The whole GOP agenda is centered around dismantling public services and schools are one of the prime targets. Why would they even care?
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DeVos, Sessions expected to be confirmed in tight votes
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The whole GOP agenda is centered around dismantling public services and schools are one of the prime targets. Why would they even care?
wondermega
Member
"If you're not me, then go fuck yourself"
It's not a parliamentary system, the logic being that they are not beholden to campaign donors or to their local constituents over the national interest. They're like Deputy Ministers, except because they serve at the pleasure of congress, unlike high-ranking civil servants they are not "entrenched" in their position either, or beholden to "office politics."
edit: Deputy Minister is the Canadian term, you call them "permanent secretary."
WhiteRabbitEXE
Member
It's the Republicans, what do you want? Party before country is LITERALLY their *entire* MO.
If they lose votes, something that would be delightful to see in 2018.
T
thepotatoman
Unconfirmed Member
It's extremely common to have people never elected for anything be the majority of the cabinet. We prefer people with a lot of direct experience with the subject of their position. The typical education cabinet member was a superintendent or commissioner of a school district first.
Seems a little backwards to me that the UK apparently only has parliment members fill cabinet roles, but at least that probably means they have government experience.
DeVos's only experience with education is in lobbying efforts to end public schooling. She didn't even go to public school herself, or send her kids to it. And her only experience in government is buying her way to a co-chair of the michigan republican party. And you only have to listen to her talk for 5 seconds before realizing she has no idea what she's doing.
I have a vague recollection of reading how a Republican or Republicans complained about the Democrats having to vote along party lines or something. I remember thinking it sounded somewhat ironic.
Yeah, she's the full package for them. Someone who'll press for privatization, and who will fuck up public education (both deliberately and inadvertently) in the process -- which then they hope will drive even more support for charters/vouchers/privatization.
That was my thinking when they first announced their no votes. Gives them cover in their own states (Rural ones which are going to get absolutely fucked if Devos can push through the voucher school dream) but doesn't put the nomination in danger since they have the out w/ Pence voting.
It's disgraceful, outside of public schools she's also going to have policy power over student loans and can't imagine the bullshit they'll pull there.
Thanks both. Yes, not saying the UK approach is any better or worse from an experience perspective (look at Jeremy Hunt!) but I suppose at least the constituents can vote them out.
That character is illiterate, but even that is a step up.Can we have Davos instead of Devos?
Edit: beaten like a protestor.
Except Bannon, does anyone in Trump's administration know what they are doing?
Netherscourge
Banned
Wag
Member
Trump wants this. It will give him an excuse to fire them.
RPGCrazied
Member
If I had kids and she got through I'd be homeschooling them, no questions asked.
BladeoftheImmortal
Member
Yes, it's the Dems fault? Not the party that nominated her?
I've done my part and contacted by of my state's senators, despite knowing full well they won't do anything about it. Inhoffe and Lankford will fight each other to be the first in line to kiss her ass.
What irritates me the most, however, is that I know of a few teachers who are in favor of her appointment. Fucking public school teachers are chomping at the bit to slice their own throats because they have children and want them to have the chance to attend private schools. It's fucking unbelievable.
What irritates me the most, however, is that I know of a few teachers who are in favor of her appointment. Fucking public school teachers are chomping at the bit to slice their own throats because they have children and want them to have the chance to attend private schools. It's fucking unbelievable.
Have you not been paying attention to politics the last 15-20 years? Its a miracle they got 2 on board.
The major difference is that permanent secrataries are exactly that - permanent. They are by law politically neutral and work for whichever party is in power. They act as a non-partisan barrier, and prevent party politics from creeping into the civil service.
It's one of those weird things where America does it differently to everyone else, like electing judges or sheriffs. The idea of party hacks being given the keys of power to state departments is terrifying tbh.
And fuck everyone who voted him in... I'm still pissed he won.
RPGCrazied
Member
Is this being live streamed somewhere?
Unknown One
Member
Yeah, sick and tired of this bullshit. It is the Republicans fault.
I could see this, sadly. Some poor lost soul who knows her or something, or has some $ tied up with her.
Of course.
How About No
Member
kame-sennin
Member
It's amazing how the outrage over Sessions, a god-damned Klansman, came and went so fast.
Carpe Libertatem
Member
Collins isn't up until 2020 and Murkowski isn't up until 2022
By then no one will care about Betsy DeVos at all, tbh
T
thepotatoman
Unconfirmed Member
Mattis and Sessions come to mind as competent people with terrible agendas.
thetrin
Hail, peons, for I have come as ambassador from the great and bountiful Blueberry Butt Explosion
So he doesn't care about America, just himself. What a fucking asshole.
That was so lame
Mattis is the reason we're not getting another eight years of state-sanctioned torture practices.
wordballoons
Member
Sessions is still scarier to me, but perhaps that's just because I know so little about DeVos.
Sessions wasn't actually a member of the Klan, so despite being just as repugnant, he just sailed by because you aren't racist in this country unless you wear a white hood and burn a cross.
sunshine and gasoline
Banned
I suspect that republicans will only remember and/or care if Devos ruins things if it significantly hurts them/their children. Which is a possibility.
OriginofHysteria
Banned
I'd also like to say that Mattis is the reason we aren't going to get into a needless war anytime soon.
Yea I know a good number of fiscally conservative friends and it's quite startling how their entire worldview essentially boils down to not giving a fuck about anyone but themselves really. They dress it up and appear to extend an olive branch with support towards certain charities, which is noble, but any political debate pretty much shows how callous and spiteful they are to the citizenry at large due to unwillingness to support nearly any federal program.
It often feels like talking with an entirely different person, one in which decency and compassion fades into darkness at the subject. I almost want to record some of their toddler-level disproval antics. There is no solution, there is no desire for a proposed solution either. Just complete lack of sympathy for anyone but themselves when tax dollars are at play.
I'm really worried about my profession. It's already a tough one, and with low birth rates in my state there's declining enrollment and cuts due to that coming up.
I have no idea what DeVos would do on top of that.
It's easy to say "teachers should just bail and find a new job if it gets bad"... but I have a bachelors degree in English and a masters degree in education. I don't have many other options. This is what I trained for. More importantly: this is what I want to do with my life.
I have no idea what DeVos would do on top of that.
It's easy to say "teachers should just bail and find a new job if it gets bad"... but I have a bachelors degree in English and a masters degree in education. I don't have many other options. This is what I trained for. More importantly: this is what I want to do with my life.
I would love to see a sliver of evidence that a single elected GOP congressperson ever voted their conscience against their party when it mattered (not this phony Collins/Murkowski horseshit). Not a single one of them has an ounce of principle. If the Dems actually find someone on the right with a shred of integrity and get them to flip, Collins or Murkowski will fall on their sword and switch back over. Lock it in. Party first, country second, principles never.
Aeriscloud
Banned
Supposedly phones are now open to Toomey in both his DC office and PA office.
No chance he'll vote no on DeVos but it's tempting to call and just complain about how much I hate him. He and Trump are genuinely inspiring me to try to get into politics though tbh, so maybe I should thank him.
excelsiorlef
Member
Waaait you're gonna put this on the Dems? It is amazing they got 2.
Aeriscloud
Banned
I am so with you there.
I don't think I can help change rural central Pennsylvania though, so I've decided to move. The election and the general ugliness around it are a big factor.
cpp_is_king
Member
http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/06/politics/debbie-stabenow-betsy-devos-senate-vote/index.html
Some Dems are saying they may have convinced another Repub to vote no. I wouldn't get my hopes up though, we'll find out tomorrow
Some Dems are saying they may have convinced another Repub to vote no. I wouldn't get my hopes up though, we'll find out tomorrow
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