Bipartisanship

[DaShuckster]

Today the President met with 10 Republican Senators seeking their support for a bipartisan-backed stimulus bill. Both sides considered it a 'fruitful' discussion but I personally suspect the bill will eventually be passed through a budget reconciliation process that will require only a simple majority (Democrats only) to pass.

Bipartisanship should be a goal but Democrats still remember the gameplaying that GOP Congressmen did back when Obama took over after the last Republican President left office with the nation in shambles. Back then, Democrats screwed around with that stimulus bill -- and later on with the Affordable Care Act -- only to have Republicans bail on them when it came to voting anyway.

I like that Biden has reached out to the Republicans but bipartisanship is about how the two sides can work together to make the bill better. If this becomes a repeat of 2009 where the Republicans aren't really operating in good faith, then the Democrats need to just do what they need to do. It would be nice to see the two parties working together, but as the old saying goes: "it takes two to tango."

Collins calls meeting with Biden on stimulus plan ‘very useful,’ but no agreement reached

Maine's senior senator heads a group of 10 Republicans that is promoting a $618 billion relief package, less than one-third of what the president has proposed.

www.pressherald.com

 

[TB Knight]

I figured the Supreme Court hypocrisy would be the last time Lucy pulled the football out from Charlie Brown...

 

[Crazyhole]

You're about 17 years too late for your calls for bipartisanship. Extend the fig leaf all you want, the other side doesn't trust you anymore.

 

[Knight In TN]

Anyone taking a hard line on a partisan stance that delays necessary legislation should be voted out.

To pretend the half of the country/state/district that didn’t vote for you doesn’t deserve to have any of their wishes considered is the height of arrogance.

 

[Crazyhole]

Anyone taking a hard line on a partisan stance that delays necessary legislation should be voted out.

To pretend the half of the country/state/district that didn’t vote for you doesn’t deserve to have any of their wishes considered is the height of arrogance.

No legislation is necessary

 

[Happy Hands]

The Dems will pay us
Buy Kamado Joe grill then
Gift from Sleepy Joe

 

[DaShuckster]

To pretend the half of the country/state/district that didn’t vote for you doesn’t deserve to have any of their wishes considered is the height of arrogance.

If Trump voters want their representatives to have 'their wishes considered,' it depends entirely on how serious those representatives are about negotiating in good faith.

In the long struggle back in 2009 to pass the Affordable Care Act, President Obama tried hard to give the initiative bipartisan support by courting a group of moderate Republicans, particularly Iowa's Senator Grassley.

Yet endless rounds of negotiations produced nothing, and Democrats on the Hill began to get the distinct feeling they were being played.

Obama finally sought closure with Grassley and invited him to the White House where he asked him a hypothetical: "Chuck, if I agreed to all of your proposed changes, then would you support the bill?"

After a long pause, Grassley replied, “I guess not, Mr. President.”

 

[Knight In TN]

If Trump voters want their representatives to have 'their wishes considered,' it depends entirely on how serious those representatives are about negotiating in good faith.

In the long struggle back in 2009 to pass the Affordable Care Act, President Obama tried hard to give the initiative bipartisan support by courting a group of moderate Republicans, particularly Iowa's Senator Grassley.

Yet endless rounds of negotiations produced nothing, and Democrats on the Hill began to get the distinct feeling they were being played.

Obama finally sought closure with Grassley and invited him to the White House where he asked him a hypothetical: "Chuck, if I agreed to all of your proposed changes, then would you support the bill?"

After a long pause, Grassley replied, “I guess not, Mr. President.”

The “Your side is worse than my side” fallacy is a sickness. Thanks for cutting off the part where I said anyone not willing to consider the other half of the country needs to be voted out.

 

[goodknightfl]

Yep they now are being nice before they fail to work together. That works much better than being mean than not working together.

 

[DaShuckster]

Thanks for cutting off the part where I said anyone not willing to consider the other half of the country needs to be voted out.

A point I agree with.

 

[Poolside Knight]

Republicans are stalling w the exact same playbook they used vs Obama bc they want a slow recovery, looks like Dems are not gonna wait this time around.

when the stimulus polls at around 70% you don’t need a bipartisan vote.

 

[Knight In TN]

Republicans are stalling w the exact same playbook they used vs Obama bc they want a slow recovery, looks like Dems are not gonna wait this time around.

when the stimulus polls at around 70% you don’t need a bipartisan vote.

I haven’t missed a day of work since this whole thing started, but the government wants to give me money anyway... why?

It’s a foolish and fantastic waste of tax dollars as a massive giveaway.

PPP loan forgiveness wasn’t tied to any kind of reduction or loss of revenue, and I know of people who essentially used PPP funds on themselves. $750k of taxpayer money to a millionaire business owner whose business didn’t even dip because of COVID.

So before you just automatically assume that everything is stalling for political reasons, maybe consider that throwing money at a problem indiscriminately (like we’ve done recently) is a massive waste.

 

[DaShuckster]

I haven’t missed a day of work since this whole thing started, but the government wants to give me money anyway... why?

If you'd bother to look beyond the end of your nose, you might notice you're the exception rather than the rule.

You're welcome to return your check -- or better yet, donate it to a worthy cause -- if you don't need it.

I find it ironic that the same people who complain about 'a mass giveaway' with limited parameters are the same ones who'd be whining to kingdom come about 'the expensive government bureaucracy' that would have been involved in narrowing it down to 'the neediest'.

 

[Knight In TN]

If you'd bother to look beyond the end of your nose, you might notice you're the exception rather than the rule.

You're welcome to return your check -- or better yet, donate it to a worthy cause -- if you don't need it.

I find it ironic that the same people who complain about 'a mass giveaway' with limited parameters are the same ones who'd be whining to kingdom come about 'the expensive government bureaucracy' that would have been involved in narrowing it down to 'the neediest'.

Yeah, I’ve bothered to look past the end of my nose. I never said nobody needs it, did I? My problem with it is it’s not targeted at people that need help... but go ahead and go off on the straw man. Who said that verifying tax funds go towards worthwhile causes is a waste of money? I certainly didn’t. Straw men sure are easy to fight though, aren’t they?

And please, ignore the rest of my comment about how essentially the only thing you had to prove for PPP forgiveness is that you used it for payroll and didn’t lay people off. Nothing about reduction of revenue at all, so... FREE PAYROLL! for some companies that weren’t affected at all. That’s an enormous waste of money.

 

[DaShuckster]

Yeah, I’ve bothered to look past the end of my nose. I never said nobody needs it, did I?

You were the one using yourself as an example of how wasteful the stimulus was, not me. If you don't want people to react to the things you post, then don't post them.

 

[Knight In TN]

You were the one using yourself as an example of how wasteful the stimulus was, not me. If you don't want people to react to the things you post, then don't post them.

I’m fine with people reacting to what I post. You’re literally making shit up that I didn’t say.

 

[Poolside Knight]

‘I’m not effected so the problem doesn’t exist ‘ . Republican mindset in a nutshell. Similar to Meghan McCain suddenly endorsing paid maternal leave after being against it her entire life bc she got pregnant

 

[DaShuckster]

I’m fine with people reacting to what I post. You’re literally making shit up that I didn’t say.

Funny, I could've sworn it was YOU who said this:

I haven’t missed a day of work since this whole thing started, but the government wants to give me money anyway... why? It’s a foolish and fantastic waste of tax dollars as a massive giveaway.

Soooo....if this wasn't a personal example of wasteful government spending, pray tell what was it?

 

[Knight In TN]

Funny, I could've sworn it was YOU who said this:

Soooo....if this wasn't a personal example of wasteful government spending, pray tell what was it?

Reading comprehension...

“as a massive giveaway.”

That means under the conditions it was distributed it was a foolish waste of money. I did not need money, but money was given to me anyway. There were millions of people like me. Meanwhile there are also huge numbers of people who did need it because they lost their jobs, their business went under, etc. who have gotten $1800 in the last year. Or they got nothing because they made just barely too much money and then lost their job in March. Wtf sense does that make?

Government is terrible at doing just about everything because they don’t have to work for the money they get. It’s given to them under threat of prison for the taxpayer. So they don’t have any incentive to control costs and they waste billions every year. This free money giveaway was another absurd squandering of BILLIONS. Some of the money hit people who needed it. An astronomical amount went to people who didn’t need it.

Buying a car for everyone who hasn’t bought a car in the last 4 years is going to help a lot of people who need reliable transportation and don’t have it. But it’s a waste of money because a huge portion of the people who would get a new car wouldn’t need it. Same principal.

 

[Knight In TN]

‘I’m not effected so the problem doesn’t exist ‘ . Republican mindset in a nutshell. Similar to Meghan McCain suddenly endorsing paid maternal leave after being against it her entire life bc she got pregnant

You both have some of the worst reading comprehension of all time. My problem isn’t that payments went out. My problem is they went out to almost everyone, regardless of need.

 

[Crazyhole]

You both have some of the worst reading comprehension of all time. My problem isn’t that payments went out. My problem is they went out to almost everyone, regardless of need.

Keep in mind that these same people were complaining about how they handled the stimulus when orangeman was still president.

 

[Poolside Knight]

Keep in mind that these same people were complaining about how they handled the stimulus when orangeman was still president.

once we got to August of last year I knew the stimulus was dead till after the election. and the recent GOP 'counter proposal' isn't serious when they gut state and local funding when the POTUS is a Democrat. if they were operating in good faith that would have been left in their counter offer

 

[hemightbejeremy]

I haven’t missed a day of work since this whole thing started, but the government wants to give me money anyway... why?

It’s a foolish and fantastic waste of tax dollars as a massive giveaway.

PPP loan forgiveness wasn’t tied to any kind of reduction or loss of revenue, and I know of people who essentially used PPP funds on themselves. $750k of taxpayer money to a millionaire business owner whose business didn’t even dip because of COVID.

So before you just automatically assume that everything is stalling for political reasons, maybe consider that throwing money at a problem indiscriminately (like we’ve done recently) is a massive waste.

Whether someone missed work or not, nearly everyone has suffered some form of economic impact due to the pandemic. The standards have to be set at some level. If you have ever dealt with state unemployment system you understand that it is a non efficient and unreliable way to disperse funds to those in need Particularly in Florida. I’m not saying the thresholds for receiving a federal stimulus payment were perfect, but they have to be set somewhere. Just because someone remains employed doesn’t mean they didn’t experience cuts in benefits, pay, or hours. No one will ever agree on what sort of hardship warrants a payment.

 

[Cubs79]

I dont understand why when Democrats control both branches of congress and the White House, they are expected to be bipartisan, but Republicans are not expected to when they are in the same situation. You know when we should be bipartisan? When we have mixed control of congress and/or the White House. As of now, the Democrats won, and need to act like they won and govern how they see fit. If the people dont like it, then in 2022 things will change just as they did in 2018.

 

[Poolside Knight]

I dont understand why when Democrats control both branches of congress and the White House, they are expected to be bipartisan, but Republicans are not expected to when they are in the same situation. You know when we should be bipartisan? When we have mixed control of congress and/or the White House. As of now, the Democrats won, and need to act like they won and govern how they see fit. If the people dont like it, then in 2022 things will change just as they did in 2018.

Democrats are held to a different standard even by the 'Liberal mainstream media'

but you are right, the narrative gets overcomplicated. Dems should pass everything promised and if Americans are not happy with the direction of the economy and country, then the House and/or Senate will go into GOP control in 2022. The worst thing the Dems could do is be scared to pass too much which is possible with Manchin and Sinema being so squirmy to stand for anything.

 

[Cubs79]

Democrats are held to a different standard even by the 'Liberal mainstream media'

but you are right, the narrative gets overcomplicated. Dems should pass everything promised and if Americans are not happy with the direction of the economy and country, then the House and/or Senate will go into GOP control in 2022. The worst thing the Dems could do is be scared to pass too much which is possible with Manchin and Sinema being so squirmy to stand for anything.

With the #s in the house and senate they wont be able to do much of anything that is overly drastic, you are right about that. But, there is still no reason for them to think they have to try and reason with the Republicans on everything. The Republicans are the party that blocks SC nominees from even having hearings, is blocking committee assignments right now in the senate, has put a person on the education committee who doesnt believe school shootings are real, etc etc. Democrats dont owe Republicans anything and dont need to be bipartisan, when the make up of our government right now isnt bipartisan.

 

[DaShuckster]

I read that a recent poll found that over two-thirds of Americans support President Biden's COVID-19 relief plan.

That sounds like bipartisan support to me!!!

 

[goodknightfl]

Not even Biden knows what the plan is. Well I take that back a bit, his handlers know.

 

[Crazyhole]

I read that a recent poll found that over two-thirds of Americans support President Biden's COVID-19 relief plan.

That sounds like bipartisan support to me!!!

If they proposed a plan to give every American 1 million dollars, that'd probably have 90% support. Still a good idea?

 

[Cubs79]

If they proposed a plan to give every American 1 million dollars, that'd probably have 90% support. Still a good idea?

Not what they are proposing so who cares.

 

[hemightbejeremy]

If they proposed a plan to give every American 1 million dollars, that'd probably have 90% support. Still a good idea?

Provided it comes from taxes on Jeff Bezos then certainly.

 

[Crazyhole]

Provided it comes from taxes on Jeff Bezos then certainly.

I say we just print everyone that has less than a million bucks today, 100 billion dollars. Then everybody will be as rich as Bezos and we wouldn't have to tax him.

 

[DaShuckster]

I say we just print everyone that has less than a million bucks today, 100 billion dollars. Then everybody will be as rich as Bezos and we wouldn't have to tax him.

Congratulations. You've successfully highjacked the thread.

 

[Crazyhole]

Congratulations. You've successfully highjacked the thread.

"Saved" the thread. In its current state it was like a 1.5/10.

 

[DaShuckster]

Go 'save' your war with space aliens thread.

 

[Crazyhole]

Go 'save' your war with space aliens thread.

That one will go 10 pages deep on its own. This one is dead without me. What was the topic here again? Bisexuality or bipartisanship? I can barely remember.

 

[Knight In TN]

Whether someone missed work or not, nearly everyone has suffered some form of economic impact due to the pandemic. The standards have to be set at some level. If you have ever dealt with state unemployment system you understand that it is a non efficient and unreliable way to disperse funds to those in need Particularly in Florida. I’m not saying the thresholds for receiving a federal stimulus payment were perfect, but they have to be set somewhere. Just because someone remains employed doesn’t mean they didn’t experience cuts in benefits, pay, or hours. No one will ever agree on what sort of hardship warrants a payment.

My issue is the criteria that WERE set up were laughably bad.

Make $95k in 2019? Yeah, you’re not getting anything. Doesn’t matter if you lost your job on March 20th.

Made $70k in 2019 and got a huge promotion in January 2020, making $120k with no interruption to your income due to Covid? Hell, you don’t even have to apply for it, you’re getting a direct deposit.

They didn’t make any attempt to be smart about distributing the money. Not so much as making people go online and opt in with a legally binding indication they’ve had their hours cut or their jobs eliminated.

 

[hemightbejeremy]

My issue is the criteria that WERE set up were laughably bad.

Make $95k in 2019? Yeah, you’re not getting anything. Doesn’t matter if you lost your job on March 20th.

Made $70k in 2019 and got a huge promotion in January 2020, making $120k with no interruption to your income due to Covid? Hell, you don’t even have to apply for it, you’re getting a direct deposit.

They didn’t make any attempt to be smart about distributing the money. Not so much as making people go online and opt in with a legally binding indication they’ve had their hours cut or their jobs eliminated.

Your edge cases don’t warrant the type of rigorous screening you demand. How many people do you think actually got a 71% raise in the midst of a global pandemic? A fraction of a percent. Those who lost jobs qualified for additional federal unemployment benefits. The issue with the bill is we spent 2700 per capita to give a subset of the population 600 each. Its not that some small percentage of people were completely unaffected financially by the pandemic and qualified for $600.

 

[_glaciers]

tl:dr

can you denounce pedophiles yet?

 

[_glaciers]

Your edge cases don’t warrant the type of rigorous screening you demand. How many people do you think actually got a 71% raise in the midst of a global pandemic? A fraction of a percent. Those who lost jobs qualified for additional federal unemployment benefits. The issue with the bill is we spent 2700 per capita to give a subset of the population 600 each. Its not that some small percentage of people were completely unaffected financially by the pandemic and qualified for $600.

leftists: YOU CANT MAKE POLICY BASED ON UNREALISTICALLY EXTREME SITUATIONS

also leftists: WELL WHAT IF THE WOMEN IS RAPED AND WILL DIE FROM GIVING BIRTH AND THE BABY IS GONNA BE RETARDED (no offense @NinjaKnight ) AND THE WOMAN IS POOR AND THE FATHER IS A HEROIN ADDICT