Sunday School 2/28/21

Seven senators made classroom visits today; with the House passing the stimulus package, and Dem plans to use reconciliation to get the minimum wage through the Senate being shot down, attention will turn to them, so that's where I'm focusing, too. 

Here are highlights of a few of them, starting with Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI), who spoke with George on This Week. Hirono was first.

• She's supportive of anything that will work to get the minimum wage increased, noting that it's mostly essential workers who are earning the $7.25 hourly wage, which she called "poverty level."
• The appropriate response to sexual harassment allegations against my Sonofa Gov is to listen to the people who come forward, "and then to do the appropriate investigation and corroboration of the allegations." The NY AG "would be the independent entity to conduct such an investigation."
• The Biden administration is showing leadership on anti-Asian hate crimes, having issued an executive memorandum requiring the new AG "to work with state and county officials and community groups to prevent and prosecute these kind of hate crimes."

Next? Sen. Portman, who voted to pass the Trump tax cuts and repeal Obamacare via reconciliation, but says trying to do COVID relief that way "would poison the well of bipartisanship." 

• He thinks what Biden should do is "...to start off with more bipartisan measures, so that we don’t poison the well, so that we can continue to work together. And in this case, it would be very easy to get Republican support for a COVID relief package."
• He poo-pooed the idea that Republican voters are in favor of the bill -"if, you know, checks are coming out to people's homes, that's going to be popular, but that doesn't mean that this is the right bill." He gave a list of things in the bill he says are not related to COVID.
• Working together "is not difficult. We can work together on this one and then continue to work together on infrastructure and retirement security and supply chain issues with China and so on. So my hope is that they'll change their mind before this over." 
• He doesn't think Biden has gone far enough on Saudi sanctions vis a vis MBS and Jamal Khashoggi, "although you have to give him credit" for increasing sanctions and travel bans on the people directly responsible for murdering Khashoggi - but he thinks there needs to be something directly targeting MBS. 
• He says former president Trump is "very popular" with the Rs, but policies are more popular - in fact, "there are a number of things we can talk about from a policy perspective that I think will help to move the party forward. And that's where we ought to focus."

Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) was in the Meet the Press classroom; here are highlights.

• Brown's statement about not waiting for Rs to grow spines but having the Dems show Americans they don't have to "settle for a government that's set up to fail" was not defiant, but prescriptive. 
• He always wants to be bipartisan - he's a Dem in conservative Ohio, after all - and says the COVID bill is a bipartisan plan, will broad support, and "Just because Senate Republicans don't support it doesn't make it partisan." 
• He says " -- it's become a Trump party. It's not a party of reason. It's a party that has turned its back." He referenced Sen. Mitch McConnell doing nothing about COVID relief for months, the Rs failing to raise the minimum wage, and more. 
• He says they'll find a way to solve the problem somehow, noting "The corporate elite, the far-right elite in Washington have blocked it year after year after year after year, and we're going to make it happen."'
• We're not done yet on Saudi Arabia, he says, saying "We need to hold any foreign authoritarian, like the royal family, some of the members of the royal family, we need hold them accountable."

Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Chris Coons (D-DE) talked with Dana Bash on CNN's State of the Union. Here are excerpts, with Cassidy up first. 

• He said the Rs "have got to win in two years, we have got to win in four years. If we do that, we will do that by speaking to those issues that are important to the American people." That's more than "putting one person on a pedestal and making that one person our focal point."
• He also said that "CPAC is not the entirety of the Republican Party... we lost the House of Representatives, the Senate and the presidency. No president -- that has not happened in a single four years under a president since Herbert Hoover. "In order to win, they have to listen to all voters, not just the Trump fans. "That is a reality that we have to confront."
• He doesn't think Trump will be the nominee in 2024, and whether or not Trump is fit (Cassidy didn't answer), he said, "The point is, I don't think he is going to be our nominee..."
• He has "no clue" how the COVID bill will come out of the Senate, and that the Rs haven't been involved. He "started laughing" listening to press secretary Jen Psaki saying the Rs have been listened to, saying "that is such a joke."
• Bipartisanship isn't dead, though; he's working with Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) on a privacy issue, and, "Republicans remain willing and are working on issues that require bipartisan cooperation. We have done five on a COVID relief package in the past. It could have happened here. They made a conscious decision not to include us."

And, here're excerpts from the interview with Sen. Coons, a close friend of President Biden.

• He hasn't seen the details of Sen. Ron Wyden's Plan B proposal to tax companies that don't pay $15/hour. More importantly, "And if I'm someone who is always willing to negotiate with Republicans, I'm willing to negotiate with Democrats as well." Everyone - Ds and Rs alike - agree the minimum wage is too low, they just need to find a way to agree on a number and a path. 
• As do most Dems, he pointed to polling overwhelming support (76% of all Americans, and 60% of Republicans), so they should listen to the voters. And he's glad to hear Cassidy is still willing to work across the aisle, noting they've done that together in the past.
• He also said ..."Biden and the Democrats in Congress gave several weeks for there to be a serious negotiation that came close to the scope and range of this challenge. The proposals that came forward weren't anything like" what we're up against. "And so, frankly, we're moving ahead with a bill that probably will get no Republican votes in the Senate, but will have broad Republican support in the country."
• He said the Dems shouldn't "throw up the white flag and say, well, there's no way that we can work with Republicans, when this is literally the first major piece of legislation to come through. We will have other chances to pass bold legislation in this Congress, in this year, but we have to give bipartisanship a chance."

Dr. Anthony Fauci made four classroom appearances today (This Week, MTP, FTN and CNN SOTU), so I'm going to leave you on your own for those interviews.

See you around campus. Follow the COVID guidance, please, or I'll have to excuse you from class and assign additional homework. 

In Case You Missed It (v75)

Miss anything last week? Don't worry - I've got you covered. 

Sunday School brought us interviews with the slimy Rep. Steve Scalise, with too-progressive-for-me Rep. Pramila Jayapal, and with Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers; she spoke with Chuck Todd on Meet the Press. Weingarten was talking about getting schools reopened, something her union is being blamed for slowing down, or blocking. She disagreed with that portrayal.

She said 85% of her membership "have said that they would be comfortable being in school," with the right protocols in place. It's happening in different places around the country, and

... I think the issue is, if the NFL could figure out how to do this, in terms of testing and the protocols, if schools are that important, let's do it. And my members want it, they just want to be safe.

She's got a point, you know. Other people who had a point? The Texans who were making classroom rounds. They were the focus of our Sunday School Extra Credit. Houston's Mayor Sylvester Turner, Rep. Michael McCaul, and Fort Worth's Mayor Betsy Price all talked about the failures that happened when the power grid went down and the pipes burst, and how Texas failed to learn a lesson from a decade ago, when winterization was recommended, and ignored. Here's a snippet from the conversation with Price.

I admit I was surprised to learn from Brennan that "the majority of the ERCOT board, the energy grid operator, the people on the board don't even live in the state of Texas." She wondered if they were "in touch at all" with what's happening. Price said she was surprised to learn that, too.

I certainly hope they're in touch, but it doesn't appear that way. And I think that's what surprised more people than anything is that they are not Texans who have not been living here. Most people didn't realize that, including myself. I didn't realize that. And, of course, now you've had the perfect storm, a state-wide storm that's tested our system. And we just have to -- we went through this ten years ago.

And speaking of being out of touch, my Wondering on Wednesday topics included on Biden Cabinet confirmation hearings, mean tweets, and hypocrisy - you know, Republicans. I also noted that Louis (kill)DeJoy, the Postmaster General, was more than slightly full of himself when he testified about the mess he's made at the USPS, and his plans to fix it. He

...  told Congress yesterday they'll have to get used to him because he's going to be sticking around. He offered support for a plan to eliminate the need to pre-fund future health insurance costs, so that's progress. But he also suggested improving service by slowing down delivery of first-class mail, and said something about having the USPS stop using planes to move mail around the country. I wonder if he doing a CBA on a revived Pony Express? That would surely accomplish both of his goals.

At the same time, his longevity is potentially threatened by the pesky Biden administration's efforts to fill seats on the governing board. And they are not all white men, darn those inclusive Dems. I wonder if any of them have sent any mean tweets in the past? Hope not. 

Notably, I delivered the WoW post on Thursday, a tip of the hat to (kill)DeJoy, who's been doing the same thing with the mail since he was put in charge.  

I provided some info from a couple of recent public opinion surveys in the first of two posts on Friday. The Poll Watch entry focused on the growing sentiment, especially among the Rs, that their party ain't worth much and doesn't give much of a hoot about them, and maybe it's time to try something different. Here are a couple of highlights from the two polls; the first comes from a Gallup poll.

• 62% say the major parties are doing such a poor job that a third party is needed; only 33% feel the parties do an adequate job. In 2003, when the question was first asked, 56% said the parties were doing an adequate job, with 40% saying a third party was needed. 

And, from a CBS News/YouGov poll?

• 73% of Republicans think it's important (46% saying it's very important) that their guys are loyal to Trump.
• Women (75% total, 49% very important), folks 65 and older (79% total, 59% very important) and those without college degrees (78% total, 52% very important) are the most focused on Trump loyalty.

Also on Friday, I tossed out a few candidates for the good week/bad week lists, but didn't pin a label on any of them, I left that up to you. That said, regular readers would have no trouble figuring out who I'd put where. Here's a snippet from the TGIF post, talking about options the Senate Dems have now that Senate Parliamentarian parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled that the $15 minimum wage can't be done via the reconciliation process.

If they have any patience, the Dems can wait and see what happens to Plan B, a proposal from Finance Committee Chair Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). 

As chair of the Finance Committee, I’ve been working on a ‘plan B’ that would make big companies pay for mistreating their workers. My plan would impose a 5 percent penalty on a big corporations’ total payroll if any workers earn less than a certain amount. That penalty would increase over time. 

I don't know about you, but I'm not sure that's going to fly any higher than the original proposal. We'll have to wait and see. We'll also have to wait and see about this, too - but not for long. The former president is the headliner for today's CPAC closing day, and

...Trump is more likely than not to declare himself for the Republican nomination...during his CPAC speech... As of Friday morning, the odds were 4 to 5, suggesting a 55.6% implied probability that Trump declares during his speech.

And will he do that as a Republican, or as a Patriot Party member? Well, there's only a 4-to-1 chance that he'll do it as anything other than a died-in-the-wool RINO. 

There you go - last week, in review. See you later for Sunday School. 

TGIF 2/26/21

Ready to pick your good week/bad week winners? Here are a few stories that might help you decide.

The $15/hour minimum wage took a direct hit late yesterday, when the non-partisan Senate parliamentarian determined that the increase does not meet the requirements to be included in the Biden COVID stimulus package under the reconciliation rules. Those rules are being applied to the stimulus package to avoid the need to get 60 senators to approve the bill. 

There are options for the Dems, including dropping the wage increase from the package, redoing the bill, or even trying to override parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough's decision. 

If they have any patience, the Dems can wait and see what happens to Plan B, a proposal from Finance Committee Chair Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). 

As chair of the Finance Committee, I’ve been working on a ‘plan B’ that would make big companies pay for mistreating their workers. My plan would impose a 5 percent penalty on a big corporations’ total payroll if any workers earn less than a certain amount. That penalty would increase over time. 

The plan also would incentivize small businesses by giving tax credits to help offset the wage increase, and penalize companies that replace employees with contractors who are paid less. This, too, would be up to MacDonough to decide.

And, of course, because it's the Dems, there's another option, one suggested by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN).

Abolish the filibuster. Replace the parliamentarian. What’s a Democratic majority if we can’t pass our priority bills? This is unacceptable. 

And lest you think this is some cockamamie idea, don't - the Rs did it twenty years ago, in another 50-50 divided Senate. We'll see how the Dems handle it, but I'm sure if they try the same thing, the hypocrisy will be flowing deep, and wide.

Speaking of hypocrisy, we learned today that a few House Republicans have submitted requests designating others to vote for them today, saying they're not able to be present in person "due to the ongoing public health emergency." The group includes a number of the usual suspects: Reps. Matt Gaetz (FL), Paul Gosar (AZ), Jim Banks (IN), Madison Cawthorn and Ted Budd (both from NC). 

Sadly, the "ongoing public health emergency" they're referring to is the one happening in Orlando, which goes by the name CPAC 2021. Maybe it's not as catchy as COVID-19, but it's probably as dangerous, given the collective fealty to Donald Trump. And it's way up there on the hypocrisy scale, given that the Rs in the House sued to prevent proxy voting in the first place.

Sticking with CPAC, the former president will be speaking to his minions on Sunday. Given his post-presidency comments, there's some speculation that he'll be announcing his next insurrection run for the White House in 2024. According to the oddsmakers in Vegas,

...Trump is more likely than not to declare himself for the Republican nomination...during his CPAC speech... As of Friday morning, the odds were 4 to 5, suggesting a 55.6% implied probability that Trump declares during his speech.

And will he do that as a Republican, or as a Patriot Party member? Well, there's only a 4-to-1 chance that he'll do it as anything other than a died-in-the-wool RINO. 

Finally, there's Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Crown Prince, Jared Kushner's WhatsApp BFF, commonly referred to as MBS. In a declassified report released today by Avril Haines, the Director of National Intelligence, everyone got to see with their own eyes what's been presumed since October 2018: that MBS approved the operation in which US-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered and dismembered.

So - who's on the good week list, and who's on the bad week list? 

TGIF, everyone!

Poll Watch: It's My Party (or not)

We all know that it took a broad coalition of voters to elect President Joe Biden. As this Global Risk Insights article pointed out, support came from former GOP elected officials, long-time GOP operatives who voted for Trump in 2016, and from progressive Dems (who probably held their noses when voting). 

Now, some of the Rs who voted Biden/Harris in an anti-Trump move may be open to forming a "fiscally conservative but socially liberal" party - FCSL, I'll call it. And we know that  the former president suggested he might just start a new "Patriot Party," a misnomer, for sure. So, what do we think about the idea of new political parties? 

There are a couple of insightful polls on that, starting with a Gallup poll from earlier this month. First, the small print: randomly dialed phone interviews occurred 1/21- 2/2/21, with minimum quotas of 70% cell/30% landline... 906 adults 18 and older, from all 50 states and DC (412 R/leaning R and 420 D/leaning D) participated; the sampling error is +/- 4% overall, and +/- 6% for party-specific responses. 

Here's the BLOT (bottom line on top), excerpted from the article. 

...appetite for a third party has never been greater in Gallup's nearly two decades of polling on the subject...a majority of Republicans are joining the usual majority of independents in wanting that option... The possibility still exists that a pro-Trump or anti-Trump third party will splinter off...

And, some highlights:

• 62% say the major parties are doing such a poor job that a third party is needed; only 33% feel the parties do an adequate job. In 2003, when the question was first asked, 56% said the parties were doing an adequate job, with 40% saying a third party was needed. 
• All age groups believe a third party is needed, with 77% of the 18-34 group and 55% of the 55+ cohort as the extremes. 
• Ideologically, Independents (70%) who don't really have a home with either party lead the way. Equally unsurprising, more Rs (63%) than Ds (46%) feel left out of their party, and the unhappy R population is up 23 points since September.
• Respondents of all ideologies - conservatives (63%), moderates (63%) and liberals (61%) - aren't feeling the love. That's an interesting challenge for Dems, I think.

Notably, the survey was taken before the start of the president Trump's second impeachment trial, and before there was open talk of officials from previous administrations were talking about forming an anti-Trump party. 

Let's turn to a more recent CBS News/YouGov poll. Small print first, though: a nationally representative sample of 2,508 U.S. residents was interviewed 2/5 - 2/8/21; it was weighted according to gender, age, race, and education based on the American Community Survey... the 2020 presidential vote and registration status. The margin of error is +/- 2.3%.

Here's the BLOT for this one, from the article:

...most still broadly value loyalty to Mr. Trump. Many current Republicans say they might even join a new party headed by Mr. Trump if he were to start one. 

First, here's what folks think about their parties:

• Only 37% of Dems think their party represents them most or all the time; 36% say it almost never or never does. It's even worse for the Rs, with 25% feeling represented most or all the time, and 44% saying almost never or never.
• Republican men and women are united in not feeling the love from their party (42% and 46%, respectively), while Dems are more divided along gender lines. 40% of women feel represented, while 39% of men don't think they are.
• Rs without degrees think better of the party than do those with degrees; 32% of the former feel represented most or all the time, compared to 26% of the latter. It's closer for the Ds: 38% without degrees, and 40% with degrees, think the party represents them most or all the time.

And now, to the fun stuff: 

• 73% of Republicans think it's important (46% saying it's very important) that their guys are loyal to Trump.
• Women (75% total, 49% very important), folks 65 and older (79% total, 59% very important) and those without college degrees (78% total, 52% very important) are the most focused on Trump loyalty.

Loyalty to Trump is important, but it's only motivated 15% of all respondents to go with him if he left the GOP; 20% said maybe, and.65% said no. 

• Conservatives (32%), whites without college degrees (21%), whites (18%) and the 65+ cohort (16%) are the most pro-Trump; that's been the case all along.
• Among the 'maybe I'd join him' cohorts, in addition to the ones above, men (23%), 45-64- year-olds (21%), and Hispanics (20%). Males are the fifth of the pro-Trump groups.
• Least likely to join him? Liberals, of course (8% combined yes/maybe), Blacks (15%), and women, whites with college degrees, and the under-30 crowd (all 31%).

Will Trump loyalists have a new home with him? Will there be a home for FCSLs like me, from the moderate part of both major parties? Trump's speaking to his devotees at CPAC on Sunday - maybe he'll make an announcement that'll give us some insight on all of this. 

I'll leave you with some thoughts from conservative columnist George Will, who's talking about the Trumpian wing of the GOP in his last sentence.

An essential conservative insight about everything is that nothing necessarily endures. Care must be taken. The Republican party will wither if the ascendant Lout Caucus is the face it presents to this nation of decent, congenial people. 

Drop a comment with your thoughts about a new party, or about what the parties can do to more represent "this nation of decent, congenial people."

Wondering on Wednesday 2/24/21

Ready... Set... Wonder!

In no particular order, here's the stuff that's got me scratching my head tonight.

Neera Tanden, President Biden's choice to head the Office of Management and Budget, seems to be on a fast track to failure, as Joe Manchin (the most important Senator in the Universe, or something like that) is opposed and so are at least a few Republicans, including Susan Collins, Mitt Romney, and Rob Portman. The primary reason Tanden's nom is not looking good? She was a mean tweeter. 

One of her targets was Manchin's daughter, a pharma CEO allegedly having something to do with the exorbitant price of Epi-pens. Collins thinks that Tanden exhibits the kind of animosity that Biden has "pledged to transcend." Romney can't support someone who's sent "a thousand mean tweets." Portman says the OMB director needs to work "productively" with people on both sides of the aisle. And I wonder, why would the OMB director need to be held to a higher standard than the (former) president?

Merrick Garland, the guy who coulda woulda shoulda been a SCOTUS associate justice, looks well on his way to being confirmed as the next Attorney General of the United States; similarly, the standard for him is higher than for his predecessor, and for the former president. It cracks me up, the hypocrisy. Texas Sen. John Cornyn, a staunch Trump supporter, said that Garland met his 'sole' criteria - a promise to conduct investigations "without succumbing to political pressure." Really, Senator? When did you stumble upon your 'sole' criteria, I wonder?

Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson? I just wonder about him generally. And Rep. Jim Jordan, too. They could be in the wondering every week.

US Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told Congress yesterday they'll have to get used to him because he's going to be sticking around. He offered support for a plan to eliminate the need to pre-fund future health insurance costs, so that's progress. But he also suggested improving service by slowing down delivery of first-class mail, and said something about having the USPS stop using planes to move mail around the country. I wonder if he doing a CBA on a revived Pony Express? That would surely accomplish both of his goals.

At the same time, his longevity is potentially threatened by the pesky Biden administration's efforts to fill seats on the governing board. And they are not all white men, darn those inclusive Dems. I wonder if any of them have sent any mean tweets in the past? Hope not. 

And finally, watch this video of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R Mar-a-Lago) and #3 Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Purgatory) answer a question on whether 45 should appear a CPAC (the 'hug a flag like it's a porn star conference) this weekend, and wonder with me how long the Rs are going to put up with her refreshing honesty.

What are you wondering about?

Sunday School 2/21/21: Extra Credit

For your Extra Credit, I wanted to spend time with a least some of the Texans who were in the classrooms yesterday.

For starters, Margaret Brennan had Houston's Dem Mayor Sylvester Turner and Fort Worth's GOP Mayor Betsy Price in the Face the Nation classroom. Turner said that President Joe Biden was welcome to visit any time and he wouldn't be a distraction or a burden, and, as far as what his city needs, plumbing supplies, licensed plumbers and water are high on the list.

Brennan asked him why the water utility - which reports up to him - wasn't better prepared for the cold, and his plans for fixing things. He said "the power outages and the water system are all interconnected," and that they brought in extra generators to try and keep the water system afloat, if you will. He thinks maybe as soon as Monday or Tuesday, they'll be good to go.

He noted that when he was a legislator a decade ago, he submitted a bill to require adequate reserves be maintained to prevent blackouts; it didn't even get a hearing. The grid is built for hot summers, not cold winters - and, "climate change is real. It is real, and these major storms can happen at any time." That's why they need reserves, and why they need an open grid, connected to the grid outside Texas.

Turner said the bill needs to go to the state, not the consumers, and he said Houston has a "huge rainy-day fund" and 

...for people in... this city or in other cities, when they're getting these exorbitant electricity bills and they're having to pay for their homes, repair their homes, they should not have to bear the responsibility of paying a thousand dollars a day, or two thousand dollars a day. 

He said they're back on track already with vaccines; some started up this past Saturday, and a big FEMA site will open Monday; that one can handle an added 6000 shots a day for several weeks.  

In addition to our normal supply, I suspect that this coming week we'll probably vaccine more than a hundred thousand people in the city of Houston. The people are resilient. I'm very proud of the people in the city of Houston, how they've come together. 

Moving to Mayor Price, Brennan noted that the Rs have been in charge of Texas, and the energy system, for years and wondered if anything needed to change. Price said local leaders will demand answers from the state - "solid answers and solutions" - because "the citizens are depending on their local leaders to insist that we get answers." 

I admit I was surprised to learn from Brennan that "the majority of the ERCOT board, the energy grid operator, the people on the board don't even live in the state of Texas." She wondered if they were "in touch at all" with what's happening. Price said she was surprised to learn that, too.

I certainly hope they're in touch, but it doesn't appear that way. And I think that's what surprised more people than anything is that they are not Texans who have not been living here. Most people didn't realize that, including myself. I didn't realize that. And, of course, now you've had the perfect storm, a state-wide storm that's tested our system. And we just have to-- we went through this ten years ago.

She said back when Mayor Turner put his solution on the table, "Texas was coming out of an economic downturn and they just didn't want to spend the money to do it." Now - even with COVID - the economy's strong enough and they have to take care of it, Price said.

Price also said while her attention is focused on getting "power, water and food delivered to our citizens," they'll look to partner with the feds, perhaps for grants for folks without insurance who have broken pipes and flooded homes. And, like Turner, she said they'd be starting vaccinations right back up, by Tuesday at the latest.

Finally, GOP Rep. Michael McCaul chatted with Dana Bash on CNN's State of the Union. Bash asked if what he and others have gone through with this storm isn't really "exhibit A of why some regulation is needed when it comes to protecting people's health and safety." He said it would have been helpful if they could have shared power with other grids, and he referenced the report from 2011 that recommended they winterize operations. Now, they have to look at how to implement those recommendations, "so this never happens again."

McCaul said he hoped that the emergency disaster declaration will help people with their outrageous electric bills, as well as with repairs to their damaged pipes and cleaning up from the water damage.

Bash asked him about the criticism and "some downright anger" at Rs in Texas, including Gov Abbott and Sen. Ted Cruz, and the "high-profile" Dems - Beto O'Rourke, who ran against Cruz in 2018, and AOC, all the way from Queens - "organizing phone banks, distributing supplies, raising millions of dollars for Texans in need." McCaul thought it was great that the two "are crossing party lines," and said the Rs "need to be helping as well." And that's the way it should be. As to folks taking heat?

Look, when a crisis hits my state, I'm there. I'm not going to go on some vacation. I know Mr. Cruz called it a mistake, and he's owned up to that. But I think that was a big mistake. And, as for me, I was on the ground trying to help my people out and my constituents. And that's what we should be doing in a time of crisis, just like we did during the hurricane season as well.

He appreciates the irony of Texas, "probably the energy capital of the world," literally powerless against a winter storm.

Houston, and Texas in general, we have more energy in this state than any other state in the United States, and arguably more than any in the world, and yet here we are without energy. How does that make sense? And we can blame it on wind and solar, but that's about 25 percent of the grid; 75 percent is natural gas and coal. They were all frozen in their operations. So, this winterization idea that I talked about that was set forth in the 2011 report is something that I believe we need to strongly move forward and make the investment that they failed to do in the past.

It's also ironic that it's likely going to take federal dollars to fix the grid they built to not have to deal with the federal government, isn't it?

See you around campus.

Sunday School 2/21/21

Welcome to Sunday School, where getting kids back in school is just one of the topics we'll be covering.

First up? Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers; she spoke with Chuck Todd on Meet the Press. Weingarten said it's a "myth" that her union doesn't want to be back in school. "Teachers know that in-person education is really important, "she said. The new CDC guidelines, and the money for schools in the Biden COVID package, provide the roadmap,

... the layered mitigation strategies; the testing, so that you can actually see asymptomatic spread; and vaccine prioritization -- not that every single teacher has to be vaccinated before you open any schools, but you should align the vaccine prioritization with the reopening of schools.

She said 85% of her membership "have said that they would be comfortable being in school," with the right protocols in place. It's happening in different places around the country, and

... I think the issue is, if the NFL could figure out how to do this, in terms of testing and the protocols, if schools are that important, let's do it. And my members want it, they just want to be safe.

Weingarten said that unions aren't monoliths, and the locals asking for more than the national is just "...that people are scared." She said they've learned that when teachers are in school with proper protocols in place, they've got greater trust. At the same time, 71% of AFT members are scared they'll bring COVID home to their families. The AFT's been hosting town halls and trying to build trust with their member.

Todd's final question was whether we'd have full reopening without full vaccination. Weingarten said the answer really is in how "full school opening" is defined. In the end, she said, 

What I think we need to do is we need to actually try to get as much in-person as possible right now. Have the mitigation strategies... have a real great summer semester to get kids' mojo back in a voluntary way, and then really be planning for next year.

I think the "really be planning for next year" needs to start now, doesn't it? 

Now, let's check in with the #2 GOP leader, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), who joined Jon Karl in the This Week classroom. Regarding kids in schools, Scalise said that President Biden can "give strong guidance and follow the science." Kids should be the priority, he said, but "that's not the case because right now you can see, as the unions have stepped up and said that they don't want in-classroom learning." 

Our kids can't wait. They need to be in the classroom today. The science says they can be in the classroom today. The question is, is the will there for some politicians in Washington who are bowing to the teachers' unions right now? 

Scalise's main issue is not requiring that schools taking money reopen. That, and there's "over a trillion dollars of money unspent" from previous bipartisan relief bills, Scalise added, and spending more money to "bail out failed states, to raise the minimum wage" doesn't have anything to do with COVID. Besides, it takes money away from our kids.

And his visit with Trump? Scalise said he was "in Florida doing some fund-raising throughout a number of parts of Florida, ended up at Mar-a-Lago, and the president reached out, and we visited." Which sounds like what GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy said about his visit with Trump last month...

Three times, Karl asked about Trump taking responsibility; Scalise never mentioned Trump, instead blaming the people who stormed the Capitol, Senators using 'fighting words,' and Dems who didn't denounce "during the summer, when they were burning down cities, shooting cops, beating people in the streets..." Who "they" are, he didn't say. In the end he landed nowhere near Trump.

... we -- you can rehash the election from 2020 all day long, but there are people concerned about what the next election is going to look like. Are we going to finally get back to the way the rule of law works? And I think that's the biggest frustration many people have, is those states that didn't follow the law, are they going to keep doing that in the future, or are we going to finally get back to what the Constitution calls out for electing our leaders?

I'd like to hear his definition of 'leaders' because if he and McCarthy meet the definition, whatever the processes are, they've failed.

Finally, we're in the State of the Union classroom with Dana Bash and Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, who chairs the House progressive caucus. The first topic was the $15 minimum wage, and whether Biden was "fighting hard enough" to get it done as part of the COVID relief package.

Jayapal said Biden's been fairly consistent in supporting it, while acknowledging it might run into trouble in the Senate. But, she said, it

would mean 30 million Americans would get a raise. A million Americans would come out of poverty, and 30 percent of those minimum wage workers are black; 25 percent are Latinx. It is absolutely essential that we do it. And I believe the Senate will do it.

Jayapal said  that if "Republicans could give a $2 trillion tax break to the wealthiest people and stop Arctic drilling, then -- or continue drilling in the Arctic, then I think that Democrats can make sure that 30 million Americans get a raise."

Even in the face of two Senate Dems, Joe Manchin (WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (AC) opposed to it, Jayapal pointed to what happened in her own state, in Seattle.

It is good for communities. It's good for businesses. I know because we were the first major city in Seattle to raise the minimum wage to $15 over a period of years. And, in 2018 and 2019, "Forbes" ranked us the best place in the country for businesses and for careers. We had one of the lowest unemployment numbers in the country.

She thinks the increase will be in the relief package. On direct stimulus payments, she said it "doesn't make any political sense to her" for Biden to give them to fewer people than Trump did, so there's no reason to change who gets them.

On student loan forgiveness, while Biden says it should only be $10K, she said progressives say it should be at least $50K.

...if you cancel that debt, you give a lifeline to millions of people across this country. So, let's work on it together. Obviously, if Congress could do it, that's great. But we believe that the president has the authority to do it. And we have been in conversation with the White House about it...

And, whether Biden is "living up to his promise to be the most progressive president," Jayapal said he came out of the gates strong, and

I think what we need to do is finish strong all the promises that have been made during the campaign to deliver relief to people, to make sure people understand what happens when Democrats control the House, the Senate, and the White House, is, we deliver relief. 

As I said the other day, it's going to take a lot of fortitude on Biden's part to not be dragged away from what he believes in, and what lots of us who voted for him believe in, too.

See you around campus. You better be wearing a mask.

In Case You Missed It (v74)

Here's your recap of last week's posts, in case you missed anything.

We started a new feature last week: EmpireVerse, which brings you the poetry of my Sonofa Gov, Andrew Cuomo (D-NY). I sort of kicked myself for missing out on years of opportunity to capture his rhetoric as verse. Cuomo's always struggled a bit with this stuff, trying to reach the soaring heights of his father Mario, and at the same time trying to suppress his inner street fighter from Queens. 

...I'm starting fresh with this one section of his 2021 State of the State address. Taken from his closing argument, if you will, it speaks to the pressures New York faced in 2020 and how we'll handle whatever 2021 has in store.

A Chain of Diamonds

But pressure also forges 

strength and that's

how diamonds are formed.

Intrigued? Check the post and see how this one ends.

I dove right in with a few of the House impeachment managers for your Sunday School, including Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD); I think he was much better than Adam Schiff in the first impeachment (and I think Schiff would probably agree with me). Raskin was on MTP with Chuck Todd, and was asked if dereliction of duty would have been a better charge than incitement of insurrection.

He said no matter which way they had done it, the Rs would have looked for and found a reason to fault the decision, as they did with the insurrection charge.

I mean, you know, you can always come up with a lawyer's argument to get to where you want to go. And they did not honestly confront the reality of what happened to America, which was Donald Trump incited a violent mob to attack the Congress of the United States...we have no regrets at all. 

You have to read how Raskin closed the interview - it's priceless.

New CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky was racing up and down the Sunday School hallways, appearing in several classrooms to talk about the new school reopening guidelines. I caught up with three of her interviews, including the one with Jake Tapper on CNN's State of the Union. Truth be told (and we always tell the truth here at veritable pastiche), I don't think she did well in any of her appearances. 

Tapper talked of the negative impact on kids when they're not in school, and how the experts tell us we have to get the schools open, and Walensky basically said we're not doing what we need to do in order to get the schools open.

In the studies that have shown masking, distancing, and de-densification work, 92% of students wore masks - and we're at around 60% who do so reliably. 

And, she said,"... until we can ensure that we have all those measures happening, that there was -- schools wouldn't be safe."

I would have asked how kids are supposed to learn to reliably mask when they never leave their homes. Tapper, though, was more professional.

...I'm just really confused. It seems to me like you're saying, the schools are safe to open as long as everybody takes these steps, but not everybody is taking these steps; therefore, we're not going to open the schools? Do I have that right?

It took 181 words to not say the one word that would have answered the question: yes.  

The 45th president issued a statement after Republicans in the Senate proved once again they're more interested in staying in office than in the Constitution, even after seeing and hearing overwhelming evidence that they 45th president is a danger to us - and to them. That statement became the 5ith entry in the book of OrangeVerse.

My guess is that only a couple of sentences - three, I think - were written by him. The rest of them? Maybe he went to Jared, or Ivanka. They're not crazy enough to have been written by either of the Millers, or Scavino.

...See if you can figure out which words are Trump's and which came from the professionals. 

Only the Best Lawyers

I want to first thank my team of
dedicated lawyers and others for their
 tireless work upholding justice and defending truth.

His team of dedicated lawyers who were found in the city of brotherly love, Phileeedelphia, and who presented a horrible defense, they really did. I wouldn't pay them if I were him...

Mid-week, I was Wondering on Wednesday not about the aptitude of the 46th president, but about his fortitude. He's going to be in for a fight, I'm thinking, with the real and fake progressive Dems. Like me, President Biden doesn't believe in cancelling $50,000 in student loan debt across the board.

...doing that would wipe out the debt of around 80% of all borrowers, and nearly 70% of all federally-held debt. "I will not make that happen," he said, adding he thinks there's better ways to spend a trillion bucks on education. 

AOC, of course, chimed in. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Elizabeth Warren also entered the fray, saying in a joint statement that Biden had the power to do it, and adding

Cancelling $50,000 in federal student loan debt will help close the racial wealth gap, benefit the 40% of borrowers who don't have a college degree, and help stimulate the economy. It's time to act...

Again, one-size-fits-all, don't-do-the-hard-work and don't-fix-the-problem take precedence over doing the thoughtful, considered right thing. I really want Biden to stand firm on this, I do. It's going to be tough, for sure. 

I nosed around a bit on Thursday, looking for a #tbt I could share, and found a year-old OrangeVerse, number XLIX, from happier times for 45. You know, when he attacked everyone and their brother, especially their twin brother, after his first impeachment. Here's a bit of that.

Transcribe This...

Fortunately for all of us

here today and for our country

we had transcripts.

We had transcribers

professional transcribers. 

Then they said Oh, well, maybe

the transcription is not correct.

But Lt Colonel Vindman and his twin

brother - right? - we had some people 

that - really amazing.

"Really amazing," indeed. 

For your TGIF, I talked about the bad week that #FlyinTedCruz had, which was epic and "really amazing," I think, don't you agree? There were also good weeks to be had including by 46.

On the good week side of the ledger? Well, President Biden told the G7 that 

I am sending a clear message to the world, America is back. The transatlantic alliance is back and we are not looking backward we are looking forward together.

His message was well-received, at least by British PM Boris Johnson, who said "As you've seen and heard earlier, America is unreservedly back as the leader of the free world, and that is a fantastic thing." I'd agree with that.  

Also a fantastic thing? Putting last week in the books. 

See you later for Sunday School. 

TGIF 2/19/21

Time to get this week into the books, starting with the bad week list.

Can we agree that Sen. Rafael Edward 'Ted' Cruz (R-TX), he of 'the vacation that spawned a hashtag industry,' belongs at the top of the list?  

You can find any number of links to articles referencing his really bad idea to run off to Cancun for a $300/night quickie vacation with his wife and kids, in the middle of a pandemic and a major weather event impacting his constituents across the Lone Star State.  Just know that having the police help make sure you get to the airport, lying that you were just dropping off your daughters in another country while they were on a school break, lying that you immediately knew it was wrong, lying about having a return flight booked, the next day, and having your wife's 'hey, come and join us in Cancun" text messages be made public is probably the new dictionary definition of a bad week. 

And those hashtags? Here are a few: #FledTed #FlyinCruz #CancunCruz and #CancunCruz -feel free to use them on social media. 

Sticking with Cruz, but taking a different tack, we have Donny Jr. He blasted the calls for Cruz to resign, saying that senators work in Washington passing laws and stuff, they're not really needed in their states and, you know, who doesn't need a vacation?  He also slammed those who attacked Cruz but gave "their Democratic governors" a pass as they violated their own executive orders and shut their states down. A bunch of people from 'left' Twitter pounced on Donny for not knowing that Texas hasn't had a Democratic governor in years - but that's not what he said or what he meant. He was talking about 

• Gavin Newsom (D-CA) who went maskless to a restaurant to celebrate a lobbyist's birthday, violating his own pandemic rules. Newsom is facing a likely recall vote in the coming weeks, in part because of that dinner. 
• He was talking about the husband of Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) trying to get his boat in the water before Memorial Day, while the Gov was asking people to stay away from the lakes to reduce COVID spread. Whitmer eventually said her husband was joking, but no one was laughing. 
• He was talking about my Sonofa Gov heading down to Georgia to be celebrated, maskless and in violation of his own 'unnecessary travel' restrictions. 

I love a little righteous indignation as much as the next person, but be sure you understand what's being said before attacking - even before attacking someone named Trump. 

On the good week side of the ledger? Well, President Biden told the G7 that 

I am sending a clear message to the world, America is back. The transatlantic alliance is back and we are not looking backward we are looking forward together.

His message was well-received, at least by British PM Boris Johnson, who said "As you've seen and heard earlier, America is unreservedly back as the leader of the free world, and that is a fantastic thing." I'd agree with that. 

How about the 'tip war' going on in Cincinnati? Xavier and University of Cincinnati alums have raised over $34,000 for restaurant workers by ridiculously over-tipping on their bills. It started with a $1000 tip from a Xavier alum, which was topped by the $1001 offered by a UC alum, and it just keeps going. 

You've surely heard by now that NASA's Perseverance rover made it safely to Mars, after a months-long, nearly 300,000,000-mile journey. If you're interested you can follow the giant SUV-sized rover on Twitter. 

And there was good news out of Texas, even amidst all the trouble. An Austin man helped rescue over 100 stranded drivers; World Central Kitchen, founded by chef Jose Andres, has partnered with Houston restaurants  to provide over 2000 meals for folks impacted by the power outages. And, AOC, the Queens progressive, set up a website to raise money for 12 Texas organizations; her supporters chipped in $2M within 24 hours.

A restaurant owner in Chicago has been buying up all the tamales he can get from food trucks, which are struggling during the pandemic and the brutal cold weather. He uses his dozens and dozens of tamales to stock 'Love Fridges' - community refrigerators that folks in need can tap for meals as needed. Others are donated to homeless shelters. 

There's all kinds of good news out there; we just have to condition ourselves to look for it. 

TGIF, everyone.

Wondering on Wednesday 2/17/21

Ready... Set... Wonder!

Colorado City, TX Mayor Tim Boyd doesn't seem to like his constituents very much. Or, I should say, his former constituents. The mayor has resigned after directing quite the rant at residents of his city, some of whom have no power, water, or heat while the region is stuck in a major winter storm.

"No one owes you or your family anything," he said - "nor is it the local governments responsibility to support you during trying times like this! Sink or swim, it's your choice! The City and County, along with power providers or any other service owes you NOTHING!" Not only that, but

If you have no water you deal with out and think outside of the box to survive and supply water to your family. If you were sitting at home in the cold because you have no power and are sitting there waiting for someone to come rescue you because your lazy is direct result of your raising!

Am I sorry that you have been dealing without electricity and water; yes! But I'll be damned if I'm going to provide for anyone that is capable of doing it themselves! Bottom line, quit crying and looking for a handout! Get off your ass and take care of your own family! 

He clarified in his, um, 'apology,' that he meant "those folks that are too lazy to get up and fend for themselves"- they're the ones who shouldn't "be dealt a handout." I wonder, why did he ever get into public service in the first place? How many more Tim Boyds are out there? And how long before they're discovered?

President Biden said last night in a CNN Town Hall that he did not support cancelling $50,000 in student loan debt for everyone, doing that would wipe out the debt of around 80% of all borrowers, and nearly 70% of all federally-held debt. "I will not make that happen," he said, adding he thinks there's better ways to spend a trillion bucks on education. 

AOC, of course, chimed in. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Elizabeth Warren also entered the fray, saying in a joint statement that Biden had the power to do it, and adding

Cancelling $50,000 in federal student loan debt will help close the racial wealth gap, benefit the 40% of borrowers who don't have a college degree, and help stimulate the economy. It's time to act...

I wonder, will Papa Joe be able to stick to his guns?

A lot of attention was paid when President Biden spoke via video conference on Inauguration Day and advised his new team that they were to treat each other, and everyone they deal with, with respect - or else they'd be fired. It was a high - and welcomed - bar, after the low standards of the last four years. 

It didn't take long for that core principle to be challenged. Deputy press secretary TJ Ducklo was suspended for a week without pay for using "derogatory and abusive language" with a Politico reporter, while trying to get a story killed. Suspension was not enough, obviously, if the rule is that you're going to be fired. There were lots of complaints, both within the administration and from outside, and in the end, Ducklo resigned, preventing Press Secretary Jen Psaki or Chief of Staff Ron Klain from having to fire him. 

I think a lot of people wondered whether the Biden team would really stick to the 'respect or else' rule, and I don't think folks though it would be tested this quickly. I was a little disappointed to see that they sidestepped at the beginning, but I was happy that, in the end, they did what they said they would. 

What are you wondering about?

OrangeVerse LVIII: He's Ba-a-a-ck!

After the US Senate failed to convict former president Donald Trump of the crime of incitement of insurrection, the twice-impeached president issued a statement. 

My guess is that only a couple of sentences - three, I think - were written by him. The rest of them? Maybe he went to Jared, or Ivanka. They're not crazy enough to have been written by either of the Millers, or Scavino.

Here it is, in full, for your reading pleasure. See if you can figure out which words are Trump's and which came from the professionals. 

Only the Best Lawyers

I want to first thank my team of
dedicated lawyers and others for their
 tireless work upholding justice and defending truth.

Anyone Seen My Pocket Constitution?

My deepest thanks
 as well to all of the United States
Senators and Members of Congress
 who stood proudly for the
Constitution we all revere
 and for the sacred legal principles
 at the heart of our country.
 
Impartial, Like Impartial Justice

Our cherished 

Constitutional Republic
was founded on the
 impartial rule of law,
the indispensable safeguard
for our liberties our rights,
and our freedoms.

SAD! BAD! BIGLY!
It is a sad commentary
on our times that one
political party in American
is given a free pass to
denigrate the rule of law,
 defame law enforcement,
cheer mobs, excuse rioters,
and transform justice
 into a tool of political vengeance,
and persecute, blacklist,
cancel and suppress all people
and viewpoints with whom or which
 they disagree. 

Honestly?

I always have,
and always will, be
a champion for the
unwavering rule of law,
the heroes of law enforcement,
and the right of Americans
to peacefully and honestly
debate the issues of the day
 without malice and hate.

 Which Witch is This?

This has been yet another
phase of the greatest witch hunt
in the history of our Country.
No president has ever
 gone through anything
like it, and it continues
because our opponents cannot
forget the almost 75 million people,
the highest ever for a sitting president,
who voted for us just a few short months ago.

I Want to Thank You
I also want to convey
my gratitude to the millions of
decent, hardworking, law-abiding
God-and-Country loving
citizens who have bravely
supported these important principles
 in these very difficult and challenging times.

Moving On and On and On

Our historic, patriotic and
 beautiful movement
to Make America Great Again
has only just begun.
In the months ahead I
 have much to share with you,
 and I look forward to
continuing our incredible journey
together to achieve American
 greatness for all of our people. 
There has never been anything like it!

I'm a Working Man

We have so much work ahead of us,
and soon we will emerge with a vision for a bright,
radiant and limitless American future.
Together there is nothing
we cannot accomplish.

One is the Happiest Number

We remain one People,
one family, and
one glorious nation 

under God, and it's
our responsibility to
preserve this magnificent 

inheritance for our children 

and for generations
of Americans to come.

May God bless all of you,
and may God forever bless
the United States of America.

Did you miss him? Have no fear - there was another statement, and who knows how long it'll take before the next, and the next, and the next...