Reluctantly, I find myself agreeing with Schumer on one point mostly - that the possible shutdown could affect federal court staff. The US needs the court system more than anything now, to hold the line. And, if Trump & Musk say they want a shutdown - more reason not to let them have it.
The strategy might have to do with the budget bill that carries with it an increase in the debt limit. And time is running short on that.
The thinking might have been that killing the CR/shutting the government would have the effect of binding the House Republican caucus more closely together. The best hope for a defeat for Trump's budget continues to be in the House where there are many deficit hawks.
So I don't feel I can opine as to whether it was the right move. It was likely a very tough decision.
But I think the destruction of our government and way of life is well underway regardless. Democrats are too logical. We need to stop using reason. MAGA and the GQP are using emotion and they are getting exactly what they want.
I think we need some Senators standing on desks screaming that "you are murdering people".
Yes, emotion, for the masses, beats reason. That's why the Framers were opposed to democracy and gave us a republic instead. Until social media provided an unrestricted and widespread platform devoted to appeals to emotion, we as a nation hobbled along pretty well in selecting our leaders. No demagogue ever made it to the White House.
But this demagogue and his lackeys are incompetent managers of what must be the world's most complex organization, the federal government. We just need enough of the masses personally hurt by this incompetence, and then we'll see them dislodged from power. Keep the messaging on how ordinary Americans are being hurt by Trump is essential.
Remember when Zelensky came to the White House in battle dress and Trump called him a "dictator"? Ukraine is under attack and in a national emergency which gives its President extraordinary powers unavailable otherwise. Trump craves power and needs a national emergency to open the opportunity for him to assume the expanded powers granted by invoking the Emergency Powers Act.
Schumer knows this and is aware of the consequences of giving even more power to Trump.
"This administration has shown an unfathomable willingness to sacrifice American families and their wellbeing to advance their own political agenda. A shutdown positions them to do this on overdrive."
Trump is going to wreak havoc on the Federal bureaucracy no matter what, but giving him Emergency Powers will only make it worse. As Trump told Zelensky: "You don't hold the cards..." Thanks to the voters, the Democrats do not hold the cards to win this hand. It was an excruciating choice between which option does less harm. Schumer knows well how the government works and has excellent counsel. He is an honorable man trying to do the best for the nation.
Several thoughts popped into my head (not all at once - I am not very good at 'multi-tasking', which is in most instances 'multi-muddling') on hearing the news that Schumer would vote in favor of the CR.
1. Betrayal! We wanted leadership, and look what we got -- cowardice!
2. Oh Great! More cuts in programs for the Underserved to fund cuts in taxes for the Undeserving.
3. Then again, a shut-down would hurt the civil servants who are still employed and presumably carrying a heavier workload since significant numbers of their colleagues have already been fired, furloughed or are in limbo -- anyway, not working. Maybe think again.
4. So, what would a 'partial shutdown' mean in real terms? Imagine healthcare denied to people desperately needing it? Social Security checks delayed or fouled up so much that some recipients never get what they are entitled to? Dems would get the blame: Not a good look.
5. A sick feeling at the thought of Trump, Musk and the SPeakWeasel Johnson fist-bumping having put Democrats into a No-Win position: damned if they do/damned if they don't.
6. Schumer's a sly old silver fox - maybe I should read his reasoning on this....
Yes, a Social Security breakdown will be a watershed moment and, according to former SSA Commissioner Martin O'Malley, the firing of 50% of its employees is going to result in a collapse in 30-90 days. So it might very well happen even without the shutdown. Sometimes incompetence works in the Dems' favor...
Never thought of it that way…you have a valid point. How does keeping the lights off help with saving essential programs? What cards do the Senate Democrats have left to play?
I thought of you immediately when I saw the breaking news email last night. Of course, the first thing I wondered was why, so thank you for the deep digging. [There's something wrong in the press if the rationale for a Senate caucus decision is buried!] I don't know what to say about it. I can see all of the reasons, esp court staffing.
But a shutdown being a gift to Trump and his party that controls all three branches of the fed govt? Something is wrong here too.
Well, I think the courts would have an opinion about furloughing their staffing. The only problem is finding the right party to bring the suit. Maybe people with court suits already in motion could file protesting the delay.
This is the dilemma I am dealing with. Passing the CR absolutely gives Trump and his minions a green light to keep dismantling the government. However, shutting down the government gives him EXACTLY what he needs to permanently shutter any agency he deems non-essential. To those who say it would force the R’s to negotiate on another bill, I think Trump would order them to hold the line and they would. As more services become unavailable, the Dems would be blamed for shutting down the government. We all know how that plays out in the midterms….massive losses. I don’t know why so many people are not understanding this. The best defense against Trump’s madness appears to be in the courts which have held so far. More effort, time and money needs to be spent there, not on silly tactics like forcing a shutdown.
I disagree. The courts have said resume funding and rehire. But the fascists are not doing it. I wouldn't count on the courts when the king tells them they are irrelevant.
And the blame game is lame.
Republicans have had complete majorities in both chambers and they can't come up with a budget. That IS NOT the fault of Democrats.
The fascists will blame Democrats no matter what they do. This not a battle of facts and logic.
This is a war of emotions. And Democrats are calm while they are walked over, bulldozed and silenced by intimidation.
I was all for the shutdown until people started writing about what the Republicans could do with that gift. "Run away and live to fight another day" seem like a good plan at this point. Trump and Co are only looking at the plan and are a minority. Best to keep them flogging the masses that is sure to work in our favor 😉
It just rolls of the tongue - Schumer shutdown - doesn't it? The alliteration. The crisp two-word phrase of two-syllable words. The blaming. This is Trumpworld's masterful use of language, AKA propaganda. This is what Dems need to figure out - the language for exposing this for what it is. I'm sure there are strategies for countering propaganda, but I'm afraid the senior citizen leaders of the Dem party are too old to learn new tricks.
Well, the fact is we gave the Trumpworld the "bully pulpit". The Dems know that the tsunami of "alternative facts" would blame Schumer and the Dems for the shutdown and its resulting pain. Sadly, low information voters are in the majority at this time.
We must stop the CR as it gives the President new powers to steal legally and to tax citizens in a way that puts the funds under Executive branch unilateral control. Give the purse to a felon? We must stop the CR. It gives the President new powers. https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/fraud?r=3m1bs
Democrats are in quite the predicament: they pass the legislation that will fund DOGE and catch hell from the progressive base, or they enable the shutdown and have the government run by OMB's Russ Vought. Either way, the Dems lose this round. At least Schumer recognizes that.
Reluctantly, I find myself agreeing with Schumer on one point mostly - that the possible shutdown could affect federal court staff. The US needs the court system more than anything now, to hold the line. And, if Trump & Musk say they want a shutdown - more reason not to let them have it.
The strategy might have to do with the budget bill that carries with it an increase in the debt limit. And time is running short on that.
The thinking might have been that killing the CR/shutting the government would have the effect of binding the House Republican caucus more closely together. The best hope for a defeat for Trump's budget continues to be in the House where there are many deficit hawks.
So I don't feel I can opine as to whether it was the right move. It was likely a very tough decision.
Yes, we do have another shot at these economic issues when the house considers the debt ceiling.
It's complicated. I see his thinking.
But I think the destruction of our government and way of life is well underway regardless. Democrats are too logical. We need to stop using reason. MAGA and the GQP are using emotion and they are getting exactly what they want.
I think we need some Senators standing on desks screaming that "you are murdering people".
Yes, emotion, for the masses, beats reason. That's why the Framers were opposed to democracy and gave us a republic instead. Until social media provided an unrestricted and widespread platform devoted to appeals to emotion, we as a nation hobbled along pretty well in selecting our leaders. No demagogue ever made it to the White House.
But this demagogue and his lackeys are incompetent managers of what must be the world's most complex organization, the federal government. We just need enough of the masses personally hurt by this incompetence, and then we'll see them dislodged from power. Keep the messaging on how ordinary Americans are being hurt by Trump is essential.
💯
Remember when Zelensky came to the White House in battle dress and Trump called him a "dictator"? Ukraine is under attack and in a national emergency which gives its President extraordinary powers unavailable otherwise. Trump craves power and needs a national emergency to open the opportunity for him to assume the expanded powers granted by invoking the Emergency Powers Act.
Schumer knows this and is aware of the consequences of giving even more power to Trump.
"This administration has shown an unfathomable willingness to sacrifice American families and their wellbeing to advance their own political agenda. A shutdown positions them to do this on overdrive."
Trump is going to wreak havoc on the Federal bureaucracy no matter what, but giving him Emergency Powers will only make it worse. As Trump told Zelensky: "You don't hold the cards..." Thanks to the voters, the Democrats do not hold the cards to win this hand. It was an excruciating choice between which option does less harm. Schumer knows well how the government works and has excellent counsel. He is an honorable man trying to do the best for the nation.
I came to agree with Schumer.
Several thoughts popped into my head (not all at once - I am not very good at 'multi-tasking', which is in most instances 'multi-muddling') on hearing the news that Schumer would vote in favor of the CR.
1. Betrayal! We wanted leadership, and look what we got -- cowardice!
2. Oh Great! More cuts in programs for the Underserved to fund cuts in taxes for the Undeserving.
3. Then again, a shut-down would hurt the civil servants who are still employed and presumably carrying a heavier workload since significant numbers of their colleagues have already been fired, furloughed or are in limbo -- anyway, not working. Maybe think again.
4. So, what would a 'partial shutdown' mean in real terms? Imagine healthcare denied to people desperately needing it? Social Security checks delayed or fouled up so much that some recipients never get what they are entitled to? Dems would get the blame: Not a good look.
5. A sick feeling at the thought of Trump, Musk and the SPeakWeasel Johnson fist-bumping having put Democrats into a No-Win position: damned if they do/damned if they don't.
6. Schumer's a sly old silver fox - maybe I should read his reasoning on this....
Yes, a Social Security breakdown will be a watershed moment and, according to former SSA Commissioner Martin O'Malley, the firing of 50% of its employees is going to result in a collapse in 30-90 days. So it might very well happen even without the shutdown. Sometimes incompetence works in the Dems' favor...
Never thought of it that way…you have a valid point. How does keeping the lights off help with saving essential programs? What cards do the Senate Democrats have left to play?
The Senate Dems have no cards to play at this point. They decided not to play when they had a chance.
I thought of you immediately when I saw the breaking news email last night. Of course, the first thing I wondered was why, so thank you for the deep digging. [There's something wrong in the press if the rationale for a Senate caucus decision is buried!] I don't know what to say about it. I can see all of the reasons, esp court staffing.
But a shutdown being a gift to Trump and his party that controls all three branches of the fed govt? Something is wrong here too.
Well, I think the courts would have an opinion about furloughing their staffing. The only problem is finding the right party to bring the suit. Maybe people with court suits already in motion could file protesting the delay.
This is the dilemma I am dealing with. Passing the CR absolutely gives Trump and his minions a green light to keep dismantling the government. However, shutting down the government gives him EXACTLY what he needs to permanently shutter any agency he deems non-essential. To those who say it would force the R’s to negotiate on another bill, I think Trump would order them to hold the line and they would. As more services become unavailable, the Dems would be blamed for shutting down the government. We all know how that plays out in the midterms….massive losses. I don’t know why so many people are not understanding this. The best defense against Trump’s madness appears to be in the courts which have held so far. More effort, time and money needs to be spent there, not on silly tactics like forcing a shutdown.
I disagree. The courts have said resume funding and rehire. But the fascists are not doing it. I wouldn't count on the courts when the king tells them they are irrelevant.
And the blame game is lame.
Republicans have had complete majorities in both chambers and they can't come up with a budget. That IS NOT the fault of Democrats.
The fascists will blame Democrats no matter what they do. This not a battle of facts and logic.
This is a war of emotions. And Democrats are calm while they are walked over, bulldozed and silenced by intimidation.
Schumer is asleep. I'm listening to AOC.
I was all for the shutdown until people started writing about what the Republicans could do with that gift. "Run away and live to fight another day" seem like a good plan at this point. Trump and Co are only looking at the plan and are a minority. Best to keep them flogging the masses that is sure to work in our favor 😉
Here's another reason why: "Senate Republicans coin 'Schumer shutdown' ahead of critical vote on Trump spending bill" [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-republicans-coin-schumer-shutdown-ahead-critical-vote-trump-spending-bill]. This was published yesterday morning. This must be what happened between "Republicans do not have the votes in the Senate to invoke cloture on the House CR" Wednesday morning and the cave yesterday.
It just rolls of the tongue - Schumer shutdown - doesn't it? The alliteration. The crisp two-word phrase of two-syllable words. The blaming. This is Trumpworld's masterful use of language, AKA propaganda. This is what Dems need to figure out - the language for exposing this for what it is. I'm sure there are strategies for countering propaganda, but I'm afraid the senior citizen leaders of the Dem party are too old to learn new tricks.
Well, the fact is we gave the Trumpworld the "bully pulpit". The Dems know that the tsunami of "alternative facts" would blame Schumer and the Dems for the shutdown and its resulting pain. Sadly, low information voters are in the majority at this time.
As Tonto said to the Lone Ranger, “What do you mean ‘we’ kemo sabe?” I didn’t vote for him.
There’s still more of them than us.
We must stop the CR as it gives the President new powers to steal legally and to tax citizens in a way that puts the funds under Executive branch unilateral control. Give the purse to a felon? We must stop the CR. It gives the President new powers. https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/fraud?r=3m1bs
Democrats are in quite the predicament: they pass the legislation that will fund DOGE and catch hell from the progressive base, or they enable the shutdown and have the government run by OMB's Russ Vought. Either way, the Dems lose this round. At least Schumer recognizes that.