Biden infrastructure/tax increase megathread

[Torie]

Biden v. Manchin

Here is the other side of the "inside" story presumably from team Manchin. The White House flunkies put all the blame on Manchin for the goal posts being moved, when it was they doing the moving, and that was impolite. So F it. And apparently Manchin let the WH know last Thursday he was done negotiating after such a display of rudeness. The soap opera should get all the spinners in one room, with no rules, and have them go at each other.

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/586538-white-house-incivility-is-what-lost-joe-manchin

[Torie]

https://twitter.com/taragolshan/status/1472950062531629060

"Manchin on WV radio saying he knew from the beginning he wouldn't support BBB, but let Democrats negotiate.

That he got to his "wits end" after staff (either White House or Senate) did *something* that angered him enough to just come out and say he was never going to get to yes"

HuffPost is Fake News.

BBB down, down, down BBB going down

A rose is a rose is a rose

[Torie]

Biden v. Manchin

Here is the other side of the "inside" story presumably from team Manchin. The White House flunkies put all the blame on Manchin for the goal posts being moved, when it was they doing the moving, and that was impolite. So F it. And apparently Manchin let the WH know last Thursday he was done negotiating after such a display of rudeness. The soap opera should get all the spinners in one room, with no rules, and have them go at each other.

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/586538-white-house-incivility-is-what-lost-joe-manchin

Holy sh**t, he just derailed major legislation because White House staffers rudely pointed out his behavior was a problem and you think that that reflects well on Joe Manchin.

Jesus ing Christ, Joe Manchin is not royalty. People’s lives shouldn’t depend on whether he thinks he was treated with enough deference.

I am a mere conduit, and that aside, the value of what I think plus 3 bucks will buy you a Starbucks coffee, so I would suggest what you speculate/infer/know is in my brain not compromise your otherwise most glorious and serene day.

[Torie]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-20/manchin-outlines-tax-policy-changes-he-d-want-in-biden-bill

"Manchin Outlines Tax, Policy Changes He’d Want in Biden Bill"

Manchin's conditions

a) raise individual taxes more (problem, that crosses Kyrsten Sinema's red line)
b) lower prescription drug prices more (problem, that crosses Kyrsten Sinema's red line)
c) work requirements for benefits such as expanded child tax credits as well as means-testing so that those making more than $200,000 annually aren’t eligible. (problem, that would be opposed by the Progressives)
d) put the bill through committees (problem, Schumer does not want that)

"The senator said that he wants the Senate to put the bill through committees, to examine its effects, and he rejects attempts to make “major policy changes” through fast-track budget reconciliation procedures that bypass the GOP filibuster."

Houston, we have a problem.

I lack the perspicacity to discern, as suggested above,  just why ceasing negotiations with Manchin would be deemed by Manchin to be some sort of punishment rather than liberation. He probably would be thrilled if the Dem potentates lost his cell phone number in fact.

[Torie]

Biden v. Manchin

Here is the other side of the "inside" story presumably from team Manchin. The White House flunkies put all the blame on Manchin for the goal posts being moved, when it was they doing the moving, and that was impolite. So F it. And apparently Manchin let the WH know last Thursday he was done negotiating after such a display of rudeness. The soap opera should get all the spinners in one room, with no rules, and have them go at each other.

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/586538-white-house-incivility-is-what-lost-joe-manchin

Holy sh**t, he just derailed major legislation because White House staffers rudely pointed out his behavior was a problem and you think that that reflects well on Joe Manchin.

Jesus ing Christ, Joe Manchin is not royalty. People’s lives shouldn’t depend on whether he thinks he was treated with enough deference.

I am a mere conduit, and that aside, the value of what I think plus 3 bucks will buy you a Starbucks coffee, so I would suggest what you speculate/infer/know is in my brain not compromise your otherwise most glorious and serene day.

Oh excuse me for assuming your uncritical repetition and immediate acceptance of Joe Manchin’s communications guy’s story as fact signaled your agreement.

You are forgiven. See what I bolded above about the signaling bit. I do cop to signaling something. 

[Torie]

Putting aside the policy implications as to which Nix opined, there does not seem to be an intersection of Sinema's and Manchin's red lines, that have any content that would be appealing to the center of gravity of the Dem Party as a whole.

It is kind of too bad for more measured policy making for those not demanding more in the nature of plate tectonic shifts that there are not enough moderates of both parties to deliver votes to the other side to cancel out the extremes so that the Jordan's and the AOC's are "cancelled." Party labels and polarization and the money that follows seem to preclude that. So intra-party squabbles seem to be the new normal in driving policy.

[Torie]

I am not sure Congress having further meetings this year is going to be productive. And you don’t need to have Congress to meet to be entertained by the antics of its most ample supply of attention whore members on cable news and twitter.

BBB: It appears to be dead Jim.

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/588084-democrats-hit-pause-on-bidens-climate-social-spending-package

Messing with Filibuster: That one was never alive Jim.

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/588173-manchin-heavy-lift-to-change-the-filibuster-through-nuclear-option

[Torie]

I am just not going to read the reactions above. Can someone tell me whether the latest has reduced the Manchin hate to a dull roar, or are the wolves even more ravenous?