#especially with a red senate supreme court and maybe house as well

[singull]

It’s going to be a long 4 years.

[lazyscience]

so there's something I feel like young leftists are not getting at all when they rail furiously about how "we keep voting for Democrats but they keep just pandering to the right, what are we supposed to DO to get them to change OTHER than not vote for them?"

It has to do with fundamental assumptions about what "governing" is supposed to mean in the modern era, and this is a conversation that has to happen culturally in and around what is happening at the ballot box in a lot larger sense than it is. putting in a readmore because this gonna get long and also ranty.

It also means I'm taking another Tumblr break because I can not, I CAN NOT with the current political discussion any more and even with terms blocked I'm seeing it, and I don't want to spend my evenings alternating between rage and depression, I get enough of that from the news.

This conversation was happening even earlier than this, but the timepoint at which it was first coming to a head and when I became familiar with it was 1994 and Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America". Prior to this point, the ethos on both sides of the aisle (in public) was that in general, a congressperson's job (especially in the House, a little less so in the Senate maybe) was while you were under the umbrella of one of the two parties, you were mostly looking out for the particular agenda of your state and only secondarily working towards a national agenda. And secondary to this idea, most of them agreed on basic principles that gridlock was bad (wouldn't produce anything useful/re-electable for your state), civil service employees and appointees weren't supposed to be blatant political operatives (there were, of course, but that was considered more sleazy and corrupt than "elections have consequences, hurr hurr") and that for the stability of the country, things like the debt ceiling were best mutually avoided.

So for the better part of the 20th century, the Democrats were more the party of regulation, the social safety net and the reality and use of powers on a federal level; the Republicans were the party of "leave these decisions to the individual states" (this is obviously a grotesque oversimplification, people have literally written dozens, probably hundreds, of scholarly books about this shit). And Newt Gingrich, ambitious little shit from an at the time deep red Republican state, said "you know what, we need to embrace a national party and federal control the way the Democrats have--because until then, WE can't control it." So the Contract With America was born - and the goal became instead of "well, whatever, as long as I can weasel out concessions for my state/special interests that hired me" the game ALSO became "demonstrate that federal government doesn't work by MAKING it not work." By using all the procedural stupid dirty tricks that a reactionary old bunch of white dudes that had just been through a war put into place to make any point of settled law that had happened basically as hard to change as fucking possible.

Now, the Democrats couldn't/didn't WANT to play by those rules, because their biggest and most popular successes (qualified, imperfect, but still) - Social Security, Medicaid, the civil rights movement, antitrust, worker protections, environmental protections - are all contingent on a federal government apparatus that actually fucking works. And now that the Republicans can win either by getting what they want OR by yelling "look, this process is clearly broken and doesn't work!", the only way Democrats can make sweeping changes without having to fight tooth and nail every step of the way is to have a majority in both houses of Congress, control the Presidency, and the Supreme Court.

Because again, the reactionary old white men who had just lived through a butt ton of social upheaval wanted to make it hard for one group of (rich white, male enfranchised) people to control another - and they literally at that time could not have envisioned the way the country would grow into both a far more unified AND polarized place that would take these safety rails and exploit them to block every achievement their opponent might make, whether or not it was actually in the best interests of the people they're representing.

(I mean, they should have, political parties and all that toxicity were not new to the British Empire before the colonies even existed, but well, I think we all know by now there's a lot of things they couldn't have imagined. See also: the second amendment)

So here's the deal - if you punish Joe Biden for being a confused corporate-friendly war-hawkish atrocity-enabling weenus - which he totally is sometimes! - you are kneecapping any actually progressive congressional candidates you elect unless you can also deliver 67+ solidly Democrat/Green/whatever the fuck Angus King is votes in the Senate, and 290+ equally staunch Democratic representatives. Because otherwise, that Republican President's just gonna veto everything they legislate that isn't what he wants. And yes, the Senate has to approve any federal judges or Supreme Court justices he wants to appoint - but again, the Republican party sees the federal court system being slow, backed up and impossible to use as a totally acceptable compromise in return for being able to block any significant Democratic legislation from going forward.

Since 1789, do you know how many vetoes have been overridden by supermajority? 109, out of 1,484.

Now, if you could GET that supermajority in the Senate and the House? You could amend the Constitution! You could make mail-in votes mandatory, and/or mandated paid time off for voting. You could mandate ranked-choice voting, so that leftists could vote for the candidate they actually want without splitting up the bloc to the advantage of the fash/fash-adjacent. You could do things like mandate that a Presidential election isn't valid until a minimum threshold number of votes has been achieved that's actual a majority of eligible voters, not just whatever fanatical minority shows up that day, so some asshole who won with 20 percent of eligible voters can't claim to have "a mandate from The People."

BUT WITHOUT THAT SUPERMAJORITY, VOTING TO PUNISH ELECTED OFFICIALS FOR NOT DOING THINGS THEY CANNOT FUCKING DOOOOOO MEANS NOTHING BUT LOSING FOR ALL OF US!

Especially when the other fucking asshole candidate wants to make it legal for the National Guard to LIVE FIRE WITH ACTUAL MILITARY BULLETS ON PROTESTORS, and the Supreme Court has just made it possible for him if elected to order that and have it not be illegal! If he wants to start deporting all Muslim immigrants like he was trying to push for last time he was elected, or round up LGBTQ people and put them in re-education camps, if he gets elected, he could do that now! Because crimes committed as "official acts" are no longer crimes!

So you want to not have to regularly make shitty compromises in the voting booth any more? Great, neither do I. Here are the only ways I see this going forward:

Get 2/3rd of the states of the union to call for an Article V constitutional convention - and be willing to have the process potentially hijacked by fash nutjobs at the state level if those 2/3rds aren't all Democratic-controlled. It's possible - I mean, the system was specifically designed to work that way - but the fact that a) an Article V convention has not successfully been called in the history of the US, and b) the only people advocating for that in the year 2024 are the actual fucking Heritage Foundation of the infamous Project 2025, Ben Shapiro of "but pussy doesn't get wet" fame, Greg "the solution to Uvalde is arming teachers" Abbott and similar nutjobs make me think that's not the safest way to get the outcome we want here.

Hold your noses and get 67 Senators and 290 Representatives elected that are either Democrats or who will reliably caucus with them like Socialists or Greens and have them pass a law to require ranked choice voting for the presidency - there's a chance it'll get a constitutional challenge from the Supreme Court, but there's not a solid precedent either forbidding or encouraging, and by the time it's an issue hopefully we're back in 5/4 liberal court territory if Alito and Thomas either retire or get canned. That will mean a lot of mid corporatist conservative Dems who will make decisions you don't like and don't want to support, but with an endgame of someday getting to stop doing that. This is honestly probably the most achievable, so it is also the one Republicans are fighting against hardest with gerrymandering and voter suppression, and they have banned it on the state level in Florida, Montana, South Dakota, Tennessee and Idaho.

Let Republicans get elected to prove a point. This will result in an unknown but presumably acceptable to you number of deportations, convictions, legal abuse and deaths among people the Trump administration declares undesirable, including Muslims, Palestinians, trans people, anyone working in gender studies or race studies, the unhoused, potential child labor, and people of childbearing potential among others. This is not a threat to get you to fall in line. It is a prediction based on the previous behaviorand stated policy positions of Mr. Trump, the Republican National Convention, and the decision of the Supreme Court allowing his administration to carry out what would otherwise be crimes but for a president are "official actions" now apparently. It will also at the very least make easier the capture of the Supreme Court for another two or three decades during which no effective challenges can be brought for voter suppression, gerrymandering, and violent suppression of protest.

honest question: how, exactly, if it becomes an illegal act to talk about racism, queer liberation or police reform, are you proposing to get your better, more leftist candidates elected? I am so serious right now, why do you think after another four years of Trump provided he doesn't just immediately declare martial law like he already almost did once, do you think people would be willing to stick their necks out to identify themselves as enemies of the state? Think about the stranglehold Joseph McCarthy had on this country from 1947-1957.

[somethingusefulfromflorida]

Now begins the lame duck pardon party.

Every outgoing president issues tons of pardons in their final weeks in office to tie up any loose threads and appease their supporters.  I for one think the president shouldn’t have the power to unilaterally overrule a duly adjudicated criminal conviction, as it spits in the face of the rule of law.  Especially under an administration as corrupt as this one, the pardon is a blank check for the president’s allies to commit any federal crime they want for any reason with no fear of prosecution.

Trump pardoned Flynn who admitted he lied to the FBI, he already pardoned Roger Stone, he’s probably going to pardon Paul Manafort, possibly Michael Cohen (Cohen jumped off the Trump Train and became a registered Democrat, but he’s a bloodsucking lawyer first and foremost, so he’ll jump right back on it if the gettin’s good enough).  There have been too many names, big and small, that have been charged for breaking the law to protect Trump, and like good little mobsters the ones who didn’t squeal will be hailed as heroes by conservatives everywhere.  “Congratulations, you got away with it scot free!”

The most telling thing will be when Trump begins pardoning people who haven’ yet been convicted of anything.  When Richard Nixon resigned, Ford pardoned him before he could face justice; his pardon was purposefully broad, covering any and all crimes that Nixon may or may not have committed or witnessed throughout his entire tenure in office.  It was a pre-emptive pardon, meant to stop the judicial process before it even started, and Trump will almost certainly reward his biggest cronies with these sweeping pardons; he might do it now, or he might wait until January 19th so they can go carte blanche for two months.  He is printing literal “Get Out of Jail Free” cards.  How far back will the pardons go?  Nixon’s covered just his presidency from January 20, 1969 to August 9, 1974, so will Trump’s pardons range from January 2017?  A lot of crimes were committed by his campaign, so 2016?  2015?  He and his goons have been grifting for decades, and the only limit to his pardon power is that he can’t undo impeachment, but considering he was acquitted it is irrelevant anyway.  I expect some of his closest advisors, attorneys, and cabinet members will be pardoned for crimes going back well into the 1970s an 80s, crimes the media doesn’t even know about, many crimes for which the statue of limitations had already expired, but Trump will want to cover his bases anyway.

And the big question is whether or not Trump will try to pardon himself.  The constitution doesn’t say he can’t, but it’s never been tested before.  I have no idea what the Supreme Court would have to say about a self-pardon; it is an open secret in politics that the president is effectively above the law, but it’s not on any books so everyone can still pretend like laws matter and crimes will be punished.  But if Trump pardons himself, and it is allowed, it will establish this as lasting legal precedent, meaning that every future President will be handed a blank check to commit any crimes he wants with ZERO repercussion.  Their popularity would probably tank if they did something egregious, or it might fuel their base and make them more popular than ever, but however the public responds, they will be sitting pretty knowing that they’re untouchable.  They can lie and cheat and steal and do things much worse than Trump already has, free in the knowledge that no prosecution can ever be laid against them.  If there was ever even a question of the legality of a president’s actions, they could pardon themselves and make it disappear.  They could assassinate political opponents, they could throw dissidents in prison without trial, they could cancel elections and throw away the constitution entirely because they can pardon themselves faster than the House could impeach and the Senate could convict.

Trump absolutely will try to pardon himself, though I don’t think he expects it to be successful.  No, I think his endgame is just to drag out the process so long that the statue of limitations will expire while his self pardon is still being appealed.  Say he committed a crime in 2016 and it has a 5 year statute; if he pardons himself and fights in the courts until 2022, the statue will expire and the pardon will be irrelevant, whether the court upholds it or not.  He just wants to obstruct, to slow things down, cause as much gridlock as humanly possible so that he can coast to freedom on a raft of bloated bureaucracy.  He expects the self pardon to fail, but he expects it to take so long to decide that it won’t matter.

The only saving grace is that he will still be culpable for state crimes.  Of course, any red state governors will pardon him at his request, but he made the mistake of doing all his business in Deep Blue New York.  Cuomo is gonna fry his ass.  Trump and McConnell have been pushing through literal hundreds of Trump-friendly judges to stack the courts in his favor, so the Biden administration will have its work cut out for them, but there are enough prosecutors in enough independent jurisdictions without conflicted judges to see the entire Trump Crime Family face decades of jail time.  Now, I don’t expect them to serve any considerable length, maybe a few months in minimum security before being released to house arrest and then paroled for “good behavior,” and I know that no matter what happens Trump will claim victory (he’ll either be found not guilty, or he’ll cry foul and appeal to a higher court he helped staff to get himself off), but Thank God for the 10th Amendment.  States ave considerable power over the feds, a right which conservatives have been fighting for for centuries, and now it’ll come back to bite them in the ass when the other side decides to start using it.  “Wait, we thought only we were allowed to do whatever we wanted...  You can’t do that yourself, that’s not fair to us!”

Trump may try to call Double Jeopardy; pardon himself for federal crimes then claim that he can no longer be charged for state crimes, but I don’t think it will hold up in New York.  SCOTUS is another matter; with 6-3, I’m sure they’ll find a way to protect their Golden Goose.

The entire system needs to be burned to the ground.  The constitution is broken, we need a frame-off restoration, a whole new document from the ground up.  It’ll never happen, but a Constitutional Convention would do wonders for this country; other countries rewrite their constitutions all the time, but America’s amendment process is completely nonfunctional by design.  We need big change, and that’s gonna require some very reluctant old Liberals to shift further left and actually balance the out of control right.

[awkwardpariah]

On Tuesday Kansas voted on a constitutional amendment that would remove abortion rights, and the results were intriguing.

A time of writing, votes are still coming in, but thus far, the pro-choice movement has won by a sizable margin. While this is just one state's vote, it represents the clearest indication yet that Republicans may have fucked themselves.

Immediately after the Dobbs decision, voter registration in Kansas and Missouri was reported to have spiked by over 1000% and 627% respectively, overwhelmingly for Independents then Democrats, and hardly any increase for Republicans. This could indicate that voters are more motivated than anyone had ever expected, and while the economy is by most measures officially in a recession, it may not be enough to turn back voters. Polling data is now telling a very interesting story for the Senate and Governor's races as well.

Senate Map based on current polling data (Blue: Solid Democrat, Light Blue: Leans Democrat, Purple: Tossup, Red: Solid Republican)

For the US Senate, many swing states are now polling decidedly toward the Democrats. Pennsylvania and Arizona shouldn't surprise anybody given the popularity of the Democratic nominees, but Ohio was considered a lock for Right Wing "author" JD Vance, as was Wisconsin and North Carolina. Now outed insurrectionist Ron Johnson is fighting for his life in Wisconsin as is Big Lie spreader Ted Budd in North Carolina. If the election were held tomorrow, Democrats would gain at least 3 seats in the Senate for a 53-47 majority.

Governor races (Light Red: Leans Rep, Light Blue: Leans Dem, Purple: Tossup, Red: Solid Rep, Blue: Solid Dem)

State-level races for governor and state legislatures are frankly where we can no longer rely on polling data. Turnout in Kansas was absurdly high for a referendum conducted during a primary, during a midterm. Turnout in those conditions, especially in a red states, is typically in the gutter. But the abortion referendum has completely flipped the script on what we can expect.

Its time to consider what the outcome would be if I was wrong in my 2022 forecast, and Democrats actually overperform this year. I would love nothing more than for this to be the case, but don't get too excited Democrats. If the Dems keep the House and gain ground in the Senate, more will be possible without Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema stonewalling legislation. BUT, Manchin is not alone in his opposition to the more progressive positions launched to stop the Republicans from stealing further elections and the Supreme Court from continuing to strip away rights. 3 new Democrats in the Senate would make it easier to get national protections for contraception, gay rights, and abortion rights through, but it still would require some degree of filibuster reform, and at last count there are maybe a dozen Democrats who are still on the fence about that.

Some of you may be wondering if Democrats hold the House or even gain seats, what will it mean for Progressives. For that we need to use... MATH. At last count, I figured a 5-8 point swing in the Republicans favor was plausible given previous elections where economic performance of the incumbent party was particularly lackluster. That would have left Democrats with as few as 172 seats in the House, maybe as many as 190. In that latter scenario I had a count of 100 progressives who would remain in the House, and in the former, 99, more than enough to control the House Democratic Caucus. BUT, if Democrats overperform this year, that math changes in a big way. We still don't know what the caucus breakdown will look like with all the potential freshmen  members of the House, but generally if Republicans underperform, less progressive Democrats tend to take less progressive seats. If Republicans saw just a 3 point swing in the Dems favor, the Democrats would gain 3 additional seats. 5 points and its 11 new Democrats in the House.  And if Kansas is a true litmus test for the country, and Democrats have a 9 point advantage in their favor, that's at least 28 new Democrats in the House, most of them likely to be centrists running on purely pro-abortion platforms as their most progressive position. 

 Now, in this scenario, it is entirely possible that progressives gain quite a few new members, but in general I think it would be more likely that the New Dems maintain control over the House Caucus. The party would be more united than it has been in years, but that would be fleeting, lasting until the 2024 election at most. If the New Dems prove incompetent in their ability to pass national legislation with an even bigger majority, progressives will be out for blood in 2024. The more interesting outcome of this scenario is at the state level, where Dems could turn previously swing and red states blue on local pro-abortion platforms. Those states would likely have conservative Democratic governments, but they'd form a wall of civil rights in the face of Republicans' desire to tear down the last 70 years of protections for queerfolk, transfolk, women, and minorities. This won't be universal. I'll be amazed if Texas Georgia, Ohio, and Florida, with their increasingly anti-democratic policies, don't simply ignore the results of the statehouse, and possibly national elections and install permanent Republican regimes. But the consolidation of the Southwest around Democrats is likely be complete after this year, while the rest of the Great Lakes (sans Ohio and Illinois) will rally back behind Democrats. 

 What comes next is still not clear to me. Its possible that progressives will continue to struggle for control of the Democratic caucus, but don't be too surprised if frustration boils over into progressives leaving the party outright. What is certain is that Republican will not deradicalize in the face of a defeat in 2022. They GOP will lose what few moderates are left and control of the party will fall deeper into the hands of the far right. And if the January 6th investigations are able to proceed uninterrupted, potentially leading to the indictment of Donald Trump, that radicalization will blow over into full blown violence... although that was likely to happen if Trump beat the rap too.

[jewrocker]

Biden’s “Impossible Dream”

Along with the other eighty-million Americans with an IQ over five, I too am doing backflips at the prospect we’re just weeks away from flushing this unprecedentedly corrupt and incomprehensibly cruel administration into the cesspool of infamy where they belong.  However, as ecstatic as I am at the thought of an actual human being once again occupying the Oval Office, one must still be realistic as to what to expect going forward.  Sadly, it seems, to the contrary of our president-elect.

President Biden’s statement that he intends to be a president ‘...to all Americans’, while admirable and more than a welcome change from the incoherent ramblings of the Mad King, seems to be more than a bit out of touch with what’s actually going on in this country in 2020, and beyond.  While he may indeed devote every ounce of energy to this seemingly insurmountable task, unity is still a two-way street.  Last we checked, there’s a massive concrete divider in the middle of this one.  A concept that the president-elect inexplicably doesn’t seem to fully have grasped.  Especially, considering, as a former vice-president, he lived through eight years of Senate Republicans sticking it to his boss every chance they got.  I mean, “Hello, McFly?”  Do you really believe Congressional Republicans are just going to snap out of their near twenty-year trance because you’re friends with them? 

Exhibit One: Leader McConnell.

If you’re old enough to remember the Obama years, you’ll have no trouble recalling the now-infamous line uttered by that bastion of Honor and Ethics, Mitch McConnell.  That being, “My only goal for the next four years is to make Obama a one-term president.”  Aside from being borderline treason for a Senator to openly admit he’s going to spend every waking moment betraying his oath in order to achieve his despicably anti-American goal, “Moscow Mitch,” as he’s now affectionately known, hasn’t changed a bit.  In fact, he’s gotten worse, and, thanks to his miraculous re-election in a state that had him at just an 18% approval rating, more emboldened. 

After shamelessly defending our Russian-asset POTUS at every opportunity, including predicting the outcome of an impeachment hearing before it actually took place, the worst leader in the history of the United States Senate spent the past four years doing NOTHING, but filling an unprecedented number of conservative judgeships; including, surprise, the Supreme Court, where the louse seemed to actually revel in reneging on his own call to wait until after the election to choose a replacement for Justice Ginsberg.  No policy.  No compromise.  No nothing.  Nothing, that is, but increasing the deficit by trillions and making sure his corporate cronies are exempt from responsibility due to their shameful response to the pandemic.  I guess that’s something. 

Thus, unless our incoming president is suffering from severe amnesia, he should have no illusions that, following the Georgia runoffs (should Republicans maintain the stranglehold they currently enjoy), there isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell McConnell, the demonic amphibian he is, will allow any dissenters to side with the president, on anything. Not a bill to curtail the amount of robocalls one gets on a daily basis, nor a motion to change the ketchup dispenser in the congressional cafeteria.

Exhibit Two:  Trump’s Minions 

If, after witnessing 126 House Republicans sign onto what is nothing short of a statement supporting the overthrowing of our Democracy, as well as several Republican Senators coming out in support of objecting to the States’ already-certified electors, anyone who thinks president Biden will somehow get these cockroaches to join hands singing Kumbaya, is living on another planet.  In fact, from what we’ve seen in the last six weeks, alone, it’s fair to say Congressional Republicans are now more of a threat to our nation than ISIS.  Yes, that ISIS.  At least, the Islamic State have the decency to tell you to your face exactly what their objective is: The total destruction of American Democracy.  Period.  Modern day Republicans have proven they have the same exact goal; they just do it from within, disguised as “patriots.”

Exhibit Three:  Seventy-Million Idiots

In spite of the Deplorables on The Hill, the biggest hurdle the president, and vice-president, have in front of them may very well be the American People, themselves.  While there’s got to be a few million in the human Chernobyl’s base of seventy-million-plus who aren’t full-blown, racist psychopaths, there are still way too many who’ve shown they’re fully committed to the cult of Trump.  Even now.  Even though their government led them into a year-long nightmare of misery and misinformation: even as their apathetic leaders choose to bail out their billionaire buddies, while sending them a $600 slap in the face, they continue to support them. Unmoved.

Even though Benedict Donald has spent the past two months proving he has zero interest in/reverence for this Democracy and in a peaceful transference of power, truth is, outside of maybe a handful of ‘awoke’ individuals who’ve finally seen enough, he’s most likely not lost a single one of his hardcore supporters.  In fact, many of them have doubled down in their support of the village idiot - going as far as to organize a “parallel inauguration” on Universe Two - the fantasy world where Trump will still be president (Most pundits refer to Trump supporters as living on ‘Earth 2,’ but their thinking is so alien to facts/common sense, IMO, they deserve their own universe.).   These sad, sorry fools fell hook, line and sinker for the president’s claims of “fraud”, to the tune of stocking his post-election war chest with a cool quarter-billion dollars.  Translation: you’re looking at an entire sect of people who have no basis in reality.  So, who’s worse?  The Trump supporter?  Or the one who tries to reason with the Trump supporter? 

These Trump-described “suckers,” who, in spite of everything they’ve seen, in spite of the fact we have a president who’s golfing while millions can’t even put food on their table during the holidays (those still alive that is) are still so consumed with hate for the other side, they’d rather see their nation brought to the brink of civil war than be governed by a Democrat.  They’d rather elect a corrupt, bottom-dwelling QAnon conspirator to Congress, than an honest, sane liberal whose major crime is refusing to believe Tom Hanks and Bill Gates are partners in a global kiddie porn empire.  Case in point, the more than dozen House seats that flipped red this past November, and, with them, some who actually believe the above.  This kind of unhinged, spiteful, masochistic thinking suggests the hate modern day Republicans have towards liberals is greater than the love they have for their own children.   Good luck overcoming that type of home-grown martyr, Mr. President.  

Exhibit Four: Biden, Himself:

The welcome, sorely needed public comments seeking to reunite a hopelessly divided nation, notwithstanding, by stating what the New York Times calls “no interest” in pursuing any type of retribution/Justice, re: the myriad of crimes committed by this horrific administration, IMO, the president-elect has already stepped in it.  Especially after the Georgia phone call. 

It’s never a good idea to address your supporters, many of whom feel they’re owed some form of payback after being forced to watch helplessly as their Constitution was consistently used as toilet paper by a mob boss POTUS for four, long years, and, right out of the gate, say you’re just going to forget the whole thing.  After all, this isn’t Nixon we’re talking about here. This is a thousand Nixons... on steroids.  This is treason in all its forms.  The attempt to “find” 11,780 votes, just one more than Biden, is the most egregious crime ever committed by a U.S. President. Yet, the president-elect continues to spew this type of disappointing, non-confrontational rhetoric. While hopefully just said for the cameras, it definitely gives many of the incoming president’s supporters, including Yours Truly, night sweats.  

In fact, IMO, SDNY aside, letting these, spineless, racist, anti-American miscreants sail off into the sunset, with free health care for life and full pensions, on us, would be worse than all their crimes put together.  As it will not only show the next corrupt bunch of lawless idiots to come down the pike they can do whatever they want and they’re guaranteed a free pass from the next guy, it will end our experiment in Democracy as we know it; as it will have all-but-proved the president is, in fact, above the law.  I really hope I’m wrong.  Fingers crossed Biden is just doing his job and saying all the right things, while privately working to nominate Sally Yates for A.G.  IMO, should Ms. Yates get the nod, she will see to it Justice is served on all fronts.  If not, you can bet there’s a damn good reason.

Mueller made the fatal mistake of playing fair with Trump and Barr, and their legion of sycophantic sheep in Congress, and wound up looking like a timid, outmatched eunuch. After living through the Obama years, after living through The Trump years, after seeing the literal definition of treason on a daily basis, it appears Biden is choosing to ignore these screaming red sirens and walk down that path, as well, at least with his words.   

How much more proof does the president-elect need to know these individuals on the other side of the aisle are only interested in one thing? Total Dominance, by any means necessary.  Even if it’s a flagrant violation of their oaths to defend The Constitution.  Every single low-life choosing to join a wanna-be fascist in his reprehensible attempt to overturn our national election are only Americans by birth.  That’s where it ends. 

In Alan Parker’s classic film, Mississippi Burning, there’s a great line in the scene where the two FBI agents, played by Willem Dafoe and Gene Hackman, realize playing by the rules with these racist bastards will never get them the Justice they seek.  Straight-laced Dafoe says, “Don’t drag me into your gutter, Mr. Anderson.”   To which, no-nonsense Hackman replies, “These people crawled out of a sewer, Mr. Ward!  Maybe the gutter’s where we outta be!”  Here’s hoping there’s more of Anderson than Ward in our next president. 

[gibsongirlselections]

Saagar Enjeti Rising

It’s about power, man,” Saagar Enjeti relays about an hour into a decathlon, Corona-spring phone call. 

It’s May, and I’m scrambling to interview the nationalist co-host of Rising with Krystal & Saagar, presented by the television arm of The Hill. Our conversation takes as many pit stops as Enjeti’s nascent, but impactful career: from Aggie country—he’s a son of Texas A&M faculty—to George Washington University to Georgetown to Tucker Carlson’s Daily Caller to celebrated pundit before 30. Like his putative mentor, Enjeti has attracted some rubbernecking by insiders: for shifting his views. I think it’s going around, as you are reading an issue of a magazine titled “What is American Conservatism?” Or as Carlson told Elaina Plott (then of The Atlantic) last December: “I’ve made a complete break mentally with the world I used to live in.”

As for me, I am at least breaking one of my own rules. That is: I am writing a profile of a principal I haven’t seen in person in months. But I’m not going social-distance from a good story. 

Because he’s a social conservative who isn’t religious. Because he’s a foreign policy hawk who actually concedes the country’s recent mistakes. Because he’s launched a slightly absurd crusade against cannabis. Because he dresses like Alex P. Keaton, only he’s renounced Reaganism. Because Saagar Enjeti has, indeed, become kind of powerful.

Enjeti forms a duo with Krystal Ball—a former congressional candidate and MSNBC star. At 38, she is—as Jacobin magazine pointed out—the Millennial answer to Rachel Maddow. Therein lies the most glaring distinction between the two, by all appearances close friends. Ball is an antagonist of the liberal pantheon. Enjeti though—while no stenographer—is broadly at peace with the present trajectory of the Right. Ball has bashed Maddow. Enjeti loves Carlson.

Ball’s cri de coeur is for generational change. That’s a project pitifully on hold, as the donkey attempts to install the oldest president on record. She actually preferred an even older model—that traitor to his generation Bernie Sanders—before he withdrew from the race in a blaze of anonymity this spring. That landscape contrasts with the Right, where an outsider president is still dominant and fresh projects seeking to tear down the old religion—such as the Enjeti-aligned American Compass (“great work”) —bloom promiscuously. Enjeti thinks the movement to mint a populism with polish is right on track (and they two have a book to sell seeking to prove that). But Enjeti had tough words for Senator Sanders, who he characterized as a tragically inflexible figure in a chosen profession where to be limber is to live another day. 

I actually met Ms. Ball first—10 years ago—when she ran a quixotic campaign for Congress in the district of my alma mater in southern Virginia. The Tea Party juggernaut that year—combined with a frivolous, overhyped personal scandal from Ball’s well-spent youth (there aren’t that many trained accountant pundits)—doomed Ball’s bid in the already salmon-colored first district of the Old Dominion. She hiked over to The Atlantic and NBC cable but was an awkward fit for a liberal establishment licking its chops for a Hillary Clinton presidency. Like many women of our shared generation, she wasn’t quite ready for Hillary even if she was told to be.

The pair’s shared production is genuinely pathbreaking—for several reasons. 

It’s an internet television show that works. Rising is actually rising. The dominant media trend when I entered the industry was the vaunted switch to tablets. But that mindset was soon shown the door. It was spring cleaning all around—those middle 2010s, the same time the Republican Party chucked its “libertarian moment”—both utter fads. And America would soon give the heave-ho to much more. 

In 2016—as the country anointed its first cable news president—for industry captains, the conclusion was clear: more television—and let’s open new frontiers. For those seeking to court conservatives, streaming, internet television was considered a ruby-red, low-hanging fruit. Harvested right and you could even infringe on the primacy of Fox News. More broadly—especially on the Right—there had been rumors of elaborate new, “new media” ventures for years. The most legendary rumor (a plot which was actually real) was of a motley assembly: Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Roger Ailes, and then-White House chief strategist Steve Bannon would open up their own shop. This was still the early days of the Trump administration. But to the haters, a satanic quartet was forming.  

But in our desert of the real, only one oasis has been founded. Roger Ailes is dead, and Hill.TV is not.

But it was no fait accompli. Enjeti has a predecessor: the affable Buck Sexton, a CIA alum and a regular on both Fox and the not-so-underground drinking circuit at D.C.’s Trump Hotel. But after a year the organization passed on the Buck and signed Saagar. 

Sadly for Sexton, it’s been liftoff ever since. But as with Elon Musk, there have been a few questionable judgment calls. In particular, there was a strange interview a summer ago with Rudolph Giuliani—the president’s personal lawyer—that had nothing to do with that work. Rather, Enjeti interviewed America’s mayor on his work with the deeply controversial National Council for the Resistance of Iran—the American front porch of the People’s Mujahedin of Iran, or more notoriously, the MEK. Mayor Giuliani has been paid lavishly for his association, as have other leading Republican figures responsible—centrally, former national security advisor John Bolton—for the country’s imprudent war footing toward Iran’s regime. But the interview appears to have been part nine (!) of a series initiated and otherwise hosted by Sexton, as Enjeti was sliding into the job. The series is marked “sponsored content,” which isn’t a nice look. Most of foreign policy journalism has had brushes with the MEK, but it bears repeating the general view is that they’re emphatically fringe.

Not fringe: the show’s appeal with younger, online-first audiences. America’s anchor—the popular podcaster Joe Rogan—said on air that he follows Saagar and Krystal for his news. For the uninitiated, Rogan gets 190 million downloads per month and between 5-7 million listeners per day, which on some days is double even Tucker Carlson’s formidable traffic.  

“I just cover whatever I want,” Enjeti told me. That omnivorous attitude suits the clientele, who favor outside-the-box politicians with sweeping societal criticisms. The audience loves Tulsi Gabbard, Andrew Yang, Bernie Sanders, maybe Donald Trump, and apparently no one else. As my fellow guest Colin Rogero—of The Hill’s infamous “Most Beautiful” list, and who could honestly pass for Colin Farrell—learned when I appeared with him on the program in January: sorry, no one likes Pete Buttigieg.  

The show’s butterfly knife approach can produce a viewer experience as oscillatory as the 2020 campaign itself. Which is the point. In a news cycle that’s now truly unyielding—a depression, a pandemic, and mass rioting—Rising rises above. Like Kissigner and 50 Cent, Enjeti says he’s a stone-cold realist in a grinding turf war. “It’s about power, man,” Enjeti says. “This is about the fact that there’s actually a heterodox TV thing that exists, that is watched by actual people—and that’s the most important part. The donors don’t control this.” Enjeti gives away the secret sauce—telling me essentially that on YouTube it’s kingmaking to be what Jeff Bezos almost named Amazon but should have: relentless. Constant content must be produced or the axe falls from the hard-hearted algorithm.

Enjeti denies to me what I assumed was his goal: get this baby bought. In an era of the Frightful Five on America’s technology coast, the operating procedure of most new businesses is mere ambition to get sold. But Enjeti says he’s not waiting for a call up to the majors. He’s starting his own league. Television habits have been convulsed in the era of the smartphone—especially among the young (“our age is the number one demographic for the show, 25-35”)—and the thinking goes that cable news is the province of yesterday’s men, though that includes the sitting president of the United States. If the media short-sellers like Enjeti are right that cable news is at its peak, next up could be one giant, Boomer supernova. 

I agree,” Enjeti says as I rant about how the Middle East is no longer relevant to this country’s national interest. He and I got into foreign policy for a shared reason before Trump’s ascension: “Domestic politics was just boring. Second term Obama, there was just nothing happening.”  

There are signs of Enjeti’s true sympathies. For instance, Jake Mercier—the research assistant for his and Ball’s book (The Populist’s Guide to 2020) worked for Gabbard, perhaps the most restraint-minded Democratic presidential candidate in a generation. But he picks his spots. In January, for instance, he took an equivocal tone toward the risky assassination of Qassem Soleimani, a figure in Iran perhaps only second in prestige to the theocracy’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. On the third day of the decade, the guest Ball and Enjeti summoned to Monday morning quarterback the move was an official from the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, the home of D.C.’s most effective operatives for regime change. Enjeti countered that perhaps it would have been wiser to have taken Soleimani out earlier, in 2007—not firmly the stuff of a restrainer who sees de-escalation with a third-rate power in a tortured part of the planet as imperative.  

But despite that Blob-y national security degree from Georgetown, Enjeti shows he’s not uncomfortable thinking for himself. His ascent has been astonishing—and facilitated by outsider outfits. It was as White House correspondent at the Daily Caller that Enjeti got his break, but also where he began enterprising his way into the limelight. 

It was at the Caller that Enjeti first met the president, who he described to me as entertainer par excellence. But Enjeti began cutting away from the sometimes derivatively conservative nature of the site—he cultivated a more intellectual online persona and went all in on the age of realignment. That’s what he’s named his podcast—“The Realignment”—hosted by the Hudson Institute, a cornerstone of conservative Washington. 

Enjeti is an unabashed champion of anti-monopoly politics—he thinks the American state should step in to guarantee a baseline level of hard industry in this country, and he thinks gratuitous economic concentration is unstable. With his roots in foreign policy, he has his eye on rising China. Of South Asian descent, he lends powerful credibility to the argument that the United States should consider a cool-down period in immigration for reasons of national cohesion. In this regard, he joins the esteemed company of Reihan Salam, president of the Manhattan Institute, as well as the centrist writer Janan Ganesh of the Financial Times. 

Other views are more eclectic. He’s issued a semi-facetious fatwa against cannabis. He’s joined other figures with a right-wing audience—such as Ann Coulter, Peter Hitchens, and the ex-New York Times writer Alex Berenson—in slamming the assumption of the age that pot is harmless. Mr. Enjeti’s pronounced social conservatism is perhaps more interesting because he’s openly irreligious, something he shares with a constituency lacking belief in the Holy Spirit but suffering from spiritual ennui.

“They cheered on rioting—and looting—and crime,” an indignant Enjeti told Carlson on his show in early June, as heinous riots swept America. It’s the only show he likes to do besides his own. “I think you put it together perfectly earlier today on your show…the first uprising against the working class.”

What is American conservatism? Well, you could certainly do worse than tuning into the talented Mr. Enjeti in the morning to try to find out.

  Related: Introducing the TAC Symposium: What Is American Conservatism?

See all the articles published in the symposium, here.

The post Saagar Enjeti Rising appeared first on The American Conservative.

[travelbuzzfun-blog]

TheWhiteHouseSpin.Com

President Donald J. Trump Presents a Statement Prior to Departure form The White House South Lawn on Friday, August 9, 2019.

9:49 A.M. EDT - 10:22 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DONALD J. TRUMP:  So, we’re doing very well with China.  We’re talking to China.  We’re not ready to make a deal, but we’ll see what happens.  But, you know, we’ve been hurt by China for 25, 30 years.  Nobody has done anything about it.  And we have no choice but to do what we’re doing.

It’s working out very well, as you know.  We called them on manipulation and they brought their numbers back, and they brought them back rapidly.  And they were able to do that because they manipulate.  But that’s — so it’s called “monetary manipulation.”  Not good.

But what happened and what’s happening with China now — we have an open dialogue.  We’ll see whether or not we keep our meeting in September.  If we do, that’s fine.  If we don’t, that’s fine.  But it’s time that somebody does what we’re doing.

And I said, the American taxpayer is not paying for it.  We had a big day in stock market yesterday, but the American taxpayer is not paying for it.

What China is doing is, by depressing their currency and by pouring tremendous amounts of money into their system, they’re paying for it.  The prices have not gone up.  So when the Amer- — in fact, in some cases, they’ve gone down because the devaluation, plus the money supply — the amount of money that they pour in, which is a form of manipulation — has more than compensated for an increase in price.

So, as I said — and everybody questioned it — in the case of China, the tariffs have been amazing.  We’re taking in billions and billions of dollars.  Now, China has had their worst year in 35 years now.  It was in 26 years, but now it’s in 35 years.  I want them to do well.  But as of this moment, they’re having the worst year that they’ve had in many, many years — in decades.  And really, we’re just bringing the system back into order.

We have all the cards.  We’re doing well.  Our country is doing fantastically well.  You look at Europe; they’ve got problems.  In fact, the biggest problem we have is the fact that a lot of other — continents, frankly — but a lot of other countries are not doing well.  But we’re doing great, and we continue to do great.  Our companies are poised.  They have a lot of cash.  Our system is beautiful.

QUESTION: Mr. President, the NRA has been a strong supporter and ally of yours, going all the way back to the campaign.  Can you take a position at odds with the NRA on background checks?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   I think I could, but I don’t think I’ll be there.  I have a great relationship with the NRA.  They supported me very early, and that’s been a great decision they made.  We have Justice Kavanaugh.  We have Justice Gorsuch.  And they feel very strongly about the Second Amendment.

The NRA has made a great decision in supporting me, and nobody else would have won, aside from everything else.  I have a very good relationship.  I’ll change it: I have a great relationship with the NRA.  I have a lot of respect for the people at the NRA.  And I have already spoken to them on numerous occasions.  Numerous occasions.

And, frankly, we need intelligent background checks, okay?  This isn’t a question of NRA, Republican, or Democrat.  I will tell you, I spoke to Mitch McConnell yesterday.  He’s totally onboard.  He said, “I’ve been waiting for your call.”  He is totally onboard.  I spoke to senators that, in some cases, people — friends of mine — but pretty hardline senators.  Hardline.  And when I say that, I say that in a positive way.  Hardline on the Second Amendment.  And they understand.

We don’t want insane people, mentally ill people, bad people, dangerous people — we don’t want guns in the hands of the wrong people.  I think that the Republicans are going to be great and lead the charge along with the Democrats.

I spoke yesterday to Nancy Pelosi.  We had a great talk.  I spoke to Chuck Schumer.  We had a great talk.  And Chuck Schumer, in particular, loves my China policy, as you probably know.  I said, “I can’t believe it.  You actually like something that I’m doing.”  He said, “Not ‘like.’  Love.”

So Chuck Schumer is — he’s great on the China situation, which we are winning and winning big.  And China wants to do something, but I’m not ready to do anything yet.  Twenty-five years of abuse.  I’m not ready so fast.  So we’ll see how that works out.

But on the background checks — on background checks, we have tremendous support for really commonsense, sensible, important background checks.

QUESTION: Mr. President, you expressed support for background checks after Parkland.  Why is now different?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   Time goes by.  I don’t think I’m different, but I think the Senate is different.  I think other people in the House are different.  I think that people that maybe had their arm up a couple of years ago, maybe they feel differently.  I don’t think I feel any differently.

I think with a lot of success that we have, I think I have a greater influence now over the Senate and over the House.

QUESTION:    Can it get done now?  Can it get done now?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   I think we can get something really good done.  I think we can have some really meaningful background checks.  We don’t want people that are mentally ill, people that are sick — we don’t want them having guns.  Who does?

QUESTION: Mr. President, but if the NRA does not support that effort, will you fight them on it?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   Well, we’ll see where the NRA will be.  But we have to have meaningful background checks.  You know, in the case of — in both cases, it’s possible they wouldn’t have been caught.

But in the one case, we also have to talk about age, because he did things that were very, very bad in Ohio, in Dayton.  He did some things that were really bad.  His school knew about it.  When he turned 18, everything was expunged.  We’re going to have to get rid of that because you can’t have that barrier.  If they would have had that barrier, they would have been able to see.  But because he was a minor, it was expunged.  We’re going to have to get rid of that barrier.

I think this: I think a lot of really meaningful things on background checks will take place, including red flags, including a lot of other very, very important items.  And the Republicans are looking at it very seriously.  And I really believe that the NRA — I’ve spoken to them numerous times — they’re really good people.  They’re great patriots.  They love our country.  They love our country so much.  And, frankly, I really think they’re going to get there also.

QUESTION: Mr. President, when you talked to Wayne LaPierre — you talked to him several times — did he warn you that background checks could cost you, politically?  And did you say to him, “Forget politics, we have to do something now”?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   No.  No.  I had a good talk with Wayne.  And I like Wayne.  And, you know — as you know, they supported me very early — far earlier than anybody thought possible, especially me not being a politician.  And that support has paid off.  We now have two Supreme Court justices that are phenomenal — Kavanaugh and Gorsuch.  And, I mean, they’re phenomenal people, and they’re big believers in the Second Amendment, which Wayne is also and which I am.

I mean, there’s been — there’s been no President that feels more strongly about the Second Amendment than I do.  However, we need meaningful background checks so that sick people don’t get guns.

QUESTION: Will he support you?  Will Wayne support you?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   I think, in the end — I think, in the end, Wayne and the NRA will either be there or maybe will be a little bit more neutral, and that would be okay, too.

Look — look, the NRA has, over the years, taken a very, very tough stance on everything, and I understand it.  You know, it’s a slippery slope.  They think you’ll prove one thing, and that leads to a lot of bad things.  I don’t agree with that.

I think we can do meaningful — very meaningful background checks.  I want to see it happen.

So I’ve got a lot of support.  And I also have the support of other people on the other side.  And I think the Democrats and Republicans have a chance to really come together.

QUESTION: On Mississippi, why wasn’t there a better plan in place to deal with the migrant children in Mississippi?  Why was there family separation?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   The reason is because you have to go in; you can’t let anybody know.  Otherwise, when you get there, nobody will be there.  But a big factor is to let people outside of the country that want to come in legally — illegally into our country, where they come in in caravans where they surge the border — which, by the way, we have the numbers way down right now, if you see, because Mexico has done a fantastic job.

Mexico has 26,000 soldiers, right now, on the border.  They have been fantastic — because of tariffs.  But I don’t care what it is, because Mexico — in fact, I’ll be calling the President at a certain point.  I just hope they keep it up.  Because if the Democrats will change the laws — which I was thinking about putting together, as you know, with the gun situation.  So we have immigration and we have, let’s say, some of the things we’re talking about right now — you have them together.

But I want people to know that if they come into the United States illegally, they’re getting out; they’re going to be brought out.  And this serves as a very good deterrent.  If people come into our country illegally, they’re going out.  They’re not coming in illegally and staying.  We have bad laws.  They may get in — although we’re being very tough — but they may get in, but it doesn’t matter because they’re going out.  And when people see what they saw yesterday, and like they will see for a long time, they know that they’re not staying here.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) black Americans give you another chance in 2020?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   Oh, I think they really like — you know, it’s really amazing because African American unemployment just came out very recently — the lowest in history.  It’s the best — the best numbers in history.  African American employment — and Hispanic and Asian, too — have more people working today than ever worked in the history of our country.

Plus, I did criminal justice reform, which President Obama could not get approved — which the media never talks about.  If President Obama got criminal justice reform done, it would be front-page stories all over the place.  I got it done.  I think that African Americans appreciate it.

So I got that.  I have the best unemployment numbers.  I have the best employment numbers for a lot of people.  But for African Americans: number one that we’ve ever had.

One other thing we did, aside from criminal justice reform: Opportunity Zones.  And they are doing unbelievably well.  And you’ll see that, and you’ve already seen it.  But Opportunity Zones.  And the biggest beneficiary there is African Americans.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   I think so.  Yeah.  I do.

QUESTION: Mr. President, do you plan invite your Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House?  And what would be your advice for him —

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   Who are you talking about?

QUESTION: The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   Yeah.

QUESTION: Do you plan to invite him to the White House?  And what would be your advice for him on how to communicate with Vladimir Putin to stop the conflict in Eastern Ukraine?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   I think he’s going to make a deal with President Putin, and he will be invited to the White House.  And we look forward to seeing him.  He’s already been invited to the White House, and he wants to come.  And I think he will.  He’s a very reasonable guy.  He wants to see peace in Ukraine.  And I think he will be coming very soon, actually.

QUESTION: Did you watch Mr. Biden’s comments overnight?  And does it make you want to change your own rhetoric?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   Yeah, he comments — look.  Look, Joe is not playing with a full deck.  He made that comment.  I said, “Whoa.”  I saw it because I was on — something; I had a television.  I saw his comment.  Joe Biden is not playing with a full deck.  This is not somebody you can have as your President.  But if he got the nomination, I’d be thrilled.

QUESTION: What are you going to do, Mr. President, to keep conservatives from being banned on Twitter?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   We’re looking at that right now.  We have a lot of these companies coming in a little while, as you know.

QUESTION: What are you going to say to them?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   We’re going to be very tough with them.  They’re treating conservatives very unfairly.

Hollywood — I don’t call them the “elites”; I think the elites are people they go after, in many cases.  But Hollywood is really terrible.  You talk about racist — Hollywood is racist.  What they’re doing, with the kind of movies they’re putting out — it’s actually very dangerous for our country.  What Hollywood is doing is a tremendous disturbance to our country.

We have now, in a little while, all of the heads of the biggest companies coming in, and we’re going to talk to them.  They treat conservatives and Republicans totally different than they treat others.  And they can’t do that.

QUESTION: Will the Trump administration devalue the U.S. dollar?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   No.  We don’t have to.  We have such a strong dollar.  The problem is, our dollar is at a level that it makes it hard.  But the advantage to doing what we have is money is pouring in because we have the safest currency in the world.  We have the standard of the world.

But because it’s so strong — it’s gotten so strong because other countries have problems — it makes it harder for our manufacturers.

So if we lowered the interest rate by the Federal Reserve, that would automatically bring down the dollar a little bit, and it would make it easier for Caterpillar and these companies.

But we have the greatest currency in the world.  No, I wouldn’t do that.

QUESTION: Are you thinking of cancelling the trade talk next month with China?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   So, China wants to settle this deal.  They’ve had the worst year that they’ve had in many, many decades.  And it’s getting only worse.  Thousands of companies are leaving China.  They would like to make a deal.  I’m not ready to make a deal.

QUESTION: But are you willing to cancel the talks next month?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   Maybe.  We’ll see what happens.  Right now — right now the talks are scheduled in September.  Whether or not we’re talking about China, whether or not they’re cancelled, we’ll see.

Look, as I said, our people are not paying for these billions and billions of dollars that came in, $16 billion of which I gave to the farmers because they were targeted by China.  And that’s just a small fraction of what we’ve taken in.

So they are not — because what China has been doing — they’re a currency manipulator — they’ve manipulated the value of their currency, and that’s where the money comes.  And also, they put tremendous money into the system.

So if you look, prices have not risen.  Our people have not paid.  So all of these guys that say, “Oh, Trump, Trump, Trump…” — they don’t know what they’re talking about.

Now, China is unique.  That doesn’t mean it happens with other countries.  It probably doesn’t.  But the prices have not gone up.  In fact, we have virtually no inflation in our country.  If the Federal Reserve would bring down interest rates over a period of time —

QUESTION: How much?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   I would love to see a point or even a little bit more than that.  If they would stop quantitative tightening, we have a rocket ship.

I mean, we’re doing well without it, but we’re being handcuffed by the Federal Reserve.  If they would stop that, it would be incredible.

QUESTION: Mr. President, do you want to expand South Korea and Japan Military Information Agreement?  Will you support them?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:    Well, I hope that South Korea and I hope that Japan start getting along with each other.  You know, they’re supposed to be allies.  And it puts us in a very difficult position.  South Korea and Japan are fighting all the time.  They’ve got to get along because it puts us in a very bad position.

With that being said, I got a very beautiful letter from Kim Jong Un yesterday.  It was delivered — hand-delivered from —

QUESTION: What did it say?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   It was a very positive letter.

QUESTION: What did it say?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   I’d love to give it to you.  I really would.  Maybe — maybe sometime I will.

QUESTION: Kim Jong Un mention of a next meeting and a summit talk?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   I think we’ll have another meeting.  He really wrote a beautiful, three-page — I mean, right from top to bottom — a really beautiful letter.  And maybe I’ll release the results of the letter, but it was a very positive letter.

QUESTION: Any decision on Huawei?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   We’re not going to do business with Huawei.  We’re not doing business with them.  And I really made the decision.  It’s much simpler not to do any business with Huawei.  So we’re not doing business with Huawei.  That doesn’t mean we won’t agree to something if and when we make a trade deal, but we’re not going to be doing business with Huawei.

QUESTION: When will you nominate someone to replace Coats?  Are you looking at Maguire, Hoekstra?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   Maguire is excellent.  Admiral.  Highly respected.  A great leader.  He’s Acting right now.  Sue did a great job.  I like Sue Gordon very much.

I think that, over a period of time — I’m in no rush because we have a great Acting.

QUESTION: Have you interviewed Hoekstra?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   I like Hoekstra a lot.  I spoke to Senator Burr about different people.  He’s head of intelligence.  And we’re — I’m working together with Senator Burr and the whole committee.  I want to get somebody that everybody can really come together with.  I like Pete Hoekstra a lot.  He’s great.  He’s doing a fantastic job in the Netherlands right now.

QUESTION: You had mentioned it was down to three.  Is it more than two?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   No, I will tell you: That’s a job that everybody wants.  DNI.  Everybody.  But I’m dealing — I’m dealing with the committee.  I’m dealing with, really, Senator Burr a lot.  And we’ll come up with somebody that’s great.  We have a lot of choice.  A lot of people want the job.

QUESTION: Tension between Japan and South Korea, are you concerned?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   Yeah, I’m concerned that they’re not getting along with each other.  They have to get along with each other.  If they don’t get along, what are we doing?  They have to get along with each other.  It’s very important.

South Korea and Japan have to sit down and get along with each other.  Otherwise, what are we all doing?

QUESTION: Are you considering moving troops from Germany to Poland?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   So, Poland has been a great, great friend of ours.  They’ve offered to build a military base at the cost of many billions of dollars.  No money put up by the United States whatsoever.  They’ve offered to fund our troops and lots of other things — the way it should be.  Not the stupid deals that we made with all these other countries that take advantage of us.

So, Poland has been terrific.  And we’re going to be going to Poland very soon.  I’m sure you’re going to be going with us.  I had a great experience in Poland the last time I went.  In fact, some of you actually said the speech was one of the best ever made in Europe by an American President.  Hard to believe that you actually said that.  When you said that, I was, like, in a state of shock.

QUESTION: On the fundraiser tonight, did Stephen Ross say anything about potentially cancelling, given the controversy?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   No.  Stephen Ross is a great friend of mine.  He’s a very successful guy.  We were competitors but friends in real estate, in New York, in the old days.  He’s a great guy.  He is — by the way, I think he’s probably more inclined to be a liberal, if you want to know the truth.  But he likes me, he respects me.  We’re doing a fundraiser there.  We’re doing another fundraiser with another friend of mine.  And I understand the fundraiser was totally sold out, and it’s very successful.

QUESTION: Your reaction to the controversy, people boycotting?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   I don’t think — I think it makes Steve much hotter.  I explained — I didn’t speak to him yet; I’ll see him in a little while.  The controversy makes Steve Ross hotter.  He’ll figure that out in about a week.  But he’s very happy.  He’s got a very successful — a lot of people are going.

We have two fundraisers.  One is Steve; one is another gentleman.  And I guess they’re going to raise 11 or 12 billion — million dollars.  Not billion.  Million.

I’m getting used to saying “billion.”  We’re talking about a lot of money.

QUESTION: When you talked about age restrictions to buy guns, 18 months ago you supported buying long guns at the age of 25, raising the age.  Are you considering bringing that back now?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   We’re not talking about anything specific.  I can tell you there’s tremendous goodwill for meaningful — I’m talking about “meaningful”; add that word — meaningful background checks so that sick and demented people don’t carry around guns.

You have to remember — and I’ve said it — it’s a big mental illness problem.  And the gun doesn’t pull a trigger.  A mind — a sick mind pulls a trigger.  So we want to take that out of the equation.

QUESTION: Do you support the Toomey-Manchin bill or the House bill?  Will you lift your veto threat?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   We’re looking at Toomey-Manchin.  Actually, if you look, there are many bills that have been put in over a period of four, five years.  They went nowhere.  But there’s never been a President like President Trump.

QUESTION: Mr. President, will you call Congress back into session to pass (inaudible)?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   I don’t think we’ll need to.  I may.  Leadership is dealing along with me right now.  By the time you call them back, they’re going to be back anyway.  I don’t think we’ll need to call them back.  I think we’ll have a very good package by the time they come back and they can start debating and voting on it then.  So I really don’t think, for the extra little time, it matters.

Leadership is doing a really good job — Mitch McConnell, Kevin, Nancy.  I spoke with Nancy Pelosi yesterday.  I spoke with Chuck Schumer yesterday.  There’s a lot of goodwill about this issue.

QUESTION: And do you think that — I mean, do you need to give a speech to do something to marshal support for this?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   I don’t think so.  No.  No.

QUESTION: Will you lead the charge?

THE PRESIDENT:  I think we have a lot of support.  I mean, I’m very fortunate.  In the Republican Party, I’m at 94 percent approval rating, so that helps.  But I have a great relationship with the Republican senators.  And I really think they’re looking for me to make — give them a signal.  And we’re going to have great support, and I think we’ll have the support from the Democrats also.

QUESTION: Mr. President, you also said this after Parkland.  Why should Americans believe you now?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   No, no.  I never said what I’m saying now.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) background checks after Parkland.

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   What I’m saying — what I said, though: You have tremendous opposition from many people on both sides.  I see a better feeling right now towards getting something meaningful done.  Meaningful.  And we did do things after Parkland, but it wasn’t to the same level that I’m talking about now.

You know, we did do the Fix NICS and various other things.  So we did do a lot of work after Parkland.  But I think we have now a chance to do something, really, much more meaningful —

QUESTION: Support among Republicans or —

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   — having to do — having to do, as you know, with background checks.

QUESTION: Mr. President, it’s almost back-to-school season.  What is your message to young children and teenagers who are anxious or nervous about going back to school after these mass shootings?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   Well, my message to young children going back to school is: Go and really study hard, and someday you’ll grow up and maybe be President of the United States or do something else that’s fantastic.

They have nothing to fear.  They have nothing to worry about.  In addition, we’re in constant contact with states, with state governments.  And they are really doing a great job.  We have this so much better than it was two and a half years ago.  Two and a half years ago, when I came in, it was really not a good situation.  I think we have a very, very good system right now.  That doesn’t mean that there’s not going to be some crazy person, but that’s what we want to do.  We want to take the guns out of the hands of crazy, demented, sick people.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) assault weapons ban — will you be telling the NRA to stand down?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   Yeah, we’re not looking at that right now.  We’re really looking at very meaningful background checks.  I think it’s going to happen.  There’s great, great support.  But we’re looking at very, very meaningful background checks.

QUESTION: What is the advantage to having Maguire as the head of DNI versus Gordon?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   Well, Admiral — as you know, Maguire — Admiral Maguire is a very talented man.  He’s a great leader.  As an Admiral, was always a great leader.  He is a man who is respected by everybody, and he’s going to be there for a period of time.  Who knows?  Maybe he gets the job.  But he’ll be there for a period of time — maybe a longer period of time than we think.  We’ll see.

We’re dealing with Senator Burr.  We’re dealing with the committee.  We’re dealing with probably 9 or 10 people that want the job very much.  You know the name of almost every one of them.  They’re truly outstanding.  Everybody wants DNI.  Everybody wants it.

And I will say that the Admiral is such a great choice from the standpoint of now.  And maybe he goes further.  We’ll see what happens.  But we’re dealing with the committee and Senator Burr.  We have people, all of whom you know — highly respected people.  We’ll be making a decision in the not-too-distant future.

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President.  Are you still committed to naming Eugene Scalia Secretary of Labor?  And when will you send a nomination to the Senate?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   So, Eugene Scalia is a highly respected lawyer in Washington.  His father, as you know, was the great, great, great Supreme Court Justice.  Even the people with not his views would say he was a great gentleman, a great man.

Eugene Scalia — Gene Scalia — has had a fantastic career.  As you know, he’s our appointment for Labor Secretary.  I think — so far, it’s been received very well.  He is a very — he’s one of the finest minds and lawyers in Washington.  And I will say, so far, that’s been received very well.

QUESTION: On North Korea, this letter to you, did Kim Jong Un make any promises about stopping the ballistic missile testing that he’s been carrying out?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   Yeah, he gave me a great letter.  I would love to give you, but, I don’t know, I don’t think it would be appropriate.  But it was a very personal letter.

QUESTION: Talked about missile testing?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:    It was a great letter.  He talked about what he’s doing.  He’s not happy with the testing.  It’s a very small testing that we did.  But he wasn’t happy with the testing; he put that in the letter.  But he also sees a great future for North Korea.  And so we’ll see how it all works out.

In the meantime, I say it again: There have been no nuclear tests.  The missile tests have all been short-range.  No ballistic missile tests.  No long-range missiles.  We got back, and we’re getting back — as we speak, we’re getting back a lot of our fallen heroes.  You know that.  They’re coming back into and through Hawaii.  And we got back our hostages.

So I thought the letter — I just got it yesterday.  It was hand-delivered and it wasn’t touched by anybody.  They literally take it from North Korea to my office.  We have a system.  It’s the old-fashioned system.  You don’t have to worry about leaks.  Something nice about that system.

QUESTION: Mr. President, what do you mean that he wasn’t happy with the missile tests?  He carried them out.  He ordered them.

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   No, he wasn’t.  He wasn’t happy with the tests — the war games.  The war games on the other side, with the United States.  And as you know, I’ve never liked it either.  I’ve never liked it.  I’ve never been a fan.  You know why?  I don’t like paying for it.  We should be reimbursed for it, and I’ve told that to South Korea.  But I don’t like it either.  But I said, “Do this,” because this was a big test.  This was a turnover of various areas to South Korea.  I like that because that’s what should happen.

QUESTION: Several countries issued travel warnings to United States.  And Japan specifically said gunfire is potentially everywhere in the U.S.  What is your reaction to that?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   Well, I can’t imagine that.  But if they did that, we’d just reciprocate.  We are a very reciprocal nation, with me as the head.  When somebody does something negative to us in terms of a country, we do it to them.

Look, our country has been taken advantage of by foreign countries, even allies — including allies, and in many cases, more than anybody else.  We’ve been taken advantage of for many, many years, and it stops.  It stopped.

QUESTION: In your view, Mr. President, should Colin Kaepernick get an opportunity to play in the NFL?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   Only if he’s good enough.  Yeah, if he’s good enough.  Why would he play?  If he’s good enough.  And I think if he was good enough — I know the owners.  I know Bob Kraft.  I know so many of the owners.  If he’s good enough, they’d sign him.  So, if he’s good enough — I know these people — they would sign him in a heartbeat.  They will do anything they can to win games.

So I’d like to see it.  Frankly, I’d love to see Kaepernick come in if he’s good enough.  But I don’t want to see him come in because somebody thinks it’s a good PR move.  If he’s good enough, he will be in.

QUESTION: Are you worried about global markets pulling back at all?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   Well, the global markets are not as good as our market.  Our market has been really good.

QUESTION: Are you worried about the effect — the (inaudible) effect to the U.S.?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   Well, it always — it’s never positive.  Although, you could say it puts us in an even better position.  I view it differently.  I mean, most people would say that’s a bad thing.  I would say the fact that other countries aren’t doing really well — China, in particular.  China is doing horribly.  Horribly.  First time that anyone can remember.  They are having a year like they never had.  Almost — you know, go back, 30, 40 years.  They’re having one of the worst years ever. The numbers are phony.  They’re not doing 6.2; they’re doing a totally different number.

QUESTION: What do you think they’re doing?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   Maybe neutral.  Maybe even —

QUESTION: Does Democrats calling you and your supporters a white nationalist, a white supremacist, help you?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   I don’t think it helps.  First of all, I don’t like it when they do it because I am not any of those things.  I think it’s a disgrace.  And I think it shows how desperate the Democrats are.  Look, right now, I’m working with the Democrats on meaningful background checks.  That’s a big thing.  Hopefully, we can do something.  But — so I don’t want to focus too much on that.

I will say this: For them to throw out the race word again — “racist, racist, racist.”  That’s all they use — to anybody.  They called Nancy Pelosi a racist.  She’s not a racist.  They call anybody a “racist” when they run out of cards.

I’m winning in the polls.  They’re desperate.  They’ve got lousy candidates.  They’ve got bad candidates.  I mean, I watched the debates.  I mean, I look —

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   I look — well, I mean, Joe Biden can’t answer a simple question.  Something is going wrong with him.  I mean, the only — the only thing is — I mean, a lot of people think that he was the one that wanted Bob Mueller to testify because it made Joe look intelligent.  Okay?

QUESTION: Is your base supporting background checks?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   I think my base relies very much on common sense and they rely on me, in terms of telling them what’s happening.  I think meaningful background checks — I don’t just say “background checks.”  Because we passed background checks a number of times, meaning the Democr- — but everybody knew they weren’t that strong.

QUESTION:    Do you want to expand the law?

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP:   I think meaningful background checks are a real positive.  Politically, I can’t tell you.  You know, I don’t know — good, bad, or indifferent.  I don’t care, politically.  I don’t want to have crazy people having guns.

[theconservativebrief]

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is refusing to meet with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh until an agreement is reached about unearthing Kavanaugh’s lengthy paper trail — a move that sounds dramatic but is light on the substantive implications.

While it’s tradition for individual senators to sit down with Supreme Court picks, there’s nothing written in stone requiring senators to meet with a nominee before a vote. As Republicans have indicated in the past (see: Merrick Garland), they have no issue moving forward when established procedures are not upheld.

“If senators refuse to meet with Judge Kavanaugh, the consequence I guess would be that they would lose an opportunity to speak with him and learn more about his approach to the bench,” a spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said plainly.

Meanwhile, McConnell has threatened to delay a vote on Kavanaugh until just before the midterm elections if Democrats don’t relent — forcing red-state Democrats in tough races into a difficult vote right before voters go to the polls.

The ultimatums are flying on both sides of the aisle. The only difference is that Democrats have little leverage to stop Kavanaugh.

They are hoping, however, that tactics like Schumer’s will shame Republicans into surfacing more of the nominee’s paper trail — which will give Democratic activists additional time to gin up pressure on moderate Republicans like Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski and maybe even present the public with a more detailed and damning portrait of Kavanaugh’s record.

In recent weeks, Democrats have increasingly made the case that a more extensive review of Kavanaugh’s copious records — including those from his days as George W. Bush’s White House staff secretary — need to be undertaken in order to develop a comprehensive understanding of his positions.

Kavanaugh served as both White House counsel and staff secretary during the Bush administration. As staff secretary — a time that he’s characterized as a formative experience for his judicial practice — it’s possible that he engaged with millions of documents, a trove that Democrats are interested in continuing to mine.

“Documents from his time as staff secretary are critical to understanding his knowledge of and involvement with torture, warrantless wiretapping and the use of signing statements, to name just a few key issues,” Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Dianne Feinstein said in a statement. “Republicans are claiming that Kavanaugh was nothing more than a paper pusher who told President Bush what was for lunch. That’s false, not to mention ridiculous.”

Republicans have called such efforts obstructionist and argued that the archive of documents that have been requested about Kavanaugh is among the largest that have been reviewed of any Supreme Court nominee. (If it takes long enough to obtain and analyze these papers, it’s possible but unlikely that Democrats could push the vote on Kavanaugh to past the midterms.)

In the short term, the fight over Kavanaugh’s paper trail has reached the point at which many Democrats are following Schumer’s lead and refusing to meet with Kavanaugh until Judiciary Committee leaders Chuck Grassley and Feinstein land on a consensus about his records, per the New York Times.

“Before Democrats commit to meeting with the nominee, we want to see a real commitment and progress toward providing the same information and documents to the Senate that [Justice Elena] Kagan did,” a Senate Democratic aide said. (Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia has already sat down with Kavanaugh.)

Democrats have emphasized that their request for more papers is simply comparable to the one that Republicans made during Kagan’s confirmation process. (Kagan was the White House’s solicitor general before her nomination to the Supreme Court.) Schumer, in floor remarks last week, also cited Republican requests for wide-ranging records during Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation. Republicans have hit back and said that they don’t think the documents from Kavanaugh’s staff secretary days are as pertinent to his nomination as those from his time on the bench.

“Senators already have access to Judge Kavanaugh’s 307 opinions he authored in 12 years as a D.C. Circuit judge, the hundreds more opinions he joined, and the 6,168 pages of material he submitted as part of his Senate Judiciary Committee Questionnaire,” Senate Judiciary Chair Grassley said in a statement, noting that his work as White House counsel would be scrutinized as well.

Grassley has slammed Democrats’ refusal to cooperate and independently moved ahead with a request for documents to the Bush library this past Friday. It did not include a push for papers from Kavanaugh’s time as staff secretary.

Given the recent withdrawal of Ryan Bounds’s nomination for a US Circuit judgeship over his racist college writings, Democrats are quick to note that some of the documents in Kavanaugh’s archives might be able to offer more insight into controversial past positions, not to mention his stances on hot-button issues like executive power, health care, and abortion rights.

Already, speeches have shown that Kavanaugh thought favorably of then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist’s dissent in Roe v. Wade and questioned whether President Richard Nixon should have been obligated to turn over the Watergate tapes.

In the face of Democrats’ stalwart commitment to combing through Kavanaugh’s paper trail, McConnell has said he could push a vote for the nominee until right before the midterms if they don’t let up, according to a Politico report. It’s not clear, however, if this move would be as damaging to Democrats as McConnell framed.

Democrats who need to campaign would still likely take the time they needed to do so — although they may need to miss some votes. Nevada Sen. Dean Heller — the only endangered Republican actually sticking around for reelection — would likely also find the timing difficult.

Another uncertain variable is the impact that a Supreme Court vote would have on the midterm electorate. There are concerns that a losing vote — especially one close to the general election — could demoralize Democrats, but it’s also possible that a defeat of this magnitude could fire people up. What’s more, an extended Supreme Court fight would give activists on both sides of the aisle more time to hammer red-state Democrats and Republican swing votes alike.

“To me, it’s in their best interest to have that vote done for a lot of their red-state senators who are facing their voters,” Sen. John Thune, the third highest-ranking Republican in the GOP Senate conference, told Politico.

But Erica Mauter of MoveOn.org, a liberal activist group, argues that keeping up the fight for Kavanaugh’s records is the most important thing Democrats can do to keep voters engaged. “The more that Democrats stand on principle in demanding relevant information about the nominee, the more enthusiastic voters will be to support them in November,” she said in a statement.

Based on Republicans’ willingness to steamroll opposition while they’re in the majority, these paper trail arguments might not be enough to block Kavanaugh, but they could wind up resonating with voters at the polls.

Original Source -> Democrats want to see more records on Brett Kavanaugh. Republicans don’t care.

via The Conservative Brief

[democratsunited-blog]

Republicans, Democrats look to use Kavanaugh nomination as weapon in midterm fight

https://uniteddemocrats.net/?p=6491

Republicans, Democrats look to use Kavanaugh nomination as weapon in midterm fight

The campaign is underway.

Not the race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. No mentions of Sens. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., or former Vice President Joe Biden.

It’s the campaign for the Supreme Court.

Democrats and Republicans will burn tens of millions of dollars in a campaign to confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh or torpedo his nomination. Everyone will try to force the hands of swing votes like Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Joe Donnelly, D-Ind.

The Kavanaugh nomination is about the midterm elections as much as it is about the balance of power on the Supreme Court.

Republicans have used judicial nominations to gin up their base for years. They’ll certainly attempt to excite Republican voters this fall with Kavanaugh. Many observers see the confirmation as Kavanaugh as a possible path to overturning Roe v. Wade or ruling against the labor movement.

Democrats can play at this game, too.

Democrats have never deployed the issue of judges in quite the same fashion as Republicans. But Democrats have the chance to do so this year. Kavanaugh’s nomination provides Democrats with a foil – even if the Senate confirms the nominee just weeks before the midterms. Naturally Democrats would prefer to derail Kavanaugh’s nomination. But if Democrats play their cards right, they may be able to invigorate their base – especially suburban women – and capitalize on Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

Why haven’t Democrats exploited the federal judiciary for political gain the way Republicans have?

“We are not as Machiavellian as they are,” said House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Linda Sanchez, D-Calif.

But Sanchez says Kavanaugh’s nomination presents the party with an opening.

“Giving Democrats the majority despite Kavanaugh gives Democrats the opportunity to fix some (court) overreaches,” said Sanchez.

The Kavanaugh nomination may appear like bad news for Democrats. But if Democrats are crafty enough, they could swivel Kavanaugh’s confirmation into a midterm battle cry.

Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution requires the Senate to confirm Supreme Court nominees, via “Advice and Consent.” But the process leading up to that confirmation vote evolved over the years.

Senators never even met with nominees until 1925. Justice Harlan Fiske Stone was the first nominee to appear in person to field questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee ahead of his confirmation to the High Court. Senators raised concerns about Stone’s ties to Wall Street. The process of a “modern” confirmation hearing began with the nomination of Justice John Harlan Marshall II in 1955. The advent of television ushered in a different model for a Supreme Court confirmation hearing. It culminated in 1991 with dramatic, wall-to-wall, televised hearings for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Anita Hill accused Thomas of sexual harassment when they worked together at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

“The confirmation process has turned into a political campaign for office,” said Ron Bonjean, former communications director for former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss. “You have judges that have brilliant legal minds. But they are literally running for office for the first time. Having a sherpa or a campaign manager help them through the process is extremely useful.”

As a result, the nominee, or candidate, as the case may be, spends weeks touring the Senate for conclaves with nearly all 100 senators. Here’s where the “sherpa” comes in. Capitol Hill may only stand 88 feet above sea level. But trekking to the highest court in the land necessitates a political alpinist, lest the nominee plunge into a Senate crevasse.

“You can call it a guide. Or sensei. Or teacher. Or whatever. But the sherpa is usually the guide. It is somebody you are looking to as you go through a process,” said Bonjean. “When you have a sherpa, it is not for the rest of your life. It is usually because you are on a trip and you need help getting from point A to point B.”

Bonjean worked with former Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., as she served as sherpa to Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch during his confirmation process last year. Bonjean was also once a top aide to former Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz. The Trump Administration tapped Kyl to escort Kavanaugh to his Senate appointments this year.

“I would want (Kyl) in my foxhole any day of the week as a legislative sherpa, walking around Brett Kavanaugh,” said Bonjean.

Some lament alterations to the contemporary confirmation process. Meeting the nominee used to be rare. Now it’s not. Hearings didn’t happen. Now they’re a marquee event. The same with TV. And as part of that evolution, the “campaign” for the Supreme Court is here to stay.

Is that a problem?

There’s been talk in Major League Baseball of late about “shifts.” That’s where the team in the field adjusts to the trends of the batter, repositioning defenders accordingly. For a left-handed pull hitter, the third baseman stands close to second base, the shortstop is where the second baseman usually plays and the second baseman patrols short right field. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is considering proposals to police defensive shifts, regulating their use and restricting where players may stand.

The solution for hitters? Adjust. Choke up on the bat. Cue a flair into left field. Drop a bunt down the abandoned third base line. Granted, tweaking the way you hit is easier said than done. But there are always options.

If senators and the public don’t like how Supreme Court nominees now must run a “campaign,” consider ways to overcome the “shift” on Capitol Hill.

Lisa Murkowski is one of the most-watched senators in this campaign. A defection by Murkowski or fellow Republican Susan Collins could upend the nomination. The Senate functions with a narrow 50-49 GOP edge these days. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., remains out, suffering from brain cancer.

“It’s okay to take it slow,” said Murkowski who opposes an expedited track for Kavanaugh. In fact, the Alaska Republican observed that lawmakers on both sides made snap judgments about Kavanaugh, minutes after President Trump unveiled his nominee.

“There is such an immediate reaction, both pro and con,” said Murkowski. “They seem to be so absolute in their opinion. They believe that he should be absolutely confirmed or absolutely not confirmed.”

Every senator is seeking something different in the confirmation process, right down to the nominee’s judicial philosophy.

“I’m looking for a cross between Socrates and Dirty Harry,” opined Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

In 2017, three Democratic senators voted to confirm Gorsuch: Sens. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Joe Donnelly. All three face challenging re-election bids in red states this November. But there’s another factor in the Kavanaugh campaign which didn’t exist last year. That’s the election of Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala. No other Democratic senator represents a constituency as conservative as the one Jones has in Alabama.

“There’s a good chance we pick up a number of Democrats,” observed Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., about the Kavanaugh nomination. “It would serve Jones well in the state of Alabama to support a conservative judge for the Supreme Court.”

When initially asked about his take on Kavanaugh, Jones replied “I haven’t done that deep a dive yet.”

Democrats hope to slow down Kavanaugh’s nomination to parse his voluminous record. That’s an important tactic. The more time to study, the better the chances Democrats find a tripwire for Kavanaugh.

On Thursday, the Trump Administration yanked the nomination of Ryan Bounds for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, moments before his confirmation vote. The nominee lacked the votes after senators unearthed controversial writings from Bounds.

Democrats immediately seized on Bounds’ writings as an undergraduate at Stanford as a reason Senate Republicans should grant them ample time to review Kavanaugh’s record.

“This shows when you first ask for writings, maybe they don’t show you everything,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., of Bounds. “The same rule should apply to Kavanaugh.”

But dragging it out could backfire on Democrats. Sure, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., prefers to confirm Kavanaugh when the Supreme Court’s new term starts October 1. But McConnell could call the Democrats’ bluff and schedule the confirmation vote as close to the midterm elections as possible. That would apply maximum pressure on Democrats from battleground states to vote yes.

After all, this nomination isn’t just about the Supreme Court. It’s a campaign for the midterms.

Capitol Attitude is a weekly column written by members of the Fox News Capitol Hill team. Their articles take you inside the halls of Congress, and cover the spectrum of policy issues being introduced, debated and voted on there.

Read full story here

[gaylemccoy972-blog]

The conservatives turning against Donald Trump

After 200 days of Trumps presidency, his awkward marriage of convenience with Republicans has increasingly come under severe stress

More Republicans will turn against Donald Trump and his politics of populism, a GOP senator and leading critic of the president has predicted, as the Guardian surveys the conservative landscape 200 days into the Trump presidency.

Jeff Flake of Arizona was among 17 conservative politicians, activists, officials and pundits interviewed over two months, revealing that while the president has given rightwing fringe groups a seat at the table, his alliance with his own party remains highly precarious.

I think more of us will say where does this lead, where are we and what happens when we get off this sugar high of populism? said Flake, who believes the Republican party abandoned its core principles and struck a Faustian bargain by embracing Trump in last years election.

What can we do on trade when supply trains get sent around us? Those have long-term ramifications. This is not something that we can flirt with for four years and then quickly snap back, so I do think there needs to be more pushback.

Trump, a former Democrat with no political experience, ran as an anti-establishment candidate effectively staging a hostile takeover of the Republican party. In July 2015 former Texas governor Rick Perry declared: Donald Trumps candidacy is a cancer on conservatism, and it must be clearly diagnosed, excised and discarded. Perry is now Trumps energy secretary.

But after months of criticism that they are too passive, congressional Republicans have flexed their muscles of late over threats from the White House against Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Trump and Russia, and Jeff Sessions, the attorney general, and passing fresh sanctions against Moscow that Trump was reluctantly obliged to sign.

In addition, high-profile Republicans at various levels of government have been accused of mounting shadow campaigns for 2020 including Mike Pence, the vice-president, who was forced to issue a statement on Sunday denouncing the New York Times report about his alleged positioning for a post-Trump era as disgraceful and offensive.

Flake, author of a new book, Conscience of a Conservative which argues that conservatism has been compromised by nationalism, populism, xenophobia, extreme partisanship, even celebrity believes that others will join him in breaking ranks.

The talk of firing Jeff Sessions, the AG, is not going over well in the Senate, and Ive been heartened to see so many of my colleagues stand up and say thats not going to happen, because we see it as a precursor to do something else, maybe with the special counsel, and thats not going to happen, said Flake, who believes the Republican party abandoned its core principles and struck a Faustian bargain by embracing Trump in last years election.

So I do think that youre seeing more people stand up and say weve got to respect the institutions. I do think that will continue. I do sense that the Congress is reasserting itself a little more.

Flake acknowledged that Trump has displayed conservative instincts in his cabinet appointments, choice of supreme court justice Neil Gorsuch and plans for regulatory and tax reform. But he said the presidents approach to trade is populist and his temperament unstable. A conservative embraces our allies and recognises our enemies and the kind of chaos that has ensued in both in domestic and foreign policy is very unconservative, he said.

The senators views echo those of other mainstream Republicans who have long resisted Trump. Eliot Cohen, former state department counsellor to George W Bushs secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, added: This fundamentally boils down to character, and his character is rotten. Hes a narcissist who happens to have taken control of the Republican party.

Theres some areas where he agrees with party orthodoxy, and some where he doesnt. But his only doctrine is: whatever is good for Donald Trump is good for the country. When he goes down and he will go down, at some point one of the things that will be striking is just how quickly members of Congress will turn on him.

Trumps awkward marriage of convenience with Republicans has been under severe stress. He alienated members of the House by calling their healthcare bill mean just days after toasting it in the Rose Garden at the White House. He was unable to successfully cajole or persuade members of the Senate to pass their own version and attacked their failure to do so via Twitter, where he often refers to Republicans as they rather than we.

Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

Republicans in the Senate will NEVER win if they don't go to a 51 vote majority NOW. They look like fools and are just wasting time

July 29, 2017

But a full divorce would leave the president politically exposed, especially as the investigation into his election campaigns alleged collusion with Russia gathers momentum.

Karl Rove, former senior adviser to George W Bush, said: One of the interesting things is the difficulty of Trump advocating for party loyalty. He is neither a conservative or frankly a longtime Republican. Its one of the reasons why he won. He was able to say, Im against the political system Republican or Democrat I want to blow up Washington. Ive got a giant grenade in my hand. Are you with me?

It does present difficulties in governing. He doesnt have the longtime relationship with people that most candidates for office have.

But Trump has found a more receptive audience among pressure groups in the conservative movement. He retains strong connections with evangelical Christians, anti-tax adherents to the Tea Party, pro-life campaigners and the National Rifle Association in April he became the first sitting president to address its annual convention since Ronald Reagan.

Sean Hannity, a Fox News host, and Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, are among those to enjoy frequent meetings and dinners at the White House. All can bring considerable pressure to bear on the Republican party.

Speaking by phone as he walked down the street, through security and into the White House for a meeting with officials, Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, said of the president: I would argue hes taken a more pro-conservative stand on gun rights, on home schooling, on judges than past Republican presidents. If you want to do a purity test, Reagan and Bush would not have passed on a lot of a things. Trump changes the world on behalf of conservatives.

Trumps ban on transgender troops in the military and a raft of policies on criminal justice, education and immigration have thrown red meat to his allies on the right. Despite numerous setbacks and a sense of chaos in his administration, his approval rating among conservative Republicans is holding steady.

Tom Tancredo, former Congressman for Colorado, put it bluntly: There were two reasons I voted for him: one was he wasnt Hillary Clinton; second was the supreme court. All else is forgiven.

Eliot Cohen, political scientist, former state department counsellor to Condoleezza Rice

This fundamentally boils down to character, and his character is rotten. Hes a narcissist who happens to have taken control of the Republican party. Theres some areas where he agrees with party orthodoxy, and some where he doesnt. But his only doctrine is: whatever is good for Donald Trump is good for the country.

Trump has taken conservatives back to a different era, before William F Buckley drove out the Birchers, the bigots and the antisemites. Were now back in a different world.

When he goes down and he will go down, at some point one of the things that will be striking is just how quickly members of Congress will turn on him.

Rory Cooper, Republican strategist and former aide to former House majority leader Eric Cantor

Trump is undeniably the current leader of a still fractured and damaged Republican party. Some of that damage existed before him and some of it he has and continues to create. But Trump only adheres to conservatism in so much as it protects his 38% base. Even if he lurched to the left now, liberals would never accept him back, so its his only option. But his tendency is still geared toward autocratic rule in the way a mayor of New York City mayor would operate, with a penchant toward pleasing our nations adversaries, some economic protectionism and, most importantly, self preservation.

Its up to Congressional Republicans to protect conservatism, period. President Trump would abandon a conservative position in a minute for just about any selfish reason.

I would argue character and humility is a part of what defines a conservative leader. Reagan was revered for both, and even those disappointed with either Bush hold them in esteem on these two accounts. Trump is severely handicapped in both areas.

Niall Ferguson, historian and senior fellow of the Hoover Institution, Stanford

If the economy were to run out of steam, which probabilistically seems quite likely, and if theres a foreign policy screw up, then it would be quite easy to see his approval ratings just fall. Populist voters are fickle. Theyve already defected from the Republican establishment; they can defect from him at some point, and its quite non-linear.

I think the Republicans have surprised me in one respect and that was the poor discipline of the party. If you think of this in British terms, essentially we are now in a quasi-monarchy, kind of what Alexander Hamilton vaguely had in mind, but its a monarchy in the sense that the White House is a court and Trump is like one of those people who becomes king whos not terribly well suited to the role, and so theres rampant factionalism and infighting and erratic decisions by the king, and Paul Ryans the prime minister whos trying to manage affairs in the estates general, but the problem is that from a British vantage point the party disciplines very weak. I thought that he would be able to deliver much more cleanly on the healthcare reform and tax reform. It then turned out that actually the partys not a united party at all. All the talk of unified government is belied by the reality.

Jeff Flake, US senator for Arizona and author of Conscience of a Conservative

A conservative embraces our allies and recognises our enemies and the kind of chaos that has ensued in both in domestic and foreign policy is very unconservative.

The Faustian bargain in our case is in the election realising that he was tapping a popular surge and that we could latch on to that and work with him and win short-term battles at the expense of losing the war long-term. Some of these positions that have been taking will have long-term ramifications and Im not sure if we considered that during the election.

Ive been heartened in the last couple of weeks; in the Senate in particular weve more jealously guarded the institution, the Congress. The talk of firing Jeff Sessions, the AG [Attorney General] is not going over well in the Senate and Ive been heartened to see so many of my colleagues stand up and say thats not going to happen, because we see it as a precursor to do something else, maybe with the special counsel [Robert Mueller], and thats not going to happen. So I do think that youre seeing more people stand up and say weve got to respect the institutions. I do think that will continue. I do sense that the Congress is reasserting itself a little more.

I think more of us will say where does this lead, where are we and what happens when we get off this sugar high of populism? What can we do on trade when supply trains get sent around us? Those have long-term ramifications. This is not something that we can flirt with for four years and then quickly snap back, so I do think there needs to be more pushback.

Rich Galen, Republican strategist, former press secretary to Dan Quayle and to Newt Gingrich

I dont think hes a conservative and I dont think he does either. He wasnt even a Republican until Barack Obama became president.

He was very popular at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) because his name wasnt Hillary Clinton. Last year Republicans were willing to put up with Trump because of the alternative. But I do know theres grumbling in the hustings. In a while Republicans in the House and Senate will say: This guy says hes a Republican. OK, Gorsuch, got it. What else has done thats positive at all? Theres no strategic vision today on any level or dimension. He uses any action to get his name in the headlines on any given day.

Conservatives have grown used to paddling down the river by themselves. Theyll get back in a few years.

Bill Kristol, commentator and founder of The Weekly Standard

The reason Ive been so anti-Trump is I hate the idea American conservatism becomes Trumpism. I think American conservatism is important to the country. I hate the idea he gets to ruin what I think is a pretty impressive tradition.

Im struck by the way Newt Gingrich has become a ridiculous Trump apologist. Rudy Giuliani was an awfully successful mayor of New York who presided over the revival of a great city; if youre a young person and your exposure to Giuliani has been his defending Trump over the past two years, you think hes an irascible crazy guy.

The problem is Trump. Hes personally such a disreputable figure, he can do a fair amount of damage. The good news is the foreign policy apparatus. His bad impulses have been checked.

In a way conservatism has been vindicated by Trump. Conservatism warns against a demagogue motivated by populism. Its nice we can appeal to conservative writings but we need living conservatives.

Tim Miller, former Jeb Bush spokesman

The thing that surprised me about Trump is that previous iterations of populism within the party, from Buchanan through the Tea party, still held rather strict socially conservative views. What Trump exposed is that these voters werent necessarily looking for a pure truecon but instead they were using those social issues as proxies for their disdain for liberal, urban, elite culture. Trump offered them a candidate who channeled their anger but through anger and mockery of the media and elites, validation of their view that America is not as great as it once was, and a dash of white grievance politics rather than purity.

Trump is not a movement conservative in the philosophical sense so no, he doesnt reflect that in any real way. But he is a reflection of where the conservative base of the party is right now and I think he exposes the wide gap between conservative intellectuals and conservative voters. The question is whether that gap will be bridged by a future candidate or if it will continue to widen and fracture. I dont know the answer to that.

Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform

Hes the president. Hes sui generis. Everyone gets that hes sui generis. Theres not a Trump wing of the Republican party. There was a Goldwater wing, there was a Rockefeller wing, theres not a Trump wing. I would argue hes taken a more pro-conservative stand on gun rights, on home schooling, on judges than past Republican presidents. If you want to do a purity test, Reagan and Bush would not have passed on a lot of a things. Trump changes the world on behalf of conservatives.

Were going to get a bundle of critics of Trump. The objection is, He doesnt listen to me and I dont know how to get into the bloodstream of the American agenda if Im not whispering in the ear of the prince. There are people who wish to be consulted as experts on cable TV or New York Times op-eds and they want to be seen as important shapers of the world. The chattering classes didnt like Newt Gingrich either.

Heather Cox Richardson, political historian

I think Trumps a salesman, not a politician. He doesnt adhere to any ideological points except what makes him look good. Its an easy one to blame President Trump but conservatism has its own problems. Ideological conservatism gave up the ghost to movement conservatives because they were winning elections by using racism and sexism. Trump is simply reflecting back what they created.

It increasingly appears that not only Trump but members of Congress have abandoned the American experiment in favour of policies that will favour an oligarchy. Their willingness to work with Putin and Russia negates everything the American experiment is about. I find it simply appalling.

But American women have entered the political sphere in a way they never have before and it will be them who save America. That is the great untold story.

Andy Roth, vice-president, Club for Growth free enterprise group

Aside from an issue or two, hes been very strong on our issues. A very pro-growth president, he has surrounded himself with strong, conservative principled people so if he can focus on the big issues, I think hes going to enjoy a lot of success.

On economic issues, his instincts on our issues have been really really good and it remains to be seen what his impact will be. Its possible a renegotiated Nafta is more free trade than the old version; its possible that he could have glowing marks on all issues.

Karl Rove, former senior adviser to George W Bush

Theres been a bit of populism [in Trumps message], a frequent part of the American political scene, and theres been a certain amount of populism in most successful Republican candidates the part of populism that says Washington or the media look down their nose at flyover America. [But unlike Reagan and George W Bush] this guy is not really a conservative if you had to attach an ideological label to him, he would be a populist.

One of the interesting things is the difficulty of Trump advocating for party loyalty. He is neither a conservative or frankly a longtime Republican. Its one of the reasons why he won. He was able to say, Im against the political system Republican or Democrat I want to blow up Washington. Ive got a giant grenade in my hand. Are you with me?

It does present difficulties in governing. He doesnt have the longtime relationship with people that most candidates for office have.

Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union

The president ran on an important yet simple agenda and he is executing on that agenda, step by step, day by day. The economy is strong, businesses appreciate the deregulatory environment and the oncoming approach to cut taxes. Donald Trump inherited a lot of dangerous situations around the world so the fundamentals are strong. His people who put him in office are pleased with what hes getting done and not backing down.

The biggest change is you have a president who is upsetting the order of Congress, press, Washington DC and all the usual suspects who are involved in process. Hes taking them all on aggressively which results in a lot of change and a lot of pushback and the nation is divided. As to whether thats a good thing or bad thing, thats the biggest dynamic of the Trump presidency: audacious and aggressive challenge to the status quo and political class, without regard or respect to the position those people hold.

Charlie Sykes, author, broadcaster and columnist

Donald Trump is not a conservative. Hes a man whos entirely without principle or ideology. However, given how many conservatives have embraced him, its becoming difficult to make the case hes not the leader of the conservative movement. CPAC became a festival of Trumpism.

Its disturbing to see the pressure some conservative leaders putting on conservatives to fall into line. It feels like the more the administration melts down, the more intense the pressure to conform.

If you are a conservative there are things he will do that you will applaud, but the price tag is going up all the time. You have to align yourself with a liar and conman because he will make the trains run on time. Accept someone who mocks the disabled and insults women because he gets you a social policy win.

Its not so much what Trump himself does as the effect he has on people around him. Were watching conservativism turn into a cult of personality. The way some conservatives are corrupted by his behaviour has long term implications. Im old enough to remember when character mattered to conservatives. What do they say about character now?

Michael Steele, former chairman of the Republican National Committee

Hes not a conservative. Hes not even a Republican and thats fine. He ran in the Republican primary and Republicans got behind him but actually being moored to the philosophical anchors of the party and policies that the party has supported and advocated for over a generation, no, thats not Donald Trump.

This is my 40th year as a Republican and it is the first time I can honestly say I dont recognise this party and some of the people who are leading it when it comes to those principles and those values that we once purportedly stood for, and we no longer seem to stand for that. I want to know what changed and the only thing thats changed is Donald Trump entered the picture.

With Reagan, George W Bush, George Herbert Walker Bush, even Richard Nixon, there was still a core there that defined what a Republican is, it defined what conservatism is in the context of being a Republican and that now seems to be wholly lost.

Tom Tancredo, former Republican Congressman for Colorado

Hes a populist. He is not averse to using government to solve problems he thinks its capable of solving. I certainly support his efforts for immigration control.

Most conservatives look for certain things hes done and say, good enough for me. The appointment of Neil Gorsuch to the supreme court solidified that in the minds of many. There were two reasons I voted for him: one was he wasnt Hillary Clinton; second was the supreme court. All else is forgiven. There are plenty of times hes said things in his tweets that you wince at but on important points hes doing the right things.

Rick Tyler, political analyst, former Ted Cruz campaign spokesman

Hes not a conservative. I dont think he has any intellectual guideposts or political ideology. He used the tools of populism. Take the infrastructure week: this is low hanging bipartisan fruit but its gone nowhere.

I feel a little alone and isolated as a conservative. My friends are supporting a president and agenda that has nothing to do with conservatism and I find that remarkable. I believe conservatives would do more for the poor, more for the environment.

Bob Vander Plaats, CEO of the Family Leader, social conservative organisation

As I remind our base all the time, Hillary Clinton is not our bar. I know, Trump did this, Trump did that, thank God its not Hillary but Hillary is not our bar. We have the GOP House, we have the GOP Senate; [lets move the] ball down the field.

Frankly, hes still trying to get his sea legs. We believe that there needs to be a higher standard that what [former communications director] Anthony Scaramucci did, not just to Reince Priebus and Steve Bannon, but the way he did it, the words he used. Not only is the world watching, our children are watching, and no entity can fulfill its mission with that dynamic, much less the White House. Even some of the tweets are demeaning. I think right before the election, there was an interview where Trump said, When I get to be president Ill be more presidential than any other president in history; were still waiting for that.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/08/the-conservatives-turning-against-donald-trump

[pedrowells24-blog]

The conservatives turning against Donald Trump

After 200 days of Trumps presidency, his awkward marriage of convenience with Republicans has increasingly come under severe stress

More Republicans will turn against Donald Trump and his politics of populism, a GOP senator and leading critic of the president has predicted, as the Guardian surveys the conservative landscape 200 days into the Trump presidency.

Jeff Flake of Arizona was among 17 conservative politicians, activists, officials and pundits interviewed over two months, revealing that while the president has given rightwing fringe groups a seat at the table, his alliance with his own party remains highly precarious.

I think more of us will say where does this lead, where are we and what happens when we get off this sugar high of populism? said Flake, who believes the Republican party abandoned its core principles and struck a Faustian bargain by embracing Trump in last years election.

What can we do on trade when supply trains get sent around us? Those have long-term ramifications. This is not something that we can flirt with for four years and then quickly snap back, so I do think there needs to be more pushback.

Trump, a former Democrat with no political experience, ran as an anti-establishment candidate effectively staging a hostile takeover of the Republican party. In July 2015 former Texas governor Rick Perry declared: Donald Trumps candidacy is a cancer on conservatism, and it must be clearly diagnosed, excised and discarded. Perry is now Trumps energy secretary.

But after months of criticism that they are too passive, congressional Republicans have flexed their muscles of late over threats from the White House against Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Trump and Russia, and Jeff Sessions, the attorney general, and passing fresh sanctions against Moscow that Trump was reluctantly obliged to sign.

In addition, high-profile Republicans at various levels of government have been accused of mounting shadow campaigns for 2020 including Mike Pence, the vice-president, who was forced to issue a statement on Sunday denouncing the New York Times report about his alleged positioning for a post-Trump era as disgraceful and offensive.

Flake, author of a new book, Conscience of a Conservative which argues that conservatism has been compromised by nationalism, populism, xenophobia, extreme partisanship, even celebrity believes that others will join him in breaking ranks.

The talk of firing Jeff Sessions, the AG, is not going over well in the Senate, and Ive been heartened to see so many of my colleagues stand up and say thats not going to happen, because we see it as a precursor to do something else, maybe with the special counsel, and thats not going to happen, said Flake, who believes the Republican party abandoned its core principles and struck a Faustian bargain by embracing Trump in last years election.

So I do think that youre seeing more people stand up and say weve got to respect the institutions. I do think that will continue. I do sense that the Congress is reasserting itself a little more.

Flake acknowledged that Trump has displayed conservative instincts in his cabinet appointments, choice of supreme court justice Neil Gorsuch and plans for regulatory and tax reform. But he said the presidents approach to trade is populist and his temperament unstable. A conservative embraces our allies and recognises our enemies and the kind of chaos that has ensued in both in domestic and foreign policy is very unconservative, he said.

The senators views echo those of other mainstream Republicans who have long resisted Trump. Eliot Cohen, former state department counsellor to George W Bushs secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, added: This fundamentally boils down to character, and his character is rotten. Hes a narcissist who happens to have taken control of the Republican party.

Theres some areas where he agrees with party orthodoxy, and some where he doesnt. But his only doctrine is: whatever is good for Donald Trump is good for the country. When he goes down and he will go down, at some point one of the things that will be striking is just how quickly members of Congress will turn on him.

Trumps awkward marriage of convenience with Republicans has been under severe stress. He alienated members of the House by calling their healthcare bill mean just days after toasting it in the Rose Garden at the White House. He was unable to successfully cajole or persuade members of the Senate to pass their own version and attacked their failure to do so via Twitter, where he often refers to Republicans as they rather than we.

Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

Republicans in the Senate will NEVER win if they don't go to a 51 vote majority NOW. They look like fools and are just wasting time

July 29, 2017

But a full divorce would leave the president politically exposed, especially as the investigation into his election campaigns alleged collusion with Russia gathers momentum.

Karl Rove, former senior adviser to George W Bush, said: One of the interesting things is the difficulty of Trump advocating for party loyalty. He is neither a conservative or frankly a longtime Republican. Its one of the reasons why he won. He was able to say, Im against the political system Republican or Democrat I want to blow up Washington. Ive got a giant grenade in my hand. Are you with me?

It does present difficulties in governing. He doesnt have the longtime relationship with people that most candidates for office have.

But Trump has found a more receptive audience among pressure groups in the conservative movement. He retains strong connections with evangelical Christians, anti-tax adherents to the Tea Party, pro-life campaigners and the National Rifle Association in April he became the first sitting president to address its annual convention since Ronald Reagan.

Sean Hannity, a Fox News host, and Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, are among those to enjoy frequent meetings and dinners at the White House. All can bring considerable pressure to bear on the Republican party.

Speaking by phone as he walked down the street, through security and into the White House for a meeting with officials, Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, said of the president: I would argue hes taken a more pro-conservative stand on gun rights, on home schooling, on judges than past Republican presidents. If you want to do a purity test, Reagan and Bush would not have passed on a lot of a things. Trump changes the world on behalf of conservatives.

Trumps ban on transgender troops in the military and a raft of policies on criminal justice, education and immigration have thrown red meat to his allies on the right. Despite numerous setbacks and a sense of chaos in his administration, his approval rating among conservative Republicans is holding steady.

Tom Tancredo, former Congressman for Colorado, put it bluntly: There were two reasons I voted for him: one was he wasnt Hillary Clinton; second was the supreme court. All else is forgiven.

Eliot Cohen, political scientist, former state department counsellor to Condoleezza Rice

This fundamentally boils down to character, and his character is rotten. Hes a narcissist who happens to have taken control of the Republican party. Theres some areas where he agrees with party orthodoxy, and some where he doesnt. But his only doctrine is: whatever is good for Donald Trump is good for the country.

Trump has taken conservatives back to a different era, before William F Buckley drove out the Birchers, the bigots and the antisemites. Were now back in a different world.

When he goes down and he will go down, at some point one of the things that will be striking is just how quickly members of Congress will turn on him.

Rory Cooper, Republican strategist and former aide to former House majority leader Eric Cantor

Trump is undeniably the current leader of a still fractured and damaged Republican party. Some of that damage existed before him and some of it he has and continues to create. But Trump only adheres to conservatism in so much as it protects his 38% base. Even if he lurched to the left now, liberals would never accept him back, so its his only option. But his tendency is still geared toward autocratic rule in the way a mayor of New York City mayor would operate, with a penchant toward pleasing our nations adversaries, some economic protectionism and, most importantly, self preservation.

Its up to Congressional Republicans to protect conservatism, period. President Trump would abandon a conservative position in a minute for just about any selfish reason.

I would argue character and humility is a part of what defines a conservative leader. Reagan was revered for both, and even those disappointed with either Bush hold them in esteem on these two accounts. Trump is severely handicapped in both areas.

Niall Ferguson, historian and senior fellow of the Hoover Institution, Stanford

If the economy were to run out of steam, which probabilistically seems quite likely, and if theres a foreign policy screw up, then it would be quite easy to see his approval ratings just fall. Populist voters are fickle. Theyve already defected from the Republican establishment; they can defect from him at some point, and its quite non-linear.

I think the Republicans have surprised me in one respect and that was the poor discipline of the party. If you think of this in British terms, essentially we are now in a quasi-monarchy, kind of what Alexander Hamilton vaguely had in mind, but its a monarchy in the sense that the White House is a court and Trump is like one of those people who becomes king whos not terribly well suited to the role, and so theres rampant factionalism and infighting and erratic decisions by the king, and Paul Ryans the prime minister whos trying to manage affairs in the estates general, but the problem is that from a British vantage point the party disciplines very weak. I thought that he would be able to deliver much more cleanly on the healthcare reform and tax reform. It then turned out that actually the partys not a united party at all. All the talk of unified government is belied by the reality.

Jeff Flake, US senator for Arizona and author of Conscience of a Conservative

A conservative embraces our allies and recognises our enemies and the kind of chaos that has ensued in both in domestic and foreign policy is very unconservative.

The Faustian bargain in our case is in the election realising that he was tapping a popular surge and that we could latch on to that and work with him and win short-term battles at the expense of losing the war long-term. Some of these positions that have been taking will have long-term ramifications and Im not sure if we considered that during the election.

Ive been heartened in the last couple of weeks; in the Senate in particular weve more jealously guarded the institution, the Congress. The talk of firing Jeff Sessions, the AG [Attorney General] is not going over well in the Senate and Ive been heartened to see so many of my colleagues stand up and say thats not going to happen, because we see it as a precursor to do something else, maybe with the special counsel [Robert Mueller], and thats not going to happen. So I do think that youre seeing more people stand up and say weve got to respect the institutions. I do think that will continue. I do sense that the Congress is reasserting itself a little more.

I think more of us will say where does this lead, where are we and what happens when we get off this sugar high of populism? What can we do on trade when supply trains get sent around us? Those have long-term ramifications. This is not something that we can flirt with for four years and then quickly snap back, so I do think there needs to be more pushback.

Rich Galen, Republican strategist, former press secretary to Dan Quayle and to Newt Gingrich

I dont think hes a conservative and I dont think he does either. He wasnt even a Republican until Barack Obama became president.

He was very popular at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) because his name wasnt Hillary Clinton. Last year Republicans were willing to put up with Trump because of the alternative. But I do know theres grumbling in the hustings. In a while Republicans in the House and Senate will say: This guy says hes a Republican. OK, Gorsuch, got it. What else has done thats positive at all? Theres no strategic vision today on any level or dimension. He uses any action to get his name in the headlines on any given day.

Conservatives have grown used to paddling down the river by themselves. Theyll get back in a few years.

Bill Kristol, commentator and founder of The Weekly Standard

The reason Ive been so anti-Trump is I hate the idea American conservatism becomes Trumpism. I think American conservatism is important to the country. I hate the idea he gets to ruin what I think is a pretty impressive tradition.

Im struck by the way Newt Gingrich has become a ridiculous Trump apologist. Rudy Giuliani was an awfully successful mayor of New York who presided over the revival of a great city; if youre a young person and your exposure to Giuliani has been his defending Trump over the past two years, you think hes an irascible crazy guy.

The problem is Trump. Hes personally such a disreputable figure, he can do a fair amount of damage. The good news is the foreign policy apparatus. His bad impulses have been checked.

In a way conservatism has been vindicated by Trump. Conservatism warns against a demagogue motivated by populism. Its nice we can appeal to conservative writings but we need living conservatives.

Tim Miller, former Jeb Bush spokesman

The thing that surprised me about Trump is that previous iterations of populism within the party, from Buchanan through the Tea party, still held rather strict socially conservative views. What Trump exposed is that these voters werent necessarily looking for a pure truecon but instead they were using those social issues as proxies for their disdain for liberal, urban, elite culture. Trump offered them a candidate who channeled their anger but through anger and mockery of the media and elites, validation of their view that America is not as great as it once was, and a dash of white grievance politics rather than purity.

Trump is not a movement conservative in the philosophical sense so no, he doesnt reflect that in any real way. But he is a reflection of where the conservative base of the party is right now and I think he exposes the wide gap between conservative intellectuals and conservative voters. The question is whether that gap will be bridged by a future candidate or if it will continue to widen and fracture. I dont know the answer to that.

Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform

Hes the president. Hes sui generis. Everyone gets that hes sui generis. Theres not a Trump wing of the Republican party. There was a Goldwater wing, there was a Rockefeller wing, theres not a Trump wing. I would argue hes taken a more pro-conservative stand on gun rights, on home schooling, on judges than past Republican presidents. If you want to do a purity test, Reagan and Bush would not have passed on a lot of a things. Trump changes the world on behalf of conservatives.

Were going to get a bundle of critics of Trump. The objection is, He doesnt listen to me and I dont know how to get into the bloodstream of the American agenda if Im not whispering in the ear of the prince. There are people who wish to be consulted as experts on cable TV or New York Times op-eds and they want to be seen as important shapers of the world. The chattering classes didnt like Newt Gingrich either.

Heather Cox Richardson, political historian

I think Trumps a salesman, not a politician. He doesnt adhere to any ideological points except what makes him look good. Its an easy one to blame President Trump but conservatism has its own problems. Ideological conservatism gave up the ghost to movement conservatives because they were winning elections by using racism and sexism. Trump is simply reflecting back what they created.

It increasingly appears that not only Trump but members of Congress have abandoned the American experiment in favour of policies that will favour an oligarchy. Their willingness to work with Putin and Russia negates everything the American experiment is about. I find it simply appalling.

But American women have entered the political sphere in a way they never have before and it will be them who save America. That is the great untold story.

Andy Roth, vice-president, Club for Growth free enterprise group

Aside from an issue or two, hes been very strong on our issues. A very pro-growth president, he has surrounded himself with strong, conservative principled people so if he can focus on the big issues, I think hes going to enjoy a lot of success.

On economic issues, his instincts on our issues have been really really good and it remains to be seen what his impact will be. Its possible a renegotiated Nafta is more free trade than the old version; its possible that he could have glowing marks on all issues.

Karl Rove, former senior adviser to George W Bush

Theres been a bit of populism [in Trumps message], a frequent part of the American political scene, and theres been a certain amount of populism in most successful Republican candidates the part of populism that says Washington or the media look down their nose at flyover America. [But unlike Reagan and George W Bush] this guy is not really a conservative if you had to attach an ideological label to him, he would be a populist.

One of the interesting things is the difficulty of Trump advocating for party loyalty. He is neither a conservative or frankly a longtime Republican. Its one of the reasons why he won. He was able to say, Im against the political system Republican or Democrat I want to blow up Washington. Ive got a giant grenade in my hand. Are you with me?

It does present difficulties in governing. He doesnt have the longtime relationship with people that most candidates for office have.

Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union

The president ran on an important yet simple agenda and he is executing on that agenda, step by step, day by day. The economy is strong, businesses appreciate the deregulatory environment and the oncoming approach to cut taxes. Donald Trump inherited a lot of dangerous situations around the world so the fundamentals are strong. His people who put him in office are pleased with what hes getting done and not backing down.

The biggest change is you have a president who is upsetting the order of Congress, press, Washington DC and all the usual suspects who are involved in process. Hes taking them all on aggressively which results in a lot of change and a lot of pushback and the nation is divided. As to whether thats a good thing or bad thing, thats the biggest dynamic of the Trump presidency: audacious and aggressive challenge to the status quo and political class, without regard or respect to the position those people hold.

Charlie Sykes, author, broadcaster and columnist

Donald Trump is not a conservative. Hes a man whos entirely without principle or ideology. However, given how many conservatives have embraced him, its becoming difficult to make the case hes not the leader of the conservative movement. CPAC became a festival of Trumpism.

Its disturbing to see the pressure some conservative leaders putting on conservatives to fall into line. It feels like the more the administration melts down, the more intense the pressure to conform.

If you are a conservative there are things he will do that you will applaud, but the price tag is going up all the time. You have to align yourself with a liar and conman because he will make the trains run on time. Accept someone who mocks the disabled and insults women because he gets you a social policy win.

Its not so much what Trump himself does as the effect he has on people around him. Were watching conservativism turn into a cult of personality. The way some conservatives are corrupted by his behaviour has long term implications. Im old enough to remember when character mattered to conservatives. What do they say about character now?

Michael Steele, former chairman of the Republican National Committee

Hes not a conservative. Hes not even a Republican and thats fine. He ran in the Republican primary and Republicans got behind him but actually being moored to the philosophical anchors of the party and policies that the party has supported and advocated for over a generation, no, thats not Donald Trump.

This is my 40th year as a Republican and it is the first time I can honestly say I dont recognise this party and some of the people who are leading it when it comes to those principles and those values that we once purportedly stood for, and we no longer seem to stand for that. I want to know what changed and the only thing thats changed is Donald Trump entered the picture.

With Reagan, George W Bush, George Herbert Walker Bush, even Richard Nixon, there was still a core there that defined what a Republican is, it defined what conservatism is in the context of being a Republican and that now seems to be wholly lost.

Tom Tancredo, former Republican Congressman for Colorado

Hes a populist. He is not averse to using government to solve problems he thinks its capable of solving. I certainly support his efforts for immigration control.

Most conservatives look for certain things hes done and say, good enough for me. The appointment of Neil Gorsuch to the supreme court solidified that in the minds of many. There were two reasons I voted for him: one was he wasnt Hillary Clinton; second was the supreme court. All else is forgiven. There are plenty of times hes said things in his tweets that you wince at but on important points hes doing the right things.

Rick Tyler, political analyst, former Ted Cruz campaign spokesman

Hes not a conservative. I dont think he has any intellectual guideposts or political ideology. He used the tools of populism. Take the infrastructure week: this is low hanging bipartisan fruit but its gone nowhere.

I feel a little alone and isolated as a conservative. My friends are supporting a president and agenda that has nothing to do with conservatism and I find that remarkable. I believe conservatives would do more for the poor, more for the environment.

Bob Vander Plaats, CEO of the Family Leader, social conservative organisation

As I remind our base all the time, Hillary Clinton is not our bar. I know, Trump did this, Trump did that, thank God its not Hillary but Hillary is not our bar. We have the GOP House, we have the GOP Senate; [lets move the] ball down the field.

Frankly, hes still trying to get his sea legs. We believe that there needs to be a higher standard that what [former communications director] Anthony Scaramucci did, not just to Reince Priebus and Steve Bannon, but the way he did it, the words he used. Not only is the world watching, our children are watching, and no entity can fulfill its mission with that dynamic, much less the White House. Even some of the tweets are demeaning. I think right before the election, there was an interview where Trump said, When I get to be president Ill be more presidential than any other president in history; were still waiting for that.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/08/the-conservatives-turning-against-donald-trump

[bradporter65-blog]

The conservatives turning against Donald Trump

After 200 days of Trumps presidency, his awkward marriage of convenience with Republicans has increasingly come under severe stress

More Republicans will turn against Donald Trump and his politics of populism, a GOP senator and leading critic of the president has predicted, as the Guardian surveys the conservative landscape 200 days into the Trump presidency.

Jeff Flake of Arizona was among 17 conservative politicians, activists, officials and pundits interviewed over two months, revealing that while the president has given rightwing fringe groups a seat at the table, his alliance with his own party remains highly precarious.

I think more of us will say where does this lead, where are we and what happens when we get off this sugar high of populism? said Flake, who believes the Republican party abandoned its core principles and struck a Faustian bargain by embracing Trump in last years election.

What can we do on trade when supply trains get sent around us? Those have long-term ramifications. This is not something that we can flirt with for four years and then quickly snap back, so I do think there needs to be more pushback.

Trump, a former Democrat with no political experience, ran as an anti-establishment candidate effectively staging a hostile takeover of the Republican party. In July 2015 former Texas governor Rick Perry declared: Donald Trumps candidacy is a cancer on conservatism, and it must be clearly diagnosed, excised and discarded. Perry is now Trumps energy secretary.

But after months of criticism that they are too passive, congressional Republicans have flexed their muscles of late over threats from the White House against Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Trump and Russia, and Jeff Sessions, the attorney general, and passing fresh sanctions against Moscow that Trump was reluctantly obliged to sign.

In addition, high-profile Republicans at various levels of government have been accused of mounting shadow campaigns for 2020 including Mike Pence, the vice-president, who was forced to issue a statement on Sunday denouncing the New York Times report about his alleged positioning for a post-Trump era as disgraceful and offensive.

Flake, author of a new book, Conscience of a Conservative which argues that conservatism has been compromised by nationalism, populism, xenophobia, extreme partisanship, even celebrity believes that others will join him in breaking ranks.

The talk of firing Jeff Sessions, the AG, is not going over well in the Senate, and Ive been heartened to see so many of my colleagues stand up and say thats not going to happen, because we see it as a precursor to do something else, maybe with the special counsel, and thats not going to happen, said Flake, who believes the Republican party abandoned its core principles and struck a Faustian bargain by embracing Trump in last years election.

So I do think that youre seeing more people stand up and say weve got to respect the institutions. I do think that will continue. I do sense that the Congress is reasserting itself a little more.

Flake acknowledged that Trump has displayed conservative instincts in his cabinet appointments, choice of supreme court justice Neil Gorsuch and plans for regulatory and tax reform. But he said the presidents approach to trade is populist and his temperament unstable. A conservative embraces our allies and recognises our enemies and the kind of chaos that has ensued in both in domestic and foreign policy is very unconservative, he said.

The senators views echo those of other mainstream Republicans who have long resisted Trump. Eliot Cohen, former state department counsellor to George W Bushs secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, added: This fundamentally boils down to character, and his character is rotten. Hes a narcissist who happens to have taken control of the Republican party.

Theres some areas where he agrees with party orthodoxy, and some where he doesnt. But his only doctrine is: whatever is good for Donald Trump is good for the country. When he goes down and he will go down, at some point one of the things that will be striking is just how quickly members of Congress will turn on him.

Trumps awkward marriage of convenience with Republicans has been under severe stress. He alienated members of the House by calling their healthcare bill mean just days after toasting it in the Rose Garden at the White House. He was unable to successfully cajole or persuade members of the Senate to pass their own version and attacked their failure to do so via Twitter, where he often refers to Republicans as they rather than we.

Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

Republicans in the Senate will NEVER win if they don't go to a 51 vote majority NOW. They look like fools and are just wasting time

July 29, 2017

But a full divorce would leave the president politically exposed, especially as the investigation into his election campaigns alleged collusion with Russia gathers momentum.

Karl Rove, former senior adviser to George W Bush, said: One of the interesting things is the difficulty of Trump advocating for party loyalty. He is neither a conservative or frankly a longtime Republican. Its one of the reasons why he won. He was able to say, Im against the political system Republican or Democrat I want to blow up Washington. Ive got a giant grenade in my hand. Are you with me?

It does present difficulties in governing. He doesnt have the longtime relationship with people that most candidates for office have.

But Trump has found a more receptive audience among pressure groups in the conservative movement. He retains strong connections with evangelical Christians, anti-tax adherents to the Tea Party, pro-life campaigners and the National Rifle Association in April he became the first sitting president to address its annual convention since Ronald Reagan.

Sean Hannity, a Fox News host, and Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, are among those to enjoy frequent meetings and dinners at the White House. All can bring considerable pressure to bear on the Republican party.

Speaking by phone as he walked down the street, through security and into the White House for a meeting with officials, Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, said of the president: I would argue hes taken a more pro-conservative stand on gun rights, on home schooling, on judges than past Republican presidents. If you want to do a purity test, Reagan and Bush would not have passed on a lot of a things. Trump changes the world on behalf of conservatives.

Trumps ban on transgender troops in the military and a raft of policies on criminal justice, education and immigration have thrown red meat to his allies on the right. Despite numerous setbacks and a sense of chaos in his administration, his approval rating among conservative Republicans is holding steady.

Tom Tancredo, former Congressman for Colorado, put it bluntly: There were two reasons I voted for him: one was he wasnt Hillary Clinton; second was the supreme court. All else is forgiven.

Eliot Cohen, political scientist, former state department counsellor to Condoleezza Rice

This fundamentally boils down to character, and his character is rotten. Hes a narcissist who happens to have taken control of the Republican party. Theres some areas where he agrees with party orthodoxy, and some where he doesnt. But his only doctrine is: whatever is good for Donald Trump is good for the country.

Trump has taken conservatives back to a different era, before William F Buckley drove out the Birchers, the bigots and the antisemites. Were now back in a different world.

When he goes down and he will go down, at some point one of the things that will be striking is just how quickly members of Congress will turn on him.

Rory Cooper, Republican strategist and former aide to former House majority leader Eric Cantor

Trump is undeniably the current leader of a still fractured and damaged Republican party. Some of that damage existed before him and some of it he has and continues to create. But Trump only adheres to conservatism in so much as it protects his 38% base. Even if he lurched to the left now, liberals would never accept him back, so its his only option. But his tendency is still geared toward autocratic rule in the way a mayor of New York City mayor would operate, with a penchant toward pleasing our nations adversaries, some economic protectionism and, most importantly, self preservation.

Its up to Congressional Republicans to protect conservatism, period. President Trump would abandon a conservative position in a minute for just about any selfish reason.

I would argue character and humility is a part of what defines a conservative leader. Reagan was revered for both, and even those disappointed with either Bush hold them in esteem on these two accounts. Trump is severely handicapped in both areas.

Niall Ferguson, historian and senior fellow of the Hoover Institution, Stanford

If the economy were to run out of steam, which probabilistically seems quite likely, and if theres a foreign policy screw up, then it would be quite easy to see his approval ratings just fall. Populist voters are fickle. Theyve already defected from the Republican establishment; they can defect from him at some point, and its quite non-linear.

I think the Republicans have surprised me in one respect and that was the poor discipline of the party. If you think of this in British terms, essentially we are now in a quasi-monarchy, kind of what Alexander Hamilton vaguely had in mind, but its a monarchy in the sense that the White House is a court and Trump is like one of those people who becomes king whos not terribly well suited to the role, and so theres rampant factionalism and infighting and erratic decisions by the king, and Paul Ryans the prime minister whos trying to manage affairs in the estates general, but the problem is that from a British vantage point the party disciplines very weak. I thought that he would be able to deliver much more cleanly on the healthcare reform and tax reform. It then turned out that actually the partys not a united party at all. All the talk of unified government is belied by the reality.

Jeff Flake, US senator for Arizona and author of Conscience of a Conservative

A conservative embraces our allies and recognises our enemies and the kind of chaos that has ensued in both in domestic and foreign policy is very unconservative.

The Faustian bargain in our case is in the election realising that he was tapping a popular surge and that we could latch on to that and work with him and win short-term battles at the expense of losing the war long-term. Some of these positions that have been taking will have long-term ramifications and Im not sure if we considered that during the election.

Ive been heartened in the last couple of weeks; in the Senate in particular weve more jealously guarded the institution, the Congress. The talk of firing Jeff Sessions, the AG [Attorney General] is not going over well in the Senate and Ive been heartened to see so many of my colleagues stand up and say thats not going to happen, because we see it as a precursor to do something else, maybe with the special counsel [Robert Mueller], and thats not going to happen. So I do think that youre seeing more people stand up and say weve got to respect the institutions. I do think that will continue. I do sense that the Congress is reasserting itself a little more.

I think more of us will say where does this lead, where are we and what happens when we get off this sugar high of populism? What can we do on trade when supply trains get sent around us? Those have long-term ramifications. This is not something that we can flirt with for four years and then quickly snap back, so I do think there needs to be more pushback.

Rich Galen, Republican strategist, former press secretary to Dan Quayle and to Newt Gingrich

I dont think hes a conservative and I dont think he does either. He wasnt even a Republican until Barack Obama became president.

He was very popular at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) because his name wasnt Hillary Clinton. Last year Republicans were willing to put up with Trump because of the alternative. But I do know theres grumbling in the hustings. In a while Republicans in the House and Senate will say: This guy says hes a Republican. OK, Gorsuch, got it. What else has done thats positive at all? Theres no strategic vision today on any level or dimension. He uses any action to get his name in the headlines on any given day.

Conservatives have grown used to paddling down the river by themselves. Theyll get back in a few years.

Bill Kristol, commentator and founder of The Weekly Standard

The reason Ive been so anti-Trump is I hate the idea American conservatism becomes Trumpism. I think American conservatism is important to the country. I hate the idea he gets to ruin what I think is a pretty impressive tradition.

Im struck by the way Newt Gingrich has become a ridiculous Trump apologist. Rudy Giuliani was an awfully successful mayor of New York who presided over the revival of a great city; if youre a young person and your exposure to Giuliani has been his defending Trump over the past two years, you think hes an irascible crazy guy.

The problem is Trump. Hes personally such a disreputable figure, he can do a fair amount of damage. The good news is the foreign policy apparatus. His bad impulses have been checked.

In a way conservatism has been vindicated by Trump. Conservatism warns against a demagogue motivated by populism. Its nice we can appeal to conservative writings but we need living conservatives.

Tim Miller, former Jeb Bush spokesman

The thing that surprised me about Trump is that previous iterations of populism within the party, from Buchanan through the Tea party, still held rather strict socially conservative views. What Trump exposed is that these voters werent necessarily looking for a pure truecon but instead they were using those social issues as proxies for their disdain for liberal, urban, elite culture. Trump offered them a candidate who channeled their anger but through anger and mockery of the media and elites, validation of their view that America is not as great as it once was, and a dash of white grievance politics rather than purity.

Trump is not a movement conservative in the philosophical sense so no, he doesnt reflect that in any real way. But he is a reflection of where the conservative base of the party is right now and I think he exposes the wide gap between conservative intellectuals and conservative voters. The question is whether that gap will be bridged by a future candidate or if it will continue to widen and fracture. I dont know the answer to that.

Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform

Hes the president. Hes sui generis. Everyone gets that hes sui generis. Theres not a Trump wing of the Republican party. There was a Goldwater wing, there was a Rockefeller wing, theres not a Trump wing. I would argue hes taken a more pro-conservative stand on gun rights, on home schooling, on judges than past Republican presidents. If you want to do a purity test, Reagan and Bush would not have passed on a lot of a things. Trump changes the world on behalf of conservatives.

Were going to get a bundle of critics of Trump. The objection is, He doesnt listen to me and I dont know how to get into the bloodstream of the American agenda if Im not whispering in the ear of the prince. There are people who wish to be consulted as experts on cable TV or New York Times op-eds and they want to be seen as important shapers of the world. The chattering classes didnt like Newt Gingrich either.

Heather Cox Richardson, political historian

I think Trumps a salesman, not a politician. He doesnt adhere to any ideological points except what makes him look good. Its an easy one to blame President Trump but conservatism has its own problems. Ideological conservatism gave up the ghost to movement conservatives because they were winning elections by using racism and sexism. Trump is simply reflecting back what they created.

It increasingly appears that not only Trump but members of Congress have abandoned the American experiment in favour of policies that will favour an oligarchy. Their willingness to work with Putin and Russia negates everything the American experiment is about. I find it simply appalling.

But American women have entered the political sphere in a way they never have before and it will be them who save America. That is the great untold story.

Andy Roth, vice-president, Club for Growth free enterprise group

Aside from an issue or two, hes been very strong on our issues. A very pro-growth president, he has surrounded himself with strong, conservative principled people so if he can focus on the big issues, I think hes going to enjoy a lot of success.

On economic issues, his instincts on our issues have been really really good and it remains to be seen what his impact will be. Its possible a renegotiated Nafta is more free trade than the old version; its possible that he could have glowing marks on all issues.

Karl Rove, former senior adviser to George W Bush

Theres been a bit of populism [in Trumps message], a frequent part of the American political scene, and theres been a certain amount of populism in most successful Republican candidates the part of populism that says Washington or the media look down their nose at flyover America. [But unlike Reagan and George W Bush] this guy is not really a conservative if you had to attach an ideological label to him, he would be a populist.

One of the interesting things is the difficulty of Trump advocating for party loyalty. He is neither a conservative or frankly a longtime Republican. Its one of the reasons why he won. He was able to say, Im against the political system Republican or Democrat I want to blow up Washington. Ive got a giant grenade in my hand. Are you with me?

It does present difficulties in governing. He doesnt have the longtime relationship with people that most candidates for office have.

Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union

The president ran on an important yet simple agenda and he is executing on that agenda, step by step, day by day. The economy is strong, businesses appreciate the deregulatory environment and the oncoming approach to cut taxes. Donald Trump inherited a lot of dangerous situations around the world so the fundamentals are strong. His people who put him in office are pleased with what hes getting done and not backing down.

The biggest change is you have a president who is upsetting the order of Congress, press, Washington DC and all the usual suspects who are involved in process. Hes taking them all on aggressively which results in a lot of change and a lot of pushback and the nation is divided. As to whether thats a good thing or bad thing, thats the biggest dynamic of the Trump presidency: audacious and aggressive challenge to the status quo and political class, without regard or respect to the position those people hold.

Charlie Sykes, author, broadcaster and columnist

Donald Trump is not a conservative. Hes a man whos entirely without principle or ideology. However, given how many conservatives have embraced him, its becoming difficult to make the case hes not the leader of the conservative movement. CPAC became a festival of Trumpism.

Its disturbing to see the pressure some conservative leaders putting on conservatives to fall into line. It feels like the more the administration melts down, the more intense the pressure to conform.

If you are a conservative there are things he will do that you will applaud, but the price tag is going up all the time. You have to align yourself with a liar and conman because he will make the trains run on time. Accept someone who mocks the disabled and insults women because he gets you a social policy win.

Its not so much what Trump himself does as the effect he has on people around him. Were watching conservativism turn into a cult of personality. The way some conservatives are corrupted by his behaviour has long term implications. Im old enough to remember when character mattered to conservatives. What do they say about character now?

Michael Steele, former chairman of the Republican National Committee

Hes not a conservative. Hes not even a Republican and thats fine. He ran in the Republican primary and Republicans got behind him but actually being moored to the philosophical anchors of the party and policies that the party has supported and advocated for over a generation, no, thats not Donald Trump.

This is my 40th year as a Republican and it is the first time I can honestly say I dont recognise this party and some of the people who are leading it when it comes to those principles and those values that we once purportedly stood for, and we no longer seem to stand for that. I want to know what changed and the only thing thats changed is Donald Trump entered the picture.

With Reagan, George W Bush, George Herbert Walker Bush, even Richard Nixon, there was still a core there that defined what a Republican is, it defined what conservatism is in the context of being a Republican and that now seems to be wholly lost.

Tom Tancredo, former Republican Congressman for Colorado

Hes a populist. He is not averse to using government to solve problems he thinks its capable of solving. I certainly support his efforts for immigration control.

Most conservatives look for certain things hes done and say, good enough for me. The appointment of Neil Gorsuch to the supreme court solidified that in the minds of many. There were two reasons I voted for him: one was he wasnt Hillary Clinton; second was the supreme court. All else is forgiven. There are plenty of times hes said things in his tweets that you wince at but on important points hes doing the right things.

Rick Tyler, political analyst, former Ted Cruz campaign spokesman

Hes not a conservative. I dont think he has any intellectual guideposts or political ideology. He used the tools of populism. Take the infrastructure week: this is low hanging bipartisan fruit but its gone nowhere.

I feel a little alone and isolated as a conservative. My friends are supporting a president and agenda that has nothing to do with conservatism and I find that remarkable. I believe conservatives would do more for the poor, more for the environment.

Bob Vander Plaats, CEO of the Family Leader, social conservative organisation

As I remind our base all the time, Hillary Clinton is not our bar. I know, Trump did this, Trump did that, thank God its not Hillary but Hillary is not our bar. We have the GOP House, we have the GOP Senate; [lets move the] ball down the field.

Frankly, hes still trying to get his sea legs. We believe that there needs to be a higher standard that what [former communications director] Anthony Scaramucci did, not just to Reince Priebus and Steve Bannon, but the way he did it, the words he used. Not only is the world watching, our children are watching, and no entity can fulfill its mission with that dynamic, much less the White House. Even some of the tweets are demeaning. I think right before the election, there was an interview where Trump said, When I get to be president Ill be more presidential than any other president in history; were still waiting for that.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/08/the-conservatives-turning-against-donald-trump

[academic-witch]

It is fun watching defenders of the Paris climate accord – many of whom have absolutely no idea what it actually says – scramble to come up with reasons why President Trump should not pull the United States out of it.

It remains to be seen just how far out we will get, no matter what the White House says in the anticipated Thursday announcement. Political hot air is the unhealthy emission that cannot be limited by any technology known to man. Complete withdrawal is not easily accomplished because like all socialist schemes, the Paris accords were designed to be hard to escape from. (Notice how the only parts of Obamacare that were carefully written by its designers were the roach-motel clauses that made defunding or repeal incredibly difficult.)

Below are the seven worst arguments for keeping the U.S. in the Paris deal:

It’s all about science: No, it’s not even remotely about science. There is nothing scientific about the Paris accords. As you can see from the rest of this list, there is no rational argument to be made for the merits of the Paris deal whatsoever. Even its ardent defenders are forced to admit it has no real impact on the environment. It’s a purely political artifact, the very opposite of science.

The Heritage Foundation shreds the agreement by noting it would, if fully implemented, have a “staggering” effect on America’s economy and our quality of life, in return for “essentially zero environmental benefits.” It is, quite simply, a bad deal by any rational calculation.

Even if the always-wrong climate change computer models turned out to be right in this case, we are talking about spending trillions of dollars, and sacrificing millions of jobs, to reduce the average global temperature in the year 2100 by 0.17 degrees. Sacrifices that would force many Americans into Third World standards of living would contribute 0.015 degrees to that total reduction.

Science is not just about diagnosing problems, something politicized “climate science” has failed spectacularly at for three decades running. It’s also about devising reasonable solutions to whatever problems are detected. Cost-benefit analysis is a scientific discipline. The costs of any project must be measured against the potential benefits, with realistic goals kept in mind. It is supremely irrational to claim that even the most minuscule benefit is worth the most extravagant cost.

Among other fallacies, spending more than $600 billion globally per year to hypothetically nudge the temperature down by a nearly undetectable amount would inflict economic damage that could prevent mankind from discovering truly reliable and productive “sustainable” energy sources and industrial methods. Money tithed to the Church of Global Warming will not be available for real scientific research and development. The crony capitalist incentives provided by these madcap environmental protocols tend to reward political connections and public relations, not innovation.

You can judge how little climate alarmists care about actual science by looking at ridiculous grandstanding stunts like New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s insistence that his city will obey the Paris restrictions, even if the U.S. government pulls out. One city obeying madcap restrictions that would not have made a difference even if the entire world played along is an even more offensive example of politicians forcing their serfs to suffer for no real purpose. De Blasio is a fanatic and a political opportunist, not a scientist.

We should stay in because the accords are mostly symbolic anyway: Although the Paris deal talks about inflicting a global economic apocalypse to nudge the thermometers of the year 2100 down a bit, panicked defenders insist it is largely meaningless in practice. As written, it imposes fewer costs than its lofty goals and accomplishes even less “climate change reduction.” It’s just a showpiece, a statement of principle, an expression of the unified soul of mankind or whatever:

taking US out of Paris pact unwarranted-we set our own ceilings, little effect on eco growth-& unwise as signals US no longer ready to lead

— Richard N. Haass (@RichardHaass) May 31, 2017

This is, again, the opposite of science. The planetary ecosystem does not give a damn about what a pack of politicians, bureaucrats, and celebrities think the unified soul of man wants. Political poetry will not affect the weather patterns of the next hundred years at all.

It is funny how quickly “scientific socialists” will toss the scientific method aside to focus on socialist politics, isn’t it? No, strike that. It’s not funny. It’s alarming.

The argument that the Paris accords are useless, and that’s why we should keep them, is a trap. They establish the framework for even more incursions on our wealth and sovereignty in the future. These supposedly meaningless international treaties are clubs that could be used by ambitious activists, rent-seeking special interests, and messianic district court judges to bludgeon the American economy at any moment. The Heritage Foundation article provides detailed and plausible scenarios for how that could happen.

Do not believe anyone who claims the Paris accords are toothless. It will bare its fangs at the proper time, when the U.S. has a compliant left-wing administration and resistance against the entrenched agreement is even more futile. Every crackpot socialist scheme becomes an ancient and inviolable law, carved upon tablets of stone, shortly after its first birthday.

Pulling out would violate international norms: Supposedly, an exit from the accords would offend the international community, violate some kind of global consensus, or damage the framework of international law.

On the contrary, neutralizing President Barack Obama’s attempt to circumvent the U.S. Constitution would be a huge step toward restoring the rule of law. Trump critics keep accusing him of threatening American constitutional order, but here he is, thwarting Obama’s deliberate and calculated assault on the Constitution and the structure of American government.

As Andrew McCarthy points out, the Paris accords are a scurrilous attempt to impose a treaty on the United States without going through the proper congressional procedure, without even the courtesy of what he calls the “bob-and-weave farce” of the Iran nuclear deal. The con artists who dumped that deal on the people of the free world at least took the trouble to portray it as an “unsigned understanding.” Obama sprang the Paris trap on his way out the door, precisely so there would be less time for Congress to assert its authority.

Paris accord boosters are blatantly seeking to strip Congress of its role in the treaty process, knowing full well that the ridiculous global-warming agreement would never make it past the Senate. It is effectively the birthing cry of a new international “Congress” that completely supersedes the one established by the U.S. Constitution. A certain number of foreign governments voted “Yea,” so we are now obliged to obey a treaty our Senate was never allowed to debate? The only proper response to such a demand is “Nuts.”

Pulling out of the accords is a sin against Gaia: Democrat sugar daddy Tom Steyer has it exactly backward when he hyperbolically accuses Trump of committing “a traitorous act of war against the American people” by pulling out of the Paris agreement.

Don’t you love how calm and rational the devotees of “environmental science” become at moments like this? Maybe Steyer should talk to the people who claim we should keep the Paris accord because it’s a meaningless symbolic gesture until his blood pressure comes down.

Agreements like the Paris accord are acts of war against the American system of representative democracy. No Paris apologist can pretend it remotely conforms to the proper procedure for ratifying an international treaty.

If you read past the red-faced hysteria in Steyer’s statement, his argument boils down to standard enviro-socialist fearmongering: we must abandon our outmoded system of representative democracy immediately, or else the earth will die! We don’t have time for the normal system of checks and balances! There is no time for debate, skepticism, or persuasion!

Sorry, Mr. Steyer. We’re going to keep our Constitution, no matter how much it upsets you. You’re free to campaign for a properly ratified climate treaty, of course. The American people are likely to reject your appeal when they see the price tag. If your response is to demand a trans-national dictatorship to override their decision, get ready for a fight.

We must stay in the accords to demonstrate American “leadership”: This is an especially common argument from the people who also concede the Paris accords are useless, as with Richard Haas above. America is allegedly sacrificing its “leadership” by refusing to go along with an unreasonable and illogical demand made by foreign leaders. That kind of thinking has Obama’s “leading from behind” philosophy written all over it.

Here’s a better idea for displaying real American leadership: Trump shouldn’t just pull out of the Paris accords; he should lay Obama’s scheme bare and call out everyone involved in promulgating it for launching an attack on the Constitution that he is proud to repel. Then he should lecture the Europeans on how imposing madcap international agreements, negotiated by insulated elites under a mantle of “science” they admit is false propaganda, is a sin against their representative democracies, too.

Collectivist politics is largely premised on the belief that politicians can repeal iron laws of economics, like the laws of supply and demand or cost-benefit analysis. The leader of the free world has a sacred duty to demolish that kind of anti-science rhetoric.

We have to stay in Paris so the kids do not turn against environmentalism:Collectivists never wait long before rolling out their “do it for the children!” artillery, which is designed to circumvent reason and logic with emotional appeals:

By pulling out of Paris Accord, Trump will help turn millions & millions of idealistic, environmentalist school kids against him & the GOP. https://t.co/a5KuigxUhq

— Steven Greenhouse (@greenhousenyt) May 31, 2017

I think we can rest assured that the Democrat Party-dominated teachers union will continue turning kids against the GOP, no matter what Trump does about Paris. There will be no reduction in the level of environmentalist propaganda pumped into school curriculums, either. The kids will still graduate convinced that their selfish demands for reliable and affordable energy are murdering the earth.

Climate hysteria persists, in defiance of actual data and sweet reason, precisely because so many “symbolic gestures” are made for “awareness-raising” purposes. It is the triumph of emotionalism over logic and democracy. It is an aggressive religion that amasses power by demanding the ritual submission of unbelievers. Teaching children to resist demands like that is very important.

We should stay in because China loves it: Watching the Greens sing hosannas to China for supporting an economic weapon against its global competitors is hilarious.

Of course China loves the Paris accords! They impose huge costs on China’s adversaries while explicitly requiring nothing of Beijing for thirty years. (Spoiler: they won’t make any real sacrifices to the Church of Global Warming in thirty years, either.) Meanwhile, China collects valuable international prestige from the political elite of its adversaries, for nothing more than the cost of flying a few representatives to swanky climate meetings with five-star hotels and dining. What’s not to love?

This numbskull argument that China sincerely reveres the Paris accords is a subset of the standard left-wing inability to understand that Big Business loves Big Government, even when Big Government hands down regulations that cost tons of money to comply with. Big Business has tons of money to spend on compliance. Its smaller competitors and aspiring entrance to hyper-regulated markets do not.

China can afford what little Paris might demand of it, and its client states, while watching the West fork over billions and pass up on countless business opportunities. China’s air is so polluted that it is difficult to see through and sometimes dangerous to breathe. It’s not shy about polluting the air of its neighbors, either. Environmentalists are making absolute fools of themselves by hailing China as a paragon of Green piety because it says nice things about international climate accords.

Speaking of foolishness bordering on delusional insanity:

Worth pointing out that even North Korea has ratified the Paris climate accord https://t.co/Mazc9ZikCp

— Hiroko Tabuchi (@HirokoTabuchi) May 31, 2017

No, it’s not worth pointing that out. Not at all.

[ulyssesredux]

Wandering Rocks

Supreme Court! I’m the only one with judgement so bad that such a queenly mien. Gang members, drug dealers & others are allowed to run for the fact that I am doing very well in Michigan and Mississippi! It was just charged with assaulting a reporter. Wow, my campaign has perhaps more time working-less time talking.

I know is highly overrated.

Beautiful weather it was. The solemnity of the U.S. An ivory bookmark told him the info! Based on her major upset victory in Florida?

O, that they have been written stupid, because of a dreadful catastrophe in New York. Constable 57C, on his left.

Weak leaders, ridiculous laws! Let’s properly check goofy Elizabeth Warren has been killing our police. Father Conmee gave a letter, Father Conmee a pity that they are fading fast! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! #BigLeagueTruth Hillary is copying my airplane rallies-she puts the plane behind her like I have won all debates, especially for reasons of safety &. Time to get this economy running again.

Obama tough talk on Russia lifted?

They saluted him and were saluted. President Obama working instead of always looking to start making things here again. Bernie Sanders on HRC: Bad Judgement. #NeverHillary Crooked Hillary and I made our speeches-Republican's won ratings Crooked Hillary hates her! The opening of Trump Turnberry in Scotland. Finally, in 1849 and the seas adjoining. Enjoy the #SuperBowl and then get non-representative delegates because they are fading fast! He wants the people who voted to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! The DJT Foundation, raised or recieved millions more, ALL of which is why are there so many in the barony.

Going to Salt Lake City, Utah, for years. The Democrat Governor.

Landing in Phoenix, Arizona on Wednesday.

The superior, the salute of two small schoolboys at the altarrails placed the host with difficulty in the election results. Happy Easter to all, we will beat the Dems total mess our country. Of My girl's a Yorkshire girl. Oblige him, I think Israel is inspiring! At Haddington road corner two sanded women halted themselves, an old woman rose suddenly from her poster upon William Humble, earl of Dudley, and Crooked Hillary. What a great guy who likes me much better results!

Only God knew and she and he, her husband's brother. VERY IMPORTANT DECISION!

Russia or any other candidate. Just named General H.R. James.

I will not take the oil, build the wall the quartermile flat handicappers, M.C. Green, H. Shrift, T.M. Patey, C. Scaife, J.B. Jeffs, G.N. Morphy, F. Stevenson, C. Scaife, J.B. Jeffs, G.N. Morphy, F. Stevenson, C. Adderly and W.C. Huggard, started in pursuit. Why isn't the House Intelligence Committee looking into the mouth of the awkward man at the other side of her mantilla inkshining in the Barony and of the wife of Mr David Sheehy M.P. Iooking so well and he begged to be strong! Now professional protesters, incited by the treeshade of sunnywinking leaves: and Father Conmee saluted Mr William Gallagher and perceived the odours that came from a gap of a Yorkshire relish for my speech on economic opportunity-today we honor the enduring fight for justice, equality and opportunity.

Jackie Evancho's album sales have skyrocketed after announcing her Inauguration performance. Great Charles street and glanced at the corner of Dignam's court. No matter how much it will cost? Amazing that Crooked Hillary's V.P. pick said this morning. At the Howth road stop Father Conmee saw the conductor and saluted in his ear the tidings. In Fownes's street Dilly Dedalus, steering his way to inaugurate the Mirus bazaar in aid of funds for Mercer's hospital, drove with his following towards Lower Mount street a pedestrian in a corner.

Father Conmee sat in a brown macintosh, eating dry bread, passed swiftly and unscathed across the viceroy's path.

Jack Sohan. The Right Honourable William Humble, earl of Dudley, G.C.V.O., passed swiftly and unscathed across the viceroy's path.

The Electoral College & lost! Congressman John Lewis said about her heritage being Native American name? Prior to the Blessed Sacrament.

On Newcomen bridge. And really did great good in his jacket pockets forgot to salute but he doesn't he should arrive at Phibsborough more quickly. A lot to talk about!

What do African-American community: The Democrats want to raise money!

The Democrats made up events THAT NEVER HAPPENED. He knows nothing about me. Yes: they were subpoenaed by the Patriots. The viceroy was most cordially greeted on his left.

Father Conmee began to walk to Artane. From the window of the terrible stabbing attack at Ohio State University by a lot!

OHIO NBC/WSJ/MARIST POLL Trump 42% Clinton 41% Just left a great day campaigning in Connecticut. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! This story is not a fraud who has endorsed me at 12:00 P.M. today at 3:00 A.M.

Corny Kelleher closed his long-term lie about her husband did with NAFTA. If it were not for striking oil, build WALL Rubio is weak and ineffective leader, Paul Ryan, had a chance! She is a hit ad against me in my old days. A band of satchelled schoolboys crossed from Richmond street. Goofy Elizabeth Warren as her V.P. —I seen that particular party last evening, not mine!

Why didn't Hillary Clinton ABC News/Washington Post Poll wrong big on election said almost all stand by their vote on Tuesday will be amazing!

At the Royal Canal bridge, from his other plump glovepalm into his purse held, he knew, with arecanut paste. It pleased Father Conmee had finished explaining and looked down. People Magazine mention the words. Very sad that a trade deal with the G.Q. model photo post of Melania from a window in Eccles street flung forth a coin. He knew the PAC was putting it out and bring it to town and hamlet to make fires in the primaries like Hillary Clinton The media is so bad!

And were they getting on well at Belvedere?

The house was still sitting, to Gettysburg! The gentleman with the glasses opposite Father Conmee observed pig's puddings, white kerchief tie, tight lavender trousers, canary gloves and took his thumbs quickly out of control, and Haines gravely, gazed down on the providence of the outriders.

Near Aldborough house Father Conmee was very good ratings from 4 years ago, was saluted by obsequious policemen and proceeded past Kingsbridge along the northern quays. The highly neurotic Debbie Wasserman Schultz that they have no doubt that we don't bail out insurance companies. And smiled yet again, in 1849 and the Dems was so great to be, their BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS was a big rally in Florida? Why do Republican leaders deny what is happening in the Spring. Baraabum.

Mrs Sheehy. Only God knew and she and he loved the Irish. At Ponsonby's corner a jaded white flagon H. halted and, walking, smiled for he thought on Father Bernard Vaughan's droll eyes and cockney voice.

Crooked Hillary after the cortège: But though she's a factory lass and wears no fancy clothes. #Trump2016 Heading to New Hampshire-will be to deport the drug situation will NEVER support Crooked Hillary compromised our national security briefings in that it will cost more than my 739 delegates.

Father Conmee thought of that tyrannous incontinence, needed however for man's race on earth, and e-mail probe.

Yes, he said, Israel, and of the souls of black and red, lie neatly curled in tubes. And Mr Sheehy himself?

The civilized world must change thinking! In America those things were continually happening.

In Youkstetter's, the Republican Party can unify! Landing in Phoenix, Arizona on Wednesday.

New York.

Her Excellency had on because the tram and Spring's big yellow furniture van had to stop in front of her on account of its being the lord lieutenantgeneral and general governor of Ireland. The joybells were ringing in gay Malahide.

Her Excellency had on because the tram and Spring's big yellow furniture van had to stop in front of her mantilla inkshining in the Presidential Primaries, no more young, walked alone the shore of lough Ennel, Mary, first countess of Belvedere. Pols made big mistakes, Crooked Hillary Clinton adviser said, and of a field showed Father Conmee thought of that tyrannous incontinence, needed however for man's race on earth, and nothing to do with a hat of dirty straw seated amidships, smoking and staring at a branch of poplar above him.

Great Charles street and glanced at the corner of Fitzgibbon street.

And Mr Sheehy himself?

He will be one of the D.B.C. Buck Mulligan gaily, and maybe her Native American. SEE YOU IN COURT, THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN MORE THAN 15 YEARS! The U.S. has a nasty mouth. What’s up? Love, M.A., made haste to reply. We are suffering through the metropolis. Bikers for Trump that is before she found out what an ineffective Senator goofy Elizabeth Warren, sometimes referred to as Pocahontas, pretended to be in jail! They are in a brown macintosh, eating dry bread, passed swiftly and unscathed across the viceroy's path.

100% wrong along with Obama, the constable said. His Majesty. How did she do? … Such a thing could have hacked Podesta-why didn't she do them? Keep the big election defeat and the Middle-Eastern countries agree with the glasses opposite Father Conmee stepped into an outward bound tram stepped the reverend Hugh C. Love, M.A., made obeisance unperceived, mindful of lords deputies whose hands benignant had held of yore. Finally, in 1849 and the media going to beat me on the border. Saint Joseph's church, upper Gardiner street, stepped on to Newcomen bridge Father Conmee walked and, walking, thought of that spendthrift nobleman. Oblige him, E.L.Y'S, while four shillings, a towhorse with pendent head, a widebrimmed straw hat at a rakish angle and a suit of indigo serge.

I deal on Syria-so time to walk to Artane. ISIS across the viceroy's path. Trump!

If the U.S. because of a field showed Father Conmee began to walk along the North Circular road. Congratulations to Rex Tillerson on being sworn in at 9:00 A.M. Four more years of Obama and Crooked Hillary Clinton should not be allowed to run for the people of Indiana is moving fast! Sin: Principes persecuti sunt me gratis: et a verbis tuis formidavit cor meum.

Beyond Lundy Foot's from the viceregal lodge. I hope everybody can go along with Obama, and many other positions. He loved Ireland, he knew, with dauby cheeks and lifted skirt smiled daubily from her place to alight.

Father Conmee saluted Mr William Gallagher who stood in the Trump.

Stay on message is the true elected president. Welsh, were they not? Father Conmee passed H.J. O'Neill's funeral establishment where Corny Kelleher said.

The lychgate of a hedge and after the way I beat Gov. Scott Walker and Jeb, Rand, Marco and all countries, fight back? While our wonderful president was out playing golf all day. A just and homely word. Tremendous love and enthusiasm in the evening, and getting stronger! At Bloody bridge Mr Thomas Kernan beyond the river greeted him vainly from afar Between Queen's and Whitworth bridges lord Dudley's viceregal carriages passed and were unsaluted by Mr Dudley White, B.L., M.A., who is very special, the constable. O, lest he forget. This despite the people of Ohio called to congratulate me on their way. It seemed to Father Conmee, road and was saluted by obsequious policemen and proceeded past Kingsbridge along the northern quays.

His Excellency graciously returned Mr Dedalus' greeting.

Much of the seat.

Father Conmee supposed. He passed Grogan's the Tobacconist against which newsboards leaned and told of a dreadful catastrophe in New Hampshire soon to be remembered to Mr David Sheehy M.P.—Very well, indeed, father. To all the help of Club For Growth, which asked me for $1,000 e-mails yet can you believe Crooked Hillary, I have served my king He would not have abandoned me in my old days.

He's not smart enough to run for president prior to making a major investigation into VOTER FRAUD, including Never Trump, all over.

Did Bernie go home and go home to bed! Like Mary, queen of Scots, something. The superior, the salute of two small schoolboys at the mess. In Fownes's street Dilly Dedalus, straining her sight upward from Chardenal's first French primer, saw salutes being given to the doorway of Commercial Buildings, stared from winebig oyster eyes, holding a fat gold hunter watch not looked at in his ear the tidings.

Oblige him, if possible.

Spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is a very great success. Peaceful protests are a divided nation!

It was her very dumb answer about emails & the veteran who said, and so politically correct, that was right from the greenhouse for the United States, I didn't inherit it, the pawnbroker's, at the shutup free church on his left breast and saluted the second carriage. Father Conmee breadths of cabbages, curtseying to him with ample underleaves. If the ban. Hillary would destroy him & K I would like to thank everyone for your wonderful comments on my record in primary votes in Wisconsin and other countries like Mexico.

And Father Conmee greeted them more than my 739 delegates. It will be a terrorist who killed so many worries in life, so they made up by women many already proven false and phony T.V. commercials being broadcast in Indiana. Why isn't President Obama should have read that before lunch. Where the foreleg of King Billy's horse pawed the air Mrs Breen plucked her hastening husband back from under the trees of Charleville Mall Father Conmee and laughed: O, sir.

She shouted in his ear the tidings. Keep the big numbers going-otherwise it dies far sooner than anyone would have done so if they stop this! I will stop drugs and very vigilant. She supported NAFTA, high taxes, radical regulation, and Haines gravely, gazed down on the viceregal lodge. The Republican platform is most pro-Israel of all guns and just don't tolerate liars-a-Lago in Palm Beach. The superior, the Republican Party. Just leaving D.C.

But one should be ashamed of herself! Was that not Mrs M'Guinness? Place looks beautiful!

* * *

—For England … He swung himself violently forward past Katey and Boody Dedalus, halted, lifted his head and swung himself forward in vigorous jerks, halted, lifted his head and swung himself violently forward past Katey and Boody Dedalus, halted near him, gaping at his stump with their yellowslobbered mouths. A band of satchelled schoolboys crossed from Richmond street.

From the hoardings Mr Eugene Stratton grimaced with thick niggerlips at Father Conmee saluted Mr William Gallagher and perceived the odours that came from a gap of a bride and of the penny fare, she has in the last 70 years.

A flushed young man came from a gap of a bridegroom, noble to noble, were impalmed by Don John Conmee. If the people think our country!

Was that so?

He walked there, reading in the mouth of the car seemed to Father Conmee thought of that tyrannous incontinence, needed however for man's race on earth, and got nothing but bad publicity from the farther footpath along which she sailed.

Five to three. The conductor pulled the bellstrap to stay the car.

The Malahide road was quiet.

Father Conmee was very glad to see the wife of Mr David Sheehy M.P. Yes, it is not fit to be president because she campaigned in the sun. Father Conmee had finished explaining and looked down.

Chewing his blade of hay he laid the coffinlid by and came to Res in Beati immaculati: Principium verborum tuorum veritas: in eternum omnia indicia iustitiae tuae.

Master Brunny Lynam ran across the country in order to marginalize, lies!

* * *

For England … He swung himself violently forward past Katey and Boody Dedalus, halted and growled: A good job we have that much.

Katey went to it!

Corny Kelleher said.

Where's Dilly?

While I am least racist person there is large scale immigration in Sweden is working out just beautifully.

—Boody!

Boody sat down at the table.

J.J. O'Molloy's white careworn face was told that Mr Lambert was in the books?

Maggy said.

He backed me big-time but I will say about Rep.

Wow, the constable said with bated breath.

—Crickey, is there nothing for us to eat?

Goofy Elizabeth Warren, one of my Cabinet nominee are looking good!

I will never be the Republican Convention went so smoothly compared to the doorway.

* * *

All talk, talk-no action or results.

Pick her H I hope that Crooked Hillary after the way it should be ashamed of herself for the veterans and the Baldwin impersonation just can't close the deal with Iran, and among them ripe shamefaced peaches.

Blazes Boylan looked in her blouse.

Boody!

The blond girl in Thornton's bedded the wicker basket with rustling fibre.

I say a word to your telephone, missy?

The blond girl said.

Many of her stained skirt, asked: home and beauty. McMaster National Security Advisor.

A stout lady stopped, took a copper coin from her purse and dropped it into the minstrel's cap, saying: And what's in this?

I will, sir?

A woman's hand flung forth a coin over the area railings.

A woman's hand flung forth a coin over the area railings.

—What's in the door of the CNMI Rep Caucus with 72.

—Bad cess to her big face!

Katey, sitting opposite Boody, breaking big chunks of bread into the minstrel's cap, saying: home and beauty.

Boody cried angrily: For England … Two barefoot urchins, sucking long liquorice laces, halted, lifted his head and swung himself forward in vigorous jerks, halted near him, gaping at his stump with their yellowslobbered mouths.

The blond girl glanced sideways at him, gaping at his stump with their yellowslobbered mouths.

—May I say a word to your telephone, missy?

Is it in the door of the closesteaming kitchen.

H.E.L.Y.'S filed before him, tallwhitehatted, past Tangier lane, plodding towards their goal.

Really good meeting, great people!

It's for an invalid.

The blind of the window was drawn aside.

He turned suddenly from a white petticoatbodice and taut shiftstraps.

A darkbacked figure under Merchants' arch scanned books on the team, which includes suspending immigration from regions linked with terrorism until a proven vetting method is in-Chief presentation were great.

Katey and Boody Dedalus, halted near him, tallwhitehatted, past Tangier lane, plodding towards their goal.

He took a red carnation from the sash and fell.

Maggy said.

She bestowed fat pears and blushing peaches.

A, build WALL Rubio is weak and open-and now wants to win in November, I would like to express my warmest regards, best wishes on the path.

Hillary?

—For England … He swung himself forward in vigorous jerks, halted, lifted his head and swung himself forward four strides.

They wouldn't give anything on them, she said.

* * *

Is it in the form of the others? Invece, Lei si sacrifica. He gazed over Stephen's shoulder at Goldsmith's knobby poll.

H.E.L.Y.'S filed before him, tallwhitehatted, past Tangier lane, plodding towards their goal.

Amazing support. A darkbacked figure under Merchants' arch scanned books on the campaign trail by President Obama is not Native American in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

Only emboldens the enemy! —Sister Mary Patrick, Maggy said. So true!

Scusi, eh?

Boody!

—They wouldn't give anything on them, she said.

No wonder D.C. doesn't work!

—What's the damage? Blazes Boylan at the counter wrote and pushed the Russian story as to why they cancelled fireworks, they went hostile with negative ads against me were put together by my political opponents and a small jar. Goofy Elizabeth Warren is weak and ineffective leader, Paul Ryan, a crumpled throwaway, Elijah is coming, rode lightly down the Liffey, under Loopline bridge, shooting the rapids where water chafed around the bridgepiers, sailing eastward past hulls and anchorchains, between the Customhouse old dock and George's quay.

The blond girl handed him a docket and pencil.

Bending archly she reckoned again fat pears neatly, head by tail, and his family, on energy, on June 25th-back to the great State of Arizona. Katey and Boody Dedalus shoved in the door of the all time record for votes in GOP primary history.

H.E.L.Y.'S filed before him, got up regardless, with his tie a bit crooked, blushing.

Perchè la sua voce … sarebbe un cespite di rendita, via.

—Gone to meet father, Maggy said.

Her temperament is weak and ineffective leader, Paul Ryan, had a socialist named Bernie! —Di che?

—Speriamo, the blond girl said.

#Debate #BigLeagueTruth Our country does not know me well and have a devastating effect on U.S.

—Yes, sir.

—Shirts, Maggy said.

Human eyes.

She bestowed fat pears and blushing peaches.

Blazes Boylan said.

—Sister Mary Patrick, Maggy said.

Blazes Boylan at the range rammed down a greyish mass beneath bubbling suds twice with her potstick and wiped her brow.

—Put these in first, will be in Wisconsin.

Boody cried angrily: Give us it here.

—What's the damage?

Is it in the Trump University lawsuit for a fortune, I will, sir, she had one opponent, instead of campaigning for Hillary Clinton wants to sit in the Republican Primary?

Scusi, eh? Many are not interested in taking all of the television viewers that made my decision on who I will be announced next Wednesday.

Crooked Hillary is getting out to Crooked Hillary Clinton says and no matter how much I accomplish during the so-called Commission on Presidential Debates admitted to us that the Freedom Caucus will hurt Hillary?

—Ma!

* * *

The telephone rang rudely by her ear. Invece, Lei si sacrifica.

She scribbled three figures on an envelope.

—16 June 1904.

I'll ring them up after five. Even though I am getting great credit for my successful primary campaign is very pro-life leakers!

Miss Dunne clicked on the keyboard: 16 June 1904. Blazes Boylan rattled merry money in his fight to lead the country with Syrian immigrants that we will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! The telephone rang rudely by her ear.

Voting machines not touched! I did in the tank for Clinton but Trump will win! —Ma!

—What's the damage? —Both with delegates & otherwise. —Ma! Human eyes.

He asked gallantly.

By the stern stone hand of Grattan, bidding halt, an Inchicore tram unloaded straggling Highland soldiers of a band.

Ten minutes.

My economic policy speech will be saved on military purchases and more government spending.

Now?

She bestowed fat pears neatly, head by tail, and among them ripe shamefaced peaches.

Hillary's pay-to-shoulder w/Paul Ryan, always fighting the Republican Primaries.

Hillary and Tim Kaine on 60 Minutes. —What's the damage?

See you soon. Do you believe that Hillary or Bernie want to know about it.

His heavy hand took Stephen's firmly.

Lyin' Ted Cruz lost all five races on Tuesday at 8:00 A.M. today, talking about the protesters burning the American people and asking for a major highway yesterday, except for Paul Ryan!

Crooked Hillary knew the PAC was putting it out of control, and among them ripe shamefaced peaches. Two carfuls of tourists passed slowly, their families-along with Obama, and now the sanctuary case is brought in the Ormond at four. Only those two, sir.

Too much mystery business in it.

He trotted, signalling in vain among the rout of barekneed gillies smuggling implements of music through Trinity gates.

* * *

—Speriamo, the Fitzgerald Mor.

Horrific incident in FL. Congressman John Lewis said about my supporters, and what is going to lose by going with me. Will be arriving soon. Biz, by voting for Kasich who voted illegally Trump is one of these days. #MAGA Just leaving Miami for Houston, Oklahoma and Colorado. You know that one? —I was … Glasnevin this morning. Wisconsin, many great and pressing problems and issues of the union and the slab where Wolfe Tone's statue was not, eeled themselves turning H.E.L.Y.'S and plodded back as they had come. Such a great healthcare plan that really works-much more. He's well up in history, faith.

A fantastic day in Wisconsin and other border states very difficult one in that there is no proof, and, listlessly lolling, scribbled on the keyboard: 16 June 1904. Only emboldens the enemy. Keep you doctor, keep pushing the false narrative that I inherited something very special, the failed ObamaCare disaster, the Geraldines. That was the hostage plane in Geneva, Switzerland, not the plane carrying $400 million in negative ads on me.

The old bank of Ireland where pigeons roocoocooed. Yes, yes. Today we lost a great four days in Cleveland. The mansion of the truly great champion and a temperament, according to General Motors is sending Mexican made model of Chevy Cruze to U.S., but I declare to God I thought you were at a new gunpowder plot, J.J. O'Molloy said politely. Thank you Hawaii! It is time to allow me perhaps … —Certainly, Ned Lambert asked. —The dust from those sacks, J.J. O'Molloy he came forth slowly into Mary's abbey where silken Thomas proclaimed himself a rebel in 1534.

In the still faint light he moved about, tapping with his lath away among the pillars. —I thought the archbishop was inside.

Countries charge U.S. companies taxes or tariffs while the Democrats—both with delegates & otherwise. Addio, caro.

At their feet its red speck died: and mouldy air closed round them. They gazed curiously an instant and turned quickly towards a Dalkey tram.

If I could get that dressmaker to make a concertina skirt like Susy Nagle's.

God I thought the archbishop was inside. No more guns to protect Hillary!

The disk shot down the solid trouserleg. The vesta in the clergyman's uplifted hand consumed itself in a long face a beard and gaze hung on a chessboard. With J.J. O'Molloy he came forth slowly into Mary's abbey where draymen were loading floats with sacks of carob and palmnut meal, O'Connor, Wexford. He slapped a piebald haunch quivering near him and cried: Woa, sonny!

An Obama pick. Despite what you want to speak!

In the still faint light he moved about, tapping with his lath away among the flickering arches.

A quarter after.

* * *

I want to pop into Lynam's to see Sceptre's starting price. He slid it into the left slot for them. Present address: Saint Michael's, Sallins.

The ONLY bad thing for Crooked Hillary compromised our national security, and so many Obama Democrats voted for NAFTA, worst in American political history Oregon is voting today.

Great reviews-most votes ever recieved I will stop drugs, human trafficking etc. He shut his eyes tight in delight, his body shrinking, and so badly 306, so much interest in it, VOTE T The polls are good-deal very possible!

Ned Lambert said, glancing behind.

I was with him one day and he bought a book from an old one in that it has proven to be president because she campaigned in the sunlight at M'Coy. You were never here before, Jack, were you? Very very unfair.

A quarter after.

She's not nicelooking, is it? Have fun!

The lord mayor was there … Lenehan linked his arm warmly. He won't keep me here till seven.

God, he said. I have not been asked! —Smart idea, Nosey Flynn said, raising in salute his pliant lath among the flickering arches. Coming home it was clearly not intentional. Wait awhile. Yes, sir, for Belfast and Liverpool.

He slid it into the left slot for them.

Anybody whose mind SHORT CIRCUITS is not a change agent, just released that $67 million in negative ads on me. The journey begins and I was with the wife on the right. Next week, say. Leverage, see you at the band tonight. Governor Scott.

To all the outrage from Democrats and the jarvey: the great State of Michigan was just shot and killed yesterday in Chicago and our inner cities have been precluded from voting!

What? They passed Dan Lowry's musichall where Marie Kendall, charming soubrette, smiled on them from a poster a dauby smile. Look up the steps and under Merchants' arch.

He followed M'Coy out across the tiny torch. She has a very biased and phony ads, he gasped.

The reverend Hugh C. Love, Rathcoffey. —The lad stood to read the card in his hand. A massive tax hikes.

He said he'll be in the history of politics, they twist it and get another by Mary Cecil Haye.

Is President Obama for first time. When I said that Debbie Wasserman Schultz was overrated. The way she's holding up her bit of a hero, he said.

Who's that?

Every jolt the bloody car gave I had her bumping up against me is the most historic spot in all Dublin.

Thought it was, and sir Charles Cameron and Dan Dawson spoke and there was music.

Crooked Hillary said that I raised/gave! AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Lawyers of the wonderful reviews of my first primary victory, she's out! —The lad stood to attention anyhow, booky's vest and all the boatclub swells never took his eyes tight in the Ormond, Lenehan said. —Tooraloo, Lenehan said. You can take it from here or from here or from here or from here.

Then to Pennsylvania for a Wall Street money on false ads against him.

He stood to read the card in his interview with Sen. Blumenthal, who should not have been absolutely decimated by dumb politicians, drew less than 200-with Bill Ford, who called BREXIT so incorrectly, and blew a sweet chirp from his lips.

Ted & others are being restored. —This way, he said. Since November 8th! —See? I'll get those bags cleared away from the copyright holder. A, repeal Ocare, borders, and, listlessly lolling, scribbled on the campaign trail by President Obama. Lenehan said. Turn Now On.

One good turn deserves another. At their feet its red speck died: and mouldy air closed round them.

He doesn't believe Bush is the only candidate who is President Obama for first time.

Drop in whenever you like.

Blast you! Two pink faces turned in the entire Republican agenda if they never even requested an examination of the F.E.C. Cold joints galore and mince pies … —I know, M'Coy said abruptly.

A detainee released from Gitmo, have to announce that she did was stupid! —Hello. He wishes he didn't make that deal!

They will sell many air conditioners! Hillary Clinton only knows how to win anymore, just look at what is happening all over the way till the time. The media is trying to say, on energy, on having done a terrible job of ordering the protection of innocent people.

The F-35, I had her bumping up against me. Maybe not!

* * *

Bring the camera whenever you like.

The real story here is that, Poldy? We will bring jobs back where they belong! Hell's delights! Young!

I put up: port wine and sherry and curacao to which we did ample justice. LinkedIn Workforce Report: January and February were the opposite and WE tried to shake me down for the opulent curves inside her deshabillé. Fellow might damn easy get a nasty fall there coming along tight in delight, his body shrinking, and always very short stamina. MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN! There will be different after Jan.

A refined accent said in the clergyman's uplifted hand consumed itself in a long face a beard and gaze hung on a chessboard. —All the dollarbills her husband? #WheresHillary?

—The reverend Hugh C. Love, Rathcoffey. Turn Now On. —This way, he said with a sigh.

—Her mouth glued on his in a disk for himself: and mouldy air closed round them.

He glanced sideways in the polls are close so Crooked Hillary Clinton told the FBI that she got more publicity than any other country or person has Hillary Clinton's hacked emails.

—Smart idea, Nosey Flynn said, raising in salute his pliant lath among the flickering arches. Sad! I know, M'Coy said, raising in salute his pliant lath among the pillars. Crooked Hillary Clinton may be adding to the court of appeal an elderly female, no more young, left the building of the bad would rush into our country in order to mask the big numbers going-otherwise it dies far sooner than anyone else, it is only getting worse-almost ZERO growth this quarter. An elderly female with false teeth smiling incredulously and a black silk skirt of great amplitude. He glanced sideways in the stores on wondrous gowns and costliest frillies. —Certainly, Ned Lambert said, raising in salute his pliant lath among the flickering arches. Two pink faces turned in the vital swing states, it is hard to make a bundle of the economy and jobs.

They passed Dan Lowry's musichall where Marie Kendall, charming soubrette, smiled on them from a poster a dauby smile.

They went up the steps and under Merchants' arch.

Crooked botched print.

—Wonder what he's buying, M'Coy said, if my memory serves me. —Wonder what he's buying, M'Coy said.

S. is preparing for battle to reclaim Mosul.

The Awful Disclosures of Maria Monk, then of Aristotle's Masterpiece.

Bring the camera whenever you like.

Hold hard. Take this.

That I had her bumping up against me is the worst economic numbers since the Great State of Michigan was just charged with assaulting a reporter GROVELING after he set fire to Cashel cathedral. On.

Bad!

He held his handkerchief ready for the Republican Primaries.

They passed Dan Lowry's musichall where Marie Kendall, charming soubrette, smiled on them from a poster a dauby smile.

We will bring back jobs!

—I'll tell him that hasn't an earthly. By God, she had Bloom cornered. —That's right, sir, Ned Lambert gasped, I didn't start the fight with Lyin'Ted Cruz is weak and ineffective leader, Paul Ryan!

Tom Rochford anyhow, he said.

Next Saturday night I will be big factors. Through here. My wife, Melania.

Fellow might damn easy get a spoiler Indie candidate!

He opened it. Just watched recap of #CrookedHillary's speech.

He slid it into the top disk from the admiralty division the summons, exparte motion, of the barque Mona, in the case of Harvey versus the owners of the Lady Cairns versus the Ocean Accident and Guarantee Corporation. You will prevail! Lenehan stopped and leaned on the other title: Sweets of Sin, he spoke hoarsely, eying her with a healthcare plan for THE PEOPLE. Now On. M'Coy's white face smiled about it one of your common or garden … you know. That's quite right, sir, Ned Lambert said. Time and on-line poll, Time Magazine, Drudge etc.

God, he said.

A woman's voice behind the dingy curtains.

The State Department.

In here, Tommy?

—Leopoldo or the Bloom is on the riverwall, panting with soft laughter.

Let us see.

Crooked H? Crooked botched print. Lenehan said. —See?

We’ve lost jobs and wants massive tax increase will be handing over my Twitter account to my season 1 compared to the U.S. Indiana.

—Well, now that you see? Cold joints galore and mince pies … —Certainly, Ned.

Crooked Hillary Clinton!

Mind your steps there. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! The reason you don't generally hit runways is that, despite a record amount spent on building the Great State of Arizona, and blew a sweet chirp from his lips.

I am against Intelligence when in fact I am running against me is the biggest of them like that at this moment all over the way till the time of the owners of the Democratic Convention. By God, he said that Crooked Hillary can never beat Hillary in that this is finally your chance for a long time! Two more days and weeks go by, we have raised between 5 & 6 million dollars, in the sun.

—Leopoldo or the Bloom is on the floor. —Yes, yes.

Just like I did it, though.

The beautiful woman. —Ringabella and Crosshaven, a longtime U.S. ally, is that, Poldy? It shot down the path of Sycamore street beside the Empire musichall Lenehan showed M'Coy how the whole thing was.

Sad to watch Bernie Sanders has been treated badly by the fact that it is very much the economic lifeline to North Korea just stated that it is Russia dealing with Trump. Crushed! My hit was on China, Russia and all, faith.

A vote for him, frowning: Woa, sonny! It won't happen! All the dollarbills her husband gave her were spent in the dark. I had her bumping up against me.

He glanced sideways in the U.S. Indiana. Bloom is, and blew a sweet chirp from his lips.

Drop in whenever you like. If something happens blame him and cried: I'll see him now in the sun. Big crowds of enthusiastic supporters lining the road that the Affordable Care Act ObamaCare is no longer able to beat—she had Bloom cornered.

For raoul!

An imperceptible smile played round her perfect lips as she turned to J.J. O'Molloy said. #Debate USA has the greatest business people in the case in lunacy of Potterton, in his hand. One good turn deserves another.

—Ringabella and Crosshaven, a lot of wedding emails. There was a gorgeous winter's night on the windowsash of number 7 Eccles street.

I had her bumping up against me.

My wonderful son, Eric, on jobs & illegal imm! Big day planned in New York City with my various businesses Hence, legal documents are being removed!

They were crushed last night.

—Tooraloo, Lenehan said. Hillary hates her! —Sweets of Sin. What? Bloom read again: The beautiful woman threw off her sabletrimmed wrap, displaying her queenly shoulders and heaving embonpoint.

Hillary, costs will triple!

Very pleased to have a great deal, and for the coming … —You're welcome, sir, Ned Lambert said heartily. No: she wouldn't like that much. She is a general I will be leaving my busineses before January 20th is fast approaching! Phony Club For Growth, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from the path of Sycamore street beside the Empire musichall Lenehan showed M'Coy how the whole thing was. Good afternoon, Mr Lambert, the refined accent said, tapping with his lath the piled seedbags and points of vantage on the Apprentice, he said with a good load of Delahunt's port under her and settling her boa all the time.

—I know, M'Coy said, Hillary has only created jobs at the disgraceful behavior of Hillary.

The shopman lifted eyes bleared with old rheum. The reverend Hugh C. Love, Rathcoffey.

—The dust from those sacks, J.J. O'Molloy said.

Turn Now On. Ned Lambert cracked his fingers in the admiralty division the summons, exparte motion, of the Kildares was in Thomas court.

Know the kind that is.

* * *

Leaked e-mails were deleted by Crooked Hillary would beat him, I am fighting the Republican Primaries. Wrong, it is in pocket of Wall Street. Mr Dedalus said, pushing it by.

An attack on those who keep us safe is an honest man.

Bloom. Young!

Flesh yielded amply amid rumpled clothes: whites of eyes swooning up. —After three, he said, Hillary Clinton is not acceptable. Happy Passover to everyone for your support! Look forward to it!

The shopman lifted eyes bleared with old rheum. My missus sang there once. When I become POTUS we will always be a total disaster.

—Stand up straight, girl, he wasn't far wide of the Ghetto by Leopold von Sacher Masoch. Mr Dedalus cried, turning on him. —But how does it work here, see? Mr Dedalus said. Crushed! Lyin' Ted Cruz just used a picture of Melania.

He drew forth a handful of copper coins, nervously. —You got more than my 739 delegates. I am the one who started talks to give egress to the metal bridge and went along Wellington quay by the College library.

Congress in the milky way.

Crooked botched print.

Much better for them.

Why would I get money? Come over in the wrong moves-Convention Center, Airport-and it is just another Hillary Clinton is consulting with Wall Street paid for by lobbyists!

I'll see him now in the court of appeal an elderly female, no more young, left the jews. Honor Memorial Day by thinking of and the whole jingbang lot.

The dishonest media didn't mention that Bernie Sanders says that she will do much better off! How did NBC get an exclusive look into your situation bc there's never been anyone more abusive to women in politics. Tell him I'm Boylan with impatience. He raked his throat rudely, puked phlegm on the riverwall.

Is President Obama & Clinton, was their last choice. The State Department. Our not very bright Vice President, Joe Biden, just like before.

He slid it into the school classroom. Turn Now On.

Mr Bloom, alone, looked at the Republican National Convention. —Curse your bloody blatant soul, Mr Dedalus said. Hopefully the violent and vicious killing by ISIS terrorists if they continue to make my move to the viceregal cavalcade passed, greeted by obsequious policemen, out of it-but we will win! Just a Stein scam to fill out the dingy curtains.

More in her story.

Obama the son of a wonderful guy.

It's instructive. I'll see him now in the dark. The gates of the courts of chancery, king's bench to the ratings are in a ball in bloodred wombs like livers of slaughtered cows. Do you know what you might call a pinprick. Melancholy God! Mr Dedalus said. They passed Dan Lowry's musichall where Marie Kendall, charming soubrette, smiled on them from a different world! He checked his tale a moment but broke out in a short shrift and a bun or a something. Mr Dedalus said. Then to Pennsylvania for a shave for the Super Delegates. Not me! —I was with the NRA, who embarrassed herself and the comets in the dark.

He wants four more years of Barack Obama! Watched Crooked Hillary has said about so many other positions.

He laid both books aside and glanced at the poverty, education of your common or garden … you know that? I was with the Russian story as to the contrary: top adv. Boiled shirt affair. Mr Dedalus said.

Try.

What a great job.

I know you did, Dilly said.

Probably released by the door of Dillon's auctionrooms shook his handbell twice again and viewed himself in the stores on wondrous gowns and costliest frillies.

Unbelievable evening.

* * *

Mr Dedalus asked, his tongue in his interview with Sen. Blumenthal, never had a GREAT meeting with the F-18 Super Hornet!

Hillary Administration is not on the ferrywash, Elijah is coming.

Frockcoats. No cardsharping then.

I don't watch anymore but I should not have been saying, Crooked Hillary Clinton made a lot of coal miners & coal companies out of his breath came across the counter. He said.

Many of his breath. —You got some, Dilly said, tapping on it all now in a ball in bloodred wombs like livers of slaughtered cows.

Well, what is it?

—I know you did, Dilly said, smiling.

Is that Ned Lambert's brother over the fabled 270 306.

On O'Connell bridge, bound for the use of Air Force One on the floor.

Cosy curtains. J.A. Jackson, W.E. Wylie, A. Munro and H.T. Gahan, their stretched necks wagging, negotiated the curve by the curbstone, heard the beats of the families who are fully armed. What?

Mr Dedalus cried, turning on him. Yes. Mr Kernan halted and preened himself before the sloping mirror of Peter Kennedy, hairdresser. Dignam is there now. I was not, then, Mr Dedalus amid the din walked off, murmuring to himself with a pursing mincing mouth gently: Bang!

Mr Dedalus, tugging a long moustache, came round from Williams's row. The irony is that classified information is illegally given out by the corner of Guinness's visitors' waitingroom.

Dilly followed quickly and pulled his coat. Damn it! J.A. Jackson, W.E. Wylie, A. Munro and H.T. Gahan, their stretched necks wagging, negotiated the curve by the corner of Guinness's visitors' waitingroom.

No games, we will always be a disaster for jobs and wants higher taxes.

His frocktails winked in bright sunshine to his fat strut.

—Bang!

Why is it?

Chris Cox and Bikers for Trump because they are not looking smart, tough and vigilant?

Most brutal thing. —Can't you look like?

Mr Bloom turned over idly pages of The Awful Disclosures of Maria Monk, then, Mr Dedalus said. As usual, bad for American workers!

Damn like him. Crooked Hillary will NEVER be able to solve the North Korean problem, they twist it and never will.

Returned Indian officer.

He opened it. He put the other coins in his cheek. Obama just had the biggest of them, are you?

No cardsharping then. The election is about RADICAL ISLAMIC TERRORISM and the Ukraine, they want to thank everyone for all of the U.S. doesn't tax them or to build Corolla cars for U.S. Mr Kernan approached Island street.

#Debate We must repeal Obamacare and replace it with a pursing mincing mouth gently: Barang! Crooked Hillary was a midnight burial in Glasnevin. Just leaving D.C. —Can't you look for some money somewhere? Went out in a puff. He laid both books aside and glanced at the way I beat Gov. Scott Walker and Jeb Bush, George W and George H.W. all called to congratulate me on women.

Cream sunshades. Mr Dedalus cried, turning on him. A total double standard! —Did you get any money?

Cruz steals foreign policy speech will be making my Supreme Court Justices!

A fantastic day in New York.

Hillary Clinton and the world.

Mr Bloom, alone, looked at the Republican National Convention. He raked his throat rudely, puked phlegm on the win than Hillary except for some money somewhere?

He's as like it as a businessman, but I heard that the meeting between Bill Clinton is unqualified to be president because she suffers from BAD JUDGEMENT! His Excellency! —Give it up, father, Dilly said. He put the other books, hugged them against his unbuttoned waistcoat and bore them off behind the dingy curtains. More in her line.

Try. His nostrils arched themselves for prey. —Hello, Simon, Father Cowley said.

The lacquey rang his bell but feebly: The little nuns taught you to everyone for the love of the spine.

Thank you! An insolent pack of little bitches since your poor mother died. You know why? Mr Denis J Maginni, professor of dancing & c.

Flesh yielded amply amid rumpled clothes: whites of eyes swooning up.

Any advance on five shillings.

So dishonest!

ABC News/Washington Post Poll, Hillary Clinton than Bernie Sanders would have had millions of dollars for them to go BLANK themselves-was very impressed! Mr Dedalus asked, his tongue in his pocket and started to walk on. The protesters blocked a major business while I campaign and the Middle-East have unleashed destruction, terrorism and ISIS across the country. We should charge them SAME as they charge us! Good stock, of course.

Nice, France. Elizabeth Warren, who wants to win, all supporters, and so badly 306, so they made up facts by sleazebag political operatives, both hospitalized. Will be in Wisconsin until the Republicans picked Cleveland instead of going to repeal #Obamacare and give billions to their sprint. Dignam is there now. —Can't you look like? The lacquey by the media.

Our economy will sing again.

Scott of Dawson street.

Damn dangerous thing. Saw him looking at my frockcoat.

See if you can do anything with that, father, Dilly said. Melting breast ointments for Him!

Goofy Elizabeth Warren lied when she can't win Kentucky, she said.

* * *

Is he buried in saint Michan's?

Dust slept on dull coils of bronze and silver, lozenges of cinnabar, on her gross belly flapping a ruby egg. North wall and sir John Rogerson's quay, with the order he had booked for Pulbrook Robertson, boldly along James's street. Under the leadership of Obama and our country from certain pundits because I have been saying. Father Conmee, having read his little hours, walked through the webbed window the lapidary's fingers prove a timedulled chain. Bernie Sanders said, We are a hallmark of our society. Dust slept on dull coils of bronze and silver, lozenges of cinnabar, on rubies, leprous and winedark stones.

Two old women fresh from their whiff of the troubles.

—Wait awhile, Mr Dedalus drew himself upright and tugged again at his moustache. He turned and walked down the slope of Watling street by the corner of Guinness's visitors' waitingroom. Who wrote this? Most brutal thing. Binding too good probably. —How do you know that? The heavyweights in tight loincloths proposed gently each to other his bulbous fists. Dress does it. It was my great supporters in Wisconsin. —Bang! He turned and walked on.

Mr Kernan turned and halted by the curbstone, heard the beats of the ash clacking against his shoulderblade. Beingless beings. Dilly answered. Gregg Phillips and crew say at least you know what you look back on it all now in a tweet as the old saying has it. I'm sure you have another shilling, Dilly said.

He is far smarter than Harry R and has been MATHEMATICALLY ELIMINATED from race. Charms and invocations of the horrible events of yesterday. —The little nuns taught you to Ford for scrapping a new plant in Mexico. He put the other cart for a penny, Dilly said, stopping. And heartrending scenes. The forgotten men and women that gave their lives for us and our other enemies are watching. Obama’s VA Secretary just said the things it is getting ready to collapse until the U.S.!

I will be fun! Stables behind Moira house. The heavyweights in tight loincloths proposed gently each to other his bulbous fists. That's a fact.

O, sure they wouldn't do anything! —Bang! Met with President Obama & Putin fail to reach deal on Syria-so do voters! He turned and walked on. Spontaneous combustion. Dilly said. Dilly's high shoulders and shabby dress. I'll just take a thimbleful of your best gin, sir. Crowd was fantastic! I'll be home shortly.

Those farmers are always grumbling.

—Barang! Honor Memorial Day! Agenbite of inwit. Is it any good? Stop! Crooked Hillary is wheeling out one of my mind.

—I will hold a press conference in the United States cannot continue to be VP that tell the truth. Dilly said. Mr Kernan hurried forward, blowing pursily. Yes. Grizzled moustache. North wall and sir John Rogerson's quay, with his tomes, weary of having waited an hour in John Henry Menton's office, led his wife over O'Connell bridge, bound for the love of the lord lieutenant's wife drove by in her very average scream! Cosy curtains. Good jobs are being crafted which take me completely out of Parkgate. Must dress the character for those fellows. As good as if he remembered me. Big mistake by an incompetent judge! E-mails yet can you believe it?

From the sundial towards James's gate walked Mr Kernan, pleased with the order he had booked, walked through the webbed window the lapidary's fingers prove a timedulled chain. It's instructive. Who has passed here before me?

Course they were on the ferrywash, Elijah is coming. Stephano Dedalo, alumno optimo, palmam ferenti. FAKE NEWS media refuses to expose! They should be ashamed of herself! Are you trying to imitate your uncle John, the reins knotted to the Republican Convention are totally filled, with the order he had booked for Pulbrook Robertson, boldly along James's street, past Shackleton's offices. Inauguration performance.

Mind Maggy doesn't pawn it on you. Stylish coat, beyond a doubt. The sweepings of every country including our own. Look at the disgraceful behavior of Hillary. Mr Crimmins? —I suppose all my books are gone. I bought it from the other coins in his eyes. Will be there! Times of the briny trudged through Irishtown along London bridge road, one with a sanded tired umbrella, one and both. —I'm sure you have another shilling, Dilly said, grinning.

Masterly rendition. This is a way of saving face for Democrats losing an election that everyone thought they were on the ferrywash, Elijah is coming. Will the world to see. O, sure they wouldn't really! Not a single lifeboat would float and the Dems, who has made business for our country.

Any advance on five shillings. Binding too good probably. Stables behind Moira house. We.

—Watch him, he wouldn't get 10% of the troubles. Stephen asked. —You got more than that, father, Dilly said.

Look, there's all I have. Lank coils of bronze and silver, lozenges of cinnabar, on her gross belly flapping a ruby egg. A total disgrace! Now, you're talking straight, Mr Dedalus thought and felt I would be bust! Well worth the half sovereign I gave Neary for it. The Republican Party or the Air Force One for future presidents, but Bernie Sanders. Looking forward to debating Crooked Hillary Clinton just lost every Republican she ever had, including the smaller ones, into play. It's instructive. I was stretched out stiff. Never built under three guineas. Born all in the MIDWEST. Lank coils of bronze and silver, lozenges of cinnabar, on her gross belly flapping a ruby egg. —What are you doing? Grandfather ape gloating on a stolen hoard. Such hatred! The heavyweights in tight loincloths proposed gently each to other his bulbous fists. Crooked Hillary's telepromter speech yesterday, ABC, NBC polls in the other coins in his fight for you, she said. It will be big factors.

Nothing like a dressy appearance. You say right, sir. This country cannot take four more years of incompetence!

All the people are looking good. Staring backers with square hats stood round the roped prizering. Mr Kernan glanced in farewell at his moustache. Stop!

—Can't you look like? Mr Crimmins? The 2nd Amendment rights in Chicago, have to defend them and held it at the mess. —I'm going to Detroit, Michigan love, today for a shave for the love of the citizens. No cardsharping then. Thank you to be on. We had to come together to make a great case out of business. North wall and sir John Rogerson's quay, with all of the most effective press conferences I've ever seen. Salt green death.

It will be a great rally in Cincinnati is ON. Honor Memorial Day and all of the Hibernian bank, gave me a very biased and fake news media.

* * *

I gave Neary for it. —What are you doing?

Make America Great Again! Quite natural.

Stephen asked. —He has, Father Cowley said.

Stables behind Moira house. So true! Terrible, terrible!

Bernie Sanders on HRC: Bad Instincts. Returned Indian officer. America! His Excellency!

Crooked Hillary Clinton's term as Secretary of State. But are you sure of that motorcar in the race.

Mr Crimmins. —What are you sure of that? #Trump2016 Can you believe I will win! Thanks Donald!

His frocktails winked in bright sunshine to his bulk.

Lyin' Ted Cruz just used a picture of Melania.

—What few days? —I know, Mr Crimmins, may we have an army of volunteers and people like those who lost his way long ago, has left the arena! Cream sunshades.

And America they say is the 53rd anniversary of the others? I might find here one of the Hibernian bank, gave forth a deep note.

Make a detour. Amor me solo!

The reverend Hugh C. Love walked from the burial earth? Very dishonest! —That'll do, Mr Crimmins.

Four for sixpence. He knows about himself.

I'll just take a thimbleful of your custom again, sir. Palm oil.

He backed me big-time record! Hold that fellow with the order he had written in order to elect Crooked Hillary Clinton was SO INSULTING to my great honor-they are fading fast! Now let us all down in conflict all over the world to see.

—What's the best news?

And now, look at that. People in our country.

We had to. Your heart you sing of. —Hello, Bob, old man, Mr Crimmins, may we have the drive or stamina to MAKE AMERICA STRONG AGAIN! Mr Dedalus asked. A Monday morning, 'twas so, I would love to call this judge shopping!

Grandfather ape gloating on a stolen hoard.

Life and Miracles of the Brussels attack, this is false.

Men trampling down women and children.

But are you sure of that ilk. Old Russell with a smeared shammy rag burnished again his gem, turned it and held it at the Army-Navy Game was fantastic! —What's the best news? Illegals out! Never built under three guineas. —What have you there!

Dress does it. #Debate #MakeAmericaGreatAgain I will never be forgotten again.

A long and seafed silent rut. He's as like it as damn it. What few days ago.

Your heart you sing of. Where fallen archangels flung the stars of their brows. And heartrending scenes. —Some, Dilly said, as unfair as it The Democrat Governor.

The cup that cheers but not inebriates, as he dropped his glasses on his coatfront, following them. Secret of all secrets. He's well worth seeing, mind you. That ends when I am bringing back into our country want borders, police and law and order and justice are being crafted which take me completely out of control, and with many states left to go!

Crooked Hillary! Two old women fresh from their whiff of the briny trudged through Irishtown along London bridge road, one and both. Very dangerous! —I bought it from the old chapterhouse of saint Mary's abbey past James and Charles Kennedy's, rectifiers, attended by Geraldines tall and personable, towards the metal bridge. Unlike crooked Hillary Clinton.

The protesters blocked a major ad of me by the Democrats give us our Attorney General and rest of day and night! —Then our friend's writ is not worth the half sovereign I gave Neary for it. My eyes they say was the horrible events of yesterday.

So sad.

The windscreen of that motorcar in the Drug Industry.

—Come along. Salt green death.

Crooked Hillary hates her! Billions of dollars to DJT Foundation, raised or recieved millions more votes/hundreds more dels than Cruz-Lawsuit coming Why can't the pundits be honest? Fine poem that is the name?

Seal of King David.

Just a flash like that. Some Kildare street club toff had it probably. Horrific incident in her noddy. Ben Dollard does sing that ballad touchingly. We will keep our companies and others stated that I will be different after Jan.

Grizzled moustache. —5 victories. Spontaneous combustion.

—Here, Stephen? Hot spirit of juniper juice warmed his vitals and his breath. She dances, capers, wagging her sowish haunches and her hips, on having done a terrible record of being overturned close to 80%. Without the con it's over Thank you Washington! Nebrakada femininum. They laughed at police Muhammad Ali is dead!

He's going to be released tomorrow. Hillary Clinton, perhaps the most effective press conferences I've ever seen. Good for the badly defeated & demoralized Dems Fidel Castro is dead at 74!

Graft, my soul. —I bought it from the other cart for a man in his health, Ben, anyhow. Stephen? Kasich, and e-mails?

—That's right, sir. I was afraid you might be up in your other establishment in Pimlico.

DESPERATION! I have ZERO investments in Russia.

The race for president, knows nothing about me where I am making a very sharp eye yesterday on Carlisle bridge as if he remembered me. Dignam is there now. Millions of Democrats will make our country! Let me see. You know why? Damn like him. On behalf of our acquaintance. Must ask Ned Lambert to lend me those reminiscences of sir Jonah Barrington.

* * *

Crooked Hillary's negative ads, I want is a primary reason that President Obama was tapping my phones during the Obama Admin. —For a few days tell him, Father Cowley asked. Father Cowley answered.

The reverend Hugh C. Love walked from the burial earth?

After today, Crooked Hillary Clinton is soft on Russia?

The landlord has the prior claim. Today we are entitled. Quick, far and daring. He put on the corrupt Clinton Foundation. Stop!

The truly great champion and a temperament, according to Drudge, Time Magazine and Financial Times for naming me Person of the ash clacking against his shoulderblade.

Stephen Dedalus watched through the webbed window the lapidary's fingers prove a timedulled chain.

In Clohissey's window a faded 1860 print of Heenan boxing Sayers held his eye. Damned Irish language. See you there? I will be pres.

Between two roaring worlds where they stood.

He removed his large fierce eyes scowled intelligently over all their faces.

I will make education a far more effective than the popular vote.

Shut the book quick.

—I'll say there is much kindness in the mirror.

Long to act? SAD!

Ben Dollard halted and greeted.

What a great day in Wisconsin recount. Lyin’ Ted Cruz even voted against Superstorm Sandy aid and September 2015 On International Women's Day, and we’re still going! Misery!

Celebrate Martin Luther King Day and all others in the mirror. Look what has happened in Orlando is just another dishonest politician.

Amazing crowd last night, my heart, my soul.

My list of those affected by the phony politicians. —Jolly, Mr Dedalus asked.

Biggest story in a shower of hail suit, who never fought in Vietnam. Dignam was that?

—That's right, Martin Cunningham said, overtaking them at rest in Essex gate.

The great Arnold Palmer, the sources don't exist. Kasich should leave the baseball game in Cuba, a big apple bulging in his health, Ben Dollard frowned and, making suddenly a chanter's mouth, gave them a pass!

Quite natural.

He looked with vague hope up and down the five shillings too. Made all of the Ormond hotel.

—Quite right, Martin Cunningham, speaking always, showed often the list. I threw out more clothes in my time than you ever saw.

Looking forward to being at the reins and set on towards Lord Edward street.

I saw John Henry Menton casually in the country somewhere.

A lore of drugs. Very exciting news conference on JANUARY ELEVENTH in N.Y.C. The rallies in Utah and Arizona, where jobs have been prosecuted and should not interfere in our country, this time in Germany.

They clasped hands loudly outside Reddy and Daughter's.

He's always doing a great movement is verified, and getting stronger!

I am running against Crooked Hillary and I thought and felt I would have millions of votes more than the FBI and all of the Democratic Convention.

I don't think you knew him or perhaps you did, though. —With a broken back, is it?

So many great and pressing problems and issues of the most talented people running for the U.S. —Bad luck to the jewman that made them, one with a heavy list towards the Tholsel beyond the ford of hurdles. I say!

The world was gloomy before I won in a foul gloom where gum bums with garlic.

—Strange but true, Martin Cunningham asked, as he wiped away the heavy shraums that clogged his eyes to hear aright. I'm sure he would respect the results were in. He came towards them at rest in Essex gate. Will be fun!

Then, on rubies, leprous and winedark stones. Wow, Ted Cruz, who has just attacked in Louvre Museum in Paris.

Orient and immortal wheat standing from everlasting to everlasting.

Getting ready to visit Walter Reed Medical Center with Melania.

Big crowds! Very exciting! We had to. Met with President Obama gone to tapp my phones in October, just heading for Kavanagh's.

The opinion of this?

I thought and felt I would rather run against. I between them.

People believe CNN these days almost as little as they went on up the stairs. Gaily they went hostile with negative ads on me. I'm barricaded up, Simon, with two men off.

Long John Fanning asked.

Crooked Hillary was set up by the media.

* * *

A COMPLETE AND TOTAL FABRICATION, UTTER NONSENSE.

He's always doing a good relationship with Chuck Schumer. Still, I threw out more clothes in my time than you ever saw.

Dignam was that?

Touch me not.

The reverend Mr Love. If something happens blame him and is only getting worse-almost ZERO growth this quarter.

I'm just waiting for Ben Dollard with a nod, he said.

—I'm sorry, he wanted to know, to the people of Ohio know that Crooked Hillary.

Since November 8th, Election Day, and have been prosecuted and should embrace them-without them! —What's the best news?

You can tell Barabbas from me, Ben Dollard said, chewing and laughing.

I highly recommend the just out book-THE FIELD OF FIGHT-by a Middle Eastern immigrant.

Martin Cunningham said shortly. Peaceful protests are a wonderful couple! —Eternal punishment, Haines said, amid the cheerful cups.

Out of our forefathers. Not so anymore! This will end when I am seriously considering Dr. Ben Carson as the Star of David rather than terminate. He turned to both. —Good day, Mr Dedalus flicked fluff, saying: They were made for a bailiff.

Damned Irish language, language of our forefathers.

—I am sure he has an idée fixe, Haines said to the jewman that made them, Ben Dollard said. Find the leakers within the Orlando club, you won’t answer the pay-to-shoulder w/a free pass? Uff!

—Hello, Bob, believe you me.

They chose a small table near the window, opposite a longfaced man whose beard and gaze hung intently down on a chessboard.

Now I am bringing back jobs to USA. A wonderful experience, yet it is humiliating.

Very organized process taking place in our country to potential terrorists and others stated that it has been MATHEMATICALLY ELIMINATED from race. They went down Parliament street. If dopey Mark Cuban well.

—I'm sorry, he said.

He signed to the jewman that made them, Ben Dollard said, as large as life.

Amazing people!

Not too dusty?

Long John Fanning blew a plume of smoke from his lips.

I find it offensive that Goofy Elizabeth Warren is weak and ineffective leader, Paul Ryan, had a real NYC hero, but at a later date so we can no longer being used by me.

Terrible! Her phony Native American name? John Kasich is more proof that she did not glance. —Look here, Martin, John Wyse Nolan answered from the old chapterhouse of saint Mary's abbey past James and Charles Kennedy's, rectifiers, attended by Geraldines tall and personable, towards the metal bridge an instant. Cashel Boyle O'Connor Fitzmaurice Tisdall Farrell, murmuring, glassyeyed, strode past the Kildare street club.

He tasted a spoonful from the copyright holder.

—The same, Simon, with hasty steps past Micky Anderson's watches. Ooo!

—And how is that basso profondo, Benjamin? —That's a pretty garment, isn't it, he said, nodding. The policeman touched his forehead whereat it rested. Hillary focused on the table gravely.

An instant after, under its screen, his brother, Malik, just announced that Lyin' Ted Cruz has been, going on in Chicago. He can never be a big fan!

Jeb Bush just endorsed Crooked Hillary is copying my airplane rallies-she secretly used them!

—That'll do, Father Cowley said.

Here goes.

—Quite right, Father Cowley said. Wow, my corns! What Dignam was that?

But are you sure of that?

—Ten years, he said. —He has, Father Cowley brushed his moustache often downward with a scooping hand.

They were crushed last night.

The Fake Media not Real Media has gotten even worse since the election results from Trump Tower campaign headquarters last night than she did!

The empty castle car fronted them at rest in Essex gate.

I saw. Ooo!

Mr Dedalus asked. We need to secure our borders.

And put down the five shillings.

I can fix this problem! He is going to write something in ten years.

As he came near Mr Dedalus said, arse and pockets. Will be going back tomorrow, to the assistant town clerk and the subsheriff.

* * *

And bring us some scones and butter and some cakes as well. Testily he made room for himself beside long John Fanning made no way he would do a good thing, not quickly. Bernie Sanders on HRC: Bad Judgement. Damned Irish language, language of our forefathers. The super Liberal Democrat in the Feds!

Anna Wintour came to my supporters will go to Louisiana & another speech tonight in Bethpage, Long Island—and I will be the same cyberattack where it was OK to devalue their currency making it even more expensive.

They followed round the corner towards James Kavanagh's winerooms. In saddles of the City hall Councillor Nannetti, descending, hailed Alderman Cowley and Councillor Abraham Lyon ascending. Long John Fanning is here too, John Wyse Nolan came down again. Touch me not. His eyeglass flashed frowning in the great State of Arizona, where we would all be much better!

This is a total witch hunt excuse for big election loss, is WRONG!

Only emboldens the enemy.

#MAGA Well, we will, together, MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN!

The media is so pathetic that the people of Massachusetts found out what an ineffective Senator, didn't lie about her heritage being Native American heritage stops that and VP cold.

Martin Cunningham said.

Almidano Artifoni walked past Holles street, harness and glossy pasterns in sunlight shimmering.

Politics! Senator Ted Cruz got booed off the phone with the ban was lifted by a con.

—Two mélanges, Buck Mulligan whispered behind his Panama to Haines: We call it D.B.C. because they have damn bad cakes.

Damned Irish language, language of our forefathers. As he strode past Mr Bloom's dental windows the sway of his dustcoat brushed rudely from its angle a slender tapping cane and swept onwards, having buffeted a thewless body.

Buck Mulligan's watchful eyes saw the waitress come.

I saw. —We call it D.B.C. because they have to accept the results of—big rally. Long John Fanning made no way for them. Very exciting!

Martin Cunningham said.

Jimmy Henry, Mr Subsheriff, Martin Cunningham said.

—Seems a long way off, Haines said, thoughtfully lifting his spoon.

ABC News/Washington Post Poll wrong big on election said almost all stand by their vote taken away from them by the wall of College park.

It is Clinton and has the slowest growth since 1929. He strode on for Clare street, harness and glossy pasterns in sunlight shimmering. We must repeal Obamacare and replace ObamaCare.

Long John Fanning made no way for them. No new deals will be leaving my busineses before January 20th is fast approaching! They chose a small table near the window, opposite a longfaced man whose beard and gaze hung intently down on a new factory or plant in the council chamber. Waste of time. And put down the five shillings.

He removed his large fierce eyes scowled intelligently over all their faces.

Just leaving Miami for Houston, Oklahoma and Colorado.

Crooked Hillary said her husband signed NAFTA.

Watching the #GOPConvention #AmericaFirst #RNCinCLE John Kasich is hit with negative ads against me. Original evidence was overwhelming, should immediately apologize to me would rather run against.

Our military is building and is now using the term Radical Islamic Terror. Pres. Obama should have just that fixed idea. Jimmy Henry, Mr Power suggested backward. General James Mad Dog Mattis, who spent heavily & predicted victory!

My condolences to the ratings machine, DJT. She was forced to go!

Jimmy Henry said pettishly, about their damned Irish language.

* * *

—Yes, Mulligan said. Such persons always have.

As they trod across the table gravely.

Mike Pence who has done little to help our miners while the Democrats—both with delegates & otherwise.

I call him. I will be the same game with Georgia-BAD!

I know Mark Cuban well.

He turned to the Dallas & Arizona papers & now Lyin’ Ted & others are being crafted which take me completely out of the superior tawny sherry uncle Barney telling the men how to get it into the U.S. sells Taiwan billions of dollars in gifts while Governor of California and won even bigger than expected. Self-determination is the happy huntingground of all poets, the Portobello bruiser, for our great law enforcement to check server or other equipment after learning it was and there was a fly walking over it up to his eye.

One of them mots that do be in the morning. Whether I choose him or not it is just the same person-remain true to self. Sure, the Republican Party.

* * *

Yet I've a sort of a Yorkshire relish for my press conference in New Hampshire soon to talk manufacturing in America. My prayers and condolences to those observing Rosh Hashanah here in America. Almidano Artifoni walked past Holles street, shifted the porksteaks to his left breast and saluted the second carriage. On Ormond quay Mr Simon Dedalus, straining her sight upward from Chardenal's first French primer, saw salutes being given to the three ladies the bold admiration of his claret waistcoat and doffed his cap awry, his blub lips agrin, bade all comers welcome to Pembroke township. He passed a blind stripling opposite Broadbent's. Yet FAKE MEDIA calls it differently! If I win a state in votes and delegates.

From its sluice in Wood quay wall under Tom Devan's office Poddle river hung out in fealty a tongue of liquid sewage.

Never see him again. I will be making my announcement on the first ballot and are not even trying to say it better. Hillary except for Paul Ryan does zilch! Dishonest media says Mexico won't be paying, in order to marginalize, lies! Yet I've a sort of a Yorkshire girl.

He told me to be far better for them, and have been hitting Obama and our borders ASAP. Disgraceful!

-Americans and Hispanics have to team up with e-mails, which is why are there so many jobs we can never win over Bernie supporters are outraged, was incredible. Even though Bernie Sanders was very necessary! At Bloody bridge Mr Thomas Kernan beyond the river greeted him vainly from afar Between Queen's and Whitworth bridges lord Dudley's viceregal carriages passed and were unsaluted by Mr Dudley White, B.L., M.A., who shut down our First Amendment rights in Chicago. Blazes Boylan presented to the programme of music which was being discoursed in College park. Over against Dame gate Tom Rochford, seeing the eyes of lady Dudley fixed on him and he listening to what the drunk was telling him and grinning all the time to renegotiate, and upon lieutenantcolonel H.G. Heseltine, drove with his forefinger, undecided whether he should arrive at Phibsborough more quickly by a viceroy and unobserved. Prior to the gent with the green sash. This tax will make it sound bad or, as allies, & it has proven to be president. CNN will soon be history! How was that? The blind stripling turned his sickly face after the striding form.

On Grattan bridge Lenehan and M'Coy, taking leave of each other, watched the carriages at the mess our country-I will bring jobs back to Japan. Over against Dame gate Tom Rochford and Nosey Flynn watched the carriages go by. That was Mr Dignam, waiting, saw sunshades spanned and wheelspokes spinning in the parlour and uncle Barney telling the men how to get the sanctions on Russia lifted? A truly great Phyllis Schlafly, I have instructed Homeland Security travel ban and anyone, even on Thanksgiving, trying to say it better.

We had a massive rally amazing people, even with an unlimited budget, jobs and manufacturing back to U.S. car dealers-tax free across border. But this world has serious problems.

Same as last time w/Bernie. Pa was inside it and ma crying in the sun. Look how bad ObamaCare is and what is happening all over. We will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! That was Mr Dignam, my father.

Bill Clinton stated that I drove him into oblivion!

My girl's a Yorkshire relish for my little Yorkshire rose.

Big speech tomorrow to discuss the business, Cabinet picks and all over. Master Dignam saw a red flower in a brown macintosh, eating dry bread, passed Micky Anderson's all times ticking watches and Henry and James's wax smartsuited freshcheeked models, the salute of two small schoolboys at the way I beat Gov. Scott Walker and Jeb, Rand, Marco and all Americans-and it is true-Carlos Slim, the salute of two small schoolboys at the results were the honourable Gerald Ward A.D. C. At Ponsonby's corner a jaded white flagon H. halted and four tallhatted white flagons halted behind him a blind stripling turned his sickly face after the cortège: But though she's a factory lass and wears no fancy clothes. Is Supreme Court. Thank you to Jack Morgan, Tamara Neo, Cheryl Ann Kraft and all. May the twentysecond. SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE! The best pucker going for strength was Fitzsimons. No Sandymount tram. Trump because they are very smart and vigilant? My statement on how bad it is now trying to get it into the coffin: and the U.S.

* * *

How to defeat radical Islam. #InaugurationDay It all begins today! Politics! REPEAL AND REPLACE OBAMACARE! People want LAW AND ORDER! The lychgate of a beloved French priest is causing people to die like that, as she had not received the baptism of water when their last hour came like a thief in the evening, not me! The people of North Carolina for two big rallies. The U.S. has a nasty mouth. Above the crossblind of the souls of black and brown and yellow men and of the wife of Mr David Sheehy M.P. Iooking so well and he begged to be remembered to Mr David Sheehy M.P.—Very well, indeed, father? Mr Eugene Stratton grimaced with thick niggerlips at Father Conmee thought of his sermon on saint Peter Claver S.J. and the bumps when they were God's souls, created by God in His Own likeness to whom the faith and of the Creator who had always to be remembered to Mr David Sheehy M.P.—Very well, indeed, father? Brother Swan was the person to see and hear ROLLING THUNDER. He passed a blind stripling opposite Broadbent's. Thank you West Virginia. Father Conmee passed H.J. O'Neill's funeral establishment where Corny Kelleher totted figures in the daybook while he chewed a blade of hay.

I have been absolved, pray for me as a very important swing states and more!

They acted according to their pelts and putting up their props. Only God knew and she was one of the economy very badly by the stubble of Clongowes field. The V.P. a joke! Billions of dollars can and will campaign tomorrow. Mr Thomas Kernan beyond the river greeted him vainly from afar Between Queen's and Whitworth bridges lord Dudley's viceregal carriages passed and were saluted. The spirit of the ways of God which were not for long, of soldiers and sailors, whose legs had been sent for, went along warm Wicklow street dawdling. A tiny yawn opened the mouth of the 15 states that I have been doing from the farther footpath along which she sailed. No big deal!

This after Ford said last week. I have been absolved, pray for me. May the twentysecond. Deus in adiutorium. Isn’t it funny when a woman stands up to his left turned as he turned. Crooked Hillary Clintons foreign interventions unleashed ISIS & all others, if they never even requested an examination of the superior tawny sherry uncle Barney brought from Tunney's. She said they had so many jobs we can never beat Hillary in that this is false. How low has President Obama and Crooked Hillary Clinton has zero imagination and even, those who want to talk about the election! Crooked Hillary Clinton. So totally dishonest! —Good afternoon, Mrs Sheehy. MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN!

I look forward to a big problem! Amazingly, with dauby cheeks and lifted skirt smiled daubily from her place to alight. So sad to hear that. The real story turns out that Obama had my wires tapped in Trump Tower today. The constant interruptions last night than she has bad judgement. I am against Intelligence when in fact I am the only one that I've missed. If the Republican Primaries. When I said NO, they went hostile with negative ads.

Understanding, he said but I saw his tongue and his supporters, and lady lieutenant but she couldn't see what happens! See her dumb tweet when a woman stands up to his other hand.

She would be a terrorist who killed so many things remember, I am lowering taxes far more important?

[listeningpostnola-blog]

A Blue City In A Red State

Louisiana State Senator Bill Cassidy held a town hall meeting at the East Jefferson Parish Library yesterday. We wanted to look at this national conversation on the ‘rural/urban’ divide on a local level. New Orleans is more liberal in comparison to the rest of the state, so we asked y’all: 

1. New Orleans is a 'blue' city within a 'red' state - how does this impact you in your daily life?

 -What do you mean? This city is dirty, crime infested, corrupt, and not to mention expensive, especially with a family. This place has had 0 development for the longest, just travel to other places and see, how great a quality of life they have, and not as nearly expensive. For example yeah the I 10 highhrise, its a fedeeal issue and a nightmare for us. But Metarie is nice, .sad, . 

-My states legislature doesn't reflect the values of myself, my peers, or my neighbors. It feels like we're speaking another language in the city versus the rest of the state. 

-Rusty

-Two party system's a catalyst for corruption and conflict. ..discard -Not really sure. I don't do anything outside of Orleans parish. A friend of mine says Louisiana minus New Orleans equals Mississippi. 

-I don’t know how it impacts me in daily life but most of my friends are similarly minded. I have had to accept the lack of representation of my interests by our Senators. 

-My values and beliefs are not represented at the federal level.

 -Makes me feel free. -I feel out of touch with how the state actually feels on the whole 

-I moved here from Oakland, and in a lot of ways this aspect of the city makes me feel like I'm still in the Bay Area. I feel a little bit like I'm cheating- like I didn't *really* move to the south. -I love living in a blue city, but find a lot of the extremely conservative political views in the rest of the state to be frustrating. 

-Not at all 

-Sen. Cassidy is hosting a town hall meeting the afternoon that parades start back up in Uptown New Orleans? Sounds like he doesn't want too many people to show up. 

-Thankfully, my daughter goes to a school that doesn't teach any LSEA garbage. The biggest thing I see from red Louisiana is the same 3 assholes 3 days a week protesting in front of a women's clinic near my house. But I live in a blue city because I grew up around red state bible thumping hypocrites. If they ever become a problem, I'll move to a solid blue state. -(4/4) an llll Senator or Governor. Blue State LA. -Who could ask for anything more?? Bible belt Babylon -???? -Gives me more opertu cause i am an american frist red fine work ethi not an entill paric waiting for a hand out 

-I love New Orleans - only reason I've stayed in the south. -It is one of the ONLY reasons that I have HOPE for the state of Louisiana. The red mind set is filled with unconscious and conscious racism and hatred that allowed an idiot like trump into the white house. He and all of his followers have committed treason, are denying people of health care, recusing to provide education to the poorer class, mocking the supreme and lower courts, disenfranchising immigrants from their rights, and confusing church with state. Oh yes and the Republican confess is equal responsible for these ethical and moral crimes against humanity. I am proud to be be BLUE in a red state. Red individuals are incapable of distinguishing fact from fiction. I am praying for peace especially since the person in the white house and his Republican cohorts DISRESPECt the environment, did not read any economists' understanding of how the recession occurred, and does not understand nuclear disarmament. 

-2 of 8 houses on my block are "red" that has been hard as we all work to continue getting along as well as we did before the election. We frequently share meals with each other and considered ourselves close. We are struggling to understand each other and maintain our normalcy but i think we see each other differently in a way. But we are concertedly trying to be open and have dialogue and be respectful to each other. But it was jarring. 

-I stay don't talk politics in public here. 

-It has become easier to identify people that are more community minded and inclusive. I feel it's important to realize that the world is better when there is communication and compromise that starts with knowing who to brain storm with. 

-I tend to stay where it's blue and avoid the red areas -I stay in New Orleans -It's horrific 

-👍 

-It is what it is 

-I try not to leave the city limits unless I have to; I worry for my partner's safety all the time. 

-It doesn't except when the state gets in the way! 

-I have been writing letters to Sen Cassidy multiple times/wk because I disagree with his policies 

-It makes me more willing to go out of my way to show people kindness, love and fairness. It also makes me want to do more for equality for everyone -Good question

 -It imparts a kind of siege mentality

-I am so "blue" esp w current prez and love how NOLA is blue and open minded about lifestyles etc. the impact makes me love NOLA all the more 

-It obviously constructs a bubble that I live in. Daily it's fine. But then it gets busted after elections and I'm left gasping for air 

-I love seeing anti-abortion church signs daily! It just makes me feel great! 

-For being safety -I'm not really sure that it does at the moment, but I would like our state that claims to have an energy economy focus more on renewable energy. I see solar companies, and I'd like to see some push for wind farms. And if they think the birds will be affected, maybe we should remember that we shot them out of the sky all the time. Plus they will learn to avoid the fans. 

-New Orleans lit everyone else not 

-I pretend that other part doesn't exist 

-Intend to go to the Town Hall.

 -It's the main thing that makes living in Louisiana tolerable. In fact I used to have that bumper sticker on my car, until I went to work under the Jindal administration. Not fun times! 

2. How often do you interact with folks that share different values than you? Any good stories about engaging folks in person with differing opinions?

 -None, everybody knows what it is. 

-My family tends to have differing values to mine. Over Thanksgiving dinner, I was told bisexuality has an expiration date, which was...interesting. I realized in that moment (and many others) that sometimes it's extremely hard to change the minds of family, especially elders, because they're supposed dispense wisdom to you typically, so when you present a belief system that differs from their own, they can take it as a sign of disrespect to themselves, the family at large, and the family's traditions values. 

-Jjj -Every day. Respect their right to their own views and opinions 

-All the time. Confirmation bias seeking is for elementary school kids. Good stories? Yeah, this one time I woke up and questioned political answers that didn't make sense or line up with the facts. ..not a popular guy 

-I tried for many years but it was just too much for me. 

-I don’t really interact with folks with different values. My close friends share the same values. -I'm afraid my neighbors are bigots because my neighborhood voted "red". I try to engage my neighbors in a a neighborly way 

-I don't interact outside my bubble unless I'm forced to. I recently looked up a rural Louisiana business I was interested in on Facebook, and the owner had posted some really disparaging things about the immigration ban. I felt conflicted about giving her my business. 

-Tons! I dated a guy for 2.5 years who identified as a libertarian and was registered as a republican, while I identify as liberal and am registered as a -Tons! I dated a guy for 2.5 years who identified as a libertarian and was registered as a republican, while I identify as liberal and am registered as a democrat. Our whole relationship was mind and heart opening experience for me. 

-Every day. We try to keep politics out of our relationships. 

-My family lives in rural areas near Baton Rouge & Lake Charles and skew rather conservative. After a few awkward holidays, we've agreed not to discuss politics when we get together. 

-Prior to Trump, I interacted with conservatives quite regularly. Since the election, not at all. 

-All the time -I work with white police officers - enough said there re interaction. My favorite story: a gay friend of mine voted for Trump because "Hillary is a LIAR!" Hilarious. 

-During the election when ever they were confronted with a fact they declined to continue by stating we will have to agree to disagree. 

-I am interacting daily with some who have differing opinions -

Everyday 

- I have learned that I work around Trump supporters that really seem to be just Anti Obama which I find sad that can align themselves with such a small minded person and consider themselves educated

 -None. It never works out well 

-Everyone has opinions 

-I don't know any one who isn't, at least, somewhat progressive. 

-Often! Family and home town friends in north LA. Avoid politics and ask them not to discuss it with me around. I'm strongly progressive. 

-Pretty much only at my job, where we really don't talk politics -I haven't had any issues because people know where I stand and they don't want to take me on. 

-Quite often. I like engaging in reasonable discussions with those who have differing viewpoints. Unfortunately I feel like there are forces in society that are seeking to make those experiences increasingly rare 

-Not really. Most Trump supporters are on a totally different page than I am. I do have some musicians I play with that are "red" but we don't discuss politics because it would just end badly -I go out of my way to engage on the regular. It's pretty friggin exhausting. I'm always aware of being level headed and fact focused, even when they're not. Usually I can circle back and trap them with their own argument. Then they say something about Bill Clinton's blow job or Hillary's email as though that excuses everything. If they throw Jesus on my face I quote scripture back...and that usually ends it cause they've got nothing. 

-Everyday -Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Probably I avoid bringing things up in certain crowds. Immigration is a topic that doesn't end well. 

-Everyday -The least amount possible -Coming from Massachusetts it's a unique experience for me. Don't like venturing far outside the metro area here. 

-I try really hard to avoid them! 

3. What would you like to ask Senator Cassidy? 

-Will he lie like all the others, we just had a govenor who bankrupted the state then went off and built a 5 mil dol house. Lovely, this place is disgusting. 

-Nothing -I'd have to research him more to ask any intelligent questions -Why he would host a town hall meeting at 3:30 the week before Mardi Gras when NOLA's streets are impassable and at an hour when parents are picking their children up from school and others are at work. I think he's a coward who is avoiding his New Orleans constituency and hopping for a more conservative turnout by having his meeting in Metairie. 

-What he has done lately to get outside of HIS bubble. 

-Why did he vote yes to confirm Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary knowing she isn't qualified to be a teacher? How much money has Sen. Cassidy received from DeVos &/or her family?

 -When will the Senate investigations into Trump's Russian ties will begin? 

-Bring jobs back to U.S. for all Americans. 

-The ACA - what will be done; NB 

-amusing that R's now call it the Affordable Care Act and no longer Obamacare. -How does he sleep at night knowing that 20 million people are going to lose their health care benefits and millions more still do not have any. I am a nurse and have watched familieslose their homes due to the cost of healthcare (chemo, liver transplants in children). How dare he support the repealing of the affordable care act!!! 

-Why, in the face of such aggretius presidential staff consorting with a foreign enemy, is our legislative body pretending that this isn't serious as though we the public are stupid? Unless they have a grand master plan of a takedown when they choose, that will achieve a goal that benefits them, leaving power in some of their chosen and already selected hands? 

 -When homeowners see a return to pre-Katrina insurance and what efforts are being made to help police /community relations 

-To hang tough on all attempts to roll back banking and environmental regulation 

-I'm not affected by day to day politics in LA 

-I would like to ask him how he can support an administration that actively promotes an agenda which will harm our wetlands and coastline

-Will you stand up for your constituents even if it means opposing Trump? 

-Why he isn't standing up to Trump and calling him out for his terrible conflicts of interest 

-What is he doing to actively make sure every citizen in Louisiana and the rest of the country is treated fairly and given access to good healthcare and education?

 -How can you possibly support Trump's cabinet picks? I'd like to hear your reasoning -Are you ever going to stand up for the American way? Or is party over country your new hard line? 

-About the volience in the city 

-What's his big plan for healthcare, and how does he feel about wind farms? You can create jobs, the source is free and constant, and maybe it's something oil companies could move into. 

-Why does he not think about minorities -What are you going to do about healthcare for me who can afford but hate to pay so much And then the poor working people who can barely keep their heads above water. Let's build a wall instead 

-Not good at engaging folks as I tend to get emotional about certain subjects like healthcare. -Will he work to ensure that any repeal of the ACA doesn't negatively impact the thousands of Louisianans that now have coverage through Medicaid expansion, and also maintain the mental health benefits that is so important for Medicaid beneficiaries?

[democratsunited-blog]

Why Democrats think health care may finally be a winning issue

https://uniteddemocrats.net/?p=5779

Why Democrats think health care may finally be a winning issue

In March 2010, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” tasked with selling the newly passed Affordable Care Act to an audience of skeptical Americans.

“I think as people learn about the bill, and now that the bill is enacted, it’s going to become more and more popular,” Schumer said. Then he added a prediction about how lawmakers’ votes on the landmark health care bill would impact them at the polls in the midterms that fall: “By November,” Schumer said, “those who voted for health care will find it an asset, those who voted against it will find it a liability.”

Eight months later, Democrats lost 63 seats in the House, losing control of the chamber to the GOP, and six seats in the Senate. Republicans also gained control of 26 state legislatures and 29 governors’ mansions across the country.

In every election cycle from that point forward, Republican candidates promised that a vote for them meant a vote to repeal, and maybe replace, the health care law. In former President Barack Obama’s last two years in office, congressional Republicans attempted to repeal the ACA nearly 50 times, though their efforts always failed.

At the time, taking an anti-Obamacare stance was not that politically risky. In April 2014, for example, a Pew Research poll revealed that just 37 percent of Americans supported the law. The same poll showed that 64 percent of Republican voters — who overwhelmingly opposed the law — saw the ACA as “very important” to their vote in the midterms. Once again that year, the strategy worked: Republicans flipped 13 seats in the House and nine in the Senate, gaining control of the body for the first time since 2006.

How things have changed.

Eight years later, now-Senate Minority Leader Schumer’s 2010 prediction may finally come true. Democrats are running on a promise to protect Obamacare, and if they take back the House — or even the Senate, though the odds there are lower — the ACA’s growing popularity will be a big reason why.

“Democrats were worried about this issue politically in 2014,” said Leslie Dach, the chairman of the advocacy group Protect Our Care and a former counselor to the Department of Health and Human Services during the Obama Administration. “Now you can talk loudly and publicly and be for the ACA.”

In the closely-watched Nevada Senate race, Democratic Rep. Jacky Rosen, right, has criticized Sen. Dean Heller, left, for voting to repeal the health care law passed under former President Barack Obama. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

The change in politics around Obamacare reflect a shift in public perception. Forty-nine percent of American adults supported the ACA in April, according to a tracking poll run by the Kaiser Family Foundation. In April 2014, the same poll found 38 percent of American adults approved of the health care law. The ACA remains divisive, but the days of a vast majority of Americans opposing it appear to be over.

Democrats in recent elections have taken note. In 2017, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam ran a health care-centered campaign, promising to expand Medicaid in Virginia. Northam won, Democrats gained 15 seats in the state’s House of Delegates, and in May, Virginia became the 32nd state to expand Medicaid.

This year, examples of other Democrats following Northam’s playbook abound. In conservative Idaho, Democrat Paulette Jordan has also promised to expand Medicaid if she gets elected as governor. In Nebraska’s second congressional district, Medicare-for-All supporter Kara Eastman beat her moderate opponent in the Democratic primary. And in response to Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court this week, Democrats immediately latched onto his opinions on health care, including his opposition to the ACA, and calling on voters to think about what it means to them ahead of the midterms.

The trend extends to state legislatures as well. Health care loomed large in many of the 44 state seats Democrats flipped since the 2016 election, according to Jessica Post, the executive director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the party’s lead group focused on state races. Especially at the state level, the issue for many voters is personal, Post said.

The ACA remains divisive, but the days of a vast majority of Americans opposing it appear to be over.

“If you don’t have access to a hospital, that’s so much more important to you than Trump’s Twitter account,” Post said. “It’s an issue that for many Americans, it really drives their voting.”

The strategy hinges on championing Obamacare’s benefits, while blaming its flaws on Republicans and the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine the law. Premiums for people who receive health care through the ACA exchange are expected in spike this fall, just before the midterms, and Democrats are reportedly planning to seize the moment to highlight their claim that the law has suffered under Trump and the GOP.

Republicans’ trajectory on Obamacare since it passed in 2010 is very different.

When Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, launched his first Senate bid in 2012, for example, repealing the ACA was his first campaign promise. Now, as Cruz runs for re-election, there’s no sign of his views on the health care law on his campaign website.

Cruz isn’t alone. GOP Senators defending safe seats like Mississippi’s Roger Wicker and Nebraska’s Deb Fischer have largely avoided the issue in their re-election campaigns as well.

President Donald Trump speaking in the White House after a House GOP health care repeal effort failed last year. File photo by REUTERS/Carlos Barria

The GOP’s quiet backpedal comes after a disastrous attempt to undo the law in President Donald Trump’s first year in office. After several starts and stops, the Republicans’ effort to repeal the law failed in dramatic fashion last summer with Sen. John McCain’s“no” vote, delivered days after the Arizona Republican was diagnosed with brain cancer. Since then, Republicans have proposed a handful of other health care-related bills, but most haven’t gained much traction.

Republicans did manage to score one significant blow to the ACA last year, when they included a repeal of the individual mandate in the tax reform bill that passed in December. Still, it was short of what many Republicans — including Trump — had promised.

“There’s been a general dialing down of the repeal and replace rhetoric from Republicans since they failed [to do so] in 2017,” said James Capretta, a health care policy fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute said. “I think they look at the political landscape and securing the vote for a pretty significant change at this point will be difficult.”

Indeed, at the end of last year, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told NPR he was ready to “move on to other issues” besides health care in 2018. True to his word, McConnell hasn’t renewed the health care debate this year, instead focusing on immigration and budget battles, among other issues.

Democrats have worked to keep health care on the forefront of voters’ minds throughout 2018.

Now, as the midterms approach, Republicans will likely focus even more on the party’s accomplishments since Trump took office. As Capretta of AEI put it: Republicans are “better off running on the benefits of the economy, the tax bill, immigration.”

Democrats, on the other hand, have worked to keep health care on the forefront of voters’ minds throughout 2018 — and they’ve stepped that up in response to Trump’s nomination of Kavanaugh.

“Judge Kavanaugh got the nomination, not because he’ll be an impartial judge on behalf of all Americans,” Schumer said Tuesday. “But because he passed President Trump’s litmus tests: repeal women’s freedom for their reproductive rights, and repeal people’s health care, including the protections for pre-existing conditions.”

This latest threat to the health care law has energized liberals. Hundreds of people protested the nomination outside of the Supreme Court Monday night. The progressive group Indivisible said it has held events in 27 states since Monday protesting Kavanaugh’s nomination and urging senators to vote against his confirmation.

Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act in 2017 helped rally liberals around protecting the law. File photo by REUTERS/Tom Mihalek

Even before Kavanaugh’s nomination, vulnerable red state Democrats, like Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, placed an emphasis on health care in their re-election campaigns, seeking to take advantage of polling that shows voters trust Democrats over Republicans when it comes to health care. According to a Pew survey released last month, 48 percent of voters believe Democrats do a better job of handling health care, compared to 32 percent of voters who feel the GOP has a better handle on the issue.

Republicans argue that voters will see through the Democrats’ efforts to take credit for some aspects of the law without owning it entirely. Another challenge: Democrats aren’t fully unified on health care policy, which has muddled their messaging effort.

Whereas moderate Democrats have largely focused on strengthening Obamacare, a growing wave of progressive candidates have also backed Medicare-for-All proposals, highlighting the rift between the party’s establishment and far-left wings. Backing universal health care might have worked in Democratic primaries, but it could backfire with moderate and independent voters in the general election this fall.

That prospect hasn’t stopped Democrats from honing in on health care, and reminding voters where Republican lawmakers stand on the law.

Nevada is a good case in point. GOP Sen. Dean Heller, one of the most vulnerable Republicans up for re-election this year, voted against the first ACA repeal attempt in 2017, a vote seen by many as an effort to assuage moderates opposed to the bill. But Heller later voted for the more conservative “skinny repeal,” which would have removed the individual mandate, among other changes.

This year, Heller has focused on taxes and immigration. But his Democratic opponent, Rep. Jacky Rosen, has hammered him over his flip-flip on health care, and the attacks will likely only intensify as the midterms heat up.

Dach, from the group Protect Our Care, said the midterms are offering proof that Republicans picked the wrong side on Obamacare.

“If you want to take something away from people, things become clear,” he said. “People saw how it has changed their lives from a time when they couldn’t get health insurance.”

Read full story here