Infrastructure legislation is headed to Biden’s desk, but that naturally begs the question, Why now and how? Unfortunately, this pyrrhic victory belies Democrat’s competence — nonetheless. The victory is pyrrhic in the sense they had to lose what should have been a win in Virginia’s gubernatorial race before Democrats decided that they need to actually do something; they need to give Biden a win. Although, I still contend it’s too late. I think the impressions and judgments of Biden and his administration along with Democrats are fairly set for the long term, and, like I said, passing this infrastructure bill at this moment reinforces that viewpoint. Look! They passed the bill de-coupled from the human infrastructure bill after months and months of the Progressive Caucus holding up the vote precisely under the threat of tanking both bills if they did not get their way. And, of course, Biden indulged them for those months as the bickering intensified and bled out into the public sphere, embarrassing the party and the president. All the back and forth evinced that Democrats are pretty f***ing feckless. And do not be fooled by progressive pundits, commentators, and Democratic leadership trying to sugar coat this mess as part of the “sausage-making” process. That is bullsh*t! Pure f***ing bullsh*t! None of this alleged sausage-making need happen so publicly. Yet, in the end, Progressives relented by doing something they could have done two months ago without the remnants of sausage on their face. Nonetheless, Progressives will claim in the intervening time that negotiations have yielded much progress — sure, on the House side. None of which is going to survive the Senate’s mark-ups, which brings me to my next point.
The human infrastructure bill — the Build Back Better Act — will go to the Senate to die a slow death because surely whatever version the Senate conceives — if it manages to write one — will return to the House a shell of itself whereby Progressives are going to tank it anyway. In short, months of wasted time and loss of political face have brought the Democratic Party to a place that could have been reached before Biden’s job approval tanked. Timing is everything in politics. It is always a matter of establishing and maintaining positive momentum so that when a disaster occurs (Afghanistan) its impact can be blunted by, at least, demonstration of legislative competence. However, when negative momentum takes hold Democrats will be hard-pressed to turn things around. In politics, “better late than never” is not the best maxim you want to say you can achieve.
Then my last point is this: Biden does not look any better by this legislative accomplishment. The reason this bill passed now is that Biden finally put his foot down to whip his party into shape to pass the m*****f***ing bill. Some might say that Biden can’t win with me. He’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. And that this point, yes he is. Again, this is strength and decisiveness he could have — should have — exerted months ago! But, no! Instead, he allowed his party to devolve into public view a negotiating and legislative dumpster fire. And when he did try to “demand” action it was more like asking politely repeatedly while the party gave him the middle finger by contradicting his speeches and setting up failed deadlines. Seriously?!?! That’s how he let the party treat him? But he did for months. What remains is a question of Biden’s judgment. He misjudged the optics of the entire process, especially in front of voters. Once again, this victory now and in the way it was achieved says less about Biden’s strength and more about his weakness — still. His poll numbers will go nowhere as a result. Mark my words, morons! Welcome to stupid America! Congratulations anyway!