quote:

Schumer on working w Trump:

"The only way we're going to work with him is if he moves completely in our direction and abandons his Republican colleagues .

Ninety, 95 percent of the time, we'll be holding his feet to the fire and holding him accountable. But we're Democrats. We're not going to just oppose things to oppose them."

To me that sounds like a declaration of war. I believe, and hope, that this time they are msessing with the wrong cat. So...Fire Mission! Troops in the open!

quote:

..... they are driven, bold and unified

same thing can be said for the delusion psychotics detained in locked facilities;

When they have the votes, we do things their way. When we have the votes......

quote:

Originally posted by sdy:
Some important confirmation hearings in the Senate this week.

Jeff Sessions (AG)
Rex Tillerson (State)
Betsy DeVos (Education)
James Mattis (Defense)
John Kelly (DHS)
Elaine Chao (Transportation)
Mike Pompeo (CIA)
Ben Carson (HUD)
Wilbur Ross (Commerce)


First one is Jeff Sessions tomorrow.

Let's see how far the DEMs push their tired old racist line of crap.

For Tillerson, it will be important how far McCain and Lindsey Graham put on their "Russian" show that they seem to be enjoying so much.



First one is tomorrow for AG.

I would love to see ANY democrat accuse Ret Gen Mattis of racism. His simple stare alone would cause them to seek cover under the nearest desk. I predict it will be the quickest and smoothest confimation of any of Trumps picks.

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:
When they have the votes, we do things their way. When we have the votes......

...McCain and Graham say, "Lets's be bipartisan and do things the Democrats' way."

Donald Trump claimed some measure of political revenge against Ohio Gov. John Kasich for shunning his presidential campaign, after helping oust a key Kasich loyalist from atop the state Republican party.

Trump threw his support behind Jane Timken, who on Friday narrowly defeated Ohio GOP Chairman Matt Borges. The president-elect even got personally involved, calling members of the 66-person Central Committee to lobby on Timken's behalf.

"At first I thought it was a fake phone call," Cincinnati-area committee member Greg Simpson told Cleveland.com. "Then all of the sudden, he's talking to me."

Simpson said Trump touted Timken, a party activist and donor, without bashing Borges, who last year offered only lukewarm support for Trump’s campaign.

Borges appeared largely caught in the political crossfire, considering Kasich, a failed 2016 GOP presidential candidate, refused to endorse Trump after he won the party primary, despite signing a pledge to support the eventual nominee.

Kasich then refused to officially attend the Republican convention this past summer in Cleveland, despite being governor of the host state.

By the numbers, Borges logged a strong track record since becoming chairman in 2013.

He led Ohio Republicans in going undefeated in statewide races in 2014 and 2016, helped thwart Democrats’ attempt this year to unseat incumbent GOP Sen. Rob Portman, delivered votes in battleground Ohio for Trump and brought a major party convention to the state for the first time in 80 years.

“This run … as chairman of the party has been really the most exceptional experience, professional, of my entire life,” said Borges, who also suggested that he was pleased the outcome of the chairmanship vote could bring Kasich and Trump closer.

Still, Borges was at least partially responsible for drawing Trump's ire. He said last summer on Twitter that then-Trump Campaign Manager Paul Manafort “still has a lot to learn about Ohio politics” and that Manafort “doesn't know what he's talking about.”

The campaign later suggested Borges was hopping on the Trump bandwagon late in the race to further his career, with an eye on becoming the next Republican National Committee chairman.

"It's no great secret that Chairman Borges was never fully on board, but his actions over the past week demonstrate that his loyalties to Governor John Kasich's failed presidential campaign eclipse his responsibility as chairman of the Ohio Republican Party," Trump’s Ohio campaign manager, Rob Paduchik, said in an October letter to the state central committee.

Paduchik, who is Trump’s pick for RNC co-chairman, also reportedly appealed to committee members to vote for Timken, which has resulted in a complaint that such meddling is in violation of RNC rules.

http://www.foxnews.com/politic...m-ohio-gop-post.html

quote:

Originally posted by sdy:
This is an article that collects how the journalists reacted throughout election night.

Remember how we were watching the NY Times forecast moving to a Trump win? So were they.


http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/0...l-history/index.html

This is the story of election night 2016 in the words of more than 20 journalists who were in the field, in the newsrooms, at the anchor desks, and in the control rooms. The story of how Donald Trump's stunning win was covered in real time.

worth a read

And I have a new related screen saver in rotation...
It makes me smile every time I see it!




TD

http://nypost.com/2016/12/09/h...-cost-a-record-1-2b/

Hillary Clinton and her supporters spent a record $1.2 billion for her losing presidential campaign

Trump spent $600 million

The figures include all spending by the campaigns, PACs and party committees.

Trump contributed $66 million from his own pocket

The campaign and the Republican Party spent about $5 million in get-out-the-vote digital advertising targeted in the final few days at Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Florida.

**************************

good choices

and good to remember those choices every time the DEMs start in on popular vote. Trump took his limited resources and targeted them to win the electoral college.

And so it begins. Pissants that think they are "oh, so smart."


Republicans increasingly open to delaying repeal of tax hikes

A breakaway group of five moderate Senate Republicans pushed Monday to delay a bill repealing Obamacare until March -- potentially enough pressure to force the party’s leadership to comply.

The step is the latest sign of some Republicans’ growing uneasiness about their leadership’s plan to repeal the law with no consensus on a replacement as part of an effort to deliver swiftly on one of President-elect Donald Trump’s top campaign promises.

Senators Bob Corker of Tennessee, Rob Portman of Ohio, Susan Collins of Maine, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska offered an amendment Monday to the budget resolution that would extend the target date for the committees to write an Obamacare repeal bill to March 3 from Jan. 27.

“As President-elect Trump has stated, repeal and replace should take place simultaneously, and this amendment will give the incoming administration more time to outline its priorities," Corker said in a statement. "By extending the deadline for budget reconciliation instructions until March, Congress and the incoming administration will each have additional time to get the policy right."

With Democrats opposed to a straight repeal bill, Republicans can lose no more than one backer if they want to fast-track their approach before Trump takes office. Republican leaders in the Senate are hoping to adopt the budget resolution -- which would allow an Obamacare repeal bill to pass with 50 votes and escape a Senate filibuster -- early Thursday after a marathon session of amendment votes.

More broadly, the amendment reflects the deep divisions, which persist nearly seven years into Republicans’ promises to repeal and replace Obamacare, within the party on what kind of system to set up. Views range from a minimalist approach -- favored by the most conservative members -- that lets the market work its will, to a substantial, but scaled-back government role that maintains significant parts of the law, such as financial assistance to cover low-income people under Medicaid.

On the House side, the new chairman of the conservative Freedom Caucus said his group wants to see more details about an Obamacare replacement before voting on the budget resolution.

"We hope they would see the prudence of waiting," Representative Mark Meadows of North Carolina said Monday night.

No Consensus

Interviews with many Republicans indicate that the party is no closer to consensus two months after an election that gave them unified control of the White House and Congress.

Even before the new amendment was offered, Cassidy, Collins and other senators pushed to delay any repeal of Obamacare tax hikes so that there would be revenue to pay for a replacement plan. This puts them at odds with House conservatives, who have been demanding a full, immediate repeal.

On Monday, more senators said they agreed with a delay on the tax front, including Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota.


John Cornyn, the No. 2 Senate Republican, told reporters that the taxes used to subsidize insurance for millions of Americans could be dealt with later this year in a larger tax overhaul.

Republicans senators are also grappling with the risks of repealing the law before a replacement is ready.

Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said he wants to see a "pretty darn specific” proposal to replace Obamacare before it’s repealed.

‘Test Votes’

"Let’s start taking test votes on the different elements” and "start making the political points” for "what is going to be a more rational health-care system that actually works,” Johnson said in an interview. "There is enough resistance and probably recognition” among Republicans that the Senate is likely to move slowly on repeal, he said. "It sounds like President-elect Trump is kind of weighing into it as well, saying, be a little careful here — we repeal it, it’s ours."
Other Republicans are still supporting their leaders’ strategy. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina said that "if there is a vote to repeal Obamacare I’m going to vote yes," but he wants a three-year delay in implementation for a "comfortable landing." Others also support a swift repeal vote.

"You have to replace it once you repeal. There’s a good case to be made to have a trigger that triggers the replacement so everyone knows it’s coming. But having them both together is not a necessity," said Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia.

Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, the chair of the health committee, indicated that the process of voting to replace Obamacare would take until the summer to complete, and said Republicans are "going to do this step by step."


"We need to carefully reform and replace Obamacare, and when it takes effect, we can finally repeal Obamacare. And so we’ve got to get the right sequencing on this," Alexander told reporters. "In my view we need to cast most of our votes on that before summer time. It’ll probably take two or three steps and then it’ll probably take two or three years to implement it over time."

Another source of GOP division is whether a replacement should insure as many people as Obamacare does, in order to avoid the political fallout of throwing people off coverage. Some Republicans, such as Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, say they want their party’s alternative to cover at least as many Americans. Others demur on the question: "We’ll see. We don’t know yet," said Alexander.

Moving Forward

The backers of the new amendment insist that they remain committed to the goal of dismantling President Barack Obama’s health-care law.

"This amendment will ensure that we move forward with a smart, responsible plan to replace the law as quickly as possible," Portman said.

Murkowski said it’s simply "common sense" that repeal and replace happen simultaneously.

“I remain committed to repealing the Affordable Care Act, and I am equally committed to ensuring that all Alaskans and Americans, especially the most vulnerable among us and those in rural communities, have access to affordable, quality health care," Murkowski said.

^^^^^ Just want to say: This shit PISSES ME OFF!

I'm of the opinion that repeal of Obamacare must be coupled with a replacement for it. To leave millions of people without coverage would be unethical.

flashguy

I had a perfectly fine "replacement" before Obamacare. Send it back to the private sector. Completely. But we all know that will never happen. Socialized health care is here to stay. Always was, just a bunch more.

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:
I'm of the opinion that repeal of Obamacare must be coupled with a replacement for it. To leave millions of people without coverage would be unethical.

flashguy

so it begins.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/09/...n-hearing/index.html

Democratic Sen. Cory Booker is set to testify against Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions Wednesday in an unprecedented move during his attorney general confirmation.

This would be the first time in Senate history that a sitting senator will testify against another sitting senator for a Cabinet post during a confirmation.

Democratic Rep. John Lewis is also expected to testify against Sessions during his confirmation hearings.


that would be this John Lewis. Holding hands with ...

The circus clowns are assembling now...

Democrats are vile and unprecedented in their duplicity.

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:
I'm of the opinion that repeal of Obamacare must be coupled with a replacement for it. To leave millions of people without coverage would be unethical.

flashguy

They're basically uncovered now. Yes they do have insurance, but the deductibles are so high that they can't afford to use it.



The average deductible for 2017 bronze plans marks the first time this average has crossed the $6,000 threshold. Compared to 2016’s average of $5,731, the 2017 average bronze plan deductible for individuals is 6% higher ($6,092). For families enrolled in bronze plans, the average deductible is over $12,000 in 2017.

Link

What we need is for the conservatives to become somewhat confrontationalduring the confirmations. Given the lefts current blood pressure levels and age we stand a good chance of medically retiring a fair number.

demonstrators chanting and drowning out Jeff Sessions in his opening remarks [deleted a colorful description of the demonstrators]


adding: Sessions is giving the speech we all wanted to hear from our AG. Not pulling any punches.


Grassley and Hatch are taking the DEMs head on. Doing a good job.

1130 ET more screaming demonstrators thrown out of the hearing

Dick Durbin (D) attacked Sessions on what he would do re the 800,000 illegals here under Obama's DACA. Sessions had a great answer. DACA was not constitutional. It was Congress's job to fix immigration law.

Cornyn just strongly endorsed Sessions. so far so good.

Sessions was asked if he would prosecute Hillary Clinton. He said because of remarks he made during the Trump campaign he would recuse himself from that decision.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sdy,

The next 4 years will be an utterly absurd freak show with the left as the leading actors on the national and world stage. Jan 20th - if you live in a city and must work there and are in an other blue infested region, stay home. The target rich environment presented on that day by the blue may be too tempting for normally fully law abiding red oriented citizens. I'm staying home.

Trump will have to fight Obama care thru the Executive branch, since the bill gives a lot of discretion to the Executive branch on this one.

We'll see what levers of the Executive Branch President-elect Trump is willing to yank.

As the heading of this thread indicates, President-elect Trump is a first-rate ass clown, but compared to the left, he is an amateur first rate ass clown. The professionals in the realm of first rate ass clowning are on the left.

HNY and a healthy & prosperous 2017 to all Sigforum denizens and their families.

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:
I'm of the opinion that repeal of Obamacare must be coupled with a replacement for it. To leave millions of people without coverage would be unethical.

flashguy

This is why the Democrats win. They know that once they manage to give out free shit, it becomes politically difficult to take it away.

IMHO, no one has a right to anything that has to be provided by a fellow citizen. There is no ethical requirement for the taxpayer to provide insurance to anyone. That was true before Obamacare and remains true today.