I’ve got a shutdown cloture vote teed up and ready to go once they close the vote. However, Senators McConnell and Schumer have just left the floor of the Senate together. It appears they’re having a back room negotiation on something. Whether it is what happens next when the cloture vote fails or something else I have no idea. So hold on to your seats, this may take a while.
Update at 11:08 PM EST
Senator Schumer is back on the Senate floor as of 11:06 PM EST. He first stopped and spoke with Senator Flake and then headed to the Democratic side of the Senate floor. No sign of Senator McConnell yet. It is unclear what, if anything, they were discussing and/or negotiating.
Update at 11:22 PM EST
Senators McConnell and Schumer are now both back on the Senate floor. It is still unclear what may or may not happen tonight. Stand by.
Update at 12:00 AM EST on 20 JAN 2018
We are now technically in shutdown. Given the Senate cloture vote is still open I really have no idea what happens now in reality.
Thoroughly Pizzled
How long do we think this one will last? A month?
PhoenixRising
They’re determining the order in which the hostages will be shot. Face it, neither of them has any influence on the jihadi Republicans and now we all pay.
Mary G
The chance that ten votes will move is vanishingly small.
dmsilev
@Thoroughly Pizzled: Doubt it will be that long. Maybe a week? Maybe I’m being optimistic.
Mary G
How can they negotiate with him? He is the dictionary definition of bad faith.
Yarrow
If the government ends up shutting down, then having it last through the weekend will guarantee his party in FL gets completely messed up.
Keeping it shut down next week messes up Davos.
Will a shutdown mean the State of the Union doesn’t happen? Edit: I mean if it’s still shut down on the scheduled day.
dmsilev
Post has a banner “McConnell and Schumer expected to speak on Senate floor”, with a live video stream of the Senate floor (nobody speaking right now, just some people wandering around).
Ken
@Yarrow:
We should be so lucky.
Cheryl Rofer
It’s gonna take a while for Donnie to get over his anger. Whatever comes out of a vote makes him look bad with someone, and
HE IS MISSING HIS PARTY!
dmsilev
@Yarrow: Contrary to all common sense and available evidence, both Trump and the Republican Congress are probably considered “essential”.
PhoenixRising
@Yarrow: Ooh, good one. ‘The state of our union is, you got dam idiots had a YEAR to pass a budget and Yellowstone is closed because we can’t pay the rangers!’
I know, Orange Julius isn’t that articulate.
PhoenixRising
@Cheryl Rofer:
Any chance there’s a metaphor here?
BruceFromOhio
Adam, which feed are you monitoring?
Cheryl Rofer
Adam L Silverman
@BruceFromOhio: I’m watching MSNBC. Even though they switched from O’Donnell to Brian Williams.
BruceFromOhio
@PhoenixRising: Then let’s make sure everyone, and I do mean everyone, knows that.
Ken
Someone had to go tell Trump his party’s cancelled.
dmsilev
Headlines:
Post: “Several Republicans join Democrats in voting to block short-term bill” (Bipartisan!)
FTNYT: “Seeking Concessions, Democrats Block Bill to Fund Government” (Oy)
CNN: “Vote poised to fail as shutdown looms” (slow to update…)
Fox: “Government shutdown nears as short-term spending bill fails” (surprisingly blame-the-Dems free)
Mary G
Andy Slavitt is in a bar somewhere in D.C. eavesdropping on a group of Republican staffers.
SiubhanDuinne
@Mary G:
This is me sobbing:
????????????
Marcopolo
Son, what we have here is a (no not a failure to communicate) a big fat stinky Trump Government Shitdown.
And the icing on the cake is this is day 365 of the Trump presidency. Next week will be worse.
Cheryl Rofer
NotMax
As we used to say, helluva a way to run a railroad.
dmsilev
@Cheryl Rofer: Please. We learned during the 2008 presidential campaign that the proper terminology is “terrorist fist jab”.
The Dangerman
Any chance they blow up the filibuster completely? They already did for the USSC, of course.
Outside of the nuclear option, I see this one going for a while; positions appear hardened.
Then again, I’m +? on a Friday night, so ….
Adam L Silverman
@Mary G: That was from last night when the House voted.
Yarrow
@Cheryl Rofer: Isn’t that a terrorist fist jab? Used to be when the blah man was president.
Adam L Silverman
@The Dangerman: They can’t do it tonight. It can only be done at certain times, specifically the start of a new Congress, without requiring the 60 vote threshold. No way it would pass tonight. Might lead to a riot though if McConnell attempted it.
B.B.A.
@SiubhanDuinne: At this rate he won’t get to go to Davos either. And he was soooo looking forward to showing off his fancy hologram badge.
Another Scott
Lots of standing around and sitting around on the C-Span live feed.
Cheers,
Scott.
Marcopolo
Close the vote! Close the vote! Close the vote!
Damn, I’m all outta popcorn.
Adam L Silverman
McConnell and Schumer are now both back on the floor. Still not sure what is a happening.
Yarrow
@Adam L Silverman: No one seems to know what’s happening.
BruceFromOhio
@Yarrow: “Is that a fist bump? A terrorist fist bump?”
Gaia, I remember that. The stoopid was beyond the pale.
dmsilev
@B.B.A.: Only about a week and a half until the State of the Union speech…
Mary G
@Adam L Silverman: You’re right, sorry. I am jumping around too many tabs and mostly reading the Trump’s first year at Hogwarts thread, didn’t see it yesterday and someone retweeted it tonight and I thought it was new.
SiubhanDuinne
@B.B.A.:
Yeah, but he wasn’t standing to clear $100,000/head at Davos. He’s losing millions on the Mar-a-Hoggo thing if it’s cancelled.
NotMax
SOTU during a shutdown would certainly be a first.
Also too, it has become standard operating procedure to pass a bill granting retroactive pay for laid off federal workers after a shutdown. Will Dolt 45 veto that?
Adam L Silverman
@Yarrow: I give you the world’s lone superpower! No, really, please take it.
Yarrow
@SiubhanDuinne: Doubtful. The tickets are probably non-refundable. But he doesn’t get to be adored by his (paying) fans, so there’s that.
dmsilev
@SiubhanDuinne: The tickets were probably “no refunds in case of cancellation” (because of course they would be) so that he gets his cash regardless.
Adam L Silverman
@dmsilev:
MomSense
This situation is absurd and pathetic. The Republican Party is a disgrace.
Adam L Silverman
@Mary G: No worries.
guachi
C-Span says the vote was 50-48. Any indication on how Senators voted?
jl
IS the CNN Shithole Shutdown Showdown countdown clock up yet? 31 minutes!
Adam L Silverman
Senator Durbin is seated, has a Cheshire cat grin, and is rubbing his lips. Other than he might need chapstick, I have no idea what this signifies.
dmsilev
@Adam L Silverman: A fair-sized fraction of the GOP would applaud that statement.
B.B.A.
@SiubhanDuinne: Well, but what matters more to the Donald, money or making powerful people kiss his ring?
…that’s actually a very good question, come to think of it.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@guachi: McCaskill, Heitkamp, Manchin, Donnelly and Jones voted for cloture.
Graham, Flake, Lee and Paul voted against. McConnell hasn’t voted to keep the vote open
Marcopolo
So with the government shutting down does that mean tonight is the night that Trump finally has truly become President?
Adam L Silverman
@guachi: Yep, Flake, Graham, Paul, and Lee voted no on the GOP side. McConnell hasn’t voted yet so he can do a motion to recommit. On the Dem side five were released from the whip: Jones, Heitkamp, Manchin, McCaskill, and one other.
NotMax
The winning, it burns.
jl
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
” Graham, Flake, Lee and Paul voted against. ”
At least the GOP attempts to blame it all on Democrats continue to go well. (/snark) They seem to have lost their touch.
frosty
Man, I wish the news would stop so I could do something else in the evening. I miss No Drama Obama.
Another Scott
@Adam L Silverman: Schumer seems to be reading and marking up some paperwork carefully. It seems like everyone is waiting for him to finish.
Just a guess though.
Edit – of course, just after I post that Schumer put his pen away and everyone is still waiting around… (sigh)
Cheers,
Scott.
Adam L Silverman
@Another Scott:
From McConnell’s posture and the look on his face, it doesn’t look like he’s going to be happy with whatever it is Senator Schumer is writing. It also looks like he knows he’s jammed and has no way out.
Cheryl Rofer
@guachi: The vote
GregB
Does this mean no more money for the porn star hush money slush fund?
dmsilev
I wonder what they’re waiting for. Holding the vote open for the next 25 minutes just so they can say they went right up to the deadline?
Adam L Silverman
@dmsilev: Unfortunately. Grover Norquist would likely experience an erection that lasts longer than four hours.
Also, ewww!
Also, my condolences to Mrs. Norquist.
jl
@Adam L Silverman: There is honest and good faith effort to get something constructive done. Maybe someone can try to explain to him.
B.B.A.
@GregB: There’s always money in the banana stand.
frosty
@Mary G:
Well, if he’d kept his shithole shut and signed the deal Graham brought to him, he’d be in Mar-A-WTF tonight. You brought it on yourself, asshole.
Adam L Silverman
@B.B.A.:
Jeffro
Besides McConnell getting it good and hard tonight, this is encouraging: US Looking At Russia and China, Not Terrorism, as #1 Threats
Adam L Silverman
Senator Cotton looks like he’s sucking on lemons too.
Also, good!
dmsilev
C-SPAN’s wide-view camera is a field guide to male pattern baldness.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I have to admit I’m kind of fascinated by the Kremlinology of all this– “Jeff Flake is talking to Schumer” “Elisabeth Warren huddling with Lindsey Graham”
jl
@Jeffro: Mattis obvs part of the Deep State Mueller gang. When will Hannity go after him?
Another Scott
@Adam L Silverman: I don’t have the sound on, but if you believe the stuff about body language then it looks good for Team D. Turtle and a bunch of others have their arms crossed while Schumer looks like he’s relaxed and ready to have a piece of pie and a snifter of brandy.
Or something.
Cheers,
Scott.
Adam L Silverman
@jl: As soon as Nunes prepares the memo. First he has to figure out how to spell Mattis correctly. And if Mad Dog is one word or two.
Adam L Silverman
@Another Scott: What pie goes with brandy?
Jeffro
@Adam L Silverman: Yes, no downside to that at all. Lemonface Tom Cotton = humanity advances.
Jeffro
@Adam L Silverman: All of them, Katie, er, Adam.
Это курам на смех
Well it looks like I’m about to start my unpaid vacation.
We do have to report as usual Monday morning to secure the office, shut off our computers, put the “sorry taxpayers no dice” messages on our phones, and sign a document attesting that we will not conduct any government business.
Jeffro
@jl: “IS MATTIS SENDING SUBTLE SIGNALS TO DEEP STATE THAT HE’S READY TO THROW TRUMPOV OVERBOARD, TREASON, MUTINY, ARGLE-BARGLE?!?!?”
/Fox Chyron during Hannity segment on this
Adam L Silverman
@Это курам на смех: I thought they were bringing the Bundys in to do that for you.
Westyny
@Adam L Silverman: Mincemeat.
NotMax
Picturing Harry Reid at home, enjoying a fine stogie and a 5-star cognac.
Divf
@Adam L Silverman: according to Nero Wolfe / Rex Stout, apple pie.
Adam L Silverman
@Westyny: I could see that.
chopper
welp, my department has cash reserves so I’ll be at work Monday.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@NotMax: Mormon cognac? Is that like ginger ale? Or Knudsen’s unsweetened blackberry juice?
Cheryl Rofer
Jeffro
@Westyny: win (as in, “The Turtle is…”)
Omnes Omnibus
@Adam L Silverman: Any pie goes with brandy.
jl
@Cheryl Rofer: red pills and blue pills?
Villago Delenda Est
So Schumer just about had a deal, and shithole wussed out.
Typical.
Cheryl Rofer
Rohrabacher’s presence has occasioned a number of speculations as to Putin’s role in the vote.
NotMax
@Jim, Foolish Literalist
Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.
(He can always say he didn’t swallow.)
;)
Adam L Silverman
@NotMax: He’s Mormon. So most likely neither of those.
Mary G
Hey, the NYT changed their headline after I and a thousand other people yelled at them from “Democrats block bill to prevent shutdown” to the much more accurate “Shutdown looms as stopgap bill fails.”
Adam L Silverman
@Cheryl Rofer: You can’t make this stuff up.
NotMax
@Adam L. Silverman
Steak and kidney pie.
Mmmmm.
Mike in NC
@Cheryl Rofer: What brand of vodka is Rohrabacher holding? I like Russian Standard myself.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I had this same thought
Yarrow
They have five minutes. Can they still stop the shutdown?
SiubhanDuinne
@Cheryl Rofer:
I don’t care who you are, that right there is funny.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Yarrow: Only if they agree to the House bill.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
@Mary G: fucking Vichy Times
Another Scott
Lindsey seems pretty animated talking in the scrum around Schumer’s desk. Schumer doesn’t seem to be impressed.
Cheers,
Scott.
Ken
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Perhaps it’s similar to Methodist punch: ginger ale plus Crystal Light.
Mnemosyne
@Это курам на смех:
I’m guessing that no one at the White House has any clue that their staffers are supposed to do the same thing on Monday.
NotMax
@Adam L. Silverman
By proxy, then. What is the Mormon equivalent of shabbos goy?
?BillinGlendaleCA
@SiubhanDuinne: That’s Mr. McMegan.
Adam L Silverman
All the action is on the Democratic side with Senators Graham and Schumer conversing. The few Republicans, other than Graham and Flake (who is also standing near McConnell’s desk, still in the chamber look desultory.
Doug R
Dems in a huddle, I think.
Mary G
My C-SPAN 2 feed is frozen and the clock has shown 11:39 for 20 minutes now.
Ken
@Mnemosyne:
Edited for accuracy.
Steve in the ATL
@?BillinGlendaleCA: fuck that shit!
Adam L Silverman
@Yarrow:
Mnemosyne
I’m guessing the stock market will go up on Monday. Those assholes love a layoff.
Adam L Silverman
We are now technically in shutdown! I have no idea what happens in reality at this point.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
Ding-Dong!
Another Scott
@Mary G: It’s still working here, but they’re still just standing and sitting around, with a couple of huddles (mainly around Schumer now).
Cheers,
Scott.
Cheryl Rofer
WE’RE NUMBER ONE!
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Steve in the ATL: I was stating what would avoid a shutdown, not what my preference is.
dmsilev
@Mary G: Mine is still going (link), but right now there’s about as much action as the Watching Paint Dry Channel.
Aleta
@Mary G: The NYT lie, “Democrats block bill to prevent shutdown,” is still there right below “Shutdown looms as stopgap bill fails.”
Yarrow
Shutdown!
Adam L Silverman
And the White House, via the Press Secretary, just issued an insulting ultimatum to the Democrats via Senator Schumer.
Marcopolo
Well hell, I’d thought they’d at least have dimmed the lights or something. Doesn’t look like a real Shitdown at all.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Adam L Silverman: Is the Press Secretary an essential employee?
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
@Adam L Silverman: Chuck’s body language seems very confident.
Yarrow
@Adam L Silverman: Art of the Deal! The best negotiator!
Kayla Rudbek
@chopper: same here. No authorization to keep spending user fees until Friday morning; what is up with Disney, Big Pharma, Silicon Valley, and the auto manufacturers?
Ken
@Cheryl Rofer: That’s all those Russian twitter bots.
(I have to think someone has decided to throw Trump under the bus, after the Wall Street Journal (!!) broke the Stormy Daniels payoff story.)
Adam L Silverman
@?BillinGlendaleCA: I have no idea. My guess is yes.
clay
THIs reminds me if the ACA repeal vote. If they had the numbers, McConnell would immediately gavel them in.
Edit: Which is to say, if Turtle had anything to offer for those votes, he would’ve done it already.
Marcopolo
@Adam L Silverman:She sure is something, that woman. Pretty sure whatever it is, though, it’s not human.
jl
@Aleta: Given that the GOP lost 4 Senators, people should contact any news organization that pushes this damned and very partisan lie, and politely, or impolitely (it’s a free country), call BS.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Adam L Silverman: She doesn’t seem all that essential or useful for that matter.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
Adam L Silverman
@Yarrow: Here it is!
jl
@Cheryl Rofer: I like ‘TrumpDown’, might be a tie-in to Stormy story.
Adam L Silverman
Can’t really argue with Senator Kennedy (R-LA):
?BillinGlendaleCA
@jl: Yup the old Republican rule was if you got one Democrat to vote for your thing it was bipartisan.
SiubhanDuinne
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
I know. Hence my “I don’t care who you are.” Would not previously have credited Suderman with anything remotely resembling a sense of humor.
jl
@Adam L Silverman: Schumer Shutdown? Too late, Donnie.
MomSense
Apparently Wolff was on Maher and said that Dolt45 is having an affair currently. He said that when you get to a certain paragraph in the book you will be able to figure it out. Anyone here read the book and know who it might be?
Oh and Schumer and Graham fist bumped. Don’t know what that means either.
This is the worst reality show ever.
Cheryl Rofer
@jl: People on Twitter are saying nasty things to Jonathan Weisman, a Times reporter, who is being very defensive.
Another Scott
@Adam L Silverman: “Obstructionist losers”??
Why not just call him a Poo Poo Head, Sarah?
(sheesh)
Cheers,
Scott.
Steve in the ATL
@Adam L Silverman: that’s just embarrassing for anyone who’s not in eighth grade
Mike in NC
Somebody fetch Fat Bastard his quarter pounder with cheese and some extra large fries, stat!
Mnemosyne
@Adam L Silverman:
The Possum Queen may be, but I bet that any admin assistants are not, and she strikes me as the kind of person who can’t find her ass with both hands unless her assistant helps her.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Adam L Silverman: Trump may have not written that, but he dictated it(and it was cleaned up a bit).
jl
@Cheryl Rofer: Maybe the NYT wants to fill an opinion next week full of appreciative letters from Trump supporters praising its coverage, in its next stunt in intrepid journalism.
Cheryl Rofer
dmsilev
@Adam L Silverman: #TrumpShutdown is the current #1 trending hashtag on Twitter. Sadly, #SchumerShutdown is nowhere on the list. Sad.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
?BillinGlendaleCA
@jl: Yup, Trump Shitdown.
Yarrow
CNN is working hard doing their Kremlinology interpretation of What Is Happening On The Senate Floor. This Senator is with that Senator. What does it all mean?!
Tom Levenson
@Cheryl Rofer: me for one. Gleefully.
Rommie
Yeah, the Senior Senator from NEW YORK is quaking in his boots at getting a Trump nickname. Sure…
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
Drumpfpocalypse Now
Mike in NC
@Adam L Silverman: Does anybody honestly know what dirt Huckabee has on Trump that he has to give Mike’s idiot daughter a high profile job?
Aleta
TRUMP FAILS
(Suggested headline)
Adam L Silverman
@Another Scott: @Steve in the ATL: I’m pretty sure someone whose name rhymes with Tonald Drump dictated that part.
Yutsano
WELP…good thing I shut everything off before I left this afternoon.
btom89
@MomSense: I’m thinking Hope Hicks? I don’t know the specific section…I don’t know, I do know she had an affair with the campaign manager (not Manafort) who was married and they were seen having a screaming match outside Trump Tower, Summer of 2016…so maybe not her.
Adam L Silverman
@Mnemosyne: Put a NSFW warning up for offensive imagery next time!
Cheryl Rofer
Electronic shutdown begins.
jl
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
” Trump Shitdown ”
You are my hero. Get that up as a rotating BJ header.
Aleta
@Tom Levenson: Yes that was fantastic of you. And beautifully argued.
Yarrow
This tweet got a lot of coverage.
I feel sorry for the regular people who will be hurt by this shutdown. I have to say it’ll crack me up if the custodians can’t show up to work so no one is there to empty the trash cans at the White House.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
Somebody needs to put a mirror under Orin Hatch’s nose to see if he’s still breathing.
Adam L Silverman
@Yarrow: It means this senator is with that senator.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@jl: I cannot claim credit, I believe it was marcopolo.
Adam L Silverman
@Tom Levenson: Who would have guessed?
danielx
@Mary G:
I knew he was going to be pissed – people are paying 100k to attend. There’s nothing the shitgibbon loves more than fleecing rich fools, and he can’t be there.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Cheryl Rofer: thin-skin is as widespread at the Times as their institutional Hillary-hate
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Adam L Silverman: I see we’re in agreement on that.
Mary G
McConnell votes no!
dmsilev
McConnell votes no on cloture. That’s it for that vote.
jl
@dmsilev: So, the Trump Shitdown commences?
Edit: Another Trump administration record of greatness, bigly: most pointless and dumb-ass federal shutdown ever. And that is a hard record to break.
Sab
I am totally fucking embarrassed to be an American this year. We can’t even run a government.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
Turtle’s voice is cracking – verge of tears
dmsilev
McConnell: “I will read the statement….part of the statement from the White House”. Heh.
McConnell has a sad.
Adam L Silverman
Shutdown post up.
dmsilev
@jl: One might argue that the Shitdown began a year ago.
Steve in the ATL
@Cheryl Rofer: should be “owing to” not “due to”, but I seem to be one of the few remaining pedants on that issue….
SFAW
@Adam L Silverman:
The only “Mad Dog” that traitorous fuck knows is the “Wine of the Century.”
Another Scott
Mitch is talking. He begged, begged the Democrats to not shut down the government!!11
With a smirk on his face.
He’s shameless.
Cheers,
Scott.
clay
Turtle is now whining on TV, just like after the ACA repeal vote.
NotMax
@Mary G
That’s a procedural move which allows him as Majority Leader to bring it up again for reconsideration and another vote.
McConnell now tap dancing to lay blame on Dems, rich coming from the same man who vowed to obstruct everything connected to Obama before the confetti from the 2009 inaugural balls had been swept up.
jl
@dmsilev: Precision in ‘Shit’ nomenclature will need many qualifiers in the Trump era.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
SiubhanDuinne
@MomSense:
I’ve read it. Couldn’t point to a single specific paragraph without going back and rereading with that in mind, but I came away with an overall generalized sense that Hope Hicks’ role is, shall we say, nontraditional. She would be my first and strongest guess.
MomSense
@SiubhanDuinne:
The twitteratti are going back and forth between Hicks and Conway.
Adam L Silverman
@SiubhanDuinne: We’ll know if she tries to invoke spousal, instead of executive, privilege when she testifies before Congress next week.
SFAW
@SiubhanDuinne:
One wonders whether she has contacted Megan Marshack, seeking advice or pointers.
Mnemosyne
@dmsilev:
That’s because the Russian trolls and bots haven’t started up yet.
Adam L Silverman
@MomSense: With his known fear of germs, I doubt it’s Conway. I can’t imagine he’d be into necrophilia given his germophobia.
SFAW
@Adam L Silverman:
Yahweh will smite you for that one.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@SiubhanDuinne: Hicks is about the only member of trump’s inner circle who doesn’t appear on TeeVee to debase themselves defending him, which is the thing he likes best about anybody– Conway, Da Mooch, Gorka, Miller. I’ve never seen Hicks on TV. Does make you wonder what makes her so special to the Beast.
Adam L Silverman
@SFAW: The only other option is Omarossa and I doubt that happened.
Mnemosyne
@SiubhanDuinne:
We already know from the Lewandowski affair that Hicks has absolutely atrocious taste in men.
MomSense
@Adam L Silverman:
I knew you were frosty but that was ice cold.
There iwas also a back door clue which Maher took to mean gay but I think Wolff meant as in he could have affairs without anyone noticing.
I hope it’s the caddy/Security/body guy/digital media person.
Citizen Alan
@Mike in NC:
I’d assumed that Shitgibbon knows he has to keep the religious rubes on his side, and giving a sinecure to the Pharisee’s Daughter helps reassure all the other Talibangelicals that he’ll help facilitate their grifts.