m4a.

[catfacemeowmers]

No means testing for PPP “loans” that are actually just checks that we cut to businesses (or, like, anyone who pretended to have a business and applied for one in May) though. Not one of these fucking ghouls can even respond to the fundamental question of “these checks are relief for people who were impacted by a disaster that occurred in 2020 - why are we using 2019’s income to determine eligibility?”

How many hours did we spend arguing over the obvious fact that Biden did not actually intend to do any of the already laughably insufficient things he proposed? It’s all going to get at least 25% worse. I will be genuinely shocked if he tries to pass the public option in his first term. We’re going to get a bullshit package of tweaks to the ACA. It’s always what we were getting.

[CaffeineNeeded]

I need a limit on “if we don’t do this it’s the end of democracy” posts. It may be true, but I think I max out at one per week. Sorry, I got the super bowl and life to worry about. Thank you in advance

[iron81]

There was means testing for the PPP loans.

With the way the Senate is, consider yourself lucky if we get bullshit tweaks to the ACA.

Edit: Not counting undoing Trump sabotage.

[mosdef]

@Riverman

This isn’t a political science experiment assholes, you either decisively win elections or we become Russia.

Please do so Canada can resume beating you at hockey.

[mosdef]

@iron81

consider yourself lucky

Ah, the sweet song of the Establishment!

[catfacemeowmers]

@iron81

There was means testing for the PPP loans.

Where?

[iron81]

The word “small”.