Mitch McConnell retires as Minority Leader

Senator McConnell hasn’t died, but trust me, I’m going to resist saying anything good about him. He elevated the filibuster to a regular weapon, meaning nothing can pass the Senate without 60 votes. That obviously enables the minority to halt anything it doesn’t agree with. That’s the first thing I hold against him. The second …

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Day Four of Kevin McCarthy’s humiliation

He deserves every bit of it, but it’s still a heck of a thing to watch. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield, CA) has wanted to be Speaker his entire career, and I think he thought he’d be voted in the minute the Republicans took control of the House. He didn’t expect the farthest-right loonies …

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Not a good look, McConnell

For the third time in two weeks, today Senate Majority Leader McConnell (R-KY) blocked legislation to open part of the Federal government. The Senate GOP leader didn’t explain his objection from the Senate floor but he has warned for weeks that he will not bring up a government funding bill unless it’s the product of …

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This should be handy

The Republicans are worried about the November elections, and they’ve got good reason. They’ve ginned up talking points about the horror show which might occur if Democrats win the House and begin doing real oversight of the Trump Administration. Axios obtained a copy of them. It’s interesting that the GOP didn’t do any original work …

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Newspeak is here

APNewsBreak: Youngest migrants held in ‘tender age’ shelters “Tender age?” What does that mean? They’re ripe and succulent? Decades after the nation’s child welfare system ended the use of orphanages over concerns about the lasting trauma to children, the administration is standing up new institutions to hold Central American toddlers that the government separated from …

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Putin must have hooks in Trump

Why else would he suggest Russia should be back in the group of industrialized nations called the G7? Mark Shields, on The PBS News Hour tonight: I think the president, quite frankly, what amazed me today was the announcement that he wanted to invite Russia back into the G7, make it the G8. Russia has …

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Trump is getting worse

As bad as we thought he might be, he’s becoming infinitely worse. So writes Eugene Robinson in the Washington Post, and it’s impossible to disagree. What’s really terrifying is that the Republicans in Congress are mostly quiescent. They’re either afraid of Trump’s 35%-of-voters base or they really don’t give a damn about what Tillerson’s done …

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30? THIRTY?

Headline: More Than 30 Trump Aides Lose Top-Secret Clearance, Sources Say Jeebus. “All the best people,” he said. “The highest ethics,” he said. “Everybody wants to work in the White House,” he said. This is the most inept and dangerously-stupid President and Administration in American history.