(#4655) The republican party and their knee to neck of the working middle poor class!

     If the republican party could control the working middle poor class by keeping us quiet and obedient they would do it right this second! The fact that we are human and expect to be treated as human must gall them to no end. Such is the foundation of how the republican party sees the working middle poor class. We are irrelevant to them in the big picture, which is why they vote against any legislation that would make life better for all Americans instead of just the wealthy Americans. While all the rigmarole over our democratic party trying to provide a human infrastructure law is mostly portrayed as negative by the media, the media are suspiciously silent about the nothing but reprimands republicans are contributing to the effort.
     If the media were honest and had an ounce of objectivity, they would be demanding that the republican party explain why they are so against the working middle poor class. While not letting them off the hook until they actually answer that question! But no. It is as if the republican party owns the media, by the way the media is owned by the wealthy, so that seems to be why the republican party gets a pass on doing nothing for the vast majority of us Americans. So it can only fall to we the people, through the democratic party, to make the republican party and the national media pay for their dismissal of our working middle poor class needs.
     For my part I am a never ending siren call to the universe that the republican party is the enemy of democracy and people who are not wealthy. When the rest of our nation catches on to this fact then maybe we will be able to root out the last of the republican party from our politics and replace them with liberals and moderates within our democratic party. I don't mind that our democratic party has liberal and moderate ends of our spectrum because they both serve to help the working middle poor class within reason to reimagine what life can be like when all Americans have the opportunity to live and succeed without the republican knee on our neck.

(#4654) Manchinema must pay for their treachery!

      Both manchin and sinema must be held to account for trying to blow up President Biden's agenda for we the American electorate. Both manchin and sinema have been disingenuous in their facade of negotiating. They are only doing what they are doing now because they are too cowardly to admit they side more with republicans than democrats. They were elected by democrats so apparently they must try to toe the line with the democratic party but not vote for substantial legislation even though they committed to that legislation. So they bob and weave but are never held to account for their ever changing positions.
     It was correct for progressives to not give in to the demands of the manchinema to vote for the hard infrastructure bill until the human infrastructure bill is also voted on. Because the manchinema would have found another excuse not to vote for the human infrastructure bill if the hard infrastructure bill were already passed into law. The deals manchin and sinema made with republicans and their donors will eventually come out and then they will be dealt their full share of disrespect and dishonor. But in the meantime do not take either manchin nor sinema at their lying words. Soon we will have another election and then we can have more democratic senators so that manchinema becomes moot.
     Once we do that, add more senators in 2022, manchin and sinema will not be counted on for anything important ever again. We will be beyond their influence and able to then eliminate the filibuster along with pass legislation that only requires the rest of the democrats in the senate minus manchinema and all the traitorous to democracy republicans. I long for that period in time in just about exactly one year when we have at least 2 or 3 more democratic senators who actually are practicing democrats and not like manchinema who are a scourge to democratic politics. Their time will come and for that I am also excited to think about because when karma comes knocking on their doors they will be meted out an appropriate justice for their treachery and arrogance.

(#4653) House progressives are correct not to trust manchinema

      When you are Lucy and holding the football for Charlie Brown to kick, it would be wise not to try and kick the football with Lucy holding it. Why? Because she always moves the ball before Charlie's foot can kick it. This is the same rationale with manchinema. Yesterday the House progressives were asked to give up their leverage on the manchinema without any concrete assurance that the manchinema would hold up their end of the bargain. How did we get here? Well the manchinema agreed and voted to pass a 3.5 trillion dollar human infrastructure bill the House sent them a couple of months ago. With the agreement that if the House passed the hard infrastructure bill the human infrastructure bill would be passed as well.
     Since then the manchinema has held the human infrastructure bill that returned to them for another vote hostage by either refusing to acknowledge they would vote for it, meanwhile whittling it down to it's current 1.75 trillion price tag. So not only has the human infrastructure bill been depleted it is still not settled with the manchinema that it has their votes. Meanwhile the manchinema expect that the hard infrastructure bill they sponsored and has not been altered one iota, should be passed into law immediately by the House. Which won't happen now until the backstabbing manchinema agree or vote for the human infrastructure bill thanks to progressives standing their ground.
     I know we need to get both these bills passed into law but the onus has always been on the manchinema and those who are decrying progressives for stopping the hard infrastructure bill are just missing the point or are disingenuous. If it isn't clear to all that the manchinema would kill the human infrastructure bill if the hard infrastructure bill is voted on then I have a bridge to sell you. The only way to get the manchinema to vote and pass the human infrastructure bill is to wait to pass the hard infrastructure bill, period! So put the pressure on the manchinema to uphold their part of the bargain and quit laying blame on progressives who are just defending President Biden's agenda!

(#4652) No human infrastructure bill yesterday

      I refuse to believe my own doubts that the manchinema is only dragging this out to kill it. That is a republican tactic and although very successful for their republican agenda it is a death knell to American democracy and the working middle poor class. I refuse to accept that reality because the manchinema only needed to switch parties if that was their agenda. They didn't and still vote yes for all the other democratic agenda items. So it is down to their egos within the policy offerings and that has been the confounding part. They are not the final arbiters of what our society is demanding, President Biden and Vice President Harris are.
     We the people voted in 2020 to give our president that mandate to accomplish and it is up to them to decide how it is produced, not the manchinema! There will be a cost to pay for the manchinema for what they have and are still doing to us but we democrats will not mete out that payment until the time is right and advantageous for us, not them. As a solution to the manchinema going forward we democrats have one clear way of solving it. In about 12 months time we organize our voters so that there is no doubt to what must be done. Elect at least 2 but more likely 3 or more senators to the senate. As well add to our numbers in the house.
     Adding members to both the senate and house will not be easy but if our voters come out and vote everywhere in 2022 it damn will come about. With at least 52 senators in the senate after next years elections the filibuster will likely become a thing of the past, no matter how the manchinema votes. Overcoming the manchinema is our goal and it is easily done by adding two progressive leaning senators. Then the adding of DC as a state will automatically give us 2 more senators to help buttress our already solid majority. The house will be ready to advance all the bills that are currently being stalled by the manchinema and our society will truly be representative of our populace.

(#4651) I am hoping today is the day for the breakthrough on the human infrastructure bill

      Everything has been leading to this week being the week where the Biden infrastructure bills get done. I have a better feel for them getting done now then ever before. That this week will be the week where it gets done is understandable. Yet I am hopeful today is the day when the dam breaks and all sides agree on the framework. So much is going on right now and with this crunch of needed legislation coming to a head the differing sides are as close as they have been so far. So with little room left to negotiate I expect to hear an announcement that the human infrastructure bill is ready to rock and roll.
     Again, it is all about timing and the timing is just right for this to be done. The hard work it has taken to overcome the obstacles of democrats Manchin and Sinema has been frustrating and exasperating but the obstructions have been smoothed out and the ready to agree time is upon us. Today would be the ideal day for it to happen as it would give our president some good crowing to do at the world climate summit and as well get our Congress onto other pressing issues that are immediately coming to a head. Voting rights protections, the debt limit debate, as well as the annual budget. More if you include immigration reform and gun rights so today would be perfect to moving onto those proposals.
     We democrats have it within us to make our nation much more amenable to all of us and now is the time to get going on that. We have wasted precious months in limbo thanks to two recalcitrant democratic senators but it appears we have finally wore them down. That they needed to be worn down to do the correct thing for the American electorate is disappointing but after this session of Congress is over they will have to be reckoned with but until then we have to fight tough to get them to where the rest of us are. It isn't over with those two and moving forward is going to be difficult but in the end we will get there in time to save our democracy and improve on our majorities going forward.

(#4650) Infrastructure bills coming by weeks end

      I know I am sticking my neck out but not that much really. With Joe Biden going to the climate summit next week and the state elections in New Jersey and Virginia next week as well, the bills couldn't be more crucial as to timing. We have been hearing over the last several weeks that the deal on the human infrastructure bill is nearly complete with few obstacles left to surmount. I know the details are important but once an agreement on principle is made the passage of both bills will be imminent. Possibly by this Friday if not then by Monday. Perfect timing for the climate summit and the elections.
     The whole process has been a struggle despite being a mandate from the 2020 election. But even though we have the slimmest majorities in both Houses of Congress the actual achievement of what will be at least 3 trillion in spending and as well being paid for is amazing. I along with many others feel that we could have done better but that is not possible at this moment and will take a good election showing for our democratic party in 2022 to again try. Getting 3 more filibuster ending democratic senators will do the trick to finally end the filibuster and allow us to pass legislation that will actually reimagine our society.
     To get to that reimagining of our society we will need to pass these infrastructure bills and then do a carve out for voting rights protections. If these actions become reality then we democrats will be able to deliver for the American people like at no other time in history. Yes, even greater impacts on our society than the FDR reforms of the 1930's. Defending the democratic majority in the Congress is an imperative as well as adding to it. Getting a larger majority will only happen if we can pass these infrastructure bills and most importantly protect voting rights. The future is bright for our nation but we need to take on more huge step to get it done.

(#4649) The end of the storm

      Saturday evening, yesterday, last night, and into this morning I was reminded of the Movie "The longest Day". Of course I am not equating the two but yesterday for me was one hell of a long day. The storm began Saturday night and was coming down hard and fast into the early morning hours of Sunday and continued hard and fast all through the day and night on Sunday and into the early morning hours of Monday. For my part over the last 48 hours I have been in a proactive remediation mode. Like the old axiom, "Hope for the best but expect the worst". So putting preventative measures in place for the worst case as the storm was dictating. On another note, we here in Sacramento broke the all time record of rainfall for one day surpassing the total from 1880 that was 5.28 inches. As of 11:30 pm. last night we were at 5.35 and counting.
     There wasn't much time in there for me to get much sleep but I did slip in an hour or so a couple of times. I went through about 5 changes of clothes as the rain soaked me because of it's intensity and my monitoring of it. My Facebook page is littered with photos taken before, during, and after the storm as evidence of my attention to it. I cannot tell you how many times I checked several online weather sites specifically aimed at this storm and it's influence on my hometown Sacramento, California. As with all things weather, nothing can be taken as fact but only as likely. So being on edge to adapt to whatever was to come was my constant modus operandi.
     Nothing caught me off guard and luckily I avoided the internal house flooding I was always concerned about. No water got into my garage either but still came within a few inches of height of actually flooding my garage. With all the weather, the loss of power last night at about 11:00 pm. added to my anxiety when a huge tree branch fell in my next door neighbor's yard on several power lines. The flooding began receding at about 2 am. this morning just before the electrical workers came in force to do the repair. The power lines fell into my flooded yard and I was just able to recognize that before venturing out to check out the flooding. Blocking my animals from going out back as well. Long day yesterday and very stressful past 48 hours. But all is good as power was restored at about 5 am. and I got to sleep for about an hour before typing this up.

(#4648) The storm is here

     We did some late day repair yesterday on the flat roof here and the patches seem to be holding for now. The brunt of the storm hit about an hour ago so if leaking inside the house was going to happen it would have already begun. But as with the old flat roof on this house, after being beaten on by a steady onslaught of rain new gaps appear and new leaks show up. I will deal with those when they likely will happen but for now the roof is still holding up fine. As to the flooding issue, I just checked the creek out back and it is still low and flowing. But the low will not last long as the surface water from the east starts to accumulate and begin it's momentum towards me.
     I actually love the sound of the rain and whipping winds since I live in Sacramento, California where the sun and it's drought is my usual accompaniment. For a couple of decades I lived up north in Alaska and Washington state and while there came to enjoy the effects of constant rain and snow. I, when I was younger was fortunate to be raised in the hot climate of Sacramento that had all the nearby wonders of lakes, rivers and an ocean. Being young and vibrant I spent my youth in a paradise made for the young. As I have gotten older I am less excited about hot days and cool water to employ and would like a less hot climate and the sound of rain instead.
    I am married to the land here at my current home and until such a time I cannot keep up with the chores and repairs here, I will remain. So when I get a day or two of rain and wind it reminds me of where I would really like to be living. Back up north, with the more frequent wind and rain and where there is sun but not the heat of a drought stricken environment. Despite that hoped for scenario I am right now in the beginning of a huge storm that is sweeping our region and putting people like me who reside in a flood plain in an older home a bit on edge as to how this will end Monday morning. I will survive no matter the outcome but the silver linings will be enjoyed no matter what I will eventually endure because of them.

(#4647) A big storm coming

      I have been mostly preoccupied with a nearly 6 inch of rain storm that is about to hit our Sacramento California area and as I share 125 foot border with the creek behind my house with a chain link fence I will get first hand knowledge if a flood is coming. Arcade Creek is a tributary from the eastern part of our city and county that serves as the last channel that flows into the Sacramento River. So much of that rain from the east will filter into Arcade Creek which borders my property. In the past I have seen several days of rain raise to the top of the creek and the bottom of the chain link fence in my backyard so this heavy rain that is coming could well go higher than that.
     I scaled the distance from my back patio to the bottom of the back chain link fence and the elevation is only approximately 24 inches. So if the flow coming down the creek exceeds its banks I am in danger of having water come into my house and garage. We will see if that happens and I am mildly prepared for that as far as getting items to higher ground. For the next 40 hours I doubt I will sleep much as I will be monitoring the growing height to the creek as the heavy rain pours down on our Sacramento county. I am of little doubt that the runoff from everywhere that flows into our creek will find it's way to us since the drought here has hardened our soil and makes it difficult for the water to absorb into the ground.
     I try to keep my mind on politics and when not that then sports of whatever variety. Yet this storm that is coming is going to consume me to the utmost since not only is my patched flat roof going to get a huge test as to its water seal the creek and its possible overflow into my yard and possibly into my house is half expected. Mother nature is going to have me by the short hairs beginning very shortly. I love that we are getting rain but I just wish the rain wasn't coming like a typhoon. I suppose this weather is similar to what those on the south and east coast must deal with every year with flooding and high winds but since we have wildfires and earthquakes I wasn't expecting heavy flooding as well.

(#4646) The republican party is abhorrent!

      Yesterday, watching the House vote to charge Bannon with criminal contempt I was once again reminded just how low life the republican party has become. Sure, 9 of the 212 house republicans voted to charge Bannon but 203 of them did not. To me the republican party is full of wastrels who have no spine nor honor in their bodies. They may offer excuses for not voting for the criminal contempt charge but they are as ludicrous as humorous. The House has a duty to legislate and investigate and both have been staples of fact throughout the entire history of our United States democracy.
     So for the republicans to say that the House investigative committee into the January 6th insurrection is not a function of the House is hypocrisy at it's core and as well a big fucking whopper of a lie. The leadership of the republican party in the House had a chance to be an equal partner in the committee and choose not to join in. For several reasons some of which is akin to investigating oneself. so for republicans to cry foul after not joining the committee, although 2 republicans were added by Speaker Pelsoi, is laughable. Even one of the original picks to be on the committee by the republican leader has been caught trying to represent himself as being on the committee.
     I cannot explain in this post just how insufferable and mentally diseased the republican party is but if anyone ever really wanted to know the evidence is aplenty everywhere. The whole agenda of the republican party is to just stay in power. Now that doesn't mean through you liking their polices because they have none. What they do try to do is to disenfranchise voters who are not likely to vote for them and to control elections at the state level in order to manipulate the overall count to their favor. In other words that are as correct and clear as possible, they will and expect to CHEAT! Now I don't now about you but I would never vote for a cheater who would rather destroy our democracy than to protect it!

(#4645) Keep pressure on Manchin and Sinema to carve out voting rights from filibuster rule

      The idea that a carve out for voting rights protections is controversial in the democratic party is mind baffling. Not so much most of the democratic senate caucus but for the two, Manchin and Sinema. How can they not understand the significance of passing legislation that will help Americans all over our country and as well insure that we democrats get a shot at keeping our majorities? This is one of the most simple no brainers that will ever come down the legislative pike. Yet both Manchin and Sinema are playing at not understanding how vital the voting rights protection bills are.
     I cannot fathom their thinking other than to suggest that they made promises to their republican colleagues that they are trying to keep. If so, then their promises to republicans to not get in their way to obstruct and deny voting rights to American citizens is akin to treason to democracy. If Manchin and Sinema do not allow for a passage vote through a carve out for voting protection rights then they are branding themselves as despicable and traitors. I don't care how else they look at it the bottom line is the effect we conclude from and if the bottom line is no filibuster carve out for the voting protection bills then Manchin and Sinema will both wear the stench of a dead albatross around their necks!
     If they think that there will be no repercussion from their dereliction of duty to our constitution then they are not playing with a full deck of cards. These type of grave harms are not easily forgotten nor ignored. The penalties will play out much larger than they think is possible and for that others will be caught up in their lack of fidelity to our national constitution. Manchin and Sinema had better hope that they find their logic before the clock runs out on us who are counting on them. If they do they will not only save our democracy from the treasonous republicans but they will also salvage their own reputations that will be irreparably harmed if they don't.

(#4644) Looks like the infrastructure bills will get done

      After yesterday's flurry of activity and soul crushing realization the human infrastructure bill will get a framework that will be depressingly modified. The size and scope of the bill will be reduced to a bare bones scenario but it will still be a formidable achievement despite the self inflicted wounds two democrats inflicted on it. I will get over my bitterness aimed at Senators Manchin and Sinema eventually but for now the anger is palpable with me. The American people deserve better when we can do better and this ain't it! However, the fact that it appears likely now that both infrastructure bills will become law makes for a glimmer of hope that eventually, in the coming couple of years we can do better.
     There is still the police reform bill, the voting rights protections bill, and immigration reform that need immediate attention and once these infrastructure bills are accomplished the next phase of getting more legislation done becomes imperative. Foremost above anything President Biden can pass into law is the voter protection bill. Nothing is more important than securing the rights of all eligible citizens the right to vote. The multiple state republican barrage against vulnerable voters is disgusting and disgraceful so a national voting rights protection law is paramount. Nothing in a democracy is more important than the right to vote, nothing!
     This coming election in 2022 is so vital to America if we want to make possible the Biden agenda. What we don't get done this year in the human infrastructure bill will surely be addressed after we grow our majorities in the House and Senate. Eliminating the filibuster and hopefully addressing the rigged imbalance on the supreme court will become major topics of discussion and action. Our modern society with democratic values cemented into law has to be our goal for the long term future. There is nothing that republicans would offer to help our society; instead they would misinform and divert from including all of us to the promise of the pursuit of happiness.

(#4643) Life has to be greater than letting republicans steal our democracy!

      What is democracy? Why is it important to our lives? First, democracy is self rule. We the citizens of our group or nation are the ones who decide the makeup of our society through either direct and/or representative decision making. The hallmark of democracy is majority rule. Without majority rule the idea that democracy is the best form of government is deemed illogical. The importance of democracy is that all decisions about how we live is decided by us the citizenry, not by some authoritarian or monarchial figurehead. We the majority of us decide how we should make our society more perfect.
     So when we have a minority party trying to act like a majority one we have a conflict of foundational differences. The trump republicans have given up hope of being a majority and instead are now trying to usurp the power of the majority through illegal and immoral means. Using some of the more archaic rules we have within our political architecture the republican party has a vehicle to do just that. It isn't just our politics that are being manipulated by republicans to nullify our current majority rule, it is the media which is controlled by too few who benefit from the republican agenda.
     As we go about our daily lives we have an expectation that our system of government is solid and will prevail over any attempt, foreign and/or domestic to destabilize it. Yet we would be wrong in that expectation. There is a real effort being forwarded by the trump republicans who are a large minority viewpoint to take our democracy out of our hands and change it to one that is controlled by only a handful of the wealthy and powerful. It is happening before our eyes and if we don't stop to take a look and see it, then it will happen and then we will find out about it after it is too late to stop it.

(#4642) Joe and Kamala need to put a stop to Manchin and Sinema

      Whatever it takes to get the two obstructionist democrats in the senate to a consensus with the rest of our senate democratic caucus must be done. There is no clear path for this to happen other than President Biden and Vice President Harris to use any and all measures to bring it about. Whatever it takes means doing everything under the sun to force those two to stop their gamesmanship and start behaving like team players. There are some things that must be done and there is no time for delaying them for selfish reasons. The planet and our citizenry are in peril and no amount of tunnel vision is going to save us.
     Which is why the bigger picture must be made to be critical in both Manchin and Sinema's orbit. They have decided that they want to manipulate their agendas as greater than our nations. Which is why hardball tactics are needed now that all softball tactics have failed. There are several ways to make sure that Manchin and Sinema understand the gravity of their ploys and for them to learn that consequences in real terms are necessary. Politics is a muscle event and whoever has the bigger muscles when decision time comes must flex them in no uncertain terms. If Manchin and Sinema think they can outmuscle our current president and vice president and are not otherwise persuaded we are all in trouble.
     No agenda of two people is greater than the danger to all because of greed and selfishness. There is a way to reform them because I know that those who initially manipulate are not pure. So finding their pressure points of equal or greater value is required. The nefarious route Manchin and Sinema have taken provides us with a blueprint as to how to turn them around. As has been publicized over the years as how to start, look no further than the old saying, follow the money. Joe and Kamala have the principled outlook on all of this and have given those two all chances to redeem themselves. It appears they won't so it is incumbent upon Joe and Kamala to redeem them themselves.

(#4641) Do both hard and human infrastructure through reconciliation

      I know this is a hard stance to take here but it seems that the republicans in the senate struck a deal with Manchin and Sinema to pass the hard infrastructure bill with conditions. We don't need those conditions if they exclude climate change and fair drug pricing. Those seem to be the items that republicans won't let us have through Manchin and Sinema. Well we really didn't need to pass both bills separately anyway and instead should pass them together as one bill so we democrats can get what America needs and not what republicans want. This is my take on it but since no one in the mainstream media is reporting on the possibility of it then most likely it is true.
     The mainstream media seems to have lost all of it's investigative journalism moxie and that is not surprising since most national media is owned by the wealthy. Who we know love republicans because they do the bidding of the wealthy despite their democratic treason, which should tell you all you need to know about the wealthy. I say we should just shit can the existing deals we are working on for individual passage and start over with an all encompassing bill that goes reconciliation and then the pressure will be on Manchin and Sinema as to whether they vote for the final product. That is how it should be and not what it is with Manchin and Sinema calling the shots.
     The idea that bipartisanship is doable with this current iteration of republicanism is a fools errand and we are seeing it play out in real time with them doing more obstruction than agreeing. We democrats are the future of America if we want a better America than what is our current dismal form. We don't need republicans for anything and the sooner we understand and do that the better our society will become. Anyone who votes for a republican is either a fool or an enemy of democracy. There is no middle ground here. So either associate with the treason party or hang out with fools. Neither is recommended for the sake of our nation and neither should be any negotiated deal that helps destroy our working middle poor class people and our planet!

(#4640) Why won't Manchin and Sinema help our working middle poor class?

      I don't get it. Really, it is outside my ability to rationalize. There has to be a good reason for them to discard the ideas and values of the democratic party. They are democrats and as such should be in somewhat agreement that the policies in the human infrastructure bill that begin to address the needs of the working middle poor class and our planet should become law. Yet they don't for whatever narrowly focused reason. They are putting the many in harms way in order to satisfy the few who don't need the pacification. It really is a mind numbing reality we are faced with here.
     These progressive liberal policies are not just for progressives and liberals. They are for all Americans, even the wealthy if they could ever take their view off the bottom line of their unfair accumulations. The constitution wishes us all a pursuit of happiness which is well and good yet unachievable in the current makeup of our society. The economic direction of our nation is full steam ahead no matter who gets run over and know this that it won't be the wealthy who get run over. Capitalism is a good thing when it is bracketed with democratic values. When it is not then the whole idea of capitalism becomes privileged dog eat underprivileged dog instead of healthy competition.
     What Manchin and Sinema are doing is taking the best chance we democrats have of course correcting our society away from the disaster that is looming in the future. Not only are more of our citizens being marginalized without the human infrastructure bill but our planet is getting to the point of becoming uninhabitable. That we are not all on the same page to protect and return our planet to it's more natural and safe harbor state is perplexing especially since we have the technology to do so. It is the greed and ignorance of the wealthy and their last gasp hold upon the dirty energy and selfishness for all resources and capital that has us in this dilemma that Manchin and Sinema along with the other 48 democratic senators could put an end to.

(#4639) Within the rules

      The game last night between the Dodgers and Giants showed us how our democracy works. First of all it was played within the rules even when the rules are subjective. A winner and a loser was determined without chaos ensuing. Unlike our current political situation where republicans were handily defeated and as of yet the ringleader of the republican party refuses to concede. Instead of accepting that the rules are how we are guided to conclusions the republican party is instead intent on overturning the rules and playing by their rules only. The sport that was played out is important but nowhere near as important as our democracy.
     The passions on both sides are the same but at least in sport we move on to the next event. If our season is over then the disappointment eventually fades into optimism for the next season. It used to be this way in our politics but not anymore. With republicans claiming that they were robbed and then not being able to produce any facts that prove robbery they still claim to be robbed. In fact they attempted an insurrection on our national capitol building while our nationally elected representatives were in the building certifying the results of the just concluded 2020 election results. The republican insurrectionists failed to overturn our election while causing the deaths of those who would not let them.
     Sporting events are satisfactory entertainment events that fuel our passions and allow us to unite when both sides play exceptionally like last night. However there is no uniting after what republicans tried and are still trying to pull against our democracy. Every republican voter should be outraged at the behavior and strategy of the national and state republican parties that are not playing by the rules and instead are trying to circumvent the intent of our national constitution. It is a shameful and deadly attempt they are trying and the result is not going to be a hearty well played applause. Instead it is going to be the end of our democracy if republicans succeed at overthrowing our government.

(#4638) The republican party still trying to spin life into a dark ugliness

      Despite the euphoria of President Biden winning office and democrats controlling congress, the republican party is doing all it can to destroy our optimism and our path forward. The republicans, while trying to obstruct our voting rights everywhere and are still forwarding the big lie that the election was stolen have also been united in voting against anything that focuses on helping the working middle poor class. If it isn't something for them or their wealthy donors they have been in lockstep to vote no. 19 of them did vote for the hard infrastructure bill in the senate but 31 of them voted against it, even though it does more for their donors than anything to date coming from our democratic agenda.
     Even our own democratic party has a couple of conservatives in the senate that are unable to define their support for the working middle poor class in a productive way. They at this point might as well be republicans since their outlook is one of fetters and binders. Without the looming legislation that has been proposed by President Biden the working middle poor class will once again be left to scrabble for orts off the table of the wealthy. Even more than economic issues, voting rights protections, immigration reform and gun rights legislation that is so desperately needed is being held hostage by the republican refusal to address them.
     The republican party has decided that Americas are unable to see them for who they are and are willing to destroy our democracy in order to convince us that democrats can't rule. It is working to a degree but the problem republicans have is trying to keep a straight face as they lie to our faces. I expect that it won't work but I have been wrong before and for their gambit of dark days to succeed will take an extraordinary collapse of intelligence on too many of us. After the unbelievable appointment of trump in 2016, I find that anything that is possible for a bad event is not to be underestimated. The republican party has found it's agenda and it isn't pretty for we the American working middle poor class!

(#4637) Manchin and Sinema need to take one for the team!

      Manchin, in a deep red state, more so is in jeopardy for doing the correct thing and being maybe punished for it. Sinema not so much since her state is already purple and trending toward blue. So the excuse that their states are holding them back from voting on great transformative legislation is phony. Even if Manchin is punished for voting for this upcoming legislation he will be doing the correct thing and will be held in high esteem by those who can extend his career into other fields. For him to stop all progress on a national bill designed to bring the working middle poor class out from under poverty is ludicrous because he thinks his state would be mad at him.
     Sinema the enigma is less clear on her objections. For me she is in a pattern of wanting to tank the human infrastructure bill without having to admit it by being quiet about what she wants differently than what the bill is asking. Her strategy of silence will only confirm to the rest of us that she has no intention of voting for any human infrastructure bill. I understand that she is negotiating possibly with a few but that hasn't been confirmed with any degree of believability to me. That she isn't transparent about her concerns or lack thereof is just one more clue that she is more in line with stopping legislation like her new found friendly republican colleagues.
     I have tried to give both Manchin and Sinema the benefit of the doubt as to their authenticity as being in line with their democratic colleagues but not even I can stay naive to what they are doing in real time. Which is sabotaging the human infrastructure bill while clamoring for the hard infrastructure bill to be passed. Well they are about to learn that Sanders and Jayapal are not going to lay down and let them steam roll their desire to sabotage the human infrastructure bill. Both Sanders in the senate and Jayapal in house are determined to hold Manchin and Sinema to their promise of having both bills ready for a Joe Biden signature. Otherwise both bills will end up on the trash heap!

(#4636) If no infrastructure deals we must keep fighting for more democrats

      If there is no infrastructure deal on either the hard or human bills then so be it. We have 2 conservative democratic senators who think they are above the rest of the 48 democratic senators. So that means we need to elect more democratic senators in 2022 and then we can eliminate the filibuster and pass all the legislation we want. Gun control, immigration control, minimum wage increase, voting rights protections, tax reform, medicare/medicaid expansion, day care for our children, end dark money in our politics, etcetera. As it is now we are fighting for a few things but cannot get agreement on what is best for our people. Those 2 senators, manchin and sinema have made sure that the will of the voters is not to be allowed!
     So in 2022 we democrats have got to find a way to elect at least 3 or more democratic senators while holding onto all our current seats. Looking at who is up for election in 2022 it is very likely that we can elect at least 3 more democratic senators. We must also make sure that we hold the house and actually add more seats there. Only then can we do what the majority of Americans have been fighting so long and hard to accomplish. Once we have nullified the crass demands of manchin and sinema we will find that there is no real obstacle to correcting our society to favor the working middle poor class instead of just the wealthy. The rest of the world is tired of our arrogance especially since we are not the shining city on the hill representing democracy, given the events of 2016 and 2020.
     Our democracy can be representative of what is good in existence but we have to end the control of the wealthy over it. Our electorate should decide the fate of our nation not a handful of greedy more often than not psychopathic driven individuals who do not hold dear democracy and it's values. If manchin and sinema do not come around and at least hold up their end of the bargain then we must move past them and make them moot to any decision making after the 2022 elections. We can do this and all we have to do is stay focused on the prize. Each of us have to get ourselves in position to vote and then vote together to end the madness of republicans and the selfishness of 2 democratic senators.

(#4635) Sinema is killing us

      She started out as a progressive but as of now I think of her as a conservative. If you watch C-span2 all the time when the Senate is in session what you will see is Sinema congregating with the republicans far more than with democrats. She hasn't switched parties but she sure does seem to like her republican colleagues much more than she does her democratic ones. To her it is a dance and she is trying to be the most popular girl there. Most all the democrats are busy trying to do serious work while the republicans are just stringing Sinema along and she can't see it. I expect the jokes behind her back, coming from republicans, are many as they use her to thwart Joe Biden's agenda.
     The sad thing is that we democrats have this amazing opportunity to get some real important legislation turned into law and we cannot with the likes of Sinema and Manchin. Sinema though is the real problem. Manchin will at least negotiate to get to a place where legislation can pass but Sinema is an enigma. She won't cooperate with her democratic caucus to get work done. Instead she flits around trying to keep the illusion of republicans liking her alive. They don't like her, but are willing to fake it to make sure democrats don't get important legislation done. It is really sad to watch.
     I hope in the end that Sinema catches some of the laughter at her from republicans so she can finally conclude that she is being used by them. I don't know any other way for this spell she has allowed on herself to be broken. I fear there is a mental health issue with her that has long been unaddressed. That she puts more effort into being a social butterfly than she does into serving the constituents of her state is a clue and should be a warning sign to all that she is not ready to be a good public servant. In the meantime the rest of us are resigned to the possibility that she will never negotiate in good faith with democrats and has already decided that her new friends the republicans are her only lighthouse in this current political storm.

(#4634) The Ostrich effect

      Okay, someone told me to say nice things or otherwise be quiet. lol. I remember hearing that phrase several times during each stage of my life and I still have the same response. Forget about it! If I don't call out the bullshit from people in a way that clearly paints a picture than I am wasting my imagination. I enjoy telling someone to go to hell in a way that has some complexity to it. But no, this woman who doesn't know me at all says that if I don't have something nice to say about someone I shouldn't say anything at all. Kind of like someone sticking a knife in my back and me holding my tongue because I don't want to offend them or someone who over hears me.
     I am all for living in a polite society but until we actually do live in a polite society then forget about it! Some folks need to get a life and then defend that life so that they know what the hell I am talking about. It must be nice to sit back and never complain when there is so much to complain about and for me that typifies our current society. A bunch of nobody's who like being quiet. Well without the social justice warriors who stand up and holler back at the cruel and abusive what do you think their life would be like. The savages would quickly devour them all the while they hold their tongues so as not to offend. F that!
    I am not one to turn on someone who is not worthy of my angst. Over decades of learning and knowing it is quite clear to me that some talking heads and politicians will never stop lying, cheating, and stealing as long as they draw breath and if I come along them in my path then the lowdown slithering snakes will feel the brunt of my discourse. I am no one's shrinking violet and if you want to avoid me tearing them a new asshole then don't bring your naivete to me to defend their bullshit. Likewise if you cannot hack the heat then get out of my kitchen. You bring yourself into my sphere to judge me without knowing a damn thing about me it is even worse for you and your ignorance. Rant done!

(#4633) The debt ceiling extension will be taken up in the House on Tuesday

      I had thought that the House would come back into session to sign this important piece of legislation but they deem that coming back this coming Tuesday in their scheduled return would workout okay. I have no problem with that but only with the delay. I will get over it. :) The sooner it is signed into law by President Biden the sooner we get back to infrastructure and voting rights. The annual budget is coming up as well plus the debt ceiling extension expiration so there is still much that needs to be accomplished despite the voting rights protection deliberations. We cannot let the many things that need to be done be an excuse not to address and solve the republican attack on our fundamental right of voting.
     Yet the republican party is determined to keep us distracted from even thinking about protecting voting rights since obstructing and denying voters their right to vote is their election strategy for the future. Think about that for a moment. The republican party hates us so much that instead of trying to appeal to our wants and needs they are trying to win elections by thwarting democratic processes. If you vote for a republican you are in essence giving them your rock hard approval that democracy is not a value in your life. You are fueling their agenda and propping up their theft of our American democratic processes as a virtue.
     What kind of person would deny reality so much so that they can delude themselves into thinking they are doing all of us a favor by initiating an authoritarian coup? What kind of person is so devoid of the ability to recognize when they are being played when there is evidence of it at every turn in their lives? What kind of person thinks they are on a God's side and then deny people basic necessities and turn away from their angst and suffering? How incredibly hollow does one have to be to let the wealthy take more and deny anything to the working middle poor class? If you have no answer to these questions other than "not my problem" then you are certainly a person who has no redeeming value!

(#4632) With all the noise we cannot forget voting rights protections!

      The republican manufactured debt ceiling fiasco is about to end this morning. The House will gavel in shortly to pass the temporary debt ceiling extension passed last evening in the Senate and then send it to President Biden for his signature. What this last week and several days of this nervous grinding has done is take the focus off the voting rights protections legislation that should be front and center. I know we still have the infrastructure bills to pass after new negotiations in the Senate but nothing on the calendar for this year is as important as voting protection rights. That being because if we don't protect the right to vote, our democracy will be hijacked by the despicable republican party for their own devices.
     It won't matter what legislation is passed if in 2022, the republicans control the House and Senate. They will find a way to muck up the spending and oversight of any well meaning legislation. As well they will tie up any new progress on any front of the Biden administration for the rest of his 4 year term. So this little reminder, that voting rights protections need to be at the forefront of our agenda, is necessary. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema must be made to understand that the filibuster will be adjusted for any number of reasons if the republican party wins the 2024 presidential race. So their vain attempts to protect it now while it hurts our democracy is the ultimate example of naivete.
     Joe Manchin likes to say that his philosophy is one of conservatism. Well I am struggling to understand why he is in the democratic party. The idea that he thinks that his brand of conservatism should rule over the liberal progressive nature of our democratic party is treasonous in itself. Not to mention that he is not the president of the United States, Joe Biden is and this is Joe Biden's agenda. So if Joe Manchin continues to thwart and obstruct Joe Biden's agenda then he should be at least stripped of his committee chairmanships. There is no time for going it alone when everyone is needed to pass legislation. Joe Manchin is mature enough to understand this and needs to stop his ego driven blindness and get with the rest of his caucus and pass the Biden agenda. Same with the abstract Sinema.

(#4631) An agreement on temporarily extending the debt limit this morning

      Chuck Schumer, the democratic Senate Majority leader, this morning on the Senate floor, told us that a short term agreement had been reached with the obstructionist moscow mitch mcconnell and his lock step republican party. That moscow mitch mcconnell was the one who created the drama of a default so that he could wrangle a talking point in the coming election against democrats caved when real pressure from his wealthy donors hit him. We as yet don't know the details of the deal that was made to extend the debt ceiling until early December, but it was negotiated through the night last night so I expect that democrats came away from the negotiating not under the boot of moscow mitch.
     That the republican party would have taken us over the cliff of economic doom over the fact that republicans didn't want to pay for their spending when trump was the appointed president speaks to how despicable they have become and how little they care for our democracy. Well for now that has been averted and in about 2 months we will be right back here in desperate straits if we don't figure a plan now for taking care of the debt limit before early December. Which I do believe we will do this time knowing that republicans are going to derail any attempt we have at including them in the process.
     If it isn't clear to most voters that the republican party is a dangerous and illogical party then we are all in for a hell of a mess come the next election. With the ignorant stances of Manchin and Sinema for us to deal with, the idea that we democrats can overcome the republican sabotage of our democratic society becomes that much more precarious. We democrats have a real dilemma on our hands. First we must rebuff all the republican attempts to subvert our society while also bringing our party to an agreement where real solutions to real dangers can be turned into law.

(#4630) Yesterday on the Senate floor

      When I turned on C-span2 yesterday morning Senator Sinema was presiding over the Senate. During her time in the President of the Senate's chair, no less than half a dozen or more republican senators came over to her and had conversations with her during vote counts. Only one democratic Senator visited her during that time and it was senator Manchin, with whom she seemed to huddle in a whispered conversation. The other republican senators were not so close in their conversations with her but they were right there at her chair. I was watching intently from the viewpoint of the two cameras that switched back and forth to cover both sides of the Senate chamber.
     I know how much she relishes her role as a bipartisan Senator and how much she seems to favor the republican members a bit too much in my estimation. So watching the manner of those conversations with those more than a handful republican Senators who seemed to be doing a tag team on her had my full attention. The reason I came to that conclusion was because none of them seemed to be happy during and then at the end of their conversations with her. Almost as if they were pleading some case with her and were not getting the result they expected. Now that could be just me and my distrust of her manufacturing a conclusion, but I don't think so.
     Not one of the republicans who came away from their impromptu meeting with Senator Sinema seemed at all satisfied and that is why I think they kept coming up to her chair in a tag team ensemble. I was also watching the democratic Senators to see how they would react to all these republican Senators affectively bombarding her with their presence. Not one democratic Senator seemed to give any notice to it. Normally there is one or two who would be caught staring at the procession of republicans bearing down on one of their colleagues but not yesterday. Almost as if they were in on some predetermined outcome that the republicans were as yet unaware. I hope I am correct here and that Senator Sinema is firmly entrenched with her caucus to get President Biden's agenda finished.

(#4629) Sinema is serving two masters

      The only way to read the behavior of the democratic Senator from Arizona, Ms. Sinema, is that she is beholden to the republican party for whatever reason. I can guess that it is because they helped her craft the hard infrastructure bill and gave her votes for it and in exchange she is to sabotage the human infrastructure bill as payment. Now that is my guess and it is probably wrong because Sinema seems to be doing more than sabotaging the human infrastructure bill. She voted against raising the minimum wage and is against eliminating the filibuster for it seems any reason at all. It is hard to know because she is rarely candid about her views.
     Her lack of candor is another piece of evidence that she has an alternative strategy to not helping President Joe Biden establish his agenda. She won't be able to shirk her responsibilities much longer as Joe Manchin will soon come to an agreement with the other 48 democrats in the caucus which will leave Sinema hanging out to dry with her dodgy behavior. All eyes will be cast her way and the pressure of that will make or break her to give up her game. The idea that she is playing with people's lives is lost on her and no amount of explaining has yet gotten through to her. She will soon become a bit of a hero or she will soon become a pariah.
     Either way this is all an unforced error. Sinema is already being advanced on when her election in 2024 is up for renewal. No one in their right minds now is happy with her and her unpredictable behavior is not helping. Her poll numbers with democrats is falling and she is not the republican darling she thinks she is. The problem though is that we need her now to be the 50th vote to move forward with historic legislation that shouldn't have to wait until 2024. My hope is that Joe Manchin will be a positive influence on her and bring her back from the cliff of insanity as it were. We will see, again, as the pressure mounts on her and in her life; the nation is calling her and we need her to answer in the affirmative.

(#4628) Disinformation and outright lies coming in heavy from republicans to seed doubt

      If you are starting to see statements about shadowy Biden or democratic policies that hurt the working middle poor class then know this, they are attacks for the most part by the republicans in order to sow discontent in our ranks. The republicans are masters of this and will be taking select comments about all things democrats are trying to accomplish and making false statements about them. I have seen several already and they are ludicrous. But as is the case with many who are not well informed as to how to fact check the republican false statements, they are effective in seeding doubt.
     First off verify the statement is actually accredited to whom republicans are attacking. Then fact check the statement for veracity. My go to move is to almost always correctly assume that if a republican is attacking democrats or democratic policies they are a lie. Knowing the republican party like I do is why I assume they are lying. The republican party has no offer of any help for the American working middle poor class so all they have to is attack the help we democrats are trying to provide. As well the republican party is working overtime to divide us so that they can seem to be a reasonable alternative. lol. Now that is funny! All they are in power for is to help the wealthy and themselves. They will never be able to sugar coat that with me anyway.
     Make republicans prove their claims by demanding the facts of their claim. Often they will cite some rumor they heard on one of their propaganda sites as fact and then muscle that into the political discourse through some fear tactic. They are never ashamed of lying and when caught out in their lies they change the subject to the next lie that has been supplied to them. My rule of thumb is to ignore and dismiss republican talking points as irrational because they can only claim their points are true but can never prove it. I won't fall into their game of seeding doubt because they are liars. I know they are liars and for me to accept what they say as truth without them proving it would make me a gullible weakling who has no mind of his own. :)

(#4627) We have to live our values

      I am a progressive/liberal democrat. So how do I look to people who don't know me? Am I an example of caring and helping when the opportunity arises? Do I give of myself so that others can get out of harm? Am I someone who is better to have been met than not? These are easy questions to answer if you know how to live a good life that respects and cares about the lives of others. I just don't say it, I live it. For one thing there is a good selfishness. I know because I like the feeling of my good selfishness. I like and want the feeling I get when I can make a positive influence and real time action in someone's life. That feeling is what I want for me all the time.
     It isn't that others can't have the same experience so my selfishness isn't really an only for me selfishness. But I do like the fact that I live how I think. It is easy for me because I grew up with some things I needed but certainly not the things that I wanted. I know poverty and exclusion. I lost my front teeth to a rock fight when I was 8 so being the butt of all of the toothless jokes growing up and then into my early adulthood taught me that life isn't about how we look but instead how we live. I endured the disadvantage until my mouth stopped growing and then could get a permanent dental bridge to give me a more normal appearance.
     The only way I could afford that dental bridge was paying it off weekly only because I found a dentist and orthodontist who would take payments back then. I was forced to go without many things but kept working and kept my head down until I got the bill paid off. I know humility and I know what it is like being subjected to condescension. So being helpful to others who find themselves in despair about how life has kicked them is natural for me. I could have become an ego maniac and lived like I was beyond special but there is nothing about living a lie that attracts me. I like who I am and I like that I like to help others when I can. It is that good feeling I get that cannot be attained any other way than caring and helping when the opportunity appears in my life.

(#4626) Feeling better about the infrastructure bills becoming laws.

      Yesterday was a bit of an anxiety ridden day with the infrastructure bills. but when President Biden came out of the democratic caucus meeting the hope that came with him and democratic members was visible. There was no rancor nor upsetting interviews, just a full spectrum of togetherness and willingness to get Joe Biden's agenda passed. Joe made the strategic decision to remind all democrats that both of these infrastructure bills were written by him and he wanted them both to succeed. That message seemed to resonate well and the leaders of the sub caucuses in the House democratic party found their allegiance to that message. If the republicans had hoped for a feuding democratic party over these two infrastructure bills they were sorely disappointed.
     If anything now our democratic party is more determined than ever to make sure that these two bills become law. There is work to do on them and that may even include some preliminary work on the tax code but do not be confused. These two bills will pass once everyone has their say as to what changes to the human infrastructure bill can become included. It won't be 3.5 trillion but nonetheless closer to 2 trillion is still doable. Like I floated yesterday, doing the human infrastructure bill for 5 years instead of 10 would cut the bill in approximately half and that may be how this current impasse gets resolved. I only use the word impasse as a generic term as the differing sides of the human infrastructure bill all want this bill to pass.
     The self imposed deadline Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi put on the vote for the hard infrastructure bill seemed to work as a catalyst to get negotiations going full throttle. Which was what was needed to get more momentum for the human infrastructure bill. Now both bills are back to being somewhat linked as they should always have been. If a human infrastructure bill is crafted in the next day or weeks is not a problem as long as the work on it gets done reasonably soon so that both can become law and get into effect quickly. Both are needed and in tandem both will positively revolutionize how our society and our democracy functions.

(#4625) What Manchin and Sinema don't understand

      These two Senators have an understanding problem. Neither of them were elected by the people of America to be our president. Our President is Joe Biden and he ran on the platform that is outlined in the human infrastructure bill. So Joe Biden is just keeping his promise to the American people. Manchin and Sinema were not elected as president and they should stop acting like they were. They are of the Democratic party and as such should welcome the chance to advance democratic values regardless if they are left of their own personal positions. The President Biden agenda is for the whole country, not for less than 3 percent of the constituents that Manchin and Sinema represent.
     Joe Biden will shoulder the responsibility of his proposals, not Manchin and Sinema. Manchin and Sinema will just be following the will of the American electorate and in that they are not to blame if President Biden's proposals backfire. Now the idea that President Biden's proposals will backfire is small so the cost to Manchin and Sinema will be little if not a benefit if President Biden's proposals become law. The human infrastructure bill is polling at least 70% everywhere in the country including in Manchin's West Virginia and Sinema's Arizona. So to me their obstruction is not about economics but about loyalty to the wealthy and polluters.
     How do we get around Manchin and Sinema? By putting pressure on them at home and everywhere they live and go. The pressure must be relentless and loud. They cannot get a free ride from public disgust of their position without feeling our disgust as an indomitable and relentless force. The cause of their actions must be met with an equally palpable effect of their actions because of their disinterest of a better future for all Americans. As elected officials we can remove them from office as soon as the next time they are up for election but in the meantime we can make their lives uncomfortable with our pressing them at every turn.