John Tester and Red State Senate Dems Need to Lose
The best thing that could happen for America (and the Democratic Party) would be for Joe Machin and John Tester to lose their seats.
Given their voting records, and the mush they make out of Democratic policies, what’s the point of them even being in the Dem caucus anyway?
They need to lose and stop providing bipartisan cover for GOP malfeasance. The departure of Red State “Democrats” from the Senate would also have the salutary effect of exposing Tom Carper for the fraud that he is.
“But…but …but..we could “win” the Senate this year.” I hear you saying. That’s bullshit. And my full response to that is “Shut up, idiot.”
If Tester, and Machin are the margin, what will we have actually won? Committee chairmanships and that is it. By now, everyone should be disabused of the notion that Democrats with slim majorities can do anything.
Heidi Heitkamp and Claire McCaskill can also go as far as I’m concerned.
Majority in the Senate means Chuck Schumer gets to decide how many judges (Federal, District, Supreme) Trump gets to put on the bench for the next two years. If the number is more that “0” we can of course scream but McConnell will have no issues continuing to confirm them at a dizzying rate if we toss Tester and Machin aside. As the song says, if you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.
We need the Senate to put the brakes on Trump.
All this pathetic talk about “…and the mush they make out of Democratic policies,” doesn’t actually amount to a hill of beans, unless we actually control something.
I guess you’ve identified the one and only reason Tester could make sense. Fewer Trump judicial appointees is a net positive, but given what we know about how much Dems love comity and bipartisanship, zero is a highly unrealistic benchmark.
Liberal Elite, I guess you missed the sentence that reads “If Tester, and Machin are the margin, what will we have actually won? By now, everyone should be disabused of the notion that Democrats with slim majorities can do anything.”
Given what we know about how much Dems love comity and bipartisanship, I’m saying the Dem Senate’s ability to put the “brakes on Trump” is negligible.
Two words as to why the majority matters: Merrick Garland.
If the GOP had held a narrow miniorty at the time, I think the outcome may well would have been the same. That’s really my point. There is no differecne between a slim Dem majorty in the Senate and a Dem minority in the Senate.
So Jason’s BS is actually being challenged. Ideological purity = permanent minority-hood.
I don’t see it as demanding ideological purity as a much as looking for a much less scam-y and fraudulent status quo.
@J “If the GOP had held a narrow miniorty at the time, I think the outcome may well would have been the same.”
Based on what?
From what I remember… Garland had the votes, if his nomination would have been allowed to be brought to the floor.
Based on the fact that the when Dems were in the majority everything required a 60 vote super-majority.
What’s up? Can’t remember all the way back to 2011?
@j
Wasn’t your 11:47 comment in response to MikeM2784?
Aren’t we talking about confirming judges? Having the ability to control what nominations are sent to the floor is almost everything, in this game.
We’ll have to agree to disagree.
Fine, but we should at least be clear on what we’re disagreeing about. At this point, I have no idea. Apparently I was talking about confirming judges, and you were talking about something where 60 votes still matters.
If it’s about confirming judges, you’re clearly misinformed.
If it’s about cloture votes, then any party with less than 60 has some trouble, but even then, games can be played (e.g. big fraudulent tax cut), and so controlling votes on the floor still matters a great deal.
A couple fewer Trump judicial appointees might be nice, but all in all we’d be better off in the long run without Manchin or Tester.
And if you are really hung up on this idea that Dems can retake the Senate, they should get rid of Pat Toomey and Susan Collins. PA and Maine Dems allowing those frauds hang around is almost as bad as the GOP letting Tester and Manchin hang around.
Jason.
Thanks for trying to hold it down while I’m away. These hashtag resistance dipshits are going to get us all killed.
Saying fucking dumb shit like.
“Two words – Merrick Garland”
Illustrates the exact fucking stupid philosophy that got us in this mess in the the first instance.
If Tester and Manchin are good enough we’ve already lost. Show some god damn spirit you fucking weaklings.
…
With that I got Old Crow Medicine Show and Toots to see. And remember, I’m always watching. Anonymous wine moms and dead-ender centrist are not good enough.
For every 100 leftists we lose we’ll pick up one pharma executive in the Philly suburbs!
You fucking dummies…
@REV “If Tester and Manchin are good enough we’ve already lost.”
They are the best we’re going to get out of places like WV and MT. The ones you really really want just cannot win in places like that.
And if we simply write off those kinds of places, we’ll never ever win. The constitution was setup to give outsized power to crappy little states.
The purity test never worked for Dems, but only for the idiots in the GOP who all seem to share a single brain.
Jason, that’s whack.You too, REV. Self-destructive.
Nathan arizona you are basically saying that the status quo is fine.
It isn’t.
The Democrats can’t be a force for progressive change while people like Manchin and Tester go around calling themselves Democrats.
I’m basically saying don’t fuck up the chance to dump Trump and his ilk down the toilet. I’m not for the status quo, but the status quo right now is Trump.
It’s adorable that you think Hedge Fund managers that officiate same sex weddings are on my side.
Or ex cops from Rehoboth.
Your losing mentality has been very funny so far. I can’t wait to see what you fucking twats say next!
Oh, and LE, there are letfists in WV and MT. To say otherwise is very elitist and stupid.
Everything you fucking cunts have done have handed the President, Congress and States to maniacs, and somehow I’m self destructive.
You turds need to reevaluate your lives.
@REV “Oh, and LE, there are letfists in WV and MT. To say otherwise is very elitist and stupid.”
Sure there are. But don’t forget that Trump won there by MORE than 40 points.
na has it right. Right now, there’s Trump and then there’s not-Trump. Let’s boost up not-Trump and worry about the rest later, once we have at least that much.
Don’t be like the blackjack player who hits when holding an 18, since we all know that an 18 sucks.
Or let me put it another way…. Your party platform purity test sucks.
Your ideas are dumb for the reasons I said.
You’ll roll over for anything not Trump and address other things “later”.
I won’t.
That’s it.
“I’m basically saying don’t fuck up the chance to dump Trump and his ilk down the toilet. ”
The “resistance” unfortunately is to Trump personally, not to his ilk. You can’t imagine the tongue bath Pence will get from the media when he replaces Trump. The resistance will melt away and the ilk will regroup.
lol @ edgelords going to OCMS shows
“The “resistance” unfortunately is to Trump personally, not to his ilk…”
Therein lies the problem. Whatever the causes of Trump’s undoing, the consequence will be Pence and he actually has a brain. If you think things are bad under Trump, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!
And that’s why the 2016 election was a calamity of the greatest order. The only hope we have is to change control of Congress, both the Senate and the House.
I’ll never forgive or forget those who created this disaster.
Without Trump, Democrats wouldn’t know what to run on. Trump is single-handedly responsible for the blue wave. Trump is the best GOTV tool Democrats ever had.
The rumor of Pence’s brain are greatly exaggerated. He may have a little more social intelligence than Trump, but Indiana voters were fixin’ to run him out on a rail when he joined the Trump campaign.
Whatever happens on that level, we still don’t need Tester and Manchin fucking up Democratic messaging at every turn.
Trump’s ilk are the 35-40 percent who support him no matter what. So it’s not just him personally. Without them there’s no Trump. So for the time being we need everybody else on our side. I’d accept moderate Democrats (even moderate Republicans) for now if the alternative would be more Trump and his threat to liberal democracy. If it turned out that more progressive Democrats can get the job done, I’d be for that.
The enemy is Republicanism, not just Trump.
Enemy No. 1: Trump
Enemy No. 2: Regular Republicans.
But I know what you’re saying.
sorry but, is anybody else going to call RE on his use of the C-word? Am I the only one who has an issue with that? The fact that none of your said anything is telling.
RE–Knock it off and clean up your mouth. Look in the mirror, and ask yourself how much better you really are than someone like Zinke or any other dirt bag tea party candidate when you are OK with using words like that in space like this?
Maybe you should go back down to New Orleans and chill a bit more. You seem excited.
Hey Teddy, fuck off. This isn’t your safe space, and nobody asked you to police it as such. People who faint at the sound of misogynistic vulgarity are part of the problem, not part of the solution.
So you sound like a dick instead of a cunt, but either way, go fuck yourself. You simple-minded cowards are how the Democrats stay in power while working for corporate America.
What kind of dick thinks calling someone a cunt is equal to what Zinke does?
“All this pathetic talk about “…and the mush they make out of Democratic policies,” doesn’t actually amount to a hill of beans, unless we actually control something.”
And if you control something thanks to Heidi Heitkamp and Joe Manchin, you don’t control anything anyway. So there’s that.
I get why someone who jets around the world doesn’t understand the problems of people who aren’t in the apparatchik class, but it’s nothing to be proud of.
“I get why someone who jets around the world doesn’t understand the problems of people who aren’t in the apparatchik class”
You have no fucking clue…
I don’t think you know a damn thing about my background… I know how if feels to be the only kid in a middle school who couldn’t have lunch, and the full weight of the social status that imputed. That changed in HS when I earned my lunch money. And everyday I would eat two lunches and a quart of milk, because there was damn little to eat at home…
I got to where I am today by damn hard brain work…(and going to the very best schools helped). But I sure as hell remember that crappy neighborhood that I came out of.
“The rumor of Pence’s brain are greatly exaggerated. ”
But the part that generally knows when to keep your mouth shut is intact and functioning. I’m of the opinion that with Pence in the hot seat, the GOP agenda would along a lot faster. No one knows what Trump is going to do, including the GOP Senate and House.
If I had to choose who to run against (provided the Democrats have somebody to run), would I rather it be against Trump or Pence? I argue with myself that I would prefer Trump, but he just might retain his popular appeal if he appears not to be tied to either part. Pence is a Republican and they own the mess, so it might be he would be a better choice than an incompetent.
Teddy’s new nickname is baby cuntface.
Pass it on.
That or Cunty Roosevelt.
Jason, make a poll.
See the thing you anonymous fuckwads and dipshits don’t seem to understand is I don’t give a fuck about any of you. See also, Alby post today. Same sentiment.
Oh, last thing. I notice Liberal Elite has what I’ve come to think of as Mitch Crane syndrome.
Mitch was in SDS and was arrested at a sit in 50 years ago.
LE grew up in property.
They think these circumstances mean they gave good politics today. They don’t.
Their politics are shit.
RE—I know you don’t give a shit, but your wife might, and I wonder what she thinks about this. Must make her and her works colleagues proud to know she has a husband who thinks so highly of women to talk like that and think like that. I am sure she brags about you a lot and forwards your postings around with the subject line: “OMG, look how awesome my husband is.” Then talks about how you are such a big strong secure man and get arrested and go to jazz festivals and come home and deride women. I’d pay money to watch you read your postings to Kerri Harris. I bet she would love to have a supporter like you.
Your wife and I are willing to dismiss your comments as locker room talk. We know you get excited at the idea of revolution. But just this once.
I’d say you all might be cognizant that you are driving women away from this site, but don’t think that’s a concern at this point. Maybe that’s why nobody else seemed surprised that a bunch of leftists progressives let the word go and Puck needed to remind me this is not a safe space (btw—thanks puck).
Btw—Don’t burn your learn jam albums yet, but Eddie disagree with you on Tester. https://www.google.com/amp/missoulian.com/entertainment/music/pearl-jam-officially-announces-missoula-stadium-concert/article_899e7df1-fc22-5dcd-82d2-6191d8f43b1b.amp.html
Let’s see Jason and Puck justify why we should toss Pearl Jam in the same burn pit with Tester and Manchin.
Cunty Roosevelt it is.
Teddy is confused on many points, I’m not the one who used the pearl-clutching language (that’s not my thing), or who helpfully reminded him this is not his safe space.
I’m the one who pointed out that once Trump is gone, Pence will be signing legislation and welcoming nominees that Tester and Manchin voted for, while Teddy is celebrating the victory over Trump with all the other self-satisfied centrists.
Also, he (she?) has obviously never meet my missus. She’s a real leftist doing important work everyday. Far, far more than I do.
The last thing she cares about is a word someone uses. Actually it isn’t even the last thing. She doesn’t. There’s no time for that. She’s not offended by words. She’s offended by injustice.
The people who need to know or pay attention understand my politics very clearly.
Considering anyone’s delicate sensibilities is not something I’m ever going to do. What I’m doing upsets centrist, corporatist, third-way democratic, neoliberal trash regardless of gender indentity.
And a word of warning puck, “pearl-clutching” has a distinct gender dynamic.
FWIW – If I was luke warm about this when I wrote the post, now I am convinced that Tester and Manchin must either lose or change party designations.
“But I sure as hell remember that crappy neighborhood that I came out of.”
And that’s your problem. You think that because you got out by your hard work, you deserve the reward of being in the overclass instead of the underclass, and don’t seem to understand that joining the overclass — the thing you consider a personal triumph — simply perpetuates the system.
If I’m in the underclass, it doesn’t make much difference to me whether my overseers were once my peers. I’m still being exploited. This is why I say you are part of the problem.
Power corrupts. Check your mirror.
By the way, you demonstrate the workings of your brain every time you post here. It ain’t all you think it is.
“Let’s see Jason and Puck justify why we should toss Pearl Jam in the same burn pit with Tester and Manchin.”
You’re even more confused than I thought. Let’s see if you can understand that Eddie Vedder is not an elected official, and that his approach on politics — unlike those of Manchin and the blue dog crew — has no effect on us.
Special bonus points for pandering to women, and expecting us to do the same.
And really, Pearl Jam? What, was Iron Butterfly otherwise engaged?
For the record, by the way, I disagree with Jason about this. Manchin is as liberal an elected official as you’re going to get in today’s West Virginia. I’d sooner concentrate on putting liberals in safe Democratic seats — like Delaware’s, for example.
@REV: Yes, pearl-clutching does have a distinct gender dynamic. Which makes me wonder if the screen name is a bit of misdirection. I’ve never heard of a male making so much fuss over the c-word.
Just as right-wingers have willingly washed their own brains in favor of Trump, too many on the left have internalized the “check your privilege” horseshit. Yeah, I’ve checked mine. It’s doing fine, thanks for asking.
Do you think the ICE agents are careful to use respectful language when they’re busting up families? We’re in a war, people, and I don’t want any pearl-clutchers in my foxhole. Unfortunately, too many on the left are too busy playing “gotcha!” on their allies to engage with the enemy.
“too many on the left are too busy playing “gotcha!” on their allies”
Yeah, that seems to happen a lot. It used to be that society understood the difference between egregious behavior and just being crass, but now everything is egregious.
Before, some folks left DL for environs more to their liking, I used to occasionally say that if everything is outrageous, pretty soon nothing will be outrageous. I think it’s the same with gotcha. (A good example of the outrage machine, if you recall, was the wrong Spanish sign they put up in the park in Milford. The outrage here over a mistake that workers, who could not read Spanish was something to behold).
Democrats (liberals, progressives, and moderates) do seem to spend a lot of time eating their own.
P.S. I am hoping that you all will show Dave Baker some love to replace Lopez in the 6th. I know it’s a downstate race and doesn’t get much attention. Still it’s an opportunity. I don’t know how pure Baker is, but he seems like a reasonable, intelligent dude. So, I’m going to support him as best I can. Not going to register as D or anything but he’ll have my money and time.
Don’t worry everyone! Your savior (retired) Barack Obama just endorsed octogenarian and uberoligarch Dianne Feinstein for her 6th term!
Twenty-six years as a Senator building a net worth of $78 million…
https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/top-10-wealthiest-senators/8/
and married to…
..you guessed it! A billionaire investment banker…
…with military contracts.
https://www.sfgate.com/news/amp/Army-contract-for-Feinstein-s-husband-Blum-is-a-2621196.php?__twitter_impression=true
No cunt on here better say a peep about my maledicta again and remain anonymous. Because this is some shameful shit. And putting up with Carpers and Manchins and Doug fucking Joneses of the political world isn’t fucking good enough.
Again, I’ll take Doug Jones in Alabama, because first of all, I don’t live there, and second he’s better than the GOP alternative. They might cave on most stuff, but they’ll be on the right side for judicial appointments.
That is not the case for Carper, Coons and Townsend. They have safe Democratic seats, and they seem to think their only danger comes from their right. I hope Kerri Harris can turn out enough supporters to make them rethink that analysis.
“Your wife and I are willing to dismiss your comments as locker room talk. We know you get excited at the idea of revolution. But just this once.“
@ Teddy R, the above comment is far worse than saying cunt, twat, pussy, beaver or even pearl clutching as a descriptive. Do not ever speak for a woman without her permission.
Might I just add, especially a woman you don’t know and have never met or seen.
And why only a woman? He or she shouldn’t speak for anyone without their permission. I mean, I’m not offended by it, but it was right and proper of Susan to call bullshit on it.
Also, too: Beaver? Going back aways there. What about quim?
@Alby I love creative use of language. I debated on going through all the various terms I have heard to describe my genitalia but decided it really wasn’t worth the time.
More worth my time is pointing out that all conservative Republican and Democrat politicians MUST GO. To focus on Trump is asinine. Maybe cis-gendered white men are comfortable with the politics of those of the same ilk but I am not. They should be challenged and continue to be or else change will not happen.
Thus ends the saga of Cunty Roosevelt.
A cautionary internet tale for the 21st century political era.
Happy 200th birthday Karl Marx. He was right all along. Let’s stop pretending he wasn’t.
Epilogue:
Remember how s/he turned up on here to use that dumb trope about “running for office” because I critique politicians? Hahahahahaha. I remember!
Now follows all my activities. Arrested at a protest. Jazzfest. Knows it all. My biggest fan.
Fuck off, my son. You’re a stalker.
Mansion is NO liberal, what a laff that is. Bernie Sanders has been to WVA many times to crowds Mansion only hopes support him. However, Tester is no Mansion…in fact, Veterans Organizations support him and are running ads for him. Tester told the truth, nothing to do with party. Jackson was a drunkard, and dope peddler. Couldnt even run the medical office in the white house without controversy, and these morons think he should be head of the VA? Tester is our hero from a right wing state. Ryan et al want the VA privatized, been at it for years. Imagine the VA as a FOR profit agency!
The Democrats can’t be a force for progressive change while people like Manchin and Tester go around calling themselves Democrats.
Really Jason such a “liberal” view. Do you consider Feinstein, Pelosi, Hoyer, Carper, Coons, Mansion, Heitcamp, McCaskill, and that ilk to be “progressive”. Hell no, they are precisely WHO the “progressives” battle every day. Precisely why I refuse to refer to myself as a liberal…I am a bold, aggressive progressive and proud of it…by the by, Obama is a liberal while Clinton are center right.
You agree with me on Tester and Manchin then. Good.
As for John truster I am glad that he took a stand against the idiot Trump put up for VA secretary. He interviewed the people who need to be interviewed and he reported out his findings publicly. By every reasonable standard this was a good thing whatever you think of John Tester for other things that he’s done. Democrats have nuanced responses to the state they reside in. In that regard Testers response is much more forgivable then Tom Carper’s who has no excuse for his votes reinstating redlining in real estate and banking. Carpers vote goes directly against the new state Democratic Party platform. That the state party doesn’t raise its voice in objection to this is part of the problem. Eric Razer-Schram is the speaker for the party and he should be openly decrying Carper’s vote.
Jon Tester is under relentless attack. Just last week, Senate Republicans launched another brand new ad featuring Donald Trump attacking him.
The central theme of all of these attacks is the same: they are trying to say that Jon Tester is anti-veteran because he opposed Trump’s nominee to lead the VA.
Well, the only way to combat their anti-veteran smear is by elevating the voices of veterans who Jon Tester has tirelessly fought for. So that’s what we’re doing. But we can’t do it alone:
Make a $3 donation to VoteVets today to help us keep airing ads defending Jon Tester from the attacks that he is anti-veteran. We can help him. We can succeed. But we can’t do it without your support.
Some news outlets have said Trump is making it his personal mission to beat Jon Tester. But the truth is, Republicans know winning this seat — a tough one for Dems — will make it easier for them to hold the Senate. We can’t let them do that.
All our best,
The team at VoteVets
Anybody else read that link Alby put up about the two party system?
I’m searching for the article now – but read that story. Basically there are two parties now that both serve the interests of the wealthy. That’s basically what Tester and Manchin can go around calling themselves Democrats.
The Democratic Party has long ago disposed of the fiction that it is on the side of the little guy.
Nevermind. I found it.