The Song Remains The Same

Cable news anchors should take this week off.  They can just run repeats of their Monday broadcasts for the rest of the week. Because the news hasn't changed: Democrats still haven't passed a reconciliation bull to expand social amenities, the Senate is trying to come up with a climate policy President Biden can advocate for at the upcoming climate summit in Scotland, Joe Manchin has issues, and the remaining sticky wickets are the scope of parental leave benefits, Medicare and Medicaid expansions, a "billionaires tax" in place of a tax rate hike, and lowering the cost of prescription drugs. And this is really putting pressure on the gubernatorial race in Virginia.

Right now, I'm cautiously optimistic that something will get passed soon, though I think top Democrats in Congress are more optimistic than I am.  Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer says that “a final deal is within reach" in the face of disputes on two particular issues, Medicare expansion and prescription drug prices.  That's sort of like saying that a new car is almost ready to come off the assembly line but the factory workers still have trouble installing the engine and the axles.  

The story will likely remain unchanged tomorrow, and the day after that.  And on Friday, when MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell has his day off.  He won't miss much.  But perhaps the reconciliation bill and the basic infrastructure bull can both pass sooner rather than later.  But probably not soon enough of Terry McAuliffe in Virginia, who, I'm afraid, is already toast. Why did he even want to come back?