this post was submitted on 19 Feb 2025
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Summary

Senate Democrats plan to force Republicans into tough votes on tax cuts and government cuts linked to Trump’s legislative agenda.

They will introduce amendments opposing tax breaks for the wealthy and cuts to programs like education and Medicaid as Republicans push a $325 billion budget resolution.

Democrats also target Elon Musk’s DOGE, which is rapidly cutting federal jobs. Some Republicans express concerns over DOGE’s speed.

Democrats hope these votes will hurt Trump and the GOP ahead of the 2026 midterms.

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Their plan is to do nothing, then. They could have been forcing Republicans to vote against popular things for decades now, including during the entire Trump presidency. Without even going into how ineffective this kinda performative bullshit is, why should I expect them to seriously start calling for these votes now?

[–] [email protected] -5 points 1 day ago

Americans told democrats to eat shit this past election, then immediately start demanding those same democrats save them from trump, now they’re acting and Americans are still complaining?? You bus really do deserve what you’re getting

[–] [email protected] 96 points 2 days ago (4 children)

If I'm reading this right, their plan is to basically make Republicans vote against popular things, in hopes that it makes voters turn away from them in 2026. That's neat, and in an ideal world where people actually paid attention to what their senators are voting for and the republicans didn't control the media and generate propaganda at an alarming rate, it might even be effective, but I am skeptical that it will have any real effect in the world we actually live in.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Think of the county as a car driving towards a cliff.

Republicans want to stomp on the gas and roll coal to trigger libs.

Sure, Democrats UNDERSTAND the "concerns" of pollution and driving off a cliff, but they also have to be sensitive to the desires of their oil donors and constituents that work in refineries, so they feel obligated to reach across the aisle to push the gas a little to keep $XOM over $100.

The news blames the Dems for the car slowing down. No one wants to rock the boat by stopping the car from going off the cliff. Attack anyone that considered reversing for being a socialist because capitalism needs us to buy a new car after we crash this one.

Leftists and the third world are in the trunk.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I still want ice cream, damnit!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

That's the long and short of it. Your average American has the functional understanding of a five year old because they don't know what they haven't been taught which is most of everything.

You ask a first grade class if they want ice cream for breakfast and they will basically never say no.

They want it because it makes them happy without understanding what makes them healthy.

Most people are level 1 Skyrim characters and only understand explicitly what they level up by doing... Which is usually as little as possible.

Many facets of society have been turned into Skinner boxes that reward people dopamine for doom scrolling, isolating, or being angry.

Even if one wants to argue the downfall of society was accidental and not malicious, those in power never really seemed to do anything but make shit worse regardless.

Even if the system is working as designed... This is the fucking end result and inspires no hope there won't be a world wide economic collapse.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 days ago

I mean... at least that's the part of the plan that they SHOULD have been doing for decades... back when the public option was killed from obamacare... no vote was ever heard, and the only person who they announced as the problem was Liberman.

I mean this strategy is just plain common sense that always SHOULD have been the norm. IMO I think half the reason for low information voters now... is that they basically allowed vote information to get muddled for decades. IE If a bill is overwhelmingly popular with the base, but can't break a fillibuster proof majority, the democrats just go "we don't have the votes, don't put it on the floor", when things do make the floor, we allow riders and compromises to make it so that both sides are attackable.

In short, they've allowed the voting record to become nearly useless to look at, practically never use it in their advertising on either front, and then allow a good chunk of bills that happen to basically be the "Save orphanages, and kick puppies" bill, so that no matter which way someone votes on it, an attack add can just cover the bad half of the bill and attack people for supporting it, or cover the good half and attack people for opposing it.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The various Right-wing talking heads will just continue to blame them for being petty and point to it as a proof of government inefficiency. These people can't be bothered to verify anything beyond the first opinion screamed at them through a screen.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Yeah, their whole strategy depends on high information voters knowing exactly what their representative voted for, it's ridiculous because:

  • almost all of Trump's voters are 'low information' (with the exception of billionaires that know exactly what's going on, but they're negligible as an actual demographic).
  • there's a whole information ecosystem of Fox, boomer Facebook, super PACs funded ads, etc that will lie or just omit inconvenient information

So the Democrats' strategy is to get Republicans to vote for unpopular stuff that Republican voters will never hear about. Republicans have been passing super unpopular stuff for half a century now, their voters don't care.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 days ago

Republicans have been passing super unpopular stuff for half a century now, their voters don't care.

Perfectly succinct.

[–] adarza 3 points 2 days ago (3 children)

house democrats can't do shit without at least some help from republicans.. and that help does not exist, those maga fucks want to see the nation burn.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

They can’t bear to admit their anger has made them lemmings. Even as they see the cliff clear as day. They will lose everything before they admit they were played by a blatant con man.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

AOC is finding ways to help. She's using her platform to inform people of their rights, and she's meeting fascists bluffs rather than capitulating* early. This is ultimately just rhetoric, but if one migrant family knew their rights when it mattered because of her, she's helping more than the Democratic leadership is. Sitting on the sidelines complaining about the rules that no longer exist is the liberal strategy, and respectfully, they need to reassess and recommit to antifascism.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

If they don't think voting is going to do anything, go get arrested. Lead a protest. Go to an agency and don't take no for an answer. Disrupt proceedings, even if it's against decorum. Make a headline and then talk to anyone who will platform you.

These are supposed to be leaders, not functionaries.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Fucking retire you ancient neo liberal ass clowns.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Dude there's no need for petty insults. Clowns are highly trained professionals who bring joy to the world. No need to insult them with unfair associations to slimy dinosaur politicians.

[–] lost_faith 4 points 2 days ago

IT enters the chat

[–] [email protected] 38 points 2 days ago (2 children)

So... seriously, the Democrats are not even going to try to stop the Republicans who are actively overthrowing the government, but are instead just going to try to make them look bad enough that they can hopefully gain some seats in 2026 running as "not the Republicans?"

Well, then here's the definitive answer to the recurring question of "will the Democrats learn anything from 2024?"

No. No they won't.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Honestly, I’m wondering who collapses first- republicans or democrats.

Right now it looks like it’s gonna be dems, because at least half them are willing to sit at the table with fucking Nazis.

They seem to think they can just keep their heads down and it’ll blow over.

They’ve been letting the republicans nibble off bits and bobs for decades and seem to think this bullshit will just end.

The good news is… it will. But first all the immigrants, the lgbtq+ (starting with trans,); all the progressives and educated people will have been killed off.

And no. I’m not exaggerating. That’s the way fascism works. They keep blaming scapegoats until there’s nothing left and then the fascists fracture, blaming each other.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Long_Knives

I'm sure it'll work out for the Dems. Keep trying to reach across the aisle with fucking Nazis.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

you have 10 people at a table with 1 nazis, you have 11 nazis. that's how it works. either you oppose them, or you join them. Silently keeping your head down is not an option.

we're rapidly approaching the whole point where they conceived of the second amendment being necessary.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

1000% agree. I have a family member that was saying we need to work together. She's getting her masters in social work to work high level on the homeless crisis. She got super missed when I called her out on that. Few weeks latter she loses her grant thanks to doge and then she gets double pissed when I point out they did exactly what they said they would do. Fuck Nazis.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

I'm hoping it's Democrats, than an actual party representing to working class in government can take its place. There's no room in government for two right wing parties.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago

It's hard for them to run on, not the Republicans, when they keep trying to mirror what Republicans are doing.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 2 days ago

They shall be tut-tutted once, tut-tutted twice, tut-tutted three times. And they might get a stern glare as well.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 2 days ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I miss when Colbert's comedy wasn't hamstrung by needing to play to milquetoast network audiences. His stuff is ok-ish nowadays, but he's not pushing the envelope on anything anymore

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Idk, I love his current show. The Colbert Report was also great.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

That's always been their only plan

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

I hpep they do something other than this political theatrics and then roll over when it's supposedly go time as all politicians have done

[–] [email protected] 18 points 2 days ago (1 children)

So...

Still no effective, valid, concrete, unified plan that includes consequential effective meaningful messaging...

Fucking great.

Good fucking job.

Ironic that Dems are a huge reason democracy is failing in the US.

🤦‍♀️🤷🫏🤡🖕🖕

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Well, yes and those who didn't vote.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

That's the lazy/easy answer.

If that truly is the case, then why didn't they vote?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

It's possible that both they failed us and we failed them. I think we need them on our side right now, regardless, and populism is the only thing that speaks to them. -- Source: Every low information voter at my job who would have voted for Bernie but ended up not voting.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Oh, we voted, we just didn't vote for the candidate that you preferred. Those that chose not to vote voiced their opinion that they have cast a vote of no confidence.

Any politician that is not listening to their constituents like Biden and Harris did not do, are not deserving of a vote. If they're not going to listen to us, they are not representing us in government.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago (2 children)

There were two choices. None of them were great. When life gives you lemons, don’t add Nazis.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

There were 3 choices... Nazis, Nazi collaborators, no non-nazis to vote for so not gonna vote

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

There were 2 Nazi fascists on the duopoly ballot.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 days ago

Just like the time they said trump would answer for his crimes? Those democrats? No holding my breath.

[–] Coolbeanschilly 8 points 2 days ago

To my neighbours in the South, the current trajectory isn't a foregone conclusion. You still have time to act as a whole. Don't sit back, engage. YOU are the power. Signed, a neighbour from the North.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago

I feel safer already.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Everyone know Democrats aren't going to do shit, they're going to roll over and be walked on.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

Yeah, make them squirm. That will show em!