Trump, July 2017: Tweet more

Best possible outcome for the country is a collapse on a golf course, followed by years in a coma.

they'd probably refuse to transfer powers and still leave him the President

Frankly, I'm none too fond of the Cold War expansion of presidential powers. A president incapable of signing legislation or offering direction, but also incapable of offending our allies and starting unnecessary wars, would be better than our collective dive into chaos. The U.S. survived Oct 1919-Jan 1921 (after Woodrow Wilson's stroke) just fine without a chief executive. It could do so again.

Is this how it's going to end?

BREAKING: Two GOP senators say House assurance on health bill insufficient, dealing blow to McConnell effort to pass legislation.

— The Associated Press (@AP) July 28, 2017

it won't

This fucking zombie bill

These recent Scaramucci comments are really something

I like this Scaramucci guy's style. If we're going to go down in flames, we might as well have some on board entertainment.

Breitbart going to war over the Mooch pic.twitter.com/WEcjVM1E8Q

— Jon Passantino (@passantino) July 28, 2017

Funny how it works.

I made a mistake in trusting in a reporter. It won't happen again.

— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) July 28, 2017

What???

SOMEBODY forgot how to log in so I'm posting this insight from her instead:

The reason Ivanka and Kush got the Mooch to come in is because they're sick and tired of having to constantly give Daddy the affirmation he needs. They know that Mooch will give him that so they can take a break from checking in and making sure everything is okay - Mooch will fuck with all the other hangers-on, Mooch will #MAGA all over everything, and they can finally stop living with their dad all the time and go about their lives.

Aw.

GOP Sen. David Perdue says he was "comforted" by Paul Ryan's statement and he will now vote "yes" on skinny bill, @mj_lee reports.

— Teddy Davis (@TeddyDavisCNN) July 28, 2017

That makes no sense. He is not dumb enough to think the New Yorker reporter is his best friend and confidant.

I hate when they jerk us around like this.

well it's easy, shift the narrative to "OMG the media is the enemy" and let the base connect the dots - they "took him out of context", they "painted him in an unfair light", "they faked the interview"

Yeah and then Lizza just shrugs and uploads the tape.

Anyway

Ron Johnson says he appreciates Ryan's statement on skinny but adds: "The Speaker only has so much power in what he can actually assure."

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) July 28, 2017

Sen. Wicker: if we pass bill tonight..

Reporter: what's in the bill?

W: (Long pause) You want me to start at section 1?

Reporters: "YES!"

— Paul McLeod (@pdmcleod) July 28, 2017

lol

I made a mistake in trusting in a reporter. It won't happen again.

— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) July 28, 2017

Worth a read re Trump/influencing Congress

Thread: I want to talk about this, because it actually demonstrates the incompetence of the Trump administration. /1 https://t.co/ArzRbWPUCa

— (((tedfrank))) (@tedfrank) July 28, 2017

Just noticed Cornyn has somebody answering selected questions for him on the thread for his FB post about healthcare.

Re: Single-Payer

The Senate voted on a Medicare for all amendment today. No Senators voted in favor of it. Here's the roll call vote if you'd like to take a look: https://www.senate.gov/.../roll.../roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm...

Also, has this been brought up?

http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/27/politics/spending-bill-vote-border-wall-money/index.html

Despite Trump's pledge to make Mexico pay for the wall, the bill earmarks taxpayer money to construct a carrier along the southwest border. To avoid having those Republicans who oppose the measure vote on it directly House Republican leaders tucked it into a procedural measure that set the debate plan for the so-called "minibus" funding bill for several federal agencies.

related:

The executive director of the National Butterfly Center is seeking answers after she found work crews on her property clearing trees and brush that she said is endangering protected wildlife in the area. The Army Corp of Engineers has admitted responsibility only setting surveyor stakes on the property.

Marianna Treviño-Wright said she discovered the crew Thursday morning while doing a routine check of the 70 acres of private property owned by the National Butterfly Center located south of the Rio Grande River levee.

The crew of five people, Treviño-Wright said, had chainsaws, two mechanized brush cutters and other pieces of machinery. She confronted the crew from the Alaska-based Tikigaq Construction LLC firm who told her they were on orders from U.S. Customs and Border Protection clearing land for the border wall.
http://www.progresstimes.net/news/local-news/9668-nbc-director-stops-army-corps-of-engineer-crews-from-clearing-its-property.html

I have to say, Huckleberry is really bringing the lolz on this

Privately some Republicans predicted Ryan would have to act to sooth the senators’ concerns. Asked what such a guarantee would look like from Ryan, Graham compared it to pornography.

“You know it when you see it,” Graham said. 

Also - that border wall funding in the House appropriations bill will never make it through the Senate, where it will require 60 votes.

Xxp

Also CBP is a nightmare org

So the bill's been released and they're going to vote on it in...four hours?

Right-wingers I have seen in the wild are bringing out three layers of response to the Scaramucci-New Yorker thing:

1. Didn't happen (what, you believe someone from the MEDIA?).

2. This is scripted, like wrestling, and Bannon's in on it. (Seriously posited by several people.)

3. Eh, let it play out, a brawling, indiscriminate wrecking ball is what is sorely needed in Washington.

the hell does even mean? Conference committees reconcile legislation; they don't write it.

Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC), one of the ringleaders of the short-lived revolt, said around 9:30 p.m. ET that after speaking to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) by phone he was convinced the House would agree to go to conference with the Senate to hammer out a bill.

“He said he doesn’t believe the skinny bill is good policy or good politics,” a weary Graham relayed to a large gaggle of reporters. “He doesn’t want to be the party that repeals part of Obamacare and leaves most of it in place. Paul sees the skinny bill as a vehicle to find a better solution.”

Thread

Uh this is not a skinny repeal bill. The changes to the waivers here are huge.

— Paul McLeod (@pdmcleod) July 28, 2017

i fucking hate this ben saassee guy. your not funny or clever or the "adult". fuck you.

you're

i was watching chuck todd earlier today because i guess i hate myself, and he asked george will, basically, to name ANYONE in the republican party who wasn't an asshole. will thought for a moment and then said ben sasse and jeff flake.

eat a dick, Will

Gonna pass

Huckleberry lovin all the attention

so what is it? 3 "No" votes that stops it?

do we have any sense of the timeline if/when it passes? does the house have to vote on anything before it goes to conference? is there any sort of deadline or can they basically hold off on a final vote until they are able to come to some sort of deal?

Reassuring!

GOP aides say if "skinny repeal" passes the Senate, it's a "coin flip" whether it becomes law https://t.co/8dIBG2GRO0

— Axios (@axios) July 28, 2017

This is so fucking stupid

now they've done this, definitely expect to see war with iran soon

Nah

Dude knows what's up

.@ChrisMurphyCT explains how the #SkinnyRepeal bill that Senate GOP doesn't want to become law...will become law. A must watch. pic.twitter.com/uwgNKkP07n

— CAP Action (@CAPAction) July 28, 2017

I've been trawling through all sorts of right-leaning Twitter feeds and nobody, absolutely nobody, is saying either the process works or, more importantly, the bill itself is any good. Obviously from a different angle, but they treat it as pointless garbage and its collective authors as weak morons. Kind of amazing.

The collective response seems to be "We will own this in 2018 and we will be shredded at the ballot box, especially after we have to bail our way out of the disaster we're creating."

1) Raise premiums on people who actually vote
2) ?????
3) 2018 landslide victory https://t.co/QxvamwvnYx

— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) July 28, 2017

That sounds weirdly realistic

Xp

Chris Murphy impressed me every time I see him.

All these GOP swing voted refusing to say how they will vote - even tho they've already decided - is not a good sign

did you guys ever see that "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" where Peter Lorre bets Steve McQueen over a series of cigarette-lighter ignitions, and if Lorre wins he can chop off Steve's thumb? That's where we are, only it's our head.

I'd support him in a Dem primary if he runs, he's wonky enough, strong stance against guns and he's the only Dem who reliably speaks out against our cozy relationship with the Saudi gov't