Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Not all heroes wear capes.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

Let us savor the impending downfall of lawless scoundrels who richly deserve the trouble barreling their way.

No one could have predicted…

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

Today’s GOP: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

Battle won, war still ongoing.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

“But what about the lurkers?”

Eh, that’s media spin. biden’s health is fine and he’s doing a good job.

You are here: Home / Economics / C.R.E.A.M. / Thursday Morning Open Thread: The Great War Is Here

Thursday Morning Open Thread: The Great War Is Here

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Paul Ryan and Mick Mulvaney are gonna get matching Blood for the Blood God tattoos…

… Released Wednesday, the CBO’s scoring of the new bill finds that a few cosmetic tweaks don’t change the fact that the AHCA remains a breathtakingly cruel bill…

The AHCA is cruel. There is no other word for it. If the law is enacted, people will die because of it.

Given recent headlines, Democrats naturally have been focused on ties between Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia and his related actions as president. But Democrats have to make the AHCA central to their plans for 2018 and beyond. In recent polling by the Kaiser Family Foundation, only 24 percent of Trump voters want him to decrease Medicaid spending, and 42 percent say that the program is somewhat or very important to them. Independents and Democrats are overwhelmingly against the bill. And for the vast majority of Americans, health care is a visceral issue, something that affects their everyday lives. We’ve seen this reflected in the sharp confrontations between GOP members of Congress and their constituents, who are furious at their representatives’ support for a bill that voters do not want. For moral — not just political — reasons, Republicans must be made to regret their AHCA vote.

Jeanne Lambrew, in the NYTimes, “Republicans, Get Ready for the Trumpcare Headlines”:

… If the Senate makes this flawed bill law, Republicans will have the chance to watch, all the way up to the midterm elections, as Americans pay higher premiums and lose coverage. By the time the bill’s full changes went into effect in 2020, many of those who voted for it could be long gone…

President Trump has repeatedly said that Obamacare should be blamed for any problems in the individual market this year and next. Yet many of the predicted premium increases are actually a reaction to the attempts to repeal Obamacare, an attempt on the part of insurance companies to protect themselves from the uncertainty induced by the congressional debate and President Trump’s executive actions. And poll after poll shows a majority of Americans dislike the Republican approach and will hold Republicans responsible for any future problems.

So Republicans citing Obamacare headlines should take a moment to imagine the likely Trumpcare headlines and what they will mean for their job security.

Since Mormons aren’t supposed to ‘disfigure their bodies’ with tattoos, the First Rat Off the GOP House Ship is feeling pretty good about his latest career choice…

Apart from that freighted discussion, what’s on the agenda for the day?

Reader Interactions

148Comments

  3. 3.

    Elizabelle

    Good morning. WaPost has link to Obama and Merkel, in Q&A session LIVE NOW at the Brandenburg Gate. Lots of the program in German, but always lovely to start the morning with Barack Obama, unfiltered. Large, enthusiastic crowd, listening attentively.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com

  6. 6.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    Chuck Todd‏ @chucktodd

    Our politics is beyond broken. A) this shouldn’t be seen as a successful strategy. B) paid professionals should be ashamed exploiting it

    BOTH SIDES!!

  7. 7.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    Eric Boehlert‏ @EricBoehlert

    Eric Boehlert Retweeted Chuck Todd

    “our politics”?? you misspelled “the Republican Party”

    Mark A.R. Kleiman‏ @MarkARKleiman

    It succeeds because reporters like Chuck Todd
    say “Our politics is beyond broken”
    when what needs saying is
    “The GOP is a bunch of thugs.”

  12. 12.

    Elizabelle

    @David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch: What’s the Toddster rabbiting on about now? Did David Brooks write his talking points for him?

    Now, a question in German about the Stephen Colbert show. Can’t wait to find out what it is … tune in.

  13. 13.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    Neo-Liberal Obama draws 250,000 in Berlin

    Photo #1

    Photo #2

    Photo #3

    BERLIN (AP) — Barack Obama received a rock-star welcome in Berlin as he appeared at a public debate Thursday with Chancellor Angela Merkel, whom he praised as one of his “favorite partners” during his presidency.

    They treat him like he’s a big deal or something. SMH.

  14. 14.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    @Elizabelle: He’s blaming last night’s assault in Montana on …… wait for it…….. the republicans BOTH SIDES!!!

  16. 16.

    Amir Khalid

    @Elizabelle:
    Not that I want to harsh your mellow or anything, but try imagining Trump in Obama’s place at that Q&A session. For the life of me, I can’t.

  17. 17.

    Elizabelle

    Obama says his focus is going to be creating a network to train the next generation of leaders. Totally sidestepped whatever about Colbert … wondering if it was the comment that drew FCC attention.

    Seems program is concluding. Obama ended saying he wanted to be a better husband to Michelle.

    Somebody’s got a sign up: Please stay. Our elections are coming.

    Massive applause and waving and hopping at Obama. Young crowd.

    Happy for them. Melancholy that there is so much more Obama could have achieved, if we didn’t have Mitch McConnell and our servile awful Republicans obstructing at every turn.

  18. 18.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    Even the liberal Willie Geist:

    I’ve got Morning Blow on in the background and Geist just said the GOP healthcare plan exposes them as immoral.

    Baby steps, baby steps.

  19. 19.

    Elizabelle

    @Amir Khalid: I don’t see der Trump’s handlers allowing him anywhere near anything but a rally of his Trump supporters. Hall/arena rental getting cheaper by the day. His appeal is “becoming more selective.”

    In fact, I don’t think I heard the word “Trump” throughout the whole program. Will check the transcript when it’s finally up. (In translation, please.)

  22. 22.

    Elizabelle

    @David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch: LOL. The CNN headline: Merkel meets with Trump in a few hours? No wonder she was less bouncy than her retired peer.

    And the second photo: had no idea the crowd was that large.

    Proud of the Germans. They are turning up to say, we don’t want a Trump (and LePen) world.

  23. 23.

    amk

    how is #maga working out for ya numbnutz?

    The police decision to stop sharing information specifically about the Manchester attack with their security counterparts in the US is a hugely significant move and shows how angry British authorities are.

    The information from the crime scene wasn’t shared on a whim: the British and Americans have a lot of shared world-leading expertise in improvised explosive devices and scientists would be discussing whether the Manchester device tells them something new that could, ultimately, track down a bomb-maker.

    Other sharing will continue. The UK and US share a vast amount of information about terror and espionage threats – its a tight-knit network that also encompasses Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

    That system is based on trust and the “control principle”: if a piece of intelligence is shared, the receiving nation has no right to further disseminate it without permission.

  25. 25.

    Elizabelle

    @Baud: Oh. That’s an idea for a thread right there. What’s on the jukebox?

    Laughing at the image.

    More seriously, has Trump had any large public appearances on this trip? I think his handlers know he would get booed, massively, unless he’s in a repressive country.

    Loving the photo with the Pope and the widow ladies. (What? No?)

  26. 26.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    @Elizabelle: If Merkel wants to win she better bring Bernie over pronto and start railing against the oligarchy.

  27. 27.

    Elizabelle

    @amk: Wow. From your BBC link:

    Home Secretary Amber Rudd had said she was “irritated” by the disclosure of Abedi’s identity against the UK’s wishes and had warned Washington “it should not happen again”.

    However, the pictures of debris – which appear to show bloodstained fragments from the bomb and the backpack used to conceal it – were subsequently leaked to the New York Times, prompting an angry response from within Whitehall and from UK police chiefs.

    BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera says UK officials believe that US law enforcement rather than the White House is the likely culprit for the leaks.

    A Whitehall source described the second US leak as “on another level”, and said it had caused “disbelief and astonishment” across the British government.

    Maybe the crazy asses in the NYC FBI office? I guess only the NY Times could disclose that. But her emails!

  29. 29.

    Elizabelle

    @Elizabelle: more from your BBC link:

    The UK’s National Police Chiefs’ Council described the “unauthorised disclosure” as a breach of trust which had potentially undermined a “major counter-terrorism investigation”.

    Counter-terrorism detectives have spoken in the past about how a delay of about 36 hours before the public know who is being investigated can allow known associates of the suspect to be arrested without being tipped off.

    Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said the leaks had worried him “greatly”, and he had raised them with the US ambassador.

    Lord Blair, who was the head of the Metropolitan Police at the time of the bombings in London on 7 July 2005 said intelligence leaks by the US were not new.

    “I’m afraid it just reminds me exactly of what happened after 7/7 when the US published a complete picture of the way the bombs in 7/7 had been made up,” he said.

    “It’s a different world in which the US operate in terms of how they publish things and this is a very grievous breach but I’m afraid it’s the same as before.”

    Interesting.

  31. 31.

    Betty Cracker

    @Elizabelle: It only took four months for Trump to completely destroy US credibility abroad. Lord knows I wasn’t optimistic about the son of a bitch, but I am surprised by the speed with which he squandered the goodwill PBO built over eight years (in the wake of the GWB disaster).

  32. 32.

    Baud

    @Elizabelle: The UK “special relationship” is one of the few things conservatives respect. Another test for them. Do they still stand with Trump.

  33. 33.

    amk

    So, it took an actual act of violence for the 3 big MT newsies to de-endorse the thug?

  34. 34.

    Elizabelle

    @Betty Cracker: It’s awful, but I think it will ultimately be cleansing for our country. All but FoxWorld can see it, and more people are getting woke, every single day.

    I was walking on a Barcelona street last night, near Montjuic (gorgeous hills over the harbor) chatting with two young Brits I met who’d also been out to see the sunset, and told them “I can’t stand Trump” — and a young man walking directly towards us on the sidewalk shouted — “Damn right. We can’t stand him either.”

  35. 35.

    Baud

    @Elizabelle:

    It’s awful, but I think it will ultimately be cleansing for our country.

    American Enema: An unauthorized biography of Donald Trump.

  37. 37.

    OzarkHillbilly

    new Q national poll on whether Trump is honest: Republicans 79% yes, 16% no; Democrats 6% yes, 91% no; independents 34% yes, 59% no

  39. 39.

    Iowa Old Lady

    I see Trump is scheduled to come to Cedar Rapids next week. That’s in IA 1, my district, and presents a dilemma for my Representative, Rod Blum. This district was Democratic all the while we lived here until Blum was elected in 2014. He’s a member of the Freedom Caucus. Does he want to cozy up to Trump or not?

    On another note, I’m leaving town again for a few days, visiting my friend who’s an FBI agent actually. We’ll see where the conversation leads us.

  40. 40.

    JMG

    @Baud: You have to understand newspaper editorials. They are written by employees, but decisions are made by publishers. In small cities/towns like these, that’s a guy (almost always a guy) wired into the local business elite for purposes of chasing advertising who reflects the views of the average car dealer, furniture store owner, etc. For them even to unendorse the Republican is a pretty big deal.

  43. 43.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    We need to temper our expectations for tonight.

    Republicans haven’t lost a congressional race in Montana since 1994.

    While Montana has elected Democrats to the Senate and State house, at the congressional level, Dems tend to cap at 40%

    2016: 40%
    2014: 40%
    2012: 43%
    2010: 34%
    2008: 32%
    2006: 39%
    2004: 33%
    2002: 33%
    2000: 46%

    If Quist wins that would be fantastic, but in pragmatic terms, it’s best to judge the outcome on how much he over performs recent historical results.

  44. 44.

    debbie

    @JPL:

    Ooh! I hope someone posts side-by-side shots of this and Trump’s inauguration! What better way to welcome Trump back!

  46. 46.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    @Baud: Even the liberal Fox News:

    John Harwood @JohnJHarwood

    new Fox poll shows Trump job approval rating slipping 5 points to 40%; losing ground among Republicans, non-college whites since last month

    3:07 PM – 24 May 2017

  47. 47.

    debbie

    @Elizabelle:

    Colbert has been exceedingly critical of Trump. Practically all of his monologues — literally — have been slams of Trump. He’s been blunt, no-holds, and unbelievably funny. When you get back here, you have many hours of viewing pleasure ahead.

  50. 50.

    amk

    @Baud: Yup. Apparently, a folk singer is unfit for congress. Unlike the real life thug and russian puppet.

  51. 51.

    Elizabelle

    @Baud: I read the endorsements. They all hedged and hoped leopard Gianforte wouldn’t actually eat the faces he promised. “Do what we’d like you to do, not what you say you will do.” And the Helena paper, in rescinding its endorsement, was a classic:

    The Helena Independent Record: they can’t even bring themself to say “Quist.” They make it sound like there are other options.

    While we have always had serious concerns about Gianforte, which were noted in our endorsement of him, we are formally withdrawing that endorsement in light of Wednesday’s developments. We take our endorsements seriously and retracting an endorsement even more seriously, but we cannot in good faith continue to support this candidate.

    We do not want this to be construed as an endorsement for any of Gianforte’s opponents, however. And we encourage all voters to review the information available, listen to their conscience, and vote for the best candidate for Montana at the polls today.

    Good luck finding out who it is, Big Sky Country!

  56. 56.

    Lapassionara

    @Elizabelle: what the Brits do not understand is that in the US, the most important goal is profits. US media needs to be first with a juicy story, integrity and future cooperation are not considered. Profits before everything, including safety, country, integrity, and wishes of sources. Not a great long term plan, but there it is. We aim for profits now, even if it hurts us in the long term.

  57. 57.

    randy khan

    NY Times reporting that the Republican thug candidate (redundant I know) in Montana has now been charged with misdemeanor assault.

  58. 58.

    SFAW

    @Baud:

    The UK “special relationship” is one of the few things conservatives respect. Another test for them. Do they still stand with Trump.

    I can’t tell if you’re joking. Especially the “do they still stand with Trump” part.

  59. 59.

    Betty Cracker

    Dog training question for the hive mind: Our dogs have the supremely irritating habit of trying to wake up folks who are sleeping in a bedroom with the door closed. This happens when we have overnight guests and also when I am up before the mister (which happens A LOT because insomnia) and let the dogs out, walk them, etc. Then they decide they want the mister to be awake too, so they scratch at the bedroom door, whine, etc. I say “no” and call them away, but they don’t get that this is unacceptable behavior. Any ideas?

  61. 61.

    SFAW

    @Baud:

    And his ratings have gone through the roof. Take note TV producers.

    Don’t worry, they’ll bring in Andrew Lack to fix that. Maybe Sean Hannity will be available to take over, soon?

    Not joking as much as I’d like.

  63. 63.

    Ladyraxterinok

    Barbara Conrad Smith, world renowned Black opera star, died Monday. She was center of controversy in 1957 when as one of the first African Americans to attend the U of TX she was chosen to sing Dido paired with a white Aeneas. She had an impressive career. Her life was the subject of a PBS documentary “When I Rise.” See Wikipedia, NYT obituary, etc.

  65. 65.

    SFAW

    @debbie:

    Ooh! I hope someone posts side-by-side shots of this and Trump’s inauguration!

    Couple that with a side-by-side of Trump’s hands and Obama’s hands, and you’re getting close to a trifecta.

  66. 66.

    SFAW

    @Baud:

    Nope. Even if the answer is clear, it’s important to ask the question.

    I misunderstood your focus. I agree: make them own it/him.

  67. 67.

    Another Scott

    @Betty Cracker: It’s the old conflict between giving them the attention they seek (rewarding the behavior) and getting them to stop.

    Somehow, you need to make it more rewarding for them not to bother you than to do so.

    How? Dunno.

    Our Sophie would drive me nuts barking ferociously at black dogs she saw walking anywhere near the house. Yelling “No!” at her didn’t seem to faze her (and maybe indicated to her that there was something to be upset about). If I’d walk up to her and wag my finger, she’d try to slink past and go to a different window. If I delayed her enough so that the dog was out of view, it was much better (but I was not around to delay her every time).

    It’s a problem, but trying to figure out how their crazy little brains work, and how to make them understand what you want when we know they usually don’t understand English is a big part of why we love them so.

    Good luck!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  68. 68.

    MJS

    @OzarkHillbilly: And there’s the problem in a nutshell. The 35% or so of Americans who identify as Republicans are themselves liars. They listen to lies all day, and believe them. They lie to their families, friends, and people they work with. Most importantly, they lie to themselves. They tell themselves they aren’t racists. They tell themselves they aren’t misogynists. They tell themselves that poor people are poor because of bad choices, not bad policies. They tell themselves that tax cuts pay for themselves or, if they don’t, that deficits don’t matter (unless a Democrat is in the White House). They tell themselves that they are put-upon, aggrieved, and discriminated against. They do not live in a fantasy world, they live in a world they know is a lie. They like to lie.

  69. 69.

    Elizabelle

    @OzarkHillbilly: LOL. Reading from the bottom up, and thought this might be about getting Republicans off your doorstep. ETA: or dudebros.

    Yesterday, was reading NY Mag and for a second, thought der Trump had given the pope a collection of the writings of Martin Luther. That’s ballsy, I thought. And a first edition must be a serious chunk of change.

    And then the Litella moment.

  73. 73.

    Kay

    Sometimes they wait to charge in Ohio because if the victim seeks medical care and there’s evidence of some kind of “serious physical harm” they can bump it up to a felony. Serious physical harm is pretty broad and they might not even know it occurred without an x ray, etc.

  74. 74.

    SFAW

    @Elizabelle:

    Yesterday, was reading NY Mag and for a second, thought der Trump had given the pope a collection of the writings of Martin Luther. That’s ballsy, I thought. And a first edition must be a serious chunk of change.

    And then the Litella moment.

    Missed that one — what did he actually do, give Pope Francis a first edition of “Art of the Deal”?

  77. 77.

    Elizabelle

    @debbie: Maybe not, though. Montana elected a Democrat as governor last fall; Gianforte lost by 4 points in a state Trump carried by 20.

    They have seen Gianforte, and passed on him already. Plus, healthcare has been a prominent issue.

    Fingers crossed.

  79. 79.

    SFAW

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    I never tried it with Republicans but it works like a charm with Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons.

    Right. As if you have running water at your shack. (The plumbing for the still don’t count.)

  81. 81.

    SFAW

    @Elizabelle:

    Nah. Collection of writings by Martin Luther King, Jr. I missed the “King.”

    “Hey, Pope! The blacks LOVE me! Bigly! So I got you the latest book by their leader! I woulda got something by that Frank Douglass guy, but his latest one hadn’t hit Amazon yet.”

  82. 82.

    SFAW

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    My girls understand English and Korean.

    Do you? (Serious question. I can’t seem to get the hang of it. Maybe if I worked harder at it?)

    ETA: I meant Korean, but I guess a case could be made for me vis-a-vis English and whether I talk it good.

  83. 83.

    Applejinx

    Lack of health care. Insurance isn’t health care. Insurance (as we practice it) is a privatized, third party way to handle most or all of the duties of truly universal health care while still paying some assholes who are only there to run companies that serve as middlemen.

    People don’t die for lack of those asshole CEO types, they die because of lack of health care. Insurance is one of the things that gets in the way, as well as a privatized mechanic for getting those people some health care under capitalist, privatized rules.

  85. 85.

    Kay

    @Baud:

    It makes a huge difference, waiting for an ER visit. Assaults where the victim is thrown to the ground often involve skull fractures and people don’t know they have one without an x ray. I didn’t object too much to them not arresting him immediately because they know who he is and where to find him. He can hardly flee. As you know all states are different but I read he got an x ray so that’s good. If his face swells up he should go back to the doctor and get photos- extensive bruising can be “serious physical harm”.

  86. 86.

    Baud

    @Kay: Can’t they recharge him before the trial if it turns out the injuries were more serious?

  88. 88.

    Kay

    @Baud:

    Oh, sure. Repeat violent offenders all know it. They fear the hospital visit because they were blind with rage. They have no idea how much harm they did.

  89. 89.

    Elizabelle

    @debbie: Awesome re Colbert. And we don’t get SNL here, even online, so there’s something to look forward to.

    I always kinda hoped that, by the time I get back in July, Trump will be in so much trouble, and one foot out the door. But he’s gotta take Pence, Ryan, McConnell and all those traitors with him.

  93. 93.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Applejinx: You know, that’s what the Republicans have been saying. People won’t lose healthcare, they can go to the ER.

    The problem with going to single payer and getting rid of the insurance companies is cost(it’s quite alot) and people have insurance now and are afraid of the unknown and don’t want to risk it. We’re in the early stages of discussing single payer here in California, I don’t think it’ll get very far when people hear about the price tag.

  95. 95.

    Kay

    @Baud:

    The asshole-nish of that statement is appalling. No apology, no regret. All whiny “I’m the victim of the liberal media”

    It’s like Trump. Voters don’t need any more information. The incident and the statement are disqualifying – he’s out of the “ordinarily decent person” category.

  97. 97.

    Baud

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: In theory, single payer or any other universal health care scheme should cost less. But the transition creates winners and losers, and as you say, people are skittish about the unknown.

  101. 101.

    efgoldman

    @Baud:

    Amazing that they wouldn’t endorse Quist in this environment.

    Unfortunately (in this case) they have early voting in MT, and ~40% are already in.

  102. 102.

    amk

    Google is planning to track billions of credit and debit card sales to compare online ad clicks with money spent offline.

    Google Attribution will allow advertisers to see whether online ad campaigns generate offline sales.

    Announcing the service, Google said that it captures around 70% of credit and debit card transactions in the US.

    Critics said it represented another blow to privacy.

    ya think?

  103. 103.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Baud: There’s still a pretty prevalent streak of anti-tax sentiment here in California(home of Prop 13), handing folk a 10k tax bill won’t go over well. I’m not sure how effective clawing back the funds that employers(the ones that actually do) are currently paying for health insurance. I agree that it should be more cost effective, but it’s a heavy lift.,

  106. 106.

    Kay

    LISTEN to longtime politics analyst Sally Mauk on her intv w Gianforte: “Thin-skinned, offended by being questioned“

    That to me is almost the definition of “privilege”. Lower status people assume they will be “questioned”, constantly, on everything. There’s an assumption they will have to defend actions or opinions- they’re eager to offer the expected defense, often before they’re asked. In his world, no one questions anything he does or says.

  107. 107.

    Baud

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: Agreed. But the proposal eliminates all health care costs by the individual. Logically you have to look at the net. That said, it’s pretty clear that a lot of people have an irrational hatred of taxes, even if they are really saving money over market prices.

  108. 108.

    Betty Cracker

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: IMO, the biggest obstacle for getting to single payer is the fact that the US healthcare system is largely employer-based. That hides the true cost. We’ll eventually get to single payer because it’s ridiculous to build the cost of the Aetna CEOs yacht into our healthcare delivery system. But it’s such a tangled web — I’m afraid it won’t happen in our lifetimes.

  111. 111.

    Weaselone

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:
    The problem isn’t so much total cost. Single payer covering the entire country wouldn’t necessarily cost more than what we have now. The problem is that under the current system, businesses and individuals are picking up a sizable chunk of total costs. Shift to single payer and the government has to pay those costs, which means more government spending and raising taxes.

    Republicans have been playing the reverse version of this for years. Take a government service, privatize it, subsidize it at some reduced amount. Government spending goes down, tax cuts for rich people, people and businesses suffer some combination of increased costs and reduced services which vastly exceed what the government saves. Repeat. It’s exactly what they’re attempting with the acha.

  114. 114.

    Kay

    Not that anyone should be surprised because she’s a wealthy GOP operative and not a politician, but Betsy DeVos also refuses to answer questions from media. The same whiny retreat into offended victimhood but stoic suffering.

    So fucking sick of these people and their combination of incredible arrogance combined with self-pity.

    I always think of Obama and Joe The Fake Plumber, how Obama went out of his way to really engage on his question although Obama’s smart and a very savvy politician and he knew damn well it was fake question. That comes out of not believing he was entitled to that job. He knows he has to earn it.

  116. 116.

    bemused

    It’s disgusting but predictable Gianforte would blame “liberal reporter” for his own anger meltdown. All that is relevant is Gianforte lost his shit and assaulted someone. Along with blaming the victim for his own actions, linking “liberal” to someone who is viewed as an opponent is a go-to tactic for modern day Republicans.

    I’m wondering if Gianforte has swollen or bruised hands today after punching a guy and breaking his glasses. Hope reporters get a chance to get some photos of Gianforte hands.

  122. 122.

    gene108

    @Baud:

    @Betty Cracker: Obamacare could have gotten us there faster, but our side had to keep fighting over whether it was good enough.

    Outside of flame wars on blogs, we liberals have very little real power.

    What hurt Obamacare are the multiple lawsuits that nearly killer the law in the courts, Republicans taking a cynical view to oppose it no matter what for political gain, the Roberts rule that allowed states to opt out of the Medicaid expansion, Republican governors opting out to stick it to the black man in their White House, and the current lawsuit winding its way through the courts launched by the House, in 2014, challenging the legality of insurance subsidy payments.

    Basically, the real drag is all from Republicans.

  124. 124.

    Baud

    @gene108: Republicans are worse. But I’m not persuaded that hostile rhetoric on our side doesn’t do considerable harm.

  125. 125.

    Lurking Canadian

    @Elizabelle:

    Somebody’s got a sign up: Please stay. Our elections are coming

    I am reminded of the scene in Canada’s Parliament, when the entire damned House of Commons answered Obama’s last official address to them with a chant of “Four more years! Four more years!”

    Note that this event preceded the election. It wasn’t just “We hate and fear Trump.” It was “We love you”.

  129. 129.

    D58826

    Probably OT but a lotg of electrons have been burned on BJ over the Hiullary vs Bernie issue:

    Russia Duped Bernie Fans via Facebook, San Diego Dems Told. Oliver Mitov was dispatched by the Kremlin to get Bernie Sanders fans to vote third-party in the November election, write in the Democratic primary loser for president — or not vote at all. But investigative journalist John Mattes, describing how fake stories on Facebook helped defeat Hillary Clinton, isn’t sure who Mitov is.

    “He may be a bot. He may be a person [or four]. He may be living in Macedonia, laughing,” Mattes told a rapt audience of 90 Thursday night in Hillcrest.

    But Mitov’s thousands of posts — and similar ones from Albania and elsewhere — duped just enough of the 13 million Sanders supporters to hand the election to Donald Trump and prove Russia could hack American democracy, said the 66-year-old resident of Pacific Beach.

    And the GOP controlled congress is doing nothing to prevent it from happening again. They seem to figure Pution will be on their side in future elections.

    This and the Trump investigations are related. What it really will take is a joint select committee to get to the bottom of this and recommend new legislation. The committee would have the investigators, subject matter specialists, etc to dig into the entire affair. The oversight committees, even if they wanted to, don’t have the necessary staff/expertise. They drag witnesses from one committee to another where questions range from good to misdirection. Given the time limits on each critter (plus camera hogging) unified lines of questions are impossible. On Maddow last night one D was talking about following the money of Der Fuhrer’s business enterprises but hey don’t have the kind of accountants and investigators on the committee staff to do the job correctly.

    http://timesofsandiego.com/politics/2017/03/23/russia-duped-bernie-fans-via-facebook-san-diego-dems-told/

  130. 130.

    LurkerNoLonger

    @debbie: Colbert is offended by Trump on a moral level. I think that’s were the relentless (and funny) criticism comes from.

  132. 132.

    Kay

    @Applejinx:

    I want to do socialized medicine for ordinary care and insure the pricey stuff. Why doesn’t anyone do that? Everyone would have to buy the pricey stuff supplemental so it would be fair and spread risk.

    I love community health centers. I felt I got great “whole person” care in one- to the extent I felt as if they were nagging me, but nagging works. It was like a team of women – “we’re not mad, just disappointed you ate Skittles for lunch”

  133. 133.

    D58826

    @Weaselone:

    The problem is that under the current system, businesses and individuals are picking up a sizable chunk of total costs. Shift to single payer and the government has to pay those costs, which means more government spending and raising taxes.

    Seems to me that you would have to develop a legal structure where by the employer/employee contributions would go into the single payer monetary pool -kind of like the FICA matching deduction. Gov’t would still be paying more but not the entire amount

  134. 134.

    FlipYrWhig

    @Kay:

    I want to do socialized medicine for ordinary care and insure the pricey stuff.

    Yes, I’d love to see that too. Urgent care for all!

  135. 135.

    gene108

    @Baud:

    There’s a rift. It came out with Bernie’s campaign and even Applejinx’s comment

    There are people on our side, who view gutting private insurance companies as a goal in and of itself.

    Anything that does not get rid of private for profit health insurance companies is a failure.

    I don’t know, if compromise is possible.

  136. 136.

    Kay

    @FlipYrWhig:

    I feel like it’s moving in that direction anyway. My daughter’s in an advanced practice program (she works with really old- elderly- those are her people) and they had this lecture on how they have divided “oral care” out to dentists exclusively and there’s no reason for it. They can include an exam and refer out. She considers herself “front line” and that’s appealing to her, not a lesser role but a different one.

  137. 137.

    FlipYrWhig

    @Kay: I am for anything that makes the process of picking a doctor in a new city less confusing. My wife and I have 4 advanced degrees between us and we never understand WTF we’re supposed to do. You get these lists of people and have to research them based on… something? Why is that so complicated? Just walking into the public clinic would be a massive improvement.

  138. 138.

    clay

    @MomSense: Trump’s fingers are straight in that picture; he’s not gripping Macron’s hand at all. Which means he was giving a limp handshake. Winning!

  139. 139.

    rikyrah

    @Kay:

    Not that anyone should be surprised because she’s a wealthy GOP operative and not a politician, but Betsy DeVos also refuses to answer questions from media. The same whiny retreat into offended victimhood but stoic suffering.

    AS IF, folks don’t have THE RIGHT to ask her HOW the money is being spent.

    I know we don’t like Attorney General White Citizens Council, Kay.

    But, DeVos offends on a special level too.

  140. 140.

    amk

    and of course, chucky toady has to ‘interview’ the MT thug he wuz ‘ruing’ about just yesterday. asshole.

  143. 143.

    rikyrah

    @Elizabelle:

    Home Secretary Amber Rudd had said she was “irritated” by the disclosure of Abedi’s identity against the UK’s wishes and had warned Washington “it should not happen again”.

    However, the pictures of debris – which appear to show bloodstained fragments from the bomb and the backpack used to conceal it – were subsequently leaked to the New York Times, prompting an angry response from within Whitehall and from UK police chiefs.

    BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera says UK officials believe that US law enforcement rather than the White House is the likely culprit for the leaks.

    A Whitehall source described the second US leak as “on another level”, and said it had caused “disbelief and astonishment” across the British government.

    This is quite serious. And, another indication of the curve for the White Man.

    IF 44 or Hillary had upset an ally like this, by being irresponsible with such sensitive information, the right wing media would have been up in arms.

  144. 144.

    rikyrah

    @Patricia Kayden:

    I wonder if Trump will have anything to say about the race-related killing of a Black man in Maryland. The murderer was a proud member of the alt-right.

    Another curve for the White Man.

    When 44 was President, he was asked about each and every one of these types of murders.

    Now that Dolt45 is there, complete with WHITE SUPREMACISTS WORKING IN THE WHITE HOUSE..

    It doesn’t seem to come up.

    Uh huh
    Uh huh.

  145. 145.

    Fair Economist

    @amk:

    Google is planning to track billions of credit and debit card sales to compare online ad clicks with money spent offline.

    Google Attribution will allow advertisers to see whether online ad campaigns generate offline sales.

    I’m sure the results will be TOTALLY unbiased.

  146. 146.

    opiejeanne

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: Oh God, I talked to my sister yesterday and she was whining about the gasoline tax being raised. I was so exasperated after explaining where that money will go that I finally asked her why she cares since she never goes anywhere.

    She also waved away my worry about Medicaid and Medicare being cut, saying she just doesn’t believe they’ll do that. I asked her why she’d vote for anyone who threatens to do so, who threatens to hurt people. She said she was happy in her little bubble.

  147. 147.

    sphex

    @Baud: OK, I mostly lurk, but I’m reading here, standing at the podium while proctoring a final exam, and you made me actually laugh our loud. I had to attempt to pretend it was a cough, but my eyes are giving away the truth. Students are intrigued.

  148. 148.

    David Spikes

    @D58826: Early analysis seems to show that yearly cost of Cal-med would be about 200 billion.150 billion of that would be offset by pulling back present charges-still leaving about 50 billion in new spending. About $1250 per person in new taxes-so, probably not.
    The group foto of the Euro meeting makes the Pope look positively cheerful-Merkel is just so obviously delighted that asshole is there.

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