that's in part because costco feels so old fashioned. the approach generally seems to be, "will this provide additional value to our customers?"

That is far more in line with this commandant’s vision to be honest. He has been very vocal about making operators first and foremost

This also feels like a bankshot with people ignoring every other Democrat being publicly furious about this and accepting the BlueAnon "Schumer and AIPAC coordinated this kabuki cave!" framing in order to argue the minority party actually is a willing partner with collective agency in all of this.

Yes- and for all the hemming and hawing about Dems blowing this, do Republicans come out of it looking better than they started or worse? Thanksgiving is still probably screwed for a lot of people and they are suing to stop feeding hungry people. They "won" but what did they win?

Also will the Republicans' polling get better between now and next November? Is the pain inflicted on Americans worth the potential points shaved off now, especially when the admin is still all stick, no carrot and there are going to be more ugly fights along the way?

every month we get closer to midterms makes these plays deadlier for the administration. What was a relatively potent threat right now looks absolutely toxic when people actually have the opportunity to vote on the people doing it.

Right? The main thing here is that the Rs have a trifecta and even a shutdown can't undo that a year out from elections no matter how many people go hungry or fed employees miss mortgage payments. We don't have snap elections. But I think people came away from here understanding who did what and

There have been some noises about the DoD setting up its own accrediting body. I would assume this would accelerate that but also the J7 is skeletal at this point and so I don't know how they would accomplish that in the next year or so.

I mean the fact that they let the folding 8 show up on all the morning shows to blare out their positions unopposed is just malpractice. There should have been a Markey or a Wyden showing up right after every time telling them to eat shit. Would at least defuse most of the “kabuki” critics.

Thanks- I also don’t begrudge people being very mad here! We’re in a very bad situation and the people we elected to help keep us safe are not doing very well at it. Sadly they don’t have the power to do much but they also aren’t making us feel like they are fighting and that’s bad too!

Oh yeah, absolutely. Like I don’t think they are managing their base well at all here.