Wednesday, June 14, 2017

They Blow Up Everything


While everyone is talking about James Comey and Jeff Sessions, the Republicans are working hard, under the cover of night. Dana Milbank writes:

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) invokedRule XIV,” a procedure that allows legislation to skip committees and go directly to the floor. McConnell is hoping to rush the health-care bill to a vote before the July 4 recess, and GOP senators working on the Senate legislation aren’t even sharing the specifics with their Republican colleagues.

The news outlet Axios this week reported that Senate Republicans don’t plan to divulge the details of their legislation publicly. “We aren’t stupid,” one senior GOP aide told Axios. No, they aren’t. And their subterfuge is working. Unnoticed by most, Senate Republicans believe they have cobbled together the 50 votes necessary to repeal Obamacare.

And besides killing healthcare, they're killing the financial reforms which were made after the Meltdown of 2008:

On the very day that Comey testified before the Senate, the House passed legislation largely repealing the Dodd-Frank financial reforms implemented after the 2008 crash. The bill would, among other things, remove the requirement that retirement advisers put their customers’ interests before their own. The House on Tuesday afternoon took up another controversial matter under cover of the Sessions distraction: As the attorney general testified in the Senate, the House voted along party lines to require a Social Security number for people to get Obamacare benefits. It is meant to block illegal immigrants from accessing health-care benefits. Opponents say it would also deny medical care for many newborn babies who are citizens.

Like their president, the Republicans -- all claims to the contrary -- are not master builders. Instead, they are on a seek and destroy mission. They will blow up everything they can get their hands on.

Image: newdelhitimes.com

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Feels like Harper did the same thing for the last decade - destroy programs that benefit the general populace, while cutting taxes for the rich.

Cap

John B. said...

Clever girls: putting Trump's distracting sideshow to the only use it's good for. Later they'll convince him that whatever success the demolition achieves is attributable to his strategic genius. Maybe that's what Monday's suck-fest was all about. Wouldn't want him to become discouraged now that he's become so useful.

Anonymous said...

Yup.

Owen? I've never said this out loud before, but- I'm afraid for us.

Owen Gray said...

I don't think you're alone, lovingit.

Owen Gray said...

The Republicans understand that they have to occasionally give him a pat on the head, John.

Owen Gray said...

The faces change, Cap, but the program is the same.

Anonymous said...

Harper. Harris. Eves. I voted for the 1st time- in '78.

I have been under CON DOMINION for most of my entire adult life.

I will fight them to the death. They've pretty much killed the weakest

among us. Or imprisoned us. Most of 'us poors' don't have the strength

to take them, due to poor diets. Substance and dysfunction health issues.

A few of us left, though- are getting stronger every day...

Owen Gray said...

Resistance if growing, lovingit. But these folks are deeply entrenched. Taking them on will not be easy.

Anonymous said...

Nothing worthwhile is, right, Owen?
I was made for the tough fight. We, joined together in common cause?
Are unstoppable. It's guaranteed.
If only we could all be on the same page (or wave-length...)and stay in agreement
with the elementary facts instead of rehashing the same ol' same ol' and
whining and boohooin' waiting for some mysterious 'third way'...well,
that would be a huge jump forward (instead of being bogged down by
trolls, losers, and those with common, learned stupidity).

Pride & Greed. They're not called- The Seven Deadly 'cause they're benign.

Owen Gray said...

Unfortunately, lovingit, they've been around for a long time. I don't expect them to disappear anytime soon.

The Mound of Sound said...


What do they imagine is going to be left in their wake? Their people are on a low boil already, angry enough to throw millions of votes at the feet of an utter charlatan. Their society is as divided as any time since the Civil War.

I don't see how this ends without upheaval and large scale violence. Chaos is not an operating system or it wasn't until recently.

Owen Gray said...

They're stoking the fires of revolution, Mound. And they don't seem to understand or care about the consequences of their actions.

Dana said...

I response to this piece at Talking Points Memo http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/guns-and-political-killing

I sent this email to Josh Marshall

There are forms of political violence not involving either guns or knives that are significantly more common, widespread, destructive and insidious. These forms are also more organized and they are paid for by some of the wealthiest people in your country.

Once upon a time, long ago, this kind of political violence was perpetrated upon the people by kings and emperors. Eventually the people rose up against the kings and emperors and much blood was spilled.

It will not be very different this time.

For all we can know right now James Hodgkinson might be noted in history as the first shot fired in the new American revolution of 2017.

That’s where your country is headed that’s for damn sure.

Owen Gray said...

The pot is heating up, Dana. And the attempt to put a lid on it will eventually lead to an explosion. This isn't rocket science.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the context, in that article, Dana.

I had not heard the news, 'til I turned on my Cable News Network- this evening.

The first shots were fired at us eons ago and've only gotten worse.

Remember the peace-making Israeli politician? Assassinated by a fellow country-man.