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[PTTG??]

Bernie Sanders betrayed the cause yesterday by declining to cast the deciding vote, and thereby allowing an expansion of Patriot Act powers.

Civil society in the United States is dead.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Almost certainly there would have just been an additional Nay arranged if he had shown up, which is why there were three other absentees as well. This was theater, hence why you get such staunch defenders of privacy rights like Ted Cruz getting to sign his name on the Yea side. Sanders doesn't matter anymore, but he was part of the minuscule resistance to the original Patriot Act. Which incidentally, was also passed by pure theater.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: You cannot repeal the Patriot Act because the Patriot Act was never truly enacted, it was declared and thereafter became the mandatory position of every politician who expects to not get their files picked apart by alphabet men. This is why politicians almost never discuss the Patriot Act and company even though a sizable portion of the country does and always has fervently opposed it. Much smaller causes get plenty of airtime, on this it is silence.

[Iduno]

Bernie Sanders betrayed the cause yesterday by declining to cast the deciding vote, and thereby allowing an expansion of Patriot Act powers.

Civil society in the United States is dead.

Congress has long fought to keep that. Remember when the Democrats controlled both houses and the presidency, and despite claiming they tried, couldn't manage to prevent it from being renewed? Neither political party is there for you.

[SalmonGod]

Bernie Sanders betrayed the cause yesterday by declining to cast the deciding vote, and thereby allowing an expansion of Patriot Act powers.

Civil society in the United States is dead.

Congress has long fought to keep that. Remember when the Democrats controlled both houses and the presidency, and despite claiming they tried, couldn't manage to prevent it from being renewed? Neither political party is there for you.

Pff... "failed"?... Obama moved to extend it for longer than the default extension period, and no legislative Democrats had a word to say about this that I can recall.  There wasn't even a claim that they tried to prevent it.

[Craftsdwarf boi]

What the fuck happened to the USA
What went wrong?
Like really, what the fuck happened?
I am both appalled and confused.
Why?

[Naturegirl1999]

What the fuck happened to the USA
What went wrong?
Like really, what the fuck happened?
I am both appalled and confused.
Why?

So, short version, (I am not a historian) is that lobbying aka legal bribery happens, where people with lots of money to spare use said money to give to congressmen to pass or reject bills. The majority of the population doesn’t have lots of money to lobby with, due to expensive housing, food, cars, debts, hospital bills...lots of schools tend not to teach about financial responsibility, or what debt is. I was lucky I went to a school that did teach such things. Lots of people here tend to think that war is good, gerrymandering is a problem. There are others but I’m not a historian or a political scientist, I just live here.

[Superdorf]

I just live here.

The creed of the US populace. 

[misko27]

I do have the occasional good news. After about two months of a slow burn on the Richard Burr selling stocks controversy, it's exploded into a full-on scandal. For those unaware of the details, Senator Richard Burr, Republican of North Carolina, "sold hundreds of thousands of dollars in stocks earlier this year around the time he was receiving closed-door briefings on the coronavirus pandemic". Now as it turns out, this is actually illegal under the 2012 STOCK Act and not just morally reprehensible, and on Thursday it was publicly announced that Burr is under FBI investigation: his phone has been seized by the authorities and he has stepped down from chairmanship of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Other senators only found out when asked by reporters for comment.

Two other Senators were also found to have engaged in potentially similar activity (although details are different): Democrat Dianne Feinstein of California, and Kelly Loeffler, Republican of Georgia. Feinstein said they answered questions from federal investigators, but said they were "basic questions" as opposed to the warrant served to Burr. Loeffler, who is running for re-election, has refused to say if she was contacted by the FBI. All three have denied wrongdoing.

[Egan_BW]

Always happy to see senators from my state get "attention".

[LordBaal]

Should not obbying be... illegal?

I mean is shoddy as hell. One would think politicians would be more closely monitored to avoid this kind of stupid crap. But turns out the US congress and senate (and honestly most of such organisms on the world) operate under the porn mechanics of Money Talks.

[Dostoevsky]

Should not lobbying be... illegal?

As a kinda-sorta-lobbyist (not a registered lobbyist, though I do occasionally log hours) I'm probably not the best person to respond to this, but originally/hypothetically/ideally the point of lobbying was/is more or less representational petitioning.

For example, say there are a group of workers in Chicago who want better rights for workers, but a) don't have the time to formally petition the government / visit the halls of congress, and/or b) may not know the details of exactly how/what, even if they know the broad strokes. In theory, a lobbyist would represent those people. They'd know how to turn ideas into legislative/regulatory proposals, how to communicate with members of congress, and how to best try and get those policies into effect.

In theory there would ultimately be lobbyists representing all the various interests out there to make sure that members of congress are hearing from everybody. In practice there's obviously a power and resource imbalance between various interests.

Just banning lobbying would likely mean that those with the most 'natural' presence in DC - or just those with the best personal relationships to members of congress - would have the most access and power. It's a hard thing to regulate/limit.

Edit: And yeah, there have been many attempts over time to limit the corruption involved. Per the comment below me, I think there was only a relatively brief window in all of U.S. history where the lobbying and corruption laws were actually pretty decent nationally, but they're definitely in a bad place these days. Certain Supreme Court decisions over the past ~15 years haven't helped with that, either.

[Iduno]

Should not obbying be... illegal?

I mean is shoddy as hell. One would think politicians would be more closely monitored to avoid this kind of stupid crap. But turns out the US congress and senate (and honestly most of such organisms on the world) operate under the porn mechanics of Money Talks.

The kind you're referring to was, until the people who were being offered money realized they were also the ones making the laws.

[Kagus]

"I call it the 'super-duper missile'"

[hector13]

In less light news, he fired the DoJ inspector general who was apparently investigating Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

[Zangi]

I love how no one can really do anything about all the shit Trump is getting up to because half our legislative branch are stuck at cheering him on, hell or high water.  Even going as far as helping him cover it up.

There will be no reckoning.  Because too many of the people that have drank this kool-aid mix also take part in accepting/rejecting the laws.