All things political. Coronavirus Edition. (6 Viewers)

[Maxp]

I fear we are really going to be in a bad place due to the obvious cuts to the federal agencies that deal with infectious disease, but also the negative effect the Affordable Care act has had on non urban hospitals. Our front line defenses are ineffectual and our ability to treat the populous is probably at an all time low. Factor in the cost of healthcare and I can see our system crashing. What do you think about the politics of this virus?

 

[MT15]

Seeing it reported that he signed the Bill. But it’s too late for this week to count for the extended unemployment benefits, so everyone will have to go without for one week.

Why did he wait to sign?

 

[Richard]

Why did he wait to sign?

Could be any number of reasons, although I lean toward him just trying to stay relevant in the news cycle. It will be something else next week or later this week. He might also have thought he could finesse Congress, offering or demanding the $2000 if they would get rid of the protections for social media companies. Ultimately, it could have just been a big FU to Congress for any number of petty reasons.

 

[MT15]

The press release about Trump “red lining” the budget bill is one of the more delusional pieces of spin I think I have ever seen. It indicates that the president expects Congress to change the budget, which he has now signed into law, based on him sending them a copy with certain items presumably indicated by red sharpie for removal. Yeah, that’s not going to happen. The time for this has long passed by, he could have, you know, actually done his job when it was appropriate for him to do so.

He also claims that someone in Congress has promised him they will “look into” changing the social media regulations and also investigate “election fraud”. It’s not clear who may have promised him these things or how that would even take place since this Congress is about to adjourn.

He has learned nothing about how to actually govern in four years. He just delayed a much needed Covid relief bill for a week for nothing.

 

[Optimus Prime]

Maybe a coincidence, maybe not

If I had to bet, I'd bet not
========================================

Dr. James Phillips responded Sunday night to his removal from the Walter Reed Medical Center schedule, which came after he criticized the car ride President Donald Trump took during his coronavirus hospitalization in October.

"Today, I worked my final shift at Walter Reed ER," he wrote on Twitter. "I will miss the patients and my military and civilian coworkers – they have been overwhelmingly supportive. I'm honored to have worked there and I look forward to new opportunities. I stand by my words, and I regret nothing."

Phillips publicly criticized Trump's Oct. 4 quarantine break, which saw him leaving the medical center where he was hospitalized with COVID-19 to wave to supporters from a vehicle staffed by Secret Service agents.

In a since-deleted tweet from that day, Phillips wrote, "Every single person in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary Presidential 'drive-by' just now has to be quarantined for 14 days. They might get sick. They may die. For political theater. Commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for theater. This is insanity."

Those on social media, for the most part, agreed, taking note of Trump's decision to leave the hospital while still in treatment for the contagious virus that had, at that point, taken the lives of more than 210,000 Americans. As of Monday, over 333,000 have now died, though the president — and numerous Republicans close to him — recovered after receiving top-level care at facilities like Walter Reed.

Earlier this month, Walter Reed officials denied they made the decision to remove Phillips, telling CBS News the hospital "provides requirements for contract positions. Schedules are determined by the contractor. There was no decision made by anyone at WRNMMC to remove Dr. Phillips from the schedule."..................

Walter Reed Doctor Ousted for Criticizing Trump's 'Unnecessary' Drive-By: 'I Regret Nothing' (msn.com)

 

[MT15]

we can’t forget just how badly this administration has bungled the pandemic response.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

Now let's see if Mitch McConnell allowed this to get to the floor considering some House Republicans crossed over to support it...

House passes measure to increase stimulus checks to $2,000 | CNN Politics

The House of Representatives on Monday passed a measure to increase stimulus checks for Americans under a certain income level to $2,000 after President Donald Trump championed the effort, sending the bill to the Senate where its future is less certain.

www.cnn.com

 

[EmBeeFiveOhFour]

Now let's see if Mitch McConnell allowed this to get to the floor considering some House Republicans crossed over to support it...

House passes measure to increase stimulus checks to $2,000 | CNN Politics

The House of Representatives on Monday passed a measure to increase stimulus checks for Americans under a certain income level to $2,000 after President Donald Trump championed the effort, sending the bill to the Senate where its future is less certain.

www.cnn.com

McConnell is going to do everything he can to prevent a vote because Perdue and Loeffler voting against it could possibly lose the Senate for the GOP, and Mitch sure as hell doesn't want them to vote FOR it. But Sanders says he is going to filibuster the vote on overriding the defense bill until they get an up and down vote in the Senate and a few other senators are joining in. Should be interesting!

 

[Sandman]

I get where Bernie is coming from, but I think a filibuster is a bad move. The goal at this point should be control of the Senate. If Mitch stalls the vote on the $2,000, run against him in Georgia. Osoff and Warnock need to be able to run on "Mitch is blocking relief." If Bernie tries this, the Republicans will say "communist Bernie is blocking your relief." Democrats have the upper hand here, why give it away?

 

[The moose]

McConnell is going to do everything he can to prevent a vote because Perdue and Loeffler voting against it could possibly lose the Senate for the GOP, and Mitch sure as hell doesn't want them to vote FOR it. But Sanders says he is going to filibuster the vote on overriding the defense bill until they get an up and down vote in the Senate and a few other senators are joining in. Should be interesting!

The real thing is they can't go back to georgia and campaign.

That is the real angle here. It would stop the campaign because they have to be in DC.

If they go home it looks worse than any vote ever could

 

[Taurus]

I get where Bernie is coming from, but I think a filibuster is a bad move. The goal at this point should be control of the Senate. If Mitch stalls the vote on the $2,000, run against him in Georgia. Osoff and Warnock need to be able to run on "Mitch is blocking relief." If Bernie tries this, the Republicans will say "communist Bernie is blocking your relief." Democrats have the upper hand here, why give it away?

Because Dems are tactical morons.

 

[Neworleansfan]

Because Dems are tactical morons.

Moscow Mitch is stalling while polls watching and Sanders “oh yeah, let me help you with that.”

 

[EmBeeFiveOhFour]

I get where Bernie is coming from, but I think a filibuster is a bad move. The goal at this point should be control of the Senate. If Mitch stalls the vote on the $2,000, run against him in Georgia. Osoff and Warnock need to be able to run on "Mitch is blocking relief." If Bernie tries this, the Republicans will say "communist Bernie is blocking your relief." Democrats have the upper hand here, why give it away?

Trump is saying the opposite (and I'm not sure that there is anyone that you can actually call "the Republicans" outside of Trump any more). He cares a hell of a lot more about the praise that he would get for the checks being $2,000 than he does about Mitch McConnell or the Senate GOP after he is gone.

 

[EmBeeFiveOhFour]

Thank you, GOP, from working to save us from the horror of...people paying down their debt.

 

[efil4]

Thank you, GOP, from working to save us from the horror of...people paying down their debt.

That should be sent to every single Republican voter that earns under 100k a year and lives paycheck to paycheck.

THEY. DONT. CARE. ABOUT. THE. MIDDLE CLASS.

This is where i am convinced those like the above example are Rs simply to be talked about in the same sentence as the rich/wealthy that RUN the GOP.

 

[EmBeeFiveOhFour]

 

[Complex Kid]

None of those things go together yet he's hell bent on tying them all into each other so he can bribe us with $2K to get the election overturned.

 

[Sandman]

Thank you, GOP, from working to save us from the horror of...people paying down their debt.

That's my Congressman. So proud.

 

[Sandman]

Trump is saying the opposite (and I'm not sure that there is anyone that you can actually call "the Republicans" outside of Trump any more). He cares a hell of a lot more about the praise that he would get for the checks being $2,000 than he does about Mitch McConnell or the Senate GOP after he is gone.

This is a middle finger to McConnell, nothing more. He is mad that McConnell isn't backing his coup attempt, so he is trying to cost him the Senate majority. He doesn't care about the Republicans losing the Senate. If anything, it gives him more power in the party as he leaves office. "Roll with me, or lose elections."