This is a big “no shit” to those of us who follow politics but as you said need to get that point across to regular voters. Biden should spend a good chunk of the State of The Union hammering that he’s trying to fix the problem but Republicans are blocking it under Trump’s orders.
Nixon (resigned after about 7 months into second term), Gerald Ford, LBJ, GHW Bush, and Jimmy Carter did not serve a second term. After Trump was elected in 2016 there were countless articles, op-eds, etc about Hillary "going away", and yet here we are with Trump running the House. I think Biden should continue to hammer away at House Republicans for not working to solve the border "crisis". If, according to Mike Johnson, they can wait for a Republican to regain the White House (about 12 months away) this isn't a "crisis".
"If, according to Mike Johnson, they can wait for a Republican to regain the White House (about 12 months away) this isn't a "crisis". ".... and there we have, a huge talking point. Should be the MAIN talking point.
Imagine if Biden is delivering the SotU on an evening where a shutdown looms and the immigration bill is still given no consideration in the House. Biden will have an opportunity to humiliate the MAGA majority. Surely some few sane Republican House members in leadership will foresee that.
It seems to me that even the MAGAs, not famous for their political acumen, would want to avoid that. Perhaps that will push them to act?
Also, if the border bill stalls, will Biden act through executive order to put much of it in place? Even if it steps on Progressive toes, I think Biden needs to remove this significant drag from his reelect efforts. He could announce the EOs at the State of the Union.
"75% of all Americans say what is happening at the border is either a 'crisis' or 'very serious.'"
I'm not close enough to the situation to say "crisis" is overblown, though I believe it is, but clearly immigration policy in the US is flawed and *is* a serious problem. Not in the way the GOP makes it out to be, but it is serious nonetheless.
It used to be elected politicians job, especially in Congress, was to craft a better world for their constituents and the country in general; if not in the exact way they wanted, then in *some* way brought about by compromise. The GOP gave up on that years ago, when their primary motivation became winning elections and staying in power. It became standard operating procedure to let citizens suffer as the cost of what Republicans see as winning.
To be honest, we don’t enforce some rules that already exist.
I am torn. I feel deeply sorry for many of those seeking asylum. On the other hand, many of the asylum seekers we let in end up in almost the same squalor they fled. Not their fault, we have inadequate programs and facilities to let them work and live in a decent environment as they transition to the U.S.
It’s like the right-to-lifers. “Let’s get these babies born, but don’t ask us for tax dollars to help them secure a decent life. “
We need to balance the number of immigrants we let in as asylum seekers with our ability to help them get started on a fruitful life of opportunity. That still should be a pretty large number. It just can’t be infinite.
Perhaps. As I wrote, I'm neither close enough to the situation (don't live on or near the southern border) nor an expert on the topic. I don't think that stops one (i.e., me) from recognizing that the system is greatly flawed, including enforcement. The why's of the flawed system are more complex than our simply not enforcing existing laws; I know of too many examples, first hand, of how the immigration process works (or, doesn't) to believe the current construct is fine as is. But yes, the opposition to immigration reform is entirely performative, a show meant to deflect our attention from that opposition's real purpose: to leverage a societal problem for their political benefit.
Oh yes, I agree with you. I was just saying that it would be a nice start to enforce the laws we’re ignoring.
The current immigration laws are badly out of date and reflect the situation of over forty years ago. The fact is, the country needs immigration. We also need a decent guest worker system. And we are obligated to grant asylum, but also need to realize that while we should be generous, our resources, while vast, are also finite.
But even a revamped immigration system will need ethical enforcement.
Can't the House Dems issue/execute a dispatch petition that will force a House vote on the Senate bill? If they got it to the floor it would surely pass.
If you want further evidence, I live in New York City, and I've been seeing ads from the candidates running to replace George Santos. Mazi Pilip, the GOP candidate, is running wall-to-wall scare-mongering ads about immigration and the border, which is wild because she herself is an immigrant.
The GOP is hoping for a border crisis, Trump is hoping the economy tanks before the next election. Such fine stewards of the country! 🙄 It’s too bad we can’t sue them for malpractice. I’m pretty sure their job is to prevent this shit from happening.
Imagine someone so deeply flawed they use vulnerable humans as their political voice, but not to help them, oh no - to make their lives worse, as miserable as possible.
Now imagine the people who approve of that behavior and want to see more. Maybe a lot more and preferably by an increase in force.
Republican criminal excess is only matched by the Democrats refusing to actually introduce any meaningful reform.
So it's more of the same, kids. Nothing is going to change as long as political reform is a ghost at the feast.
What could be expected from a Republican party that brags about obstructing Obama and now Biden from day one of their administration, they seem to want to do anything that will make Biden look bad even if what he wants to do is good for them and the country.
I am pretty sure the Biden team is on this. Make the border crisis Theirs! Because? They are craven cynical grandstanding!!!
Sell that. Nothing pisses people off more than being played. It amounts to disrespect coupled with being devalued. Leverage Biden compassion, empathy, and modest lifestyle with the most obvious brash asshole grandstanding celebrity in history, and if after that, Trump wins, we should explore other planetary options in space travel.
and if we don't let them get away with it, and take the house back, get Biden back in office, hold the Senate and replace Sinema with Gallegos, abolish the filibuster, then I hope we can shove real, true, and humane immigration reform down their throats.
It would be helpful when talking about the border issue to put some actual facts in the article about the numbers. Your article also failed to mention that blue state mayors and governors are calling on Biden to do more. But why if this is just a GOP MAGA wedge issue. Also from what I see bipartisanship is overrated as a winning political strategy. Look Biden has passed more bipartisan legislation than we have seen in decades-his poll numbers are the lowest of any incumbent president since the invention of modern polling. The Dems need a reset on the border question actually explaining to the American people what is going on, why are people risking their lives to get here, the inhuman treatment of MAGA governors sending them to blue cities, and what if nothing can be done about it.
And Biden needs to make clear that he and the Dems have agreed to the Senate Republicans border bill.... and that it is House Republicans that are obstructing. Pretty amazing when Republican Senators (Lindsey Graham?!!) are pleading with House Rs to pass the bill - saying they will never get another opportunity to pass such a strong border bill. Embarrassing how small minded the House Rs are.
This is a big “no shit” to those of us who follow politics but as you said need to get that point across to regular voters. Biden should spend a good chunk of the State of The Union hammering that he’s trying to fix the problem but Republicans are blocking it under Trump’s orders.
Nixon (resigned after about 7 months into second term), Gerald Ford, LBJ, GHW Bush, and Jimmy Carter did not serve a second term. After Trump was elected in 2016 there were countless articles, op-eds, etc about Hillary "going away", and yet here we are with Trump running the House. I think Biden should continue to hammer away at House Republicans for not working to solve the border "crisis". If, according to Mike Johnson, they can wait for a Republican to regain the White House (about 12 months away) this isn't a "crisis".
Also, I think they are living in another world if they think they will keep the house. But my opinion is based on nothing but gut instinct - 😬
"If, according to Mike Johnson, they can wait for a Republican to regain the White House (about 12 months away) this isn't a "crisis". ".... and there we have, a huge talking point. Should be the MAIN talking point.
Totally agree, stretchdogg. Quick to say, easy to understand, and illuminates the GOP’s cynicism and bad faith in a flash.
Imagine if Biden is delivering the SotU on an evening where a shutdown looms and the immigration bill is still given no consideration in the House. Biden will have an opportunity to humiliate the MAGA majority. Surely some few sane Republican House members in leadership will foresee that.
It seems to me that even the MAGAs, not famous for their political acumen, would want to avoid that. Perhaps that will push them to act?
Also, if the border bill stalls, will Biden act through executive order to put much of it in place? Even if it steps on Progressive toes, I think Biden needs to remove this significant drag from his reelect efforts. He could announce the EOs at the State of the Union.
"75% of all Americans say what is happening at the border is either a 'crisis' or 'very serious.'"
I'm not close enough to the situation to say "crisis" is overblown, though I believe it is, but clearly immigration policy in the US is flawed and *is* a serious problem. Not in the way the GOP makes it out to be, but it is serious nonetheless.
It used to be elected politicians job, especially in Congress, was to craft a better world for their constituents and the country in general; if not in the exact way they wanted, then in *some* way brought about by compromise. The GOP gave up on that years ago, when their primary motivation became winning elections and staying in power. It became standard operating procedure to let citizens suffer as the cost of what Republicans see as winning.
To be honest, we don’t enforce some rules that already exist.
I am torn. I feel deeply sorry for many of those seeking asylum. On the other hand, many of the asylum seekers we let in end up in almost the same squalor they fled. Not their fault, we have inadequate programs and facilities to let them work and live in a decent environment as they transition to the U.S.
It’s like the right-to-lifers. “Let’s get these babies born, but don’t ask us for tax dollars to help them secure a decent life. “
We need to balance the number of immigrants we let in as asylum seekers with our ability to help them get started on a fruitful life of opportunity. That still should be a pretty large number. It just can’t be infinite.
Perhaps. As I wrote, I'm neither close enough to the situation (don't live on or near the southern border) nor an expert on the topic. I don't think that stops one (i.e., me) from recognizing that the system is greatly flawed, including enforcement. The why's of the flawed system are more complex than our simply not enforcing existing laws; I know of too many examples, first hand, of how the immigration process works (or, doesn't) to believe the current construct is fine as is. But yes, the opposition to immigration reform is entirely performative, a show meant to deflect our attention from that opposition's real purpose: to leverage a societal problem for their political benefit.
Oh yes, I agree with you. I was just saying that it would be a nice start to enforce the laws we’re ignoring.
The current immigration laws are badly out of date and reflect the situation of over forty years ago. The fact is, the country needs immigration. We also need a decent guest worker system. And we are obligated to grant asylum, but also need to realize that while we should be generous, our resources, while vast, are also finite.
But even a revamped immigration system will need ethical enforcement.
Can't the House Dems issue/execute a dispatch petition that will force a House vote on the Senate bill? If they got it to the floor it would surely pass.
CONGRESS: Biden must do something about the US Border Crisis!
BIDEN: You can help by providing funding for Border Reform.
CONGRESS: Nice try.
If you want further evidence, I live in New York City, and I've been seeing ads from the candidates running to replace George Santos. Mazi Pilip, the GOP candidate, is running wall-to-wall scare-mongering ads about immigration and the border, which is wild because she herself is an immigrant.
The GOP is hoping for a border crisis, Trump is hoping the economy tanks before the next election. Such fine stewards of the country! 🙄 It’s too bad we can’t sue them for malpractice. I’m pretty sure their job is to prevent this shit from happening.
Imagine someone so deeply flawed they use vulnerable humans as their political voice, but not to help them, oh no - to make their lives worse, as miserable as possible.
Now imagine the people who approve of that behavior and want to see more. Maybe a lot more and preferably by an increase in force.
Republican criminal excess is only matched by the Democrats refusing to actually introduce any meaningful reform.
So it's more of the same, kids. Nothing is going to change as long as political reform is a ghost at the feast.
What could be expected from a Republican party that brags about obstructing Obama and now Biden from day one of their administration, they seem to want to do anything that will make Biden look bad even if what he wants to do is good for them and the country.
Heard your discussion with Jon on the pod.
I am pretty sure the Biden team is on this. Make the border crisis Theirs! Because? They are craven cynical grandstanding!!!
Sell that. Nothing pisses people off more than being played. It amounts to disrespect coupled with being devalued. Leverage Biden compassion, empathy, and modest lifestyle with the most obvious brash asshole grandstanding celebrity in history, and if after that, Trump wins, we should explore other planetary options in space travel.
and if we don't let them get away with it, and take the house back, get Biden back in office, hold the Senate and replace Sinema with Gallegos, abolish the filibuster, then I hope we can shove real, true, and humane immigration reform down their throats.
It would be helpful when talking about the border issue to put some actual facts in the article about the numbers. Your article also failed to mention that blue state mayors and governors are calling on Biden to do more. But why if this is just a GOP MAGA wedge issue. Also from what I see bipartisanship is overrated as a winning political strategy. Look Biden has passed more bipartisan legislation than we have seen in decades-his poll numbers are the lowest of any incumbent president since the invention of modern polling. The Dems need a reset on the border question actually explaining to the American people what is going on, why are people risking their lives to get here, the inhuman treatment of MAGA governors sending them to blue cities, and what if nothing can be done about it.
And Biden needs to make clear that he and the Dems have agreed to the Senate Republicans border bill.... and that it is House Republicans that are obstructing. Pretty amazing when Republican Senators (Lindsey Graham?!!) are pleading with House Rs to pass the bill - saying they will never get another opportunity to pass such a strong border bill. Embarrassing how small minded the House Rs are.