Patterico's Pontifications

4/7/2017

Gorsuch Confirmed – Victory for McConnell

Filed under: General — JVW @ 10:08 am



[guest post by JVW]

By a 54-45 vote with three red state Democrats up for reelection in 2018, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and Joe Donnelly of Indiana, joining with 51 Republicans in voting to seat him on the court. Republican Johnny Isakson of Georgia missed the vote due to health issues.

We have had ample reason to criticize Senate Majority Mitch McConnell in the past, but from the moment that we learned of the passing of the great Justice Antonin Scalia the majority leader has been nothing short of a conservative stalwart from how he handled Barack Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to his ability to keep his caucus together and invoke the Reid Option in ending the Democrats’ filibuster. No doubt we’ll have reason to criticize him again down the road, but let’s take this moment to extend to him our most sincere thanks and congratulations for his fine work.

[Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.]

– JVW

135 Responses to “Gorsuch Confirmed – Victory for McConnell”

  1. oh goody another harvardtrash justice

    we were running low

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  2. That said, I lament that the GOP Senators spent so much effort defending the blocking of Garland with the silly “no nominations in an election year” line. A far more powerful argument, which would have placed the focus where it belonged, would have been this: “President Obama has shown through his use of unconstitutional executive orders that he is not interested in treating the legislative branch as a co-equal partner in governing. That being the case, the Senate is under no obligation to work with him in advancing his nominations.” Naturally the lickspittle Obama press would have still tried to frame the issue as GOP partisan obstructionism, but they would have had to at least mention that the Senate was protesting Obama’s power grab, and they might have even had to address that issue. Opportunity lost.

    JVW (5de783)

  3. Jeeze, thanks happyfeet: your comment reminded me that I need to cross-post this at The Jury Talks Back.

    JVW (5de783)

  4. They started it with Bork and they continue with the dishonest theme that excellent conservative judges are too extreme while radical judges who put feelings and globalism over constitutional law are mainstream.

    Up their backsides with a hot poker and oh yeah thanks Harry for making it possible.

    harkin (c230be)

  5. 2… well said!

    Colonel Haiku (49aad2)

  6. The Saturday Night Massacre by itself was enough to oppose Bork’s nomination.

    Davethulhu (fab944)

  7. I was opposed to this nomination because of the “no nominations in the last year of their presidency” tradition.

    Davethulhu (fab944)

  8. i’m here to serve

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  9. Nice work mitch, never thought you had the giblets to get-er-done.
    Now go get me a Justice Pryor.

    mg (31009b)

  10. I was opposed to this nomination because of the “no nominations in the last year of their presidency” tradition.

    Um. Trump is still on his honeymoon, sweetums. Cute try at rationalizing your position though.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  11. A lot of people who like to claim lifetime “I was right” status because Trump won did not believe me when I said McConnell would refuse to vote on Garland and would nuke if necessary to get Gorsuch. The whole “Republicans never fight for anything” crowd needs to learn a lesson from this.

    They won’t.

    Patterico (a4f8dc)

  12. nothing short of a conservative stalwart
    Bosh and nonsense. A purely political posture predicated on partisanship, not principles.

    The very fact that he wouldn’t move the Garland nomination is all one needs to see that. An actual conservatively principled procedure would have let the nomination proceed and then ensure that it was voted down in at least the Judiciary Committee. That’s advise and consent. What he did was a temper tantrum, which ought to be left to the ones who specialize in it: Trump and the Democrats.

    kishnevi (870883)

  13. Um. Trump is still on his honeymoon, sweetums. Cute try at rationalizing your position though.

    I’m making a joke that Trump won’t be president a year from now. Sorry it went over your head.

    Davethulhu (fab944)

  14. I just complemented Mitch. I hope he gets on a 56 game hitting streak.

    mg (31009b)

  15. I fear that someday we will regret what we are about to do,” McCain on nixing filibuster — ahead of his vote to nix the filibuster

    cowardly brainwashed dorkboy

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  16. Bosh and nonsense. A purely political posture predicated on partisanship, not principles.

    Oh, that is certainly how it played out, hence my comment about lamenting the messaging around the unwilling to bring forth the Garland nomination which was indeed nakedly partisan. But I think the GOP Senate could have made it an issue of principles had they based their opposition on Obama’s contempt for the legislative branch, and simply stated that ignoring the other co-equal branches of government would henceforth work both ways.

    JVW (5de783)

  17. Kishnevi,

    Had Obama nominated Gorsuch, the Senate would have taken a vote. That’s what advise and consent means. Obama didn’t ask for the Senate majority’s advice. Garland wasn’t entitled to a hearing or a vote just because he was nominated.

    NOW, let’s dump the filibuster for legislation, not just nominations. I’m not worried that Democrats could pass whatever legislation they wished if they had a simple majority of Congress and the Presidency. There is a Conservative advantage if you could routinely repeal any government program adopted by Democrats. Hard to get traction for the welfare state if the opposition keeps tearing it down every 8 to 12 years, or better yet, refuses to even make appropriations for it whenever they control one house of Congress.

    El Gipper (f1f816)

  18. McCain is an idiot.

    Did McCain ever say that ahead of voting to send our kids and treasure to die on his foreign experiments in Democracy?

    Dear god I wish his quick death. What a POS.

    Blah Blah (44eaa0)

  19. #17 Trying to explain it to Liberal is tough. They are imbeciles.

    Republicans won elections, they had consequences.

    Obola the Narcissitic should at least understand that concept.

    Blah Blah (44eaa0)

  20. And to think Patterico once had the smartest commenters on the internet. No more.

    DRJ (15874d)

  21. Smart Senator

    “President Obama said elections have consequences, Garland’s nomination is one them. It stays one. When the Democrats get the Senate and WH again, they can nominate Garland and seat him.”

    Blah Blah (44eaa0)

  22. #20 Smart does not equal toady acceptance of the words spewing from the mouths of paid liars ,,, er Lawyers.

    Just saying.

    Blah Blah (44eaa0)

  23. A man demonstrating obtuse judgment w/a prickly temperament. Yep, the perfect fella to replace Scalia.

    ‘Grand-theft Mitcho.’

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  24. Scalia the Horrible was confirmed by the Senate 98-0.

    The only thing that’s changed here is liberal intolerance and dishonesty.

    Celebrate this confirmation folks and be doubly joyed that it’s not one of Hillary’s flying monkeys.

    harkin (c230be)

  25. nicely said Mr. Blah Blah

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  26. #18 specifically

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  27. “The unwillingness of Republicans to consider a mainstream liberal such as Garland or for Democrats to make their peace with a mainstream conservative such as Gorsuch is a commentary on our bifurcated society. Americans no longer watch, listen to, or read the same media as their counterparts on the other side of the political aisle, and scorched-earth political warfare is the inevitable result. Filibusters can’t fix that, because there is no common ground left between two party bases that think the worst of each other. All the requirement for a 60-vote Senate supermajority achieves is to thwart whichever side happens to be in charge on every possible issue.”

    Jonathon S Tobin – NR

    harkin (c230be)

  28. “Liberalism does not want to admit that the Court has become its last reliable instrument for achieving its political objectives. So liberals have created a great philosophical superstructure to justify their freewheeling, freestyle constitutional interpretation. They present themselves as defenders of a “living Constitution,” under which the role of the Court is to reflect the evolving norms of society. With its finger on the pulse of the people, the Court turns contemporary culture into constitutional law.

    But this is nonsense. In a democracy, what better embodiment of evolving norms can there be than elected representatives? By what logic are the norms of a vast and variegated people better reflected in nine appointed lawyers produced by exactly three law schools?”

    Krauthammer – NR

    harkin (c230be)

  29. Meanwhile, on the entertainment section of the paper, a feminist flashback, 1975 golden-pantsuited HRC is back at it, out lecturing us on the TeeVee why other things are to blame for her loss- not her.

    Yes Mawdie, keep reminding Americans why they voted for JR– ‘Dallas’ is much more fun to watch, dear.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  30. “Liberalism does not want to admit that the Court has become its last reliable instrument for achieving its political objectives….”

    In fact, it’s just the opposite. And K knows it. his flavor of Conservatism is in ‘Alamo mode’ and forced into retreat to the Court as the last battleground.

    “They present themselves as defenders of a “living Constitution,” under which the role of the Court is to reflect the evolving norms of society. With its finger on the pulse of the people, the Court turns contemporary culture into constitutional law.”

    It is. That’s why there’s Federally mandated wheelchair accessways for him to use.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  31. Three laws schools?

    Looks like just one to me, and the worst of the bunch.

    Harvard.

    No institution in the US produces so many out of touch, spoiled, entitled, frequently lazy, narcissistic, evil people as that one.

    Like a kiddie pool party at the orphanage with pedophiles — like a magnet for these amoral scorpions.

    Blah Blah (44eaa0)

  32. Amoral, would be an improvement. Meant immoral.

    Blah Blah (44eaa0)

  33. I don’t know how it is possible to have a discussion of the role played by Mitch McConnell without first discussing the insurance policy President Trump took out on the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch. You know the one I mean, the nomination of Elaine Chao to be Secretary of Transportation. For McConnell to roll over to the anti-Trump forces would have meant betraying his wife’s employer. Ol’ Mitch was never going to do that.

    The hiring of Chao was a classic urban developer move: you buy off those who potentially stand in the way of your project. Many commenters here and on other blogs were left scratching their heads about the Chao nomination, which they though seemed out of place with President Trump’s other nomination. But not to me. Anyone with firsthand experience with how politics really works has seen this move over and over again. At the time, I thought it was masterful. Today, I feel completely vindicated.

    Thankfully, McConnell did the right thing, but it was because he is a man of great substance. It was because he was bought and paid for. The man to be thanked is President Donald Trump. Not only did he nominate a conservative of the highest order, he also did what was necessary to insure Gorsuch’ confirmation. Bravo, President Trump!

    ThOR (c9324e)

  34. It is unfortunate that President Trump didn’t find a position for Paul Ryan’s wife.

    ThOR (c9324e)

  35. i can’t argue with a word of that Mr. ThOR

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  36. Thank you, happy.

    ThOR (c9324e)

  37. Which brings us back to my original question , ThOR. How do we get Ginsberg declared legally dead?

    Rev. Hoagie® (785e38)

  38. “It is. That’s why there’s Federally mandated wheelchair accessways for him to use.”

    and young girls can get suspended for having aspirin at middle school yet can get a referral for an abortion without their parents knowledge.

    harkin (517285)

  39. You know, Hoagie, now that I’m an old fart, my attitude about Ginsberg-like situations has changed. I never liked Tom Brady until he got old. Now he’s my favorite NFL player. I hope they both live forever.

    ThOR (c9324e)

  40. How do we get Ginsberg declared legally dead?
    Rev. Hoagie® (785e38) — 4/7/2017 @ 3:46 pm

    Check her pulse?

    Yoda jr (310909)

  41. “I thought the appointment of career bureaucrat Elaine Chao was just the smartest thing ever because Mitch McConnell is married to her and he’s a gormless piece of sh*t, so I knew he would accordingly modify the filibuster rules to appoint Neil Gorsuch because Elaine Chao is married to him.

    Also, #draintheswamp!”

    Leviticus (d4d726)

  42. Patterico: “There is a schism in the Republican Party. On one side are conservatives, who believe in liberty, the free market, and the Constitution. On the other side is the Donald Trump wing, which has no guiding principles other than blind faith in Donald Trump.”

    Michael Tracey: “Hardcore Trump supporters are denouncing his Syria action, rather than finding ways to rationalize. Novel concept.”

    As you would say, some people need to learn a lesson from this.

    scrutineer (e49623)

  43. You like Betsy DeVos better, maybe? If what ThOR say is true, then Trump got two for the price of one because Elaine Chao is eminently qualified for the position.

    nk (dbc370)

  44. Ruth says she’s still alive,

    papertiger (c8116c)

  45. But you know how them liberal judges lie.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  46. “Hardcore Trump supporters are denouncing his Syria action, rather than finding ways to rationalize. Novel concept.”

    Those are the “Trump supporters” who keep a picture of Putin in their wallets, I think. With his shirt off. On a horse. And carrying a rifle.

    nk (dbc370)

  47. Naw. Ginsburg had surgery for pancreatic cancer in 2009.

    If that hasn’t killed her yet, she’ll probably still be sitting in court when we’re all gone.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  48. Looking at a couple of comments, I’m not sure I want to come back.

    What I would really like to see is Janice Rogers Brown nominated even though she is now 67. She was robbed of her chance by a Democrats filibuster She would have been the first black woman. They could not have that.

    Miguel Estrada, who was filibustered because he would have been the first Hispanic nominee has probably moved on. He would not be the first anymore. The idiot “Wise Latina Woman” got that .

    Mike K (f469ea)

  49. Is it just me or is it a little weird how often Putin takes his shirt off around other men?

    highpockets60 (9735b7)

  50. Yes brown’s ship has sailed, sadly, miguel estrada is not willing to endure another trial by schemer.

    narciso (d1f714)

  51. The first male hispanic justice was of course Benjamin Cardozo, of Portuguese-Sephardic extraction.

    Ingot (1de9ec)

  52. How can he be Hispanic if he speaks Portuguese not Hispanian? Makes no sense.

    Rev. Hoagie® (785e38)

  53. Heh! And his sport is judo which involves a lot of grappling.

    But, no, it’s not just you. Other people have noticed it too. To the extent that Russian authorities passed a law making it illegal to comment “extremely” about it. I kid you not.
    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/06/world/europe/vladimir-putin-clown-drag.html?_r=0

    nk (dbc370)

  54. I think both Ginsburg and Beyer need to go visit that ranch.

    We can find someone to serve them a similar tea.

    Blah Blah (44eaa0)

  55. There’s a uniquely Russian martial art (referenced in burn notice)
    But it doesn’t lend itself to competitions.

    I would think that girsuch due to his mothers trial by fire is less likely to stray or as they say in Washington parlance, ‘grow’

    narciso (d1f714)

  56. This one, which I wasnt aware of

    http://www.systemaspetsnaz.com

    narciso (d1f714)

  57. i just hope good things start happening instead of bad things

    and soon

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  58. “Those are the “Trump supporters” who keep a picture of Putin in their wallets, I think. With his shirt off. On a horse. And carrying a rifle.”

    I bet he even knows the color of that horse and whether the cold temps have had an effect on teh putinipples… just a little too exacting description, IYKWIMAITTYD.

    Colonel Haiku (49aad2)

  59. Now some authiritirs are deeply susoect, Jeffery Sachs for r one “is part of the reason we ended up with volodya, his shock therapy was as
    Subtle as that meted out to mcmurphy.

    narciso (d1f714)

  60. Those ruskies have a robotic look, narciso.

    mg (31009b)

  61. I said McConnell would refuse to vote on Garland and would nuke if necessary to get Gorsuch.

    You weren’t alone. Had the Senate considered Garland, it would have been self-defeating and Hillary would have won. Had the Senate been unable/unwilling to seat Gorsuch, we’d be talking about the successor party now.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  62. It sure gonna be fun when they put Randy Barnett up for the Ginsberg seat. Failing that, Janice Rogers Brown is only 67 and it would be worth the short term to see her and Thomas on the court.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  63. And to think Patterico once had the smartest commenters on the internet. No more.

    Oh, he does. It’s just the average that’s been falling.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  64. “There is a schism in the Republican Party. On one side are conservatives, who believe in liberty, the free market, and the Constitution. On the other side is the Donald Trump wing, which has no guiding principles other than blind faith in Donald Trump.”

    I could, with equal “fairness” say that the two camps are those that are working for the possible, and the others who are holding out for fantasy.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  65. Well, we saw with the Syrian bombing, that there is also wing of the Trump wing which is supporting Trump because they like Putin and they thought Trump liked him too.

    nk (dbc370)

  66. Hopefully Gorsuch holds his positions on the Constitution and doesn’t “evolve” now that he’s on the highest court in the land.

    Still better than just about any alternative.

    Now’s the time to start shrinking the government.

    NJRob (43d957)

  67. I thought volodya might be something you need to have lanced by the doc.

    “That thing on my back, turns out it wasn’t cancer. It was just a volodya.”

    papertiger (c8116c)

  68. Return of teh 🐸 People

    “YESTERDAY IT WAS THE RUSSIANS: Hillary Clinton says misogyny ‘certainly’ played a role in 2016 election loss.

    Women-hating Russians with frog avatars told her not to campaign in Wisconsin.”

    https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/262010/

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  69. okey dokey and it’s not too early to start doing the election-losing misogyny on chelsea if you ask me

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  70. I wonder how long the Washington parlor games of “Three Degrees of Influence” and “Six Degrees of Separation” from the Russkies can keep going. It would seem they would have ended long ago if not for keeping the facts in the shadows of need to know while gossiping widely about their alleged content and importance. Let the sun shine

    crazy (d3b449)

  71. Play the woman card, lose on the woman card? Not quite, Hillary. By no stretch of the imagination are you the embodiment of womanhood.

    nk (dbc370)

  72. 68- “Women-hating Russians with frog avatars told her not to campaign in Wisconsin.”

    When you spend more on your ‘shattered glass ceiling’ special fx for election night than you do on tv ads in WI, you can’t really blame anyone else.

    harkin (c230be)

  73. these rando propaganda sluts at brookings are illustrative of how super-embarrassingly desperate the new mccarthyite pajamaboys are getting Mr. crazy

    this is the thin gruel CNN Anderson Coooper fake news is basically subsisting on right now as far as pushing this story goes

    There is, in fact, copious evidence of at least tacit collaboration between the Russians and the Trump campaign, collaboration in which Trump personally participated on multiple occasions. But we have collectively discounted this cooperation for two related, and quite perverse, reasons: It was overt and public and it was legal. The consequence has been that we largely ignore it in discussing the matter.

    Collusion, in this context anyway, is not a legal term. For legal purposes, it matters if Trump or his people /conspired/ with Russian agents to violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act or some other criminal law; it matters if they acted as /agents of a foreign power/ within the meaning of FISA or as /agents of a foreign principal/ within the meaning of FARA.

    When people say there is no evidence of collusion, they mean, we suppose, that there is no evidence of covert or illegal collaboration with the criminal activity undertaken in the course of this foreign intelligence operation against the United States.

    But that is rather a different matter than acquitting Trump and his campaign of collaborating with the Russians. It ignores, after all, the /overt and perfectly legal/ collaboration they plainly engaged in with what they knew to be an ongoing foreign intelligence operation against their country. We don’t need an investigation to show that this overt activity took place, for the Trumpists were caught /in flagrante delicto/ throughout the entire campaign; indeed, caught is even the wrong word here. The cooperation was an open and public feature of the campaign.

    It included open encouragement of the Russians to hack Democratic targets; denial that they had done so; encouragement of Wikileaks, which was publicly known to be effectively a publishing arm of the Russian operation, in publishing the fruits of the hacks; and publicly trumpeting the contents of stolen emails.

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  74. CNN Anderson *Cooper* fake news i mean

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  75. Putin, I should clarify, the crowdstrike report was bogus, the dossier was that on stilts, the report to Reid that lictblau
    Was,waving around was more of the same.

    narciso (c99e1e)

  76. Vanderbilt should have staid on that show with Kathy Griffith, ‘get me out of here’

    narciso (c99e1e)

  77. I know Adrienne Barbeau. She’s a well cherished wet dream of mine. Chelsea you are no Adrienne Barbeau.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  78. oh you know her???

    i got her vampire book!

    i love her more than beans she was such a wonderful surprise in Carnivale

    beautiful show what’s starting to look like it might be increasingly relevant as trump and ladyboy mattis gin up the jingoistic fervor

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  79. Praying for Ginsburg and Beyer to die soon. Must haves from Concierge God.

    Kagan, Kennedy and Soto-Mayor would be like Christmas every day.

    Packing the Court with some real conservative and Judge Roberts would be good.

    Blah Blah (44eaa0)

  80. oh you know her???

    Well… We never motorboated like I wanted but…

    Adrienne was born in Sacramento. I feel a kinship.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  81. got it

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  82. okey dokey and it’s not too early to start doing the election-losing misogyny on chelsea if you ask me

    I’m stepping in what you were laying down. Why you giving me grief?

    papertiger (c8116c)

  83. i’m confuzzled

    that was a reply for Mr. Colonel!

    some good ideas might be for to comment on Chelsea’s unfortunate physical appearance or to talk about how she’s a low-accomplishment loser who married a dorkwad

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  84. happy,

    You make the best discussion leader. Thanks for the suggestions.

    ThOR (c9324e)

  85. thanks! here’s a think piece about syria

    I see this military action as an error. Nothing in the U.S. Constitution requires that American forces fight in every war around the world; this one should be sat out, letting enemies of the United States fight each other to exhaustion.

    The immense resources of the United States should be dedicated, rather, to two goals: reduce human suffering with blankets and soup and prevent the stronger side (now the regime) from winning through the provision of intelligence and arms to the weaker side (the Sunni rebels).

    hear that ivanka?

    blankets and soup!

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  86. can’t remember what Chelsea looks like.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  87. mark must drink a lot to achieve the same effect i think

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  88. oops it’s *marc* apparently

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  89. @55 narciso

    Sambo isn’t just a racist caricature. It’s a Russian martial art modeled on Judo. My favorite practitioner is Oleg Taktarov.

    According to Joe Rogan, they do hold full contact combat Sambo matches but they wear helmets and shoes.

    Pinandpuller (b0adaa)

  90. @67 papertiger

    Oh Lord, stuck in Volodya again.

    Pinandpuller (b0adaa)

  91. speaking of sambo’s here’s a fun infographic

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  92. Walter Russell Mead, who is by no means a Trump-partisan, has a very nice opinion piece about Trump/Syria over at the WSJ. It is worth a read.

    Trump critics have worried about how the President will handle foreign affairs. It seems that all but the most partisan are acknowledging that with this first important foreign policy move, Trump struck the right balance, winning accolades across the political spectrum and around the globe. Words like “measured”, “proportionate”, and “principled” are found everywhere on the net. This is not the hot-head caricature that Trump critics have been peddling.

    I also think that Nikki Haley has been truly masterful at the UN. Her decision to make the Security Council discussion of the Syria strike public, rather than private, showed a deft reflex that seems rare among public figures. She didn’t have to wait for the polling numbers to come in; her response was instinctive and highly effective. This, too, runs contrary to the Trump cartoon so many are unwilling to let go of.

    ThOR (c9324e)

  93. Would not surprise me if Industrial Light & Magic or some similar firm were already gearing up the robotics for RBG to be installed upon her pulse stopping. It will be like the statist version of Disney’s Abe Lincoln.

    harkin (c230be)

  94. And Barack T Firefly could control it from his smartphone.

    harkin (c230be)

  95. i can’t read the wsj cause of I’m not a subscriber

    here’s an alternate link to the piece by Walter Russell Mead (who is by no means a Trump-partisan)

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  96. Third, Mr. Trump handled the process well. Congress was briefed but not asked for approval, a decision inside the long-established norms that govern military action by American commanders in chief. Engaging in a war to overthrow Mr. Assad would be another matter, but so far Mr. Trump has stayed well within the mainstream of American presidents dating back to the 18th century.

    yes yes Mr. Mead has this right

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  97. that said i don’t think any of this involved any for reals national security interests of america

    and that’s the number one most important thing what should “govern military action by American commanders in chief”

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  98. these jingoistic codgers don’t get it they really don’t (probably cause they’re old and steeped in the lore of a now long-past america what will never exist again)

    failmerica is well over $20 trillion in debt, and that’s just the iceberg’s tip of Hard Realities what must be Countenanced

    this action by President Trump and his special needs stripper daughter is retro and facile

    America can’t afford to think this way anymore

    it squandered that privilege many moons ago

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  99. these jingoistic codgers

    happyfeet
    wrote that. No, really.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  100. “can’t remember what Chelsea looks like.”

    papertiger (c8116c) — 4/8/2017 @ 10:22 am

    So the hypnosis worked? Consider yourself blessed!

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  101. the bomb-sprinkling fun’s over Donald now get your cheesy ass back to work

    nobody’s gonna judge the success of your presidency on how many bombs you sprinkled on some rubble to the girlish delight of your special needs stripper daughter

    and deep down i think you know that

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  102. I don’t agree. The Syrians were supposed to remove the weapons of mass destruction. The Russians were handed the responsibility to make sure it got done. That didn’t happen; we were double-crossed. A price needs to be paid for double-crossing us, not just to punish the Syrians and Russians, but to signal to the world that we won’t tolerate duplicitous behavior.

    In all sorts of human interactions, adverse recourse is needed to keep the agreeing parties honest. It is an essential feedback mechanism. Without it, there can be no negotiated agreements. There is no better example than the Obama administration. Breaking agreements with Obama was costless, so there was never hope for compliance. As a result, all Obama agreements were fictive. It would have been a laughable joke if it were not so costly to the citizens of the world. Look to the Middle East and you see a diaspora/genocide that is entirely of the Obama administration’s making. No one is more to blame for the rise of ISIS than the feckless Obama. The Obama Genocide is the result. The citizens of the Middle East suffered; America and the free world suffered. With the bombing of the Syrian airfield, that’s begun to change.

    ThOR (c9324e)

  103. but how is it that you don’t see the price what’s paid is paid by we

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  104. i understand obama was a pussy, a lying pussy to boot, and that should be condemned as well as abjured

    but me i think the voice what needs to be raised today is the one what says america won’t tolerate more bush-style misadventures

    as serendipitous as it is for the Walter Russells of the whirl to learn that DJT likes to bomb stuff

    that was not why he was elected

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  105. Sorry Happy. I’m going to have to float my stick with The Thunder God.

    Evening the playing field will keep those Syrians at home. That’s not just paper talk either.

    https://pjmedia.com/trending/2017/04/08/cnn-narrative-fail-syrian-refugee-slams-clinton-obama-praises-trump/
    Syrian survivor to Trump; Thank you [YouTube]

    papertiger (c8116c)

  106. There is a cost for doing nothing that you are ignoring. How much do you think it is costing us to settle those fleeing the genocide? Or to make sure the refugees aren’t really terrorists. Or to clean up the mess that is made when terrorists squeeze through the cracks. We pay for all those things, too. The bombing of the airfield was particularly cheap – not a drop of American blood was lost. Not one drop. In addition, a little target practice is just the sort of on-the-job training our Navy men and women can use. It’s a far better use of those munitions that shooting at some barge out in the middle of the ocean.

    ThOR (c9324e)

  107. you know what else i think Mr. tiger?

    i think if the preverted paul ryan congress were working more than 8 days this month then DJT would be focused on actually moving the ball forward for the american people as opposed to piddling around in these conflicts in faraway lands where they don’t even have sonics where you can pull in and get some tots

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  108. How does Syria become a self-governing, functioning state living in peace with its neighbors?

    crazy (d3b449)

  109. i’m confuzzled by 106 i don’t think this moves the dial towards a resolution of the conflict in syria

    this was way more i think the sort of high-minded symbolic gesture what goes right over my head

    it’s meant to form the basis of a New Narrative

    and me i’m just kinda over all that right now

    President Trump promised my coal friends he’s a help them with their job security issues.

    That’s what I’m looking for him to do.

    Stuff like that.

    Tear up the stupid Paris treaty.

    If there’s to be a new american century, that’s all on us here at home. Syria isn’t even tangential to that it’s wholly unrelated.

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  110. Consider the neighborhood. It’s not a high bar for Syria to clear to become at least as functional as Iraq, Turkey or Lebanon.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  111. The problem with Bush wasn’t that he liked to bomb stuff. If only. The problem was that he had the crazy notion that he could remake the most barbaric quarters of the globe in the image of the west. If anything, it was the bombing that worked; it was the makeover that failed. I don’t see Trump pursuing Bush’s “silk purse” adventurism. Do you?

    ThOR (c9324e)

  112. I bet the President can walk, whistle, chew gum, and read the newspaper, all at once.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  113. well Bush did set the misadventures bar impossibly high

    but still i think if you want to take on Russia

    the way you do that is to capture their oil export markets with Permian crude, not sprinkle bombs on some rubble in beautifulbabystan

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  114. I was pleased to read that Trump has turned the Obamacare repeal project over to Mike Pence and that President Trump will not be entrusting tax reform to Paul Ryan or, presumably, anything else. Ryan fooled him once. He won’t fool him twice.

    ThOR (c9324e)

  115. i was kinda intrigued by the border adjustment thing until i saw ryan’s ludicrous health care bill

    that strange little Romney-besotted man doesn’t inspire even a dollop of confidence does he

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  116. With that I completely agree.

    Permian crude will set us free.

    Hallelujah, brother!

    ThOR (c9324e)

  117. 🙂

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  118. Not looking for a resolution of the conflict in Syria.

    Looking for them to stop importing the Syrian conflict over here.

    If Syrian rebels have a hope of winning they will probably stay there, and try to make that happen.

    Doesn’t even have to be a good hope. It could be a Minnesota Twins hope.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  119. Oh my ….

    this is the Justice Gorsuch thread.

    PRAISE MITCH. IN McConnell I TRUST>

    * weaving back into lane.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  120. From our perspective, not a dollup.

    But we’re not the constituency he serves. To monied/ corporatist/ globalist interests, he’s their Man Friday. And the gee whiz, policy wonk persona is straight out of central casting. Why he’s Jeff Smith! This makes him very popular among fellow Republican corporatist toadies, hence his leadership role.

    I’m having a hard time getting your comment from the other day out of my head – the comment about how those Republicans who previously voted for repeal, but won’t now, are all liars. It was a poignant comment. Republicans like Ryan have built up an entire edifice of lies from behind which they work against the interests of their own voters. I’m looking forward to the ongoing clash between Trump and the Ryanistas.

    ThOR (c9324e)

  121. the comment about how those Republicans who previously voted for repeal, but won’t now, are all liars

    In 2013, 98 Republicans signed a letter saying bombing Syria in response to a chemical attack was unconstitutional without congressional authorization.

    I think I followed a link from Drudge and found that quote from the execrable Bill Maher

    and it reminders me of something i would do well to remember more

    almost all the stuff these days I find disheartening

    it’s much more readily traced back to Congress than to our new president

    they’re really just awful people

    and we haven’t even talked about failifornia’s hyper-regressive new gas tax

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  122. Yes, really just aweful.

    There been a lot written about Trump’s ego and how it may affect policy and politics.

    I’ve been thinking about how well that ego will serve conservative interests when the GOPe tries to hijack Trump’s agenda. Who better to have it out with the GOPe? That Trump has already decided to write the congressional leadership out of the equation on health care and tax reform is a promising development.

    Getting back to the topic of the thread, McConnell has been as much a problem as Ryan over the past few years. To praise him now for the depth of his character is risible. The hiring of Mrs. McConnell bought him off. I’m eager to see how Trump pressures the rest of the GOPe to get with his program.

    By the way, I’ll be paying that tax. Can’t think of a better argument to buy a Tesla.

    ThOR (c9324e)

  123. The only element of the GOP he’s pressured so far is the HFC.

    Davethulhu (c75fb7)

  124. yes McConnell’s longevity is so outlandishly disproportionate to his value it seems pretty obvious he’s only there at the service of and by the grace of some very influential people who’ve never been to Kentucky their whole life

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  125. @124. Turtles are renowned for their longevity.
    “No soup for you!” – The Soup Nazi [Larry Thomas] ‘Seinfeld’ episode 6, season 7, NBC TV 1995

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  126. So if Hillary is Bea Arthur when does she move to Miami?

    Since the gender thing is so popular we can reboot a mash up of Bosom Buddies and Golden Girls.

    Bill stands in for horny Blanche. John McCain is great as Estelle and Graham as Rose.

    Pinandpuller (b0adaa)

  127. “I’ll be paying that tax. Can’t think of a better argument to buy a Tesla.”

    Yeah, about that. I wonder how many shares of Tesla moonbeam owns.

    Leon (168f33)

  128. Luckily, I don’t need to drive as much as I used to, and with the one exception of a Toyota SUV, the other 3 cars my wife and I drive get at least 30 mpg. But here we go again with politicians telling the same old lies about gas tax being needed for road repairs… money that gets directed everywhere but there.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  129. 121- “and we haven’t even talked about failifornia’s hyper-regressive new gas tax”

    Wait till they get the transponders approved and installed so they can tax every vehicle for miles driven….it’s in the works.

    And oh yeah they are preparing a bill to exempt members of the teachers unions from paying state income tax. The other unions are getting in line.

    CA democrats – doing everything they can to make 2030 into ‘1984’.

    harkin (c230be)

  130. There’s an extraordinary bit of tape queued up at Powerline that’s a must see. It is a CNN interview with a Syrian refugee who thanks Trump for his action in Syria and criticizes Obama and his supporters for their inaction. The best part of the whole thing is the dour look of the interviewer, Brooke Baldwin.

    ThOR (c9324e)

  131. 130. Does that mean he was adequately vetted?

    Sammy Finkelman (1df645)

  132. I’d just like to add my “Well done Mitch!”
    I have been harsh on him in the past for a variety of issues. When he does something positive he should be commended.

    nmewn (2c8ac7)

  133. congrats Judge Gorsuch. don’t f us over like lame judge roberts.

    mg (31009b)


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