US Politics, October 2018: next week will be even longer

I’m of the belief that if they get any justice seated before the midterms it’ll be kind of a miracle if our institutions ever recover. Kept having immiserating thoughts this week about the future of democracy. Then I read this: http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2018/10/continuing-rise-american-style-fascism and, just, well, shit folks, things are fucking bleak as hell.

oof I just read that too. This line gave me an ulcer: "Meanwhile, how the Republicans counter-attacked on Kavanaugh is nothing but a dry run for defending Trump."

at this point I just don't believe Collins is going to do the right thing

breaking w/ the pack is always going to feel like a more meaningful action than falling in line. she was treated like a national hero after the health care vote.

but again...she is a republican. she probably genuinely likes kavanaugh. who knows.

xp

Before Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) voted to advance Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in a procedural vote Friday morning, he had a discussion with a friend on the other side of the aisle, Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE).

“We had a positive and I think constructive conversation. He gave me an opportunity to make a few points I was eager to make,” Coons told reporters in the Capitol before the vote. “We spoke about our remaining concerns.”

looks like that bonding trip to Africa they took together was totally worth it!!

“We had a positive and I think constructive conversation. He gave me an opportunity to make a few points I was eager to make,”

https://i.vimeocdn.com/video/250969455_1280x720.jpg

electing Donald Trump as POTUS : the USA :: head trauma resulting in significant loss of brain matter : a living human being. Yes, you might be able to painfully shamble along for a little while in a crude imitation of life, but the writing is pretty much already on the wall if you still have enough remaining brain function to read it.

sad lol @ omar's img

so is collins going to vote no but that douche is coming in after his daughters wedding which is going to kick this garbage to Pence?

we'll know how collins is voting in about 25 minutes when she gives her epic speech at 3pm EST. most likely she will vote "YES".

will her constituents vote YES when she runs for governor in 2020

so is collins going to vote no but that douche is coming in after his daughters wedding which is going to kick this garbage to Pence?

If Collins, Murkowski, and every Democrat vote no, Kavanaugh is done. If Murkowski and every Democrat vote no, Pence breaks the tie and Kavanaugh is on the Supreme Court.

will there be any barf left in my body when kavanaugh is STILL on the supreme court in 2050? there are so many mysteries out there

Trick question, we will all be dead in 2050

"this is the last puzzle piece of the coup that these fuckers have been planning ever since Nixon resigned

RIP USA

― sleeve, "

the last piece? are you kidding? things can (and probably will) get so much worse

I was watching (ha) the Shahs of Sunset last night while some of them travelled through Turkey to the Iran border and it was very emotional for them to look at a land they were born in and can't return to and I thought well, that could be us in 20 years.

I'm not convince Manchin is going to vote no. although I don't know what he has to loose by voting no. To me it would seem that any way he votes he potentially loses support (do republicans in WV support him?)

Of course they will get worse, my point is that Kavanaugh is the last piece of the bullet train to hell

yes

xpost

xp

And he would galvanize the left in WVA in such a way that, I think, would compensate for any defections. Plus, he's likely to win his re-election.

and before anyone goes "lol what left in West Virginia," remember the teacher's strike.

Between this shit and the Van Dyke verdict being delivered in a few minutes (they've already unofficially closed our office in anticipation of SOME kind of heightened response), it's just possible that I'll wind up having a panic attack before I make it home today.

martinis at five at Soto Laird.

xpost

i have the same thought. if they both go the wrong way, jfc

We even got a notice from the high school principal!

i have the same thought. if they both go the wrong way, jfc

― Karl Malone,

uh my martinis are perfect

so Manchin's calculus is to vote the way Collins votes because her yes vote gives him cover to vote yes, right? so they will both vote yes

(apparently Graham has already "announced" that she will be a yes vote)

So he would get on the court thanks to a Dem. Who Trump and the GOP will still campaign against.

yr math is off there

if Collins is a yes, Manchin's vote doesn't matter

ah, I see. so he could vote yes but then he has cover to say he was not the deciding vote.

martinis at five at Soto Laird.

― You like queer? I like queer. Still like queer. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn)

I wish, sincerely. We'll be raising a glass on the west coast.

phew. the jury did the right thing on Van Dyke.

The more I think about this the more I suspect Collins is leaning no? She’s deliberately positioned herself as the deciding vote, why grandstand like this if you’re gonna vote party line? It’s not like the choice is either Kav or some liberal judge...it’s him or someone who will vote the same way without the baggage.

fingers crossed

still

Coming after you on Twitter if you're wrong.

"why grandstand like this if you’re gonna vote party line?"

she had lunch with McConnell today. is she angling to get something from him?

a fun little detail - the Montana senator who has a wedding to go to this weekend (Daines) has been offered the services of a private plane back to DC to vote on Kavanaugh. the private plane is owned by Rep. Gianforte (the guy who physically assaulted a Guardian reporter and then was voted into office the next day by the highly intelligent citizens of Montana)

ew, that is a good detail

Reportedly Collins currently has a police detail. One benefit of waiting till the last minute is minimizing the number of people who want to kill her before she has a chance to beat the retreat.

any ILXers live in Maine?

she's placed herself on this pedestal

she's up now

i didn't know susan collins was basically emo philips

https://twitter.com/search?q=Collins&src=tren

this doesn't sound like it's going in a good direction

she had lunch with McConnell today. is she angling to get something from him?

Yeah, she might be stupid enough to try that after he already screwed her once (ACA vote).

ok, it's officially done

she had the fucking nerve to say "dark money" in association with anti-Kav forces