US Politics, February 2018: Our country was founded by geniuses, but it’s being run by idiots

its been 12 hours

House Intel feud sounds like the worst family car trip back seat sibling squabbling ever. Someone needs to pull that car over, stat.

Later, Manigault Newman — a former contestant on Trump’s former NBC reality show, “The Apprentice" - says she can’t wash her hands of the White House turmoil even though she’d like to.

“It’s not my circus, not my monkeys,” she tells Matthews. “You know, I like to say ‘not my problem,’ but I can’t say that because it’s bad.”

Matthews, looking increasingly worried, then tries to seek reassurance about the future of the Trump White House.

“I need you to say, ‘No, it’s going to be okay,' ” Matthews says.

“No, it’s not going to be okay, it’s not,” Manigault Newman responds.

Matthews lets out a big sigh.

“It’s so bad,” Manigault Newman says.

"i mean, they hired me," says Manigault Newman, pausing for emphasis. "Think about it."

I almost get the feeling they never hired her, she just showed up every day (like Michael Wolff) and everyone just assumed she worked there. I mean, her title - "director of communications at the Office of Public Liaison" - that's clearly not a real position.

she and wolff just kind of walked in together one day and both said that the other had cleared it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU6m5UqLx9M

In better news, erstwhile metalhead and health justice advocate Tim Faust wrote a very good thing today.

“Healthcare over politics” is easy to tweet when you don’t have to spend dozens of hours a week pleading with insurers for basic care. It is the domain of those who view justice as the result of incremental policy fixes, debated about in salons by Very Serious People compromising to build a mythical Third Way toward a shared goal—a notion of America as debate club. While the dweebs twiddle their thumbs and hope for a slightly better tomorrow, they ignore the brutality and severity of the consequences forced upon the masses by Republicans who understand in their bones that politics is about manifesting power. Health justice — the reform of 18% of our national economy — is inherently political. These are the policy choices which determine who is permitted to live and die in America; whose suffering is afforded dignity; whose bodies are made safe to inhabit.

Sherman's on a roll

Trump is furious that Kelly did not tell him about Porter abuse allegations for months, sources say. Kushner and Ivanka discussing who could replace Kelly as chief of staff. https://t.co/benL2hKSL3

— Gabriel Sherman (@gabrielsherman) February 8, 2018

Hicks continued to defend Porter in private, a source said, telling people she thinks the allegations aren’t true. In recent weeks, Trump has been angry at Hicks for her role in approving interviews with Michael Wolff

I dunno sounds like weak cover for prez

rapist furious that he was not alerted to presence of second rapist

"I told you rape is MY thing!"

sorry, wife-beater

but also probably rapist, I'll stop now

are there a lot of twice-divorced mormons y/n

"Don Jr. defends Trump: He has rapper friends"

http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/02/07/trump-jr-dad-not-a-racist-daily-caller-meeks-reax-sot-nr.cnn

A friend of mine remarked that the headline has an extra p in it.

some of my best friends are rappers

Was thinking this.

Pretty incredible that Raj Shah admitted the WH made mistakes over the last couple of days. This WH and this president rarely ever do that.

— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) February 8, 2018

xp same here, but I spell it with a c

xp i liked colbert's response to this last night:
http://imgur.com/a/c2fwy

http://i.imgur.com/2mTY8BI.png

Pretty incredible that Raj Shah admitted the WH made mistakes over the last couple of days. This WH and this president rarely ever do that.

how long until we see "BREAKING NEWS: RAJ SHAH FIRED"?

Getting pretty tired of reading endless takes about how hypocritical the GOP is on deficits. The time to call them out on their deficit BS was 2009. Better to just say the spineless Democrats got played, and will probably fall for the same line again if they ever get back into power.

kelly's handling of porter is obviously appalling, but it's not *that* bad compared to many things this whitehouse has deliberately done or accidentally screwed up. even the apologetic tone is weird. clearly the knives are out for kelly internally, or there's more porter news coming.

The time to call them out on their deficit BS was 2009 1981.

We became a debtor nation under St. Ronnie of Erehwon in 1986.

That's not wrong, but the dems had a fine opportunity to show some backbone when Obama came into office.

xxp

It's pretty bad

Appears that Sessions will outlast Kelly, even after all the withering attacks on Jefferson Davis Sessions that Trump launched last summer. Lesson: the closer your office is to Trump's, the shorter your tenure. If I were on the Cabinet, I'd be sure to sit as far from him as I could and keep my mouth shut.

meanwhile in the background there's a big budget deal sans immigration that's about to pass

thanks, schumer.

not even surprised by that

meanwhile in the background there's a big budget deal sans immigration that's about to pass

About to pass ... the Senate. Probably. But the House? Dunno about that. Or Trump? No idea.

i get the feeling that the debate on the house dem side is who and how many get to vote against it while still having enough of them vote for it to pass. but i guess we'll find out tonight

pelosi wasn't exactly leading the charge against it

"I’m pleased with the product, I’m not pleased with the process," Pelosi told reporters Thursday, later adding she plans to vote against the bill but confirmed she isn't formally whipping against it. "I’m just telling people why I’m voting the way I’m voting."

This is a pantomime. Opposing House Dems, slightly more lib than their Senate counterparts, get to go home and tell Dreamers that they voted against it. And the highest ranking Dem keeps her lib credentials.

tbh i'm not sure about what's better for the fate of DACA - to demand that a resolution be included as part of the budget deal, or to decouple the issue and make it a separate, simpler fight. but it's very frustrating to have schumer/pelosi/hoyer all moving independently instead of in lockstep. i can't imagine it's an effective bargaining strategy (but admit i have no fucking clue), but it also sends a really weird message to democratic voters: what is the democratic position on this? schumer's or pelosi's? or someone else's?

rand paul going full rand paul atm losing his shit on senate floor

What's he Randing about? Spending?

yep, not sure of this is a genuine filibuster or just good tv opportunity

has tightened up his hair game a little bit tho

"Let me tell you all, being tackled while gardening does wonders for a man!"

ha! he's talking about the FEMA contract for 350 million meals in Puerto Rico that went to the clueless person who went to a wedding caterer for help.

it seems that rand paul has identified things that he views as wasteful spending

veeery interesting

god, what a tool

i remember a guilty lol during one of the republican primary debates when trump openly made fun of rand paul's hair. and i don't even care about his hair. but damn it was funny to watch him have to deal with it

(in addition to guilty, it was also a strange lol because of the spectacle of someone famous for having bad hair (trump) making fun of someone else for the same problem)

ha it'd be like if he called someone a liar or crooked!

ok he is actually gonna run the clock down, there's gonna be a shutdown

wonder if this whiny ambulatory sac de douche will have the stones to call out Donnie’s little toy soldier temper tantrum parade

someone beat his ass again pls

xpost That's what I would do if I were Rand Paul. That's why Rand Paul exists! It would be like Ted Cruz not being an asshole. He's Ted Cruz, of course he's an asshole!