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

It isnt going to work

xp

Some more no votes coming out. Things'll be in flux still.

RE healthcare I dont understand why y'all arent overturning cars on fire in the street, this system is beyond belief. I mean it literally isnt understandable to me.

Too busy shooting each other

we are quite literally one of the dumbest countries on the planet

we are cowards. we are conditioned to worship bullies from a young age, and attack anyone who speaks out against that

some tweets from Ben Wikler of Move On tonight that gave me anxiety:

Friends, let me puncture your premature triumphalism. Here's how the GOP wins against the Affordable Care Act. 1/

First, the Freedom Caucus folds. Possibly underway already. Bill passes House. https://twitter.com/StevenTDennis/status/845102655261331457 2/

Next, it gets to Senate, and McConnell immediately replaces it with a totally different bill that he's been quietly crafting for weeks. 3/

What I'm hearing is, doesn't matter what the House passes—the Senate will never consider the House bill. It'll consider its own version. 4/

Once a bill squeaks through the Senate, it goes back to the House—straight to a vote, no amendments. Freedom Caucus folds again. 5/

That's not only a plausible path to victory, it's (I hear) the game plan. It's what comes next if the AHCA passes the House tomorrow. 6/

None of this is guaranteed, of course. But it's why the House bill moving right doesn't kill its prospects in the Senate. 7/

The ONLY thing that matters tomorrow is whether *something* passes the House. No matter how misbegotten. If it passes, TrumpCare lives. 8/

That's why the stakes are so high. Don't bet against desperate people who'll do anything to win. Don't bet—fight. It's all on the line. 9/9

Aimless and will otm re how challenging single payer would be to pass, it's weird to talk about it like a foregone conclusion without acknowledging the gigantic amount of work and advocacy that needs to be done for it to pass

I think part of doing the work is making it seem like a foregone conclusion. Make it the party platform, make it popular, make it obvious.

my pack of 250 Medicare for All stickers is coming in the mail tomorrow, gonna start sticking 'em places

ideas that are laying around, etc.

That sounds nuts to me but he's right about not being complacent (never a winning strategy)

Xp

Don't bet—fight.

Good plan. If this passes we should all make ourselves sick on purpose and blow up the system, man.

I'm suspicious of that "McConnell has a different bill all ready to go" part

Xp

I guess looking at it again the scenario doesn't seem that likely. I'm just hoping this thing doesn't pass tomorrow

I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if it did, but also wouldn't be surprised if it's so wretchedly ugly that those voting for it start looking for their own excuses next week.

Whatever McConnell has been "quietly crafting", when compared to the AHCA it is bound to look positively brilliant. The Freedom Caucus "folding" on a bill seems possible, but their whole gig is extreme ideological purity, so the fig leaf will have to be enormous to satisfy them. That's part of the deal with the devil the republicans cut when they gerrymandered rock solid districts and allowed Tea Party candidates to win them.

The FC doesn't need to compromise to stay in office and they know it. Ask Boehner. He knows it, too.

they need to compromise if the koch threat to fund 2018 opponents of FC members who vote for trumpcare is merely a feint. sure that's convoluted but so is the fiscal and overall ethical philosophy of the GOP

Pretty great Twitter thread here

https://twitter.com/ddiamond/status/845109727898091522

lol hot damn

re: complacency, it doesn't really matter a lick how cocky or overconfident any of us get, it doesn't hold any sway over the votes. just how disappointed/elated we feel afterwards.

with that being said, that scenario upthread seems way too House of Cards-esque for me. one reason I quit reading MoveOn years ago.

anything's possible, naturally, so I'm not exactly ready to spike the football yet, but getting extra anxious about it won't help a lick. sleep, wake up, and hopefully this shit will be over and we can point and laugh at the GOP some.

WaPo editorial board not impressed with Nunes

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/shut-down-nuness-investigation--and-investigate-him-for-leaking/2017/03/23/48d3e020-0fe5-11e7-9d5a-a83e627dc120_story.html?utm_term=.6fa6a00a33ea

WaPo otm. always knew Nunes was garbage but rarely been as angry as I was yesterday afternoon

On the lighter side...

https://scontent-dft4-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/17498965_10158286735975005_6203107589666458117_n.jpg?oh=887ddfa4195f2843bfb2a8c60a94be5c&oe=5962D2A1

omg

BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

incredible

good MOURNING!

where's the tax returns?

Jean Claude Juncker on Trump in todays FT:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C7ri5IXXgAA6k_F.jpg

He had Tusk on the stereo and thought it was Rumours

he had me on the phone and thought he was talking to Raymond Tusk from 'House of Cards'

He thought he was talking to a walrus.

I googled to figure out if Turnip even knows how to drive and apparently the answer is 'yes' and it is evidenced by this video which I cannot watch because I'm at work but that I was hoping you could watch for me and report back re: its entertainment value, thank you for your time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqmmEso_2sI

How did I miss this?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/trump-summoned-dc-mayor-to-oval-office-for-storm-that-brought-2-of-snow/2017/03/14/8eabc098-08da-11e7-93dc-00f9bdd74ed1_story.html

Apparently, before DC's modest snow a couple of weeks back, Trump weirdly (of course) called DC's mayor to his office to brief him on the weather. It's as if he thought that's what presidents are supposed to do, so did it, even though apparently no president has ever done that before.

He's like the kid in The Toy. He gets what he wants when he wants it, even if it's someone dropping everything to address his bizarre requests. And also he's incredibly racist.

he's like the avatar for american neo-feudalism. who you are is how much money your parents have/had

Yeah that was impressive. Intelligence briefings, no; local weather briefings from the mayor, yes

"Glad you're all here for this yugely important issue that face, that faces our country. Okay? So listen, Muriel: I've got one question: is it gonna be a problem for me to fly out to Florida today, or are the wings gonna be, y'know, icy?"

Anyways McConnell's had just as long to craft an OCare alternative as Ryan had. And look at what the House came up with.

Now, I know that SOMETIMES the strategy is to get something moving, and work out the kinks through reconciliation.

But if he's been quietly crafting something in the background, no one has heard a peep about it, including and especially his Republican brethren in the House. Anyway even if this were so, I doubt he has something that's better/more amenable to all the necessary constituencies. If it were, why would he not have given Ryan a peek at it?

There's an anecdote from some years back that goes roughly: A new GOP representative is being shown the ropes by a more experienced congressman. Newbie casually mentions "the enemy," referring to the Democrats. Old guy says, "No, no - the Democrats are 'the opposition.' 'The enemy' is the Senate."

As noted, I doubt McConnell has a better bill in his pocket. But if Mitch's strategy is to let Ryan ALMOST fall flat on his face, then swoop in to be seen as the Righteous Rescuer of Repeal? Well, that probably just means more GOP infighting. Which tends to be good news for the nation. If they're preoccupied with sniping among themselves, they have slightly less time to work on screwing over the downtrodden.

These are not a people inclined toward comity. Infighting is the new intransigence.

The great one speaks!

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/845249587178819584

The irony is that the Freedom Caucus, which is very pro-life and against Planned Parenthood, allows P.P. to continue if they stop this plan!

This is not playing out well among hard right types.

Supposedly Bannon is down on the whole thing now because it doesn't cut costs enough, and this tweet is probably the most accurate read anyway:

https://twitter.com/JohnJHarwood/status/845240270472073216

senior WH aide, asked if decisive health care defeat today is best for Team Trump: "100%"

(The likelihood that Bannon is that aide is also about 100%.)

yeah that snowstorm story is strange but not a patch on the 3 AM phonecall to Michael Flynn to ask an Econ 101 question

Would any development NOT have been spun as a win for Team Trump? (By Team Trump, that is.)

I'm already seeing Trumpsters conveniently ignoring that this terrible bill was Trump's highest priority circa yesterday, and now they're cheering, because WINNING.

Related:

https://twitter.com/HallieJackson/status/845251292570226688

Remember, if this bill fails, top WH source told me POTUS won't see it as failure - instead, as "people in Congress breaking their promises"

https://twitter.com/jonathanvswan/status/845246574385094656

Freedom Caucus source to me just now: "Think they want it to fail on the floor to make a point."

something tells me it may not be a great idea to start a war with the one group you actually need to constantly look the other way

And per the screenshots here, Drudge and Breitbart merrily targeting Ryan:

https://twitter.com/oliverdarcy/status/845267910973181953

frogbs otm: perhaps after being publicly blamed for failing to Make Health Care Great Again, GOP congresspersons will suddenly develop an interest in all this Russia nonsense.

Perhaps but I wouldn't count on it immediately. Still...