Hey chat what’s the average of D+9 and D+14

Many people are saying

bsky.app/profile/usap...

Fall 2017: Then-NYT reporter literally warning Epstein that someone is "digging around again."

it is fucking infuriating to think how one different staffing choice, someone like Doug Jones, could have made all the difference in the world

1.) I disagree that this was the best way forward. The RIF language pretty clearly indicates to me that there's a taste in the senate GOP (at least) for reigning in Vought. Vought is probably incredibly mad about it, because it directly contradicts what he wants to do.

I sympathize with being disappointed but I think we’re disappointed relative to the “very best” outcome and who knows if that was attainable. The bigger problem I think is that some Ds are still trying to negotiate with Rs in good faith. That’s what’s bad and that’s what primaries are for.

Plus, short CRs with benchmarks for the executive to comply with is basically the strategy lots of people have been asking for, and…here it is, pretty much? The hope is that this continues in January and the constraints get ratcheted up each time. I guess we’ll see.

Anyway, what we got feels in the middle of these. Probably no subsidies - mixed bag politically since it’s bad for Rs but now also feels like an L to us. But, the vote in Dec - or Rs reneging on the vote - is a chance to relitigate it publicly. And, lots of damage to Rs from the shutdown itself.

Second best outcome: a partial nuke just for CRs. Gets us 85% of the benefit of them nuking for us, with limited damage. Still no subsidies - bad, but maybe good politically.

Very best outcome, *politically*, was Rs cave after a long shutdown. Ds get subsidies, claim it as a hard fought win, Rs get all the shutdown damage. But this feels unrealistic given how stubbornly Rs refused. Wasn’t that big an ask and they still wouldn’t compromise! I just dunno.