At least one red state, LA, is forbidding public health workers from promoting vaccines. This is not going to end well.
I wish people would quit referring to PSLF student loan awards as âloan handoutsâ or ânationalized loansâ as opposed to the more accurate âgovernment making good on a promise.â I have the unpopular opinion of not reflexively projectile vomiting on the mere sight or hearing of the word âTrump,â but, I could see him f***ing this issue up.
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When I see people making these arguments against âhandoutsâ I respond something like
I want to be sure I understand. The government made an agreement with these citizens that if they went into a generally lower-income public service position, then after a defined period of time the remainder of their loans would be waived. Are you in favor of the government reneging on the promises they make to the citizenry? Which other agreements should the government fail to uphold? Social Security? Benefits for wounded veterans?
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How tf does this happen and nobody from her office or her family say a peep? We have an active member of congress with dementia bad enough to be institutionalized.
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Granger had already announced her retirement at the end of this Congress.
If not, sheâd probably still get reelected.
so compared to other republicansâŚ
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In todayâs political environment, it feels like watching a train wreck in slow motion. But, tbh, a train wreck is much more interesting at regular speed.
This story on Kay Granger has been picked up by many news outlets. However, none of the big news sources have written anything. On a quick Google I found this bit from November:
https://appropriations.house.gov/news/blogs/members-celebrate-texas-tough-kay-granger
So while she may have been missing votes for 6 months, sheâs not exactly been âmissing for 6 months.â Such a weird story. Would like to see some better coverage on this than whatâs out there.
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But how does this work for a Congresscritter?
If she does not resign, can she be removed directly without the need of a new election? (Or can you have a recall election if enough people complain?)
Seems like a case that highlights the issue of a politician who loses their mental faculties (and obviously canât do the job they were elected to do) but just stays there due to sheer political inertia.
They could vote to expel her. However since sheâs already retiring I doubt they will bother.
Santos was a recent expulsion but itâs pretty rare in practice
Happened over here right after the Brexit vote. You got serious anger from either side spilling over, and it still has not subsided.
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Weâve been doing this for eight years. Some 16, cuz racist against the Kenyan President.
But at Thanksgiving this year, conversation began to creep on to politics and Trump, she said, âand I got my coatâ. Realizing Ann was serious, her sister changed the topic of discussion, so Ann stayed. âReligion and politics â we donât discuss any more,â she said.
Reminds me of Gloriaâs advice to Meathead 50 years ago: âThere are three topics not to discuss with Archie: Religion, Politics, or Anything Else.â
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One thing that makes me happy out of this election cycle: I like that basically nobody gives a 
about celebrity political endorsements anymore.
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Nah, everyone wants the endorsement of the former Apprentice star.
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I guess I meant more ordinary people. But yeah, Jaspess and I are patiently waiting for the day that people stop propping up vapid celebrities instead of smart and meaningfully experienced people who actually care about ordinary peopleâs lives when it comes to voting. (But we live our lives in the meantime since we know that that will never happen.)
I was talking about ordinary people. MAGA will be desperately waiting for dear leaderâs next endorsements.
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Conversely, I feel that Trump used celebrity endorsements to rally the alt-right base by speaking through manosphere mouthpieces like Joe Rogan, white supremacists, etc.
Just because the Proud Boys donât listen to Taylor Swiftâs endorsement doesnât mean they donât listen to Andrew Tate and Jordan Peterson.
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Hmmm. Whatâs a âcelebrity,â then? I guess I donât really count people like this Joe Rogan as a real celebrity, mainly for the same reason that I donât count âinfluencerâ as a real job title. (Unlike actual entertainers like in Hollywood etc., I just donât perceive social media people as providing anything of value to society.)
I get your point though. Whatever word best describes them, it is true that MAGA types take their marching orders from exalted members of their own crowd just like any other crowd does.
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When in the world has that been an important consideration?
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