GA Runoffs Thread

[uallas5]

Hey Mitch! Did'ja catch this?

Democrats to take working control of U.S. Senate Wednesday when three sworn in

Three new Democratic U.S. senators, including the winners of a pair of Georgia races and the successor to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, are set to be sworn in on Wednesday, a source familiar with the planning said, giving the party a working majority in the chamber.

www.reuters.com

Oh Mitch knows. That's why he's turned on Trump. Not for any moral reasons but because Trump cost him the Senate Majority position.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Oh Mitch knows. That's why he's turned on Trump. Not for any moral reasons but because Trump cost him the Senate Majority position.

Can't wait to taste all the delicious Senate Minority Leader tears

 

[sportage]

Democrats had better do this right and keep their act together.... In just two short years Democrats could lose everything. Republicans will be hell bent on taking back the house and the senate, and midterms are typically not good for the party controlling the Whitehouse. Democrats not only need to be great during the next two years, they need to be perfect. Everything must be absolutely perfect.

 

[Muse]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1347042668564664320

Just goes to show Trump is not a team player at all. It's about him and only him. What a douche.

 

[Muse]

Democrats had better do this right and keep their act together.... In just two short years Democrats could lose everything. Republicans will be hell bent on taking back the house and the senate, and midterms are typically not good for the party controlling the Whitehouse. Democrats not only need to be great during the next two years, they need to be perfect. Everything must be absolutely perfect.

I realize you are prone to playing devil's advocate. Nothing's perfect. But the Republicans have dug themselves a hole.

They lost GA completely. Their supporters desecrated the Capitol. That isn't going to help them, that will on balance HURT THEM. It's only beginning. There will be investigations, hopefully a full commission to bring it all to light, what led to the seditious actions of Jan. 6. The R's will suffer. I do not expect the backlash to Biden to counter that. Anyway, I'm not a prognosticator, but that's my hope, and I don't think I have rose colored glasses on.

 

[Wreckem]

Democrats had better do this right and keep their act together.... In just two short years Democrats could lose everything. Republicans will be hell bent on taking back the house and the senate, and midterms are typically not good for the party controlling the Whitehouse. Democrats not only need to be great during the next two years, they need to be perfect. Everything must be absolutely perfect.

You realize the Senate is 50/50 right? Both parties have equal allotment on all committees. While the Dems chair the committees either party will be able to advance a bill to the Senate floor. Dems and GOP will have to work together to get anything done other than a reconciliation budget bill each fiscal year. Plus nominees. I think Biden and the Dems will do a more than a good faith effort on working with the GOP to get legislation done.

Mitch seems open as it already seems like the wheeling and dealing type ofnegotiating the Senate use to be known for is starting to resume.

 

[Fenixgoon]

You realize the Senate is 50/50 right? Both parties have equal allotment on all committees. While the Dems chair the committees either party will be able to advance a bill to the Senate floor. Dems and GOP will have to work together to get anything done other than a reconciliation budget bill each fiscal year. Plus nominees. I think Biden and the Dems will do a more than a good faith effort on working with the GOP to get legislation done.

Mitch seems open as it already seems like the wheeling and dealing type ofnegotiating the Senate use to be known for is starting to resume.

Harris is the +1 in the event of a tie, though. She's the ace up the sleeve, so to speak.

 

[K1052]

You realize the Senate is 50/50 right? Both parties have equal allotment on all committees. While the Dems chair the committees either party will be able to advance a bill to the Senate floor. Dems and GOP will have to work together to get anything done other than a reconciliation budget bill each fiscal year. Plus nominees. I think Biden and the Dems will do a more than a good faith effort on working with the GOP to get legislation done.

Mitch seems open as it already seems like the wheeling and dealing type ofnegotiating the Senate use to be known for is starting to resume.

Mitch is correctly concerned that excessive obstruction will result in the rapid nuking of the legislative filibuster. I think the rules are very likely to be changed not to apply to statehood votes already (DC), after that his willingness to deal will dictate the course of events.

 

[manly]

Just goes to show Trump is not a team player at all. It's about him and only him. What a douche.

Thank our lucky stars Trump is a narcissist and not a team player. Imagine the damage he would've done if he knew how to be a competent CEO and administrator!

 

[Lezunto]

I wonder what it must have been like during Trump Org. meetings at Trump Tower.

 

[K1052]

Warnock and Ossoff are now sworn in. Democrats in the majority.

 

[NWRMidnight]

Warnock and Ossoff are now sworn in. Democrats in the majority.

Yes and no. Technically, when the replacement for Harris is sworn in (unless it happened today, as I work graveyard, so I was sleeping), Democrats will be the majority. Until then it's still 49/50.

 

[K1052]

Yes and no. Technically, when the replacement for Harris is sworn in (unless it happened today, as I work graveyard, so I was sleeping), Democrats will be the majority. Until then it's still 49/50.

Padilla was sworn in at the same time.

 

[NWRMidnight]

Padilla was sworn in at the same time.

Ok, thanks for catching me up. (still on first cup of coffee )

 

[K1052]

Ok, thanks for catching me up.

Also congrats to CA on their first Latino senator ever.

 

[woolfe9998]

Mitch is correctly concerned that excessive obstruction will result in the rapid nuking of the legislative filibuster. I think the rules are very likely to be changed not to apply to statehood votes already (DC), after that his willingness to deal will dictate the course of events.

On CNN tonight they said the McConnell is holding up an agreement on committee assignments with Schumer because he wants a promise that the dems will not end the filibuster. That being said, I don't think the dems have everyone on board for it anyway.

 

[esquared]

On CNN tonight they said the McConnell is holding up an agreement on committee assignments with Schumer because he wants a promise that the dems will not end the filibuster. That being said, I don't think the dems have everyone on board for it anyway.

Manchin from WVa is very much against ending the filibuster, IIRC.

 

[woolfe9998]

Manchin from WVa is very much against ending the filibuster, IIRC.

Yes, Manchin at a minimum is for sure against it. Wouldn't be surprised if one or two others are as well.

Now if they can just modify it not to apply to statehood votes, they can vote in DC and Puerto Rico, get 4 more dem Senators, then end it entirely.

 

[K1052]

Yes, Manchin at a minimum is for sure against it. Wouldn't be surprised if one or two others are as well.

Now if they can just modify it not to apply to statehood votes, they can vote in DC and Puerto Rico, get 4 more dem Senators, then end it entirely.

If the GOP decides to obstruct every Dem effort I think the attitude amongst those reluctant to end the filibuster will inevitably shift. Maybe not to support for outright ending it but making it much more difficult to use or not apply to everything.

Moving statehood votes to straight majority seems like the easiest thing to hurdle first. Manchin has been signaling openness DC statehood and it is a Biden priority.

 

[zinfamous]

Yes, Manchin at a minimum is for sure against it. Wouldn't be surprised if one or two others are as well.

Now if they can just modify it not to apply to statehood votes, they can vote in DC and Puerto Rico, get 4 more dem Senators, then end it entirely.

Statehood will take years though, right? Doesn't each application need to be ratified by 2/3 of state legislatures after it gets through Congress?

 

[K1052]

Statehood will take years though, right? Doesn't each application need to be ratified by 2/3 of state legislatures after it gets through Congress?

No, this is exclusively in the power of Congress. No amendment like ratification process.

 

[zinfamous]

No, this is exclusively in the power of Congress. No amendment like ratification process.

whoa really? I thought it took a few years to get Alaska and Hawaii through (and I still don't recognize Missourah!). ...but yeah, I think I am confusing it with amendment ratification.

Anyway, DC is more complicated because wouldn't it specifically require ratification? The constitution specifically defines it as autonomous, so it would require establishing some sort of Vatican City-like recognition of a specific portion of the city....but which is also already physically defined in the Constitution.

 

[K1052]

whoa really? I thought it took a few years to get Alaska and Hawaii through (and I still don't recognize Missourah!). ...but yeah, I think I am confusing it with amendment ratification.

The political wrangling took a while. DC statehood this year seems more likely than not IMO. Biden is a clear proponent and Manchin seems very gettable for the rule change that would be needed.


Charleston, WV circa 2030 after the Dems finish buying off Joe Manchin for the 2021-22 agenda:

 

[fskimospy]

whoa really? I thought it took a few years to get Alaska and Hawaii through (and I still don't recognize Missourah!). ...but yeah, I think I am confusing it with amendment ratification.

Anyway, DC is more complicated because wouldn't it specifically require ratification? The constitution specifically defines it as autonomous, so it would require establishing some sort of Vatican City-like recognition of a specific portion of the city....but which is also already physically defined in the Constitution.

No, the constitution only specifies that there is to be a federal district with a maximum size, no minimums and no other requirements.

DC statehood would essentially be congress shrinking the current district, which encompasses the entire city, down to just the small federal area where the White House, Capitol, etc. are. Then you have a bunch of ‘stateless’ land which they can use to make a new state.

 

[Roger Wilco]

Wow, I had no idea DC statehood was potentially imminent.