President Trump: The NEW one and only politics thread

Yeah, you need a good dirt-track racin' crowd to get what he's talking about.

 

I think we ought to let the ardent Russia hawks in Washington and the ardent USA hawks in the Kremlin battle it out with nukes on some uninhabited Pacific island until none are left.

Putin, BTW, is a dove compared to the Kremlin hawks, whom he is constantly trying to keep at bay.

 

Interesting write up on the facts of Watergate and the similarities with Trump/Russia.

Frank Rich: Nixon, Trump, and How a Presidency Ends

"It’s always possible that there’s only smoke, no fire, and Trump will yet save himself, his party, and his country. Perhaps he won’t fire Robert Mueller. Perhaps Mueller will determine that Trump is not guilty of collusion with the Russians (with Trump’s voluntarily released tax returns as confirming evidence) or of obstruction of justice. Perhaps he will uncover no untoward financial dealings or subversive collaborations with the Kremlin and its network by any of the president’s men. Perhaps the courts will find Trump not guilty of violating the “emoluments clause” that restricts a president from profiting from office. (This last was debated as a possible article of impeachment for Nixon.) Perhaps Trump will stay out of trouble, stay off Twitter, miraculously avoid perjury, brilliantly staff up the executive branch, and deliver fabulously on his promises to secure cheap health care for all Americans, cut everyone’s taxes, and rebuild America’s infrastructure. Perhaps Jared Kushner will bring peace to the Middle East and reinvent American government rather than follow his father to prison.

What’s more likely is that the Trump administration will continue to mirror Garry Wills’s description of Nixon’s: “a world of little men using large powers incompetently from a combination of suspicion and panic.” The little men will continue to drive the country into a ditch. And GOP leaders will look the other way right up to that moment when Republicans in the 60 to 80 districts (according to FiveThirtyEight) more competitive than those in last week’s special elections figure out that they may have to choose between the minority of voters who are Trump’s irreducible base and a larger group, including Independents, who will determine whether they keep their jobs."

 

Sad but true.

 

The American Enterprise Institute?

 

GOP Healthcare Plan: Non-profit medical orgs hate it. For-profit medical groups like it.

McConnell had to put forward a healthcare plan similar to the House plan. He had to. His members can vote for it, or against it (whatever works better for them) and he can say, he tried. This was the plan the base has wanted all along - if it is proven unpopular - especially by the base that supported Repeal and Replace - the GOP can then actually try and find a workable solution with the Dems. But they would have been cooked without putting it forward and allowing people to realize how bad the idea was.

 

Starting to feel like there won't even be a vote on this steaming pile of shit.

 

I think there HAS to be a vote for the GOPers to appease the base. Maybe some can vote NO saying it doesn't go far enough, others NO because it is too extreme, others YES if it floats their boat. But I don't think anyone really wants to see it pass. But make no mistake, this will go a long way in determining which Senators get primaried next year or not.

 

I'd imagine it's great for dems if there is a vote. The cruelness of this bill will be great to campaign on.

 

It's gonna pass. It wouldn't have gotten this far if it weren't. The no votes are theater

 

A little context on the bill:

Medicaid Reforms -- Senate Health Care Bill Medicaid Reforms an Important Step | National Review