No administration likes leakers, and that’s fair, but step one in fixing that problem (IMO) is behave professionally, ethically, earnestly, and with dignity, and the pool of people who want to leak will shrinks significantly because fewer people feel like they need to save America from what’s happening in the White House.
More than anything, my question is what happens next? Priebus is obviously gone at some point, to be replaced by this maniac. How long Sessions will be there is anyone’s guess, but it likely isn’t long. How long before the competent adults (Mattis, Tillerson (already with maybe a foot out the door), and McMaster) decide they aren’t living in a Trump-Mooch world?
And then, who replaces them? Who wants to come in without the needed autonomy for cabinet positions and then endure the public savaging when one of these quacks decide to throw a tantrum in your direction? And even committed Trump loyalists aren’t safe - Sessions was on the Trump train early and was a stalwart ally before Trump won, and now he’s a whipping post about to unceremoniously lose his job.
Soon the cabinet will be Trump family members, Hannity, and some low-wattage Fox contributors.
This ain’t populism or conservatism, Republicans. It’s goon-ocracy, it’s government run like it’s being run by a really, really dumb Mafia don.
I saw a question posted to social media yesterday, “Does President Trump make you proud to be an American?” It took me aback a bit, had to really think about it and mull it over, I ended up with my own answer of, “I am extremely proud and grateful to be an American, but I feel shame when I look at the way Trump handles his house, his business, and his country.”
What do you see when you look at President Trump? Would you want your child to behave that way? Would you be proud of the son or daughter that grew up and behaved in this manner? If you have children, do you allow these type of tantrums, dramatics, and deceit in your home? (These are genuine questions, as I do not have children at the moment, but do know how I was raised (very conservative) and how I expect to raise my own children)
Congress - Primus inter pares
Congress - Primus inter pares
Congress - Primus inter pares
Congress - Primus inter pares
Congress - Primus inter pares
Congress - Primus inter pares
Congress - Primus inter pares
If you say it 7 times does that mean Congress will save us from Trump? Like an incantation? “Take my energy Congress!”
They can refuse to confirm a new nominee to try and force Trump to leave Sessions in place. So we may end up with NO acting AG.
What happens if Trump takes a page from Obama and gets around all the obstruction by using Tsars? No confirmation process for Kushner. He could essentially staff and fire whoever he wants and give them the power they need. It’s the executive’s prerogative to execute the laws how he sees fit. Congress would have a hell of a time writing legislation to ban tsars. He should call them that too with all the Russia news.
I can see this getting far worse. I kind of hope it does. Limited government types have been whining about executive overreach for generations. Now that we have a jerk in the Whitehouse everyone is all the sudden worried about one man with too much power.
And speaking of Mafia tactics, Trump tried to influence Murkowski’s vote on the “skinny repeal” vote by having Interior’s Ryan Zinke* call and threaten to take away certain things affecting her state (Alaska). Nice state you got there - shame if something happened to it.
*For those that may not remember or never knew, Push apparently knew Zinke quite well, as did the late, (incredibly great) Doc Skeptix. I believe I am remembering that right. Fun fact.
“Alaska purchase was a very bad deal! Alaska costs taxpayers money! Johnson didn’t know what he was signing! I will talk to Putin to get the best deal for America!”
Yep. They were (Push and Zinke) basically neighbors. Not sure about Doc, but they all hung out. Neighbors being a relative term, given the size and population density of Montana.
I think Collins, Murkowski and McCain voted for the reason (principally) that McCain stated:
The ACA didn’t have any Republican input or support…and now Republicans are turning around and trying to do the same thing…
Something as big as Health Care NEEDS Bi-partisan support…and in many ways the three (according to McCain) were not going to support something else that was pushed by only one side.
In many ways they are attempting to “force” the two sides into doing something (related to Health Care) that was Bi-partisan.
Now…I am sure some of you can come up with things more nefarious for the reasons they voted the way they did…but I would personally like to hear your thoughts.
That is true. But there is so much political capital there that no politician in his right mind would ever sit down with the intention of creating a system that actually works for everybody.
Lets say that by the wave of some mathemagic wand there was a system in place that had an acceptable tax burden, served people reasonably well, and the lion actually laid down with the lamb.
Now what? What are conservatives going to appeal to their base with?
What new god given right are Libs going to swear to fight for and provide to their people?
Bipartisan agreement on something this big would be the end of politics as we know it, and would require the sacrifice of leverage that no one wants to yield.
I agree, generally - they truly believe what’s needed now is regular order so health care can get hashed out, transparently, with both sides weighing in, like any legislation, but especially important legislation, is supposed to. And good on them. That’s country above party.
I also think they did the GOP a favor, whether intentionally or not - they’re smart enough to know McConnell’s tactical procedural chicanery isn’t good politics in the medium and long term, especially in light of spending years complaining about how the ACA was passed (for good reason). And the substance of the bill was a disaster - daring the House to pass it, in that event, the exchange plans would melt down, causing two things: mass pain for the participants and an ultimate bailout for insurers. The GOP’s current majority can’t survive that, and no way was McCain going to put that fate into the hands of the Freedom Caucus.
“We must now return to the correct way of legislating and send the bill back to committee, hold hearings, receive input from both sides of aisle, heed the recommendations of nation’s governors, and produce a bill that finally delivers affordable health care for the American people.”
