TRUTH sounds better in the original Ru$$ian, Pravda.
They're certainly getting what they paid for.

Harrell got 3.5 rainbows, Gonzalez got 4 rainbows. I'll gladly trade half a rainbow to get our parks and public safety back.

RE: Vote fail

"Democrats needed 60 votes to pass, which they didn’t get. But there’s a silver lining: The bill’s failure has once again demonstrated the harm of the filibuster, and now more congressional Democrats are talking about getting rid of it."

Manchin's still opposed and Schumer's too weak to get anything from him so we're in exactly the same spot as we've always been in.

And the entire Fascist party is against making voting easier? What a shock. I am so shocked I almost can't stop yawning and rolling my eyes.

The Filibuster may not have been part of the Constitution, but was initiated as a delaying tactic especially during the years when travel forced people to exit Washington D.C.. I daresay it was never meant to be as ephemeral as a mouse-click. IMHO Congress should revert to when those invoking a Filibuster were compelled to remain recognized, on the floor of their specific chamber, and continuously orate to keep the floor away from some vote, debate, or commentary to the contrary.
Bastards got lazy and spoiled themselves. They ought to compelled to abide by the original rules.

@18,

They're not a majority. They've engineered a corrupt system to empower a minority in such a fashion that they'll not ever have to cede said power, owing to the structure of the corrupt system that empowers them.

It would be impossible to reform the constitution in such a way to eliminate its anti-democratic elements because a veto on such a change is held by the people who benefit from those elements. Therefore it will not be reformed. There is no escape from this trap. We're fucked.

You can see the breakdown in democratic accountability all around. That deranged new abortion law doesn't even have support from a majority of Texas republicans but their legislature simply doesn't care. Their coalition is comprised of small business tyrants, government contractor jackals, and an array of single issue crackpots like gun nuts and holy rollers. So that's who gets their way. This is the politics of autocracy.

@25: Maria and Patty? Good question!

I occasionally see Patty pouting among the waxworks in Senate chambers. Maria? I don't think she died otherwise we would have heard something.

@23, 24 Alden, it's depressing but true.

There is only two ways this ends - Putin-like autocracy, or civil war and the nation balkanizes. The former is much more likely because the Dems don't have the will to stop it.

Good comments by Alden @23 @24 and by Sir Toby @25. I've never been a Jayapal fan, but she's been an effective leader in this whole process.

Garb Garbler @14: "The rich man is always sold to the institution that makes him rich. But the people of West Virginia have made it clear in the House that theirs is with the President and 48 of 50 senators in the party."

I'm having trouble grokking this. West Virginia voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump. They've only voted for Joe Manchin because he's distanced himself from the libs. The people of West Virginia have made it clear they're NOT with whomever you say they're with. Hard to decipher.

Anyway, it's not Joe Manchin I'm worried about. He's a sort of traditional transactional politician. He's not crazy. He wants to raise taxes on big corporations and the wealthy. He wants a compromise, just very much on his terms.

It's Kyrsten Sinema I'm worried about, especially with her opposition to any increase in same taxes. The Occam's razor explanation for her behavior is that she's bought and pair for, and it appears she would have no compunction about bringing the whole thing crashing down to preserve the Trump/McConnell tax cuts.

One of the main reasons why the homeless population is exposing:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/11/the-new-meth/620174/

(sneak peak: has nothing do do with billionaires)

*exploding

@22,

Why do I even bother commenting? Fair question. I guess I can admit to having an unfortunate fascination with engaging lunatics in debate. And it just seems safer to do so online, rather than out on the street corner where I could wind up getting shot. You know, because our nation's gun control laws are so excessively lax and permissive.

@1, @9, @10, @13,@17, @18 and @22 David in Shoreline: yyyyyyyYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWwwwwwwnnnnnnnnn........

@26: That's our Elmer--scared shitless of smart, educated, and well qualified women who get things done, working hard to sufficiently lead and represent Washington State. Go take a nap before you fall face down in your Cocoa Puffs and your keyboard becomes a jumbled mess.

@28 cressona: I'm actually rather concerned about both Manchin and Sinema. To me, they should openly admit they're really RepubliKKKans in Democrats' clothing. Joe Manchin is an obstructionist coal baron who lives to coddle the fossil fuel industry and kill our planet. Krysten Sinema is Mitch McConnell's own bootlicking sock puppet on a short leash. For two senators claiming to represent the Democratic Party whey act and sound a lot more like do-nothing filibustering RepubliKKKans. They need to be ousted and soon.

@30 - I've seen them exposing themselves on more than one occasion. Don't know if meth had anything to do with it or if it was good old fashioned Wild Irish Rose.

@36 Sir Toby II: Don't you think I know what would happen if we lose our Chuck Schumer led Senate majority? Read my comments more carefully and think before you lecture. Here is the reality: Manchin and Sinema are caucusing for MITCH MCCONNELL, NOT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY!
It's a shame Manchin and Sinema can't be immediately replaced by REAL Democrats in the Senate like Congress member Primala Jayapal who would earnestly help undo the dreadful damage done by Trump and its lackeys so that we can actually see democracy work and MAKE REAL CHANGE FOR THE BETTER instead of the usual forced "oh, let's compromise" bullshit through pigheaded GOP filibuster giving us only a watered back 20% of what was on the table instead, and we're supposed to click heels and be thankful. That's just total bullshit.
Manchin and Sinema are NOT DEMOCRATS. By serving their own self interests they are deliberately playing into the hands of McConnell ad nauseum to destroy our country, period, and the hell with the 99.999999999% of the rest of us. We, the people deserve better than that.
There are far too many RepubliKKKans that I wish would test positive for COVID and die already so that their seats can be filled by elected representatives who actually give a shit about addressing climate change, income inequality, the Constitutional rights of all U.S. citizens, and contributing to the public good. They have far too much blood on their hands and have no concern for the people of the United States whom they are supposed to represent. Krysten Sinema has been reported to deliberately kill President Joe Biden's economic plan by refusing to properly pass laws to make the wealthy pay their share of taxes [ read Report: Sinema Bent on Destroying Biden Presidency to Keep Taxes on the Wealthy Low. This Sounds Extremely Bad, by Jonathan Chait, New York Intelligencer, October 20, 2021].
Too many RepubliKKKans, their lawyers, lobbyists, hedge fund managers, fixers, trophy bitches & bimbos, snotnosed heirs, militias, and MAGA rubes are really the ones who desperately need the reality check, Toby, not me.

As @5 pointed out, Harrell got 3.5 rainbows, so the Stranger's fluffing of Gonzalez for edging him just emphasizes their desperation, as Election Day nears with Harrell up 15+% (and rising...).

It's also funny to see the Stranger suddenly pretend to care what local politicians might or might not do for LGBTQIA+ persons and communities. Ed Murray was the political leader who did more for Washington State's LGBTQIA+ persons and communities than anyone else ever did (or now can). When he entered the legislature, less than one LGBTQIA+ person out of five in our state had any rights at all -- the overwhelming majority could lose jobs, residences, custody of children, everything -- if outed. He diligently labored for almost twenty years, changing absolutely all of that. When he left the legislature to become Seattle's Mayor, he had won not only full civil rights for all, but marriage equality as well.

Despite his many slam-dunk, across the board victories for human rights and dignity, the Stranger unhesitatingly threw him under the bus at their first opportunity. The Stranger swallowed the emissions of male convicts -- felons, every last one of them -- rather than grant the most basic decency to Washington State's most successful gay politician. So, the Stranger can spare us the pretense of caring about what local politicians might do for LGBTQIA+ persons and communities. We already know the Stranger has no loyalty there.