Manchin to oppose neera tanden nomination

[brucejoel99]

Remember guys, Manchin literally never votes against the party line when it matters, and it's stupid and naive to think that he will. I'm sure that he's only doing this because he knows there are loads of Republicans to pad the margin.

(This is sarcastic in case you can't tell)

Y'all, can we calm the f**k down for literally 5 seconds & just wait & see how this plays out a bit more. It's entirely possible that he's been told Tanden has at least 1 Republican vote (so, literally pick 1 of your Romneys, Murkowskis, Collins', etc.) & that this is therefore not a time where his vote actually matters. But thank you for your failed attempt at a burn, though, very cool!

[brucejoel99]

Tanden wasn't good anyways, so who cares but this better not be Manchin trying to flex.

It’s either that or a sign Tanden is getting a Republican vote

The question then is, who?

Ironically, Tanden has mean tweets about Collins, Murkowski and Romney.

Murkowski would probably make the most sense: she'd get to look like a good person who's capable of forgiveness, while at the same time, she'd get to show the Alaskan Democrats & independents that she's gonna need for an RCV victory next year that she's sincere in wanting to work with the administration when & where she can.

[brucejoel99]

Tanden wasn't good anyways, so who cares but this better not be Manchin trying to flex.

It’s either that or a sign Tanden is getting a Republican vote

The question then is, who?

Ironically, Tanden has mean tweets about Collins, Murkowski and Romney.

Murkowski would probably make the most sense: she'd get to look like a good person who's capable of forgiveness, while at the same time, she'd get to show the Alaskan Democrats & independents that she's gonna need for an RCV victory next year that she's sincere in wanting to work with the administration when & where she can.

I'd figure she'd do that with Haaland though.

She'll probably be forced to oppose Haaland on account of not being able to afford pissing off the oil industry, which employs 10% of her state. Supporting Tanden would present nowhere near as much of a link to any direct impacts on her constituents' livelihoods as supporting Haaland would.

[brucejoel99]

Tanden wasn't good anyways, so who cares but this better not be Manchin trying to flex.

It’s either that or a sign Tanden is getting a Republican vote

The question then is, who?

Ironically, Tanden has mean tweets about Collins, Murkowski and Romney.

Murkowski would probably make the most sense: she'd get to look like a good person who's capable of forgiveness, while at the same time, she'd get to show the Alaskan Democrats & independents that she's gonna need for an RCV victory next year that she's sincere in wanting to work with the administration when & where she can.

I'd figure she'd do that with Haaland though.

She'll probably be forced to oppose Haaland on account of not being able to afford pissing off the oil industry, which employs 10% of her state. Supporting Tanden would present nowhere near as much of a link to any direct impacts on her constituents' livelihoods as supporting Haaland would.

The politics of opposing Haaland are complicated by her being Native, a key constituency for Murkowski. Safest bet may be to vote for her as qualified for the position while emphasizing her disagreements with Biden.

But even that's complicated: do Alaska Natives - who are mostly Inuit & live markedly different lives with a markedly different culture than those of other tribes, which are vastly disconnected from them in terms of distance - even feel a (or enough of a) bond with the indigenous communities of the lower 48 for that to matter?

[brucejoel99]

https://twitter.com/billscher/status/1362881946716680210

[brucejoel99]

https://mobile.twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/1362898387725647872

Although @brucejoel99 might be right that Manchin only came out against Tanden because Tanden has enough support from Republicans.

I'm not gonna risk jinxing anything yet but if I end up being right, I hope to be able to accept my accolades in due course.

[brucejoel99]

What Republican is going to vote for Tanden? This nomination was always a mistake except as a sacrifice.

Presumably 1 of Romney, Murkowski, Collins. I guess Murkowski:

Tanden wasn't good anyways, so who cares but this better not be Manchin trying to flex.

It’s either that or a sign Tanden is getting a Republican vote

The question then is, who?

Ironically, Tanden has mean tweets about Collins, Murkowski and Romney.

Murkowski would probably make the most sense: she'd get to look like a good person who's capable of forgiveness, while at the same time, she'd get to show the Alaskan Democrats & independents that she's gonna need for an RCV victory next year that she's sincere in wanting to work with the administration when & where she can.

What exactly has she Tweeted? I can't find them.

She deleted a lot of them once she was nominated, google "Tanden tweets" under images & you'll see a lot there.

[brucejoel99]

Apparently Gene Sparling is the frontrunner for OMB, sound like Tanden is gonna get yanked.

*Sperling

[brucejoel99]

Apparently Gene Sparling is the frontrunner for OMB, sound like Tanden is gonna get yanked.

*Sperling

He doesn't seem like a particularly offensive pick for progressives, no? Just based on what I have quickly read up about him

Yeah, he's gotten infinitely better in terms of advocating for legitimately progressive economic policies since his days in the Clinton administration, but I'm sure we'll hear at least some corners of the left (e.g., your jfern-types) spew the "once a dirty corporate neolib, always a dirty corporate neolib" type of spiel.

[brucejoel99]

Murkowski may push her over the finish line. She just said she's reviewing the issue, but I also think Murkowski may be mulling a run as an Independent Senator if a Trumper beats her in the primary. It's almost as if the two parties are shuffling the decks with their members.

Not how it works there anymore, it's top-4 RCV now.

[brucejoel99]

https://twitter.com/igorbobic/status/1364695290582867986

LMFAO

Ok, I'm gonna laugh my ass off if Seung Min Kim just singlehandedly put the final nail in the coffin of Tanden's nomination.

[brucejoel99]

https://twitter.com/igorbobic/status/1364695290582867986
LMFAO

It's real messed up that Igor posted this because now Seung Min Kim is getting nasty emails.

Utterly disgusting, but not at all surprising. Indeed, that's just par for the course in America circa 2021. I weep for our country.

[brucejoel99]

OK, I've been holding off from posting about this, but the vitriol from Twitter centrists/KHive over Seung Min Kim's reporting is completely abhorrent. Won't link any of it because there is lots of bigotry and lots of handwaving of said bigotry, but I truly don't understand why some people seem unable to just disagree with something a woman/POC does without just resorting to unadulterated racism/sexism.

Biden or Psaki should honestly issue a statement ASAP, especially considering the state of heightened anti-Asian sentiment going on.

[brucejoel99]

Welp, that's that, then. Reagan will remain the most recent President (for the time being) to get each & every single one of their initial Cabinet & Cabinet-level nominees confirmed. May Gene Sperling or Shalanda Young have better luck.