American Democracy

The executive summary is 150 pages:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23466430-introductory-material-to-the-final-report-of-the-select-comm/?title=1&embed=1

The committee unanimously said “Aye.”

Let’s have a fun time with the current situation in the US House. I double-verified that yes, the speaker of the house does not have to be an elected member of the house.

There are 8 billion people on Earth. Of all the humans that are alive on this planet right now, is there a person that all 212 democrats would vote for AND at least 6 Republicans could be convinced to vote for to end the stalemate in a positive way? It may not be that such a person exists anywhere. Can you think of anyone that would be able to come even close?

I don’t think there is any person who is not avowedly and completely established as a solid Republican with firm adherence to the long-term and high-level values and ethos of that party that will get enough Republicans to vote for them, so the question is who would that be that would also get significant numbers of Democrats to vote for them as well?

McCarthy is close to getting enough votes that the question I wonder is if there is anything he can and would offer to the Democrats that would get enough of them to vote for him? Not saying the Dems should rush to the aide of the stupidity that the Republicans have brought upon themselves, but this situation could be an ongoing problem to conduct any business in the House and be able to pass motions and legislation that the majority of all House members would be in favor of (deficit limit, budgets, etc…). So, is there anything as far as what issues will be allowed or disallowed from coming to the floor, spending time in debate, the ways that committees are run, or other rules for this Congressional session that the McCarthy has the power to deliver on if he were speaker and/or by agreement with the majority of “moderate” Republicans in Congress? Could those arrangements be given any guarantees beyond a promise to act in a certain way? Were such an arrangement to be made, would Democratic congresspeople be willing & able to cast a vote for him without risking their chance of re-election in 2024? The answer to all of these questions might very well be “no”, but I don’t know for certain.

Extra funny bonus points if that person doesn’t want the job.

I’m trying to come up with someone, anyone, and really struggling.

Abraham Lincoln… although he might be too liberal and not enough a white supremacist for most Republicans.

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Well, we have been complaining for years that our bicameral legislature is broken.

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I wish we had MPs giving impassioned speeches in the UK at the very least.

The labour party is very toothless, they should be absolutely shredding the conservative party on a daily basis.

I’m in awe of the work the Dems put in.

They are at least trying to get shit done.

It is a maddening perspective to have, because even if the labour party were good at taking down the opposition, fuck the labour party.

They’re policies are shite!

I hope the Republicans shit themselves so bad, that somehow the Dems get the house speaker.

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Nominate Cheryl Johnson. She’s the clerk handling all this bullshit.

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We got fights! Now we are just like every other country. I really really really want to see this kind of action.

Clarence Thomas must resign.

If he will not resign he must be impeached.

If he can not be impeached because of Republican obstruction in the Senate, he should be removed by Executive Order and the Supreme Court should be considered illegitimate until he is gone.

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If the bookends of his career are Anita Hill and this. Crazy.

This is existentially bad.

This has the real possibility of ending the concept of “regulation” in America permanently. This ends the authority of all federal regulatory agencies.

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North Carolina caves to evil.

UPDATE: In other news…

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Good riddance.

Counter-point…

As much of a piece of shit as that guy is and was, he’s the best West Virginia could possibly do in the Senate. That seat is now permanently Republican for the foreseeable future.

Manchin was literally and strictly necessary for a huge number of appointments and other Senate business since the margins are so slim. With his retirement, the Senate race in 2024 is basically going to be 47 Democrats, 50 Republicans, and 3 tossup states at best. =(

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Exactly.

As much as I disliked Manchin and his politics, a Democratic Senate MAJORITY, that has to deal with Manchin, is infinitely better than a Democratic Senate MINORITY that doesn’t.

Additionally, despite Manchin voting against Democrats more than any other Democratic Senator and stifling their agenda, he still voted with Democrats 80.1% of the time in the 118th Congress (https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/M001183/votes-against-party/118).

The other senator from West Virginia, Shelly Moore Capito, a Republican, voted with Democrats only 13.2% of the time in the 118th Congress (https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/C001047-shelley-moore-capito/votes-against-party/118).

The two Republican Senators who most often voted with Democrats in the 118th Congress are Susan Collins (53.0% https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/C001035-susan-collins) and Lisa Murkowski (48.1% https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/M001153-lisa-murkowski). As bad as Manchin was, he still voted with Senate Democrats 27.1% MORE often then the “most liberal” Republican Senator.

Finally, by not to running again for Senate, Manchin could decide to run for president as a third party candidate with No Labels, and cause Biden to lose to Trump.

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