In today’s news and poll of the day - part 2

🎄 12-20-2021 🎄 

So dumpster don has filed a lawsuit against the AG of New York to stop her from investigating his business.  He claims she has a “political bias” against him.

I’m guessing that he is doing it now because he found a sucker to pay the legal bills.  The RNC.

Its a NY Times story and I can’t get all the details because of the paywall.

From AP…

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump sued New York Attorney General Letitia James on Monday, seeking to end her civil investigation into his business practices.

In the lawsuit, filed two weeks weeks after James requested that Trump sit for a Jan. 7 deposition, Trump alleges the investigation has violated his constitutional rights in a “thinly-veiled effort to publicly malign Trump and his associates.”

“Her mission is guided solely by political animus and a desire to harass, intimidate, and retaliate against a private citizen who she views as a political opponent,” the former president’s lawyers wrote in the suit. Me: why would she consider him a “political opponent?  I mean to be a “political opponent “ wouldn’t that mean they were both running for the same elected office?

Trump, a Republican, seeks a permanent injunction barring James, a Democrat, from investigating him and a declaratory judgment stating that she has violated his rights.

Messages seeking comment were left with James’ office and Trump’s lawyers. News of the lawsuit filed in federal court in Albany was first reported by The New York Times.”

trump honestly believes he is more important then he is.

Let’s be clear about Manchin.  AOC take note.

Manchin was never going to support the BBB because of the climate change items in the bill.  He is firmly tied to the fossil fuel industry and was never going to vote for it.  It didn’t matter if BBB helped the people of West Virginia, especially the coal miners who have black lung disease, he wasn’t going to vote for it.

And this is exactly what the Republicans did to the Democrats with the ACA.  But unfortunately the Democrats don’t have enough votes to pass the BBB like they did with the ACA.

From the Washington Post…

“Opinion: No Christmas cheer for Joe Manchin. What did he expect?”

By Jennifer Rubin
Columnist

“What did Sen. Joe Manchin III expect? After hanging the White House out to dry with his repudiation of Build Back Better (announced on Fox News, no less), the West Virginia Democrat surely could not have expected cheers from his party. It is quite possible, however, that he did not anticipate the instantaneous, united and furious reaction from the White House, Democratic congressional leaders, and the progressive and moderate wings of both chambers.

Virtually no Democrat came to Manchin’s defense on Sunday after the White House accused him of double-crossing President Biden. (As White House press secretary Jen Psaki put it, Manchin’s announcement was “a sudden and inexplicable reversal in his position, and a breach of his commitments to the President and the Senator’s colleagues in the House and Senate.”) Maybe Manchin, who has been treated with kid gloves by his former Senate colleague in the Oval Office, did not imagine the White House would release a blow-by-blow account of the negotiations, going so far as to mention Manchin had put his recent proposal in writing.

And perhaps Manchin expected moderates in the House and Senate to ride to his defense. Instead, prominent moderates, including Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.), expressed shock and dismay. After all, Democratic moderates had gone out on a limb to accommodate Manchin’s demands, allowing him to practically write the energy provisions of the bill. He then made them look like fools, offering up Republican talking points to criticize them as fiscally irresponsible.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) released a frosty statement on Sunday, not even deigning to mention Manchin by name. “For weeks, we have had House-Senate-White House agreement on the fundamental framework of Build Back Better,” she declared, essentially backing up the White House’s account of Manchin’s betrayal.

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) put out his own statement in the form of a Dear Colleague letter that vowed to put Manchin’s feet to the fire. “Senators should be aware that the Senate will, in fact, consider the Build Back Better Act, very early in the new year so that every Member of this body has the opportunity to make their position known on the Senate floor, not just on television,” he wrote. The Senate will vote in January on a “revised version of the House-passed Build Back Better Act — and we will keep voting on it until we get something done.”

For good measure, Schumer also informed members that it was time to force the hand of Manchin (and of Arizona Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema) on voting rights as early as the first week back in January. “If Senate Republicans continue to abuse the filibuster and prevent the body from considering this bill, the Senate will then consider changes to any rules which prevent us from debating and reaching final conclusion on important legislation,” Schumer wrote. In a pointed reminder to Manchin of the late Senate rules maestro and fellow West Virginian, Schumer noted, “As Former Senator Robert C. Byrd said in 1979, Senate rules that seemed appropriate in the past ‘must be changed to reflect changed circumstances.’” A Senate caucus meeting will take place Tuesday night, possibly the most anticipated caucus meeting in years.

Manchin’s colleagues will be sure to bring up with him Goldman Sachs’s announcement that BBB’s failure would have “negative growth implications.” As Barron’s reported, “The bank’s economists now expect gross domestic product growth to be 2% in the first quarter of 2022, down from a previous forecast of 3%. In the second quarter they see 3% growth, down from 3.5%, and their third-quarter forecast was lowered to 2.75% from 3%.” You can almost hear Democrats asking Manchin: “Do you want to be responsible for this?”

The White House certainly embarrassed and isolated Manchin, but that still leaves it, for now, without a deal on BBB. Democrats could make some small adjustments, giving Manchin a face-saving way to conclude negotiations and hoping he finally votes to pass the BBB. Alternatively, Democrats could once more demand Manchin put on the table what he wants — and then vote on that. The problem with either approach is that Manchin is now thoroughly distrusted by his party. When you cannot trust the word of your negotiating partner to make good on changes, large or small, negotiations are impossible.

Failure, contrary to rhetoric, is an option on BBB, despite its disastrous economic and political implications. The Senate could put it aside, push forward on voting reform and hope Manchin decides to get back in his party’s good graces with agreement to modify the filibuster.

Democrats are in this position because they have just 50 Senate votes, effectively giving Manchin veto power over the party’s entire agenda. Unless Democrats can cajole, threaten and plead with him to get on board, Manchin’s decision will halt Biden’s legislative agenda with grave political, economic and constitutional implications for his party and the country. That’s quite a legacy to leave behind.”

 Meanwhile in other news…

From The Hill.  Coal Miners Union ask Minchin to reconsider.  Remember he made his money from coal.

”The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), which represents West Virginia coal miners, urged Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Monday to revisit his opposition to President Biden's Build Back Better plan.

The labor union noted that the bill includes an extension of a fund that provides benefits to coal miners suffering from black lung disease, which expires at the end of the year. The UMWA also touted tax incentives that encourage manufacturers to build facilities in coalfields that would employ thousands of miners who lost their jobs.

“For those and other reasons, we are disappointed that the bill will not pass,” Cecil Roberts, the union’s president, said in a statement. “We urge Senator Manchin to revisit his opposition to this legislation and work with his colleagues to pass something that will help keep coal miners working, and have a meaningful impact on our members, their families, and their communities.”

🎄 22-21-2021 🎄

What was that garbage he muttered that he couldn’t go back to West Virginia and justify voting for BBB or some such nonsense?

What I can’t decide is if these guys are really this ignorant.  The idiot was a doctor!