INFRASTRUCTURE WAR: Progressives vs. The Establishment

[Tessera]

INFRASTRUCTURE WAR: Progressives vs. The Establishment

This picture tells a thousand words...




Just take a look at those faces. This happened today, on the Morning Joe show on MSNBC. You've heard of MSNBC... they're supposedly the "liberal cable news channel." Oh really? Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman from the South, is the star of the show. His co-host, the lovely and long-suffering Mika Brzezinski, is also Joe's wife. How they stay married is a mystery, because Joe is an obnoxious, bellicose conservative who rudely interrupts Mika, at least 20 times per day. But I digress...

On today's show, they invited progressive congresswoman Pramila Jayapal onto the show, ostensibly to ask her why the progressive caucus are all refusing to vote on the so-called "bipartisan" (corporate-approved) infrastructure bill. Pramila has already been making the rounds, explaining their various reasons, on all of the other cable news shows. The main reason is simple: the progressives, led by Bernie Sanders, know full well that if they cave in and vote for the bipartisan bill, before the larger and more comprehensive reconciliation bill goes up for a vote, then there is an almost 100% certainty that the reconciliation bill will die on the floor and be swept under the rug forever. She's right, of course -- that's exactly what they're trying to do.

Now look at those faces. Look at all of the talking heads there, on MSNBC. Look at their expressions, as they listen to Pramila Jayapal explaining her position. I've labeled each of them, in order to help everyone understand the different expressions on their faces. It's almost comical. Actually, it IS comical. All of the corporate conservatives are either scowling, or else they look as if they want to vomit. The blonde on the bottom left looks a little bi-curious. Mika, the only true liberal on the entire show, looks smug and defiant. I kept expecting Mika to blurt out "YOU GO, GIRL!!!" 

This is the kind of crap that progressives have always been up against. Any day now, I expect the corporate media to start referring to progressives as "obstructionists." C'mon, you know it's gonna happen. Corporate America hates the reconciliation bill, because it includes a major increase on the taxes paid by corporations and the super-rich. That's how it's gonna be paid for. And since those same corporate parasites own the media, you just know that they're going to be attacking progressives with everything they've got. Including the troll farms, who are already out in force and frantically posting their weak drivel.

So just look at those faces again. Progressives have finally gained enough power in Congress to frighten the corporate whores. The war is on, folks... now let's see who wins.

[Blankspace]

I have to agree with you with the way you put it.

[Will Never]

The blonde on the bottom left looks a little bi-curious.

LOL she does; good catch.

Just take a look at those faces. This happened today, on the Morning Joe show on MSNBC. You've heard of MSNBC... they're supposedly the "liberal cable news channel." Oh really? Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman from the South, is the star of the show. His co-host, the lovely and long-suffering Mika Brzezinski, is also Joe's wife. How they stay married is a mystery, because Joe is an obnoxious, bellicose conservative who rudely interrupts Mika, at least 20 times per day. But I digress...

Some may disagree with this, but I feel that Sam Seder used to do that to Emma Vigeland after she replaced Michael Brooks on the Majority Report last fall.   

Besides interrupting her a lot, I recall feeling that Sam was brazenly dismissive of Emma while on the air, sometimes not even acknowledging her after she spoke.   On some occasions, he made blatant attempts to upstage her well-informed statements by following them up with mealy-mouthed takeaways which had little substance.  I know that I'm not the only who felt that way either, although some may disagree with my observations.  To his credit though, Sam seems to have checked himself significantly as time has passed.  I think Emma and him may have had a chat?

[Tessera]

I like Seder's politics and I usually enjoy his show... whenever I watch it, that is. Which is not very often.

Perhaps he's insecure and worries that Emma might steal too much of the limelight.

Much as Ana Kasparian has done, on TYT. Let's face it... on TYT, Ana has become the true star of that channel. To his credit, Cenk Uygur is smart enough to just swallow his ego and let Ana take over the conversation at times. I've seen plenty of shows where Cenk looked like he was getting annoyed with Ana... but the big guy usually just shuts up and lets Ana fly. Not always... but usually. And good for him. Ana is a treasure.

That's something which Sam Seder is, as yet, unable to do with Emma Vigeland. Sam needs to stop being worried about who is the star of the show, and just let Emma have her moments. Just as Cenk has learned to do with Ana on TYT. On Emma's side, she strikes me as being a bit of an introvert and she needs to be more brazen at times.

[Will Never]

I think your observations about Emma and Sam are very astute.  I also sense the Cenk's eagerness to speak over Ana which he definitely holds back.  I wonder if the situation would be different if the cohosts were male.