You know what to do:
NEW: Lindsey Graham thinks his health bill would get 47-48 votes if vote was today. Says McConnell told senators at lunch he is "all in."
— Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) September 14, 2017
Call the Senate.
Focus on Senators not in the South and from states that expanded Medicaid.
TenguPhule
Looks like they really are counting on Fatbastard appointing a replacement Senator.
Major Major Major Major
God damn it.
I will say though I think Lindsay just wants to be one of the cool kids with his own repeal bill, and that 47-48 is miles away from 50.
@TenguPhule: eh, what’s his face can avoid resigning for a couple weeks.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Major Major Major Major: Reasons to be cheerful…
1) Rand Paul wants to kill probably any bill from the right
2) Susan Collins still wants to run for governor
3) Dean Heller’s wife has to lay his shoes out for him in the morning to make sure he puts them on the right feet
ETA: @Major Major Major Major: dumb corrupt neocon fucknozzle owes it to the party to stubbornly linger in office even while Schumer et al piously call for his resignation
Major Major Major Major
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: yeah Paul really seemed eager to smother this thing in its crib earlier. And yes, he does owe it to the party, and they can’t force him out of the senate (right?).
TenguPhule
@Major Major Major Major:
Actually, they can under the rules.
But they shouldn’t be able to do it in a timely fashion. (Unless Turtledick breaks the rules again)
The greater threat is that he’ll actually resign under pressure.
Betty
I am sure he will have Toomey’s support. Casey will oppose. No reason to call in PA.
geg6
I already know Bob Casey will not be supporting it and who the fuck knows if Toomey will. I haven’t read the bill but if it hurts anyone not in the 1%, I’m sure he’ll be all for it.
geg6
@Betty:
Heh. Guess we both know our senators well.
Weaselone
@geg6:
No reason not to make Toomey and his staff as miserable as possible.
Chet
@TenguPhule:
But they would need a two-thirds majority to do that, right? So Democrats would have to agree to give Christie the chance to appoint Menendez’s replacement.
I don’t see that happening. Chuck is going to say that Christie is even lame-ducker than Obama was with Scalia’s replacement. The next governor of NJ should have the prerogative.
geg6
@Weaselone:
They never, ever, ever answer the phone. Ever.
rikyrah
THESE MUTHAPHUCKAS HERE!!!
UGH
TenguPhule
Under the current rules, yes. And I agree this wouldn’t normally be possible.
But they could still censure him and/or still initiate the proceedings anyway. Which would put Democratic senators in a bad spot politically, since having to vote to save a corrupt member from being expelled would be the new shiny toy of the media for months if not years.
efgoldman
@TenguPhule:
Not a rule; constitutional requirement. Article I, section 5
TenguPhule
@efgoldman:
Yes.
Appointing a justice to the supreme court was also a constitutional requirement.
efgoldman
@TenguPhule:
There was no constitutional violation. “Advise and consent” (confirmation) is not defined. No command or defined procedure.
NotMax
Defines the inherent problem with the tweet.
MJS
@geg6: I know Toomey will support it. He just got re-elected. He has nothing to worry about.
Percysowner
Well the “moderate” Rob Portman will vote for anything the Repubs put out and Sherrod Brown is trying to phase in Medicare for all by opening it up to 55 year olds to buy into, so I know how my Senators will vote. I’ll still call if only to make Portman nervous and support Brown. I’ll end up leaving voice mail for Portman who has a staff that knows when a controversial issue is up and knows not to answer the phones.
Major Major Major Major
@efgoldman: Tengu is just doing his usual “Calvinball!” routine.
MJS
Isn’t Lindsay going against his mentor by introducing this? I thought McCain said the Senate should return to regular order for any bills on this issue.
Ohio Mom
@Percysowner: Yup, I called all of Portman’s offices this morning and only D.C. and the Constiuent Hotline were answered by humans, the rest were mailboxes, some of which were full.
The intern in Columbus told me Portman hadn’t made up his mind yet, so once again he is playing chicken, hoping this goes away before he has to commit himself one way or the other. But yes, I expect him to always vote for whatever a fellow R puts up.
In contrast, the intern in Brown’s Cincinnati office picked up the phone almost immediately. THEY have a work ethic, unlike Portman’s lazy do-nothings.
tobie
Remind me why it was oh so important to propose a poorly crafted Medicare for All bill when Obamacare was still in jeopardy. As I said yesterday, the push for single payer brought healthcare back into the news. Wilmer couldn’t wait to plow forward but couldn’t the 16 Dems who signed on have waited till after the Sept 30th deadline for all reconciliation bills to propose this?
Major Major Major Major
@tobie: Maybe it’s a sneaky plan to make the ACA look good in comparison.
bystander
@efgoldman: The Constitution is clear that the POTUS proposes his nominee and the Senate considers. It does not say the Senate may choose not to consider. So, from my POV, yes, there was a constitutional violation by failing to do as the Constitution prescribes. The Framers make no mention of the right of the Senate to fail to perform its duties.
raven
who the fuck is Wilmer?
Chet
@TenguPhule: still don’t think it’s enough of a bad spot to convince Democratic senators to expel one of their own, given that Menendez can hang on until January 1 and resign.
Chyron HR
@raven:
I think it’s another one of Kanye West’s nicknames.
dmsilev
@raven: The also-ran in the 2016 Democratic Primary; some of his more ardent supporters have Google Alerts and similar for mentions of his name and can swarm a thread.
Here, watch: Martin O’Malley. Martin O’Malley. Martin O’Malley.
raven
@dmsilev: Huh, thanks!
Baud
@dmsilev: You Hillary dead enders can’t stop relitigating the primary. #MartinWouldHaveWon
rikyrah
@Percysowner:
I wish that they would lower it to 50. That would be a huge game changer
Jeffro
@geg6: you know that sounds like a good story for some enterprising Washington Post reporter … which representatives and senators are still picking up their phones now that the resistance has showed how to pound the living shit out of them when stuff like this comes up .
Major Major Major Major
@Baud: I hear O’Malley is going to have a litmus test for 2020, if you can’t name what state he’s from he won’t support you.
Baud
@Major Major Major Major: The state of denial?
Yutsano
@Major Major Major Major: Wait…
Really?
…
Shit.
efgoldman
@bystander:
Exactly. Doesn’t say either way. Whereas the criteria for expulsion (from either house) are clearly spelled out.
geg6
@Jeffro:
There’s been a lot of local coverage of how Toomey continuously ignores his constituents. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is good on this.
Major Major Major Major
@Yutsano: Yeah, he’s gonna rip the party apart, all for his big ego.
efgoldman
@geg6:
And yet, he gets re-elected…
Baud
@efgoldman: He’s a dude. His opponent was not.
jl
@geg6: Need to call so even if your Senators are voting against it, then they will be on notice that you want them to make a stink and lobby their colleagues, and lobby them hard to oppose the bill. DiFi and Harris are my Senators, and I periodically send DiFi my humble wisdom and advice on heath care. This bill seems to be the last gasp, for this year at least, so I’ll contact them both on it.
hedgehog the occasional commenter
Will call Bennet (I know he’s against it) and Cory the Weasel (who the fuck knows how he’ll vote, likely yes.)
Sigh.
MJS
@efgoldman: We’re regressing in PA
ruemara
@tobie: Sanders’ folks have been using that bill to lambaste any potential rivals for 2020. The damage being done by his crew and “Our Revolution” is real. This is an attempt to push it off a bit and demonstrate some level of unity and semblance of being a serious party of adults. Coddling a monster toddler in a grown enough to know better man’s body.
jl
@Major Major Major Major:
” @Baud: I hear O’Malley is going to have a litmus test for 2020, if you can’t name what state he’s from he won’t support you. ”
I think Baud should make people knowing his name and that he is running for political a litmus test for his supporters.
Don’t know if Baud will go for it. His base isn’t into remembering all sorts of weird political trivia and stuff.
Baud
@jl: My base has a bad habit of preferring other candidates.
MomSense
Shit. David can you give me five talking points? Ready to hit the phones/fax and organize against it.
Major Major Major Major
@Baud: I heard Baud! didn’t even vote for Baud!.
Aleta
@Baud: Stop sending them money then; they don’t deserve you.
NotMax
@Baud
You’re post-base, entitled to a plinth.
Baud
@Major Major Major Major: To be fair, I know me.
randy khan
@tobie:
I don’t think there’s any reason to believe that the timing on the single payer bill has any connection to this news.
Baud
@NotMax: All my base belong to someone else.
Major Major Major Major
@randy khan: No, but now that I think about it, waiting two weeks would have made sense in case they tried an end-run like this.
Mai.naem.mobile
@Chet: its not Jan 1st. Its mid January. I wouldn’t mention it except that Yertle(hopefully) may be desperate to pass anything at that point and bring people back in early.
Baud
@Aleta:
“You don’t deserve me” might be my 2020 slogan.
Major Major Major Major
@Baud: Can anyone really know Baud?
Mai.naem.mobile
@Major Major Major Major: Everybody knows OMalley is from Delaware like his pal OBiden.
lollipopguild
@Baud: Baud2020 slogan “I am better than you and you know it!” also “Kneel before Baud!”
Mai.naem.mobile
If Sanders runs in 2020 Hilz should run solely to follow his every campaign trip and troll him. Ruin the asshole and his grifter wife.
Jeffro
@geg6: Good! Stuff like that, it’s hard to Koch-over with a couple extra million…people know.
O. Felix Culpa
@lollipopguild: “Waiting for Baud-oh!”
tybee
@Major Major Major Major:
only biblically