Wednesday Open Thread

13 thoughts on “Wednesday Open Thread”

1. "Immediately, that moment it started, I came out against the war at that moment," Biden told NPR about the Iraq war.

   But in multiple public remarks made after the invasion began in 2003, Biden openly supported the effort. https://t.co/1d1F5obOle

   — NPR Politics (@nprpolitics) September 3, 2019

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   1. You shore loves you some Biden, Sudafed.

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   2. Did he also vote for the funding bill for the war before voting against it? (Like John Kerry.) Are you really shocked that a politicians is trying to say two different things at same time?

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2. Here’s How Much the Democratic Party Charges to Be on Each House Committee

   Power is accumulated in the House by raising and dispersing money to colleagues, a dynamic pioneered by Pelosi’s quasi-mentor, the late Rep. Phil Burton, who once held Pelosi’s seat; it’s now a bipartisan practice. This has been formalized with the DCCC’s decades-old practice of asking members to pay “dues” to the party committee in charge of reelection efforts and reallocating that money to contested races. Democrats in leadership positions, or who chair so-called money committees, are required to pay higher dues than back benchers. Members are also given a target amount of money they are expected to raise directly for the DCCC, which is separate from their dues payment. 

   Members of Congress who pay their dues and hit their targets are rewarded with better committee assignments in the future, and more favorable treatment of legislation they author, than members who shirk their dues. Members who don’t pay, for instance, are less likely to have their bills or amendments get a floor or committee vote.

   […] There are no points to be earned by registering new voters.

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3. [Not] Sad news from up north.

   Coal-Mine Closures Shake Wyoming 
   Sudden shutdown of two mines leaves many wondering what’s next; ‘Reality has come crashing through the door’
   https://www.wsj.com/articles/coal-mine-closures-shake-wyoming-11567589404

   "Wyoming’s coal production in the Powder River Basin declined 19% from 2015 through 2018, Mr. Godby said, and state figures show severance taxes paid by coal companies fell 26% over the past four fiscal years."

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   1. But, but, but………Trump digs coal. I've seen the bumper sticker. What gives?

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4. What about the gas? (CBM)

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   1. From (Liz) Cheney’s Big Mouth?

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      1. 

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5. This was covered at Vox and here on this site two months ago:

   Who pays for the cleanup?

   Who pays for the pension fund?

   Who walks away with money the pocket?

   That is the model: buy the mines (or assets) for cheap from a company in restructuring, thereby escaping health, pension, and environmental obligations; take out huge loans to keep the mines going; pay yourself and your executives handsomely from those loans; and then, when the mine goes under anyway, pay yourself additional bonuses for “managing” your own bankruptcy and walk away richer than you started.

    

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6. Did you know that it is illegal to send out a false weather report?

   Up to 90 days in jail.

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   1. The Twitterverse is having a lot of fun with #Sharpiegate. All you have to do is a cursory search on the Google to see that Trump is the Sharpie king. He writes notes to staff and notes to foreign leaders with a Sharpie (makes him feel big, I guess). The squiggly circle on the weather map poster (which was not on the August 29 version of the weather map poster) looks as if it were drawn by a toddler. Hmmmm.

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      1. He shoulda’ just redrawn the state lines . . . 

         . . . probably no one would have noticed, and anyway, he is the President Chosen One!

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