Schumer Successfully Trolls Republicans
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer managed a rather extraordinary feat this week -- he forced a Senate floor vote on a bill designed to become campaign ad fodder for Democratic challengers to vulnerable Republicans. This is notable, because normally the Majority Leader Mitch McConnell controls what gets floor votes, not the minority party. And it was even more notable because five Republicans voted for it out of sheer terror of it being used in an ad against them. Three others didn't take the bait, and can now expect such ads to begin airing soon.
The bill would have (if passed and signed into law by President Trump, which would never actually happen, it must be pointed out) banned the federal government from arguing in court to kill the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in court. This is important for three big reasons: (1) the Trump administration has already joined the lawsuit trying to overturn Obamacare in its entirety, (2) the case will be heard before the Supreme Court almost immediately after the election, and (3) Senate Republicans are rushing to get another Supreme Court justice confirmed before the election.
The bill got 51 votes for it while only 43 voted against it. These five Republican senators voted with the Democrats to bar the government from weighing in on the case: Susan Collins, Joni Ernst, Cory Gardner, Dan Sullivan, and Martha McSally. If you recognize some (or all) of those names, it is because they are in a fight for their political lives in the upcoming election. Maine's Susan Collins, Colorado's Cory Gardner, and Arizona's Martha McSally may all already be toast, if the polling proves to be correct. Joni Ernst in Iowa and Alaska's Dan Sullivan are in slightly better shape, but are both seriously threatened as well. So threatened that all five Republicans essentially just cast a vote in favor of Obamacare. Think about that for just a moment.
Three others, however, decided to risk the wrath of their voters and voted to allow the federal government argue that Obamacare should be totally and completely eliminated -- which, of course, means that people with pre-existing conditions (including the millions who have contracted COVID-19, assumably) would no longer be protected in any way. Insurance companies could just refuse to insure them, once again. The Obamacare marketplaces would disappear, leaving them all in the lurch. The three who gambled on this political position were Steve Daines of Montana, David Perdue of Georgia, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina. Of the three, Tillis is in the most danger of losing his seat, but the other two are also possible pickups for Democrats as well.
The ads, of course, will almost write themselves: "Senator Tillis voted to support overturning all protections for people with pre-existing conditions. I have [life-threatening illness], and my care costs [an obscene amount of money] per month, so this would be an absolute death sentence for me. Sometimes you hear the phrase: 'vote like your life depends on it.' Well, for me, it does. I hope you'll join me in voting for life -- my life and the lives of countless other North Carolinians -- by voting for Cal Cunningham." Democrats already played this card, during their national convention, so it's pretty easy to see that they're going to play it again everywhere they think it'll be effective.
Obamacare has gone through a rather amazing transition during Trump's time in office. It is now popular, because the Republicans in Congress trying to overturn it and replace it with (essentially) nothing taught a whole lot of people all the good things Obamacare has given them -- things that they would hate to see disappear. People with pre-existing conditions is merely the most potent of these issues -- there are many others. Astonishingly enough, Trump's attacks on it did what Barack Obama never managed to do, because Obamacare is now more popular than ever. Now that Republicans have taught them all what they'll lose if it disappears.
This was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt in 2018, as Democrats took back the House of Representatives on the strength of the healthcare issue alone. Smart Democratic candidates in this election cycle have been hitting the subject as hard as they can, because access to healthcare has only gotten more and more crucial of an issue in the midst of the deadliest pandemic to hit America in 100 years. And to say Republicans are playing from a position of weakness on the issue is actually to overstate it. They are playing from the position of irrationally hating Obamacare for ten years, without ever once in that entire time -- despite holding both houses of Congress and the Oval Office -- coming up with any even remotely viable alternative.
Donald Trump proved once again during this week's debate that he simply does not have a plan. He lied to America during the 2016 campaign, and he's been lying about it ever since. He lied during the debate about bringing drug costs down "80 or 90 percent" and making insulin "as cheap as water." Neither is remotely true -- just ask a diabetic. Or anyone who pays out of pocket for prescription drugs, for that matter. All Trump has are empty promises and lies, not a plan. And congressional Republicans are no different. They've had an entire decade to put together their own plan, and they have not done so, because each attempt they make just shows how superior Obamacare is to whatever paltry amount they're willing to spend on Americans' healthcare. To sum it up: Republicans got nothin'. Nada. No plan at all. None in the foreseeable future, either.
What they do have is the hangover from the "repeal and replace" era -- a lawsuit that has moved its way through the court system and will now be decided by the Supreme Court. And if Senate Republicans are successful in swinging the court to a 6-3 majority, there is every chance that they could just outright kill Obamacare off forever. That is what Republicans will be voting for during the confirmation fight, and that is precisely what Chuck Schumer's move was designed to expose.
Of course, any voter living outside one of these close-Senate-race states probably will never see the ads that Schumer's move will give birth to. But for those living in these states, I would expect such ads will appear just as soon as the editing is finished and the television time is purchased. Say, a few days from now.
Normally, bills designed to be used in campaign ads are only passed by the majority party. But by using a parliamentary trick that hasn't been successfully used in a decade, Chuck Schumer somehow managed to make this one happen, to his advantage. By doing so, he peeled off a number of Republicans and exposed the fractures in the GOP over the issue. Schumer promised, when McConnell proved to be flaming hypocrite on "letting the American people weigh in on a Supreme Court nomination," that he would do everything in his power to make Republicans pay a price. The vote today, hopefully, is just his first move in doing so. But I have to admit, it was a pretty impressive opening salvo.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
What's amazing is that so many Americans DO NOT KNOW that the Supreme Court may take away their healthcare a week after the election. It just seems so incredible that they couldn't REALLY be doing that, could they? And mainstream news outlets don't appear to have any mechanism for covering a future event as news for today, so the word is still not getting out. Of course, if the Supreme Court actually does invalidate Obamacare, THEN it will certainly be a news story, but that doesn't help much.
CW-
One of those self-wrting ads you mentioned presented itself tonight on NBC News.
So I guess he's MIDOTW.
I think it cuts both ways for those vulnerable senators. The death cult zombies won't like that some voted for Obamacare.
So, Hope Hicks is the new Typhoid Mary. Here's hoping that she's been breathing that harmless virus into the orange one's personal space.
She did. Poor Short Fingers. Now he's gonna miss some death cult rallies. He's going to get very irritable.
So, we should be thankful for Mike Pence??
What about Lindsey Graham? Maybe he was too busy mooching for dollars on Fox News to vote:
Every single hour in South Carolina, Lindsey Graham is being violently out-fundraised.
With all the ammunition that Shummler has at hand I pray that there's more salvos in him, yeesh.
Conspiracy theory just popped into my head...
What if...
this is where the deep state starts helping Trump fake his own death "from Covid." He avoids prison and thence lives anonymously in Saudi, and we avoid domestic violence. And some adult in the room steps in to clean up after the fucking Repugs once again.
Joni Ernst in Iowa and Alaska's Dan Sullivan are in slightly better shape, but are both seriously threatened as well.
Miss Iowa got some more bad news in the last few hours. Seems she said something recently that made her poll numbers tank:
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Her poll numbers are sinking with those over 50 years old who apparently would prefer a Senator to represent them that isn't a conspiracy theory nut job:
51% - Theresa Greenfield
39% - Joni Ernst
Hope Hicks, who has traveled multiple times with President Trump over the last few days, including to the debate, just tested positive for COVID-19! Trump actually sounded scared when questioned about it.
I am a terrible person for saying this, I can accept that, but this news is so SWEET that it has to be fattening!!! I’m sure he’s injecting some bleach to take care of things as I type this.
[10]
I mean, Guys and Gals it's Trump for Pete's sake. It's not impossible.
ListenWhenYouHear
12
Travel and confinement for extended periods of time with someone with COVID-19 gives you a high likelihood of contracting the virus since SARS-CoV-2 is highly contagious. It wouldn't surprise me if a dozen of them test positive, including POTUS. Trump and his entire administration's behavior regarding the pandemic has been irresponsible.
The orange one tested positive. He deserves it.
LizM [7]
Why would I be thankful for Pence? I hope he has it too.
I'm not the least bit ashamed for hoping they are sick. While Short Fingers seems to think that he can create reality by saying things, I'm clear about the fact that my words don't do that. These people have contracted the virus because they're stupid. They want herd mentality. Why shouldn't they contribute to the herd?
Wall Street is expecting a big selloff Friday. As usual, that's bizarre.
Trump & Melania tested positive for COVID-19!!!! How could this happen??? The White House spokesperson was very adamant that they had been rigorously following all CDC guidelines on preventing infection.
Shocking. Positively shocking.
Not really.
I hope that Fat Donny is a compliant patient and takes his hydroxy as prescribed by Dr Quack.
I wouldn't want him to die from COVID19, just get sick for a while. Financial ruin and criminal prosecution would be a better outcome.
I wonder if this foils McConnell's plans. Has ACB been infected?
A shot of bleach, a few hrs under a sunlamp, he'll be fine. Keep in mind that Trump lies when the truth would do. He may just have a bad case of debate-itis. His spin doctors may have told to avoid microphones for a few weeks.
If you are not cynical in The Age of Trump you are not paying attention.
@jfc,
if you're going to be REALLY cynical, maybe donald is faking the covid infection to garner sympathy from the electorate and/or avoid another debate.
JL
@ts,
jinx!
JL [26]
If so, he's already set off a market selloff. That would be a real Wile E Coyote style plan. He can avoid debates by not agreeing to the changes the commission is planning.
KayLie M knew about Hope Hicks before she had that press conference yesterday. These people are as low as it gets.
@jfc,
everyone saw the reason for the rules changes. refusing to comply comes off as weak and scared.
JL
TheStig | nypoet22
25 | 26
THESE TWO! On the exact same page at the exact same time.
*
Full disclosure:
I was thinking the exact same thing as THESE TWO, but I do not under any circumstances wish anyone ill will or sickness. The virus affects people differently... so here's hoping if they actually did test positive that it's a false positive (which happens with those tests) or that not a single one of them gets seriously ill.
We want them to live long lives while they're being investigated for a multitude of crimes. Wha
wha?
i mean let's face it, covid is the new 'dog ate my homework'
JL [30]
Maybe that's how many would see it.
I believe he sees it as another opportunity to claim that it's rigged against him.
After months and months of knowingly lying to Americans on a repetitive basis, referring to the virus as a "Democrat hoax," hundreds of thousands of Americans dying and hundreds of thousands more recovering with damage to their organs that will plague them for the remainder of their lives, Trump tests positive mere hours after insisting yet again: "The end of the pandemic is in sight."
FACT: The end of this pandemic is not even close.
This asshole can't not lie; he is pathological and a danger to himself and every American. Enough already!
Vote. Him. Out.
my colleague is of the opinion that donald will claim he's seen the light and ride the wave of sympathy to a win in november.
nypoet22
32
wha?
Good question! Got cut off:
We want them to live long lives while they're being investigated for a multitude of crimes. What POTUS has ever had his three prior campaign managers arrested? Only Trump, and they've quietly scrubbed their website of any mention of Parscale and are afraid he's going to talk.
Parscale? I've never met him. He just sells T-shirts for the campaign.
John From Censornati
38
Parscale? I've never met him. He just sells T-shirts for the campaign.
Heh.
Brad who? I have lots of campaign managers. I haven't spoken to him in a long time, but I know him. He was with the campaign, as you know, for a very short period of time, relatively short period of time.
nypoet22
36
my colleague is of the opinion that donald will claim he's seen the light and ride the wave of sympathy to a win in november.
Tell your colleague there is no "light" to see here and Trump always knew how dangerous the virus was and lied to the American people about it and kept right on lying... so there is no "light." Lie? Yes. Light? No... no light. :)
@kick,
my colleague was not saying donald will actually see any light to speak of, just that he may use the covid diagnosis to create a redemption narrative that will win him the election. it may seem absurd, but it's plausible.
JL
Not really.
Yes, well, that is the point of 'Shocking. Positively shocking'.
Guess one mas to be a Bond fan. Ahem.
Sigh.
Comeuppance...
I was searching my memory banks for the right word.
Comeuppance...
LL&P
Kick-31
I am not wishing illness on Trump...and wishing does not make people sick. I am pointing out that he is devious and cannot be trusted to tell the truth. He is a salesman pushing a dangerous product - which happens to be himself. He is a notorious liar who claims to have COVID. His staff doctors back him up on that. I would like a second opinion from independent docs. I think that would be helpful.
LizM [42]
I'm not a Bond fan. Not even a little bit. I was pretty sure you weren't really clutching any pearls though.
I'm sure Trump is seething, knowing that Nancy Pelosi is praying for him, and his speedy recovery.
I don't wish a slow lingering death on Trump, or anyone for that matter. However, you'll get no sympathy from me for that miserable toad. He's shown little or no sympathy for 200,000+ fellow Americans, and he's actively down-played the need for obvious precaution.
CV19 has been Trump's petard for the last six months, yesterday, he hoisted himself, good and propper.
LL&P
i have a sort of morbid interest in how the election, the barrett nomination and california v. texas all tie in with each other.
if trump wins, that's essentially the end of obamacare. if biden wins, especially if biden wins and the democrats hold the house and take the senate, there are a host of possible outcomes. new deal level outcomes.
curiouser and curiouser...
In all likelyhood, Hair Fuhrer has infected AC Barret and she'll be unable to attend any senate hearings until after the election, and will miss the SCOTUS hearing.
LL&P
Seems, this individual had already overcome cv19.
LL&P
Even "Mild" symptoms of COVID can keep a person in bed and out of work for a week or two. Given the prevention laxity observed by the mask unfriendly White House, is the Executive Branch going to prove a microcosm for what clobbered the broader US economy? The educational equivalent of hitting a stubborn mule hard with a two X four.
Here's a quote from a Guardian article, Trump joked while people suffered with Covid. Well, is now the time to stop?
Anyway, as Trump pointed out last week, the virus “affects virtually nobody”, and has currently only affected 200,000 American nobodies to death. Arguably the real victims here are the president’s MAGA disciples, who are devoted to him but also don’t believe the virus even exists. Trump being officially diagnosed with it is category 5 cognitive dissonance – a logical contradiction so intense it could crash their circuitry, causing them to immediately lay down their assault rifles and open a chain of abortion clinics.
Heh. One can hope.
This latest development is just too funny.
[52]... lol, I read the same article and laughed aloud.
LL&P
Today's Lincoln Project offering, Heartland.
From an entertainment point of view...
It is unfortunate that pence did not catch the rona as well.
Could you imagine the number of heads that would just explode at the now elevated risk of Pelosi running the country?
I do not like that the White House doctor’s wording in his announcement that stated the Trump’s have become infected.
I release the following information with the permission of President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
This evening I received confirmation that both President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
He “received conformation” that they tested positive of the virus? From who? Why not simply state that they tested positive...unless you do not actually know that to be the truth? The wording just seems too specifically intended to give the doctor deniability for outright lying to the public.
I believe this is one of two things: (1) a scam to help him get re-elected OR (2) his exit strategy to get out of the country!
If it is (1), Trump will be reported as being on Death’s doorstep for a few days and right before he crosses over, he’ll be given a “miracle elixir” that will have him feeling better than ever almost instantly! That “miracle elixir” will be available to the public to purchase from the Trump campaign website for only 3 easy payments of $49.99! But if Trump wins the election, he will then give the cure to Americans for FREE! So to get your free cure immediately, vote for Trump as many times as it takes!
If it is (2), Trump will be too sick to continue as President, he’ll hand it off to Pence who will be forced to sign Trump’s pardon at the same time that Trump is signing his resignation letter. This will not be reported to the public until Trump is on a plane to seek medical treatment is Saudi Arabia, Russia, or any other nation that will not extradite him back to the US.
nypoet22
41
my colleague was not saying donald will actually see any light to speak of, just that he may use the covid diagnosis to create a redemption narrative that will win him the election. it may seem absurd, but it's plausible.
It's very plausible that Trump will spin his diagnosis of COVID-19 in order to con his gullible cult followers in furtherance of his personal agenda. He's been lying to them every day for years and years. #UsefulIdiots
TheStig
45
I am not wishing illness on Trump...and wishing does not make people sick.
I did not think you did, TS. I was simply agreeing with you and JL and adding my sentiments that I wished them good health for their future time in the courts.
I am pointing out that he is devious and cannot be trusted to tell the truth.
Oh, I had not noticed that. What, are you kidding me!?
He is a salesman pushing a dangerous product - which happens to be himself.
Donald Trump: A guy who believes that accumulation of wealth is the true sign of a man's worth, who easily takes both sides of any issue for political expediency while his true loyalty lies with himself, a confident con no matter which side he's taking...
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Stop me if you've heard this!
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... and the biggest threat to our country coming not from without, but from within, a guy who fancies himself a true patriot but who'd turn coat on America and her people in order to satisfy his insatiable greed and lust for power and title... a modern-day Benedict Arnold.
Benedict Donald!
That's who he is; that's who he has always been.
He is a notorious liar who claims to have COVID. His staff doctors back him up on that. I would like a second opinion from independent docs. I think that would be helpful.
You're preaching to the choir, son! Additionally, I would like to see him in prison because he is a threat to national security and couldn't get a security clearance to clean toilets in the White House... nor his unqualified spawn and her husband.
Good talk. :)
ListenWhenYouHear
57
Uhhhhhhh, Russ... I wouldn't put any of that past him. He's a tax cheat who owes the United States $100 million plus, and that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.