A deal to end the 41-day government shutdown is running into turbulence, thanks to a single Senate objection: Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). Senate Republican and Democratic leaders say they need to resolve Paul’s objection to a provision in the government funding package before they can accelerate consideration of the bill. The provision would restrict the unregulated sale of intoxicating hemp-based products.
He has more leverage now than he ever will, and he’s using that leverage to get what he wants.
Sure would be nice if Dems did that
Hemp farming industry is paying him to prevent restriction of Delta-8, which is derived from Hemp.
It’s just money. It’s always money.
It’s not just Delta-8. Most CBD products as well as legal hemp-derived Delta-9 THC products would get wrapped up in this as well, and I am personally in favor of them remaining legal.
Yah I updated my larger comments about it elsewhere, it’s a sweeping ban on the sales of all “molecules that even resemble THC” or some wonkery. McConnel introduced this portion of the bill and he’s well known to be “sponsored” by big alcohol companies, who have been seeing declining sales ever since cannabis legalization so it’s not hard to see what’s going on.
So? He wants this because his donors want it, of course, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s using leverage to get what he wants.
There are no deep pockets funding progressive ideas. No senators got a call from the Bureau of Keeping People Alive to keep their bottom line profitable.
And there never will be.
Maybe the Democrats aren’t the best vehicle for progressive ideas.
“Democrats” are a just container, and that container has gone bad and spoiled. It’s time to clean the frig, throw out the rotten garbage and get some fresh groceries.
The rot runs the party, you aren’t going to clear them out without overthrowing them somehow.
I think the DSA should split the party.
There will always be rot, we are tasked with directing the rot in the right direction.
I don’t care if half the party is in there because they want to keep their seats or other kickbacks, as long as they’re doing their job.
I mean look, Mamdani wins and suddenly JOE FUCKING SCARBOROUGH is bending the knee and having him on the show twice. It doesn’t take a lot, the Dem foundational principle is to be almost disgustingly, subserviently populist, it’s just the problem is that they tend to follow the popular sentiment even if it goes against what they are supposed to represent.
Their job is to serve their donors. That’s why a few Democrats threw themselves on a landmine to collaborate with Republicans to end the shutdown, despite voters showing them clear and obvious support on election day. They had literally zero electoral reason to cave, they did it because the rot runs the party.
The rot can either be cut out, so overthrowing the party leadership, or the party can be left behind to rot in the dustbin of history. If we do not address the rot everything will get worse forever until the country collapses.