Kerry Eleveld

Kerry Eleveld https://www.dailykos.com/user/Kerry Eleveld/rss/index.xml News Community Action Copyright 2005 - Steal what you want Tue, 28 Sep 2021 04:35:25 +0000 Tue, 28 Sep 2021 04:35:25 +0000 Daily Kos rss@dailykos.com (Daily Kos) Daily Kos rss@dailykos.com (Daily Kos) Senate Republicans, who ballooned the national debt under Trump, block Democratic bill to pay for it https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/27/2054786/-Senate-Republicans-who-ballooned-the-national-debt-under-Trump-block-Democratic-bill-to-pay-for-it Last week, Senate Minority Leader <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/22/2053806/-Political-terrorist-Mitch-McConnell-is-trying-to-blow-up-the-global-economy" target="_blank" title="">Mitch McConnell promised his caucus</a> would engage in political terrorism on raising the debt ceiling, and on Monday Senate Republicans delivered.  On a party-line vote, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/09/27/senate-debt-ceiling-government-shutdown/" target="_blank">Senate Republicans blocked</a> a Democratic bill to avert a government shutdown, provide new disaster relief funding, and raise the debt ceiling to allow the federal government to pay its bills. The federal government is funded through midnight Thursday, and the nation will default on its debt sometime in October unless the ceiling is either lifted or suspended.  rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) ChuckSchumer DebtCeiling debtlimit governmentfunding MitchMcConnell Recommended SenateRepublicans _2054786 Tue, 28 Sep 2021 00:53:13 +0000 Sinema's unforced errors have cost her big-time with Arizona Democrats https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/27/2054753/-Sinema-s-unforced-errors-have-cost-her-big-time-with-Arizona-Democrats Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona has committed two political sins this year that have decimated her standing with Arizona's Democratic voters. One—a vote against including a $15 minimum-wage hike in Democrats' pandemic relief package—left the indelible image of Sinema <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/03/06/sinema-thumbs-down/" target="_blank" title="">flashing her thumbs down</a> on the Senate floor, punctuated by a sickly ironic curtsy as she denied several million Americans the chance to <a href="https://www.epi.org/publication/raising-the-federal-minimum-wage-to-15-by-2025-would-lift-the-pay-of-32-million-workers/" target="_blank" title="">lift themselves out of poverty</a>. Sinema was <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/05/democrats-15-minimum-wage-hike-473875" target="_blank" title="">one of eight senators</a> who caucus with Democrats to vote against inclusion of the minimum wage increase the pandemic bill. In <a href="https://civiqs.com/results/favorable_kyrsten_sinema?uncertainty=true&annotations=true&zoomIn=true&party=Democrat" target="_blank" title="">the Civiqs tracking poll</a>, Sinema started out the minimum wage battle earlier this year with a 60-plus favorability among Arizona Democrats until around mid-February, when she <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/12/kyrsten-sinema-democrats-468768" target="_blank" title="">began making known her intention</a> to vote against its inclusion in the American Rescue Plan. By the time the Arizona senator came out the other side of that vote, her favorables among the state’s Democratic voters had been cut nearly in half to about 33%. rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) Arizona BuildBackBetter Infrastructure jobsbills JoeBiden KyrstenSinema PrescriptionDrugPricing Recommended _2054753 Mon, 27 Sep 2021 22:00:44 +0000 Mitch McConnell's hijacking of the Supreme Court is backfiring bigly https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/27/2054679/-Supreme-court-suffers-supreme-loss-of-confidence-among-the-American-public On second thought, maybe it wasn't the best idea <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/1/2049561/-Supreme-Court-effectively-overturns-Roe-allows-Texas-abortion-ban-to-take-effect" target="_blank">to overturn a 50-year-old</a> Supreme Court precedent on abortion <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/1/2049774/-Supreme-Court-refuses-to-block-Texas-six-week-abortion-ban-from-taking-effect" target="_blank">in the dead of night via an unsigned opinion</a>. After a <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/22/2053741/-Mitch-McConnell-packed-the-Supreme-Court-with-right-wingers-The-American-public-no-longer-trusts-it" target="_blank">fourth poll in the span of a couple weeks</a> found the Supreme Court's job approval plummeting, it's becoming crystal clear that the nation's high court is suffering from a supreme loss of confidence among the American people. Gallup, which has been tracking the court’s approval rating since 2000, <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/354908/approval-supreme-court-down-new-low.aspx" target="_blank">found public approval</a> of the Supreme Court took a precipitous tumble from 58% approval in 2020 to a 20-year low of 40% now. rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) MitchMcConnell Recommended SCOTUS SupremeCourt _2054679 Mon, 27 Sep 2021 15:39:08 +0000 Mob rule is overtaking America, driven by the collapse of the Republican Party https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/25/2054358/-Mob-rule-is-overtaking-America-driven-by-the-collapse-of-the-Republican-Party In a profoundly detached fit of magical thinking, GOP leader Mitch McConnell told journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa that the Trump era was on the wane. In their recently released book Peril, McConnell is quoted as saying there was "a clear trend moving" away from Trump and he was "a fading brand." McConnell, who is hailed by many Beltway journalists as a master strategist, had obviously created his own alternative reality because he prefers it to the one in which Trumpism is crushing his fanciful delusions about the present state of the Republican Party—and his place in it.  rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) CyberWarfareFooting DonaldTrump GOP MitchMcConnell mobrule RepublicanParty vigilantejustice _2054358 Sat, 25 Sep 2021 18:00:14 +0000 Biden tells Trump to pound sand on his executive privilege claim in Jan. 6 probe https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/24/2054260/-Biden-tells-Trump-to-pound-sand-on-his-executive-privilege-claim-in-Jan-6-probe The days of the federal government blindly providing Donald Trump with blanket immunity for his crimes against the republic are over. The House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection has reportedly made <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/january-6-committee-trump/2021/08/25/cd356794-059a-11ec-a654-900a78538242_story.html" target="_blank">extensive records requests</a> from federal agencies pertinent to its probe. This week the <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/24/2054142/-House-Select-Committee-on-Jan-6-issues-first-subpoenas-and-goes-straight-to-Trump-s-inner-circle" target="_blank">panel also issued subpoenas</a> to four members of Trump's inner circle, prompting Trump to issue a statement  saying he planned to claim "<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-executive-privilege-subpoenas/2021/09/23/1c163312-1ba7-11ec-8380-5fbadbc43ef8_story.html" target="_blank">executive privilege</a>" in order to thwart information requests from the committee. But whatever Trump plans to do personally, he won't be getting help from the man currently sitting in the Oval Office. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday that President Joe Biden would not invoke executive privilege to shield his predecessor's records from being released to the committee.  rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) DonaldTrump ExecutivePrivilege Jan.6 JoeBiden _2054260 Fri, 24 Sep 2021 20:49:22 +0000 On heels of Arizona embarrassment, Texas announces 'full forensic audit' of 2020 https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/24/2054210/-Texas-Republicans-jump-on-Trump-s-fraudit-demands-right-as-Arizona-GOP-makes-a-mockery-of-itself The timing couldn't have been better. Late Thursday, almost simultaneously, bombshell news broke that Arizona's GOP fraudit had confirmed Joe Biden's 2020 win while Texas officials announced they would launch their own "full forensic" fraudit. Honestly, it's hard to imagine how the Texas fraudit could look any more cheap, tainted, and dumb. Donald Trump won Texas in 2020 by more than five points, so whatever the audit might find, there's basically no pot to stir in terms of national results. The state has found no serious evidence of irregularities despite offering <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/Texas-Lt-Gov-Dan-Patrick-offers-1-million-15716973.php" target="_blank">$1 million rewards</a> to anyone who helped uncover 2020 fraud. Texas officials also announced their sham audit no more than <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/23/us/politics/texas-trump-election-audit.html" target="_blank">eight and a half hours after Trump demanded</a> it of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.  <div></div> rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) 2020 DonaldTrump Election Fraudit GregAbbott Texas _2054210 Fri, 24 Sep 2021 17:37:28 +0000 Senate Democrats pour early money into nine states to safeguard their majority https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/24/2054168/-Senate-Democrats-pour-early-money-into-nine-states-to-safeguard-their-majority In a sign of how high the stakes are for next year's midterms, the Senate Democratic campaign arm is making its largest-ever early investment in retaining the party's razor-thin majority. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is pouring some $30 million into a field organizing program called Defend the Majority that will be focused on nine states, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/democrats-launch-30-million-field-organizing-program-keep-senate-control-n1279758" target="_blank">according to NBC News</a>. rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) 2022 DSCC GaryPeters Midterms SenateDemocrats _2054168 Fri, 24 Sep 2021 15:20:39 +0000 Centrist Democrats still have no idea what they want to cut from the $3.5 trillion budget bill https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/23/2054044/-Centrist-Democrats-still-have-no-idea-what-they-want-to-cut-from-the-3-5-trillion-budget-bill Searching for a way forward on his legacy bills, President Joe Biden held a meeting Wednesday at the White House with centrist and progressive Democrats from both chambers.   It <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewSolender/status/1440721188104196099" target="_blank" title="">included progressive leaders</a> such as Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington State and Senate Budget Committee Chair Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Centrist Democrats included, among others, Rep. Stephanie Murphy of Florida and, of course, Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. The biggest news coming out of that meeting was the fact that the president asked centrists to name their price on the $3.5 trillion budget bill, which will have to be passed along party lines. rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) BernieSanders BudgetBill InfrastructureBill JoeBiden JoeManchin JonTester PramilaJayapal Recommended Reconciliation WhiteHouse _2054044 Thu, 23 Sep 2021 20:50:01 +0000 This one quote shows how out of touch Mitch McConnell is with the GOP base https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/23/2053993/-In-moment-of-magical-thinking-McConnell-called-Trump-a-fading-brand At some point during the reporting of the newly released book Peril by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky seemed to believe Trumpism was just a passing fancy. In the book, McConnell called Donald Trump “a fading brand. Retired. OTTB as they say in Kentucky -- off-the-track Thoroughbred,” according <a href="https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article254432803.html" target="_blank">to the Lexington Herald Leader</a>.  “There is a clear trend moving,” McConnell predicted, toward a Republican Party not dominated by Trump. “Sucking up to Donald Trump is not a strategy that works,” he added. rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) 2020 2022 DonaldTrump GOP MitchMcConnell Recommended Republicans _2053993 Thu, 23 Sep 2021 17:47:14 +0000 Trump's slate of election fraud pushers could spell disaster for the GOP in 2022 https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/23/2053890/-Trump-s-slate-of-election-fraud-pushers-could-spell-disaster-for-the-GOP-in-2022 Midterm elections almost always favor the party out of power, giving Republicans an immediate edge heading into next year's races. By dint of historical trends alone, Republicans could have done almost nothing other than complain about President Joe Biden and they would have been in prime position to potentially flip both congressional chambers in 2022. After all, they only need to net one seat in the Senate and five seats in the House—to say nothing of the upcoming gerrymanders. But instead, Republicans opted to cling to Donald Trump, who has two key obsessions: 1) pushing his baseless 2020 election fraud lie and 2) promoting loyalists who push his baseless 2020 election fraud lie. Notice that neither of those have anything to do with helping the Republican Party or securing GOP majorities next year. To wit, Trump is currently <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/20/2053371/-Survivor-style-political-death-match-breaks-out-between-Trump-and-McConnell" target="_blank" title="">trying to eject Sen. Mitch McConnell</a> as Senate minority leader instead of collaborating with him to flip the Senate next year. Why? Clearly because <a href="https://www.wdrb.com/news/mcconnell-denies-trumps-claim-of-stolen-election-says-overturning-it-would-damage-our-republic-forever/article_478f4a20-504f-11eb-a823-5f1ca5e688ce.html" target="_blank" title="">McConnell declared</a> there was no evidence of enough systemic voter fraud in 2020 to overturn the election. In fact, McConnell said, "This election actually was not unusually close." Bristle. rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) 2020 2022 BigLie DonaldTrump ElectionFraud _2053890 Thu, 23 Sep 2021 14:20:04 +0000 Political terrorist Mitch McConnell is trying to blow up the global economy https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/22/2053806/-Political-terrorist-Mitch-McConnell-is-trying-to-blow-up-the-global-economy Mitch McConnell has a gift for destroying things. He's destroyed the Senate as <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/1/21/1826960/-Historian-ponders-McConnell-s-role-as-a-gravedigger-of-American-democracy" target="_blank">a political institution that was once functional</a>. He's <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/22/2053741/-Mitch-McConnell-packed-the-Supreme-Court-with-right-wingers-The-American-public-no-longer-trusts-it" target="_blank">destroyed the Supreme Court</a> as a relatively apolitical institution in which Americans once had some level of trust. And by destroying the Senate and the Supreme Court, <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/1/21/1826960/-Historian-ponders-McConnell-s-role-as-a-gravedigger-of-American-democracy" target="_blank">he's taken a hatchet to U.S. democracy</a>, which is currently hanging by a thread. Next up for McConnell: destroying the global economy. Causing an economic Chernobyl by failing to raise the U.S. debt ceiling seems like a bad idea. Except from a political terrorist’s POV: Republicans would be able to blame it on Democrats, so who cares if the global economy tanks, lives are ruined, and people starve? rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) DebtCeiling GOP MitchMcConnell Recommended Senate Terrorism _2053806 Wed, 22 Sep 2021 20:11:17 +0000 A third poll finds the Supreme Court's approval rating plummeting https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/22/2053741/-Mitch-McConnell-packed-the-Supreme-Court-with-right-wingers-The-American-public-no-longer-trusts-it Despite the protestations of the Supreme Court's conservative justices, the American public gets it—the court's center of gravity is now too far outside the mainstream to be trusted. On Wednesday, yet another poll found the high court's approval plummeting—the third such poll in roughly a week. The <a href="https://law.marquette.edu/poll/2021/09/22/new-marquette-law-school-poll-finds-sharp-decline-since-july-in-public-opinion-of-the-supreme-courts-job-performance-change-is-driven-by-partisan-differences/" target="_blank">Marquette University Law School poll</a> shows the court's approval plunging 11 points since July to 49%. The survey put the court's approval at 60% in July and 66% a year ago. That's quite a fall from grace—from two-thirds approval down to less-than-majority approval in a single year. rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) SCOTUS SupremeCourt _2053741 Wed, 22 Sep 2021 15:30:17 +0000 WTF, Sinema? https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/21/2053586/-WTF-Sinema Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona apparently doesn't want a future in politics. One has to win the votes of at least one party or another to do that, and Sinema is all but guaranteeing herself a primary challenge on the left. Sinema was a general pain in the butt during President Joe Biden's urgent efforts earlier this year to pass pandemic relief, but Biden and other Democrats still got most of the what they wanted out of that $1.9 trillion measure. It wasn't perfect, but it included direct payments, an extension of unemployment benefits, child tax credits (i.e. a tax cut for American families), and COVID-19 funds for schools, municipalities and states, among other initiatives. rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) KyrstenSinema PrescriptionDrugs _2053586 Tue, 21 Sep 2021 19:56:38 +0000 After quashing mask, vaccine mandates, GOP governors fresh out of ideas for stemming COVID-19 spread https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/21/2053525/-GOP-governors-fall-all-over-themselves-to-ensure-the-pandemic-thrives-in-their-states Watching Republican governors repeatedly put everyone's life at risk in order to curry favor with a fringe minority of GOP voters continues to be both stunning and horrific.  Over the weekend, Mississippi governor Tate Reeves went on CNN's State of the Union to assure the nation he wouldn't lift a single finger to save lives in his state—regardless of the fact that pandemic-related deaths have been soaring there. During his CNN appearance, host Jake Tapper noted that if Mississippi were a country, it would be second in the world only to Peru in terms of deaths per capita. Tapper then <a href="https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1439583079849398276" target="_blank">asked Reeves directly</a>, "Are you going to do anything to try to change that?" Instead of citing even a single public health initiative in his state, Reeves took comfort in the fact that death is “a lagging indicator." rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) BrianKemp Covid-19 Florida Georgia Mississippi Pandemic RonDeSantis TateReeves _2053525 Tue, 21 Sep 2021 16:06:17 +0000 Americans pan Supreme Court's decision to greenlight Texas abortion ban https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/20/2053426/-Americans-despise-the-Texas-abortion-ban-pan-the-Supreme-Court-s-ruling-on-it The Supreme Court's job approval ratings have <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/16/2052517/-Supreme-Court-s-reputation-plummets-after-green-lighting-unconstitutional-Texas-abortion-ban" target="_blank">plummeted in recent polling</a>, and a new Monmouth University survey offers some insights into why. First off, a <a href="https://www.monmouth.edu/polling-institute/reports/MonmouthPoll_US_092021/" target="_blank">54% majority of Americans disagree</a> with the conservative justices' decision to let the unconstitutional Texas abortion ban go into effect. Just 39% of Americans agreed with the decision. The <a href="https://www.monmouth.edu/polling-institute/documents/monmouthpoll_us_092021.pdf/" target="_blank">partisan breakdown</a> was somewhat predictable, with 73% of Democrats disagreeing and 62% of Republicans agreeing. But independents were exactly in line with overall polling: 54% disagreed with the decision while 39% agreed.    rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) AbortionBan Polling SupremeCourt Texas vigilantejustice _2053426 Mon, 20 Sep 2021 22:16:29 +0000 Trump actively working to bury McConnell, midterms be damned https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/20/2053371/-Survivor-style-political-death-match-breaks-out-between-Trump-and-McConnell As Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell tries to steer his caucus back into the majority next year, he faces fierce opposition from a familiar rival: Donald Trump. Remember back in January—just after the Capitol siege—when GOP congressional leaders flirted for like three seconds with actually cutting loser Trump loose and trying to rebuild their party by appealing to more voters? Instead, they decided to gift ongoing control of the party to someone who literally cares about no one in this world other than himself. Genius! Now McConnell is paying the price of his own weak, cowardly leadership as Trump works behind the scenes to oust him from his role as the party's most powerful elected official. The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-looks-for-challenger-to-depose-mitch-mcconnell-as-split-widens-11632060002?mod=djemalertNEWS" target="_blank">reports</a> that Trump has "recently spoken with senators and allies about trying to depose" McConnell and whether anyone in the caucus is interested in opposing him. This has yielded two totally enjoyable outcomes.  rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) DonaldTrump MitchMcConnell Recommended _2053371 Mon, 20 Sep 2021 18:42:49 +0000 Vaccinated Americans are the true patriots fighting for this country—Democrats are fighting for them https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/18/2052916/-Vaccinated-Americans-are-the-true-patriots-fighting-for-this-country-Democrats-are-fighting-for-them Unvaccinated Americans are literally killing people in this country. The people fighting for this country are the vaccinated—the roughly three-quarters of Americans who have gotten at least one shot. As for those who have refused shots, their "refusal has cost all of us," as <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/11/2051646/--Have-at-it-Biden-s-aggressive-vaccine-push-sets-up-perfect-contrast-with-radicalized-GOP-for-2022" target="_blank" title="">President Joe Biden noted</a> in a speech last week. In the wake of California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decisive defeat this week of the GOP’s recall effort, Democrats finally appear ready to go to the mat for the real patriots—those protecting themselves, their families, their neighbors, and their friends from the pandemic. “The contrast is going to be clear as we move into 2022,” Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison told reporters Wednesday after Newsom turned the recall on its head. “The contrast between folks who are card-carrying members of Trumpism and folks who are Americans through and through and are fighting for this country.” rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) 2022 CaliforniaRecall GavinNewsom GOP JoeBiden masks Midterms Pandemic Vaccines _2052916 Sat, 18 Sep 2021 18:00:26 +0000 Buckle up: Legislative schedule heats up as multiple deadlines loom https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/17/2052882/-Buckle-up-Legislative-schedule-heats-up-as-multiple-deadlines-loom Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/09/17/schumer-warns-fall-schedule-512528" target="_blank">telling his caucus to prepare</a> for a month of long nights and weekend work as Democrats juggle putting out fires and advancing President Joe Biden's agenda. The most crucial votes will arguably surround keeping the government funded, raising the debt ceiling, and passing both the trillion-dollar bipartisan infrastructure bill and the $3.5 trillion Build Back Better Act. The House did complete work this week on the $3.5 trillion Democrats-only bill, but it seems increasingly clear that the Senate will not have their version of the bill ready by Sept. 27—the day by which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi committed to moving the bipartisan bill. Ideally, Pelosi had hoped to proceed with both bills at the same time. rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) BudgetBill BuildBackBetterAct ContinuingResolution DebtCeiling governmentfunding InfrastructureDeal Reconciliation _2052882 Fri, 17 Sep 2021 21:49:25 +0000 As Trump plays kingmaker nationwide, GOP 2022 electoral outlook worsens https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/17/2052829/-Trump-s-GOP-primary-meddling-is-creating-a-roster-full-of-Larry-Elders-in-races-across-the-country In his bid to purge the Republican Party of any and all truth-tellers, Donald Trump claimed another scalp Thursday: Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump over the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol siege. After Gonzalez announced he wouldn’t seek reelection, Trump was thrilled, <a href="https://twitter.com/sahilkapur/status/1438881326204129284" target="_blank">gloating in a statement</a> that read simply, “1 down, 9 to go!” In Trump's GOP cult, there just wasn't any room for Gonzalez, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/16/us/politics/anthony-gonzalez-ohio-trump.html" target="_blank">who called Trump</a> "a cancer for the country."  Gonzalez, once seen as <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/09/17/2052816/-Once-a-GOP-rising-star,-Ohio-congressman-retires-following-vote-to-impeach-Donald-Trump" target="_blank">a rising GOP star</a>, retired for a mix of reasons, including security concerns for his family and the fact that GOP leaders have chosen to make Trump the locus of their party.  rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) 2020 2022 AnthonyGonzalez DonaldTrump GOPprimaries LarryElder Ohio Pennsylvania RyanCostello SeanParnell _2052829 Fri, 17 Sep 2021 18:10:27 +0000 Biden walking a political tightrope to usher through his $3.5 trillion legacy https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/16/2052668/-Biden-walking-a-political-tightrope-to-usher-through-his-3-5-trillion-legacy After meeting with two centrist Democratic Senators on Wednesday, President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/16/2052631/-Biden-addresses-the-nation-on-economy-expected-to-argue-against-going-back-to-pre-pandemic-policies" target="_blank">took to the airwaves</a> Thursday to remind Americans what exactly his fighting for in his $3.5 trillion legacy bill, the Build Back Better Act. "It's a historic middle-class tax cut—cutting taxes for over 50 million families," Biden said in a speech from the White House East Room.  While Republicans would "rather protect tax breaks for those at the very top," Biden charged, "it's about time that working people got the tax breaks in this country." rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) 3.5TrillionBudgetBill BuildBackBetter Infrastructure Jobs JoeBiden _2052668 Thu, 16 Sep 2021 21:30:04 +0000 Three House Democrats voting against popular drug pricing plan put Democratic majorities at risk https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/16/2052613/-House-Democrats-threatening-Biden-s-legacy-bill-aren-t-imperiled-they-just-heart-Big-Pharma When <a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-kamala-harris-kyrsten-sinema-joe-manchin-3f796484455ad3f36aea0da36ac3363a" target="_blank">news broke Wednesday</a> that three Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee had voted with Republicans to torpedo a wildly popular provision to lower prescription drug pricing, one could be forgiven for thinking those members anticipate a bruising reelection campaign in 2022.  Instead, Reps. Scott Peters of California, Kurt Schrader of Oregon, and Kathleen Rice of New York are nowhere to be found on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's (DCCC) list of Democrats' <a href="https://frontline.dccc.org/" target="_blank">most at-risk front-line members</a>. Fortunately, the drug pricing provision <a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-kamala-harris-kyrsten-sinema-joe-manchin-3f796484455ad3f36aea0da36ac3363a" target="_blank">remains viable</a> after enough Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee approved it as part of <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/13/2052060/-House-Democrats-outline-tax-plan-to-even-playing-field-for-working-and-middle-class-Americans" target="_blank">the panel's overall measure</a>. The only Democrat who voted against it on Ways and Means was Rep. Stephanie Murphy of Florida, who doesn't appear on the DCCC's frontline list of vulnerable members either. rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) BigPharma KathleenRice KurtSchrader LouCorrea Medicare PrescriptionDrugs ScottPeters stephaniemurphy _2052613 Thu, 16 Sep 2021 17:14:57 +0000 Supreme Court's reputation plummets after green-lighting unconstitutional Texas abortion ban https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/16/2052517/-Supreme-Court-s-reputation-plummets-after-green-lighting-unconstitutional-Texas-abortion-ban New <a href="https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3820" target="_blank">polling from Quinnipiac University</a> should send a flashing red signal to the Supreme Court—that is, assuming the conservative justices have any interest in maintaining a base level of credibility with the American public. Quinnipiac has been tracking the high court’s approval rating since 2004, and this week the court notched its worst-ever job approval rating since the outfit has been asking the question.  "Among registered voters, the Supreme Court receives a negative 37 - 50 percent job approval rating, with 13 percent not offering an opinion," writes Quinnipiac. "This is the worst job approval since Quinnipiac University began asking the question in 2004, and a steep drop from July 2020, when registered voters approved 52 - 37 percent." rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) Abortion expandthecourt SupremeCourt _2052517 Thu, 16 Sep 2021 13:45:22 +0000 New polling shows voters responding to Biden's aggressive vaccine push https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/15/2052476/-New-polling-shows-voters-responding-to-Biden-s-aggressive-vaccine-push Americans are suffering from pandemic fatigue, but that doesn't mean voters want what Republicans are offering: elevating personal choice over public health and thereby endangering everyone.  California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/09/14/gop-could-be-left-red-faced-after-california-recall/" target="_blank">overwhelming defeat</a> Tuesday of the GOP recall effort was the surest sign yet that working aggressively to save lives is a winner at the ballot box.    The White House also seems to get in a very real way that pandemic fatigue doesn't mean voters want the government to get complacent or scale back efforts to contain the pandemic. rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) Covid-19 JoeBiden Pandemic _2052476 Wed, 15 Sep 2021 21:32:31 +0000 'Exit TX': Republicans' extreme politics send Texas-based tech companies into crisis mode https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/15/2052427/--Exit-TX-Republicans-extreme-politics-send-Texas-based-tech-companies-into-crisis-mode Earlier this month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott took to bragging that—contrary to popular belief—the state's fringe right-wing politics were actually super popular with the business community. “People vote with their feet, and this is not slowing down businesses coming to the state of Texas at all," <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/business/economy/2021/09/02/gov-abbott-texas-stance-on-abortion-elections-are-accelerating-businesses-moving-in/#" target="_blank">Abbott told</a> CNBC’s Squawk on the Street.  "In fact, it is accelerating the process of businesses coming to Texas." Abbott made his assertion the day after the Supreme Court had greenlit the Texas abortion ban, in which Republicans promoted vigilante justice as an enforcement mechanism to evade judicial review of the law. About a week later, Abbott would also sign into law one of the nation's most draconian voter suppression bills, targeting the state's largest metro areas and voters of color, in particular. rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) AbortionBan GregAbbott Match QuestionPro Recommended Recruiting RecruitmentandRetention Salesforce TechIndustry Texas _2052427 Wed, 15 Sep 2021 17:55:16 +0000 On a tight deadline, Democrats chase compromise over their $3.5 trillion budget bill https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/14/2052244/-On-a-tight-deadline-Democrats-chase-compromise-over-their-3-5-trillion-budget-bill Democrats are racing to meet a self-imposed Wednesday deadline to complete a compromise framework for their $3.5 trillion budget bill that would make historic investments in climate initiatives, public education, and American families' ability to care for each other.  The urgent timeline is intended to smooth passage of the bill in the House by the end of September. Frankly, it seems like it would take a miracle on Pennsylvania Avenue to finish the work Wednesday. Here are several of the main sticking points: Timing Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia has been complaining a lot about the urgency with which Democrats are working to finish the budget bill by Wednesday. In a recent oped, Manchin <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/manchin-pelosi-biden-3-5-trillion-reconciliation-government-spending-debt-deficit-inflation-11630605657" target="_blank">offered</a>, "I can’t explain why my Democratic colleagues are rushing to spend $3.5 trillion." On Monday, Manchin <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/572081-democrats-draw-red-lines-in-spending-fight?rl=1" target="_blank">told reporters </a>meeting the deadline "would be very hard to do." rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) BudgetBill Democrats House Reconciliation Senate _2052244 Tue, 14 Sep 2021 19:44:52 +0000 Senate Democrats introduce revised voting rights bill with backing of both Sens. Manchin and Warnock https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/14/2052199/-Senate-Democrats-newly-tweaked-voting-rights-bill-is-solid-and-could-get-a-vote-next-week Senate Democrats <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/revised-democratic-voting-bill-drops-controversial-provisions-tweaks-others-as-pressure-for-action-mounts/2021/09/14/6c59def8-150a-11ec-9589-31ac3173c2e5_story.html" target="_blank" title="">unveiled a newly tweaked</a> but still-robust <a href="https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/e/4/e448657f-914b-43a3-9153-05cabfb31c76/68440D88BF5EF1F90133FCB5AD2865D9.freedom-to-vote-act-text.pdf#page=227" target="_blank">voting rights bill</a> Monday that could get a vote "as early as next week," according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. The first thing to know about the Freedom to Vote Act is that it has the support of Democratic senators ranging from Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia to Raphael Warnock of Georgia. The next thing to know is that even if it achieves full support of all 50 Democrats in the Senate—which it might—it will just as surely fall short of getting the 10 more Republicans necessary to overcome the GOP filibuster that is guaranteed to come. And in some ways, demonstrating that failure on a bill largely written to earn Manchin's support may be exactly the point.  rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) AmyKlobuchar ChuckSchumer FreedomToVoteAct JoeManchin RaphaelWarnock SenateDemocrats VotingRights _2052199 Tue, 14 Sep 2021 17:41:25 +0000 House Democrats unveil tax plan to fund $3.5 trillion budget with tax hikes on rich, corporations https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/13/2052060/-House-Democrats-outline-tax-plan-to-even-playing-field-for-working-and-middle-class-Americans House Democrats on Monday unveiled legislation that would raise an estimated $2.9 trillion in taxes and provide the foundation for the biggest investment in the U.S. social safety net in at least a generation. The tax proposal—a crucial part of Democratic efforts to pass a $3.5 trillion budget bill—would also take a big bite out of a concept that has increasingly driven progressive Democrats over the past decade: income inequality.  As demonstrated over the weekend, the liberal and conservative wings of the Democratic Party <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/13/2051964/--A-loud-family-discussion-Democrats-stake-out-their-positions-on-3-5-trillion-budget-bill" target="_blank" title="">have a ways to go</a> before they see eye to eye on the massive budget bill. But the House Ways and Means panel's opening bid for how to fund the centerpiece of President Joe Biden's agenda represents a big step forward in the debate.  rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) HouseDemocrats Reconciliation RichardNeal Taxpolicy WaysandMeans _2052060 Tue, 14 Sep 2021 00:54:07 +0000 Biden's aggressive vaccination push appeals to silent majority of Americans while Republicans yell https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/13/2052005/-Americans-broadly-support-Biden-s-aggressive-vaccination-push-despite-GOP-pushback Amid rising concerns over the delta variant spread, a new <a href="https://www.politico.com/f/?id=0000017b-e021-d5dd-a3ff-e92164b10000" target="_blank">Politico/Morning Consult poll</a> conducted after President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/9/2051327/-Channeling-anger-of-the-vaccinated-Biden-unveils-sweeping-plan-to-beat-back-the-pandemic" target="_blank">announced a new vaccine push</a> last week found widespread support for key provisions in the initiative. Chiefly, nearly 3 in 5 Americans favored Biden's main provision requiring employers with 100-plus employees to either vaccinate their workforce or implement weekly testing. Here are the top lines for the survey, conducted Sept. 10 - 13:  <ul> <li>Requiring all employers with 100-plus employees to vaccinate workers or weekly test: 58% - 36% support</li> <li>Requiring federal workers/contractors to vaccinate (no opt-out for testing): 57% - 36%</li> <li>Requiring most U.S. health care workers to vaccinate (no opt-out for testing): 60% - 34%</li> <li>Encouraging states to require vaccinations for all school employees: 62% - 32%</li> </ul> rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) 2022 CNN Covid-19 JoeBiden MorningConsult Pandemic Politico VaccineMandates Vaccines _2052005 Mon, 13 Sep 2021 19:18:00 +0000 Manchin ensures Democrats' efforts to pass $3.5 trillion budget bill will be public and loud https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/13/2051964/--A-loud-family-discussion-Democrats-stake-out-their-positions-on-3-5-trillion-budget-bill As House Democrats work to pass a historic $3.5 trillion investment in the country's climate and care economy by the end of the month, Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois had some apt framing for what this process among congressional Democrats as a whole might look like.  “At the end of the day there will be 50 votes, but I think we’re going to go through a very healthy, loud family discussion at times,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/571905-democrats-brace-for-battle-on-bidens-35-spending-plan?rl=1" target="_blank"> told The Hill</a>, adding that everyone is “marking out their territory right now.” Democrats are likely to get something significant passed, but their Democrats-only budget bill's size, scope, and pace remain in question. rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) BernieSanders BudgetBill ChildTaxCredit ClimateChange ClimatePolicy CongressionalDemocrats JoeManchin Progressives Reconciliation _2051964 Mon, 13 Sep 2021 15:28:48 +0000 'Have at it': Biden's aggressive vaccine push sets up perfect contrast with radicalized GOP for 2022 https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/11/2051646/--Have-at-it-Biden-s-aggressive-vaccine-push-sets-up-perfect-contrast-with-radicalized-GOP-for-2022 The sweeping vaccine mandates President Joe Biden announced Thursday were a signal that the President of the United States is dealing with the nation as it is, rather than the nation as he wished it would be.  Biden had tried the latter tac, coaxing and sometimes pleading with vaccine holdouts for months to do right by themselves and their fellow Americans—to just get the jab, man. When that didn't work, <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/9/2051327/-Channeling-anger-of-the-vaccinated-Biden-unveils-sweeping-plan-to-beat-back-the-pandemic" target="_blank">Biden adjusted and brought the hammer</a> for the both good of the nation and particularly the roughly 75% of Americans who have gotten at least one shot.  rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) 2022 Coronovirus GavinNewsom JoeBiden Masking Pandemic TerryMcAuliffe VaccineMandates _2051646 Sat, 11 Sep 2021 18:00:06 +0000 Corporate America mostly embracing Biden's employer vaccine mandate with open arms https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/10/2051494/-Corporate-America-mostly-embracing-Biden-s-employer-vaccine-mandate-with-open-arms One of the first signs that Corporate America would likely embrace President Joe Biden's employer vaccine mandate with open arms came from the <a href="https://www.businessroundtable.org/about-us" target="_blank">Business Roundtable</a>, an association of high-level CEOs whose companies employ a combined 20 million people across the country. "Business Roundtable welcomes the Biden Administration's continued vigilance in the fight against Covid," said Joshua Bolten, president and CEO of Business Roundtable, <a href="https://www.businessroundtable.org/business-roundtable-statement-on-white-house-covid-19-vaccination-testing-announcement" target="_blank">in a statement</a>. "America's business leaders know how critical vaccination and testing are in defeating the pandemic," Bolten added, noting that many companies had already decided to implement mandates for some or all of their employees.  rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) Covid-19 EmployerMandate JoeBiden Pandemic Vaccinations VaccineMandates _2051494 Fri, 10 Sep 2021 20:21:13 +0000 Democratic swing-state poll finds overwhelming support for employer vaccine mandates https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/10/2051429/-Democratic-swing-state-poll-finds-overwhelming-support-for-Biden-s-employer-vaccine-mandate In the wake of President Joe Biden's aggressive efforts to vaccinate the nation’s unvaccinated, Republicans have <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/republicans-respond-to-vaccine-mandates-issued-by-biden-absolutely-unconstitutional" target="_blank" title="">predictably exploded with fury</a> and pundits are now weighing whether there could be political fallout for Democrats heading into next year.  But an internal swing-state poll <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/newsletter/2021-09-10/california-recall-election-provides-lesson-for-democrats-fear-works-essential-politics" target="_blank">conducted by the pro-Biden super PAC</a> Unite the Country has found exactly the opposite in some of the states that will matter most in next year's midterms.  Veteran Democratic consultant and PAC director <a href="https://twitter.com/steveschale/status/1436060909470879749" target="_blank">Steve Schale tweeted Thursday</a> that his group had surveyed swing states about an employer vaccine mandate similar to Biden's proposal compelling companies with more than 100 employees to vaccinate their workforce. In five states that narrowly cemented Biden's 2020 win, roughly two-thirds of respondents favored the employer mandate. rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) Covid-19 EmployerMandate JoeBiden Pandemic Polling Recommended SwingStates UNVACCINATED VaccineMandates _2051429 Fri, 10 Sep 2021 16:40:08 +0000 'Our patience is wearing thin': Biden brings the hammer with sweeping vaccine mandates https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/9/2051327/-Channeling-anger-of-the-vaccinated-Biden-unveils-sweeping-plan-to-beat-back-the-pandemic In a historic call to arms for the nation's public health, President Joe Biden came down unequivocally on the side of the 175 million Americans who are fully vaccinated—going to bat for them against the roughly one-quarter of Americans who have yet to get a single shot.  "The time for waiting is over," <a href="https://twitter.com/thedailybeast/status/1436087473113759744" target="_blank">Biden said</a> in the national address from the White House as he unveiled an aggressive plan to compel vaccine holdouts into getting the jab. "This is not about freedom or personal choice. It is about protecting yourself and those around you," he added. Amid the details of his six-pronged plan to force many Americans into compliance, Biden peppered his speech with reminders of how much the unvaccinated are costing those who have worked to play by the rules in support of the greater good. rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) businesses COVIDTesting JoeBiden Pandemic Recommended Schools VaccineMandates _2051327 Fri, 10 Sep 2021 00:28:29 +0000 Biden to announce new plan to stem the delta surge, including new vaccine requirements https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/9/2051213/-Biden-to-announce-new-vaccine-mandates-as-part-of-a-renewed-effort-to-tame-the-pandemic Facing daily coronavirus caseload averages not seen since January, President Joe Biden will announce a series of new initiatives Thursday designed to stem the rapid flow of new infections caused by the delta variant. One of the initiatives Biden is <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/09/09/covid-delta-variant-live-updates/" target="_blank">expected to unveil</a> in a 5 PM ET address to the nation is a requirement that all federal workers be vaccinated—an action that would cover <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/08/us/politics/biden-vaccine-mandate-speech.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur" target="_blank">some 2.1 million federal government employees</a>. The executive order would reportedly leave no alternative, excluding an option for regular testing in lieu of getting the shots. The inoculation requirement <a href="https://twitter.com/Yamiche/status/1435965056827670530" target="_blank">will also extend</a> to employees of federal contractors.  rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) Covid-19 Economy FederalEmployees JoeBiden Pandemic VaccineMandates _2051213 Thu, 09 Sep 2021 15:59:08 +0000 AG Merrick Garland spearheading Biden's failing response to Texas abortion ban https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/9/2051140/-AG-Merrick-Garland-spearheading-Biden-s-failing-response-to-Texas-abortion-ban After Attorney General Merrick Garland got some splashy headlines last weekend claiming the Justice Department would step in to "<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/abortion-justice-department-biden-administration-texas/2021/09/06/f9cdc7ba-0f36-11ec-882f-2dd15a067dc4_story.html" target="_blank">protect women</a>" against the Texas abortion ban, the only people celebrating Garland’s statement were anti-abortion activists.  “If violating the FACE Act is all the DOJ has come up with to block the Texas Heartbeat Act, that’s good news,” <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/texas-abortion-law-merrick-garland/2021/09/07/c277c700-1000-11ec-882f-2dd15a067dc4_story.html" target="_blank">said Chelsey Youman</a>, Texas state director of Human Coalition Action. Garland had invoked the 1994 law known as the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which prohibits anyone from using violence, intimidation, and physical obstruction to keep people from getting an abortion. Since the Texas ban relies on none of those tactics to block abortion access, Garland had just committed to protecting women by employing a statute that was almost entirely useless.  rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) Abortion ElieMystal JusticeDepartment MerrickGarland Recommended RoevWade Texas TexasBan _2051140 Thu, 09 Sep 2021 13:39:20 +0000 Florida judge deals another blow to DeSantis, okaying mask mandates while governor appeals ruling https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/8/2051082/-Florida-judge-deals-another-blow-to-DeSantis-okaying-mask-mandates-while-governor-appeals-ruling A Florida judge said Wednesday that school districts across the state <a href="https://www.wesh.com/article/judge-to-hear-appeal-on-ruling-about-florida-ban-of-mask-mandates-in-school/37509590#" target="_blank">can impose mask mandates</a> while Gov. Ron DeSantis appeals a ruling that found his ban on mask mandates unconstitutional.  Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper lifted an automatic stay on his ruling from last month barring the enforcement of DeSantis' executive order against masking requirements.  The ruling on Wednesday, though not the final say in the matter, dealt another blow to DeSantis' personal crusade to endanger as many Florida children as possible by leaving them defenseless against COVID-19 infection. rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) courtruling Florida JohnCooper RonDeSantis schoolboards UniversalMasking _2051082 Wed, 08 Sep 2021 20:25:48 +0000 Sanders hits the campaign trail to 'explain what the hell is in' Democrats' $3.5 trillion bill https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/8/2051049/-Sanders-hits-the-campaign-trail-to-explain-what-the-hell-is-in-Democrats-3-5-trillion-bill "Barnstorming" is usually a term reserved for the campaign heights of a heated election. But barnstorming is exactly what one-time presidential candidate and now-Senate Budget Committee Chair Bernie Sanders of Vermont is doing to help seal passage of the $3.5 trillion budget bill Democrats are currently shepherding through Congress.  On the road to building support for the once-in-a-generation bill, Sanders has been visiting red-ish districts in Iowa and Indiana, and he'd love to be hitting even more states by his own admission. During Sanders' visit to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, one onlooker actually wondered aloud what the Vermont Democrat was doing in a state normally reserved for presidential campaigning.    “I am chairman of the Senate Budget Committee," Sanders explained, according <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/05/us/politics/bernie-sanders-budget-bill.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimes" target="_blank" title="">to The New York Times</a>. "And I am here to explain what the hell is in the budget for the American people.” rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) 3.5TrillionBudgetBill BernieSanders ChuckSchumer Indiana Iowa JoeManchin KyrstenSinema NancyPelosi Reconciliation SenateFinanceCommittee _2051049 Wed, 08 Sep 2021 17:52:26 +0000 Pelosi basically tells Manchin to shove it on hitting 'pause' on the $3.5 trillion budget bill https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/7/2050851/-Pelosi-basically-tells-Manchin-to-shove-it-on-hitting-pause-on-the-3-5-trillion-budget-bill House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had a few thoughts to share Tuesday about the idea of pausing negotiations on the $3.5 trillion bill that includes critical investments in jobs, climate change, Medicare expansion, child care, and paid family leave.    When asked by CNN about Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia demanding a "<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/02/politics/joe-manchin-reconciliation-pause/index.html" target="_blank">strategic pause</a>" on Democratic negotiations over the bill, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/07/politics/pelosi-manchin-reconciliation-bill/index.html" target="_blank">Pelosi responded</a>, "Obviously, I don't agree." In fact, Pelosi signaled House Democrats were barreling ahead with the Democrats-only budget bill. rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) BudgetBill House Infrastructure JoeManchin KyrstenSinema NancyPelosi Recommended Reconciliation Senate _2050851 Tue, 07 Sep 2021 19:54:04 +0000 GOP's 2020 'fraudits' have gone from fringe to mainstream as Republican leaders bowed to Trump https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/7/2050835/-GOP-s-2020-fraudits-have-gone-from-fringe-to-mainstream-as-Republican-leaders-bowed-to-Trump Donald Trump is succeeding in mainstreaming his fringe politics at the state level just like he did at the federal level. Originally, the Arizona sham audit was an outlier—replicated in no other state and only gaining prominence among Trumpy bit players at the state level. Now, however, GOP leaders in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania have put the full weight of their legislative bodies behind the Arizona-style investigations, giving them a veneer of import despite the fact that they are nothing more than exploratory boondoggles.  These so-called "audits" won't overturn the election results, and they are coming on the heels of multiple recounts in both states. So the likelihood that the reviews will reveal anything approaching a significant finding is sheer fantasy. But at the end of the day, they needed to be on Trump's good side, and putting the full force of government behind the effort was the surest way to do that.  rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) Arizona DonaldTrump Fraudit JakeCorman Pennsylvania RobinVos ShamAudit Wisconsin _2050835 Tue, 07 Sep 2021 18:18:09 +0000 Kevin McCarthy can't stop lying about Jan. 6. Liz Cheney ain't having it https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/7/2050798/-Kevin-McCarthy-can-t-stop-lying-about-Jan-6-Liz-Cheney-ain-t-having-it House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has been doing a lot of lying about the Jan. 6 commission, and his <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/09/04/jan-6-committee-leaders-blast-mccarthys-baseless-claim-about-trumps-innocence/" target="_blank">claim last Thursday</a> that the FBI supposedly concluded Donald Trump had "no involvement" in the Capitol riot is just the latest installment in his trail of ignominy. In an appearance last week on<a href="https://www.kget.com/news/politics/rep-kevin-mccarthy-discusses-afghanistan-capitol-riot-probe/" target="_blank"> local Bakersfield station KGET</a>, McCarthy floated the idea that both the FBI and several Senate committees had investigated Trump's involvement with the Capitol insurrection and effectively cleared him of bearing any responsibility for what happened that day.  In a <a href="https://january6th.house.gov/news/press-releases/thompson-cheney-statement-mccarthy-s-january-6th-misinformation-campaign" target="_blank">joint statement Saturday</a>, the chair of the Jan. 6 House select committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, and<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/2/2049950/-Liz-Cheney-s-elevation-to-vice-chair-of-the-Jan-6-panel-makes-her-an-even-bigger-thorn-for-McCarthy" target="_blank"> vice chair, Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming</a>, blasted McCarthy's claim as "baseless." McCarthy, they said, made the claim based on an anonymous report that had no merit. rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) BennieThompson CapitolInsurrection HouseSelectCommittee Jan.6 KevinMcCarthy LizCheney Recommended _2050798 Tue, 07 Sep 2021 15:15:56 +0000 Republicans' trust in national news outlets drops by half in just five years https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/6/2049258/-Republicans-trust-in-national-news-outlets-drops-by-half-in-just-five-years In just a handful of years, the number of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents saying they trust national news organizations has plummeted from 70% in 2016 to just 35% this year, according to a <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/08/30/partisan-divides-in-media-trust-widen-driven-by-a-decline-among-republicans/" target="_blank">Pew Research Center survey</a> conducted in June. Overall, nearly six in 10 Americans—58%—said they have at least some faith in national news outlets. But 78% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents express "a lot" or at least "some" trust in national news outfits. That leaves a partisan gap of some 43 points between Democrats and Republicans—the largest gap at any time since Pew began asking the question in 2016. The divide is even more pronounced between liberal Democrats (83% trust) and conservative Republicans (30% trust), yielding a yawning 53-point gap.  rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) Democrats LocalNews NationalNews newsoutlets PewResearch Republicans _2049258 Mon, 06 Sep 2021 20:00:03 +0000 Vaccine mandates are critical to fighting the pandemic and they might be chipping away at hesitancy https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/6/2049962/-Vaccine-mandates-are-critical-to-fighting-the-pandemic-and-they-might-be-chipping-away-at-hesitancy A <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/axios-ipsos-coronavirus-index" target="_blank">new Axios-Ipsos survey</a> suggests that making it significantly more onerous to function in public as an unvaccinated person might actually be chipping away at stubborn vaccine hesitancy. The poll found that opposition to getting the vaccine had dropped to its lowest levels yet.  <blockquote> <ul> <li>Only one in five (20%) Americans say they are not likely to get the coronavirus vaccine, the lowest level since we started tracking. Hard opposition, those not at all likely, has dropped to 14% of adults.</li> <li>The number of parents who say they are likely to get their kids vaccinated has surged over the last week, now two-thirds (68%) report they are likely to vaccinate their kids or they already have. Opposition to vaccinating their kids has dropped to less than a third (31%) of parents.</li> </ul> </blockquote> The 20% of respondents who still say they're unlikely to get the vaccine <a href="https://www.axios.com/axios-ipsos-poll-vaccine-hesitancy-crumbling-9ffe938f-5b9b-4707-bfe4-f7c3dc559ba9.html" target="_blank">has dropped</a> from 34% in March and 23% two weeks ago. Cliff Young, the president of Ipsos U.S. Public Affairs, believes the drop in hesitancy is less about vaccine conversion and more about the simple realities of living in a world that is compelling people to grapple with the greater issue of public health.   "Schools, organizations, companies, governments implementing mandates are forcing people to deal with them," Young said. "That's what going on." rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) Covid-19 Poll Vaccines _2049962 Mon, 06 Sep 2021 13:00:10 +0000 Democrats will need to do more than simply run on accomplishments to win in 2022 https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/4/2050263/-Democrats-will-need-to-do-more-than-simply-run-on-accomplishments-to-win-in-2022 This month's <a href="https://civiqs.com/documents/Civiqs_DailyKos_monthly_banner_book_2021_08_5y2b93.pdf" target="_blank">Daily Kos/Civiqs survey</a> was created with the intention of trying to pinpoint why President Joe Biden's approval ratings are falling. While Biden hasn’t yet delivered on everything promised, he’s moved quickly to put a down payment on much of the agenda that he ran on. And while the Afghanistan withdrawal was undoubtedly chaotic, his numbers started falling even before the last several weeks of news coverage. So what gives, and what can Democrats do about it? The poll, which tested 12 Biden accomplishments, found that <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/1/2049655/-The-Biden-agenda-continues-to-be-broadly-popular-with-American-voters" target="_blank">10 of them were quite popular</a>, winning either majority or plurality approval. Biden's nationwide vaccination push proved by to be far his most winning policy, <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/1/2049601/-Biden-s-vaccination-efforts-win-approval-of-71-of-voters#comment_81721450" target="_blank">garnering 71% approval</a> from registered voters.  The data were very interesting, but did little to illuminate the reasons for Biden's sagging approvals. In fact, in some ways it yielded more questions than answers. The Civiqs poll of Biden’s already-implemented policies, coupled with this week’s <a href="https://www.filesforprogress.org/datasets/2021/8/dfp-iia-iija-bbb-aug30-toplines.pdf" target="_blank">Data For Progress survey</a> of policies the president is still working to push through Congress, demonstrated the overwhelming strength of Biden's sweeping agenda. Popular polices = popular president, right? rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) Abortion Afghanistan ApprovalRatings Civiqs Delta Democrats Independents JoeBiden Pandemic Polling Republicans Texas Vaccination _2050263 Sat, 04 Sep 2021 15:04:37 +0000 Turning Florida into a deadly COVID hotspot isn't proving as popular as DeSantis hoped it would be https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/3/2050196/-Killing-one-s-constituents-isn-t-proving-as-popular-as-Ron-DeSantis-hoped-it-would-be The net approval of Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis has fallen 14 points in a little less than two months, according to a <a href="https://morningconsult.com/2021/09/02/desantis-polling-abbott-polling-covid/" target="_blank">Morning Consult poll</a> released this week.  DeSantis' approval rating in a survey taken June 22 - July 1 registered at 54%, with 40 disapproving of his performance. But in the outlet's Aug. 21 - 30 poll, the Florida governor's approval had leveled off considerably, 48% - 48%. Apparently, it isn't proving broadly popular for DeSantis to cater to the "individual liberties" crowd while treating the rest of his constituents like collateral damage on his way to winning the 2024 GOP nomination.  rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) Recommended RonDeSantis _2050196 Fri, 03 Sep 2021 22:53:12 +0000 The GOP's Todd Akin gaffes of 2022 are coming—if Democrats master the moment https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/3/2050136/-The-GOP-s-Todd-Akin-gaffes-of-2022-are-coming-Democrats-must-master-the-moment Forced birther Tom McClusky, the president of March for Life Action, is right about one thing in the wake of Texas’ abortion ban: “Every candidate in the country is going to be asked about their position on abortion now,” he <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/02/us/politics/scotus-abortion-decision.html" target="_blank" title="">told The New York Times</a>. McClusky also rightfully views that as dangerous for Republican candidates nationwide. “What we want to avoid are incidents like what’s happened in the past," he added. No doubt, the infamous <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2012/08/akin-legitimate-rape-victims-dont-get-pregnant-079864" target="_blank">Todd Akin "legitimate rape" moment</a> of 2012 is among the top GOP gaffes running through McClusky's mind. At the time, then-Congressman Akin posed a mortal threat to Missouri’s incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill. But just as the contest was about to enter the final fall stretch, Akin was <a href="https://www.politico.com/video/2012/08/todd-akin-legitimate-rape-victims-rarely-get-pregnant-011369" target="_blank">asked by journalist Charles Jaco</a> whether abortion should be legal in cases of rape. rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) AbortionBan reproductivefreedom Texas TexasAbortionBan _2050136 Fri, 03 Sep 2021 20:03:22 +0000 Liz Cheney's elevation to vice chair of the Jan. 6 panel makes her an even bigger thorn for McCarthy https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/2/2049950/-Liz-Cheney-s-elevation-to-vice-chair-of-the-Jan-6-panel-makes-her-an-even-bigger-thorn-for-McCarthy GOP Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's no-good, very bad week just got a lot worse. CNN is reporting McCarthy is now officially <a href="https://twitter.com/ckmarie/status/1433544428967370754" target="_blank">among the list of GOP lawmakers</a> for whom the House Select Committee wants their Jan. 6 phone records preserved. In addition, Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming—the person who has effectively made it her mission to keep McCarthy from becoming Speaker—has <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/09/02/liz-cheney-vice-chair-capitol-attack/" target="_blank">been appointed vice chair</a> of the House Select Committee investigating the Capitol siege. “Every member of this committee is dedicated to conducting a non-partisan, professional, and thorough investigation of all the relevant facts regarding January 6th and the threat to our Constitution we faced that day,” Cheney said in a statement. “I have accepted the position of Vice Chair of the committee to assure that we achieve that goal.” rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) GOP Jan.6 KevinMcCarthy LizCheney Recommended _2049950 Thu, 02 Sep 2021 21:38:01 +0000 As Republicans advance their goal of ending abortion, Democrats see a political game changer https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/2/2049894/-Democrats-use-Texas-abortion-law-to-remind-voters-what-nation-would-be-like-under-GOP-rule-Horrific Sometimes something doesn't seem real to voters until it's real. For years, voters have been comfortably ignoring the perennial threat that Republicans could gain enough control of the nation's legislatures and courts to finally quash abortion access nationwide. The threat was easy enough to put on the back burner as the immediacy of other issues caught fire, such as national nemesis Donald Trump. But almost in a flash, the potential demise of Roe v. Wade nationwide came into relief this week after the Supreme Court's conservative majority gave its de facto blessing to a Texas law obliterating abortion access. Other Republican-led states are already plotting to replicate Texas' formula. In Florida, for instance, GOP Senate President Wilton Simpson said Republicans are "<a href="https://twitter.com/kerryeleveld/status/1433447968699346946" target="_blank">already working on</a>" having a Texas-style bill primed for consideration in the legislature's next session.  rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) 2022 Abortion GavinNewsom GlennYoungkin JohnFetterman MitchMcConnell RoevWade SCOTUS SeanPatrickMaloney SupremeCourt TerryMcAuliffe Texas ValDemings _2049894 Thu, 02 Sep 2021 19:29:46 +0000 House Republicans in absolute panic over their Jan. 6 communications going public https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/1/2049742/-House-Republicans-in-absolute-panic-over-their-Jan-6-communications-going-public Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy finally found something about Jan. 6 <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/1/2049547/-McCarthy-threatens-phone-companies-with-retaliation-should-Republicans-gain-control-of-House" target="_blank">he will never forget</a>: Telecom companies that <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/8/30/2049098/-Jan-6-committee-wants-phone-records-of-Trump-family-members-and-close-GOP-allies-preserved" target="_blank">turn over the phone records</a> of GOP lawmakers to the House Select Committee investigating the Capitol siege.  “If these companies comply with the Democrat order to turn over private information, they are in violation of federal law and subject to losing their ability to operate in the United States,” McCarthy <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/31/mccarthy-january-6-threaten-phone-records-requests-508166" target="_blank">said in a statement</a> Tuesday. “A Republican majority will not forget," he added.  Naturally, McCarthy doesn't exactly have a handle on the facts. It's not just Democrats since the committee is bipartisan; nothing has been ordered yet, the panel simply asked some 30 telecom and social media companies <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/8/30/2049098/-Jan-6-committee-wants-phone-records-of-Trump-family-members-and-close-GOP-allies-preserved" target="_blank">to preserve the records</a> of Donald Trump, his family members, and his GOP allies; and finally, there's nothing unlawful about complying with a congressional subpoena. In fact, if the companies were to be subpoenaed, they would be legally bound to respond.  rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) CapitolSiege HouseSelectCommittee Jan.6 KevinMcCarthy MarjorieTaylorGreene MoBrooks Recommended _2049742 Thu, 02 Sep 2021 04:00:06 +0000 Biden's agenda still very popular: 12 issues tested, 10 are above water https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/1/2049655/-The-Biden-agenda-continues-to-be-broadly-popular-with-American-voters This month's <a href="https://civiqs.com/documents/Civiqs_DailyKos_monthly_banner_book_2021_08_5y2b93.pdf" target="_blank" title="">Daily Kos/Civiqs survey</a> tested a dozen separate policies representing key aspects of President Joe Biden's agenda and accomplishments to discern how the American public perceives them.   Of those the policies, 10 of 12 registered above water, with either a majority or plurality of voters viewing them favorably. Biden's hands-down most popular policy was <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/1/2049601/-Biden-s-vaccination-efforts-win-approval-of-71-of-voters#comment_81721450" target="_blank">his nationwide vaccination push</a>, with 71% - 12% approval. Biden's least popular policies—and the only two underwater—were his revocation of Keystone XL permits (43% - 49%) and his reversal of Trump's immigration/border policies (44% - 50%).  But overall, the takeaway on Biden's policy initiatives, both domestic and foreign, is they remain largely popular.  Below are the top lines on the responses. Registered voters were given four options: approve, disapprove, not something I care about, and unsure. Any issue on which the last two categories exceeded 10% is noted in parentheticals.  rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) 2022 Approval Bidenagenda JoeBiden WhiteHouse _2049655 Wed, 01 Sep 2021 20:29:50 +0000 Biden's vaccination efforts win approval of 71% of voters https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/9/1/2049601/-Biden-s-vaccination-efforts-win-approval-of-71-of-voters This month's <a href="https://civiqs.com/documents/Civiqs_DailyKos_monthly_banner_book_2021_08_5y2b93.pdf" target="_blank">Daily Kos/Civiqs poll</a> sought to pinpoint which of President Joe Biden's policies were winning over Americans by asking about everything from pocketbook issues to international relations. Based on the data, Biden's biggest policy win by far has been his handling of the vaccine rollout.  Fully 71% of registered voters said they approved of the Biden administration increasing the vaccine supply and successfully administering at least one shot to over 200 million Americans.  rss@dailykos.com (Kerry Eleveld) 2022 JoeBiden Pandemic Vaccinations Vaccines _2049601 Wed, 01 Sep 2021 17:05:40 +0000