19 Comments
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Frank Hawkins's avatar

Point 1 is spot-on. Jeffries is as unsuited to the moment as Schumer and Pelosi. Fight fiercely (and dirty if needed) now, then codify former norms once you're back in power.

Point 2 demonstrates why Mamdani is producing establishment agita: it's because he's got good instincts, good talent, and is a nice guy.

thanks for these -- they made me head into the weekend in a better mood overall, despite Jeffries.

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Jen's avatar

Frank I hope to join you in your optimism for one entire summer weekend. 😎

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Patt's avatar

That is really depressing about the 45 day timeline and the Dem's inaction. I just don't know how to light a fire under these Democrats.

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🐝 BusyBusyBee 🐝's avatar

Vote for the people that primary them? Seems like a damned good idea to me. Jeffries has been an abject failure and needs to either be replaced as Leader if Dems take over the House next year or primaried. I’m partial to the latter.

And the same goes for the rest of those who aren’t doing squat but yammering about Epstein.

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Amy's avatar

I got so excited when I saw your note yesterday that the Dems could stop the recissions bill by taking advantage of the magic moment. I've been calling my reps non-stop about the recissions bill. The fact that they just played dead is infuriating. I'll call my rep today to complain. Any point in calling Jeffries office?

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Sara Frischer's avatar

Very disappointed to read that the Democrats haven't staged a last hoorah. It's like they took the shovels themselves and dug holes for the Maggots to bury us is. Kind of like what I am reading about in "The Kindly Ones," by Jonathan Little where those about to be slaughtered are sent to the forest to dig their own graves ..... Thank you Brian

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Randall Livingston's avatar

Profiles in courage:

Winston Churchill, after British troops were evacuated from Dunkirk—

“We shall fight on the beaches,

We shall fight on the landing grounds,

We shall fight in the fields and in the streets,

We shall fight in the hills;

We shall never surrender . . . .”

John Paul Jones, his ship demasted, lashed to the Serapis, and eviscerated—

“I have not yet begun to fight.”

Democratic Congressional leadership—

“We’ll lose anyway.”

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Jason Luckey's avatar

My anger with this current Democratic Party hasn't become rage, it's become resigned acceptance. They are rudderless and ineffective precisely because of how feckless the dem leadership is. This country is doomed. I practically told my kids to apply for visas and find another country. "It's too late for me.. save yourselves!"

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Cynthia Phillips's avatar

The story about how Democrats are failing to take care of their constituents and defend democracy is precisely why their approval rating is 19%. You would think that number would have played into their (mis)calculations. Maybe it did. Maybe they just don't think they will be held accountable in the mid-terms because Trump is so much worse.

Well, guess what? That theory of the case has been failing for a decade now. Giving Republicans any quarter whatsoever just encourages their overreach. Damn them.

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Cynthia Phillips's avatar

And another thing about that bobbled play. Republicans were floating this rescission gambit to see what Democrats would let them get away with. So, now they are going to start rescission actions on all the DOGE cuts to benefit. Those fools.

Democrats don't seem to realize they are dealing with bad faith actors who think like a criminal -- every day Trump and his minions get up and think "what can we get away with today?"

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Joeff's avatar

So the Dems have cast themselves as the heels in this kayfabe. Did I get that right? Jeffries says keep the fight Epstein pot boiling, Pelosi sez nuh-uh. What a shit show!

Á propos rescissions, Congress still has to actually appropriate funds for ICE for the upcoming FYs right? They could in theory cut back from the billions allocated in the BBB.

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Milford Sprecher's avatar

Fighting and losing is okay. They may want to hang this around Republicans neck. It also occurred to me that with the upcoming budget bills, they could put all the money back in the budget b/c they need 60 votes to pass. Still I am puzzled.

WWNP do? (What would Nancy Pelosi do? Jamie Raskin is my rep and lives in my neighborhood, so I see him frequently. I will ask if I get the chance. I will call his office and ask that question.

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Gary Paudler's avatar

Old Jews compose 100% of the asses sitting in my chair and I looked-up "intifada" to make sure I remembered correctly that it means "uprising". The only Jews who might realistically be threatened by that are the ones genociding Palestinians. I am sick-to-death (figure of speech, you pseudo-literalists) of Jews bleating "anti-Semitism" every time it ray-ains on a wedding day or the ICC recognizes obvious, declared genocide by Israel, who has succeeded in their decades-long project conflating Judaism with Zionism.

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CathyP's avatar

Nice nod to Alanis! 😁

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Mando's avatar

DACO = Democrats Always Chicken Out.

Seems appropriate and usually is with them.

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CathyP's avatar

Thank you for sharing the info from Axios about what happened with the rescission. When I read your piece about this yesterday, I thought Jeffries would exercise his procedural prerogative to run out the Republicans’ clock. So I was very surprised to hear late last night that the House had passed the measure.

In hindsight I probably shouldn’t have been surprised. Given Jeffries’ persistent lack of a spine this year, why would the fact that he finally stepped up and spoke for 8 hours on July 3 have caused me to believe he had actually grown one?

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drholden3's avatar

David Hogg--your check is in the mail.

Really....

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Jen's avatar

I didn’t know about the 45-day timeline. (forgive me Brian- missed that). Whatever Dem gave those quotes to Axios is a fool. “Your local public TV is gone” is the easiest layup. And no one cares about staff travel plans sorry

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Haaty's avatar

I’m pretty sure the unhinged attacks on Zohran helped him with a certain demo. The pod bros loved that he refused to say he wants to visit Israel, even as the donors got super pissy. The establishment screaming on his head about intifada is miscalculating. Lol

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