The unique perspective and provocative opinions of Joe O’Neill
Dem Notes
Call it “The Invasion of the (Deliberative) Body Snatchers.” It’s what happens when a bill—such as democracy-defining voting rights—can’t get passed in a Congress that gives dysfunctional, party-first partisanship an even worse name. It’s more than “Build Back Better” pushback. It’s now manifestly obvious that no legislation that targets voter suppression will advance without changes in Senate rules that have enabled GOPsters to filibuster away at America’s foundation. Such a voting-rights stalemate–plus those other well-chronicled Democratic priorities–is frustrating and infuriating Dems (including President Joe Biden) and building the case for rule changes. It’s what happens when deliberative body shaming doesn’t work.
For Dems understandably bemoaning a Trump and Federalist Society-enabling Supreme Court, we’ve seen these judicial rodeos before. It’s part of our partisan history. To wit: The Jeffersonians’ struggle with the (John) Marshall Court featuring six Federalists.
President Biden’s nominee for ambassador to Japan is Rahm Emanuel, former mayor of Chicago and one-time chief of staff to President Barack Obama. His hearing focused on his hardline approach to China as well as a certain domestic issue–lingering recollections of his role amid the racial protests over a Chicago police shooting.
“There are two big lessons Democrats can learn from Republicans and should have learned a long time ago: fierce loyalty and ruthless determination.”—Bill Press, author, political commentator and former co-host of CNN’s “Cross Fire.”
“I’ve concluded that democracy itself is more important than any Senate rule.”—Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent who caucuses with Dems, on the need to change the filibuster rules that create a 60-vote threshold for most legislation to pass.
“What I’ve told our caucus is everyone is going to be disappointed in certain things, but everyone’s going to be glad about certain things.”—Senate Majority Leader ChuckSchumer perfuming the pig resulting from efforts to try and reconcile party-first GOPsters and Dem “moderates.”
“Why are you so bad at politics, Democrats?”—CNN’s Don Lemon.
For Dems frustrated and fed up with Senate “moderate” outlier Joe Manchin, an all-too-relevant reminder: Trump won West Virginia by nearly 40 percentage points last year.