The Battle Over H.R. 1

Congressional Democrats’ omnibus voting rights, campaign finance, and ethics bill, H.R. 1—also known as the ...

By

Congressional Democrats’ omnibus voting rights, campaign finance, and ethics bill, H.R. 1—also known as the “For the People Act”—passed in the House last week, and our hosts are here for the breakdown. Stay tuned to hear the gang chat about retirements in the GOP Senate, whether arguments about cancel culture are trumping more substantive public policy debates, and a surprise tabloid-y topic you won’t want to miss!

Show Notes:

Start a Free Trial
Get every newsletter and all of The Dispatch. Support quality, fact-based journalism. Get Started ALREADY HAVE AN ACCOUNT? SIGN IN
By
Comments (74)
Join The Dispatch to participate in the comments.
 
  1. Ellen

    Jonah, I was so hopeful; you started strong but lost the thread. The interesting thing about the Markle/royals debacle is not whose side one picks, but why. And while American viewpoints don't actually count, British viewpoints do. If you look at the surveys, there's a noticeable delineation at about the 40 year old mark. Those younger are for Markle, those 40+ are for the Queen. While everyone's picking their favorite example of the evil within the American or the crown, this is ultimately the fight between progress and tradition. The miscalculation both sides made was in the amount of progress the traditional side was willing to take on. (Both camps might want to brush up on their communication skills.) David is correct that the Queen will win this one. An institution this old and strong is not going to be taken down by your average American actress unless the British people say so. Further evidence that things are Team Queen, Elizabeth has retained her top spot in the latest "favorite royal" ranking and Meghan has dropped to just above Andrew, shoulder-rubber of famous pedophiles. Finally: four people who don't know anything about the royal family but for one interview, probably should not publicize their strong views. SO much of the discussion was riddled with misinformation.

    Collapse
  2. Avatar photo
    Jason Gibson

    Megan chose to join the royal family. It's a life of duty. Maybe she missed the orientation day. I personally would not be able to perform that role either. But she chose to do that

    Collapse
  3. Avatar photo
    Jason Gibson

    Jonah is SO RIGHT About the royal family part of it.

    Collapse
  4. Jason Runyan

    The royals debate sounded a lot like a debate I had with my sister in law. I took Jonah's side, as I had only listened to clips and commentary as well, and she took the Sarah / David side, and watched the entire episode (and is also a reality TV junkie). I felt I made some great arguments and feel like I won the debate. David was far more prepared than my sister in law and leveled the argument. And by leveled,, I mean Nagasaki and Hiroshima leveled.... No, I mean Tzar Bomba leveled. I will not be sharing this episode with my sister in law.

    Collapse
  5. Avatar photo
    BW

    I think you all may be underestimating the Dr. Seuss thing. Children’s books have sentimental value for a lot of people. And the images weren’t intended to be received the way they’re being received by a 2021 mob. Yes the publisher axed them, but they don’t do that if we aren’t in this cultural moment.

    Collapse
    1. David Williams

      Exactly. In the moment when people realize that maybe it’s okay to not print racist material for children. For you think that society evolves? We improve and decide “Oh, maybe we shouldn’t raise our children on entertainment that demeans entire races of people.”

      Collapse
  6. linda

    Alright let's do this....you hold your belly to keep el kiddo from off of your lower organs. If you are sitting they can make you urinate. However, these public goofs were just doing what they do so who on earth cares?
    PS Marples is publicity hog.

    Collapse
  7. Avatar photo
    PGG645

    Team Jonah, 100%! Jonah was right in his impression of Markle, she comes across as a professional victim. There are too many little, obvious lies and exaggerations that the rest of her tale of woe feels deceptive. She doesn’t get along with anyone in her family (other than her mom), doesn’t get along with his family, doesn’t get along with some of her old royal staff, etc.

    I understand Sarah’s point about holding the baby belly and it makes sense, but I think by then she had started rubbing people the wrong way and so that was an easy thing to pick on. For her to claim she never reads press about herself and then complain about the negative press treatment, well, that’s rather Trumpist.

    I don’t think it was race related and that is the major problem I have; any criticism of her is claimed to be about her biracial background. I’m Hispanic. I’m pretty sure that when people don’t like me, it’s probably something about my personality and not because they’re a bunch of bigots. In her case, she seems intelligent and ambitious, but didn’t seem to, or want to, grasp that the family has a hierarchy that was never going to accommodate her ambitions. So, she and her weak husband decided to try and blow up his family on their way out. The monarchy will survive these two, but it’s a shame that the Queen has to be tarnished by them.

    Collapse
  8. Avatar photo
    The Stray Goose

    I lived in England for three years. Believe me when I tell you that the Brits are really horrible people. They're sentimental to the point of saccharine. The smart ones left two hundred years ago leaving a ship of fools. Don't believe me? Just look up the arc of Jade Goody. She was a villain who became the nations sweetheart. It was all so absurd.

    Collapse
  9. Avatar photo
    Aylene Wright

    Ok I absolutely loathe the bizarre obsession so many Americans have with British royalty but congrats, you managed to keep me listening until the end anyway.

    The obviously biased double standards of British tabloids who were obviously Team Kate and anti-Team Meghan, however, made me think that if a space alien were to peruse the American media that are Team Red vs. Team Blue, they would probably easily find examples of other blatant double standards to titter about, because that alien would have no emotional investment in rooting for or against either team. There we go, the discussion was actually relevant. 🙂

    Collapse
  10. Avatar photo
    Seth B

    "This stone has been inside the Archbishop of Canterbury for however many years..." - Sarah
    Renal calculi are no joke: Get that man to a doctor!

    Collapse
Load More