Paul Waldman (@paulwaldman1 )

Paul Waldman

Bio Opinion writer at the Washington Post, senior writer at the American Prospect.
Location Washington, DC
Tweets 14,7K
Followers 37,7K
Following 546
Account created 19-06-2009 19:12:42
ID 48797538

TweetDeck : The point of idiotic stunts like making Senate clerks read a bill for 11 hours is to convince voters that governing is convoluted and ridiculous.

But there are ways for Democrats to convince them otherwise.

My latest: washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…

Android : New poll done for Dems, which is getting sent to the Hill, finds:

* 64% say passing popular plans will unify country

* 68% prioritize passing something big to beat virus over bipartisanship

Paul Waldman and I argue Biden is redefining bipartisanship:

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…

TweetDeck : Every Republican argument against HR 1 comes down to this:

Only an unfair system is fair to us. Any attempt to make the system more fair must therefore be stopped.

My latest: washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…

TweetDeck : There are a weird number of true statements in here, mixed in with the false ones. For instance, Mitch McConnell is indeed the most unpopular politician in the country! Not that he would ever have lost in KY, but that's what polls consistently show. twitter.com/frankthorp/sta…

TweetDeck : 39 million US workers earned less than $15/hr in 2019.
Thats ~25% of the American workforce.

Whos most likely to be earning less than $15/hr?
A: Hispanic and Black women

**46% of Hispanic female workers earn less than $15**
washingtonpost.com/business/2021/… via Andrew Van Dam

TweetDeck : One can overstate what Democrats, and the economy, will lose by phasing out stimulus checks more quickly.

But is there anything to *gain*? And if not, why do it?

My latest: washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…

TweetDeck : What does the Dr. Seuss lunacy tell us? The American right is consumed with its cultural Lost Cause, finding ways to marinate in their own irreversible defeat.

It also means the Trump presidency was fundamentally a failure.

My latest: washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…

TweetDeck : Elite conservatives with utter contempt for the stupidity of their supporters, scamming them for every dime they're worth.

Links: washingtonian.com/2021/02/25/tru…

washingtonpost.com/local/md-polit…

TweetDeck : 1. Trump DC hotel triples rates for date QAnon nutbars think Trump will be inaugurated
2. Grifter consultants take most of millions in donations to quixotic-yet-viral GOP candidates
3. Fox whips up ludicrous Dr. Seuss hysteria

What do these stories have in common?

Twitter Web App : But apparently it was hugely popular. According to Wikipedia, "As of 2001, it was the all-time third best-selling hardcover children's book in English." I wonder why. /end

Twitter Web App : When my kids were young someone gave us this book, because hey, kids like trains, right? When we read it we were utterly horrified. Even if you didn't get the COMPLETELY OBVIOUS message about sexuality, it's at the very least an ode to conformism. /6

Twitter Web App : It's a lesson Tootle learns. No more running with horses or playing in meadows for him - he's going to Stay On The Rails No Matter What! And so he does, becoming a well-respected train and teaching young trains how important it is to stay on the rails. /5

Twitter Web App : So they concoct a plan. The next time Tootle goes off into the meadow, someone jumps up out of the grass with a red flag. You're going the wrong way, Tootle! Then another person jumps up with a red flag, and another. The whole town has come to teach him a lesson! /4

Twitter Web App : One day Tootle sees a handsome horse, his glorious mane glistening in the sun. He asks Tootle to come run with him, and Tootle jumps the rails to indulge his base desires. But later, the folks at train school spot flowers in Tootle's wheels. He's been playing in the meadow! /3

Twitter Web App : Tootle is learning to be a good train, the most important rule of which is Staying On The Rails No Matter What. But Tootle is a free spirit. He loves to jump off the rails and prance through the flowers. This makes everyone at train school very upset. /2

Twitter Web App : As long as we're revisiting Dr. Seuss, we ought to take a look at "Tootle," the beloved 1945 book about a plucky little train that is ONE HUNDRED PERCENT a story meant to convince little boys not to be gay.

amazon.com/Tootle-Gertrud…

Come with me on this appalling journey...

TweetDeck : Who would a minimum wage increase help most? Low-income people IN RED STATES. It's consistent with what Democrats do when they govern.

My latest: washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…

TweetDeck : Look, I really don't care what you think about mass surveillance, what I want to know is how in your time as attorney general the DoJ is going to deal with the issue of Mr. Potato Head twitter.com/MattLaslo/stat…