All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[JB]

Biden Administration Halts Settlement Talks On Family Separation, ACLU Says, After Blowback Over Considering $450,000 Payments
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewals...h=45b599db75e5

The Department of Justice is no longer negotiating to settle lawsuits from migrant families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border under a Trump Administration policy, the American Civil Liberties Union said Thursday, after the Biden Administration drew criticism for reportedly weighing $450,000 payments.

The DOJ has cut off settlement talks with parents and children who say they faced severe trauma after immigration officials separated them at the southern border, and now plans to litigate any family separation suits, ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt told Forbes (the ACLU represents plaintiffs in one family separation lawsuit).

The DOJ did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

[Tami]

Mitch McConnell is suddenly legitimizing the Jan. 6 committee. But why?

As the committee continues to uncover significant new information — including about the desperate and anti-democratic efforts to overturn the 2020 election that preceded Jan. 6 and about how much allies who went on to downplay Trump’s role initially said something quite different privately — Republicans and their allies have been put on the defensive. And they’ve become defensive. They’ve accused the committee of being partisan and of overstepping.

But McConnell has struck a very different tone this week — in ways that he must know legitimize the committee’s mandate and its work.

On Tuesday, CNN’s Manu Raju asked McConnell about the revelation that Trump allies — including Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. and Fox News hosts who went on almost immediately to downplay Trump’s role — had pleaded with Meadows during the riot to get Trump to stop it. The text messages showed those people recognized Trump was the catalyst for the events, despite their later comments.

McConnell raised some eyebrows when he responded: “I do think we’re all watching, as you are, what is unfolding on the House side, and it will be interesting to reveal all of the participants who were involved.”

Things got more interesting Thursday when McConnell was asked again about the committee’s work. And he reinforced that he views it as important. The premise of the question even cited his comments Tuesday, inviting McConnell to walk them back if he wanted to.

But he didn’t just double down; he arguably went further.

“I think the fact-finding is interesting; we’re all going to be watching it,” McConnell said. “It was a horrendous event, and I think what they are seeking to find out is something the public needs to know.”

[Tami]

Biden Administration Halts Settlement Talks On Family Separation, ACLU Says, After Blowback Over Considering $450,000 Payments
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewals...h=45b599db75e5

I heard about that and there is something strange going on.

[babyblob]

Mitch McConnell is suddenly legitimizing the Jan. 6 committee. But why?

Maybe the fact that the organizers of the Jan 6th Rally are turning over their records and are going to testify? maybe he is trying to do a "Hey I have always been on your side." Type thing? Distance himself from any fallout that may be coming.

[numberthirty]

Virginia, a blue state flipped red.

Andrew and Chris Cuomo are both disgraced and out of work.

Jussie Smolett is disgraced and convicted.

Kyle Rittenhouse is acquitted.

Some of President Biden's supporters are already losing faith in him and it's not a full year into his term.

Senators Manchin and Sinema are selling their souls to the corporate interests.

This is rather a terrible year for Democrats

While I would agree that they are not exactly having the best year?

That stuff in blue isn't really on them.

[numberthirty]

Maybe the fact that the organizers of the Jan 6th Rally are turning over their records and are going to testify? maybe he is trying to do a "Hey I have always been on your side." Type thing? Distance himself from any fallout that may be coming.

Yep.

He is just smart enough to step out of the way of what is about to hit some of his party.

[babyblob]

Yep.

He is just smart enough to step out of the way of what is about to hit some of his party.

You are right about him being smart enough. He is not dumb as much as people want to paint him that way. He is slimy as heck and he has been playing this game pretty much his whole adult life. When he thought it was in his best interest to bash the 6th Commission he did. He seems to be changing his tone now. I am not sure if he will go full in on it or if this is just a one time comment. Maybe he sees fallout coming from what they two who set the rally up will say and what their records will reveal because as long as he has been around, as well as he knows the people he works with he would know if something is there. I wonder if other GOP members will start to change their tune in the upcoming weeks?

But then again the two many not say as much as we hope hope or their records may not reveal much. may be nothing there. Who knows.

[Tami]

Jan 6 defendant Dan Herendeen of Michigan pleads guilty to entering restricted building

He's signed plea agreement admitting he'd planned to bring "black tinted goggles, combat style belt, knife, canister of ... 'antifa spray', body armor"

Twitter Link

The comments are pretty funny, even though this defendant is dangerously weird.

[Kirby101]

No one ever said McConnell is dumb. He is just an immoral, power hungry bastard who only cares about further enriching his corporate masters. He's not unintelligent he is just unprincipled and cares nothing about what his actions do to this country.

[babyblob]

No one ever said McConnell is dumb. He is just an immoral, power hungry bastard who only cares about further enriching his corporate masters. He's not unintelligent he is just unprincipled and cares nothing about what his actions do to this country.

I agree with this. My point was if he is starting to change his tune maybe he knows something is in the wind. Maybe the two who are turning over records and going to talk before the committee scare him a bit because he knows some of what they are going to reveal.

[kidfresh512]

What Manchin wanted, rejected and got in Biden's $2T bill

During a private meeting in July, Sen. Joe Manchin and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sat down to negotiate what exactly it would take for Democrats to unlock Manchin's vote to start the process of considering President Joe Biden’s massive social and environmental bill.

What emerged was a one-page document, unformatted, where the West Virginia Democrat laid out his views. Both signed it, with reservations.

Nearly five months later, much of what Manchin wanted has been delivered. But fellow Democrats appear nowhere close to gaining the conservative senator's support for their far-reaching domestic package. Having passed the House, the bill is now stalled in the Senate.

Much of Manchin's public opposition to the size and scope of the package centers on its investment in landmark social programs — child tax credits, a new federal paid family leave program and lower-cost child care.

His reasoning? Well, Manchin has reiterated one phrase over these negotiations: “I don’t believe that we should turn our society into an entitlement society.”

The senator has been adamant about “no additional handouts,” as he wrote in his memo. He wants many of the social services programs “means tested” to apply only to those at lower-income thresholds.

As a result, the new paid family and medical leave program that Democrats overwhelmingly want could be gutted completely, dashing their hopes of taking the U.S. off the list of remaining countries without any form of national paid leave.

[The Cool Thatguy]

No one ever said McConnell is dumb. He is just an immoral, power hungry bastard who only cares about further enriching his corporate masters. He's not unintelligent he is just unprincipled and cares nothing about what his actions do to this country.

He's not dumb, but he's pretty stupid not to use the Jan 6 committee to drive a stake into the heart of Trumpism. He could barely control it when the man was president, and Trump's fickle nature is no secret.

[babyblob]

He's not dumb, but he's pretty stupid not to use the Jan 6 committee to drive a stake into the heart of Trumpism. He could barely control it when the man was president, and Trump's fickle nature is no secret.

I dont even understand why He is kissing up so hard to Trump and his cult. When his term ends he is going to be too old to run again so its not like he needs their votes. it really is a point of nothing to gain. i mean I guess if he wont run again what can he lose by backing Trump I just dont see why he has such a mad on for backing them.

[kidfresh512]

He's not dumb, but he's pretty stupid not to use the Jan 6 committee to drive a stake into the heart of Trumpism. He could barely control it when the man was president, and Trump's fickle nature is no secret.

He could have done the same thing with the second impeachment. Instead, he caved. Then gave that bs condemnation speech blaming Trump for exactly what he let him off the hook for. Mitch is more about legacy and long term dominance.

He wants his old hateful legacy to extend well beyond him. To give the GOP outsized power and control to what the actual majority of the population wants. Judges to back it all up, hamper progress and keep minorities under thumb.

[Tami]

Rachel Maddow is spelling out how Trump is in need [and this is my words, not hers] of a political version of Viagra. His influence is going limp.