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Congress CXV: Absurdly long special election edition

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    MahnmutMahnmut Registered User regular
    DarkPrimus wrote: »
    Imposing taxes on imports? Doesn't sound like a proponent of the free market to me.

    To be fair, this is one of the main schisms in the Republican Party: the base never cared about free-market conservative orthodoxy, and now they don't have to put up with it in order to punish their social-justice opponents.

    Steam/LoL: Jericho89
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    ElkiElki get busy Moderator, ClubPA mod
    I will enjoy the inevitable implosion of the Ryan speakership, whenever it happens, more than any other Washington event. That he was not permanently marked as a fraud years ago is a collective shame.

    smCQ5WE.jpg
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    DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    There will definitely be some Schadenfreude but I can't imagine what we get next.

    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
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    BlackDragon480BlackDragon480 Bluster Kerfuffle Master of Windy ImportRegistered User regular
    Mahnmut wrote: »
    DarkPrimus wrote: »
    Imposing taxes on imports? Doesn't sound like a proponent of the free market to me.

    To be fair, this is one of the main schisms in the Republican Party: the base never cared about free-market conservative orthodoxy, and now they don't have to put up with it in order to punish their social-justice opponents.

    They do adhere closely to a certain Adam Smith viewpoint though, just not from Wealth of Nations, but rather the Theory of Moral Sentiments:
    A true party-man hates and despises candour...

    And Trump seems to follow this one:
    Men of no more than ordinary discernment never rate any person higher than he appears to rate himself.

    No matter where you go...there you are.
    ~ Buckaroo Banzai
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    schussschuss Registered User regular
    Elki wrote: »
    I will enjoy the inevitable implosion of the Ryan speakership, whenever it happens, more than any other Washington event. That he was not permanently marked as a fraud years ago is a collective shame.

    I mean, his drubbing by Biden basically torpedoed his Pres chances, otherwise he would have been part of the clown car this past year.

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    monikermoniker Registered User regular
    Elki wrote: »
    I will enjoy the inevitable implosion of the Ryan speakership, whenever it happens, more than any other Washington event. That he was not permanently marked as a fraud years ago is a collective shame.

    Honestly, I need to read more contemporaneous accounts of past periods in the Congress because it seems like we are in a period of uniquely horrible leadership but that could just be recency bias. I mean, I know there have always been stupid back benchers, but they're back benchers so who cares? But leadership? It always seemed that they, you know, cared about good governance. It might line their own pocket along the way, but the math added up.

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    Mr KhanMr Khan Not Everyone WAHHHRegistered User regular
    We've had plenty of shit leaders before. The bar right now isn't Ryan, it's Dennis "paid hush money to kids i molested while i was a coach" Hastert.

    Who is suing one of the people he paid hush money to, to get that money back, by the way.

    Although like you said, contamporaneous accounts of how effective Hastert actually was would be more comparable.

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    JoeUserJoeUser Forum Santa Registered User regular
    Some Republican Congressmen are actually having town halls. Here is Chuck Grassley getting yelled at in Iowa.

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    AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    Our local rep, Darrin LaHood, is refusing town halls. He's going to "several small private functions" instead, and says he's met with constituents a ton. Again, in small, private spaces.

    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
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    DoodmannDoodmann Registered User regular
    Athenor wrote: »
    Our local rep, Darrin LaHood, is refusing town halls. He's going to "several small private functions" instead, and says he's met with constituents a ton. Again, in small, private safe spaces.

    Whippy wrote: »
    nope nope nope nope abort abort talk about anime
    I like to ART
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    TryCatcherTryCatcher Registered User regular
    So far, the only actually winnable fight for Dems is the ACA, so dunno why they aren't 100% laser-focused on it.

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    LabelLabel Registered User regular
    TryCatcher wrote: »
    So far, the only actually winnable fight for Dems is the ACA, so dunno why they aren't 100% laser-focused on it.

    Because everything ever is on fire? And then there's the treason.

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    JoeUserJoeUser Forum Santa Registered User regular
    Grassley is having another town hall right now, and Dave Weigel of WaPo is there. These folks are mad.



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    HakkekageHakkekage Space Whore Academy summa cum laudeRegistered User regular
    3DS: 2165 - 6538 - 3417
    NNID: Hakkekage
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    DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
    Hakkekage wrote: »

    Grassley's definition of courage is refusing to do your job not because it's the right thing to do, but because you think you can get away with it.

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    nexuscrawlernexuscrawler Registered User regular
    Is the GOP really at a point of dysfunction they can control the House, Senate and WH and not be able to pass a damn thing?

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    DoodmannDoodmann Registered User regular
    Is the GOP really at a point of dysfunction they can control the House, Senate and WH and not be able to pass a damn thing?

    The dog caught the car.

    Whippy wrote: »
    nope nope nope nope abort abort talk about anime
    I like to ART
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    So It GoesSo It Goes We keep moving...Registered User regular
    Is the GOP really at a point of dysfunction they can control the House, Senate and WH and not be able to pass a damn thing?

    If they pass something they'll maybe be accountable. Nobody wants that.

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    SpoitSpoit *twitch twitch* Registered User regular
    Is the GOP really at a point of dysfunction they can control the House, Senate and WH and not be able to pass a damn thing?

    Do you want them passing things?

    steam_sig.png
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    joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    So It Goes wrote: »
    Is the GOP really at a point of dysfunction they can control the House, Senate and WH and not be able to pass a damn thing?

    If they pass something they'll maybe be accountable. Nobody wants that.

    Add to that that there is a non-trivial number of Republicans for whom doing nothing is exactly what they want, and it's no wonder our legislative system has been frozen regardless of who sits in the big chair.

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    PriestPriest Registered User regular
    Their mantra has been "obstruct and destroy" for so long they forgot how to craft laws that actually create things. Hell, the executive branch gave it their best shot and it was overturned in 72 hours.

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    ShortyShorty touching the meat Intergalactic Cool CourtRegistered User regular
    So It Goes wrote: »
    Is the GOP really at a point of dysfunction they can control the House, Senate and WH and not be able to pass a damn thing?

    If they pass something they'll maybe be accountable. Nobody wants that.

    yeah

    they've been winding up their base on bad policy for years, but they know that implementing it would be a disaster at such a scale that the base might actually notice and think they're responsible (and the donor class definitely would and they arguably still matter more anyway), so now they're trying to find a way to avoid responsibility for not getting anything done

    and the crazy thing is that a lot of them don't even realize this, like that guy who said something to the effect of "if we don't repeal Obamacare, or if we do and just replace it with a watered-down version of itself, then what were we doing all this time? just playing politics?"

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    DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    So It Goes wrote: »
    Is the GOP really at a point of dysfunction they can control the House, Senate and WH and not be able to pass a damn thing?

    If they pass something they'll maybe be accountable. Nobody wants that.

    They seem pretty content to let that month deadline from the insurers wrt the ACA markets go whizzing by.

    I have zero doubt it is so they can claim that Obamacare was such a failure that the insurers all withdrew voluntarily.

    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
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    JoeUserJoeUser Forum Santa Registered User regular
    I'll give Grassley credit for at least having town halls, though that should be faint praise.

    He's having 8 this week, so I wonder if he'll be paying attention.

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    Mr KhanMr Khan Not Everyone WAHHHRegistered User regular
    Spoit wrote: »
    Is the GOP really at a point of dysfunction they can control the House, Senate and WH and not be able to pass a damn thing?

    Do you want them passing things?

    Accountability is how to force them from power, because otherwise they can keep distracting their base with dog whistles and demonizing the liberals who keep blocking them. For the Democrats to win is almost out of their hands at this point and all down to how far the GOP is willing to go.

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    joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    Democrats: still candy-ass, weak-kneed sissies

    Yeah, all that talk about impeaching Obama sure has been hurting the Republicans, we better do everything we can to be sure we don't ignite some real grassroots excitement at our elected officials taking the battle to its popularly-desired conclusion!

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    enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    That article is empty of actual content, it's just trolling you.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
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    JoeUserJoeUser Forum Santa Registered User regular
    And Joni Ernst, also of Iowa, is having town hall problems all her own.

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    SpoitSpoit *twitch twitch* Registered User regular
    That article is empty of actual content, it's just trolling you.

    So...it's written by politico?

    steam_sig.png
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    tbloxhamtbloxham Registered User regular
    Spoit wrote: »
    That article is empty of actual content, it's just trolling you.

    So...it's written by politico?

    Yeah, and what little content there is makes sense. Rallying at impeachment now would just make certain that the republicans would deny the efforts you need to produce the evidence.

    "That is cool" - Abraham Lincoln
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    QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    Mr. Trump weighs in on the town hall events



    To which all I can think is, yeah, they probably are planned to some degree. That's how protests work.

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    Beef AvengerBeef Avenger Registered User regular
    Liberal activism planned by liberal activists? Now that's just absurd

    Steam ID
    PSN: Robo_Wizard1
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    Knight_Knight_ Dead Dead Dead Registered User regular
    edited February 2017
    Little known fact, all GOP districts are actually 100% republican and every single person in them hates the ACA. Nice of Trump to point that out for everyone.

    (If this were actually true we'd be winning a lot more elections)

    I just don't think he knows how the government is supposed to work, like, for serious. This is why he also gets angry when the legal system shoots him down or he doesn't just get to do what he wants. He actually doesn't know.

    Knight_ on
    aeNqQM9.jpg
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    tbloxhamtbloxham Registered User regular
    I heard that this weekend, Donald trump, attended a rally which was in fact planned by trump supporters and trump himself!

    "That is cool" - Abraham Lincoln
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    ProhassProhass Registered User regular
    liberals seeing other liberals protesting and making noise in republican districts will also hopefully produce more democrat support in the areas, as people realise they arent alone and actually turn out to vote. Thats my hope anyway. Not enough to turn the districts but at least make republican hegemony feel less assured. And on a smaller level it will show republicans that democrats are their neighbors, people who live in areas they live too, and not tentacle monsters from the abyss sent to destroy them.

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    monikermoniker Registered User regular
    tbloxham wrote: »
    I heard that this weekend, Donald trump, attended a rally which was in fact planned by trump supporters and trump himself!

    No, people just spontaneously spend time at aircraft hangars with bunting.

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    Commander ZoomCommander Zoom Registered User regular
    edited February 2017
    and the same small group of people follow him around to all of his speeches and clap for him on cue because they just like him so much.
    not because they're paid staff, heavens no.

    On topic: Good to see that some people with decision-making power are not completely sequestered from reality and/or the disapproval of those they represent, however much they may wish to be.

    Commander Zoom on
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    Mr KhanMr Khan Not Everyone WAHHHRegistered User regular
    Prohass wrote: »
    liberals seeing other liberals protesting and making noise in republican districts will also hopefully produce more democrat support in the areas, as people realise they arent alone and actually turn out to vote. Thats my hope anyway. Not enough to turn the districts but at least make republican hegemony feel less assured. And on a smaller level it will show republicans that democrats are their neighbors, people who live in areas they live too, and not tentacle monsters from the abyss sent to destroy them.

    The current GOP strategy depends on that, it's like an occupying army spreading itself over a whole lot of territory. If they encounter something unexpected, they don't have the strength to hold on.

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    ElJeffeElJeffe Moderator, ClubPA mod
    Is the GOP really at a point of dysfunction they can control the House, Senate and WH and not be able to pass a damn thing?

    It actually doesn't look like they're much different than any other congress, going by recent history.

    https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/actually-trumps-congress-isnt-off-to-a-slower-start-than-normal/

    I submitted an entry to Lego Ideas, and if 10,000 people support me, it'll be turned into an actual Lego set!If you'd like to see and support my submission, follow this link.
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    shrykeshryke Member of the Beast Registered User regular
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    Is the GOP really at a point of dysfunction they can control the House, Senate and WH and not be able to pass a damn thing?

    It actually doesn't look like they're much different than any other congress, going by recent history.

    https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/actually-trumps-congress-isnt-off-to-a-slower-start-than-normal/

    I think we all need to remember that it's only been like a month. It feels like it's been forever but it really hasn't been that long.

This discussion has been closed.