The US Congress; Congressional races

[Crafty_Dog]

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS CONGRESS
February 15, 2017



Let's compare what President Trump has accomplished since the inauguration (with that enormous crowd!) with what congressional Republicans have done.

In the past three weeks, Trump has: staffed the White House, sent a dozen Cabinet nominees to the Senate, browbeat Boeing into cutting its price on a government contract, harangued American CEOs into keeping their plants in the United States, imposed a terrorist travel ban, met with foreign leaders and nominated a Supreme Court justice, among many other things.

(And still our hero finds time to torment the media with his tweets!)

What have congressional Republicans been doing? Scrapbooking?

More than 90 percent of congressional Republicans kept their jobs after the 2016 election, so you can cross "staffing an entire branch of government" off the list. Only the Senate confirms nominees, which they've been doing at a snail's pace, so they've got loads of free time -- and the House has no excuse at all.

Where's the Obamacare repeal? Where are the hearings featuring middle-class Americans with no health insurance because it was made illegal by Obamacare?

The House passed six Obamacare repeals when Obama was president and there was no chance of them being signed into law. Back then, Republicans were full of vim and vigor! But the moment Trump became president, the repeals came to a screeching halt.

After the inauguration (gigantic!), House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell put out a plan for repealing Obamacare ... in 200 days. They actually gave their legislative agenda this inspiring title: "The Two Hundred Day Plan.”

TWO HUNDRED DAYS!

What was in the last six Obamacare repeals? If we looked, would we find "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" carefully typed out 1 million times? Seriously, what does Paul Ryan's day look like?

This is the Silence of the Lambs Congress. They're utterly silent, emerging from the House gym or their three-hour lunches only to scream to the press about Trump.




To the delight of the media, these frightened little lambs are appalled by nearly everything Trump does. They've been especially throaty about Trump's temporary travel ban from seven terrorist nations -- as designated by the Obama administration (and by everybody else who hasn't been in a deep freeze in a Finnish crevasse for the past decade).

Just like the six Obamacare repeals, a refugee ban was already written and passed by one house of Congress. Then suddenly: the Silence of the Lambs. McConnell and Ryan are hiding under their desks, as Trump is being attacked from every side.

Way, way back, 15 long months ago, congressional Republicans didn't have a problem with a total ban on Syrian and Iraqi refugees. Not for a mere three months like Trump's order -- but permanently, unless the director of the FBI, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and the director of national intelligence personally certified that a particular refugee posed no danger to the U.S.

That bill passed the House with an overwhelming, veto-proof majority, including 47 Democrats. Then it went to the Senate to die.

But when President Trump imposed a comparatively mild three-month ban on immigrants from Syria, Iraq and five other terrorist nations, the same Republicans who had voted for a limitless ban on refugees whiled away their days calling reporters to denounce Trump.

A little more than a year ago, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, bragged in a press release that he had introduced the House's refugee ban, calling it a bill that would "protect Americans from ISIS.”

But when it came to Trump's three-month pause, McCaul told the Post that Trump's order "went too far.”

I guess that ISIS problem just sort of faded away. (Or maybe we should check with Mrs. McCaul, inasmuch as it's her family money that makes Rep. McCaul one of the richest members of Congress.)

Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa., who voted for the House's permanent refugee ban, demanded that Trump immediately rescind his travel ban, babbling on about the "many, many nuances of immigration policy" -- which he must have learned about on one of his congressional jaunts to a Las Vegas casino.

Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., said that Trump's order "overreaches and undermines our constitutional system." Evidently, he was suddenly struck by the realization that it's "not lawful to ban immigrants on the basis of nationality," despite having voted to ban refugees on the basis of nationality just 15 months earlier. (I'm OK with this, provided the Syrians, Somalis and Yemenis are sent to live on Justin's street after being told about his support for gay marriage.)

Sens. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Ben Sasse, R-Neb., both rushed to The Washington Post with this refreshingly original point: NOT ALL MUSLIMS ARE TERRORISTS! Why, thank you, senators! Where would the GOP be without you?

The Post also quoted spokesmen -- spokesmen! -- for Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, Rob Portman of Ohio and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina complaining about not having been briefed on Trump's order. The senators themselves were far too busy to talk to the press because they were -- wait, what were they doing again? Words With Friends? Decoupage?

Since the election, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., has been mostly occupied polishing his anti-Trump quotations to get a pat on the head from an admiring media. He complained about Trump's order, saying it was "poorly implemented" and that he had to find out about it from reporters. (I wonder why.)

This is the moment we've been waiting for our entire lives, but Republicans in Congress refuse to do the people's will. Their sole, driving obsession is to see Trump fail.

I am not presently calling for these useless, narcissistic, Trump-bashing Republicans to be defeated in their re-election bids, but they're on my Watch List. To be cleared, they can start by getting off the phone with The Washington Post and passing one of those six Obamacare repeal bills.

COPYRIGHT 2017 ANN COULTER

[DDF]

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS CONGRESS
February 15, 2017

[...]



Where's the Obamacare repeal? Where are the hearings featuring middle-class Americans with no health insurance because it was made illegal by Obamacare?


[...]

To be fair... the IRS is now processing tax returns where the filer hasn't indicated whether they hold the required insurance, but even that was Trump's doing through an executive order.

[Crafty_Dog]

Haven't watched this one yet.

http://dailysignal.com/2017/02/22/watch-how-one-congressman-handles-a-rowdy-town-hall-meeting/?utm_source=TDS_Email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Top5&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTmpBd1l6RmhOV1V5TURoayIsInQiOiJhT2FpNE44ajRjSHUwV3dxSEIzMEhTeFliMTVvbVNRVGtxS3J5RUF5WVVFUXptN0hZNnM0RGQ4SUpnakpJb2JZREw4c3phNXVkRTh2alAwa09nRW1IWWk0eW56ZkViN1gxcU9icUZSTFpSaDUyQ1UzMEprOUlaOEowMnlUNWR5eSJ9

[Crafty_Dog]

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/321477-speaker-ryan-faces-crucial-stretch

[ccp]

Look at the Democrat majorities in the Houses during the 1930's.  up to 75 Democrat Senators and well over 300 Congressional seats.  No wonder Roosevelt got what ever he wanted.  After 1933 he had huge majorities on his side:

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0774721.html

[DougMacG]

The only way this ends well for Democrats is if they admit but it is good for America to confirm a Justice who promises to do his best to uphold the rule of law and the Constitution.

If they get 100% of Republicans, plus these two plus Pence, that makes 55 with more coming.

George Will says let them filibuster - talk endlessly until they are ready to vote.

These two of course are red-state Democrats up for re-election.  Their Democratic colleagues understand what they need to do.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/neil-gorsuch-joe-manchin-heidi-heitkamp-democrats-scotus-236718

[Crafty_Dog]

House Republicans immolated themselves over health care last week, and now Democrats are hoping the Senate GOP will perform its own kamikaze turn over Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. If Republicans blink and tolerate Democratic filibusters of High Court nominees, they should hand over their majority to the Democrats now.

Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s strategy is transparent: Stage-manage an unprecedented filibuster against Judge Gorsuch, and then portray Republicans as radicals if they change Senate rules to break it. The gambit is to coax at least three of the 52 GOP Senators to cut a deal with Democrats that hands the minority political leverage over President Trump’s judicial nominees.

Mr. Schumer and other Democrats are trying to lure those Republicans into a deal by preaching a false institutionalism that claims to be acting for the good of the Senate. They want to scare the GOP into believing that breaking a filibuster would somehow break the Senate as a deliberative body that requires 60 votes and bipartisan consensus to act.

But the real radical act is a Supreme Court filibuster. Mr. Schumer wants to use the filibuster to defeat Judge Gorsuch outright, or negotiate a deal that gives the judge a confirmation pass of 60 votes in return for a guarantee that GOP Senators won’t break a filibuster on future nominees during the Trump Presidency.

Either result would do great harm to the Senate’s advice and consent role under the Constitution, tilt the Supreme Court to the left, reward the most partisan voices in the Senate on the left and right, further inflame grassroots conservative outrage against political elites, and deal a grievous wound to the Republican Party. Other than that, a great day at the office.

Start with the fact that there has never been a partisan filibuster of a Supreme Court nominee. The elevation of Justice Abe Fortas to become Chief Justice in 1968 failed amid bipartisan opposition due to his policy collaboration with the White House while he was a Justice.

The one cloture vote to end debate on that nomination failed 45-43, well short of the 67 votes required at the time. Nineteen Democrats and 24 Republicans voted against cloture in what was the last year of Lyndon Johnson’s Presidency, and Fortas asked LBJ to withdraw his nomination.

Filibusters were mooted against William Rehnquist and Samuel Alito but never materialized. A cloture vote against Rehnquist failed in 1971, 52-42, but he was later confirmed 68-26. Justice Alito easily won a cloture vote and was confirmed 58-42. Republicans never even attempted to filibuster the four Bill Clinton or Barack Obama nominees who were confirmed. (Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell opposed consideration of any nominee to replace Antonin Scalia before the 2016 election before Mr. Obama nominated Merrick Garland. )

The real break from this tradition began in 2001-2002 when Democrats decided to filibuster George W. Bush’s appellate-court nominees, and this example is politically instructive. After the GOP retook the Senate, a rump group of Republicans and Democrats struck the Gang of 14 deal that agreed to confirm nominees except in “exceptional circumstances.”

But Democrats ended that deal when they regained power. In 2013 they unilaterally rewrote Senate rules to break the filibuster for appellate nominees so Mr. Obama could pack the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Democrats would surely do the same for the Supreme Court the next time they control the White House and Senate, as Senator Tim Kaine explicitly promised to do if Hillary Clinton won the election.

A deal now with Democrats would create a double standard in which GOP nominees are subject to a 60-vote standard but future Democratic nominees aren’t. It would also deny other Senators their constitutional right to offer advice and consent by casting a vote on nominees. A filibuster essentially blocks a vote to confirm, though a nominee like Judge Gorsuch would receive more than 50 votes. He could be denied a seat on the Court on purely procedural grounds, something that has never happened.

If Judge Gorsuch is confirmed, the next opening could come as early as the end of the current Supreme Court term in June and could determine its direction for years. If Democrats know they can block any nominee with a filibuster, they can dictate that no one on Donald Trump’s campaign list of 21 potential nominees can be confirmed.

Democrats could guarantee that no one to the right of Justice Stephen Breyer can be confirmed. This would reward the furthest left Senators for their total resistance, which would in turn empower the most recalcitrant voices in the GOP caucus. Far from empowering moderates, a filibuster deal would reward the likes of Elizabeth Warren and Rand Paul.

This would betray the voters who elected Donald Trump and a GOP Senate in 2016. The Supreme Court wasn’t some political afterthought last year. It was central to the campaign and crucial in motivating millions of Americans to go to the polls. If you think GOP voters are angry now, imagine what they’ll be like if Republicans let Democrats block conservative judges. This would be Senate Republican suicide.

After the health-care fiasco, Republicans need to show Americans they can follow through on their governing promises. If the GOP doesn’t want to squander its Senate majority, it will stay united and confirm Neil Gorsuch, even if it means breaking an unprecedented Senate filibuster.

Appeared in the Mar. 31, 2017, print edition.

[DougMacG]

Advise and consent.  That's not nuclear, it's constitutional.  And it makes the next confirmation easier.

[DougMacG]

No one really likes Mitch McConnell (or any other congressional leader) but as mentioned earlier, he deserves extraordinary credit for this turn of events that followed Scalia's sudden, election year death.

He took and used his opponents' words against them, the Biden rule, and Reid and Schumer, and held firm in a situation where elected Republicans normally fold.

Accused of Republicans stealing back this seat, in truth he boldly put the appointment and confirmation directly in the hands of the American people exactly as envisioned by the Founders.

Republicans stuck together and Democrats did not. Red-state Democrats up for reelection fled  their party's leadership like rats from a sinking ship.  Televised hearings exposed the fiction that this man is outside of any reasonable mainstream of judicial thought .  Regarding the ill-advised filibuster, Democrats, for the moment, earned the label of 'the stupid party'.

[G M]

No one really likes Mitch McConnell (or any other congressional leader) but as mentioned earlier, he deserves extraordinary credit for this turn of events that followed Scalia's sudden, election year death.

He took and used his opponents' words against them, the Biden rule, and Reid and Schumer, and held firm in a situation where elected Republicans normally fold.

Accused of Republicans stealing back this seat, in truth he boldly put the appointment and confirmation directly in the hands of the American people exactly as envisioned by the Founders.

Republicans stuck together and Democrats did not. Red-state Democrats up for reelection fled  their party's leadership like rats from a sinking ship.  Televised hearings exposed the fiction that this man is outside of any reasonable mainstream of judicial thought .  Regarding the ill-advised filibuster, Democrats, for the moment, earned the label of 'the stupid party'.

I was very happy to see the turtle demonstrate he had a spine inside his shell.

[ccp]

For their health care:
http://www.newsmax.com/JohnGizzi/Rep-DeSantis-Healthcare-Subsidies-Obamacare/2017/04/10/id/783521/

[Crafty_Dog]

https://www.defendnunes.com/chipin/now/a?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=dark&utm_campaign=chip&utm_term=lead&utm_content=standten

[ccp]

I don't understand with such a significant majority in Congress why they cave to Democrats AGAIN:

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/deal-avert-government-shutdown-apos-192342391.html

[ccp]

This is 2 yrs old and rather endless but worth a glancing over.  Every time I see her on cable I ask myself why in heavens name is this woman so powerful.  She sounds like a blabbering fool with nothing but leftist brainwashed propaganda.  She has like Trump a demon like energy level apparently. What she lacks in articulateness and sophistication she appears to make up with wild like enthusiasm to push the liberal agenda no matter what the facts or situations are.  Apparently enough in her party find that of enough value to keep her as their "leader".   Her book sold about one copy.  Whenever she speaks on any show no one , not even the libs , seem to give her credit for saying anything cerebral.  Whenever she speaks it is followed with other muted silence or someone moving on to something else.  Nothing she ever says seems worth discussing further.  So how does a woman who seems like a mindless troll spewing liberal dogma be leader of her party in the House of Representatives ?  Maybe this helps:

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/the-staying-power-of-nancy-pelosi/440022/

[DougMacG]

Has anyone heard whether or not the Senate has passed Healthcare reform today?  Has either chamber has passed tax reform yet?

We are supposed to care which party name has majorities in Congress governing us with Democrat tax, spend and over-regulate us policies.

This is not rocket science.

[G M]

Has anyone heard whether or not the Senate has passed Healthcare reform today?  Has either chamber has passed tax reform yet?

We are supposed to care which party name has majorities in Congress governing us with Democrat tax, spend and over-regulate us policies.

This is not rocket science.

The problem is the republicans are mostly the republican wing of the democrat party.

[DougMacG]

Has anyone heard whether or not the Senate has passed Healthcare reform today?  Has either chamber has passed tax reform yet?
We are supposed to care which party name has majorities in Congress governing us with Democrat tax, spend and over-regulate us policies.
This is not rocket science.

The problem is the republicans are mostly the republican wing of the democrat party.

They are fast losing the support of those (fools) among us who thought they meant it - repeal O'Care, reform taxes, build a wall, reform entitlements, etc.   They lose the right without gaining the left, the center or the media adoration and therefore will lose elections.  Like Trump finally got right on the Paris 'treaty', if you can't figure out the policy, at least figure out who your friends are.  We are politically dying out here waiting for action.

[G M]

Has anyone heard whether or not the Senate has passed Healthcare reform today?  Has either chamber has passed tax reform yet?
We are supposed to care which party name has majorities in Congress governing us with Democrat tax, spend and over-regulate us policies.
This is not rocket science.

The problem is the republicans are mostly the republican wing of the democrat party.

They are fast losing the support of those (fools) among us who thought they meant it - repeal O'Care, reform taxes, build a wall, reform entitlements, etc.   They lose the right without gaining the left, the center or the media adoration and therefore will lose elections.  Like Trump finally got right on the Paris 'treaty', if you can't figure out the policy, at least figure out who your friends are.  We are politically dying out here waiting for action.

They do/say what they must to get/stay elected and avoid doing anything that would get them dis-invited from the fabulous coastal cocktail parties.

[Crafty_Dog]

http://dailycaller.com/2017/06/20/ossoff-voters-impossible-to-reach-because-they-live-with-their-parents-democratic-organizer-says/

 

Good night for the Reps last night!

[ccp]

"Ossoff Voters Impossible To Reach Because They Live With Their Parents, Democratic Organizer Says"

I heard the Russians blocked all their I-phones!

[DougMacG]

An interesting development of the Trump era:

"The old maxim that increased turnout helps Democrats may not hold. It didn't in Georgia's 6th District."
  - Michael Barone

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2017/06/23/the_outlook_after_the_special_elections_134258.html

[ccp]

"The old maxim that increased turnout helps Democrats may not hold. It didn't in Georgia's 6th District"

Interesting.  unexpected increased REpub turnout was reason the polls were off by ~ 6%?

Remember when Dems would run around on election day dragging people off the streets.  When that was not enough they are running around bringing  them in from around the world to increase their numbers.

[ccp]

she's still the one!    

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/27/politics/nancy-pelosi-2018/index.html

The most prolific fundraiser by far!  besides the Clintons and Bamster

So what,  she has been the fundraiser since 2002 when money going into politics has skyrocketed

[ccp]

supposedly so they can get back to their states and raise campaign money..........


http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Senate-Sen-Luther-Strange-President-Donald-Trump-recess/2017/07/09/id/800655/

[DougMacG]

quote author=ccp
supposedly so they can get back to their states and raise campaign money..........

"Freshman Alabama Republican Sen. Luther Strange said Sunday that members of Congress needed to work through their summer recess to resolve issues including healthcare and taxes."

U.S. Constitution - Article 1 Section 4
...The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year, and such Meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by Law appoint a different Day.


It isn't that they should not have homes, families and lives back in the district or that seeing and hearing constituents isn't part of their job, it is just that they should do their work (" resolve issues including healthcare and taxes") before taking recess.

Leaving Obamacare and the Pelosi-Reid-Obama tax code fully in place after seven months 'work' is the best they can do??  Isn't that the exact definition of Republican in name only??!!  Republican congress governing with Democrat policies, making excuses and expressing other preferences in words only.

Bill Clinton called Obamacare "the craziest thing on earth".
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/299130-bill-clinton-slams-obamacare

The Republican congress calls it good enough for us, please send more money.

[G M]

quote author=ccp
supposedly so they can get back to their states and raise campaign money..........

"Freshman Alabama Republican Sen. Luther Strange said Sunday that members of Congress needed to work through their summer recess to resolve issues including healthcare and taxes."

U.S. Constitution - Article 1 Section 4
...The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year, and such Meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by Law appoint a different Day.


It isn't that they should not have homes, families and lives back in the district or that seeing and hearing constituents isn't part of their job, it is just that they should do their work (" resolve issues including healthcare and taxes") before taking recess.

Leaving Obamacare and the Pelosi-Reid-Obama tax code fully in place after seven months 'work' is the best they can do??  Isn't that the exact definition of Republican in name only??!!  Republican congress governing with Democrat policies, making excuses and expressing other preferences in words only.

Bill Clinton called Obamacare "the craziest thing on earth".
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/299130-bill-clinton-slams-obamacare

The Republican congress calls it good enough for us, please send more money.

If only we had both houses of congress and the presidency...   

Worthless.

[DougMacG]

"If only we had both houses of congress and the presidency...   
Worthless."

I wrote something along the lines of my post to my congressman this morning.  Funny that he needed my help to get to power but couldn't pick me out of lineup today.

Having both chambers and the Presidency and still choosing Democrat policies isn't like being governed by Democrats.  If that were the case we would have someone besides ourselves to blame and maybe win the next election.

When Bush I and II went RINO, the result was another half generation of Democrat rule each time.

You never see liberals go leftist in name only.

[G M]

"If only we had both houses of congress and the presidency...   
Worthless."

I wrote something along the lines of my post to my congressman this morning.  Funny that he needed my help to get to power but couldn't pick me out of lineup today.

Having both chambers and the Presidency and still choosing Democrat policies isn't like being governed by Democrats.  If that were the case we would have someone besides ourselves to blame and maybe win the next election.

When Bush I and II went RINO, the result was another half generation of Democrat rule each time.

You never see liberals go leftist in name only.

No, they ram things like Obamacare down our throats, elections be damned. Meanwhile our side can't get anything done.

[Crafty_Dog]

Troubled Times for 10 Senate Democrats
They face re-election in states Trump won. Will they cozy up or join the ‘resistance’?
Heidi Heitkamp on Capitol Hill, July 11.
Heidi Heitkamp on Capitol Hill, July 11. Photo: reynolds/European Pressphoto Agency
By Karl Rove
July 12, 2017 6:39 p.m. ET
167 COMMENTS

The 25 Democratic senators who face re-election in 2018 are already gearing up for a fight. Their latest quarterly fundraising reports, released over the past two weeks, show impressive totals, ranging up to $3.1 million. But for the 10 Democrats from states carried by President Trump, a well-stuffed war chest may not be enough.

This is especially true for six senators in states where Mr. Trump’s victory last November was huge. He won Joe Manchin’s West Virginia by an astonishing 42 points; Heidi Heitkamp’s North Dakota by 36 points; Jon Tester’s Montana by 20; Joe Donnelly’s Indiana and Claire McCaskill’s Missouri by 19, and Sherrod Brown’s Ohio by 8.

Four other Democrats—Michigan’s Debbie Stabenow, Pennsylvania’s Bob Casey, Wisconsin’s Tammy Baldwin and Florida’s Bill Nelson —are in states where Mr. Trump’s margin of victory ranged from 0.2% to 1.2%. None of them can take re-election for granted.

They must all keep an eye on the president’s favorability ratings. On Election Day, Mr. Trump was viewed favorably by 37.5% of voters and unfavorably by 58.5%, according to the RealClearPolitics average. As of this Wednesday, his ratings stood at 40.4% favorable and 53.6% unfavorable.

Mr. Trump is likely to be more popular in states he won than his national average: The larger his margin in those states last November, the better he stands now. If this trend holds through 2018, Democrats in states Mr. Trump won by double or nearly double digits could face stiff re-election contests.

Though many endangered Democrats are now making bipartisan or even pro-Trump noises, voters won’t forget these incumbents’ loyal support for President Obama’s agenda. They can try hiding from their voting records but can’t escape them.

Furthermore, these Democrats are highly partisan. For example, Mr. Tester once led the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and Ms. McCaskill can’t restrain herself from making needless partisan jabs. All eagerly campaigned for Hillary Clinton. Even Mr. Manchin personally pushed her last fall to make an appearance in West Virginia.

Cozying up now to Mr. Trump doesn’t square with the Democrats’ “resistance” agenda. For example, after hyping rumors that she might be named Mr. Trump’s agriculture secretary, Ms. Heitkamp voted to sustain an Obama administration regulation on methane emissions that North Dakota’s energy industry strongly opposed. She was trying to dampen opposition from the Democratic left, which was angry at her for playing footsie with the new president.

Consider also Indiana’s Mr. Donnelly. The Washington Examiner reports that he emphasized his strong support for ObamaCare in a fundraising email on June 21—the same day news broke that two of the four insurers remaining in Indiana’s health exchanges were pulling out. Another fundraising appeal a few days later claimed that Sen. Donnelly was “fighting back against Trump’s extreme agenda,” complicating his effort to look like a bipartisan moderate. Facing similar balancing acts, all these Democrats could easily fall off the beam.

Republicans do have their own 2018 challenges. Sen. Jeff Flake must play defense in Arizona (which Mr. Trump won by 3.5%) while Sen. Dean Heller is fighting an uphill battle in Nevada (which Mr. Trump lost by 2.4%). It doesn’t help that Mr. Heller has stumbled by threatening to scuttle his party’s plan to replace ObamaCare. Both seats are crucial to keeping the GOP’s Senate majority.

Since several of these Democrats are better-than-average campaigners, Republicans must also recruit strong challengers. The GOP can’t beat something without something better. Screaming “liberal, liberal, liberal” won’t work either. Republicans must show voters that these Democrats say one thing during elections and something else in between them.

The greater key to Republican success, however, is getting things done now in the halls of Congress. That’s why Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s decision to keep the Senate working for two weeks in August rather than breaking for recess is so vital. If Republicans don’t repeal and replace ObamaCare and reform the tax code, the party’s grass roots will lose enthusiasm, donors will shut their pocketbooks, and Republicans will lose.

But if the GOP Congress can get things done, 2018’s unusual mix—25 Democrats up for re-election versus only nine Republicans—could make it one of the 20% of midterm elections in the past century in which the party holding the White House actually picks up seats.

Mr. Rove helped organize the political-action committee American Crossroads and is the author of “The Triumph of William McKinley ” (Simon & Schuster, 2015).

Appeared in the July 13, 2017, print edition.

[DougMacG]

G M: "Failure to end Obamacare and to cut taxes will result in real losses next year. The republican party never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity."

Tax cuts should have been passed instantly and made retroactive to the beginning of this year.  Now what?  Don't pass them at all?  Make people wait another year?  What does that do for an economy coming into an election?

Some factors in 2018:
1) House districts were drawn by Republicans.  Dems popularity tend to be concentrated in urban and coastal areas.  Big advantage R.
2) Presidents party typically loses 20-25 seats in the midterm.  Current margin = 24.  Advantage back to neutral.
3) Republicans have 52-48 currently in the Senate.
4) Democrats have to defend 25 seats in the Senate, more than half their total.  Advantage R.
5) 5 of those seats are in states Trump won by 19 points or more.  Huge advantage: R.
6) Dem leadership is broken or lost nationally and in both chambers.  Advantage: even.
7) The left universally hates Trump. Resist. The right is divided and frustrated.
 Advantage: D
8 ) The media universally hates Trump.  Resist.  Advantage: D
9) The popularity of Trump in the counties he won is still at 50%.  Advantage:  Neutral.
10)  Deciding factor will be the economy (stupid) if we're not at war.  Republicans are governing under Democrat no-growth policies once again.  Conservatives and Republicans will have no reason to show up if the elected officials fail to keep promises and enact agenda.  Independents will have no reason to favor Republicans if they can't govern.  The middle generally favors divided government anyway.  Advantage back to the Dems unless Republicans suddenly get their act together.

Republicans have one chance to turn this country and they are screwing it up royally, proving they can't govern.  They can't even remember why they wanted to win majorities or where they want to lead.  OMG, not smaller government!  These bills that aren't passing aren't very good anyway.  

When RINOs screw up, voters don't turn to the conservatives.  They take a sharp left turn, see 2006, 2008.

Dems could take Heller's seat in Nevada.  They could take 2 seats in Arizona; McCain is not looking very healthy to me.  And they could run the table on all 25 of their own incumbents.  If this really becomes a wave election leftward, it will be way worse than that.

[ccp]

bold and decisive action

lets see Rand Paul
            Ted Cruz
            Mike Lee
            Donald Trump

There are probably others but these are the only ones who come to mind

Could anyone imagine if Jeb was President.  Every single policy would be a compromise and basically progressive .

[G M]

bold and decisive action

lets see Rand Paul
            Ted Cruz
            Mike Lee
            Donald Trump

There are probably others but these are the only ones who come to mind

Could anyone imagine if Jeb was President.  Every single policy would be a compromise and basically progressive .

I doubt even JEB! could really imagine him as president.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdCYMvaUcrA

[Crafty_Dog]

http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/342427-republicans-face-growing-demographic-shift-in-west?rnd=1500330574

[ccp]

"      http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/342427-republicans-face-growing-demographic-shift-in-west?rnd=1500330574  "

Why *Bush Republicans* told us for years the way to go was to win the hearts and minds of all these immigrants  .

So what's the problem ;  They got exactly want they wanted as did the LEFT
 

[Crafty_Dog]

http://twitchy.com/gregp-3534/2017/07/23/its-happening-new-poll-has-kid-rock-up-by-4-over-debbie-stabenow/?utm_campaign=twitchywidget

[DougMacG]

My congressman Erik Paulsen of the House Ways and Means Committee called me back this weekend regarding my letter about tax reform.    )

He shares my frustration, says they have 80% agreement right now between the Republicans in the House, Senate and White House.

(They need closer to 100% agreement)

He gave me the tel no of the assistant who is his point person on tax reform.  Please write your realistic tax reform proposals on our tax thread and I will submit them.

[Crafty_Dog]

OUTSTANDING!!!

[ccp]

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/450208/al-franken-not-funny-not-senate-giant

One main reason he is NOT funny is because every time he tries to crack a joke is he INSULTs half the country!

To libs is is ok to insult Republicans or the Right at every opportunity
or Chirstains or Whites but heave forbid anyone dare insult one of THEIR identity politics groups . Anyone who does that is a bigot prejusced racist and deserves to be run out of work and livlihood.

[Crafty_Dog]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/kill-the-filibuster-before-its-too-late-1502052097

[DougMacG]

Hannity, Levin, even Trump are blaming McConnell for the failure of healthcare reform and the people are blaming the Republican party. I don't buy that. It's McConnell's fault only if there were 50 votes there and he failed to find them.  The blame for health care (IMHO) and other unaccomplished reforms lies with those blocking it, McCain, Murkowski and Collins and the 48 Democrats who opposed it.  

McCain was the most deceitful to his electorate of them all.  He said what he needed to say to get reelected, repeal Obamacare - I approve this message.  Then on his deathbed of brain tumor surgery he realized he never has to get reelected again and went back without remorse to being himself.

Murkowski is her own story and Collins is Collins, Republican in name only for the most part.  Maybe Trump and McConnell have more leverage with the Trump state Democrats, especially the ones running for reelection in states Trump won by HUGE, double digit margins:

Of the 10 Democratic incumbents running for reelection in 2018 in states won by Trump, 5 or 6 of those were very lopsided:

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Trump won by 42%
Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Trump won by 36%,
Jon Tester of Montana, Trump won by 21%
Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Trump won by 19%
Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Trump won by 18%

One angle to this story is their likelihood of being reelected.  A more timely question is, what they will be willing to do to show their electorate their independence from the extreme progressive, Trump derangement, movement?

Bill Nelson (Fl), Sharrod Brown (Oh), Bob Casey (Pa), Tammy Baldwin (Wi), and Debbie Stabenow (Mi) make up the other five of the ten.

On the other side of the coin, Dems need to win in TEXAS (against Cruz), defeat incumbent Republicans in Arizona and Nevada, plus run the table in the ones listed above, North Dakota, West Virginia, Montana, Indiana, Missouri, to swing the Senate!  What is the winning liberal message that accomplishes that??  Open borders?  Transgenderism?  Higher taxes?
  Liberal judges?  Government healthcare?  Certainly not what they are doing now!

Terms like the stupid party or the party with a national leadership crisis need to be plural.

[ccp]

recognize this is AP news and we know where the AP usually comes from :

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-mcconnell-feud-does-little-jumpstart-stalled-agenda-083430443--politics.html

It is interesting who they quote in article!!    

*Susan Collins* who is a Democrat with an R before her name and *John Cronyn* who could easily be called establishment putting it kindly.

Was it really that big of a deal he helped get Gorsuch nominated?   If the shoe was on the other foot every DEm from here to China would have done the same thing.  

Besides that is over and done with.  What have you done lately?

But I do cut McConnell some slack and agree with Doug that we really should be blaming Collins Mrukowski and McCain most of all.

addendum we can add Orin Hatch to the list of McConnell supporters his liberty score i 31 % not much better then Murksowky for goodness sakes.

[Crafty_Dog]

No surprise that this is the take on things by "The Hill"

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/348043-trump-feud-with-gop-senators-threatens-foreign-policy

[Crafty_Dog]

http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/348033-gop-eager-for-potential-kid-rock-senate-bid

[Crafty_Dog]

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/348000-republicans-dont-know-who-to-talk-to-at-white-house

[Crafty_Dog]

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/348016-manchin-pressed-from-both-sides-in-reelection-fight

[DougMacG]

Notable and quotable ...

P.J. O’Rourke long ago characterized that bunch as A Parliament [Congress] of Whores, an insult to hard-working hookers the world over, who at least (I’m told) deliver the services they have agreed to provide.

   - Ammo Grrrl blog / Susan Vass  http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2017/09/thoughts-from-the-ammo-line-182.php

[Crafty_Dog]

http://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/348921-kid-rock-lashes-out-over-alleged-campaign-finance-violation

[Crafty_Dog]

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/349884-gop-fears-a-few-surprise-house-retirements-could-become-a-wave?rnd=1504907567

[G M]

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/349884-gop-fears-a-few-surprise-house-retirements-could-become-a-wave?rnd=1504907567

More RINOs need to go.

[ccp]

"More rhinos need to go"

both Reichart and Dent have LIBERTY socres of 29 and 31 % respectively.  They do fit very comfortably the definition of RINO

Amen -> bon voyage and good riddance