DWT has their poll analysis. Strangely, it was a poll sponsored by a School of Public Health, and lo, look at the priorities reported back "by the public," ostensibly meaning something besides schools of public health know how to bias a poll.
There's an elucidating new poll out this morning from the Harvard School of Public Health for Politico on the public's priorities among the many programs covered by Biden's Build Back Better proposal. When it comes to "extremely important," you can see what the top priority is: lower drug prices.
click the image to enlarge and read it And that breaks down as the top priority for Democrats (45%), Republicans (38%) and independents (37%). It's also much more important for all Americans-- regardless of party identification-- than hard infrastructure (roads, bridges, etc), which will certainly come as a surprise to conservative members of Congress (in both parties).
The death-fearing old folks want what they want, and they vote, but for the future of the human race it's not about me and them, but about - big surprise, the future of the human race on the planet which so far has been good to humans, but will not get mad but most surely will get even.
DWT continues -
With every Republican opposed to allowing Medicare to negotiate prices with Big PhRMA, the program has bene put in danger by corrupt conservatives among the Democrats, particularly New Dems Kathleen Rice of Long Island and Scott Peters of San Diego, as well as the entire Blue Dog caucus with particularly corrupt members Kurt Schrader (OR), Henry Cuellar (south Texas) and Lou Correa (Orange County) the tip of the spear. This morning, writing for Politico, Sarah Owermohle reported that the drug pricing plan is in peril as some paid-off DINOs spar with Pelosi over the scope and details. "Democratic leaders are now considering scaling back a House leadership-backed proposal or dropping it entirely from the $3.5 trillion social spending package. That would likely be a death knell for the Democrats' chances of keeping the majority in the midterms. No members I asked wanted to go on record agreeing with this electoral assessment but, off record, one went even further. She told me that besides from needing to pass provisions lowering drug prices-- fast-- "If Democrats don’t deliver on expanding Medicare to cover eyes, ears and teeth; affordable college; and checks for children, then they will lose both Houses next year."
It confuses me that Republicans are in lock-step opposed to these polled "top items" and yet the DWT theme is if these things are not delivered the Republicans will be taking both houses of congress. Yes, they are tight on GOTV whereas Dems are lax if uninspired, but still - - -
Climate reform, to work, has to be starting with burning less, (steel production is coal intensive to where less steel comes with less carbon dioxide but if more steel is wanted and produced the carbon load has to be reduced elsewhere). A combination is needed, burning less together with getting renewable energy moving off home plate as the top priority.
Roads and bridges? Even with electric-battery vehicles, it's more "burn baby burn." Trade unions want the short term jobs, but who else wants it? The wheels of commerce want what the trade unions want, but you cannot eat a new bridge, and miles more of spiffy roads will not fix your teeth at reasonable cost, government assisted being an ideal.
Getting to Manchin and Schumer and their Page of Shame - "THE MANCHIN MANIFESTO" -
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| click the image to enlarge and read it |
Fascism is what Fascism does. Fascism does not need to be single party, strong man run; it can be an elite doing mischief, however many parties there are, two being best for the illusion of a choice.
These two. Schumer and Manchin, are sociopaths in seats of power. It had to have been idiots and charletans (ill informed voters as idiots, the two party system as charletans) who put the pair in DC with hands on the levers of power.
Does that suggest a focus for fixing what's broke?
As long as you've a vote, under the presumption votes are counted fairly, there is chance and opportunity. Seize the day. Do not vote for incumbents in any primary you can vote in, and primaries will be more important than the general election. New blood? A welcomed need. Schumer, for certain, has worn out his welcome and his backstabbing everyone else along with Manchin, because they can, should be shut down, one way or another.
Storm the Bastille. If that ends up the only option, it can happen. Wise people in DC might be able to avert such, but only if humane too. Decency is needed, and neither Schumer nor Manchin seem to have any.
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UPDATE - Note, in reading the Manchin Manifesto, "CCUS" is bogus; this link.
FURTHER: nymag.com posts an interesting analysis; while still constrained to guesswork and if-then caveats aplenty.