Democrats made the right move on the shutdown and seem to be in control of the narrative.

[lees1975]

https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2025/10/democrats-made-right-move-on-shutdown.html

Filtering through opinion polls from news sources that are no longer really part of the free press to gather information about how people are reacting to the government shutdown produces a mixed bag of results, though reading the comments and reactions adds a little bit of perspective. With the understanding that a lot of people who are right wing conservatives have little to no understanding what this actually means, Democratic political leadership in Congress should be quite happy with what they are seeing. The "American people," the catch all phrase that everyone uses when they see a slight majority of support leaning their way, are forming an opinion about the government shutdown.

The Republicans, and Trump, are getting the blame and they are having to own the consequences of what is happening.

The reaction, really, should be a little more overwhelming than it is, but we're used to the political polarization in this country by now. What we are not used to seeing is GOP leadership overwhelmingly reacting in a way that gives their secrets away and tells us they are really frightened by what they are seeing, and really angry that they are in a position where they are going to have to cave in on what Democrats want in order to relieve the pressure and get the government operating again.

It's still a secret about how many Republicans are going to break ranks. They are still good about avoiding those kind of public commitments. But the Democrats have some real advantages going for them here. One is that Trump's unpopularity has reached a point where there is visible motivation of opposition. I don't really see the growing number of rallies and marches and protests as having much of an effect from that side of the political spectrum. They have no real objective and they are largely ignored by Republicans, or at least, up until a couple of weeks ago they were. The other is that there are 20 million Americans whose health insurance coverage is going to either disappear altogether, or skyrocket, if the Republicans get their way on the budget.

And so, Senator Schumer has somehow managed to find fortitude and enthusiasm that I have not ever really see him have, and that he rarely exhibited when prodded by Speaker Pelosi's presence in leadership. He, apparently does have a spine, and he may slowly be awakening to the idea that the old school politics of give and take, negotiate, compromise and play nice, are dead and gone and the only way to beat this demagogue at his game is to stand up and fight back.

Speaker Mike Johnson is clearly feeling the pressure, as his shrill responses and his sticking to the scripted words indicate. Honestly, I've never seen him so animated, and so nervous, and he's normally not one to parrot the catch phrases. He's rattled.

[Wednesdays]

1. Meh.

"I don't really see the growing number of rallies and marches and protests as having much of an effect..."

There are 3 things we ordinary citizens can do to influence politics. One, of course, is to vote. Second is contacting our congresscritters by phone, email, or snail mail.

The last option is to peaceably assemble, as is stated in the Constitution, and historically has had major impacts (Vietnam, anyone?). And by God, I will be out there on No Kings Day next Saturday.

[lees1975]

2. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that. I'll be out there too. I belong to Indivisible.

Last edited Sat Oct 11, 2025, 05:21 PM - Edit history (1)

But the craziness keeps going on, the tsk tsk tsk keeps going on, and the wailing keeps going on. Effective protest comes with a conclusion, and in this case, that would be to find enough legitimate pressure to force this bastard out of office. But ask anyone on this board how effective they think that will be.

I wonder where we'd be now if Schumer and Durban had a backbone back in 2020 when they could have gotten rid of the filibuster to pack the Supreme Court. They are one of the biggest problems we have. If they'd have done what Bernie and some of the more activist Senators had wanted, Citizens United would have been overturned, Roe would have been saved and Trump would be serving a second or third year of a Prison sentence.

So keep up the protests. Sooner or later, something will come of it.

[MichMan]

3. Why would Schumer, and Durbin want to get rid of the filibuster and pack the court in 2020?

Besides Fetterman wasn't even in the Senate until 2023. He was still Lt. Governor of Pennsylvania and had no vote

Trump was president and Republicans held the Senate in 2020. Why would you want them to pack the court?

[lees1975]

4. Biden was elected in 2020. The Congress, the 117th I believe, was majority Democrat

starting in January of 2021. We had narrow control of the House, a Senate majority with one spare vote, that of the Vice Predident when necessary, and six jackasses on the Supreme Court. During the hearings in Congress regarding Trump's criminal activity, the idea was discussed to give Biden the opportunity to pack the court. What a fresh idea that would have been, huh, getting a move ahead of the GOP and breaking out of the mold of being good little Democrats who always compromise? In one bold move, the roberts court could have been neutralized with five more liberals, and a season's worth of overturning the junk they'd passed, including presidential immunity from arrest and prosecution and citizens united, both of which would have gotten us out of the mess we are in now. BUt the old traditional heads didn't want to remove the long cherished and undemocratic filibuster.

Well, now there might be some hindsight. Had we done that, we would have a court that wouldn't give the orange headed demagogue dicator everything he wants, and in fact, a liberal court would have expitited his prosecutions, forcing trials that the moribund Garland justice department wouldn't do, and had him convicted and sitting in prison by now. Overturning citizens united would have limited the access to much of the cash the GOP used to narrowly win in 2024, perhaps changed the outcome of that election without Musk's money going to Trump. Trump wouldn't have been able to run.

Ah, what could have been. We are seeing the stirrings of a backbone now. I hope it lasts.