Pete Buttigieg Chosen as Secretary of Transportation

I've got something Mayor Pete can ride on.

Excellent. This is an infrastructure heavy job and mass transit in cities has been killed by Covid, as no one is taking trains or subways.

Tough job, but I suspect Pete is up to it

What a deflection. Give him a thank you, but don’t piss off the homophobic redneck Military guys or rabidly homophobic blacks.

I want him to ram this through all of us.

This is our Ben Carson.

Bye, Elaine Chao!

Yay Pete!

Let's hope that Democrats F I N A L L Y understand that infrastructure investment immediately gives tens of thousands of American workers jobs and paychecks, and keeps creating GDP in the decades that follow.

If 20 million people are evicted in 2021 we'll need public transport to take the expendables from their camps to "service zones" where they can work in Amazon warehouses meat-packing plants, and distribution centers of all kinds, for slave wages and no company benefits.

Good. And hopefully this'll mean more funding for Amtrak.

Happy for him. I hope he takes the job seriously and does some good. (I'm sure he will.)

So, does Pete have any background with transportation concerns? He seems an odd choice.

I'm sure Pete will make those long haul truck drivers happy.

Wash Post:

BREAKING: Biden to tap Pete Buttigieg for transportation secretary, three people familiar with decision say, elevating former rival to Cabinet

[quote] So, does Pete have any background with transportation concerns? He seems an odd choice.

He will have to learn.

Mr Buttigieg goes to Washington!!!

He's pulled a train or two, R12.

One of Obama policies was to have a "super-train" go across country

The Republicans blocked it every step of the way

This is outstanding!!!! R12, no, he does not, but he does have experience in governing, and he is brilliant so he will undoubtedly be a sponge, learning everything there is to know about this department, and how to leverage this arm of our government to benefit the People. Congrats Pete, we are all cheering you on, couldn’t be prouder of you!

"This is our Ben Carson."

Ben Carson is a fucking idiot. Pete isn't.

South Bend is a HUB of transportation.

And his qualifications are? The FUCK does he know about the transportation department?

This would be a good job for Pete indeed. Him improving the infrastructure and creating jobs will give him the chance to build up a nationwide reputation of being credible and reliable.

"And his qualifications are? The FUCK does he know about the transportation department?"

He actually reads and comprehends material (In a few languages). He will be up to speed in a day.

He reminds me of the GG line said by Dorothy. "We are never going to beat you peopl,e are we?".

"And his qualifications are? The FUCK does he know about the transportation department?"

From the get go, Pete's qualifications are better than the current office holder, whose sole qualification is that she's fucking (allegedly) a toad who also just happens to be the majority leader of the U.S. Senate.

Where are those posters that said he would never get anything? We’re waiting!😏

Obama has probably ridden the shinkansen or bullet train (Japan). I'm sorry about Amtrak, but the Japan trains are so much smoother (way less side-to-side motion).

Didn't he do logistics when he was in Consulting as a young man?

Infrastructure for all who want it! Corruption for all who want it!

Pete is a corrupt corporate neo liberal bot. He has absolute no business running transportation for the country. He’s from a small college town in bum fuck Indiana. Shame on Biden. What does Pete know about Amtrak? High ways in the south? Horrible infrastructure in black neighborhoods in the south?

Guess Biden was truthful when he proclaimed “nothing will fundamentally change.” So sad.

Not even the Hon. John Hacker was dumb enough to fall into this dead end.

[quote]And his qualifications are?

He knows how to maneuver a Hershey Highway.

R12 I wondering this too! Experience very important. My family transportation business help me understand how to enrich family transportation business as SOT. Sad about new diversity hire.

Little Homosexual Transportation Secretary.

Wow! From a Bull Dyke to a Queen, this transportation position is progressive.

He is studying this to get up to speed

Biden literally cut an ad mocking Pete for having no experience to be president. Now all of the sudden we’re supposed to believe Pete can run an entire department? This was a quid pro quo and another slap in the face to the left.

[Quote]South Bend is a HUB of transportation.

R21 The stalls in the Men's Room are fabulous there!

The first thing he needs to do is fill the potholes in my town. I've nearly damaged my car from those damn potholes that never seem to get fixed, or stay fixed.

He's good laying ass-phalt.

True story from "The Little Gay Engine That Could"

Right after Pete announced his run for President, he saw another candidate, Joe Biden, at an event. No on thought Pete had a chance to be President of these here United States. But Pete approached Joe and introduced himself. Joe responded, mockingly, "Well hello, Mr. President."

Joe is no longer laughing. And the Little Gay Engine that Could will be Secretary of Transportation.

Sometime bringing in a talented and intelligent person from the outside is exactly what's needed to get new ideas started and implemented.

The job is to manage an organization, not to do the detailed work. An executive manager's job is to make sure that the people in the organization have what they need to do their jobs. Pete managed a city which is a pretty big organization even in a small city. He will be up to the task because 1.) he is a smart guy who will invest the time to understand what he needs to know to be successful in the job, and 2.) he will put into place (or keep those who are already there) people who are experts in the field, who are dedicated to actually modernizing the country's infrastructure and to promote climate change technology.

[quote] Biden literally cut an ad mocking Pete for having no experience to be president.

All of these primary candidates slung some dirt at each other. Look at Joe and Kamala. That's the nature of politics. But they're professional adults and they got over it. They have thick skins.

Given his smart retorts on-camera on Fox "News," I thought he was going to get a more visible role.

Transportation is a bureaucratic hell zone. We won't hear from him except for GLBTXYZ online fundraisers with Chasten.

[quote] This was a quid pro quo and another slap in the face to the left.

Quid Pro Joe strikes again

I hope Bernie slaps him down during confirmation hearings

We all knew there was a deal out there. It was obvious from the timing of Pete's withdrawal. Makes me wonder what Klobuchar's price was.

But it is going to be tough. It is not like he is taking over a well oiled machine. Both parties have recognized the needs in that sector and how to benefit politically by promising to improve it and create jobs. But not so much luck getting anywhere. It's easy to put transportation on the back burner when competing for funds with defense and intelligence. He will need to identify an attainable goal like improving the interstates and come up with a way to fund it like tolls.

But good for him.

FF R46

Riding that high-speed rail to Pride, bitches!!!

R8, I’m not aware the Democrats have ever struggled with just idea. What do you think FDR’s New Deal was about or even The Green New Deal? Hillary Clinton was proposing a green infrastructure and training as a way of transitioning away from coal and providing livelihoods for coal workers in 2016.

I guess you don’t pay much attention to anything.

Chao, Elaine! Barely knew ya!

I have no idea what "neoliberal" means, besides something I don't like. I also use the word "corporate" to mean something akin to "filthy Capitalist pig."

Pete will guarantee a surrey with fringe on top for everyone!

Will Pete and Chasten ever return to living in Indiana or have they left Flyoverland for good.

I strongly object to having a person with no qualifications in such an important position

R55, didn't they just buy a house in Michigan?

Since Black people hate him, and are the biggest users of public transportation, this pick seems mystifying.

Hopefully he has a plan for the interstate restrooms. I’m sure he knows us boys have a special appreciation for those!

I believe that if there was a high speed railway along the east coast connecting Miami to Boston including all the major cities in between, it would turn those pesky red states (North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida) blue within a couple of years, just by moving people, money, and ideas around more quickly.

Yes they bought a lakehouse near Chasten's family r57.

But that's a vacation home (and in Michigan). I'm just curious if Pete ever will return to Indiana or if he is gone for good.

[quote]One of Obama policies was to have a "super-train" go across country. The Republicans blocked it every step of the way

And on that, I agree with them. Nobody wants a cross country train. The US can't even make Amtrak work. There's this weird nostalgia that if only a rail system is built that everyone will suddenly ride it. That's not going to happen. The US can't even get foreign tourists, who are used to riding trains, to ride Amtrak. Nobody wants a cross country train.

R42, well stated. Also, Pete is brilliant at data analysis, and is extremely forward-thinking. I predict he'll do meta-analyses of needs and potential all over the country and start to lay the groundwork for a new mass transit plan for the next century.

He won't just try to do a cross-country train, he'll do the research to find out where and what kind of mass transit will be most useful and effective.

He's been riding Chasten for years now and transportation seems appropriate.

I think there will be a massive transfer of Federal funds for transportation infrastructure to the Northeast over the next 4 years (for one, the new train tunnel under the Hudson will finally get approved) and maybe Biden wants a neutral-appearing Midwesterner in the position.

Very important job now more than ever. Mass transit is in an extremely precarious spot in the US after COVID. And infrastructure has been a long time issue that the government can barely keep up with.

Much, much better position for him than Ambassador to China. As was said, likely that "massive infrastructure spending" will happen - in transportation sector, likely bi-partisan support, and aligned to worked on global climate change.

Pete as a someone who has a certain bipartisan appeal will help here. I think it prepares him to be Harris VP pick in 2024 (pretty sure Biden is a one term President).

Compared to Trump's cabinet, he is no less-qualified than anybody else was.

Yes, it's a low bar, but he is one out of many cabinet appointments.

Bitches, Indiana is the Crossroads of America!

Not the most high profile cabinet position; but will be very important as the U.S.'s crumbling and outdated instrastructure gets addressed. Pete may be the right guy at the right time to undertake this challenge. He'll do a great job if funding comes through.

[quote] Will Pete and Chasten ever return to living in Indiana or have they left Flyoverland for good.

You'll know the answer to that question when someone does a "Tasteful Friends" post about their house in Indiana going on the market.

Very good information about post-COVID challenges in mass transportation that he will be facing. The outlook is very different now that people will be commuting less.

Will personally check the public toilets are in order.

[quote]Will Pete and Chasten ever return to living in Indiana or have they left Flyoverland for good.

With this new gig, I would say they’re done.

[quote]We all knew there was a deal out there. It was obvious from the timing of Pete's withdrawal. Makes me wonder what Klobuchar's price was.

Pete and Amy clearly had deals. The swiftness with which they dropped out was incredible. Even Beto came out of the shadows to support Biden within a day.

I still suspect Elizabeth had a deal to stay in and hurt Sanders' numbers and as a reward she gets her Student Loan Reforms and wipe outs.

The problem is Amy and Elizabeth already have positions. Pete needed something to help legitimize himself at that level. Giving him a cabinet position was the best way without him running for a higher office.

If Buttigieg wanted to run for the Senate in 2022, he would be up against the Indiana Republican incumbent Todd Young - who is a member of . . . the Senate Transportation Committee.

My tunnel of love is so moist hearing this news.

Under the desk is scribbled, "Liddy Dole sat here."

Amy has spoken!

Yasss Petey! Will we see high-speed bullet trains? Electric hoverboards? No-car communities? With a man of his talents, the sky is the limit! Unless, of course, he invents a passenger rocket to the moon which would not surprise me!!

I'm retired from government service and managed a transportation function at one point. I was hired for my organizational skills, not transit knowledge, and had to get up to speed really fast but it was a fascinating department and crucial to successful infrastructure. It's everything from airports, trains, and buses, to roads and airways.

It's something a smarty like Buttigieg can warm to and be very successful. People don't appreciate how important it is. Chao was simply a grifting figurehead, Buttigieg will do the real work.

So much of transportation, even airlines, is publicly funded. Profit margins for public bus transit, for example, are zero to none. Airlines do better but it's still a tough business.

Good luck, Pete.

I don't understand, Chasten isn't Senate Majority Leader?

[quote]I know you will bring both your big ideas & your local government experience

If I didn't know what a nice person Amy is, I'd say this is a rather bitchy, back-handed compliment.

Can't wait for Pete to not fulfill anything he promises like every other politician. 💙

Big federal transportation-infrastructure projects could be one way to get a lot of people back to work in decent paying jobs. And put some of the money in states that need to be made more blue, so they have an economic reason to vote Democrat again.

[quote]The FUCK does he know about the transportation department?

The FUCK does Kamala know about being a VP? Being a Senator for couple years is NOT experience to run the country, same difference. Pete brings youthful energy and original ideas to the table which is mostly full of old stodgy Boomers incapable of actually making transpiration work in America. Our train system is like a third world country. Our airports are not far behind. Obviously "experience" in that job has not proven to change things for the better, always status quo.

r83 I'm thinking she was angling for that position herself!

This is EXCITING. But like everything else, Pete’s success hinges on the GA outcome. 😬

r40 came in with the dumbest story in history considering the fact that Biden is about to be Mr. President on Jan 20th and Pete is going to be the Trans Sec.

[quote] The US can't even get foreign tourists, who are used to riding trains, to ride Amtrak.

Yes because Amtrak suck. Have you seen how nice some of the trains are in other countries?

I didn’t know bottoms could drive.

Just kidding. I’m happy such a smart man got such a good position.

Did Elaine Chao actually do anything or accomplish anything in her 4 years in that position? Other than grift that is.

Hey r86 the VP's only job according to the constitution is to preside over the Senate and fill in for POTUS if he's unable to do the job. As a current Senator, I'd say she's qualified to do the main part of the job, Preside ver the Senate. Get the F out of here with that bullcrap.

R84 - you can die while waiting, you fat ho.

[Quote]Did Elaine Chao actually do anything or accomplish anything in her 4 years in that position?

R92 Damn right I did!

Kamala Harris ran the Justice Department for the state of California. She is a very experienced leader.

Comparing her to Pete is silly r86.

[quote] He actually reads and comprehends material (In a few languages). He will be up to speed in a day.

Could you be any more ignorant?

Nicole Wallace paid Pete a huge compliment earlier in her show today calling him one of the most effective communicators in politics today.

It's a salt-of-the-earth position - will get Pete exposure with auto workers and unions as well as construction and is good for Pete's prospects in the future.

Some clues from the NYT article, since it's paywalled:

A Navy veteran, Mr. Buttigieg could have led the Department of Veterans Affairs. But Mr. Biden decided instead to put him in charge of transportation, which is likely to become a key part of the administration’s efforts to combat climate change with aggressive actions on emissions...As a candidate, Mr. Buttigieg consistently argued for the government to take strong steps to fight global warming. And his tenure as the leader of a local community provides him experience with the infrastructure needs of cities and counties, another key priority for Mr. Biden.

...It will also allow him to apply some of the experience with transit policy he gained during his mayorship to national challenges surrounding infrastructure that cause perennial bipartisan frustration.

Mr. Buttigieg, whose calling card as a presidential candidate was a claim to have revived a dying Midwestern city, made transportation corridors an early focus. Shortly after being elected mayor in 2012, he set about transforming the South Bend’s downtown through an initiative named Smart Streets aimed at reducing traffic, adding bike lanes, and making certain areas more pedestrian friendly.

After years of political resistance, the investment in infrastructure ignited a revival of the downtown area. New hotels, retail and residential conversions of lofts followed, and about 1,000 people had taken up residence in downtown South Bend by the time Mr. Buttigieg left office this January, compared to virtually zero when he first took office.

Thank GAWD my ticket out of Bumfucke finally came through!

Now where's my gracious DC home, Pete? Hm?

Mrs. Petey Buttie requests the pleasure of your company!

At a supper and dance, a fabulous party, that she's giving at her house tonight!

Mrs. Petey Buttie the queen of Washington society!

Anybody at all who’s anybody will be gathered at her house tonight!

Secretary of Trains Going Into Tunnels

Pete is so brilliant he is probably the smartest person ever tapped for a high profile job like this. Not only does he have a brilliant mind he has charisma that appeals to literally everybody! Praise God for He is good!!

I think the Biden staff got slightly confused. The "T" in LGBTQ does not stand for 'Transportation'.

Someone needs to set them straight. Wait, never mind, that'll get them even more confused.

Pete will discover a mess and a trail of corruption left by Elaine Chao. The massive pork that went to Kentucky was disgraceful. Wonder what subsidies and deals Elaine's family shipping company received during her cabinet posts? She and Mitch are major investors in this Chinese cartel.

OP, who's the cute Tyler Pager on Twitter?

I'm really happy for the Mayor Pete fan who posts here. This seems perfect for Pete.

Btw, the self described Pete troll here is one of the nicest people here. Love that dude.

r102 The afterparty will be on Swann Street. Gentlemen only!

Where will they live? Arlington, Alexandria, or Georgetown? I'm assuming that they are ready for kids, so I would assume Arlington.

[quote] One of Obama policies was to have a "super-train" go across country

We tried it in the 1970s. It was a disaster.

Not the most glamorous gig, but I'm sure he'll do a great job.

From January 10, 2020

How Pete Buttigieg would address infrastructure

[quote] When our infrastructure works well, we hardly notice," the Buttigieg plan said. "These days, we notice our infrastructure a lot."

[quote] What would the plan do?

[quote] The proposal promises to create 6 million jobs with "strong labor protections;" ensure access to clean drinking water while lowering water bills across the U.S. and protecting against lead in paint and water; repair roads and bridges in poor condition by 2030; and invest in sustainable infrastructure that enables 50 percent of the country to grow over the next 10 years.

...

[quote] Buttigieg’s plan is similar in scope to the infrastructure proposals other leading Democrats released, but delves deep into specifics on some key issues. For example, on the Highway Trust Fund, where Joe Biden’s plan talks about “ensuring new revenues,” Buttigieg calls specifically for a $165 billion injection, followed by the transition to a national vehicle miles traveled fee.

[quote] Buttigieg’s stated focus on traffic safety is uniquely detailed among the candidates, too.

[quote] While several Democratic hopefuls have called for tackling PFAS regulations, Buttigieg's plan offers up greater detail by explicitly specifying a Superfund designation for the chemicals.

r96 If running a state's justice department is enough of a qualification to be the president / VP of the US, then Pete is certainly qualified to be Sec of Transportation.

r95 Does Mrs. McConnell wear a wig? That hair looks suspiciously thick.

The hair came with her human mask kit.

Hully, hully! Shled arr the docruments!!!

Honest question, how did he go with managing transport in his mayoral city?

y'all's ugly, smug, unlikable fav got a position

now you old fangirl queens can shut the fuck up

[quote] I'm just curious if Pete ever will return to Indiana or if he is gone for good.

Buttigieg's mother still lives in South Bend a couple of blocks away from Pete's house, as long as she lives there he will have a connection to South Bend. I was reading Politico article about Pete the other day and they mentioned that the mortgage on his house there was only around $450 a month, so they might keep the house as long as his mother is alive. Once she is gone, all bets are off.

I'm personally writing to him to get more frequent ferries to the Pines!

Will Pete and Chasten rent a house in Rehobeth Beach for the Summer?

Does Amy Klobuchar know people can see the tweets she likes?

[quote] Will Pete and Chasten rent a house in Rehobeth Beach for the Summer?

Many they can borrow the Biden vacation house at Rehobeth Beach. I doubt they will be using it.

He needs to reinstitute weight limits for flight attendants.

R118 see R100

R124, *someone* will be using it. The Bidens have two adult children and six grandchildren. They are probably in and out of that house all summer long.

I can’t get over how much Pete looks like AS THE WORLD TURNS’ Jake Silbermann (Noah Mayer).

Lolz ^^^

r128 = Pete B.

[quote] BREAKING: Biden to tap Pete Buttigieg

THAT's how you name a thread, OP.

Did Klobuchar mock Pete in a liked tweet?

Snopes has the story.

can we please have cubicles at all the rest stops on the interstates so drivers can get some rest, rather than creating hazards on the roads due to lack of rest and relaxation? oh....and maybe glory holes in the men's room?

R132, thanks for disproving that. I'm no big fan of the Klob, but thought that was unlikely.

[quote] Mr Buttigieg goes to Washington!!!

Mr and Mr Buttigieg are going to Washington!!!!!!!!!!

[quote]It's a salt-of-the-earth position - will get Pete exposure with auto workers and unions as well as construction and is good for Pete's prospects in the future.

Exactly. Given Biden's ambitions for infrastructure spending, Pete will probably be part of the team drafting and pushing the legislation through, and also managing stakeholders. He can easily make it a voter-facing job as well.

R107 I have to concur on the cuteness of Tyler Pager. He's a journalist and White House correspondent at Politico.

Americans would TOTALLY use public transport, locally and regionally, if its attractive in price, fast, runs ON TIME, and frequently.

Work from home may become permanent for a proportion of people, at least part of every year, so transportation needs may not be what we understand them to be in the present.

[quote]Kamala Harris ran the Justice Department for the state of California. She is a very experienced leader.

Not really, she only had the job for 6 years and that's a job a lawyer typically dose, not someone who is necessary trained to be president. Not any more than a Mayor. And by the way, who said she was good at it? I live in CA she made quite a few people upset with how she ran it. A Mayor actually is a more important job and typically the boss of the kind of job she had. Maybe you have size issues?

former Michigan Gov. Granholm to lead Energy Department

[quote]Americans would TOTALLY use public transport, locally and regionally, if its attractive in price, fast, runs ON TIME, and frequently.

I thought so too.

Chasten could work with Dr. Biden on education initiatives.

Tyler Pager is a little cutie.

Well Miss stapler throwing queen Amy isn't wrong.

It’s funny to see the Warren supporters lose their shit on twitter. They are SO butthurt LOL

As a Roads Scholar, he is the right man for this job.

Most of the Pete haters on Datalounge were/are hardcore Warren stans, R145.

R147, that's a shame. I like both of them -- for different reasons.

Most of Pete's haters were Amy stans R147.

The Warren stans are upset no matter who Biden chooses besides her for anything.

R149, Amy doesn’t even have stans.

Miss Warren harbored one of the most toxic and populist campaign staffs and base ms while at the same time using the media to accuse Bernie of doing the same thing.

First Lady of Transportation doesn't sounds bad for Miss Chasten.

Looks like he didn't have to apply for unemployment benefits.

Lordy, R146, since when did we start getting Dad jokes on the DL?

He'll also have to deal with collapsing bridges in shithole red states where the money goes to corrupt MAGAt contractors.

[quote]First Lady of Transportation doesn't sound bad for Miss Chasten.

I'm afraid that in the Transportation Department Chasten is now just one of the rides.

A nice deal for dropping out of the president race.

Congressman Steny Hoyer (D) is 81.

Maybe Pete should think about taking up residence in Maryland's 5th district.

[quote] Quid Pro Joe strikes again.

There never has been and never will be a president from either party who doesn’t hand out some quid pro quo jobs in his administration. Joe at least has appointed a number of people who are extremely well qualified for their positions, rather than a bunch of sycophants and cronies. Pete is not super qualified for his role but he’s also not a moron. He’s smart and competent and seems the type to commit himself to mastering the job.

[quote] It’s funny to see the Warren supporters lose their shit on twitter. They are SO butthurt LOL.

Bizarre. Warren was my top choice for the Democratic nomination (though in the end, thank god Biden got it) and I much prefer her to Pete, but I really don’t see her wanting to leave the senate for Transportation Secretary or being particularly well suited for that role.

[quote]Most of the Pete haters on Datalounge were/are hardcore Warren stans,

There were also a LOT of Lipstick Alley haters here. They cant stand Pete. Calling him whitey, milk toast or Mayo Pete. Calling him racists names all while complaining he didn't do enough for the black community. And all sorts of weird projection about him being a white corporate type racist which really belongs to Trump.

And yet, more black people voted for Trump then would ever vote for Pete because Trump is straight and Pete is gay. They just would not admit the systematic homophobia in the black community. Nope, nope, he's somehow evil representative of all white men even though he never did a thing to earn that kind of shade but yet Trump certainly did and they are ok with that.

Bottom line, it looks like the Democrats are probably not going to win the majority of the senate and that means Warren, Bernie, and everyone else who are already there have to stay put or we lose everything. I think they all understand that, but the reality is lost on some of their supporters.

[quote] And yet, more black people voted for Trump then would ever vote for Pete because Trump is straight and Pete is gay.

Get a fucking grip, Mary. If Pete had been the Dem nominee, far more Black people would have voted for him than for Trump, regardless of their personal feelings about gay people.

BTW, why do you and your ilk always carry on as though there are no gay Black people?

R162.

There's absolutely no way, no how, no way, never, ever that Buttigieg could ever have won a presidential election as a gay man in 2020. Even with Dump as his adversary.

It would have been IMPOSSIBLE with the level of homophobia in the US. We all need to have expectations which are slightly realistic. There are over 100 million Evangelical Christians in the US and that doesn't include all the normal Christians. The only thing they hate more than homosexuals is abortion.

So please stop. Just stop it.

Get the f out of here, black people can be just as racist as white people and homophobic too. Pete being a white gay guy triggered a lot of black folk and there is no way around that. Three is no way you can convince anyone that someone like Pete got ZERO vote from the black community in one state because he wasn't experienced enough. That's a totally fucking excuse. In that case Trump should have also got the same. But guess what, facts don't lie, Trump still go 20% of the black vote. The only difference? Pete was gay.

If it were up to R163, we still wouldn't be able to marry. God forbid a gay man should get uppity and act as if we are equal to everyone else.

Also, Joe Biden should never have run for president in '92, because he had no chance of winning.

Shirley Chisholm shouldn't have run in '72, because she had no chance of winning.

According to R163, since evangelical Christians hate us, we should accede to their wishes and never try to compete against them unless we know in advance we can win.

That arch, condescending queeny writing style may make you feel superior, 163, but it is a brittle facade that doesn't hold up against scrutiny.

You're being absolutely ridiculous R165. Absolutely fucking ridiculous. There's a BIG difference between Biden, Chisholm and a homosexual male in 2020 and you fucking know it.

I don't feel superior. I'm disappointed that electing a gay male as President of the US is impossible in 2020 but I'm being factual and realistic. I hope to see it in my lifetime but there's no point in just being utterly fucking ridiculous about what's possible in 2020. Hell - we haven't even had a female President yet FFS.

If it were up to me - sexuality wouldn't be an issue and Buttigieg would have had as much chance as anybody else based on merit. But tell that to the overwhelming amount of homophobic Christians who would never, ever allow Buttigieg to become President.

2040? Yes maybe then he has a good chance. Much more realistic.

You can call me ridiculous, R166, but you're the one advocating that we allow people who hate us to set our agenda.

You're the one saying it's not worth going to the big stage unless we know in advance homophobia is not going to be a major factor in how people respond to us. God forbid we should assume the right to compete if evangelical Christians don't support us.

R159, They’re not mad because They want Warren in the role, they just HATE Pete and don’t want him in Biden’s administration.

[quote] [R162]. There's absolutely no way, no how, no way, never, ever that Buttigieg could ever have won a presidential election as a gay man in 2020. Even with Dump as his adversary.

I didn’t say Pete could have won, dipshit. I said he would have received a larger share of the Black vote than Trump, despite the “blacks hate gays so much they’d rather vote for Trump!” “proclamations of r160.

[quote] So please stop. Just stop it.

Stop what, r163, you handwringing hysteric?

[quote]It’s funny to see the Warren supporters lose their shit on twitter. They are SO butthurt LOL.

I can always tell a Sanders supporter by the way they type and find a way to attack Warren when all she's doing is minding her own business and breathing air.

"She shoulda stepped aside! 🐍🐍🐍🐍 Backstabber! 🐍🐍🐍 She's stupid! No one wants her 🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍. I HoPe SHE BuRnS iN HeLl!!"

The online Sanders supporters like to dehumanize people. They call Warren a snake and Buttigieg a rat. A goal of theirs is to brand their opponents to appear less than human.

Will this include cruising?

[quote]but you're the one advocating that we allow people who hate us to set our agenda.

[bold]Advocating?[/bold] You're fucking insane R167.

Insane.

R166/R173:

[quote]There's absolutely no way, no how, no way, never, ever that Buttigieg could ever have won a presidential election as a gay man in 2020. Even with Dump as his adversary.

[quote]It would have been IMPOSSIBLE with the level of homophobia in the US. We all need to have expectations which are slightly realistic. There are over 100 million Evangelical Christians in the US and that doesn't include all the normal Christians.

Again: you can call me names like ridiculous and insane, but your words say clearly we should not compete until evangelicals and other Christians don't hate us as much as they do now. That looks to me like you're saying they get to set our agenda.

[quote]The online Sanders supporters like to dehumanize people. They call Warren a snake and Buttigieg a rat. A goal of theirs is to brand their opponents to appear less than human.

Bernie Sanders is the worst thing that's happened to the Democratic Party in the past 50 years.

[quote]Bottom line, it looks like the Democrats are probably not going to win the majority of the senate and that means Warren, Bernie, and everyone else who are already there have to stay put or we lose everything. I think they all understand that, but the reality is lost on some of their supporters.

This is the truth. No current Senator is getting a Cabinet position because all of their experience and votes are need in the Senate. As for Kamala Harris, a big part of her appeal to Biden is the fact that her California Senate seat will remain Blue.

Was he actually interested in the Presidency at the time, or was this the actual goal?

His goal was to raise his national profile, and it seems he succeeded.

Yeah running for President is the smartest thing Buttigieg has done. It worked out great for him and Chasten.

I laughed when I first heard about his candidacy. I never had any illusions about him getting the nomination. But his sheer brilliance took him from small city mayor to the big leagues in just a few months.

I'm very proud of him.

In addition to be an out gay politician, with a very public marriage to a man, he is one of the youngest cabinet members in history (only Alexander Hamilton at 34 was younger??). Now as he accepts the nomination, he talks about proposing to his husband in O'Hare Airport. Don't take the cultural significance of this for granted. Bush won the Presidency in 2004 by letting Rove build anti-gay initiatives in key states to get out the vote for Bush. The first millennial to have a national position.

He has begun an exemplary political career - his assertive run for DNC Chair before his presidential run was a shrewdly calculated step. Now he has a performance to do something nationally significant - infrastructure is exactly the sector where he can accomplish things that all citizens, right/left, MAGA/Antifa, old/young... better jobs, better airports, clean transportation, infrastructure to help central city and rural America.

Now it's up to him to do a good job.

Considering that nepotism-hire Elaine Chao is the current DOT secretary, the bar is pretty low to be successful in this position.

Does Pete have a book deal yet?

It's funny how some of the NeverTrumpers on Twitter really dislike Pete, similar to how the Bernie Bros dislike Pete - for no apparent reason whatsoever. They are making similar arguments against him as they were against Obama ("community organizer!!!") running for President. If Pete said the sky was blue, they would argue with him and say it's not REALLY blue, just because he said it. They're clearly intimidated by him.

R137 The bar is low to be appointed, you mean? Chao (and infrastructure) were monumental failures "in the position."

#history

[quote]There were also a LOT of Lipstick Alley haters here. They cant stand Pete. Calling him whitey, milk toast or Mayo Pete. Calling him racists names all while complaining he didn't do enough for the black community. And all sorts of weird projection about him being a white corporate type racist which really belongs to Trump.

Oh yes. I recall one Strong Independent Woman screaming in a Mayor Pete thread that they were going to get Black Twitter to "invade" Datalounge, all because we didn't feel the same as her on Buttigieg. It was pretty funny in a ridiculous kind of way.

The same type who say "You say you want to tax billionaires, but unless that money is used for reparations for descendants of slaves, we can't trust that you're really progressive."

I fail to see how anyone can say at this point that it doesn't look like the Dems are going to get a majority in the Senate. Do you know something about the votes about to be taken on Jan. 5 that the rest of us don't know? It's very possible Perdue and Leofflier will both lose. I live in Georgia and trust me, the sentiment toward those two is not good.

R189 you have no idea what will happen. By all accounts the races will be extremely close. It could go either way. The people in your immediate environment not liking those two isn't that informative.

Regardless Pete will be confirmed. One of the GOP senators from Indiana was extremely quick to hop on board the Pete train. Final vote probably won't be overly tight.

copy/pasting one of the reddit comments:

[quote]As a transportation planner, these are my thoughts on the Buttigieg announcement for DOT (and what I suspect a lot of my colleagues in the profession feel as well).

[quote]Buttigieg actually embraced a lot of the good wonkier policies in his presidential run that transportation planners/engineers have been pushing for years. Things like switching from the disastrous (and regressive) gasoline tax to a VMT, actually included State of Good Repair for transit (which is grossly under focused on a national level), and a focus on multi-mobility. He also mentioned the importance of freight and logistics, which is a crucial (but super underappreciated) aspect of transportation/infrastructure planning. Pretty good stuff, and shows that either he gets it, or knew to hire the right advisors who do. It also gives me hope that he didn't do the buzzwordy "embrace public-private partnerships" that every candidate who wants to sound fresh on infrastructure uses, and was core to Trump's failed Infrastructure Week.

[quote]My concerns are that there are definitely folks who were more qualified for the position, and have better experience/knowledge of what agency heads and mayors with large mobility/logistical concerns need. Phil Washington would have been the best nominee off the top of my head, but some other good folks would be Kevin Desmond of Translink, Justin Erbacci of LAWA, Gene Seroka of Ports of Los Angeles (a lot of the sustainability goals in the Biden admin relies on freight/clean shipping), and Cory Booker. I know none of these guys (except maybe Phil Washington) was realistically under consideration, but in terms of qualifications alone they would have been some outstanding picks. Picking Buttigieg seemed less "he'd be great for DOT," and more "we need to get him in our admin, what's an area that makes sense." Which tbf has been the standard motivation for admins' DOT picks for a while now, so I won't knock Biden for it too much.

[quote]Buttigieg doesn't really have anything negative against him that makes me wary, it's more what he's lacking that could potentially be an issue. South Bend population wise is on the smaller side, doesn't have a significant freight facility or logistics facility, isn't really a major freight/logistics/passenger hub, and he didn't have direct experience or oversight running the nearby airport. These aren't things to worry or be wary about just yet, but just some areas I'm going to keep an eye on.

[quote]Overall I would grade the Buttigieg pick as a B-/B with the potential to turn into a B+. Biden could have gone the usual route and picked either 1. a complete partisan hack (Chao), or 2. a generic Republican so he could have a bipartisan admin (see Ray LaHood under Obama). And Buttigieg seems to understand which policies we need to be embracing and implement moving forward. But at the same time he could have gotten someone with better experience and qualifications. I'm not yet concerned about Buttigieg, but it's something I'll definitely keep an eye on. Having said that, I think he'll be a dramatic improvement from what we had under Chao, and a lot better than some of the names floated/rumored for DOT. I would describe my feelings as relieved that it's Buttigieg, but disappointed that it's not one of the more all star choices it could have been. I'll still take it.

R191, continued:

The actual reason I posted the reddit comment is because it included something I didn’t know:

[quote]Have a read at this too, "Michael R. Bloomberg today announced the City of South Bend as a winner of Bloomberg Philanthropies U.S. Mayors Challenge, a yearlong competition that challenged city leaders to uncover and test bold, inventive ideas to confront the toughest problems faced by cities today. Nine cities will receive $1 million to begin implementation on potentially breakthrough solutions to homelessness, the opioid crisis, mobility, climate change, and economic opportunity.

[quote]South Bend was selected as a winner for its innovative approach in addressing transportation as a primary barrier to stable employment for part-time and shift workers. The City aims to establish an integrated on-demand transportation program as an employer-funded benefit, resulting in decreased turnover, improved job stability, and increased take-home pay."

This may have been mentioned, I haven’t read this whole thread yet.

Good for Pete. VG posted an article. Pete is well liked here in Norway because he speaks Norwegian.

Here come the Pete stans getting all bent out of shape because some people are pointing out Pete's flaws and electability. You guys are a part of the problem, you're doing no favors on getting people to like him.

MSNBC this morning had some newswoman ask if Mayor Pete were qualified for the job.

Two words: Donald Trump.

R14, Is that the WP being sly?

According to Politico:

[quote]He beat out other high-profile people for the DOT nod, including Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and former Chicago Mayor and White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel

For that, we should ALL be rejoicing.

Actually, Elaine Chao, while perhaps partisan, is no "hack."

She was, prior to her current position, "Chair of the Federal Maritime Commission...and Deputy Secretary of Transportation....Director of the Peace Corps...Secretary of Labor....Citycorps International Banker...."

Daughter of the founder of a shipping company. Harvard MBA. Thirty-seven (!) honorary doctorates.

Secretary of Transportation is not glamorous enough for my Peter.

Watch Cenk’s head almost explode as he rants about people praising Pete.

Pete keeps the hos pressed 24/7.

Bitch, please.

[quote] Actually, Elaine Chao, while perhaps partisan, is no "hack."

R198 praising Elaine Chao because she held a few positions before is like praising Bill Barr because he was Attorney General before. Elaine Chao got her previous positions because her father was billionaire shipping king who spread plenty of those dollars around for Republicans. She got her present position because of who her husband was. Pete Buttigieg is neither rich or powerful, he got this nomination because some people see something in him, something quite remarkable, even if not everyone sees that.

For a mayor of a city with 100,000 population, this is a big step up the ladder.

Nicolle just called Pete "the warm knife through the cold butter of our...." Next, she'll start using Dan Rather-style southern metaphors.

Woo

WIii

CHOO CHOO!!!

The media hates Pete so much. Did MSNBC question if any of the other appointments were qualified?

R162

finally someone sane here.

A gay man was never going to win the nomination let alone the election.

America is NOT ready for that and won't he for at LEAST another decade.

Chao created special path for McConnell’s favored projects

A top Transportation official helped coordinate grant applications by McConnell’s political allies.

I meant R163

162 is a delusional Pete stan

If a black man named Barack can become President . . . any man can do it.

Pete could have been President if he had gotten a fair shake. I mean the media declaring his Iowa win invalid before it happened? Pushing him to the sidelines to Promote Bloomberg? Pushing Klonuchars “Last minute surge” to split Pete votes in New Hampshire?

He was also the victim of a a misinformation campaign. The New York Times posted hit pieces on his on a regular basis.

I just saw Pete speak. I always thought his wife's name was pronounced Chase-ten. Oops.

Correct, R211, especially about the New York Times and their editorial board, hit-woman Mara Gay. Someone mentioned on another thread yesterday and said she is lovely, but rarely says anything interesting. Exactly right. She's beautiful, but when Pete met with the board, she and a couple of others charged him with already disproved allegations and deliberately distorted his history and accomplishments. There was also one particular man on that board who appeared to have deliberately prepped with disinformation.

R210, you are right, but if a black woman named Kamala can be elected VP, we're not far off. Keep the faith.

R212, you sound like a homophobic queen. Sad.

R212, you sound like a homophobic queen. Sad.

[quote] [R189] you have no idea what will happen.

I believe that is exactly the point I was making. The other poster seemed to know 100% Ossoff & Warnock were going to lose.

Joy Reid made it her mission to trash Pete at every opportunity she could on MSNBC.

r217 "Dr" Jason Johnson is too, saying Pete is more qualified to head the VA than Transportation.

R217, she became very friendly with him leading up to the election and shortly after when he was serving as a surrogate on a lot of shows.

Jason Johnson and Joy Reid will never say anything good about anyone who is not a person of color if there is a person of color in contention for the same position. I don't think it is homophobia; they are just dead set on advocating only for any person of color in line for any position, and won't consider any other option.

r220 O RLY?

r221 from this article. Suddenly, Joy Reid makes sense!

Pete needs to be tested in a general election for a higher office first (representative, senator, governor).

And if that flies, then, maybe in 2044.

There's a tremendous amount of self-hate in some of these disparaging comments about Pete, veiled as "jokes." I'm not surprised from the DL, it just makes me sad. He's an extremely capable guy with a lot of potential for greatness in years to come and all the apes can do is fling their shit.

[quote] There's a tremendous amount of self-hate

Frankly, I have my doubts that some of those comments are from 'gay' posters.

[quote]Jason Johnson and Joy Reid will never say anything good about anyone who is not a person of color if there is a person of color in contention for the same position. I don't think it is homophobia; they are just dead set on advocating only for any person of color in line for any position, and won't consider any other option.

Any white person espousing this same attitude (only advocating for a white person for any position, and not considering any other option)...would correctly be branded a white supremacist. Why are Jason Johnson and Joy Reid given a pass for their own obvious racism?

I actually failed as a manger as I was too close to the front line in my thinking and couldn't back off of it to see the bigger picture.

R226, I take your point, but my comment really was in relation to where we currently are politically. I think they feel there is a deficit in the number of positions allocated to people of color based on the percentage of people of color in the population. So until that deficit is addressed, they are going to focus their efforts on advocating for correcting the deficit.

uh ha, uh ha ha ha, uh hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah

r211, Pete was never going to be president this year; sorry he just wasn't.

Our best bet to get a Democrat who could beat the Trump monster this time was a white, Christian, HETEROSEXUAL man (in other words), Joe Biden. Pete may have a great political future ahead of him and it might include president one day, but that day is not now, he would not have won in 2020.

Blame the media all you want, God knows I hate them most of the time too, but this just wasn't going to be the year for Pete. Sorry.

I just can't watch this thread. Is that believable? I mean, really, is it believable?

"There's a tremendous amount of self-hate in some of these disparaging comments about Pete, veiled as "jokes." I'm not surprised from the DL."

No, it's just the usual 50 year old shop bottoms and sweater folders at Macy's seething with envy that an out, gay man makes more than $20.00 an hour AND has a life and a boyfriend.

Pete is a Rhodes scholar, very intelligent and on track for great things! Chasten is gonna be sore tomorrow!

[quote]Frankly, I have my doubts that some of those comments are from 'gay' posters.

Well, not [italic]gay[/italic]. That's outdated!

The snideness of the media is really offensive.

[quote]The snideness of the media is really offensive.

What are you on about, R235? That Politico article was very positive and quoted lots of people saying Pete was a good choice.

[quote] I'm really happy for the Mayor Pete fan who posts here. This seems perfect for Pete.

After he is sworn in he will forever be Secretary Buttigieg -- no more of this "Mayor Pete" bullshit.

For all the ladies, I completely agree that had any of the female candidates had a resume as scant as Buttigieg's they never could have been contenders. Harris, Klobuchar, Gillibrand and Warren each had to work LONG and hard to justify their candidacies.

Pete is very smart and capable -- but would never have been elevated so rapidly without being the beneficiary of white male privilege. I want him to do well so that he "earns" the position and can point to accomplishments that would legitimately buoy his aspirations for high office.

R237, he has said the same thing about recognizing he has privileges as a white male that obligate him to work for more equitable policies for everyone.

R237, he has said the same thing about recognizing he has privileges as a white male that obligate him to work for more equitable policies for everyone.

Pete had one item on his resume' that America elevates above any of the 2019 women candidates':

Soldier.

[quote] For all the ladies, I completely agree that had any of the female candidates had a resume as scant as Buttigieg's they never could have been contenders.

[quote]Pete had one item on his resume' that America elevates above any of the 2019 women candidates': Soldier.

Tulsi?

R237, you could also say Obama had a pretty scant resume, and yet he became President without any privilege, and did a pretty good job of it. Not everything is about privilege. Some people just manage to capture the imagination of the public.

How did white privilege help all those white men who were forced out of the Democratic race early? They should have won primaries too - no?

But they didn't, because they don't have Pete's brilliance.

Amy could probably throw a deadly accurate first pitch.

Cracked.com has whole page laughing at Pete.

Caleb Hull @CalebJHull · 19h I had this carpet as a kid and I'm already more qualified for the Dept. of Transportation than Pete Buttigieg

[quote] Tulsi?

Exactly. So Pete didn't have military experience over all the female candidates. Tulsi held elected office and served in the military. But I never considered her a real contender alongside the other women because she was a Russian asset and had very little experience -- and terrible skin.

I' surprised Pete is a democrat because he has that stiff republican politician vibe about him.

[quote] 162 is a delusional Pete stan

r209, I'm not even really a mild Pete fan, let alone a stan. On my list of preferences for the Democratic nominee, only Marianne Williamson and Tulsi Gabbard (well, of those who stayed in the race longer than five minutes anyway), fell below Pete. And, yeah, I agree that unfortunately, this country's probably not ready to elect a gay president just yet. I simply don't agree that had Pete somehow been nominated, more Black voters would have chose Trump than Pete, as R160 contended. That's taking the racism and victimhood just a mite too far.

^ chosen, not chose.

[quote]There's absolutely no way, no how, no way, never, ever

R163 thinks the world has not changed since 1939.

[quote]I simply don't agree that had Pete somehow been nominated, more Black voters would have chose Trump than Pete, as [R160] contended. That's taking the racism and victimhood just a mite too far.

You are entitled to your own beliefs, but not your own facts. If you look at the actual vote, that's how it played out. More black people voted for Trump than Pete.

R251, this is a ridiculous comment:

[quote]More black people voted for Trump than Pete.[quote]

Trump and Pete were never in a same election. The elections in which Pete participated had more people on the ballot, and some of the other choices on the ballot with him (not Trump) were either people of color or people with long histories of ties to communities of color. There is no way to say what would have happened if Pete had been the Democratic nominee and ran against Trump in the same election.

R251, we’re all interested in the facts, but not in people who distort the facts to make inaccurate projections or justify subjective biases.

Prove me wrong, just how many black people voted for Pete during his run as President? Show me now it's more that the 20% who went Republican for Trump? You cant discount them just because they voted for another party.

Peter Buttigieg is in some ways similar to having a fetish, unless you share the attraction you will never understand it.

Buttigieg is a smart guy who has some great communication skills, his resume isn't as strong as some others but then he is also much younger and would be expected to have a weaker resume. At this point it really doesn't mater whether any of you approve or disapprove of his nomination, it is a done deal. Unless you wish to embarrass Joe Biden and fight Buttigieg's nomination and have it blocked he will be Secretary of Transportation.

Buttigieg has ambition and I would expect he will work his ass off to do a good job, doing anything less will be a career killer.

I did a lot of research about Buttigieg during the primaries and I found that over the whole course of his life, he has been very pragmatic and directed by his goals. Everything he’s ever done has been methodically researched, from deciding he wanted to be in a relationship and going through a dating service, to getting his Rhodes scholarship, to working at McKenzie and joining the military. When he first ran for mayor he was very young. People thought he couldn’t win but he did.

He ran on pragmatic, understandable, measurable and methodical goals, like tearing down a huge glut of abandoned, vacant buildings within a certain number of days. He brought money into a broke city by bringing in corporations that provided jobs. He worked at increasing the tax base because there was hardly any tax base to start with. People in South Bend were very low average income. People just left after graduation if they could. It was a dying town that had been losing population since before he was born. People knew what they were getting. He happened to be a good match for a city that needed pragmatic solutions that weren’t bogged down in politics.

His personality traits are directed towards a job that is more administrative management in nature. He isn’t overly partisan when he addresses the public, and doesn’t use political posturing to explain his reasoning, which is why he can go on Fox News and be listened to without people reacting defensively as much as they usually do. His explanations are based on unemotional facts and pragmatism.

He doesn’t act this way so much as a strategy, he does it because that’s his personality and that’s how he approaches everything in life. If you read his bio, he’s very one note and directed in his style of learning. Want to read a Norwegian book? Learn Norwegian. Want to get married? Go shopping for husband material. Want to be in politics? Join the military. He doesn’t fool around, he’s very straight to the point. That’s why he is where he is at his age. He never says, “someday I should do that.” He just does it.

His personality is ideally suited for a systems analyst type of job, which this is. We’ve had too many years of politicians looking at jobs like this as stepping stones to something else, who get positions because of cronyism and aren’t willing to put in the time to learn the technical aspects. A guy who’s willing to learn an entire language to read one book isn’t going to sit on his ass and let the department run itself. This is where youth and enthusiasm come in. He’s still hungry. Elaine Chao sure isn’t.

Elizabeth Warren praised the historic nature of Pete's nomination to be the first LGBT senate-confirmed cabinet level Secretary. J/k she totally ignored him and the next day, praised the historic nomination of Deb Haaland as the first Indigenous person to have a Cabinet level position LOL

Warren is a snake.

Warren blames Buttigieg or her loss. They competed for supporters in Iowa and NH and Pete got them. He also asked her about how much medixcare for all would cost. OUCH LOL

R256 Astute observations. He is relentlessly calculated. Folks intuitively perceive that, and many see an ambitious, ego-gratifying white man to be resented. But that is just his personality... his approach to living. Yes, he ran for DNC Chair as a part of a life-career strategy. He didn't learn Norwegian as a part of life-career strategy.

In each of his choices he needs to exhibit more than calculation to achieve the success he aims for. Can't say he's done that yet, but can't say he hasn't. Secretary of Transportation will give him an excellent platform, on the next level of a calculated trajectory, to demonstrate capacity and produce results. I wish him well.

Even worse, R259, he nailed her ass on the wine caves thing and showed she was a fucking hypocrite using money she had raised the same way she was criticizing him for fund-raising.

Plus, he's young and has 30-plus years ahead of him to run for president. And this was Warren's last shot, so of course she's bitter.

Dad Jon Meachum is on Brian Williams assuring us all that there is not going to be a military coup. His voice is so soothing

If Pete wanted a better trajectory to becoming the first gay president he should have gone to Law school as well as graduate school.

A law degree would have put him in a better position to advance in politics today.

Oh yeah? Fuck law school, I went to Donald J Trump U and I became President, the most powerful man in the WORLD!!! You dont need that to win, your advice is outdated. LOOOOSER!

I think the age of Presidents all being lawyers is outdated. It's not what was originally intended anyway, it's just become a thing. Of course it helps to know the law, but that job is not like being a Supreme Court judge, it's so much more about being able to manage multiple things at the same time, vision for a country, personality and a whole host of other skills you don't get from law school.

The most important factor in being successfully elected President is “would voters want to have a beer with me?”

He could have gone with peanut farming.

Have the trannies kicked up a stink yet because they aren't in the cabinet as yet?

I mean they feel entitled and I imagine they have made DEMANDS!

They are on the Trans-ition team.

When will Donald Trump take a yuge, steaming, fast-food fueled dump in my mouth? I need it real bad!!!

[quote] I think the age of Presidents all being lawyers is outdated. It's not what was originally intended anyway, it's just become a thing. Of course it helps to know the law, but that job is not like being a Supreme Court judge, it's so much more about being able to manage multiple things at the same time, vision for a country, personality and a whole host of other skills you don't get from law school.

Among the myriad reasons Dump's presidency was a unmitigated disaster was his ignorance of the U.S. Constitution, and the law. A lawyer would generally be less inclined to flagrantly violate the law, or accuse federal judges of impartiality, or fail to recognize that government employees owe loyalty to the nation not the president -- with a straight face.

I think two semesters of Constitutional law, one of criminal law and one of criminal procedure should be a pre-condition of declaring your candidacy for President. Oh...and 10 years of financial disclosures.

That's not why Trump was a failure R271. It had nothing to do with not having a law degree, it had everything to do with his personality. Lawyers can be just as wackadoodl. By your standards Judge Jeanine Pirro is highly qualified.

Pete tries to hide his shock as Lawrence licks his buttihole. This is after Lawrence attacked him unexpectedly with bad faith out-of-context quotes several times during the primary and denigrating his military service compared to Seth Moulton's.

All DJT, pee pee, and poop smells and stains in the WH need to undergo sanitation before Chasten & Pete visit.

R273, Rachel and Joy have done the same thing. Trashed him while he was a candidate, kissed his ass when he started working for the Biden campaign, now praising him unreservedly.

It reminds me a bit how Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio treated Trump.

I like Rachel and Joy, (Lawrence, not so much, though I generally agree with him) but it's not the first time they've revealed this kind of duplicity.

r273, he's clearly sitting in the much discussed kitchen again

r275 I believe this was the first time Lawrence said something positive about Pete since the primary attacks.

Not disagreeing with you, R277. I'm a total lefty MSNBC viewer just chiming in on how the network reacted to him from the beginning. At any rate, hypocrisy aside, I'm glad they've changed their perspective.

I think Lawrence's issues with Pete were the same as Joy's. He was too young and not ready. Maddow felt the same way, but there was also some other stuff going on there as well. Like she wanted to get into a dick measuring contest with him or something. And Chris Hayes is Bernie Bro, so anyone who is not Bernie who part of that crowd is not good in his eyes.

Maddow was trying to get her friend Elizabeth Warren nominated, and she felt Warren shouldn't have to answer to an upstart nobody who was in the closet until his 30s. Dick-measuring contest is a good way to describe it, R279. Also, Rachel likes being the only Rhodes scholar in the room, unless her good friend Cory Booker is the other one.

That kitchen is in the Michigan house. Did they leave Indiana permanently? He obviously intends to run for Congress from Michigan in the future.

R277, Stop the hammering!

[quote] He obviously intends to run for Congress from Michigan in the future.

Good luck with that. Traverse City is in Michigan's 1st Congressional District, where the Rethug just won re-election with 62% of the vote.

He should have moved to Minnesota

So, he's the chosen one?

[quote]He should have moved to Minnesota

No he fucking shouldn’t have.

Watch how a master of Minnesota nice shades someone while congratulating them with plausible deniability.

-Senator Klobuchar, 1st female senator from MN, over a decade of NATIONAL govt experience

BREAKING: Joe Biden will nominate Miguel Cardona to be Secretary of Education. He will replace Betsy DeVos.

Cardona was a teacher and principal and he currently serves as Connecticut’s education commissioner.

Pete is on Morning Joe right now, and they are still calling him Mayor Pete. Shouldn't they be calling him Mr. Secretary-designate?

R287 What a cunt. Pete should reply to her with shades such as "Thank you. I will do my best as a cabinet member and I am relieved to know that you will support Biden's administration as a member of congress. Your 23 years of experience in congress would be a valuable driving force outside the administration."

Ohnotheydidnt. Why the fuck was a privileged gay white cis male given the "Trans"portation role? That job can only be filled by a trans woman of color.

Choo CHOO!!!

Clang Clang Clang!

Someone in that Morning Joe interview today told him there's a meme going around that says, "Chasten your Pete belts." I haven't seen it, but it seems a cringe-y and precious to me.

Top Pete, when you get to Washington, stay the hell away from that yellow, leaf printed, and stained office couch.

R273 Yes, they did pile on him. Joy was downright hostile, and Lawrence went for him. Story of many talented gays, who may not have gone through the usual chain of established paths, but end up through talent and perseverance in a role they will excel at. I expect Pete to do very well as Sec of Transportation. The demands of infrastructure, environmental concerns, job creation all will fall under his department. He is very intelligent, able to master new information and an excellent manager. Add to that his unflappable responses to questions and the fact that he is smarter and more articulate than most of his adversaries.

His run for President was a bold move by someone who has plans for his future. I don't believe he thought he might win the nomination, it was an opportunity to be seen. It will pay off.

During the primaries Joy, Jason and the rest of the Root, were quite viscious in their hatchet attempts on Pete Buttigieg. Having round-table attacks, with false profiling, and Pete and/or a campaign rep not being there, is dirty pool.

These people, with others, refused to condemn arson, vandalism, and looting last summer (not talking about the peaceful marches/protests) contributed to Republican gains last November. Every Republican candidate (on all levels) used it to their advantage.

Tom Perez (DNC) didn't do shit to counter the quite effective, though distorted, Republican messaging.

Most black people with any public profile are not effusive gay rights supporters. Fact.

Woke Twitter is very antiPete

R296 We spend a lot of time pointing out that "black people" don't like Pete. Rachel Maddow did as much as anyone to undercut him. R298 I think a lot of criticism of him does align to policy. He was centrist (one of his attractions and strengths to many). Had he been a vociferous supporter of Medicare for All "woke" Twitter wouldn't have gone the "Patriarchy in the weeds" route.

Progressives skewered Pete, but only a centrist like him can win swing states

r299 Seeing how quickly and viciously the Bernbros turned on Warren showed me how much of it was policy misalignment.

If you all remember back to the primaries, the progressives wanted either Kamala or Liz and the bros wanted Bernie. Pete, like many of us, knew that those three didn't stand a chance in hell... so he went the moderate route, which I don't think falls that far from where he is politically. One of Pete's biggest issues with the MSNBC crowd was his age and lack of national experience. The progressives turned it into a race issue, while ignoring other democratic candidates and their issues with race. Joy and Larry were all in for Kamala. Rachel was with Liz. Chris was with Bernie.

Kamala flamed out and then all the progressives got behind Warren.

Pete does not fall in the conservative moderate progressive spectrum. That's why he is so exciting.

r302 Kamala was not considered to be progressive, esp. with her record being a prosecutor. I think Lawrence was always a Warrenite.

Lawrence wanted Klobuchar once Kamala flamed out. He positively giggled with glee every time he had a chance to talk to her, which seemed like an almost daily occurrence

You know I just don't get the hate for Pete. I still read false info on Face book even of gay groups saying he's a racist for firing a black police of chief. But that guy broke the law and it was a thing before Pete even had the job. So apparently you can NEVER fire a black cop or chief of police, because, he's black and you are a racist. They never meeting the part about him breaking the law secretly recording people.

The other falsity I hear is that "he bulldozed black neighborhoods for no good reason". That again is a lie. The city was full of over 1,000 abandoned houses that were beyond repair. The people were complain about the crime it brought to their own neighborhood. He tried to clean up so maybe new construction would bring jobs and new life to the neighbor hood. But nope, "he's just a racist bulldozing black neighborhoods".

I feel like there is not just homophobia going on, there is a lot of racism projected onto him just because he is white and looks or acts like average straight guy. It's total projection, just as bad as what he is being accused of. He is not a member of the Log Cabin club, he is not a Republican light he is not a racist. People need to check themselves, what they are doing is exactly what they are accusing him of.

^^yes, I know grammar trolls, thousands of typos, can't edit^

Mayor Pete will be filling all kinds of holes!

Cameron Kasky shares his Butti-encounter.

R289

They should call him Mayo Pete.

Ha ha ha, oh my, R310. You are such a wit. What an original thought! Comedy gold! You should write for sitcoms! Hilarious! What a wit!

Leading Tech Lesbian Kara Swisher approves.

Trains will prance, cars will mince and planes will skip

R313 I like that. I like you.

The story at R312 would be more intriguing, if he'd revealed that they'd just had sex in a toilet stall at O'Hare.

Bump

[quote]They should call him Mayo Pete.

And BLM should be called Planet of the Apes. There fixed it for you. Not so cute now is it?

Racism swings both ways and here is proof. Lipstick Ally cunts bent on labeling Pete as racists while being just as racists by equating him and his skin color with a white sauce.

Beth Osborne, a top USDOT official during the Obama administration, remembered Buttigieg “set the agency on fire” when he visited the office as mayor.

What set Buttigieg apart from other public officials, she said, is that he spent his time asking agency employees questions about how the department worked, rather than making demands about what he wanted them to do for him.

“I was impressed, not only in that he really wanted to know what was possible within DOT, but he also wanted to know what other cities he should look at as examples of doing really interesting, innovative things,” said Osborne, who is now the director of Transportation for America, an advocacy group that is pushing for less highway-focused infrastructure spending.

Buttigieg, Osborne added, also “recognize(d) that transportation can facilitate local economic development, but it can also undercut it by not creating the right kind of transportation for that environment.”

Thanks r318

Pete is talented and gifted.

The talking heads on cable media profiting from victimology rhetoric and homophobia, not so much.

r317 is a racist.

Shun him gals!

R321 does not understand racism. So he wants to shut down an honest conversation. In his wold only white people can be racist. If you believe that then you really are just as bad as those you criticize.

Pete is love

Love, Mom!

OMG how embarrassing.

I think is sweet. Maybe you have self-esteem issues. A true parent will always look out for their offspring no matter how old they are. I am pretty sure it's still a tradition for heteros to ask the parents hand in marriage. And usually they respond with something similar about be good to their child. Why is that an elevated tradition but between gay men some how that's embarrassing?

At least it was 13 instead of 20...

The important thing is that he was confirmed by a majority.

Fuck those Senators from those red states that couldn't see beyond his sexuality.

I can't wait to see Peter and Chasten on the DC Party circuit once Covid is over. I'm hoping they live in Georgetown. Chas, can probably get a gig at St. Albans, unless they are planning to have kids.

R328, I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that it was his sexuality that repelled them. With those states, it could just as easily be the first-class honors from Oxford. If there's one thing they hate worse than gays, it's knowledge.

What was the reason 13 voted against him?

He seems like a candidate without any particular baggage to warrant giving him a no vote

I can't work out their reasoning unless they are just voting no to everyone for the sake of it.

Double Date!

(Doug and Chasten became besties on the campaign trail)

I never realized how big Pete's are. Such a stud.

That was very touching, I am so proud.

Well done Pete! Well done America!

That brings a tear of joy to my eyes

- Elder Gay

Rachel Maddow, the FiRsT OuT Rhodes Scholar, just called him "one of the best communicators in a generation of talent." Did I miss something?

Marco Rubio was arrested as a teen for being in a park which was closed after dark. It was a known cruising location. Marco's parents were poor and he was a very hot young Hispanic. Marco was possibly hustling to make extra money or at the very least getting his hot young Cuban cock sucked for free.

Now he tweets Bible verses and votes against an openly gay man.

Just saw a very nice and respectable interview between Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Joy Reid.

If you get a chance to catch the repeat, do so; Joy was very nice towards him...honest.

Both deplorable, anti-environment Tennessee Senators, Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn, voted against Confirming Pete Buttigieg as Transportation Secretary.

Perhaps infrastructure funds and projects for the State of Tennessee will be quite slow in getting approval and be cut by the Biden administration.

Hell hath no fury...

Secretary Mayor Train Guy

[quote] Nine Inch Rails

[quote] Grant-Fund Railroad

[quote] 10,000 Trainiacs

[quote] Pete and the Conductors!

[quote] New Kids on the Track

Buttigieg is like a Ram Rod! - Joe.

Congrats, Pete!

Lordy power looks good on Pete

Pete needs to remember the old saying of never outshine your master.

Don't be too much of a publicity whore and don't make Biden and Harris look too inferior to your abilities and talents.

r346 Karmala yes but Biden explicitly said he wants to be a bridge to the next generation of leaders

Just to be cunts R331.

Lol small chance of that r346. We here are obsessed with Pete but the vast majority of the country has no firm stance on him and only a vague idea of who he is. Remember he dropped out of the primary before most people even got to vote in their states. And Secretary of Transportation is hardly a sexy or high profile job. Can you name any of the last ones?

Elaine Chao, R349? Boy, you basic bitches have no memory.

[quote] never outshine your master.

The 'name this band' social media campaign was the Department of Transportation's idea, you negative Nancy.

Remember the homophobes. Several of them have had gay rumors surrounding themselves.

[quote]Those who voted against confirmation were all Republicans: Sens. Richard Shelby and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama; Tom Cotton of Arkansas; Marco Rubio and Rick Scott of Florida; Roger Marshall of Kansas; Bill Cassidy of Louisiana; Josh Hawley of Missouri; James Lankford of Oklahoma; Tim Scott of South Carolina; Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty of Tennessee; and Ted Cruz of Texas.

Most of them have low scores, primarily zeroes, on the Human Rights Campaign’s Congressional Scorecard, which rates members of Congress on their support for LGBTQ+ rights (or lack thereof). Some were rated on their records in the U.S. House before joining the Senate, such as Marshall and Blackburn, and some have not been in elected office long enough to be rated (Tuberville and Hagerty). Cruz is the most notorious of the bunch.

Marsha Blackburn has a record of bigtime bigotry.

Tim Scott? Tom Cotton? Marco Rubio? Oh, please; such hypocrites.

Ewww, home economics major Marsha. Can she bake cookies?

Handsome

Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) has indicated that he will try to block the confirmation of Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) as Interior secretary.

“I'm deeply concerned with the Congresswoman's support on several radical issues that will hurt Montana, our way of life, our jobs and rural America, including her support for the Green New Deal and President Biden's oil and gas moratorium, as well as her opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline,” the senator said in a statement following a conversation with Haaland.

“I’m not convinced the Congresswoman can divorce her radical views and represent what's best for Montana and all stakeholders in the West. Unless my concerns are addressed, I will block her confirmation,” he added.

Daines could stall the nomination by placing a hold preventing her from advancing through a procedural vote and instead forcing a cloture vote, which could take a significant amount of time.

Haaland is likely to ultimately prevail though, as only a simple majority would be needed to eventually get her nomination to the floor.

Haaland was elected to the House in 2018, and her nomination to lead the federal lands agency delighted progressives. If confirmed, she would be the first Native American to lead the Interior Department.

She’s not the only nominee whose confirmation could face speed bumps.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Thursday placed a hold preventing the Senate from voting on the nomination of Gina Raimondo, President Biden’s pick for Commerce secretary, over concerns Raimondo has not clarified her stance on Chinese telecom giant Huawei.

Nature is healing!

The short gay guy?

Amy yesterday. AOC today.

Call me a sap, but it kinda sounds to me like this is how government is actually supposed to work.

When you have adult co-sponsors who have the common sense to put "Jobs" in the title...

[quote] United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Congressman Andrew Levin (D-Mich.), along with Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), today unveiled the BUILD GREEN Infrastructure and Jobs Act. Modeled after the Department of Transportation’s successful BUILD grant program, BUILD GREEN would invest $500 billion over ten years in state, local, and tribal projects to jumpstart the transition to all electric public vehicles and rail and help modernize the nation’s crumbling infrastructure.

[quote] The bill is cosponsored by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and cosponsored in the House by Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Gwen Moore (D-Wisc.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Brendan F. Boyle (D-Pa.), Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.), Chellie Pingree (D-M.E.), Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.), and Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.), and Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.).

[quote] “Electrifying our cars, buses and trains is a central pillar of the Green New Deal,” said Rep. Levin. “The answer to both the climate crisis and the crisis of wealth inequality is to empower working people with the sustainable investments necessary to rebuild the communities devastated by decades of pollution and corporate trade policy. The BUILD GREEN Act will deliver the transformational change demanded by the American people while ensuring that we build the green economy of the 21st century here at home with good-paying, union jobs.”

...

[quote] "The BUILD Green Act would improve mass transit and create nearly one-million good-paying jobs. In most of the country, subways, buses and other public transit are practically inaccessible or completely overburdened. This bill would make a dramatic, material difference in the everyday lives of hundreds of millions of people," said Ocasio-Cortez. "The BUILD Green Act applies many of the Green New Deal resolution's transportation goals to grants provided by DOT. The bill helps ensure that our federal dollars are being invested in infrastructure that can sustain the impact of climate change and better prepares our communities for extreme weather events. We must stop spending billions of taxpayer money on infrastructure systems only for them to fail at the most crucial moment, as we saw recently in Texas."

[quote] The BUILD GREEN Infrastructure and Jobs Act would:

[quote] jumpstart the transition to all electric public transportation, expand clean mass transit to underserved communities, and help modernize our crumbling infrastructure by covering up to 85% of costs for eligible state, local, and tribal projects, with an option for the Secretary of Transportation to cover 100% of costs;

[quote] reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 21.5 million metric tons of CO2 annually or the equivalent of taking 4.5 million combustion engine cars off the road;

[quote] prevent an estimated 4,200 deaths annually by reducing significant sources of local air pollution that cause adverse health effects like asthma, and avert $100 billion annually in health care costs;

[quote] start to correct decades of health disparities and environmental injustice by dedicating at least 40% of all funding to projects in frontline, vulnerable, and disadvantaged communities; create up to 1 million good new jobs with strong labor protections.

[quote] More than 45,000 bridges rated in poor condition. Hundreds of water main breaking every day. Traffic congestion that, before the pandemic, was adding 54 hours to the average commute.

[quote] Not many issues unite Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill like crumbling roads, airports and transit systems back home – and the Biden administration is hoping an effort to modernize America’s neglected infrastructure might fuel a rare moment of bipartisanship.

[quote] Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is scheduled to appear before the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee on Thursday to lay out the administration’s priorities in what will be a first step in a months-long negotiation with Congress to reshape how Americans travel around the country.

...

[quote] Among the group's findings:

[quote] A water main breaks every two minutes, and an estimated 6 billion gallons of treated water is lost each day in the U.S., enough to fill over 9,000 swimming pools.

[quote] Nearly half – 43% – of public roads are graded in poor or mediocre condition.

[quote] An estimated one in five school aged children lacked a high-speed internet connection.

[quote] More than 2,300 deficient dams with "high-hazard-potential."

[quote] Airport terminal upgrades are estimated to cost $6.6 billion.

[quote] The collective cost of addressing transit improvements stands at $176 billion, a deficit expected to exceed $270 billion by 2029.

...

[quote] Biden will face pressure from the left to include the measure in an infrastructure package given the long odds a $15 wage faces if it's not part of a larger bill.

[quote] That has some lawmakers talking about breaking the bill into smaller packages that could get bipartisan support, or even deploying the same budget reconciliation process used to pass COVID-19 relief that avoided Senate filibuster rules and was passed without a single GOP vote.

he's got the look

My straight Pakistani friend says Pete and Chasten are “a cute couple.”

Confused? I am...and that explains why Slayer Pete is in charge of explaining all of this.

[quote] That effort is expected to be broken into two parts — one focused on infrastructure, and the other focused on other domestic priorities, such as universal prekindergarten, national child care, and free community college tuition. Many details of the plan were first reported by the New York Times. The people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations, stressed planning was preliminary and subject to change. Some aides stressed that the final price-tag of the package remained unclear.

[quote] The infrastructure part of the plan includes hundreds of billions of dollars for repairing the nation’s roads, bridges, waterways, and rails. It also includes funding for retrofitting buildings, safety improvements, schools infrastructure, and low-income and tribal groups, as well as $100 billion for schools and education infrastructure. The infrastructure component of the proposal includes $400 billion in spending to combat climate change, including $60 billion for infrastructure related to green transit and $46 billion for climate-related research and development. The plan also would aim to make electric vehicle charging stations available across the country. The measure would also include $200 billion for housing infrastructure, including $100 billion to expand the supply of housing for low-income Americans.

[quote] The second component of the effort would include many of Biden’s other domestic priorities. Those include universal prekindergarten and free community college tuition. The package would also dramatically expand spending on child care. The measure would also extend for several years the expansion of the Child Tax Credit recently signed into law for just one year as part of the $1.9 trillion stimulus plan.

...

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that House Democrats’ bill would save the government approximately $450 billion over the next decade. By lowering the cost of prescription drugs, the government would spend significantly less on Medicare and other public health programs.

Just remember when Pete doesn’t get his way, Chasten gets plowed!

He got his ass handed to him last week with the confusion about usage tax vs. gas tax. So this is good news.

Great, Pete's plans are working! It's nice to have someone in Washington standing up for the average joe! 💑 we all love You, Pete!

This should actually be celebrated by those who despise "poorly run Democrat cities" as it makes second and third tier cities more accessible and therefore more attractive to industry.

...and some people will believe this...

I wish Amtrak would make Las Vegas to Tucson, Las Vegas to Reno, and Las Vegas to Salt Lake City routes. Also Albuquerque to Santa Fe. All those are towns that get a lot of money from tourism, and those routes are hours of travel in the desert with no or very little infrastructure. Not even gas stations for hours.

Years ago, there was a big fire along the I15 freeway between Riverside and Vegas. That’s a heavily traveled route. I happened to be in Riverside with my elderly dad, who was in poor health, and had to drive him back to Vegas. The smoke was so heavy along the route I ended up taking him back by detouring through Arizona. This was in the dead of summer and I wasn’t familiar with the route. I was driving in the middle of absolutely nowhere, on a connecting highway with no other cars for miles. No cell coverage. If the car had overheated, he would have died before I could have gotten help. Same with part of the I15 between Baker and Vegas. In the summer, there’s always a bunch of overheated stranded cars along that road. There’s a steep incline that goes on for miles and a lot of cars can’t do the hill in that stunning heat and run the air conditioner at the same time. It can get to 120 degrees out there in the summertime. Many times I’ve had to shut off the air conditioning on that hill in the summer, and the car still ran a little warm, in a brand new, empty rental car. People aren’t willing to do that and their car overheats. Then it’s so hot it doesn’t cool down. The side of the road is in the burning sun, there’s no trees or shelter for miles. In the summer people will drive that route in the middle of the day, because they don’t understand how hot it will get. Even at 7:00am it’s in the upper nineties, if you’re lucky. It doesn’t cool down much.

Las Vegas to Phoenix is the same but worse. Hours of nothing in between small towns. The Mayo Clinic is in Phoenix and people come from all around to go there. Plus tourism and business. People from the east and Midwest don’t understand how empty those routes are and how dangerous it is to break down.

The biggest single chunk of the multitrillion infrastructure bill will come under Pete, amirite? Biden really trusts the ability of this young man.

Pete’s very methodical, he trained at McKinsey to analyze minimizing costs. Some of his clients were U.S. government departments like Department of Defense, the post office, the EPA, Department of Energy and others. I read about it when he ran for President. He got criticized for working at reducing overhead at Loblaws, a Canadian grocer client of McKinsey. People claimed he was in charge of the price of bread or something, which had nothing to do with him or his job.

They just wanted to say it was terrible that he got experience cost cutting for clients, including government departments, but it’s actually useful experience, now that he’s in charge of one.

He’s a technician, he’s not spending money to kiss some politician’s ass or something. He’ll try to get the most bang for the buck.

Look I am pro-Pete generally. He's smart and has fresh ideas. And he's not as moderate as his detractors make him out to be.

But McKinsey is not a good place and the criticism it got was deserved. The "cost cutting" they practice isn't some complex wizardry, they usually just tell companies to lay off their employees. And it's easier for the CEOs to sell that if they have expensive, prestigious consulting firms like McKinsey saying it's the best option rather than them looking at the books and reaching the same conclusion themselves.

And McKinsey does much worse shit than that. They advised drug companies on how to maximize sales of opioids even as it was ravaging the nation and clearly most of it was going to abusers, not people who needed it.

Pete didn't do those things because he's evil or whatever, McKinsey was just a job for him. But we don't need to pretend It's a good thing.

R372, competency is a good thing no matter where you learn it. It’s not a bad skill to know how to be efficient.

When Pete was running for President, I saw an in depth article somewhere about what he did and it wasn’t just telling companies to fire everyone. There was a lot more to it than that. It was very technical, there was something like an extreme audit but it wasn’t all about personnel only, like people imply. They would calculate, for example, how much does it cost to produce a product, the cost of each ingredient, how much the finished product should cost based on what the ingredients and labor cost, shipping, the cost of rent, right down to the molecular structure of the company. It wasn’t “just fire everyone and you’ll make lots of money” like BernieBros were implying. People don’t need to hire an expensive contractor to tell them just fire everybody, they can do that themselves for free. What McKinsey did was break a company down to the molecular structure and build it back up again. Pete’s job had a lot to do with spreadsheets and math calculations, it was grunt work, but it was really technical.

What happens to companies that just fire everybody is they come out ahead on paper for a short time, because they’re not paying salaries, but they go right back in the hole because when you downsize personnel, you can’t take on as much work so you can’t expand. If you’re already still paying all that rent and utilities but don’t have the same amount of workers to use it, you’re wasting money too. On the company’s books for one year, it shows much less money going to salaries, but the next year there’s no reduction, so you still have the original problem that they don’t have a broad enough profit margin to make a profit. Companies that just fire everybody are essentially cooking the books, trying to look good for one year so they don’t have to file for bankruptcy. It’s not solving the problems at all, it’s a last ditch effort to fake it til you make it. But if you’re faking it and not fixing it, you’re going to have to file for bankruptcy anyway.

I used to work in accounting. We worked with grocery stores and restaurants, which have a pretty small profit margin even though chain stores look like they make a lot of money on paper, but there’s a lot of spoilage and utilities and staff. I saw that most companies that filed for bankruptcy had been losing money for years. It looked like about seven years of losses before bankruptcy for most. If you’re doing nothing to solve your problems and just suddenly fire everybody as a last ditch effort to pull out of a seven year long nosedive, you’re still doomed. Companies like McKinsey are basically there to make stuck in their own rigid mindset companies run like a business and not like an extension of the owner’s ego. Nobody inside the company can tell the owner no and that’s exactly why they’re failing.

If McKinsey was telling companies to raise their prices to account for actual expenses, then close offices to reduce overhead, then they were saving the company from going under completely and saving at least some jobs. Nobody that hires McKinsey is going to be fine without them, they’re drowning. It’s really already too late by then for many.

That's a very good summary, R373.

Tate Reeves...vs....

...Secretary Granholm

I think the administration has really focused their messaging well. And he's doing a good job at communicating it.

[quote] The country's most powerful senator has spoken.

[quote] Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), a moderate Democrat who more or less serves as the 50-50 upper chamber's swing vote these days, gave President Biden's infrastructure proposal — as it's currently written — a thumbs down on Monday. In a radio interview with West Virginia's MetroNews, Manchin said raising the corporate tax rate to 28 percent, as envisioned in the plan, is just too high, though he did say he could get behind a hike to 25 percent.

[quote] The senator claimed he wasn't alone, either. "There's six or seven other Democrats who feel very strongly about this," he said. "We have to be competitive, and we're not going to throw caution to the wind."

[quote] It appears the White House is preparing to eventually push the bill through without Republican support, but they will need Manchin on board no matter what, so his stance is crucial. Still, the latest development wasn't unexpected. It's likely Biden's proposal will go through numerous changes over the next several months, and by the time it's actually up for a vote on the Senate floor, it should look significantly different. Manchin, it seems, is just kicking off the negotiations.

Fuck Joe Manchin.

That is all.

People are dramatically overstating Manchin's position. His demand is that the corporate tax rate be raised to 25% instead of 28% and that they make up for the reduced tax revenue by taking more from high earners through income taxes and reducing tax evasion.

You can disagree with the position (I do, too many corporations pay nothing, we should go after them harder). But it does not kill the infrastructure bill and is a reasonable position to hold. News sites like to play up the drama for clicks. It's also clearly a negotiating position

Spoiler alert: Susan Collins is CONCERNED!

[quote] Bipartisanship is a goal, not a requirement.

too little, too late

AOC agitating for an additional $7T