CT Blue

I believe I’ve written before about what the Democrats should do with their house majority: pass legislation that people want regardless of the fact that it won’t pass the Senate and/or would be vetoed by the very stable genius. It looks like the Democrats are going to do exactly that, with the first item of business being an anti-corruption package:

Here are some of the things the surviving House Republicans will have to oppose if they don’t want to support House Resolution 1.

• A requirement that members of Congress stop using taxpayer money to settle sexual harassment cases or buy first-class plane tickets.
• A new ethical code for the US Supreme Court.
• Restoration of the gutted Voting Rights Act of 1965.
• Public financing of campaigns, including a voluntary 6-1 match for candidates for president and Congress.
• A requirement that Super PACs and “dark money” political organizations make the identity of their donors public.
• A requirement that social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter disclose the source of money for political ads they run and an accounting of how much money was spent.
• Money for improved elections security, including a requirement that the Director of National Intelligence provide regular updates on foreign threats.
• A requirement that President Trump release his tax returns.

There is, of course, a problem, as there always is with Democrats. This package is one that should easily get nearly unanimous Democratic support, but when it comes to things that actually have an immediate impact on people’s lives (and poll just as well as the items above) the conservative wing of the Democratic Party, including many of the new members that were recruited by the DCCC precisely because they were conservative, will no doubt obstruct. Medicare for all, which is hugely popular, something everyone can understand, blessed with a moniker that Fox will have a hard time abusing, and something that makes absolutely good sense, will probably never get an up or down vote, since the right wing of the party will be calling the shots. Bear in mind that with the Republicans, the “moderates” are made to toe the line with the party’s extremists calling the shots. We don’t have extremists in the Democratic Party; we have so-called extremists who are espousing causes that large majorities (including many Republicans) want. Our “extremists “ do not call the shots, our right wingers do. This inability to control its rightest fringe is a self inflicted problem for the Democrats.

Anyway, the bill mentioned above is a good start. Who knows, maybe they can surprise me and keep them coming.