Senate Fiscal Cliff Doomsday Countdown Thread

I think the House is going to be Republican for many years to come, just as I think Republicans face a steep climb back to the presidency, no matter who the candidates are in 2016.

Just winning the Kerry states puts a Democratic candidate on the verge of the presidency. Almost all of those states are safely blue and probably will remain so. It's as intractable a problem for Republicans as the gerrymandering is for Democrats.

 

It's possible for the Democrats to win back a House majority, even with gerrymandered districts, KW.

If they don't, then the redrawing after the 2020 elections will be useless anyways, since the GOP would still be in power and draw the new congressional district maps for 2022-2032 too.

 

It's my hope that Virginia goes full - on blue in 2014, especially once some of the more saner people in my state realize who really ******* up our state's economy by letting the automatic cuts go through.

 

It's based on state legislatures, not who has control of Congress.

 

I know. The two usually correlate.

Still, the Democrats are very likely to win back the House in 2014. If they don't, then they will in 2016 (unless there's some huge catastrophe that leaves Obama and other Dems looking really bad).

 

Marco Rubio was one of only nine senators to oppose this bill. Wonder if that will ever come back and bite him in the ass, given his presidential aspirations.

Also, a few GOP reps have suggested the Republican senators who voted for this deal were drunk.

 

Not to distract from the lolGOP party, but there's some interesting bull**** stuff in the Senate bill that may warrant discussion. I've taken the liberty of highlight a few of the more egregious-sounding provisions.

The article links the actual bill text too, if you feel like hurting your eyes with bad font and legalese.

 

Apparently they're voting on the unamended bill as is.

This probably won't end well, although Cole thinks it has a chance, so who knows?

Edit: Grover Norquist is currently in the process of rationalizing his approval of the measure. It's a spectacular display of mental gymnastics.

 

Well done, RF. The rum thing looks particularly interesting.

 

First laugh I've had all day.

 

So the brand-new GOP version, the amended bill with spending cuts, doesn't have enough votes. Now they'll vote on the unamended Senate bill, but will it have enough votes?

 

Gotta love congressional logic.

 

Well, it's back to the prisoner's dilemma for Republicans. For most individual Republicans, the best move is to vote against the unamended bill. The best thing for the party itself, though, is for the bill to pass.

 

Well, Supreme Dictator for Life Norquist changed his mind, so I think that generated a shift in the voting blocs.

 

**** no, how ruinous!

 

What, you don't like rum, Josh?

 

The motorsport provision makes sense, simply because of the upfront infrastructure costs associated with building racetracks.

 

It just passed the House.

 

what was the count?

 

I think that's what they voted on, at least.

396-9.

 

That was the rules vote KW.

 

Oh well.

 

What Juliet said. They're having 2 hours of debate now.

But the signs do look like it will pass...

 

Voting now...