Tussles

State of Play:  The government won’t be shutting down, at least for now, as a bipartisan group in both the House and the Senate voted in a stopgap funding package that will keep parks and everything else open through the beginning of December.  That’s good but the debt limit still looms as Republicans, including both Mitch McConnell and Kevin “Q” McCarthy continue to insist that it’s the Democrats responsibility to deal with  paying all those debts incurred under the FG’s reign, an approach they only take when their party isn’t in power.  The struggle to get Biden’s infrastructure funding, both the bipartisan $1 plus trillion bill and the likely to shrink $3.5 trillion reconciliation package through the House continues as House progressives duke it out, on TV and behind closed doors, with Senators Manchin and Sinema who both continue to insist that they have no interest in supporting what they believe is too large a package.  While it would be far better if the Democrats could unite behind the legislation, it’s probably premature to characterize their negotiations and the vote delay as a “humiliation,” but nevertheless that’s what the NY Times is calling it.  That’s the same paper that went on for what seemed like forever about Hillary’s emails during the run up to the 2016 election while giving far less attention to the FG’s obvious failings so there’s that. Anyway, the Wall Street Journal is describing the vote delay as a “tussle” between progressives and the moderate Senators and to the extent that the vote ultimately goes through, their less hyperbolic description will turn out to be more accurate.  In any case, Nancy, Chuck and Joe are doing their best to push the legislation through.  At least with regard to the reconciliation package, the “big tent” Democratic contingent remain on their own because no Republicans are going to provide any support, not even those who want us to believe that they’re rational players because their rationality only pertains to opposing the FG, not to things like the environment or childcare.

Lechery: While most attention remains rightfully focused on the legislative tussle, a real humiliation has been taking place elsewhere.  I am talking of course about the Corey Lewandowski affair.  Lewandowski, one of those characters who starred in the first chapters of the FG saga but never really left has stepped in it again.  A little refresher, Lewandowski served as the FG’s first campaign manager before he was ousted from his position, something to do with him lacking the chops to run what was turning out to be a bigger campaign than anyone had anticipated as well as his “women” problems, as in predatory behavior that included him being caught on camera hitting a female reporter as well as his much gossiped about affair with Hope Hicks, particularly notable given that he’s a married father of four.  Anyway back in the day Lewandowski was shown the door at the urging of Jared Kushner, who one time FG press secretary Stephanie Grisham calls for somewhat obvious reasons “Rasputin in a slim-fitting suit” in her new tell all book, a book that also details that the FG’s temper was “controlled” by having her former boyfriend sing him Broadway show tunes.  Say what you want about Grisham, she never held a press conference during her tenure in part because she says that she didn’t want to have to defend the FG’s virility, that description of Kushner is spot on.  Of course Lewandowski, an FG loyalist never went away.  Most recently he’d been running the FG’s MAGA Action super PAC.  Note the past tense, he was pushed aside this week and replaced with former Florida AG Pam Bondi, who once received a conveniently timed campaign contribution from the FG when he was trying to get her to ignore one of his crimes, after a $100,000 donor named of all things Trashelle Odom went public with an accusation that the lecherous Lewandowski was up to his old shtick.  Apparently Trashelle says Corey made unwanted sexual advances, repeatedly touching her inappropriately, during a Las Vegas fund raising event last weekend in front of many witnesses who confirm her allegations. Simultaneously, a conservative website alleged that Lewandowski was having an affair with South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem who he was advising on political matters and helping with profile “raising.’  While denying the affair, Noem, also an FG loyalist, announced that the two had broken up or at least broken off their “political” relationship.  Similarly, though their relationship was likely purely professional, Nebraska Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster has also kicked Lewandowski to the curb.  Start counting, it’s only a matter of time before Corey ends up back working for the FG in some capacity or another.

Viral Musings: Though daily deaths remain around 2000, the US coronavirus case count appears to be dipping, not that we haven’t been here before.  Hopefully, this time with vaccinations increasing, that trend will continue even as people in the north start spending more time indoors. As to vaccinations, though a lot of people are still kvetching about mandates, those mandates are working.  Most of those who said that they would quit if pressed to get their shots are actually getting jabbed.  That said, though the majority of teachers have gotten at least one shot, as predicted a group of NYC Teachers are appealing their anti-mandate case to the Supreme Court, complaining that it isn’t fair that they have to get protected and protect students when others in other sectors aren’t subjected to the same rules.  On the vaccine front, the Moderna shots appear to be modestly more effective at preventing hospitalization than the Pfizer shot.  That’s not to say that Moderna recipients won’t ultimately need and qualify for boosters, but it may partially explain why Moderna is seeking approval for a lower dose booster.  While vaccines still trump horse dewormer and home ECMO machines, yes there are people out there trying to source their own heart/lung bypass machines instead of getting vaccinated, there is some good news on the anti-viral front.  This morning Merck announced that its COVID antiviral molnupiravir reduced the risk of hospitalization and death by nearly half and that the independent board monitoring their clinical trial recommended that their study be stopped early because of those impressive positive results. Together with their partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics Merck plans to apply for emergency use authorization asap.  

Enjoy the weekend!