US Senate Elections thread, 2014 Edition!

[Occupied Deutschland]

As Republicans have always done, they'll merely work to prevent federal increases.
Any desire or will to lower or repeal minimum wage on the federal level in the Republican party died a half-century ago.

I'm not too sure about that.

When people like Joe Barton of the Texas 6th say things like "the minimum wage has outlives its usefulness," I get skeptical of your claim. It's still out there.

Perhaps my 'or' should instead be an 'and'.
Joe Barton is unlikely, at best, to take any action on the topic.

[Dracoria]

Name ONE major nation at the time the United States was founded in which women COULD vote. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Oh, and guess what? Women and non-landowners have been able to vote for a long time now. And there aren't any more slaves either. At least not IN AMERICA.

The genius of the Founding Fathers was that they created a system of government that included a provision--the amendment process--for correcting all those terrible, horrible, awful, miserable, wicked, evil problems you are oh, so concerned about. It's common knowledge. Start with the Constitution.

Maybe that's why America-haters and other ultra-extreme-left wingers have such contempt for the Founding Fathers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_First_Republic
^Had First Universal Male Suffrage

To be fair, that still did not include women and it rather quickly turned back into what was effectively a despotic regime.

Also,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand got full Suffrage in the early 1890's

A century after the US Constitution was written, mind you. Not really in the same time frame as the Founding Fathers.

[Myrensis]

If even Mitch McConnell is lukewarm on an ACA repeal, it likely won't consume any serious portion of the GOP's agenda for the next two years. And if it does, they're even stupider than I initially thought.

McConnell is all ready under fire for 'surrendering' to the Democrats due to his liberal 'reality' biased belief that repealing Obamacare while Obama is in office isn't going to happen.

So, really the questions about how the next 2 years will take shape are:

1. Will the Republicans be able to keep a tight leash on the Tea Party/rabid conservatives who will view this election as a platform for waging ideological warfare against the evil America-hating liberals.

2. Will the Democrats actually be able to find and keep hold of their spines while being in the minority, or go into full sky-is-falling meltdown and let the Republicans set the narrative and trample over them.

[ControlHQ]

If even Mitch McConnell is lukewarm on an ACA repeal, it likely won't consume any serious portion of the GOP's agenda for the next two years. And if it does, they're even stupider than I initially thought.

McConnell is all ready under fire for 'surrendering' to the Democrats due to his liberal 'reality' biased belief that repealing Obamacare while Obama is in office isn't going to happen.

So, really the questions about how the next 2 years will take shape are:

1. Will the Republicans be able to keep a tight leash on the Tea Party/rabid conservatives who will view this election as a platform for waging ideological warfare against the evil America-hating liberals.

2. Will the Democrats actually be able to find and keep hold of their spines while being in the minority, or go into full sky-is-falling meltdown and let the Republicans set the narrative and trample over them.

My thoughts exactly.

My chief concern regarding your first point, however, is that the Tea Party will seep so deeply into the GOP mainstream and base that the reverse situation will occur: the Tea Party will be keeping the GOP on a leash of their own.

Not a palatable prospect in my humble opinion considering the legislative control they now wield.

[The Vermin Confederation of Mossflower]

Man, voting feels good when your side wins.
It's nice to see the US coming to their senses.

The GOP now has control of both legislative houses. It remains to be seen whether or not they will do anything with it, given how spineless they've proven to be before, but hopefully act one will be fixing the mess we call a border in this country.

[United States of Natan]

If even Mitch McConnell is lukewarm on an ACA repeal, it likely won't consume any serious portion of the GOP's agenda for the next two years. And if it does, they're even stupider than I initially thought.

McConnell is all ready under fire for 'surrendering' to the Democrats due to his liberal 'reality' biased belief that repealing Obamacare while Obama is in office isn't going to happen.

So, really the questions about how the next 2 years will take shape are:

1. Will the Republicans be able to keep a tight leash on the Tea Party/rabid conservatives who will view this election as a platform for waging ideological warfare against the evil America-hating liberals.

2. Will the Democrats actually be able to find and keep hold of their spines while being in the minority, or go into full sky-is-falling meltdown and let the Republicans set the narrative and trample over them.

1. With this election and the way it went, i'd say no. And the Dems are not evil or america-hating.
2. I think the dems can control themselves.

[Jinwoy]

Man, voting feels good when your side wins.
It's nice to see the US coming to their senses.

The GOP now has control of both legislative houses. It remains to be seen whether or not they will do anything with it, given how spineless they've proven to be before, but hopefully act one will be fixing the mess we call a border in this country.

If I ever needed proof that people think things are going to change, here it is.

[ControlHQ]

Man, voting feels good when your side wins.
It's nice to see the US coming to their senses.

The GOP now has control of both legislative houses. It remains to be seen whether or not they will do anything with it, given how spineless they've proven to be before, but hopefully act one will be fixing the mess we call a border in this country.

I'd hardly call suing a sitting president for the first time in American history "spineless." Shamelessly partisan and brazen, perhaps. But not spineless.

[Alien Space Bats]

I expected some tears from the left, but the sheer amount of vitriol and fearmongering in this thread is hilarious.

Given Republican behavior over the last 6 years, on what rational basis should we expect anything but the worst?

The people who based their entire political strategy since 2008 on fucking things up as badly as they could and then blaming the other Party that things are so badly fucked up won. What possible reason do they have for changing strategies, and suddenly actually working constructively with the very people they've been working so hard to cockblock for the last six years straight?

And given how badly attempting to find some kind of common ground with the GOP has worked out for Democrats, why on Earth should they continue such a suicidal strategy?

[Soldati Senza Confini]

Man, voting feels good when your side wins.
It's nice to see the US coming to their senses.

The GOP now has control of both legislative houses. It remains to be seen whether or not they will do anything with it, given how spineless they've proven to be before, but hopefully act one will be fixing the mess we call a border in this country.

If the GOP can't negotiate with Obama then nothing will get done either; and trust me people will watch them after bitching for 6 years of nothing but "well, if our side WAS the one who had control...".

[Alien Space Bats]

Man, voting feels good when your side wins.
It's nice to see the US coming to their senses.

The GOP now has control of both legislative houses. It remains to be seen whether or not they will do anything with it, given how spineless they've proven to be before, but hopefully act one will be fixing the mess we call a border in this country.

If the GOP can't negotiate with Obama then nothing will get done either; and trust me people will watch them after bitching for 6 years of nothing but "well, if our side WAS the one who had control...".

No, the GOP will simply whine that Obama isn't rolling over and surrendering, and claim that his failure to completely abandon the Democratic Party's ideals and jump through whatever hoops the Republican Party wants him to jump through is proof that the continuing failure of government to actually govern is all his fault.

[Occupied Deutschland]

Man, voting feels good when your side wins.
It's nice to see the US coming to their senses.

The GOP now has control of both legislative houses. It remains to be seen whether or not they will do anything with it, given how spineless they've proven to be before, but hopefully act one will be fixing the mess we call a border in this country.

If the GOP can't negotiate with Obama then nothing will get done either; and trust me people will watch them after bitching for 6 years of nothing but "well, if our side WAS the one who had control...".

No more so than people watched the Democrats in 2006 and afterwards.
Bitching in the opposition about how you could do better, getting carried into office on that bitching, and then proceeding to do the same bungling bullshit of your predecessors is practically American political tradition by now. There has been little to no consequence to it in the past, there is little to suggest this time will be any different.

[Soldati Senza Confini]

If the GOP can't negotiate with Obama then nothing will get done either; and trust me people will watch them after bitching for 6 years of nothing but "well, if our side WAS the one who had control...".

No, the GOP will simply whine that Obama isn't rolling over and surrendering, and claim that his failure to completely abandon the Democratic Party's ideals and jump through whatever hoops the Republican Party wants him to jump through is proof that the continuing failure of government to actually govern is all his fault.

I'm expecting for that to happen and mock them 2 years down the line about their so called "Congressional dominance".

I was really hoping for this outcome in some sort of way, so we can all see what kind of fuck ups Republicans truly have elected this time around.

[Soldati Senza Confini]

If the GOP can't negotiate with Obama then nothing will get done either; and trust me people will watch them after bitching for 6 years of nothing but "well, if our side WAS the one who had control...".

No more so than people watched the Democrats in 2006 and afterwards.
Bitching in the opposition about how you could do better, getting carried into office on that bitching, and then proceeding to do the same bungling bullshit of your predecessors is practically American political tradition by now. There has been little to no consequence to it in the past, there is little to suggest this time will be any different.

In a sense I'd like to think that's not true.

If it wasn't for the fact you're mostly right.

[ControlHQ]

Does anyone just want to sit and reflect on the fact that Governor Sam Brownback won?

I mean...what the fuck. By what evil spirits was his second term ordained? Pray tell.

[Alien Space Bats]

One thing we (fortunately) do not have to fear from a GOP Senate, however, is an ACA repeal. They don't have the 2/3 supermajority required to override an executive veto which the President will surely exercise if such an attempt is made.

Just wait until they attach the repeal of the ACA to the Defense Appropriations Bill, along with a provision that everyone who got a health insurance subsidy and/or Medicaid coverage while the ACA was in force needs to pay that money back to the Treasury immediately, with interest.

And then see what they say about how the President is exposing the country to attack by ISIS when he vetoes that bill and then has to order the U.S. military to stand down on all operations worldwide while they sort the mess out.

<pause>

Yes, I fully well expect that kind of horseshit from the GOP.

[ControlHQ]

One thing we (fortunately) do not have to fear from a GOP Senate, however, is an ACA repeal. They don't have the 2/3 supermajority required to override an executive veto which the President will surely exercise if such an attempt is made.

Just wait until they attach the repeal of the ACA to the Defense Appropriations Bill, along with a provision that everyone who got a health insurance subsidy and/or Medicaid coverage while the ACA was in force needs to pay that money back to the Treasury immediately, with interest.

And then see what they say about how the President is exposing the country to attack by ISIS when he vetoes that bill and then has to order the U.S. military to stand down on all operations worldwide while they sort the mess out.

<pause>

Yes, I fully well expect that kind of horseshit from the GOP.

Did I just meet someone with lower expectations of the GOP than me?

What black magic is this?

[The balkens]

Just wait until they attach the repeal of the ACA to the Defense Appropriations Bill, along with a provision that everyone who got a health insurance subsidy and/or Medicaid coverage while the ACA was in force needs to pay that money back to the Treasury immediately, with interest.

And then see what they say about how the President is exposing the country to attack by ISIS when he vetoes that bill and then has to order the U.S. military to stand down on all operations worldwide while they sort the mess out.

<pause>

Yes, I fully well expect that kind of horseshit from the GOP.

Did I just meet someone with lower expectations of the GOP than me?

What black magic is this?

ASB has that knack of doing that.

[Alien Space Bats]

Just wait until they attach the repeal of the ACA to the Defense Appropriations Bill, along with a provision that everyone who got a health insurance subsidy and/or Medicaid coverage while the ACA was in force needs to pay that money back to the Treasury immediately, with interest.

And then see what they say about how the President is exposing the country to attack by ISIS when he vetoes that bill and then has to order the U.S. military to stand down on all operations worldwide while they sort the mess out.

<pause>

Yes, I fully well expect that kind of horseshit from the GOP.

Did I just meet someone with lower expectations of the GOP than me?

What black magic is this?

How can anyone rationally have any HIGHER expectations?!?

[United States of Natan]

One thing we (fortunately) do not have to fear from a GOP Senate, however, is an ACA repeal. They don't have the 2/3 supermajority required to override an executive veto which the President will surely exercise if such an attempt is made.

Just wait until they attach the repeal of the ACA to the Defense Appropriations Bill, along with a provision that everyone who got a health insurance subsidy and/or Medicaid coverage while the ACA was in force needs to pay that money back to the Treasury immediately, with interest.

And then see what they say about how the President is exposing the country to attack by ISIS when he vetoes that bill and then has to order the U.S. military to stand down on all operations worldwide while they sort the mess out.

<pause>

Yes, I fully well expect that kind of horseshit from the GOP.

Who doesn't?

Does anyone just want to sit and reflect on the fact that Governor Sam Brownback won?

I mean...what the fuck. By what evil spirits was his second term ordained? Pray tell.

I was wondering the same thing about most of the events of tonight.

Just wait until they attach the repeal of the ACA to the Defense Appropriations Bill, along with a provision that everyone who got a health insurance subsidy and/or Medicaid coverage while the ACA was in force needs to pay that money back to the Treasury immediately, with interest.

And then see what they say about how the President is exposing the country to attack by ISIS when he vetoes that bill and then has to order the U.S. military to stand down on all operations worldwide while they sort the mess out.

<pause>

Yes, I fully well expect that kind of horseshit from the GOP.

Did I just meet someone with lower expectations of the GOP than me?

What black magic is this?

And I am someone with even lower expectations of the GOP than that.

[Soldati Senza Confini]

Does anyone just want to sit and reflect on the fact that Governor Sam Brownback won?

I mean...what the fuck. By what evil spirits was his second term ordained? Pray tell.

I don't even think Satan would support this one.

I mean, come on, his term has been marred with pseudo-religious bullshit.

[Alien Space Bats]

And I am someone with even lower expectations of the GOP than that.

Did I somehow mistakenly give the impression that that was the MOST dickish move we'd see from the GOP?

[ControlHQ]

Did I just meet someone with lower expectations of the GOP than me?

What black magic is this?

How can anyone rationally have any HIGHER expectations?!?

Basically, I think they at least have the common political sense to not attach said ACA repeal onto said Defense Appropriations Bill thereby repealing the healthcare of said 8 million ACA beneficiaries.

If that is a higher expectation of the GOP, it's a mild one.

[United States of Natan]

Does anyone just want to sit and reflect on the fact that Governor Sam Brownback won?

I mean...what the fuck. By what evil spirits was his second term ordained? Pray tell.

I don't even think Satan would support this one.

I mean, come on, his term has been marred with pseudo-religious bullshit.

I don't even think satan or all the spirits in his domain would support this one.

[Soldati Senza Confini]

Did I just meet someone with lower expectations of the GOP than me?

What black magic is this?

How can anyone rationally have any HIGHER expectations?!?

I can't even think that the current state of the GOP is anything but akin to omnishambles: from bing to cup, they fuck up.