Texas Democrats flee state, on private jets, maskless, with case of beer

[bmw]

What a bunch of clowns. Even sadder is how sympathetic the media is to them.



Of course the mainstream media doesn't use the picture of that jet in their coverage. They instead use that from a different jet (without beer) as seen in this "People" article - https://people.com/politics/texas-democ ... tion-bill/ - so we know they used at least 2 jets. Not sure if there were more.

I hope they DO get arrested upon their return, as the Texas governor has threatened, and as they should. Part of being elected to office is to show up to vote. Using your power by numbers to block a quorum is an abuse of power, hence, why the state Constitution of Texas allows for these idiots to be arrested.

[Matt]

Aren't masks required on public transportation per executive order of Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr?

Miller Lite sucks, btw.

[bmw]

I assumed it didn't apply to private jets, but apparently it does.

Per the CDC Order, only those passengers wearing compliant masks are permitted to board private jet flights. Federal law requires wearing a mask onboard private aircraft, and failure to comply constitutes a violation of Federal law.

https://magellanjets.com/private-aviati ... t-flights/

Sure a stark difference in how these people are treated by the media and how Ted Cruz was when he left the state for a day. If what they're doing doesn't constitute being "out of touch" with regular people, I don't know what does.

[km1125]

This was an organized attempt to disrupt a legitimate legislative session, correct? Is our democracy at risk because of this action?

[bmw]

Of course it isn't. The current only "real" threats to our democracy are rowdy Trump supporters and voter ID laws.

Looking at that picture again, I can GUARANTEE you that if that photo was of Ted Cruz and a bunch of rich, white Republicans on a private plane with a case of beer fleeing the state, it would be plastered LITERALLY EVERYWHERE.

The media is a complete joke.

[FakeAndyStuart]

I can GUARANTEE you that if that photo was of Ted Cruz and a bunch of rich, white Republicans on a private plane with a case of beer fleeing the state, it would be plastered LITERALLY EVERYWHERE.

You do realize that 1) This pic was not taken on the plane, but on a bus headed to the airport.
2) The picture is referenced in articles in The NY Times, Washington Post and other media.

Yes, the media today is a complete joke. Last night CNN spend hours reporting on the contents of an upcoming book. FOX headlines use a comment by a low level staffer to call something "disgusting". The news is slanted... on both sides... since we live in a world where eyeballs are needed to sell to advertisers. And don't be some smug asshole ready to throw mud - both conservatives and progressives are radicalizing faster and further than ever before (the NY essay linked below may not be available due to paywall).

“It is not conservatives who have turned American politics into a culture war battle. It is liberals. And this shouldn’t come as a surprise,” Drum wrote. “Almost by definition, liberals are the ones pushing for change while conservatives are merely responding to whatever liberals do.” Linker took this a step further, arguing that progressives do not want to acknowledge that “on certain issues wrapped up with the culture war, Democrats have moved further and faster to the left than Republicans have moved to the right,” because to do so “would require that they cede some of the moral high ground in their battles with conservatives, since it would undermine the preferred progressive narrative according to which the right is motivated entirely by bad faith and pure malice.”

NY Times Op Ed full essay

This country is headed toward another Civil War and I don't see anyone trying to slow that move down. Until we are ALL ready to accept that there are Americans with differing views than ours, we're doomed.

[Lester The Nightfly]

What a bunch of clowns. Even sadder is how sympathetic the media is to them.



Of course the mainstream media doesn't use the picture of that jet in their coverage. They instead use that from a different jet (without beer) as seen in this "People" article - https://people.com/politics/texas-democ ... tion-bill/ - so we know they used at least 2 jets. Not sure if there were more.

I hope they DO get arrested upon their return, as the Texas governor has threatened, and as they should. Part of being elected to office is to show up to vote. Using your power by numbers to block a quorum is an abuse of power, hence, why the state Constitution of Texas allows for these idiots to be arrested.

Learn from the best...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Oreg ... n_walkouts

A series of Oregon Republican State Senator walkouts began in May 2019 when Republican members of the Oregon State Senate refused to attend floor sessions of the Oregon Senate in an effort to stymie Democratic efforts to pass House Bill 3427. Proposed during the 80th Oregon Legislative Assembly, the bill would have provided $2 billion for K-12 schools through a new tax package. The senators eventually returned after reaching a deal with Oregon Senate Democrats and Oregon Governor Kate Brown, but elected to "vanish" the following month over another bill, House Bill 2020. House Bill 2020 is designed to institute a carbon tax in Oregon. Republican senators argue that it would unduly burden their constituents, while Democrats argue it is necessary to place Oregon at the forefront of the fight against climate change.

[bmw]

Whataboutism at its finest.

btw - since you're seemingly ok with this practice, just remember that the Democrats in the US Senate hold exactly 50 seats, meaning that the Republicans hold exactly enough seats if they choose to do so to block a quorum if the Dems were to nuke or make changes to the filibuster.

[Lester The Nightfly]

Whataboutism at its finest.

Perhaps, but I wasn't the one to shoot my mouth off about the travesty of it all and in the process end up looking like a dumb fuck when your tribe was caught doing the same thing years earlier...

[Matt]

What a bunch of clowns. Even sadder is how sympathetic the media is to them.



Of course the mainstream media doesn't use the picture of that jet in their coverage. They instead use that from a different jet (without beer) as seen in this "People" article - https://people.com/politics/texas-democ ... tion-bill/ - so we know they used at least 2 jets. Not sure if there were more.

I hope they DO get arrested upon their return, as the Texas governor has threatened, and as they should. Part of being elected to office is to show up to vote. Using your power by numbers to block a quorum is an abuse of power, hence, why the state Constitution of Texas allows for these idiots to be arrested.

Learn from the best...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Oreg ... n_walkouts

A series of Oregon Republican State Senator walkouts began in May 2019 when Republican members of the Oregon State Senate refused to attend floor sessions of the Oregon Senate in an effort to stymie Democratic efforts to pass House Bill 3427. Proposed during the 80th Oregon Legislative Assembly, the bill would have provided $2 billion for K-12 schools through a new tax package. The senators eventually returned after reaching a deal with Oregon Senate Democrats and Oregon Governor Kate Brown, but elected to "vanish" the following month over another bill, House Bill 2020. House Bill 2020 is designed to institute a carbon tax in Oregon. Republican senators argue that it would unduly burden their constituents, while Democrats argue it is necessary to place Oregon at the forefront of the fight against climate change.

But did the Oregon Republicans have beer? Or did they stick to piss like the Texas Democrats?

[bmw]

3 of them now have Covid. https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/democ ... d/1028979/

All 3 were vaccinated.

I just KNOW the media is going to go after them for not wearing masks.

[zzand]

I actually just finished reading a news story that says they are faking the positive to dodge going back to Texas to do their job. And no I don't go to fringe sites or any place like that...Interesting idea and if they have the positive proof who can argue.

[MWmetalhead]

Whataboutism at its finest.

So, is it OK when the Republicans in Oregon engage in similar practices or not?

That photo in your OP is very obviously from a bus. See the tree and parked car out the window? Not to mention, jet cabin windows are much, much smaller.

I think all such acts are stupid. Yes, they should be arrested and forced back into session. From what I understand, quorum rule changes in Texas require a simple majority affirmative vote at the ballot box in addition to an affirmative vote by the legislature.

If the GOP in Texas is so bent out of shape over this, they ought to try to put the matter of quorum rules on the ballot.

...meaning that the Republicans hold exactly enough seats if they choose to do so to block a quorum if the Dems were to nuke or make changes to the filibuster.

I'll go on the record as saying I support keeping the filibuster in place for the U.S. Senate. It reduces the odds of single party rule and can serve as a trigger for bi-partisan compromise.

Getting back to Texas, what's interesting to me is that the Dems overwhelmingly held most of the seats in both chambers of the TX legislature until the mid 90's. Republicans didn't gain majorities until George W. Bush was in the White House, interestingly enough.

The GOP was virtually invisible in Texas until the mid 80s!

https://lrl.texas.gov/legeLeaders/members/partyList.cfm

[bmw]

MW - why are you putting only MY feet to the fire on the question of whether such behavior is appropriate and not Lester's? He completely avoided the question of whether what the Texas Dems did was appropriate and I'm the only one who gets called out. To answer your question, NO, I do not think such behavior was appropriate (though I would note that one way it may differ, and I really don't have the interest in researching this to figure out, but we do know what what the Texas Dems did was a direct violation of the state of Texas Constitution and an arrestable offense - I'm not sure that is the case in Oregon). But that wasn't the topic at hand, hence, why I didn't answer. Is it your position that every time somebody engages in what-about-ism that the other person must respond? I think that's an absurd expectation as that game is played ALL THE TIME in here.

I also take note of your silence on the issue of 3 of them getting Covid after none of them wore masks. I can play the same what-about-ism game with you. Weren't you in here saying that Herman Cain DESERVED to die because he chose not to wear a mask in public? You've not been shy about your pro-mask stance in here in the past and have been highly critical on multiple occasions of Republicans not wearing them. The difference between Mr. Cain not wearing one and literally NONE of the Texas Dems wearing one on their private jets (and yes I'm aware that was a bus pic, but if you click on the People article in the original post, you'll see a pic of them all on a jet, maskless as well, just less the beer) is that Herman Cain wasn't violating any laws that I'm aware of. These Democrats, however, were in violation of federal rules (created by their own party) as those rules also apply to private jets.

[MWmetalhead]

Cain traveled and ignored social distancing when COVID was rampant and no vaccine was available.

If those three legislators who reportedly contracted COVID refused or failed to get vaccinated and recklessly disregarded protocol, then yes, they are total assholes and deserve whatever fate befalls them.

If they did get vaccinated, then their symptoms will likely be minor at worst and I will not lump them in with Cain.

I agree that Lester should opine on the appropriateness of the walkouts in both the Oregon and Texas instances.

The broad point Lester seemed to be making is BOTH major parties play this (in my eyes, ridiculous) game.