Misunderstood

Biden was hailed as "Mr. Bipartisan" - until he wasn't. Today the papers are confused that Biden appears to be pushing ahead with his agenda without bipartisan support.  This is to misunderstand Joe Biden; he was bipartisan, not as and end in itself, but as a means to an end - getting legislation passed in the Senate. Reaching across the aisle was the means available to him in the Senate and he used it in the service of getting stuff done. 

But it seems that there is no willingness to compromise on the Republican side. Biden tested the waters early on with the stimulus package. He tried to reach a deal with some of the moderate GOP senators but they were there only for show, to provide their base with a talking point that "They tried, they really did."

So if there is no acceptable means of getting stuff done with bipartisan support, then Biden, ever the pragmatist, will do whatever it takes.  It's not about bipartisanship; it's about accomplishing something meaningful; and if adhering to the former renders the latter inadequate and insufficient, then bipartisanship has to go. 

Stalking horses

The Washington Post reported that pro-Trump candidates are causing a headache for the GOP old guard. Mitch McConnell is quoted as saying that he only cares about electability (translation: "I want to get back to being leader of the Senate"). 

Whether McConnell gets his old job back or not, the effect on the political climate in Washington will be significant. By initially putting up a slew of far right, almost undetectable candidates in the primaries there is a good possibility that only slightly less extreme candidates end up being nominated. They are seen by the independents and old-guard republicans in contrast as acceptable enough to get them elected to the Senate the general election, particularly if the alternative is a progressive Democrat. The result will almost certainly be a further shift to the right in the Senate and even less chance of passing any bi-partisan legislation.           

Happy anniversary

March 15th 2020 was the last time I left the property - that is until today.  Three hundred and seventy two days of what was effectively house arrest. That ended at 10:15 today when I left to get the first dose of my Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine.  

While it is overstating it to say it has been a nightmare, a bad dream perhaps, from which I am just waking up, it is nonetheless a year gone with no gigs, an little else other than work and practicing.    

So, at 60, bring on the new normal and lest see where that takes us...