It’s nice to see the senate opposition functioning.
Edit: 18 hours of holding the senate floor, giving voice to the american people. Lots of tears as american suffering is read out loud for the congressional record. Testiment from Americans across the country. This is the voice of the people. Please click the link, share and watch. The media needs to know we care about the opposition more than we care about trump rambling on a plane about fort knox.
What progress was obstructed here? He started at 7 in the evening and went through the middle of the night, I doubt Republicans had plans to move some critical legislation at 3am.
It’s unbelievable. Nothing is ever the correct way to do things. People like you always complain without solutions or even a hint of what the fuck you want.
What should he have done instead? What was the correct move for Booker here? Let’s hear it.
It sounds like he would have done better to start at 7 AM, but I’ve not really looked into it.
I think it’s safe to assume he chose the time he did for a reason.
I’m sure he did, but I don’t know the reason, and the democrats have not impressed me with their brilliance recently.
Are all democrats the same?
So it could be purely performative and accomplish little?
I mean sure that could be the case. I didn’t say this was some slam dunk amazing move that’s going to move the needle in some obvious and substantial way.
Its just obstruction thats all. It’s an easy familiar legal move to obstruct the republicans adgenda. It’s a filibuster. We need to filibuster every bill, and when theres no bill we can filibuster more so no bills appear.
Nothing was obstructed, though.
Any time taken up on the senate floor prevents a bill from being introduced. So we just need to do this for another 2 years, and no MAGA laws for you. Sorry little maga boi
Every single minute of time taken away from the republican congress from passing laws for trump is good. It means no one can legislate, hopefully it continues for 2 years.
They haven’t been passing laws. All the bad shit they’ve been doing these last couple months has been through illegal executive orders. Congress NOT acting has been the problem.
There’s a bill in the house that is going to remove congressional oversight from executive branch. Allow these executive orders to have much more weight. unitary executive theory? So you want more executive over reach or should we fight to keep the power of the people in the halls of congress?
What did speaking to an empty room in the middle of the night do to stop that bill?
So you don’t understand either, and are just assuming it’s the most effective way to go about it.
If I see a construction worker using a jackhammer on the side of the interstate, yes I assume they know what they’re doing until I see evidence to the contrary.
What if they’re doing it alone, in the middle of the night?
I’d hope you think that was strange at least.
No not really actually. I see roadwork done at night all the time. They do it because there’s less need for the roads in the evening so blocking a lane or more is less impactful.
See? Sometimes these things have more nuance and logic than you might think at first glance.
One guy.
Alone.
In the middle of the night.
That would be very strange. Just like this guy speaking to an empty room in the middle of the night.
It’s nearly as strange, that you don’t think it’s strange at all.
Democrats have been demonstrating they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing to combat this fascist shut for decades now. The benefit of the doubt has passed.
Sure this was slightly better than rolling over, but this accomplished little
You say it accomplished little yet here we are all talking about it.
How much time and energy have you spent thinking about and talking about this subject today?
How many headlines are out there about it right now?
Think how much more we’d be talking about it if they did someone useful instead of performative for once…
Dude, we all certainly understand this less than a sitting senator. Get off it.
Maybe 7pm is significant, maybe it isn’t, but we are sitting here from our toilets still wiping the sleep from our eyes while this guy is giving a speech for 12 hours. Can we stop pretending we have any clue?
He’s going for the 24 hour record clearly so start time was irrelevant. He probably had a good nap before it started.
There’s a level of servility in this comment that is just downright distasteful.
I show no submission to authority. The point of my post, which was meant to be a jab at the armchair politicians / optics gurus / 4d strategists in this chain who were arguing over the effectiveness of starting at 7pm.
Your argument is literally an appeal to Authority.
Hes going to break the longest filibuster record at 24+ hours so does it matter when he started?
It’s such a simple concept, everyones got an opinion without taking the time to think that a filibuster is just preventing anyone else from using the Senate floor. It generates headlines, 24 hours of bitching. if cable news isn’t playing this you need to share with your family and friends.
The whole point of this is prevent the government from passing laws, and airing the grievances of america.
Its truly inspirational, try watching instead of criticizing, then come back and say something related to the filibuster?
Not a filibuster
noun: filibuster; plural noun: filibusters
HOW IS THIS NOT A FILIBUSTER HOW IS THIS NOT A FILIBUSTER HOW IS THIS NOT A FILIBUSTER???
I think the argument I’m entertaining is that there is already not much business going on at 3AM.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad one of our leaders is showing a little spine, but he could afford to be a little more tactical about it.
My guy he has been speaking from 7 PM last night to 2PM today. He’s going to set the record for longest filibuster. I’m filled with hope and emotion listening to his words. He can barely stand after 19 hours on his feet and he’s still PLEADING FOR US.
What are you talking about? Thats a full day of the legislature. There are only like 500 days left in the term. LETS GOOOOOOOO
Good on him, then.
Honestly, even if I don’t understand why he did it that way, he’s at least doing something.
Ya man, if you click the link you will see a man sacraficing his body for our voice. You’ll hear your own voice and your own suffering. Our concerns, our dreams.
Not a filibuster
noun: filibuster; plural noun: filibusters
HOW IS THIS NOT A FILIBUSTER HOW IS THIS NOT A FILIBUSTER HOW IS THIS NOT A FILIBUSTER???
I think they’re just saying it isn’t a filibuster.
What does saying it’s not a filibuster do anyway? What makes that a worthwhile statement? Besides being false it’s gaslighting basic civic knowledge and opposition to authority.
The statement is just here to be disingenuous and keep interest away from the fact that someones doing something useful finally. A political strategy of opposition is born. Check it out! maybe someone filibusters after he steps down, and it continues for weeks.
It is a filibuster, a filibuster is just a long speech that prevents the senate from proceeding to its next activity. They are filibustering all bills that republicans are working on. all nominations.
legally, though, it’s not a filibuster, because filibusters can be ended by the senate and long-ass speeches can’t be :9
I love loopholes. So what you’re saying is it’s better than a filibuster because it can’t be shut down. So this is a positive trend where we can just hold the senate floor and read out letters from American citizens instead of voting to legalize trumps insanity?
Well if it can’t accomplish anything then it’s just grandstanding. Damn near everyone in that room is a millionaire. If what they do is all just for show, then maybe it means we should stop thinking they’re “trying” for all of us and start thinking they just want to keep the farce going so we don’t turn it into a battle of the wealthy against everyone else.
He hasn’t stopped anything from happening.
The article says he has talked all night which didn’t interrupt anything whatsoever.
The correct move would be to hold his breath until they are going to vote on something, and then start speaking and don’t stop. Like a filibuster yaknow?
When you wrote this he was still going.
He is still going now at 7:45pm eastern.
He has stopped a full day of congress working and is still going.
He has literally stopped a nation’s legislative branch. But let me guess: Not enough?
So what is he stopping specifically?
Well friend, what are you and the people you support doing? Are you opposing legislation by holding the floor and not allowing it to get introduced? Are you bringing a voice to all the suffering thats coming for us all?
Are you still doing the 2024 dems are bad so just let trump win and fuck the world spin?
I’m with you. Either pay attention or hold your criticism of the only people actively trying to stop the Trump administration.
Democrats voted and spoke out against Trump’s cabinet nominations, forced a 15-day vote against Trump’s executive order, confirmed Biden’s pending judicial appointments when Republican attendance is low, and are the ones bringing these cases to the courts. They are doing everything they can to stop this from the minority.
The DNC needs to be risking jail like their opposition in order to be effective. Their GOP counter parts showed how effective that could be and have doubled down on it.
Trying to be strong in the face of adversity requires real risk of consequences. Everything the DNC does is so meticulously calculated to minimize risk all they have is posturing. Speed of execution beats the best planned but half implemented strategies.
Fail faster, take more risk, fucking act like lives are on the line and don’t worry about which lobbyist isn’t going to call you back after you inadvertently nuke their shit.
This guy studying his enemy. Good for you friend. Glad to see so many allies on the sub.
Well, not everything. Like rolling over to allow a spending bill through with absolutely no concessions it’s things like this that make the democrats complicit and not acting as a true opposition party.
The CR/shutdown was a lose/lose. According to EO 14210, Trump could terminate non-essential government employees in a large-scale reduction of workforce if there is insufficient funding. It would expedite Project 2025.
https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/don-t-use-shutdown-plans-to-slash-the-federal-workforce
And the funding bill gave expansive new military powers to the executive office, it wasn’t just a stop gap bill. It’s the same lame Duck crap democrats continue to do that put our country in the position it is in. They are complicit and are more aligned with the republicans than they are a true left or progressive party.
I’m aware. I’m not saying it was the right choice. I’m saying it was a lose/lose situation. The military powers are more of a formality to keep the Republicans in Congress’s hands clean. They have majority regardless.
It’s all losing, and we just have to be okay that the democrats just clutch their pearls instead of putting up actual resistance?
Democrats voted and spoke out against Trump’s cabinet nominations, forced a 15-day vote against Trump’s executive order, confirmed Biden’s pending judicial appointments when Republican attendance is low, and are the ones bringing these cases to the courts. I wouldn’t call that clutching pearls.
And when they are trying to cede congressional authority and oversight to the executive branch… we really needed the leverage on the CR
Sure did! Instead Schumer just rolled over because “trust me I know what’s best” bullshit. Didn’t even push for a single goddamn concession. Passed it whole hog as written.
Yep. Which is one of the biggest critisms of the dems that is relevant, they love handwaving and telling us whats in our best interest instead of polling or listening to us.
If it’s lose/lose, why didn’t they choose to lose with dignity instead of lose like cowards?
They should have. Dissent made them look weak. I’m just saying it wasn’t a simple choice to give up leverage that people seem to think it was.
One of the Democrats’ greater failures is the lack of a Party media infrastructure that they could use to control the narrative. Republicans have Fox and the right-wing media ecosystem, but Democrats never bothered to capture their own media to push their own message and agenda.
There are definitely friendly media groups, but they’re not loyal. They just happen to agree with Democrats more than Republicans. If the government shut down they’d turn on Democrats.
Only one party has media control and so only one party controls the message. I have no doubt that Democrats would have failed to defend themselves if they voted against Republicans - but that speaks to their failure to make their own media more than the vote itself.
That’s true. I think I prefer it that way. If I could choose, I’d rather Fox and Truth Social didn’t exist over adding a left-wing loyalist media platform.
It was a complex choice, and i tried to acknowledge all the outcomes as fast as possible. I do not have a congressional support staff, or access to polling. My decision came down to the times we are in. If the republicans move fast and break things, we can too. We can shut down the government and blame it on them, like they are doing with us.
Republicans are not master strategists, they are running the same scam they have been for 20 years. if we start breaking things and flooding the zone with real shit it would throw them off balance, and shake the faith of their base.
It would have resulted in a mass termination of non-essential government workers that they would’ve blamed squarely on the Democrats. There was no clean way out of it.
This is a well thought out writeup on the consequences of the shutdown:
https://www.joshbarro.com/p/it-is-not-chuck-schumers-job-to-satisfy?triedRedirect=true
Right if you can’t stop Hegseth form getting nominated at least do something to slow it down. Any opposition is good.
This is real political opposition. Not holding a sign for TV cameras. 17 hours of reading Americans pleas of mercy. This is american he’s voicing my concerns and obstructing republicans. This is what i want. Sorry it offends so many. Im going to watch all day and tell my friends to watch.
Support this if you hate authoritarianism.
Something I want to highlight, because I know it’ll come up (even if just in people’s minds) is democratic betrayals and silence, eg on the budget CR.
Chuck Schumer likely betrayed the Dems either for financial institutions and “stability”, or for state safety and cowardice. The former is scummy, and pretty much grants him all the hate he deserves. The latter is also plausible, and perhaps more excusable (still betraying our wishes) in that millions of people who hadn’t been following politics would hear smear tactics against Democrats. Plus, it would shut down the courts which is the one area of frequent victory.
I’m not making that case because I agree with it, especially now that courts are faltering, just that someone good but scared could believe it. And even if you assume the worst of Chuck, think about the motivations that put most Democrats in place across the country. A good number of them aren’t going to capitulate to the silence/financial appeasement.
If you want a better solution: Research democratic candidates before you vote for them. I’ve been phone banking for Susan Crawford, and while everything I see about her is good, I do get worried by the voter response of “Oh, I always vote Democrat!” Someday, for some people, that will not be a good idea. For some 80% of them, it is. And if the House is ever 80% democrat, it won’t matter that 20% of them are spineless.
On that point, Schumer flipped (and whipped up enough traitors to pass the bill) in like the 12 hours before the vote. They had been talking about this since the inauguration, as the time when they’d finally be able to force the Republicans back to the table and do something
There’s no way he didn’t get a call from someone.
Then he meets with Trump, goes on a talk show tour to try to justify his actions, and the Democratic establishment held their breath to see if people would buy it. They still aren’t coming out hard against him… The condemnations are lukewarm and hesitant at best from party leadership.
No, they gave MAGA everything they wanted. They didn’t even get to give input on the spending bill. This isn’t 5D chess, this isn’t a strategic play… It was just total capitulation
And the party still wants to wait and see if Schumer can salvage his reputation, if they can sweep this utter betrayal under the rug
This was my read on the situation as well, thank you for voicing it better than i could.
The condemnations are lukewarm because at best they wouldn’t accomplish much. For all the effort voting out Chuck and finding a replacement, Republicans would have full focus on special elections.
We all know for all intents AOC and JCrockett are the leaders of the Democratic Party currently. A title would not change that to a significant degree. Neither of them has encouraged focus on Schumer, and I imagine there’s good reason for that.
I’m all for finding inspiring new candidates - but we don’t actually gain all that much by dragging down the pretty bad ones - and I fully agree they’re bad, especially when their seats are not up for election. The house has a lot of seats to claim.
I once had a bad sandwich at a shitty sandwich shop. I said it was bad. I just don’t devote time and energy to warning everyone away from the shop. I’m finding better sandwiches. This is the challenge of building yourself off what inspires you rather than what you hate.
If a sandwich shop gives you food poisoning, you absolutely should be telling people not to eat there. You should leave reviews and tell people every time the name comes up
The logic you’re using is “well, what if the shop closes down and people can’t get sandwiches at all? What if they’re forced to eat at the numerous food stands that also give you food poisoning?”
If you say nothing, people are going to look at the sandwich shop sign and think it’s safer than the street food… That’s not better
To get away from the metaphor, harshly condemning Schumer at every turn would definitely do something. It sends a message that “this isn’t what you can expect from Democrats”
You say everyone knows who the real leaders of the party are…I literally don’t even know the second name there, I know AOC because she does good messaging about who she is and what she stands for. And I pay attention
Most people don’t even know who their representative is, but they’re much more likely to know who Schumer and Pelosi are. And they hate them.
This shady shit is why people hate the Democrats. When someone hands Trump everything he wants without a fight, they try to downplay it, like people haven’t noticed. They don’t punish it, they barely mention it - they’re so desperate to not shake the boat that they do nothing
Democrats need to shake the boat and make enemies… That’s what wins elections today. They need to call people out, and tell them what they stand for, and then they need to follow through
I agree with this sentiment 100%. I feel totally betrayed by Schumer. I feel really good good watching Corey broker spend 16 hours reading constituents letters before the congressional record.
I agree we can’t blindly vote for a party. That is what got us here. But presidential elections come down to 2 candidates and it’s going to be a lesser of two evils vote. Trust me I hate the dems as much as any dem. I’m a true centrist I like policy that makes sense on both sides of the isle. I don’t remember a time in history where the lesser of two evils contrast was so high.
We really need to clean sweep congress and get fresh blood who’s represents the american people and not corporations and billionaires.
Booker isn’t either. Again, in case you missed it:
“Booker’s speech is not a filibuster because it is not blocking legislation or a nomination.”
Booker is grandstanding. Talking. Talking gets us nowhere. Is he DOING anything? No. The entire party is rudderless, weak, and borderline complicit. ACTUALLY complicit in the cases of Schumer and Fetterman and Durbin, to name a few.
In case you missed it look up the definition of a filibuster. Please try and think REALLY hard, about how obstucting a legislature works. Do your best to really consider the definition of filibuster and get back to me.
Any time taken up on the senate floor, cannot be used by republicans and their dem traitor friends to pass law.
This is good. Its not going to save the world, but this is a good start to opposition. I wish i could find a better way to express myself on this one but your opinion leaves me at a loss for words.