Trump's America, March 2017: Using His Inside VOICE

This is just ... weird:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/donald-trump-russia-dossier-christopher-steele-ex-spy-british-a7616326.html

This jumped out at me:

In general, the impact of the Republican bill would be particularly severe for older individuals, ages 55 to 64. Their costs would increase by $5,269 if the bill went into effect today and by $6,971 in 2020. Individuals with income below 250 percent of the federal poverty line would see their costs increase by $2,945 today and by $4,061 in 2020.

This is the GOP base why are they fucking them over? Freedom? You'd think they'd at least try to soak young people who never vote for them, but according to the article above they're the only ones 'saving' anything..

The GOP doesn't give a fuck about its base, who will continue voting for them as long as the party stays right with god on abortion, gay rights and non-whites.

White evangelicals are basically the only demographic Republicans win outright and they're perfectly content to continue getting fucked as long as it suits their ministers' beliefs.

because they aren't being fucked, it's all part of god's plan

they're being loved

lack of health insurance is like a golden shower from god

Breitbart's not happy, calling it worse than Obamacare.

the independent is to british newspapers as louise mensch is to british politicians

The Independent is married to Metallica's manager?

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/03/07/sean-spicer-inaccurately-claims-paul-ryans-health-care-bill-fully-repeals-obamacare/

Spicer, reached by phone on Tuesday afternoon, told Breitbart News, “I don’t care” when told this bill does not constitute a full Obamacare repeal.

There once was a boy named Pierre Sean
Who only would say "I don't care."

it has been deeply satisfying to see Paul Ryan, after making his way to the legislative pinnacle, fall flat on his smug face with this first healthcare swing. i am sure he will find a way to get what he wants eventually, but this is an embarrassing display

losing a vote or withdrawing the bill would be "falling flat on his smug face", I don't think he's quite there yet.

The Great One is disturbed by the reaction so far:

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/839268048313929729

Even a fucking five year old knows that's not English

"I feel sure. Please feel me."

Rand thinks I'm pretty. Right, Rand?

is he being facetious I'm confused. last I checked Rand Paul was in the bowells of the Congress looking for text of the AHCA.

Freedom Works is ON IT:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C6WsaEHWAAEJbVU.jpg:large

And Trump, why he is antsy:

http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/07/politics/donald-trump-health-care/index.html

President Donald Trump warned House Republicans Tuesday if they can't get pass health care legislation after seven years of promises it could be a "bloodbath" in the 2018 midterm election, according to one member present in the meeting.

Trump vowed to throw his full support behind the effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act during a meeting with House GOP leadership, saying he is "proud" to support a GOP-authored plan to replace Obamacare and told members behind closed doors that he would support it "100%," according to sources in the room.

But he warned lawmakers of the high-stakes nature of the effort, citing a potential electoral "bloodbath," a member present said.

"He said he hopes members understand that," the source said.

The end is the funny part:

Vice President Mike Pence also joined the meeting and was feeling hopeful about the legislation's prospects in the Senate, sources said, despite the fact that two senators have already come out with deep concerns about the House legislation.

While Trump said he was committed to the bill, he did indicate he was open to making changes. Sources in the room, however, said that the changes would have to win broad support and be passed through the amendment process, making it difficult to amend the contours of the legislation in any meaningful way.

"This is a guy who knows how to close a deal, and he thinks we are at the point were we need to close," the source said.

More telling, from Robert Costa's feed:

Key question among top Rs on Hill: Who has power and actual influence on HC in WH? Mulvaney? Price? Bannon? Cohn? Priebus?....Pence is seen as the ambassador, to be sure. But he's making a soft sale to Rs and others are having side mtgs. w/ Hill folks.

Win-win for opposition. New ACA somehow passes, people get screwed and pissed. New ACA doesn't fly, Trump fails and they look like even bigger fools.

This tweet from, of all people, Ana Marie Cox kinda sums up my feelings at the moment:

@anamariecox
It’s just such a pleasure to see the GOP really *fuck* itself, you know? I mean, who know what tomorrow brings but this is fun.

xp

or new AHCA passes, people get screwed and pissed, Republicans blame Obama, democrats out of power for many more decades.

Win-win for opposition.

Yeah. But not so much fun for the millions of (mostly poor) people who are going to get screwed. It's not a game.

exactly. I have an entire family of friends who would be fucked by it because they run their own business and ACA Was the way they finally could afford health care

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5xeanLjCpQ

oh shit that was meant to reference the sean spicer quote mentioned earlier

Hahah I admit I thought of that too.

hahaha Evan

The expert's on the case!

https://twitter.com/seanhannity/status/839302150412894209

did Pence really say "if you like your Obamacare, keep it"

Oopsie

https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/839297010285043712

The most conservative Republicans genuinely seem think that taking health insurance away from maybe 15 or 20 million people (who would not have it without the ACA) is a good idea, because their ideology abhors that these people were ever given government assistance in the first place and removing it is the only right thing to do. These same conservatives fought tooth and nail to shoot down many provisions proposed for inclusion in the original ACA that would have kept medical costs down, because the government acting to limit or reduce the profits of capitalists in any way is a sin.

I expect these people will make a hash of the AHCA, too.

Hawai'i challenges muslim ban 2.0 http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hawaii-file-legal-challenge-over-new-trump-travel-order-n730426

lol evan

I thought the ACA only worked if it was as universal as possible. So healthy people paying into it covered costs for the already ill, while ensuring that if anything unforeseen happened the until then healthy person would be covered. So if it's an opt in/opt out option it's already sunk.

Yep. Read this link from above if you want to know more:
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/03/trumpcare-the-culmination-of-all-the-gops-health-care-lies.html

― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 7 March 2017 21:31 (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Is Ana Marie Cox considered bad? Or what? I don't know. She had a Guardian column called 'On Politics ... and Whatever' (I didn't like this title) but it seemed to fizzle out.

Here is an old column from her:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/31/history-after-obamacare-april-fools-day

I feel terrible for all the people potentially hurt or adversely affected by Republicare, if it passes. But these cuts and changes wouldn't even be on the table if a huge hunk of those people didn't vote against their best interests for the party the promised to put all these things on the table. I know it sounds unsympathetic, but part of me is glad it's failing, since hopefully it will fast track a better solution sooner rather than later, starting with the aforementioned voting in force in 2018 in favor of people actually on their side. Beyond that, I know plenty of smart people who supported the ACA mostly because they knew it was compromised and would ultimately fail, but failure would in the end, eventually, lead to single payer, after all other bad solutions have been attempted. But that takes time.

Honestly, I don't know why (I mean, I do, but I don't) the GOP is rushing this. They won, fine, so the smart thing would be to say that they had lots of ideas over the past 7 years, but they just want to think it through and do what's right for America. (Which would still fail, likely, but still.) As it is, they've been so headstrong they're just stepping in it, since between Trump and the insurance companies, the ACA has been depicted as an actual disaster, like a flood or earthquake, and everyone is acting like time is of the essence and we need something, anything, ASAP, or we're all going to die.

Now if the Dems were smart (I know) - and maybe they're doing this already - they would tour Bumfuckistan, USA and calmly explain why this new ACA is not the right solution, then encourage voters both Dem and GOP to take a deep breath and vote in 2018 for better ideas. Because as it is this thing is going to crash and burn, and if they don't get in front of it (maybe they are?) the GOP is going to blame the dems for party-of-no obstruction and preventing their masterpiece from being mounted over America's fireplace.

(Pre-made joke: "Oh, it's being mounted, alright!")

They won, fine, so the smart thing would be to say that they had lots of ideas over the past 7 years, but they just want to think it through and do what's right for America.

yeah that's definitely not happening under Donald Trump, like the Carrier deal it's not about what's right for America, he just wants the headline.

I think I'm most confused because we have such an amazing dealmaker in the office now, this should all be coming together so seamlessly, I just don't understand it.

I will say it's kinda nice to see Trump and his voting base's insistence that everything is so god damn easy just fall apart at the seams like this

He would be an object lesson in what happens when you put idiots in charge of things that they don't understand but that they insist are easy and that they could do better than anyone else...except for that thing where idiots won't actually learn anything by observing his folly because they're idiots.

idk people are really forgiving of bad rhetoric and idiotic plans right up until it starts to hit them in the pocketbook. once the boomers get their shiny new insurance plan with a $60,000 deductible their tune may change. or they might just die from preventable ailments like all the poors who decided to buy that shiny new iPhone.

More amusement than anything else, I think, but still interesting:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article136940273.html

I love the venality of this guy:

“There are a lot of rumors and farfetched theories circulating online but none of them have any basis in fact,” said Brian Cattell, founding partner of CLP & Partners in New York. “Mr. Rybolovlev has never met Donald Trump.”

Cattell declined to say whether the oligarch had been aboard the plane when it landed in Charlotte, whether anyone associated with Trump was a passenger or whether its arrival was in any way connected with Trump’s campaign. If Rybolovlev were somehow assisting the campaign, it would constitute an illegal foreign donation.

Cattell was asked to explain why the plane was in Charlotte for nearly 22 hours before departing for Southern California at 8:39 a.m. on Nov. 4.

“Nothing further to add . . . I am afraid,” said Cattell, a past contributor to Breitbart, the alt-right news organization that was headed by Steve Bannon, who’s now Trump’s special White House adviser. Cattell said he is an external representative for “the Rybolovlev family office,” but until 2011 he was chairman of The Bow Group, a British conservative think tank. The Bow Group’s webpage includes a screen shot of Cattell on Russia Today, the television network that U.S. intelligence agencies say is a Kremlin propaganda tool.

It is however gratifying to know that Trump's application for escort services branding has been approved in China:

http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-china-grants-preliminary-approval-to-38-new-trump-trademarks-2017-3

And back to health care. When Tom Cotton starts making 'uh' noises, it's pretty clear what's going to happen (or rather, what won't):

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/mar/8/tom-cotton-i-think-were-moving-little-bit-too-quic/

And the NRO: https://onsizzle.com/i/charles-c-w-cooke-charlescwcooke-ive-yet-to-read-a-10856834

looooool

Aw damn, forgot to post that last night when I saw it. Pretty fantastic.