Glad you're back. Take care not to get stressed, especially in these times.

Are you shocked by the low density and freely flowing roads?

That's what it was like back then, until this nation decided that 250 million is not enough, and we needed to boost population by 40%.

Any economy that depends on a constant inflow of workers is a broken economy.

He's blowing off the reporters with libertarian "solutions" that never work.

I suspect he thinks people will be jazzed that they'll be NEGOTATING like the big-shots (unions, corps, politicians).

Of course, the individual has no leverage at all and has to take what's offered, or get nothing.

What will it take to wipe that smirk off his face?

I have no idea what brought the Dem brand down, when it happened, or how to repair it.

My best guess is Covid restrictions in 2021, inflation, poor Dem messaging, electoral chaos (Biden stepping down), immigration (open borders).

It can't be crime, int'l relations, Ukraine.

It's not that unusual. I negotiate the price of groceries when I'm at the supermarket. The price of gasoline prior to filling up my car. Even the price of pizza when it's delivered to my door.

Alas, these negotiations don't change anything, but hey, at least I'm NEGOTIATING like a big shot.

It was obvious that something was going on when the list of 8 possible senators who would vote YES kept changing.

And getting to the bare minimum of 60 votes maximized the number of senators voting NO.

One of the reasons conspiracy theories gain followers in these times is that the mess of petty self-interests and power dynamics and class bubbles inevitably forms corrupt coherences regardless of any central intent, regardless of the lack of a real shadowy cabal.

"It demonstrated that Democrats can go to the mat when the public is behind them and not pay a political price."

Not pay a political price? That was the situation Saturday. Let's see how things are a month from now.

At some point we have to let pain hurt Trump instead of helping him. Every time we let pain help him, he’ll do more and bigger next time.

Each acquiescence means the next one will be *more* painful.

I would like a reporter to ask one or more of the eight:

Did you consider the public reaction when you voted Yes.

And what did you expect it to be?

Biden cared so much about Merrick Garland's hurt feelings from missing out on SCOTUS, he appointed him Attorney General to cheer him up.

Compassion is great, but needs to take a back seat to cold calculating tactics at times (like now) where the future of the nation is at risk.

Sir, I take your observations very seriousl,y and when I finished reading this post, all I could say was

Wow

If there's no political advantage, there must be other factors. It appears the 8+ willing to cave reinforce each other. Political anchorites on a small island, oblivious to reality.