User-Supported News Commentary Hosted by Craig Crawford
There you go again
They’re rioting in Africa
They’re starving in Spain
There’s hurricanes in Florida
And Texas needs rain
The whole world is festering with unhappy souls
The french hate the Germans, the Germans hate the Poles
Italians hate Yugoslavs, South Africans hate the Dutch
And I don’t like anybody very much!!
Author: patd
“But I don’t want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
View all posts by patd
49 thoughts on “There you go again”
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CNN:Trump blow up leaves lawmakers worried about disaster aid, budget talks
President Donald Trump’s angry threats Wednesday to not work with congressional Democrats until they stopped investigating him came at a sensitive time for talks over several important issues that bipartisan negotiators on Capitol Hill and the White House had hoped to wrap up before Congress leaves as early as Thursday for the Memorial Day recess.
The sudden “flare up,” in the words of one GOP leader, left an air of uncertainly over the talks that all sides had reported upbeat progress on in recent days. It also wasn’t clear to lawmakers whether Trump’s threat related only to the infrastructure spending proposal — that was the subject of the meeting with Democrats that Trump stormed out of — or if meant all legislation.
“Seems like we have a little bit of an issue right now,” said Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the second-ranking GOP leader. “It’s hard to figure how much gets done around here unless the atmospherics change.”
[…]
“Sometimes tempers around here flare and emotions get pretty high but, in the end, we’ve got work to do. The best thing we can do would be to try to make progress where we can,” said Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican when asked if the spat should disrupt bipartisan work on the Hill. “But that was fairly dramatic this morning.”
Thune said it was critical that “no matter how bad it is around here” lawmakers find a way to reach a budget and debt ceiling deal and pass disaster aid.
“These are the things that need to get done,” he said. “I think it makes all those things a heavier lift when you have this kind of operating environment.”
Senate Republican leaders said despite the brouhaha, they were hopeful Democrats who control the House would soon vote on a disaster bill — even though negotiators were still putting the final touches on it — so the Senate could take it up possibly Thursday.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell started his day by announcing the chamber would not recess before “taking further action” on the bill, a gentle threat aimed at prodding negotiations that didn’t even include a demand the bill become law before they recessed. McConnell didn’t know that an hour later Trump would be in the Rose Garden blasting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for charging he was involved in a cover up and threatening to stop working with Democrats.
Frequent Trump critic George Conway slammed the sign in front of President Trump‘s podium while Trump delivered a speech in the White House Rose Garden Wednesday.
“Why not just put up a sign on the podium saying, ‘I am a loony tune’?” Conway tweeted.
Attached to the podium was a placard that read “No Collusion No Obstruction,” along with statistics attacking special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
I’m with you Pogo… it seems to me that trump is really losing it now. I saw on either the end of Rachel’s show or the beginning of Lawrence’s show last night some male Democratic congressman (sorry… I was really tired last night and can’t remember who he was) say that not only was trump’s refusal to do his job is an impeachable offense… but that it might be time to consider the 25th amendment cuz saying that crap was crazy.
excerpt from op ed in kansas city star “Former GOP Rep. Tom Coleman: Trump, Pence are illegitimate. Impeach them”
[…]
Because DOJ regulations put a president above the law while in office, I believe the only viable option available is for the House of Representatives, under Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution, to open its own investigation, hold public hearings and then determine if they should pursue removal of the president through impeachment. There is a trove of evidence in the Mueller report indicating Trump has committed multiple impeachable offenses, including abuse of power and lying to the American public. Both were part of the articles of impeachment brought against President Richard Nixon. This process would allow a full public review of wrongdoing, while providing Americans an opportunity to obtain a better understanding of the consequences to our national security and the lingering threat to our democracy.
If this process leads to impeaching Trump in the House of Representatives and also results in convicting him in the Senate, his illegitimacy would survive through Vice President Mike Pence’s succession to the presidency. Because the misdeeds were conducted to assure the entire Trump-Pence ticket was elected, both former candidates — Pence as well as Trump — have been disgraced and discredited. To hand the presidency to an illegitimate vice president would be to approve and reward the wrongdoing while the lingering stench of corruption would trail any Pence administration, guaranteeing an untenable presidency. If Trump is impeached, then Pence should not be allowed to become president. The vice president should resign or be impeached as well if for no other reason that he has been the chief enabler for this illegitimate president.
President Trump’s infrastructure meeting with Democratic congressional leaders on Wednesday ended angrily after three minutes, with the president later singling out Speaker Nancy Pelosi for accusing him of a cover-up. The late-night hosts piled on both Trump and Pelosi.
“According to Stormy Daniels, that’s two bonus minutes.” — STEPHEN COLBERT
“Pelosi can’t be surprised. It’s like talking trash about your friend, then showing up to the group brunch, like, ‘Hey, girl.’” — JIMMY FALLON
“That’s like responding to someone’s birthday evite by writing, ‘I resent the day you were born,’ and then still clicking ‘Will attend.’” — SETH MEYERS
Immediately after the abbreviated meeting, Trump held an unscheduled news conference in the White House Rose Garden, where he said he had no interest in working with Democrats until they stopped investigating him.
“Now this confused me a lot, because is he saying that up until this point he was working with the Democrats? The last two years were his version of things going well?” — JAMES CORDEN
“So Trump has a clear stance on infrastructure. [Imitating Trump] ‘It’s my way, or no highways.’” — STEPHEN COLBERT
“The Democrats have a choice: Investigate Trump and nothing gets done, or don’t investigate Trump and nothing gets done.” — JIMMY FALLON
jimmy fallon should reword that claim about dems not getting stuff done when it’s really mitch that’s throwing up the road block.
Mitch McConnell has blocked over 100 bills in just 4 months
Since January, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has prevented over 100 bills that have passed in the House from even coming up for a vote. His actions obstruct and ignore legislation that millions of Americans backed by electing a Democratic House majority in 2018.
“We have multiple, House-passed bills awaiting action. Leader McConnell need only call them up for debate. But instead, the legislative graveyard, where good legislation doesn’t even get debated or amended — let alone passed — is upon us,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech on Monday.
Senate Democrats noted last month that more than 100 bills passed by the House “are awaiting legislative action in the Senate.”
A full 53% of votes cast in 2018 supported a Democratic agenda, versus 45.2% for Republicans. Democrats had a popular vote majority of more than 8.6 million votes, the most in 44 years (since right after Nixon resigned).
“The progressive agenda — ending pharma greed and making medicines affordable, ensuring students can graduate without debt, raising the minimum wage and putting more money in the pockets of working families — delivered a Democratic majority to Congress,” said Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus in a statement to Shareblue Media.
“If Mitch McConnell and Congressional Republicans continue to stonewall the progressive agenda at the behest of billionaires and special interests, they will pay a price at the polls next year.”
The McConnell-engineered logjam includes popular legislation like H.R. 1, the “For the People Act,” which included a number of anti-corruption measures, as well as enhanced rules and guidelines to increase voter participation.
The House also passed the “Paycheck Fairness Act,” which makes it easier for women to challenge pay discrimination, as well as the “Background Checks Act,” which protects children and families by expanding background checks for gun purchases.
Those bills all had support from Democrats and Republicans, yet McConnell has chosen to hold politically motivated show votes rather than take up bills with changes Americans want.
“It’s a new level of spinelessness for Mitch McConnell and his Republican majority, refusing to even bring bills that Republicans and Democrats support to the Senate floor for debate,” Stewart Boss, spokesperson for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) told Shareblue.
McConnell is so devoted to opposing a progressive agenda that he has already promised to continue his blockade even if Trump loses the election in 2020.
McConnell’s actions show a continued disconnect from American voters and a commitment to pursuing an agenda completely different from the one millions of people have made clear they stand by.
Published with permission of The American Independent.
the House can chew gum, legislate and investigate at the same time.
why does the media look the other way? why don’t they call out mitch for standing in the doorway of what’s in the best interest of the country?
Yertle is a big f—king roadblock run him over
Nancy P was great this morning
SFB looks like the loser he is
At the rate this President is going, we may need to try to bring back all the protest songs and marches of the 1960s.
I think it is time for us to get real, there will be no removal of Trump either by impeachment or the 25th amendment. The only way to remove Trump is for him to be voted out in the up coming election, period!
And if the face of the Democratic party is the fumbling resthome committee that stood in front of the cameras yesterday then you had better get used to 4 more years. Face it, no mater how much Koolaid you drink you know, at his crazy irrational worst Trump comes out ahead of that bunch.
As I said yesterday, do what you do best and standing in front of cameras speaking off the cuff ain’t one of them.
Jack
Jamie, remember what that got you, Nixon, then 10 years later a conservative lock with Reagan.
But you all do what you want.
Jack
The best thing to do is to stop acting like SFB and his deplorable supporters will ever change
This is war –get the Republicans to stop blocking Democratic voters and turn everyone out to vote
Nancy P should have said it’s fine if fat ass the golfing president doesn’t want to do anything because we don’t want to work with an illegitimate president
Jack… of course trump won’t be removed from office before the 2020 election. That doesn’t mean we can’t report what someone is saying. And it doesn’t mean we can’t have a bit of fun on this blog…. which is how I took Jamie’s comment about old protest songs.
I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired of trump. I’m gonna enjoy the Stanley Cup games (the Bruins are in it!)… thinking about the fact that we will be leaving for Cape Cod on June 2nd and can’t wait to see OldSeaHag and her new twin grand babies. Reading a great book by Elmore Leonard. Weaving some great scarves. In short… chill… life isn’t stopping for me no matter who is president.
I rise to respectfully disagree with my distinguished colleague from Kansas City, Mr Jack . . . well, slightly, anyway.
I still think it is possible to make trump so toxic, through uncovering his high crimes and misdemeanors that he endangers the candidacies in the primaries/caucuses of every republican associated with him, and then again in the general election. If my scenario comes to pass a year from now, repubs will trample each other on their ways to spend more time with families, or into the Dem Party, or to remove the traitor before the party convention.
If my scenario fails to come to pass, Mr Jack’s scenario shall win the day.
And oh yeah… a friend brought in a stray last month that just had kittens. They will be ready for adoption in mid-July… and I get first dibs on any male. I’ll post a picture of our new baby when I get him.
I LOVE that Edit Button !
No disrespect for the Bruins intended, but, Go, Blues !
jack, are you seriously trolling the trail or just being a party pooper (emphasis on “party”) and curmudgeon?
BTW, hope you are safe and tornado free.
Raptors or Bucs –kinds boring waiting for the Est Coast to decide on who the Warriors will beat
WASHINGTON — The United States and China are digging in for a prolonged trade war, with the Trump administration unveiling a new $16 billion bailout for farmers hurt by Beijing’s tariffs on Thursday and more companies saying they are redirecting supply chains away from China.
Global markets tumbled as investors began coming to terms with the idea that President Trump’s trade war is here to stay. Benchmark indexes in China, Germany, France and the United States all dropped. American crude oil prices were down roughly 5 percent, amid growing concern that the ongoing trade war would start to drag on global economic demand. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to its lowest level this year, in a sign investors were pricing in lower levels of growth and inflation.
[…]
While Mr. Trump has insisted any pain will be short-lived and worth the price, administration officials have grown concerned that the president could lose the support of farmers, an important political constituency, ahead of the 2020 election. Those worries helped spur Mr. Trump last week to suddenly drop steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico, which agreed in turn to withdraw stiff levies on American farm goods.
On Thursday, the administration took another step to help insulate farmers, with the Agriculture Department saying it would provide up to $16 billion in aid to farmers hurt by Chinese trade retaliation. The amount “is in line with the estimated impacts of unjustified retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural goods and other trade disruptions,” the department said in a statement.
The new program will make $14.5 billion in direct payments to producers, channeled through the Commodity Credit Corporation, a program that helps shore up American farmers by buying their crops. The payments will be made to agricultural producers for a wide range of products, from soybeans and cotton to chickpeas and cherries, in up to three tranches, beginning in late July or early August.
The government will also implement a $1.4 billion program to purchase surplus commodities affected by the trade war and distribute them to food banks, schools and other programs for the poor, as well as put another $100 million toward developing new export markets for American farmers.
The collateral damage to farmers from the trade clash with China now looms as a potential obstacle to the president’s re-election. China’s tariffs against products like soybeans and beef and a recent move to cancel a major pork order have hit swing states, including Iowa, Ohio and Wisconsin, especially hard.
A survey of 400 American farmers by Purdue University and the CME Group, a global markets company, showed that sentiment plunged in April, stemming from concerns about worsening tensions with China. Only 28 percent of farmers surveyed said that they believed a soybean dispute with China would be resolved by July 1, down from 45 percent in March, while 74 percent of those surveyed said now was a “bad time” to make big farm investments.
“Farmers are becoming increasingly anxious over their future financial performance,” said James Mintert, the survey’s principal investigator and director of Purdue University’s Center for Commercial Agriculture.
The president is increasingly focused on rural communities as he looks ahead to a fight with the Democratic nominee for the 2020 election.
BREAKING: Lawmakers have reached agreement in principle to approve billions of dollars in aid for regions struck by natural disasters, leaving out border money White House demanded, according to Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.).Shelby made the announcement Thursday afternoon. The package is expected to cost $19.1 billion. Congressional Democrats and Republicans, as well as the White House, have signed off on the deal in principle, Shelby said.
This story will be updated.
TPM: In 20 Tweets, GOP Rep. Justin Amash Lays Out Case For Impeachment
[…]
On Thursday, he defended the impeachment call with an essay-length Twitter thread, adding to one he posted on Monday defending his call for impeachment.
If I were the Dems, I would say, we’d love to help to help out agriculture, but we need assurances that this time trump won’t give the money to Brazilian criminals.
“Mr trump knows our address. He can come here this time.”
I do not want Mike Pence to be president for a variety of reasons
so I’m opposed to removing SFB by any means other than a crashing defeat at the polls
Now, let’s investigate pence. Maybe he’s an agnew.
Do you think Pence would have to have an all male cabinet?
KGC – not only male, but as white and chaste as he is. Maybe even more so. Maybe even “former gay” converts to being “straight”.
Moral keeps falling in the public service sector. This year’s employee survey is out. It will be interesting.
BB
Can you give us excerpts from the survey
x-r
Good on the Brazilian connection– SFB finds his ilk wherever he goes
Impeachment? Sure, why not? But really, what’s more important than impeachment is the investigative hearings to determine whether charges should be brought by the House. Given the allegations of wrongdoing in the Mueller report I believe it is imperative that Congress (the House since the Senate investigative inclination is close to zero) engage in its oversight responsibility. It may or may not lead to drafting articles of impeachment – and frankly, I don’t care. Contrary to Jack’s and Bink’s takes on the issue, I see less downside to conducting investigations than upside politically speaking, to bringing in or attempting to folks who will testify to at a minimum those instances of obstruction in Mueller’s report. And if dumbass continues to resist trying to do the work the government is supposed to do on our behalf I have every confidence that Nancy will continue to show that SFB is a dolt who talks a good game but cannot deliver what he promised.
The two recent rulings against SFB and his attempts to ignore subpoenas directed to the Admin. branch and its personnel and past personnel and interfere with subpoenas to third parties that are non-governmental will keep his mouth-breathing base happy but will piss off the rest of the voting public – and I hope to god they will vote after seeing him fight for 18 months to keep his dirty little secrets from leaking out.
Renee. enjoy the Cape. Hope the storms blow out before you and Rick get there.
What Mr Pogo says.
We need to learn whether or not trump paid for abortions while campaigning for president as a ‘pro-lifer,’ or while camping in the Oval Office. That would be like hitting the $B!LL!ON Power Ball jackpot, and damn near as good as finding the cure for death.
If South Carolina’s doughboy wants so badly to kill folks in Venezuela, he’d better put his chickenshit ass in the front line, and take that dayglo orange coward along with to draw the return fire.
Bloodthirsty parasites, both of them.
“… and his attempts to ignore subpoenas… will keep his mouth-breathing base happy but will piss off the rest of the voting public” -pogo
Nobody but news-junkies and partisans is following any of this shit, brother. I want the Trump Crime Family brought to justice, too, but that opportunity came and went. All of these political efforts aimed towards impeachment would be put to better use building Progressive influence at the state and local levels, where Dems are really getting hammered. Red-States are turning into autonomous Christian Theocracies where entrenched conservatives can do whatever the hell they want.
…but sure, keep beating the impeachment drum.
Since tomorrow is Friday, ask some acquaintances who people like Betsy DeVos, Stephen Miller, and Paul Manafort are. Then ask them who Daenarys Targaryen’s nephew is.
Great song, even better band name:
…scratch that- both equally great.
So Bink, just what the fuck do you propose the House do? Curl into the fetal position and do nothing? If that’s not it what do you think Nancy and her gang of assassins should do for the next 18 months?
Um, so i’m not as politically hip as i once was, but from what i understand, House Dems are dangerously close to provoking a Constitutional crisis, which i would support, but will they follow through? Are they honestly going to issue arrest warrants for people like Don McGahn?
I respect Nancy P.’s and Elijah Cummings’ approaches to these dilemmas and feel junior and left-wing Congressional Dems should, also.
If you donate to political candidates, think about doing it at the local and state level, is the point i’m making. I think your dollar might be better spent, there. A Republican should never run uncontested, again, for any office, anywhere.
“Wow me with policy”, to answer your question directly.
If questions like that need to be asked, of course, maybe a shift of focus might be in order?
I am hoping for a neat, simplified Game of-Thrones-style ending, however. I won’t say which characters i hope fail finding their way to the dinghy, however.
I’ve said too much. Enjoy your holiday weekend, everyone. Thanks to those who were killed and maimed in service to our country and to the the families in silent service who make it possible to do so.
This is pretty easy-listening, by the way, for those who might find my musical submissions overly-bombastic:
NEW THREAD
Bink, so we see eye to eye. How about that?
So Theresa May has announced her PMexit. I wonder whether the new PM will be able to get Parliament to vote Aye to a Brexit plan or submit the measure to the Brits to kill the idea? (I have to admit that I really don’t know what the options are.)
.
CNN: Trump blow up leaves lawmakers worried about disaster aid, budget talks
President Donald Trump’s angry threats Wednesday to not work with congressional Democrats until they stopped investigating him came at a sensitive time for talks over several important issues that bipartisan negotiators on Capitol Hill and the White House had hoped to wrap up before Congress leaves as early as Thursday for the Memorial Day recess.
The sudden “flare up,” in the words of one GOP leader, left an air of uncertainly over the talks that all sides had reported upbeat progress on in recent days. It also wasn’t clear to lawmakers whether Trump’s threat related only to the infrastructure spending proposal — that was the subject of the meeting with Democrats that Trump stormed out of — or if meant all legislation.
“Seems like we have a little bit of an issue right now,” said Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the second-ranking GOP leader. “It’s hard to figure how much gets done around here unless the atmospherics change.”
[…]
“Sometimes tempers around here flare and emotions get pretty high but, in the end, we’ve got work to do. The best thing we can do would be to try to make progress where we can,” said Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican when asked if the spat should disrupt bipartisan work on the Hill. “But that was fairly dramatic this morning.”
Thune said it was critical that “no matter how bad it is around here” lawmakers find a way to reach a budget and debt ceiling deal and pass disaster aid.
“These are the things that need to get done,” he said. “I think it makes all those things a heavier lift when you have this kind of operating environment.”
Senate Republican leaders said despite the brouhaha, they were hopeful Democrats who control the House would soon vote on a disaster bill — even though negotiators were still putting the final touches on it — so the Senate could take it up possibly Thursday.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell started his day by announcing the chamber would not recess before “taking further action” on the bill, a gentle threat aimed at prodding negotiations that didn’t even include a demand the bill become law before they recessed. McConnell didn’t know that an hour later Trump would be in the Rose Garden blasting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for charging he was involved in a cover up and threatening to stop working with Democrats.
[continues]
the hill:
Frequent Trump critic George Conway slammed the sign in front of President Trump‘s podium while Trump delivered a speech in the White House Rose Garden Wednesday.
“Why not just put up a sign on the podium saying, ‘I am a loony tune’?” Conway tweeted.
Attached to the podium was a placard that read “No Collusion No Obstruction,” along with statistics attacking special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
I’m with you Pogo… it seems to me that trump is really losing it now. I saw on either the end of Rachel’s show or the beginning of Lawrence’s show last night some male Democratic congressman (sorry… I was really tired last night and can’t remember who he was) say that not only was trump’s refusal to do his job is an impeachable offense… but that it might be time to consider the 25th amendment cuz saying that crap was crazy.
excerpt from op ed in kansas city star “Former GOP Rep. Tom Coleman: Trump, Pence are illegitimate. Impeach them”
[…]
Because DOJ regulations put a president above the law while in office, I believe the only viable option available is for the House of Representatives, under Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution, to open its own investigation, hold public hearings and then determine if they should pursue removal of the president through impeachment. There is a trove of evidence in the Mueller report indicating Trump has committed multiple impeachable offenses, including abuse of power and lying to the American public. Both were part of the articles of impeachment brought against President Richard Nixon. This process would allow a full public review of wrongdoing, while providing Americans an opportunity to obtain a better understanding of the consequences to our national security and the lingering threat to our democracy.
If this process leads to impeaching Trump in the House of Representatives and also results in convicting him in the Senate, his illegitimacy would survive through Vice President Mike Pence’s succession to the presidency. Because the misdeeds were conducted to assure the entire Trump-Pence ticket was elected, both former candidates — Pence as well as Trump — have been disgraced and discredited. To hand the presidency to an illegitimate vice president would be to approve and reward the wrongdoing while the lingering stench of corruption would trail any Pence administration, guaranteeing an untenable presidency. If Trump is impeached, then Pence should not be allowed to become president. The vice president should resign or be impeached as well if for no other reason that he has been the chief enabler for this illegitimate president.
[continues]
Read more here: https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/readers-opinion/guest-commentary/article230713224.html#storylink=cpy
NYTimes best of late night:
Three Long Minutes
President Trump’s infrastructure meeting with Democratic congressional leaders on Wednesday ended angrily after three minutes, with the president later singling out Speaker Nancy Pelosi for accusing him of a cover-up. The late-night hosts piled on both Trump and Pelosi.
Immediately after the abbreviated meeting, Trump held an unscheduled news conference in the White House Rose Garden, where he said he had no interest in working with Democrats until they stopped investigating him.
jimmy fallon should reword that claim about dems not getting stuff done when it’s really mitch that’s throwing up the road block.
sharebluemedia published this last week:
Mitch McConnell has blocked over 100 bills in just 4 months
Since January, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has prevented over 100 bills that have passed in the House from even coming up for a vote. His actions obstruct and ignore legislation that millions of Americans backed by electing a Democratic House majority in 2018.
“We have multiple, House-passed bills awaiting action. Leader McConnell need only call them up for debate. But instead, the legislative graveyard, where good legislation doesn’t even get debated or amended — let alone passed — is upon us,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech on Monday.
Senate Democrats noted last month that more than 100 bills passed by the House “are awaiting legislative action in the Senate.”
A full 53% of votes cast in 2018 supported a Democratic agenda, versus 45.2% for Republicans. Democrats had a popular vote majority of more than 8.6 million votes, the most in 44 years (since right after Nixon resigned).
“The progressive agenda — ending pharma greed and making medicines affordable, ensuring students can graduate without debt, raising the minimum wage and putting more money in the pockets of working families — delivered a Democratic majority to Congress,” said Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus in a statement to Shareblue Media.
“If Mitch McConnell and Congressional Republicans continue to stonewall the progressive agenda at the behest of billionaires and special interests, they will pay a price at the polls next year.”
The McConnell-engineered logjam includes popular legislation like H.R. 1, the “For the People Act,” which included a number of anti-corruption measures, as well as enhanced rules and guidelines to increase voter participation.
The House also passed the “Paycheck Fairness Act,” which makes it easier for women to challenge pay discrimination, as well as the “Background Checks Act,” which protects children and families by expanding background checks for gun purchases.
Those bills all had support from Democrats and Republicans, yet McConnell has chosen to hold politically motivated show votes rather than take up bills with changes Americans want.
“It’s a new level of spinelessness for Mitch McConnell and his Republican majority, refusing to even bring bills that Republicans and Democrats support to the Senate floor for debate,” Stewart Boss, spokesperson for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) told Shareblue.
McConnell is so devoted to opposing a progressive agenda that he has already promised to continue his blockade even if Trump loses the election in 2020.
McConnell’s actions show a continued disconnect from American voters and a commitment to pursuing an agenda completely different from the one millions of people have made clear they stand by.
Published with permission of The American Independent.
the House can chew gum, legislate and investigate at the same time.
why does the media look the other way? why don’t they call out mitch for standing in the doorway of what’s in the best interest of the country?
Yertle is a big f—king roadblock run him over
Nancy P was great this morning
SFB looks like the loser he is
At the rate this President is going, we may need to try to bring back all the protest songs and marches of the 1960s.
I think it is time for us to get real, there will be no removal of Trump either by impeachment or the 25th amendment. The only way to remove Trump is for him to be voted out in the up coming election, period!
And if the face of the Democratic party is the fumbling resthome committee that stood in front of the cameras yesterday then you had better get used to 4 more years. Face it, no mater how much Koolaid you drink you know, at his crazy irrational worst Trump comes out ahead of that bunch.
As I said yesterday, do what you do best and standing in front of cameras speaking off the cuff ain’t one of them.
Jack
Jamie, remember what that got you, Nixon, then 10 years later a conservative lock with Reagan.
But you all do what you want.
Jack
The best thing to do is to stop acting like SFB and his deplorable supporters will ever change
This is war –get the Republicans to stop blocking Democratic voters and turn everyone out to vote
Nancy P should have said it’s fine if fat ass the golfing president doesn’t want to do anything because we don’t want to work with an illegitimate president
Jack… of course trump won’t be removed from office before the 2020 election. That doesn’t mean we can’t report what someone is saying. And it doesn’t mean we can’t have a bit of fun on this blog…. which is how I took Jamie’s comment about old protest songs.
I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired of trump. I’m gonna enjoy the Stanley Cup games (the Bruins are in it!)… thinking about the fact that we will be leaving for Cape Cod on June 2nd and can’t wait to see OldSeaHag and her new twin grand babies. Reading a great book by Elmore Leonard. Weaving some great scarves. In short… chill… life isn’t stopping for me no matter who is president.
I rise to respectfully disagree with my distinguished colleague from Kansas City, Mr Jack . . . well, slightly, anyway.
I still think it is possible to make trump so toxic, through uncovering his high crimes and misdemeanors that he endangers the candidacies in the primaries/caucuses of every republican associated with him, and then again in the general election. If my scenario comes to pass a year from now, repubs will trample each other on their ways to spend more time with families, or into the Dem Party, or to remove the traitor before the party convention.
If my scenario fails to come to pass, Mr Jack’s scenario shall win the day.
And oh yeah… a friend brought in a stray last month that just had kittens. They will be ready for adoption in mid-July… and I get first dibs on any male. I’ll post a picture of our new baby when I get him.
I LOVE that Edit Button !
No disrespect for the Bruins intended, but, Go, Blues !
jack, are you seriously trolling the trail or just being a party pooper (emphasis on “party”) and curmudgeon?
BTW, hope you are safe and tornado free.
Raptors or Bucs –kinds boring waiting for the Est Coast to decide on who the Warriors will beat
NYTimes:
WASHINGTON — The United States and China are digging in for a prolonged trade war, with the Trump administration unveiling a new $16 billion bailout for farmers hurt by Beijing’s tariffs on Thursday and more companies saying they are redirecting supply chains away from China.
Global markets tumbled as investors began coming to terms with the idea that President Trump’s trade war is here to stay. Benchmark indexes in China, Germany, France and the United States all dropped. American crude oil prices were down roughly 5 percent, amid growing concern that the ongoing trade war would start to drag on global economic demand. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to its lowest level this year, in a sign investors were pricing in lower levels of growth and inflation.
[…]
While Mr. Trump has insisted any pain will be short-lived and worth the price, administration officials have grown concerned that the president could lose the support of farmers, an important political constituency, ahead of the 2020 election. Those worries helped spur Mr. Trump last week to suddenly drop steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico, which agreed in turn to withdraw stiff levies on American farm goods.
On Thursday, the administration took another step to help insulate farmers, with the Agriculture Department saying it would provide up to $16 billion in aid to farmers hurt by Chinese trade retaliation. The amount “is in line with the estimated impacts of unjustified retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural goods and other trade disruptions,” the department said in a statement.
The new program will make $14.5 billion in direct payments to producers, channeled through the Commodity Credit Corporation, a program that helps shore up American farmers by buying their crops. The payments will be made to agricultural producers for a wide range of products, from soybeans and cotton to chickpeas and cherries, in up to three tranches, beginning in late July or early August.
The government will also implement a $1.4 billion program to purchase surplus commodities affected by the trade war and distribute them to food banks, schools and other programs for the poor, as well as put another $100 million toward developing new export markets for American farmers.
The financial support comes after the administration handed out $12 billion in emergency relief for farmers last year, also funded through the Commodity Credit Corporation.
[…]
The collateral damage to farmers from the trade clash with China now looms as a potential obstacle to the president’s re-election. China’s tariffs against products like soybeans and beef and a recent move to cancel a major pork order have hit swing states, including Iowa, Ohio and Wisconsin, especially hard.
A survey of 400 American farmers by Purdue University and the CME Group, a global markets company, showed that sentiment plunged in April, stemming from concerns about worsening tensions with China. Only 28 percent of farmers surveyed said that they believed a soybean dispute with China would be resolved by July 1, down from 45 percent in March, while 74 percent of those surveyed said now was a “bad time” to make big farm investments.
“Farmers are becoming increasingly anxious over their future financial performance,” said James Mintert, the survey’s principal investigator and director of Purdue University’s Center for Commercial Agriculture.
The president is increasingly focused on rural communities as he looks ahead to a fight with the Democratic nominee for the 2020 election.
[continues]
wapo:
BREAKING: Lawmakers have reached agreement in principle to approve billions of dollars in aid for regions struck by natural disasters, leaving out border money White House demanded, according to Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). Shelby made the announcement Thursday afternoon. The package is expected to cost $19.1 billion. Congressional Democrats and Republicans, as well as the White House, have signed off on the deal in principle, Shelby said.
This story will be updated.
TPM: In 20 Tweets, GOP Rep. Justin Amash Lays Out Case For Impeachment
[…]
On Thursday, he defended the impeachment call with an essay-length Twitter thread, adding to one he posted on Monday defending his call for impeachment.
[click https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/justin-amash-tweets-trump-impeachment to see tweets]
…tilting at windmills.
patd
quite an aptly named column
this is for you Bink….
and this in from CNN…
Nancy Pelosi, Master of Shade
If I were the Dems, I would say, we’d love to help to help out agriculture, but we need assurances that this time trump won’t give the money to Brazilian criminals.
“Mr trump knows our address. He can come here this time.”
I do not want Mike Pence to be president for a variety of reasons
so I’m opposed to removing SFB by any means other than a crashing defeat at the polls
Now, let’s investigate pence. Maybe he’s an agnew.
Do you think Pence would have to have an all male cabinet?
KGC – not only male, but as white and chaste as he is. Maybe even more so. Maybe even “former gay” converts to being “straight”.
Moral keeps falling in the public service sector. This year’s employee survey is out. It will be interesting.
BB
Can you give us excerpts from the survey
x-r
Good on the Brazilian connection– SFB finds his ilk wherever he goes
Impeachment? Sure, why not? But really, what’s more important than impeachment is the investigative hearings to determine whether charges should be brought by the House. Given the allegations of wrongdoing in the Mueller report I believe it is imperative that Congress (the House since the Senate investigative inclination is close to zero) engage in its oversight responsibility. It may or may not lead to drafting articles of impeachment – and frankly, I don’t care. Contrary to Jack’s and Bink’s takes on the issue, I see less downside to conducting investigations than upside politically speaking, to bringing in or attempting to folks who will testify to at a minimum those instances of obstruction in Mueller’s report. And if dumbass continues to resist trying to do the work the government is supposed to do on our behalf I have every confidence that Nancy will continue to show that SFB is a dolt who talks a good game but cannot deliver what he promised.
The two recent rulings against SFB and his attempts to ignore subpoenas directed to the Admin. branch and its personnel and past personnel and interfere with subpoenas to third parties that are non-governmental will keep his mouth-breathing base happy but will piss off the rest of the voting public – and I hope to god they will vote after seeing him fight for 18 months to keep his dirty little secrets from leaking out.
Renee. enjoy the Cape. Hope the storms blow out before you and Rick get there.
What Mr Pogo says.
We need to learn whether or not trump paid for abortions while campaigning for president as a ‘pro-lifer,’ or while camping in the Oval Office. That would be like hitting the $B!LL!ON Power Ball jackpot, and damn near as good as finding the cure for death.
If South Carolina’s doughboy wants so badly to kill folks in Venezuela, he’d better put his chickenshit ass in the front line, and take that dayglo orange coward along with to draw the return fire.
Bloodthirsty parasites, both of them.
“… and his attempts to ignore subpoenas… will keep his mouth-breathing base happy but will piss off the rest of the voting public” -pogo
Nobody but news-junkies and partisans is following any of this shit, brother. I want the Trump Crime Family brought to justice, too, but that opportunity came and went. All of these political efforts aimed towards impeachment would be put to better use building Progressive influence at the state and local levels, where Dems are really getting hammered. Red-States are turning into autonomous Christian Theocracies where entrenched conservatives can do whatever the hell they want.
…but sure, keep beating the impeachment drum.
Since tomorrow is Friday, ask some acquaintances who people like Betsy DeVos, Stephen Miller, and Paul Manafort are. Then ask them who Daenarys Targaryen’s nephew is.
Great song, even better band name:
…scratch that- both equally great.
So Bink, just what the fuck do you propose the House do? Curl into the fetal position and do nothing? If that’s not it what do you think Nancy and her gang of assassins should do for the next 18 months?
Um, so i’m not as politically hip as i once was, but from what i understand, House Dems are dangerously close to provoking a Constitutional crisis, which i would support, but will they follow through? Are they honestly going to issue arrest warrants for people like Don McGahn?
I respect Nancy P.’s and Elijah Cummings’ approaches to these dilemmas and feel junior and left-wing Congressional Dems should, also.
If you donate to political candidates, think about doing it at the local and state level, is the point i’m making. I think your dollar might be better spent, there. A Republican should never run uncontested, again, for any office, anywhere.
“Wow me with policy”, to answer your question directly.
If questions like that need to be asked, of course, maybe a shift of focus might be in order?
I am hoping for a neat, simplified Game of-Thrones-style ending, however. I won’t say which characters i hope fail finding their way to the dinghy, however.
I’ve said too much. Enjoy your holiday weekend, everyone. Thanks to those who were killed and maimed in service to our country and to the the families in silent service who make it possible to do so.
This is pretty easy-listening, by the way, for those who might find my musical submissions overly-bombastic:
NEW THREAD
Bink, so we see eye to eye. How about that?
So Theresa May has announced her PMexit. I wonder whether the new PM will be able to get Parliament to vote Aye to a Brexit plan or submit the measure to the Brits to kill the idea? (I have to admit that I really don’t know what the options are.)