Jeff Flake just announced he will not be running for re-election in a speech condemning the President and his Republican enablers.
I know it’s frustrating to hear this sort of thing from Republicans now, particularly those who are not planning to run for election. But, even if they have been in that pack enabling Trump, it is important for them to speak out now. Bob Corker this morning and now Jeff Flake make it easier for others to come forward and, hopefully, impeach this disaster of a man.
Some excerpts from the speech:
We must never regard as “normal” the regular and casual undermining of our democratic norms and ideals. We must never meekly accept the daily sundering of our country – the personal attacks, the threats against principles, freedoms, and institutions, the flagrant disregard for truth or decency, the reckless provocations, most often for the pettiest and most personal reasons, reasons having nothing whatsoever to do with the fortunes of the people that we have all been elected to serve.
None of these appalling features of our current politics should ever be regarded as normal. We must never allow ourselves to lapse into thinking that this is just the way things are now. If we simply become inured to this condition, thinking that this is just politics as usual, then heaven help us. Without fear of the consequences, and without consideration of the rules of what is politically safe or palatable, we must stop pretending that the degradation of our politics and the conduct of some in our executive branch are normal. They are not normal.
If I have been critical, it not because I relish criticizing the behavior of the president of the United States. If I have been critical, it is because I believe that it is my obligation to do so, as a matter of duty and conscience. The notion that one should stay silent as the norms and values that keep America strong are undermined and as the alliances and agreements that ensure the stability of the entire world are routinely threatened by the level of thought that goes into 140 characters – the notion that one should say and do nothing in the face of such mercurial behavior is ahistoric and, I believe, profoundly misguided.
The principles that underlie our politics, the values of our founding, are too vital to our identity and to our survival to allow them to be compromised by the requirements of politics. Because politics can make us silent when we should speak, and silence can equal complicity.
Flake’s speech is really more about Ryan than Trump. Ryan, more than anyone else, is responsible for enabling Trump’s worst behavior.
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) October 24, 2017
Flake, McCain, Ryan, Corker, McConnell, and other Republican leaders should have endorsed Clinton in the general election. This will be obvious to future historians. it was obvious at the time, too. https://t.co/gGFnz7uOKC
— Harold Pollack (@haroldpollack) October 24, 2017
I do not understand how you can say everything Flake is saying right now about the need for courageous public servants and have the punchline be that you're abandoning the fight because you might not win the primary.
— Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) October 24, 2017
… nonetheless Flake didn’t just announce. retirement, he challenged his colleagues in a way I’ve never seen before. He called them out
— Michael Cohen (@speechboy71) October 24, 2017
Update: Video
WATCH: GOP Sen. Jeff Flake's full 17-minute speech from the Senate floor https://t.co/XmzONyLd68
— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 24, 2017
Thoroughly Pizzled
One more and they can caucus with the Democrats for the rest of the term. Fat chance of that happening.
jon
If only there was a party for conservatives who aren’t batshit crazy.
If only such a thing existed.
LAO
ETA: oops. I thought she was talking about Flake. Sorry.
Can’t wait for Twilter’s response.
Elliott
Oy, the verklempt McConnell
LAO
SatanicPanic
He or Corker or both need to start throwing around the word impeachment.
Corner Stone
@LAO: Voters don’t get to vote on legislation in the Senate. Let’s see what these brave Sir Robins do when the next vote count comes up.
Major Major Major Major
Again, yawn, wake me up when they say “we won’t consider tax cuts until this behavior stops or you resign.”
ETA or it’s somebody who isn’t retiring/dying
gvg
Someone has to be willing to speak up first and second. the way things are, those guys won’t get reelected, but maybe, maybe the Congress people after them won’t lose, won’t have to signal they know their career is going down in flames but they are speaking up anyway. Before the winds fully change, they could try to ass kiss Trump and get reelected instead. So yes we need some to stay in Congress and say these things, but I think that can’t happen first, at least not in those districts.
I don’t see how we can remove Trump without replacing Ryan and McConnell first. I wonder if Mueller is checking them out too?
germy
catclub
Ezra is right and Michael Cohen is wrong.
tractarian
We should have a points system so that we can figure out exactly how much credit we should give to anti-Trump GOPers.
For example
1 point – subtweet Trump (you don’t get additional points for additional subtweets, Sen. Sasse)
1 point – write an op-ed in which you say you are “concerned”
2 points – write the same op-ed but include Trump’s name
5 points – decline to run for re-election out of frustration
20 points – introduce or sponsor legislation to curb Trump’s lawlessness
50 points – support articles of impeachment
100 points – switch parties
Ol'Froth
If they had spines, they would cross the aisle. That would send a message!
jl
@Thoroughly Pizzled:
” One more and they can caucus with the Democrats for the rest of the term. Fat chance of that happening. ”
No reason why we should not contact them and challenge them to do so. They took an oath to the US Constitution, and so they have to answer to every citizen of the US, not just their constituents. The stakes are high: at least two possible catastrophic, illegal and immoral wars, human rights crimes (DACA, and Puerto Rico), gross negligence (TX and FL disaster relief premature cut-off), digging hole deeper on climate change policy, threat to voting rights.
History will judge them. And us too. I think our job now is to encourage them to do the right thing.
StringOnAStick
@gvg: Ryan and McConnell are no doubt in the Russian campaign “assistance” business up to their oh so seriously concerned eyebrows; I am praying Mueller has been unraveling a lot of messy sweaters and tied a lot of it together. I’m also hoping he has a careful security detail.
gvg
@Major Major Major Major: Does Trump want tax cuts really bad, or is that just McConnell & Ryan? I think it’s why those 2 won’t start an investigation or talk anti Trump, but I wouldn’t have thought Trump was really that into it. He likes winning and popularity and I don’t see tax cuts are resulting in big fawning crowds of voters, it just …a niche voter, the super wealthy, who aren’t that numerous and don’t do much adulation.
If Congress wanted to threaten Trump, I think it would have to be publicly doing a more active Russian investigation, maybe removing a few GOP committee reps who look compromised (Nunes for example). hurting his perceived allies.
catclub
“… and I would imagine that Flake is thinking seriously of primarying Trump”
No way. He won’t run again because the polling (among GOP primary voters in AZ) is awful and so is the fundraising.
Not propitious signs for challenging Trump in 2020.
Fair Economist
“Trump is a monster who should be fought in every way possible. That’s why I’m quitting.”
You just have to love Republican logic.
Fair Economist
@gvg:
Trump wants tax cuts for *himself* pretty badly. I doubt he cares about anybody else’s one way or another.
The Moar You Know
Not impressed. He’s not quitting the party or anything. He just wants it to be less embarrassing. Which ain’t gonna happen anytime soon.
Brachiator
I love this reaction from Harold Pollack
It’s really too bad that so many Republicans are only finding their courage as they leave public service.
rp
@Fair Economist: Flake may feel that his retirement gives the Dems a decent chance of taking the seat. He can’t bring himself to change parties, but he can try to grease the wheels a little. (No idea if that’s true, but it’s possible)
geg6
Anybody wonder if anyone other than Charlie Dent from the House side will ever have one of these come-to-Jesus moments? Is there no one left in the House GOP with any love of country or sense of shame?
I know, I know. It is to laugh.
MattF
@tractarian: I’d rate ‘concerned’ as a -5.
Suzanne
@catclub: As someone who lives in AZ, and grew up in the East Valley (literally around the corner from where Flake lives—though in a much less posh neighborhood)…….I think Flake is more popular than his polling would suggest. Kelli Ward is crazy, and a lot of Mormons don’t like her. McCain kicked her ass in the primary by a lot. I think Flake might have actually pulled it out in a GOP primary against her, when people actually evaluated their choices.
Ugh…..this means I have to vote for Kyrsten Sinema.
JMG
Flake just basically accused his Republican congressional colleagues is being traitorous cowards. It’s not how he votes from now on. He’s just given the Democrats their campaign platform for 2019 — we alone can stop Trump. Excerpts of that speech ought to be in 1000 campaign ads. Let’s be practical. If Dems don’t welcome R’s getting off the Trump train, how can we expect them to defect?
rp
For the umpteenth time, don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Flake is attacking Trump. that’s helpful.
chopper
@Fair Economist:
“Now I don’t have to tell you good folks what’s been happening in our beloved little town. Sheriff murdered, crops burned, stores looted, people stampeded, and cattle raped. The time has come to act, and act fast. I’m leaving.”
Cheryl Rofer
No Drought No More
There has been nothing to stop congressional democrats from making that exact same speech all summer long (if not sooner). In light of the mandated impeachment procedure of the Constitution, I know it is vital they remember they will be called on to sit in judgement- that is, if the pissant doesn’t resign first. Still, there is nothing that Flake said that couldn’t have been said better by a democrat. I’d cite it as another example of how flabby their reflexes have atrophied since 1980, and why they need to up their game. If they don’t, I’m convinced they’ll be replaced by democrats who will. But it would such a damnably useless waste of time, so here’s hoping the current crop get it together before it comes to that. The rank and file have bigger fish to fry without needing to take time to run their own dinosaurs out of Dodge before they can clean up the town.
oatler.
@chopper: Chopper Johnson is right!
Major Major Major Major
@gvg:
And if these Congresscritters were serious about holding Trump accountable, then they’d say to Ryan and Mitch, “no consideration of tax cuts until Trump resigns or is held accountable.”
Cheryl Rofer
It might not be caucusing with the Democrats, but…
Fair Economist
@Cheryl Rofer: Talking at length about nothing? That sounds like a really bad philosophy class.
sukabi
Apparently drumpfs meeting with repubs was a huge success…“Nobody called anyone an ignorant slut”
Interesting how they’re defining success now.
Major Major Major Major
@rp:
I don’t see anybody here saying “sit down and shut up and stop denouncing Trump.” I don’t see anybody saying it isn’t helpful. I see people not being impressed. It’s different.
@tractarian: That’s roughly how I think about it. Very few points going around on their side right now.
@sukabi: I presume this means that somebody was called a pompous ass, then.
ericblair
@gvg:
It helps him personally, probably. Of course, we don’t fucking know! If only it was customary for presidential candidates to release financial information to verify that they’re not going to corruptly benefit themselves.
It’s good to see the goopers start to decide that Maybe Somebody Should Do Something About This Guy. Now we have to wait for them to figure out that Somebody is themselves, and that the ones that Do Something are the ones that don’t get carbonized in the next election or charged with criminal conspiracy.
Epicurus
Paul Ryan and the rest of the House will never, ever send a bill of impeachment to the Senate. We will have to wait until January, 2019 at the earliest.
JMG
My two brothers are both classic country club business ethos Republicans, which with their money is appropriate. They want those tax cuts AND don’t care for Trump a bit. Flake’s speech was really aimed at people like them. If such people sit on their wallets in 2018 or even fail to vote in their usual numbers, Republicans will be in a world of hurt.
Hildebrand
It’s all very nice that they are going public with their kvetching, but it’s just too convenient and risk-free. They get the media benefit of sounding like statesmen without actually being statesmen.
Fair Economist
@Cheryl Rofer: It’s true Trump (or McConnell) no longer have the ability to get legislation through by threat (Collins and Murkowski seem pretty resistant too, if not totally immune). But we’ll see when votes happen whether it does any good. They still passed the budget.
rp
@Major Major Major Major: Fair enough, but the message I’m getting is “he’s useless, who cares?”
Cheryl Rofer
@No Drought No More: If the Democrats had raged against Trump in the way you suggest, it would be harder for Republicans like Flake to come out because it would seem (and might even feel to those who might come out) as if they were joining the enemy. Plus the adage that when your enemy is shooting himself in the foot, it’s best to let him. That would also give Republicans and fence-sitters the ammunition of “Give the poor guy a chance” and could have generated sympathy for Trump.
That’s a calculation of a balance. A unified and whole-hearted condemnation by Democrats could have been effective too, but I have a hard time seeing them being that unified.
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
@LAO: What a charming woman that Sarah H-S is. /sarcasm
debit
@No Drought No More: I’m actually tired of this kind of thing. Hillary didn’t campaign on X! Actually, she did, it just wasn’t reported. Dems don’t criticize their opponents! Yes they do, it just isn’t as newsworthy as a Republican turning on their own party. Just, stop with the “oh, we’re so weak and flabby! Not like the sexy, manly GOP!” It makes me want to puke.
Also, too, when your enemy is tearing himself apart, stay out of his way.
ETA: or what @Cheryl Rofer: said.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@catclub: Yup. This is all still, as the Jesuit-educated Pierce put it, faith without acts.
Which means I guess I have to say what those acts might be, short of becoming independents and caucusing with Schumer, which ain’t gonna happen. They could say nothing passes until a bill is passed and signed protecting Meuller, and/or trump’s tax records are subpoena’d by the relevant committees– and even those are mostly symbolic
catclub
@Fair Economist:
Trump has not said one word against the huge ripoff of changing the maximum pass through income tax rate from 39 to 25%. This is for him.
It is a copy of what Kansas did that created giant deficits because it is a loophole even a blind pig could find and use.
Likewise inheritance tax repeal.
Gelfling 545
Flake needed to quit to say what he just said. There is no way he could run as a Republican after this. He will be anathema to the happy little band of enablers still telling themselves that supporting Trump is the way to go and “The Base” sure don’t want to hear they made a mistake.
Cheryl Rofer
@Fair Economist: I agree that it is becoming even more important to keep an eye on how they vote.
George Spiggott
For what it’s worth, Robert Reich’s article in Raw Story last week:
Read the whole thing:
https://www.rawstory.com/2017/10/trump-is-coming-unraveled-and-republicans-know-it-robert-reich/
Fair Economist
An interesting tidbit – Flake’s book is substantially more popular among Democratic readers than Republican readers. Sorry, lost the link.
chopper
@Cheryl Rofer:
and of course trump and co.’s way of improving the situation involves shitting all over mcconnell. hilarious!
sukabi
@Major Major Major Major: probably. If there were video it would likely show Drumpf flapping on while mainly being ignored or met with eyerolls and a whole bunch of jerkoff motions.
SatanicPanic
@debit: I brought this up earlier, but Hillary accused Trump of being a puppet of a foreign dictator in the debates. I don’t know ho much harsher you can get, and on how much bigger a platform, than that.
dmsilev
@Cheryl Rofer: Short lunch, was it?
germy
Cheryl Rofer
Chief ethics lawyer for GWB
geg6
@No Drought No More:
Multiple Democrats have excoriated Dolt 45 from the Senate and House floor. Just because you don’t pay attention doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. And the jump to blaming Democrats for something they’ve already done multiple times is total bullshit. You are part of the problem.
To top it off, political logic says that even if Dems hadn’t spoken out from both Houses’ floors and they did now, what makes you think you or the media would pay any more attention then? It makes news because it’s a Republican saying it. Actually, two in one day. Which has to be some kind of record of the century.
Chyron HR
@No Drought No More:
I recall a prominent Democrat making these same points over a year ago. You guys called her “bitch”, “cunt” and “whore” and said that you would rather see the country destroyed than vote for her.
jl
Flake might be worried about long shot primary and difficult general election. House GOPer lunatics don’t support Senate bipartisan compromise on keeping health care risk sharing payments. He’ll have to fight off right wing lunatics in the primary. Then, in the general, explain why the rich person’s mega-giga tax slash, coupled with big premium increases for working and middle class, is a great policy that is fantastic for the average person.
Most of the Congressional GOP has gone starkers and is asking for an electoral bloodbath in the next two election. We need to help them with that as much as we can. Anyway, I’m going to write Flake to commiserate. Will say too bad a GOPer like Arnie the Gropinator has no chance in today’s GOP. Too bad I have to be in total war mode with the GOP as a voter. Maybe Flake could change that? Perhaps I will be a little careless with the real truth? I dunno, so was Jefferson if it was required of him to get things done. If Arnie gets a fake ID and runs for president against Manchin, Arnie might get my vote. So, close enough.
House Conservatives Say Bipartisan Obamacare Fix Is Dead On Arrival
Alice Ollstein TPM
” Perry added that the only “palatable” bill they’d accept from the Senate would be one that funds CSRs temporarily as part of a full repeal of the Affordable Care Act—a formula the Senate has already demonstrated they are unable to pass. ”
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/freedom-caucus-csrs-dead-on-arrival
Suzanne
@Fair Economist: I have no doubt that Flake is retreating now with the hopes of running for office again in the future……after he is proven right and he gets to pretend he has integrity.
Brachiator
@gvg:
@Major Major Major Major:
Trump wants tax cuts for himself, his best friends and his family. This includes eliminating or cutting the estate tax down to nothing.
debit
@SatanicPanic: I have to admit I’m still having trouble not believing I’m in some sort of fever dream and I’ll wake up to find Hillary actually won. This is just insanity.
MisterForkbeard
@Cheryl Rofer: …did any of those senators say what those accomplishments were? Because I’d kind of like to know.
Shana
@sukabi: Nice old school SNL reference.
jl
@Suzanne: Fine with me. We can lick him when he runs again, if we run a good opponent.
germy
@debit: I remember back when drumpf first announced his candidacy. One humorist put together a futuristic newspaper front page, imagining him as president. It was considered science fiction.
This wouldn’t feel any stranger to me if I woke up one morning and learned Leona Helmsley, Herman Cain or Kid Rock was president.
It just feels insane.
debit
@Chyron HR: Oh, I see. It’s one of those. I should have guessed.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
and more’s the point, they didn’t change anybody’s minds, certainly not the minds of those who can, for now, decide what’s an impeachable offense. There are, unfortunately, a lot of white people who if they’re not full-on deplorables, think racism and misogyny are bad manners (to borrow I think Jamelle Bouie’s phrasing) but are not cancers on our society and polity, much less disqualifying for the presidency. “He’s a businessman, and I don’t like to pay taxes”
Cheryl Rofer
So…this is interesting.
Look at that third name: McConnell. From what I’m seeing on Twitter, McC was also very complimentary to Flake at the end of the speech.
It all could just be senatorial courtesy, but let’s keep an eye on him.
rikyrah
@gvg:
They’d all sell their mothers to Lucifer for those tax cuts.
debit
@germy: Yeah, I’m finally* at the point of despairing bewilderment I was at when W won the first time. I kept asking people this, “You knew he was an idiot, right? I’m not crazy, he’s clearly an idiot, isn’t he? How could anyone vote for him?”
* after months of rage and fury. I couldn’t sustain it.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Cheryl Rofer: no doubt in my mind that as much as he’s willing to eat shit and be humiliated to get Gorsuches and tax cuts and hold on to power, McTurtle hates trump as much as anyone in the Senate.
sukabi
@Cheryl Rofer: it would be a very nice Merry Fucking Christmas to the country at large if they’d send Flake out with the presentation of Articles of Impeachment for dotus.
Major Major Major Major
@rikyrah: Assuming Lucifer doesn’t already own their mothers. Apples falling from trees and all.
Fair Economist
@Suzanne: That sounds as plausible a path as any, but it’s quite a Hail Mary pass, and he has to know that. Sadly, Trump has taken over the Republican party and it doesn’t look reversible.
Aleta
Hope this means Flake wants to be freer to vote against Trump and Ryan without taking calls threatening his election support. And I hope he will work to support the few R senators who (sometimes) vote in opposition, because they need the support.
JPL
@Fair Economist: Let’s remember that they voted to cut 1 1/2 trillion from to budget to fund medicaid and medicare. Gorsuch is smiling somewhere, because he knows better than most, they will still do what is best for the one percent.
germy
Jim, Foolish Literalist
OT: I don’t always like Claire McCaskill, but sometimes…. damn
MattF
@rikyrah: Problem is that so many Republicans have sold their souls that the market is glutted. Satan just shrugs now, pats Bill O’Reilly on the back, “My man Bill”.
SiubhanDuinne
@germy:
RIP. Always liked him.
jl
@Cheryl Rofer: From what I’ve read, Flake is a reactionary crazy person who has some principles and decency. Hard to understand that from my viewpoint (I’m just a voter who reads stuff about him), but I’ll defer to opinions of those who have worked with him and know the guy.
No chance McConnell has any principles at all. McConnell and Ryan are 100 percent cynical and completely bought operators who must deliver for their super rich funders. If they turn on Trump, it will be merely to ditch him for Pence, who might be able to deliver the destruction of the country in order to shove as much money up the ass of the super rich and corporations as possible.
I think the plan was to deliver policy that was super unpopular with the voters, and indeed a frank betrayal of much of what Trump campaigned on. Then count on voter suppression to preserve enough power to keep the policies through the backlash. Trump is such a dismal mess in every respect, he will completely screw up every part of that plan.
Heard in the news this morning that, as predicted by sane and informed people, some prominent GOP congressfinks are very worried that their upper income voters will be hurt badly by some aspects of the super rich person’s super mega tax slash plan, such as elimination of state income tax deduction. The tax slash plan won’t be a gimme.
The GOP will encounter very unpleasant reality therapy at some point. I hope it is arriving now.
Weaselone
@Fair Economist:
Trump didn’t take over piss. The GOP deliberately radicalized their base to obtain and hold power. Trump won because he is the candidate the GOP primed their voters to elect. The GOP may even be in part responsible for Trump’s own radicalization. He’s a known Fox News parrot.
Adam L Silverman
Shannon Sharpe replying to Daniel Dale quoting Senator Flake:
Bill Arnold
@Major Major Major Major:
Bad apples falling from trees.
The McConnell standing applause was interesting. Perhaps we’ll seem some criticism floodgates opening.
Trump should have resigned a while ago, for his own sake.
Aimai
@debit: marry me!
Matt McIrvin
@jl:
Brilliant! No one will recognize him!
germy
https://www.thecut.com/2017/10/bill-oreilly-uta-talent-agency-report.html
Bill O’Reilly Has Reportedly Been Dropped by His Talent Agency
But fear not: The self-proclaimed victim of God has apparently already found another agency. “Bill has already lined up new representation,” Mark Fabiani, O’Reilly’s representative, told THR in a statement. However, Fabiani would not reveal which agency has signed O’Reilly.
Chet
@Cheryl Rofer: I wouldn’t trust McConnell to turn over on his own more than I would any other turtle to do so.
My money is still on Rubio running in the primary.
Cheryl Rofer
@jl: The reason to watch McConnell is precisely what you say. He will go whichever way the wind is blowing. When he turns, it’s all over.
matt
@No Drought No More: So you basically have been given Stockholm Syndrome by the right wing media and are too stupid to see through it. Sorry to hear it!
germy
@Cheryl Rofer:
(Devil’s Dictionary, Ambrose Bierce)
debit
@Aimai: I must warn you, I like to re-watch episodes of Hannibal while I cook. If you’re okay with that…
trollhattan
@Cheryl Rofer:
Sounds like Turtle should keep an eye out for Bulgarians with umbrellas.
Fair Economist
@Weaselone: I agree the Republicans drove their base nuts, but they thought they could continue taking advantage of the marks. Trump is running the show in spite of them arranging and paying for it.
Fair Economist
@debit: Amen
kindness
What happened to Ezra? He used to be good. Now more often than not, he’s just another talking head.
jl
@Fair Economist: Did you mean ‘running’ or ‘ruining’?
germy
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@kindness: gotta get a seat at the VSPs’ grown-up table if you’re gonna make that start-up profitable
that said, I think he’s right in this tweet
TS
@Cheryl Rofer:
They supplied a unified and whole hearted vote against the GOP health care options & that was very effective. Shame the media is always more interested in words rather than actions.
TS
@debit:
trump probably has that dream as well – wakes up each morning – thinks Hillary is President and starts attack tweeting – and if Hillary had been elected, the media would be cheering on each of his tweets.
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
@Cheryl Rofer: I don’t get why Trump’s base hates McConnell so much. He, not Trump, is responsible for Gorsuch.
kindness
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Yea but no. Jeff Flake is extremely conservative. If an even crazier fruit cake (Kelli Ward) wins the primary it is much more likely a Democrat could win. And really, while what Flake said was no great thing, I’ll take honesty from these guys since all they have been serving up for decades is shit sandwiches.
Weaselone
@Fair Economist:
They’ve been electing ever more toxic true believers and charlatans to DC for decades. That one would eventually be nominated as a Presidential candidate and have a coin flip’s chance of winning was a predictable outcome.
Scamp Dog
@jon: It’s called the Democratic Party. It would be nice if we had an actual left-wing party.
Yes, there’s the Green Party, but I’m waiting for them to run a fuller slate of candidates. Vanity runs for the presidency that mostly damage the major-party candidate they’re closest to don’t strike me as a good idea.
trollhattan
@kindness:
I would love for the eventual Dem nominee to hire John Oliver’s creatives to make a “Chem Trails–the Musical” song and dance extravaganza.
Cheryl Rofer
@TS: Good point. The Democrats have been very unified on legislation.
Jeffro
@catclub: trump does own the party now… The problem is he owns it just barely, and his very nature is sure to piss off and disappoint anyone who sticks with him for any length of time at all
Cheryl Rofer
Chet Murthy
@No Drought No More: Oh puhleez. Put a sock in it and/or find somebody who gives a shit. Does Jacobin not have a comments section? ffs.
Yutsano
@No Drought No More:
Maxine.
Fucking.
Watters.
Miss Bianca
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Hot.Damn.Tamale.
Mnemosyne
@Yutsano:
Exactly. Democrats have been making that exact same speech since at least January 2017.