Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

If a good thing happens for a bad reason, it’s still a good thing.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

Second rate reporter says what?

My right to basic bodily autonomy is not on the table. that’s the new deal.

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

Not loving this new fraud based economy.

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

Compromise? There is no middle ground between a firefighter and an arsonist.

This country desperately needs a functioning fourth estate.

Prediction: the gop will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

He wakes up lying, and he lies all day.

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

The low info voters probably won’t even notice or remember by their next lap around the goldfish bowl.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires Republicans to act in good faith.

We need to vote them all out and restore sane Democratic government.

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

The snowflake in chief appeared visibly frustrated when questioned by a reporter about egg prices.

There are some who say that there are too many strawmen arguments on this blog.

Live so that if you miss a day of work people aren’t hoping you’re dead.

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Thursday Evening Open Thread: Dems Will Be Ready, When the Time Comes

Thursday Evening Open Thread: Dems Will Be Ready, When the Time Comes

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Greg Sargent, in the Washington Post:

The Post’s Paul Kane reports this morning that despite their rhetoric downplaying this possibility, House Democrats are privately preparing for a possible effort to impeach President Trump, should they regain the majority.

That’s excellent news. This is exactly what Democrats should be doing — right now.

Not just because an impeachment battle might actually happen, but also for another reason: Democrats will need to find a more effective way to talk to the American people about the serial degradation of our democracy we are seeing in the Trump era, for the good of the party, yes, but also for the good of the country…

… To be clear, I’m not necessarily saying impeachment is merited right at this moment. My position aligns with the persuasive argument made by Benjamin Wittes and Jane Chong that there are ample grounds for beginning a formal congressional inquiry into possible impeachment, based on the sum total of Trump’s multiplying fields of misconduct.

Publicly, Democratic leaders are urging the rank and file to play down any talk of impeachment, out of fear that it might be perceived as overreach. But there is no reason for Democrats to be apologetic about preparing for possible impeachment in certain plausible scenarios, or to shy away from treating that as a legitimate topic of public debate…


.

With that being noted, what’s on the agenda for the evening?
***********

As a further leading indicator, on the other side of the aisle, Sen. Chelonian hastily pulls extremities into shell…

Reader Interactions

129Comments

  4. 4.

    Lapassionara

    The violations of the Emoluments Clause are likely numerous by now. If only there were some way to find out which foreign governments are lining his pockets, and by how much . . . .

  6. 6.

    VeniceRiley

    Unconvicted Chelon
    Nevermind the turtles!

    (Chelon is a genus of mullets found in coastal marine waters, estuaries and rivers in the Atlantic Ocean and western Indian Ocean.)

  7. 7.

    Jay S

    Given that Donnie thinks it has been repealed, maybe he thinks he can let this slide by. However Paul Ryan may have other ideas.
    Is Mitch on board with Paul’s plans to attack Medicare and Medicaid?
    ETA I see he included entitlement reform. So a Mitch passive aggressive slug fest is coming? Ha.

  8. 8.

    The Moar You Know

    McConnell: Welfare & entitlement reform not on 2018 agenda via

    LIE

    McConnell tells NPR that Obamacare repeal is probably DOA in 2018. “I think we’ll probably move on to other issues.”

    LIE

    They will never stop until they get done what their spite-filled ragevoters sent them there to do.

  10. 10.

    jl

    @Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD): I don’t think the Yellowstone super volcano is big enough to do the job all by itself. So, put your hopes on Indonesia, it’s a lot bigger.

    McConnell may keep this promise, I think because if GOP starts cutting social insurance in Spring, that will go very bad for them with the public for 2018, after passing the rich person and giant corporation tax heist bill. The CSPAN clips, news items and interviews themselves with be anti-GOP attack ads. Democrats can just clip them and broadcast them next summer for the campaign.

    Ryan has said he will start push for social insurance cuts, though. Ryan is on his way out to a cushy wingnut welfare job, and he might have different incentives than a politician who wants to maintain control of Congress.

  11. 11.

    joel hanes

    what’s on the agenda for the evening?

    Finish buying stocking candy and a couple books.
    Add another string of lights to house exterior.
    Wrap some presents.
    Drink.

  16. 16.

    debbie

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?:

    Also on his stated “wish” to work on a bipartisan basis.

    “This has not been a very bipartisan year,” McConnell said. “I hope in the new year, we’re going to pivot here and become more cooperative.”

    And if that’s not enough of a lie, there’s this:

    He also rejected the notion that President Trump is preparing to fire special counsel Robert Mueller. “The only people that talk about that are the Democrats,” McConnell said. “But I don’t hear anybody at the White House or any Republicans, and certainly not in the Senate, calling for Mueller to be fired.”

    LIAR.

  18. 18.

    randy khan

    Has McConnell spoken with Paul Ryan and his merry band of looters about entitlement reform?

    Honestly, the perfect outcome would be the House Republicans voting to do something horrific and the Senate never voting on it at all. Then we could hang the Republicans with it but nothing bad would have happened (on that front).

  19. 19.

    trollhattan

    @debbie:
    I await Chuck Schumer informing the press, “I believe the overwhelming view of the Democratic Conference in the Senate is that this nomination should not be filled, this vacancy should not be filled by this lame duck president, The American people are perfectly capable of having their say on this issue, so let’s give them a voice. Let’s let the American people decide. The Senate will appropriately revisit the matter when it considers the qualifications of the nominee the next president nominates, whoever that might be, we will not move forward on this nomination, as we think the people should have a vote.”

    Word for fucking word.

  20. 20.

    jl

    @Major Major Major Major: I heard on news this morning that Trump will probably sign the bill early January 2018. That will officially delay any initiation of PAYGO cuts until after the election, in 2019.

    The links in the last two tweets don’t quite line up. In the first, McConnell is talking like he is trying to signal Ryan to not talk at all about any attempts to legislate any social insurance cuts in 2018, which I noted above, would create huge problems for GOP. Whether Ryan is in a mood to listen is another matter.

    In the second link, McConnell talks like he is willing to legislate social insurance cuts, but only if he can get some conservative Democratic buy-in and votes. Apparently he thinks a bipartisan bill might protect GOP from savage electoral consequences of blowing up deficit with a disastrous tax scam cut, and then using the increased budget deficit as an excuse to cut social insurance. I don’t think that will work at all, the GOP will own it and a Manchin or other blue dog Democratic fig leaf won’t help much.

  23. 23.

    Mnemosyne

    @debbie:

    It’s not a “lie,” exactly. It’s just that he intends the Democrats to do the pivoting. To a Republican, “bipartisanship” means “doing everything Republicans want with no back-talk.”

  24. 24.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    McConnell tells NPR that Obamacare repeal is probably DOA in 2018. “I think we’ll probably move on to other issues.”

    The GOP has other issues?

  25. 25.

    MomSense

    I’ve loved Nadler since he was in the NY State Assembly and was trying to deal with the rent increases that were making it too expensive for dance studios and other artists to work and teach.

  33. 33.

    mike in dc

    Still waiting for confirmation that the Mueller-Team Trump meeting has taken place, and the initial readout. Maybe it was delayed to tomorrow? I think if Mueller requests Trump’s testimony, it’s hard to keep a lid on that. And if there was anything remotely resembling an exoneration, no way they’d delay revealing that.

  36. 36.

    catclub

    @trollhattan: I so hope that happens. I would just add that they could say the ONLY nominee they can think of that would pass muster is named Merrick Garland.

  38. 38.

    catclub

    @jl:

    I don’t think the Yellowstone super volcano is big enough to do the job all by itself. So, put your hopes on Indonesia, it’s a lot bigger.

    wow, from the science stuff I have not listened to carefully, I would have guessed that Yellowstone is the larger. Also, much more relevant to the North American continent.

  39. 39.

    germy

    Reading the new Vanity Fair profile of Bannon, I notice he refers to trump voters as “hobbits”.

  41. 41.

    Kay

    Andrew Cuomo‏Verified account
    @NYGovCuomo
    Follow Follow @NYGovCuomo
    More
    It’s time to modernize New York’s antiquated voting system. That’s why I’m proposing legislation to institute early voting and automatic and same-day voter registration.

    This is such a great issue for Democrats. We have no “voter suppression lobby”! In fact, rank and file Democrats complain that Democrats don’t do enough on voting rights. There is NO group of Democrats who want less voting going on. Zero.

    My God, just grab it. It’s not like there’s any competition! The other team is busy stopping people from voting and making up stupid shit conspiracy theories. They can own this issue.

  42. 42.

    Steeplejack

    Agenda for the evening?

    About to hop in the shower to clean up for dinner at Sighthound Hall. In a gigantic example of First World problems, I will have to convey the sad news to Bro’ Man that the Red Truck Bakery has sold out of the special fruitcakes that he wanted. There will be gnashing of teeth, possibly accompanied by wailing. I had volunteered to drive out there (about 45 miles west), but luckily I thought to call ahead and got the bad news. I may still go out there tomorrow, because their stuff is f’mazeballs (though expensive!) and I had been thinking about getting a few things as gifts for people. But the pressure’s off—no necessity to go, since the fruitcakes are gone.

    And, yes, I hate fruitcake, like all right-thinking Americans, but I have to admit that their Havana fruitcake is something special. Exception to the rule or something.

  43. 43.

    schrodingers_cat

    Massive grocery shopping trip for guests coming next week. If you live close to an Aldi’s get yourself their chocolate covered gingerbread cookies with apricot filling. They are awesome.

  45. 45.

    mike in dc

    @Leto: Sarah Sanders was vaguely hinting at a possible Trump news conference in the next few days. I assume that might be in the optimistic hope that he’d be exonerated by Mueller. If we hear nothing more about that conference, then he didn’t get the answer he wanted.

  47. 47.

    MisterForkbeard

    @geg6: Like, Laura Dern from Jurassic Park or Laura Dern from The Last Jedi? Because Jurassic Park means you want to dig through their poop to find out what they’re eating.

    …so probably Laura Dern from TLJ. Got it.

    @debbie: I was going to say, that 2nd part about firing Mueller is an objective lie. We have numerous elected republicans and conservative media personalities OPENLY saying Mueller should be fired.

  48. 48.

    RedDirtGirl

    I’m going to a winter solstice fish fry in Red Hook, Brooklyn. And I just got myself a new email account for christmas:
    IvanThrowUp at gmail dot com!

  49. 49.

    Leto

    @mike in dc: Or he comes out whining about how unfair everything is, NO COLLUSION, then fires Mueller on national TV. His handlers realize they forgot to put him down for his 1pm nap and ready their resumes.

  52. 52.

    germy

    Time to investigate high ranking Obama government officials who might have colluded to prevent the election of @realDonaldTrump! This could be WORSE than Watergate!— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 21, 2017

    The fact that many elected Rs, even the self-imagined Very Serious ones, no longer feel constrained by even minimal standards of intellectual honesty is a very serious problem. https://t.co/lQR76KayxO— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) December 21, 2017

  54. 54.

    TenguPhule

    @jl:

    I think because if GOP starts cutting social insurance in Spring, that will go very bad for them with the public for 2018, after passing the rich person and giant corporation tax heist bill.

    On the other hand, if they really are polling bad enough they may figure why not just go ahead and do as much as they can before they lose.

    Remember, Cleek’s Law. If they can’t win, nobody else is allowed to.

  55. 55.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Leto: Nah. Trump isn’t brave enough to actually fire someone… though he might get a kick out of saying it for the first time at a cult rally/presidential speech… which wouldn’t actually take effect because it’s Rosenstein that has to do the firing.

    No, more likely Trump will send his bodyguard to Rosenstein to deliver a letter stating he’s going to fire Mueller or else, because Trump doesn’t have the stones to say it to anyone’s face.

  58. 58.

    J R in WV

    @Steeplejack:

    Our local bakery makes a special christmas bread called… hmm, think, I’ve got one on the counter. Stollen, a yellow cake bread with citron and currents. Very tasty, high profit item for them. Will be enjoying the next few days. Not much like traditional fruit cake at all. Very popular, you have to get there early.

  60. 60.

    MisterForkbeard

    @germy: The sad thing is that all of the evidence points the other way… and much of it was even sorta legal, such as Republican voter suppression.

    @germy: I mean, it was already clear that Lindsay Graham had sold his soul. But you’d think his new masters would have refused to buy it. It’s pretty obviously been lit on fire a few dozen times by now.

  61. 61.

    bemused

    Watching Republicans ass kiss trump, crow about their “win” and blatantly lie how fantastic it’s going to be for the 99% is sickening. Shameless and soulless. Listening to Orrin Hatch and so many others was creepy.

  63. 63.

    TenguPhule

    @germy:

    Time to investigate high ranking Obama government officials who might have colluded to prevent the election of @realDonaldTrump! This could be WORSE than Watergate!

    Satire is dead.

  64. 64.

    Mnemosyne

    Ugh. I have been super unproductive at work, in part because I have either a slight cold or a sinus infection that’s sapping my energy. And I have shit that needs to get done today or I can’t take time off next week.

    And what am I doing? Laying down in the conference room with my knee up. But I couldn’t stare at my desk for one second longer.

  65. 65.

    jl

    @catclub: You might be right in terms of size of the caldera. But I vaguely remember reading that the most recent explosion in Indonesia was second largest ever recorded and wiped out enough of humanity to leave evidence of a genetic bottleneck in our genes.

    But who knows? Near term, a nuclear winter from deadly clowns in WH more likely.

  66. 66.

    Leto

    @MisterForkbeard: True. I forgot that he’s an orange chickenshit stain who doesn’t actually do his trademark catchphrase. He berates/shames people into submission, or has a toady deliver the message. Good point.

  67. 67.

    jl

    @germy:

    ” Time to investigate high ranking Obama government officials who might have colluded to prevent the election of @realDonaldTrump! This could be WORSE than Watergate!— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 21, 2017 ”

    So corrupt and ruthless, only elections can solve the problem. People need to give money and time next year. Our democracy may depend on it.

  69. 69.

    Steeplejack

    @germy:

    From the NPR story linked at the top:

    [Mitch McConnell] also rejected the notion that President Trump is preparing to fire special counsel Robert Mueller. “The only people that talk about that are the Democrats,” McConnell said. “But I don’t hear anybody at the White House or any Republicans, and certainly not in the Senate, calling for Mueller to be fired.”

    Oh, really, Mitch? Have you met Matt Gaetz in the House?

  73. 73.

    TenguPhule

    ‘We’re losing the war for truth’: Franken denounces Trump, GOP in final floor speech

    “As I leave the Senate, I have to admit that it feels like we’re losing the war for truth,” Franken said in his final speech on the Senate floor. “Maybe it’s already lost. If that’s what happens, then we have lost the ability to have the kinds of arguments that help build consensus.”

    As Republicans celebrated the passage of their tax plan in another part of the Capitol, Franken denounced the bill as a means of “showering corporations and wealthy donors with tax breaks and special favors.”

    “The Republican tax bill represents a slap in the face to those forgotten men and women” mentioned by President Trump during the 2016 campaign, he said. “I guess the president forgot about them.”

    We lost a good one. And damn every fainthearted idiot who fell for this ACORN bullshit again.

  74. 74.

    Chyron HR

    @germy:

    It’s worse than you think. I have evidence which shows that nearly SIXTY SIX MILLION PEOPLE–many of whom may have voted for Obama–took direct action on election day 2016 to prevent Donald Trump from becoming president!

  76. 76.

    germy

    @TenguPhule: from that WaPo article:

    The two-term senator had risen as far as to be discussed as a possible candidate for president in 2020, until a woman said last month that he had grabbed her breasts while she was sleeping and forcibly kissed her in 2006. That woman, Leeann Tweeden, was followed by several others who alleged sexual misconduct by Franken.

    C’mon, WaPo. You can do better than that.

  79. 79.

    Steeplejack

    @germy:

    God, I hate that guy. He came out of nowhere the last few months, and he has rocketed to (near) the top of my “punchable faces” hit list. Him and that Jim “I can’t be bothered to wear a coat or tighten my tie” Jordan guy.

  86. 86.

    cmorenc

    Ugh – by a month, we’re not even done yet with Trump’s first year of Trump’s term of office, three years and a month still to go.
    On the mild upside, it’s now less than three years until the next Presidential election, and ten and a half months until the 2018 midterms.
    Unfortunately, still lots of time for Trump and the GOP congressional majority to inflict irresponsible, mean-spirited arson to the social safety net and democracy.

  88. 88.

    J R in WV

    @Chyron HR:

    I have evidence which shows that nearly SIXTY SIX MILLION PEOPLE–many of whom may have voted for Obama–took direct action on election day 2016

    To think there’s that much distrust of our great leader, the Orange Julius of politics, Presidente el Trumpo, right here in Greater America!@! Why, that makes my heart swell with pride!!

  91. 91.

    laura

    @Steeplejack: rumor has it, the set list is all new stuff and one oldy. I won that double album on the radio when I was a foolish young Virgin in the 70”s -and still have it. First live show though for both me and the spouse.
    Next up, the Gustave Klimpst exhibit at he Legion of Honor followed by X at the Regency Ballroom on the 30th and that’s our holiday gift to each other.

  93. 93.

    NotMax

    FYI.

    House Republicans took the first step Thursday toward avoiding a partial shutdown when they passed a stopgap measure to fund the government through Jan. 19.

    The chamber voted in favor of a continuing resolution, 231-188, sending the measure to the Senate where it’s expected to pass later Thursday or early Friday. Without the stopgap — the third such measure deployed for fiscal 2018 — funding would expire at midnight Friday.
    [snip]
    The CR through Jan. 19 is not a “clean” spending bill in that it includes several attachments. It reauthorizes Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act through the same date, funds the Children’s Health Insurance Program and community health centers through March 31 and appropriates $2.1 billion for a private care access program for veterans known as the Veterans Choice Program.

    The measure also includes defense anomalies — $4 billion for missile defense and $700 million for Navy ship repairs — to get around the sequestration spending cap. A provision to waive the statutory pay-as-you-go rule on the tax overhaul bill to avoid sharp automatic cuts to mandatory spending programs was also added to the CR. Source

  96. 96.

    Steeplejack

    @laura:

    Sounds like a good holiday schedule.

    Man, I’m looping “I Saw the Light” and getting a little oogly-googly. Really takes me back to that time in my life, which I haven’t thought much about in a while. The power of music.

  97. 97.

    Mnemosyne

    Since we were discussing teas in the other thread, I forgot about a cool new blend I got — Edgar Allan Poe. Black teas, including a little lapsang souchong and pu-er, plus a touch of beetroot to turn it an ominous dark red in your cup.

  98. 98.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    So how long before the Conservatives start complaining the Democrats are plotting to overthrow Trump legally in 2020? I mean that would be fitting since it Franken was joking about it in one of his books.

  99. 99.

    NotMax

    Hmmm (emphasis added).

    Cloaked in secrecy, Vice President Pence made an unannounced trip to Afghanistan on Thursday to meet with Afghan leaders and visit U.S. troops….
    [snip]
    The trip followed an abrupt announcement from White House that Pence would postpone until mid-January a planned visit to the Middle East, including stops in Egypt and Israel. The vice president had been scheduled to depart for the Middle East on Tuesday night. Source

  101. 101.

    Schlemazel

    I am seriously concerned that the wurlitzer is pumping out a very dangerous tune. Fox, Newt, Alex, Rush and the rest of the bastards are undermining Mueller and the FBI and the entire rule of law. They are inciting the wingnuts to violence when the indictments come down. Hair furor himself is pouring gas on the fire. If there is to be an impeachment then they better have a damn good PR operation trumpeting all the evidence and strong-arming every damn news outlet to tell the truth and point out the GOP lies. We have to have a massive majority in order to tamp down the response to exposing the crooks and liars.

  102. 102.

    Gravenstone

    @randy khan: McConnell is perfectly happy to ignore anything that comes up from the House, unless it furthers his own agenda. So Ryan can pursue anything he wishes. Unless Turtle’s paymaster tell him to go with it, he may well let Ryan twist in the breeze. Probably would find it humorous.

  104. 104.

    Peale

    @jl: do not underestimate the ability of supposedly Democratic voters to make the “cover” Democrat the face of Democratic Party so they don’t have to vote.

  107. 107.

    TenguPhule

    @Schlemazel:

    I am seriously concerned that the wurlitzer is pumping out a very dangerous tune. Fox, Newt, Alex, Rush and the rest of the bastards are undermining Mueller and the FBI and the entire rule of law. They are inciting the wingnuts to violence when the indictments come down. Hair furor himself is pouring gas on the fire.

    I have been told that such concerns are a sign of doom and gloom and a blight upon this blog. Because surely things will never go that far.

  108. 108.

    TenguPhule

    Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is considering a series of measures to halt a new surge of Central American families and unaccompanied minors coming across the Mexican border, including a proposal to separate parents from their children, according to Trump administration officials with knowledge of the plans.

    These measures, described on condition of anonymity because they have not been publicly disclosed, would also crack down on migrants already living in the United States illegally who send for their children. That aspect of the effort would use data collected by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to target parents for deportation after they attempt to regain custody of their kids from government shelters .

    Merry fucking Christmas. /s

  111. 111.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Kay:

    Can we add to that the push for an all vote-by-mail-in ballot system? Why have polling places any longer when we can do it all by mail? It’s the number one plank in Baud’s platform after I pointed out the success Oregon has had with voter participation.

  112. 112.

    Schlemazel

    @Peale:
    Sad but true. But this time the Dems really have to forge ahead and do what is right. They have backed down too many times in the past. We simply don’t have that luxury any more

  114. 114.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Kathleen: hmm would this work…?

    Dear Mr Senator Rand Paul,

    As a registered libertarian first Mr Senator let me thank you for fighting the good fight against the statist in Washington. How ever two points in the Libertarian agenda I think the time is right for you to push

    1) A law against abusing the dignity of our President. Speaking as a Libertarian I can not stand how people abuse the freedom of speech like they do to Donald Trump, who has so graciously burdened himself with the presidency and I am sure he will go down in the history books. As a libertarian you must agree that a man with the kind of achievements like Donald Trump should not
    be held up to endless public ridicule.

    2) Reforming our laws with the real social parasites. It’s time to stop this nanny state nonsense of allowing people making under $40K run amok in society. We need to pass laws NOW to ensure these deadbeats CHOSE to work and not slack off behind the counter at some 711

    Sincere & ect.

  116. 116.

    Shalimar

    @jl: https://votesmart.org/education/how-a-bill-becomes-law
    The bill passed the House on the 20th. 10 days should be December 30th, assuming Congress is technically still in session by then. There is probably some technicality with counting days that they are relying on to allow Trump to sign it in January, but I assume there will be a lawsuit as to whether the bill is valid or not if he waits after 10 days from House passage.

  117. 117.

    eclare

    @Steeplejack: Republicans (and Russia) have learned the best way to get what they want is to pit Democrats against each other. And every single fucking time, we fall for it.

  118. 118.

    jl

    @Shalimar: Thanks for info. I didn’t bother to count the days. What I heard this morning was advertised as the WH plan, so I guess they didn’t bother to count either.

    Edit: I don’t recall exactly when WH planned to sign it, but I think first working day in January. So, maybe they at least tried to count.

  119. 119.

    KithKanan

    @Shalimar: It appears Sundays aren’t included in the 10-day count, per Article I Section 7 Clause 2:

    If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law.

  121. 121.

    B.B.A.

    @Kay: now just watch the State Senate vote it down, because Cuomo’s “Independent Democrats” are just so fucking bipartisan.

  122. 122.

    tobie

    @KithKanan: It looks like the bad guys outwitted us in terms of the timeline for passage of the bill. I hope Dems will appeal the three-judge panel decision in VA before Dec 24. I’m hearing lots of speechifying about the urgency of protecting democracy but not much in the way of action.

  123. 123.

    jl

    @KithKanan: My count says they’d have to sign in January 1, 2018. But I just heard on the news that Trump will sign it later this week. Trump is the deciderer, so probably no fixed plan if he gets whims on what is best to do.

    If he decides history needs to show he could brag a big win during what he deems to be his first year in office, he won’t care if there is news about social insurance cuts in an election year.

  127. 127.

    Zinsky

    If Trumpie fires Mueller, 100,000 Americans and their favorite shotguns should surround the White House on three sides and reduce it to toothpicks.

  128. 128.

    Bruce K

    I wouldn’t trust McConnell to keep his word without his signature in blood and his family at gunpoint.

    Hell, even with those, I wouldn’t trust McConnell as far as my cardiologist would allow me to throw him.

  129. 129.

    Stan

    @Kay:

    There is NO group of Democrats who want less voting going on. Zero.

    Obviously you’ve never been to Albany county.

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