Discussion: ‘Foul,’ ‘Glum,’ ‘Like I’m Gonna Strangle You’: The Mood On Capitol Hill Is Grim

[jills]

They don’t have their own ATC though.

[socalista]

No, but they can fly in and out of privately owned airfields if they’re really worried about that. Then take a helo.

The bigger concern is the slowing of commerce. Commerce is highly dependent on air travel.

[chelsea530]

Good grief. Trump tweeted that prayer rugs are being found at the border.

“It’s unreal.”

Yes, dotard. It’s not real.

[emiliano4]

BothSiderist Bullshit. Fuck these People. The hacks that write the bullshit and the assholes who peddle it.

I have lived in countries where there is no free press. And they are headed that way.

Send them to Russia and let them feel both sides of a fist.

[socalista]

Trump tweeted that prayer rugs are being found at the border.

Retweeted.

As before, rightwing media personalities and conspiracy sites are in the driver’s seat.

One rancher (literally one guy) claims he found “prayer rugs” recently. At most, he may have found a carpet remnant. Trash from someone using public lands, perhaps. Who knows.

[chelsea530]

Oh, right, from the Washington Examiner.

Ugh.

[noonm]

I’m not versed in the finer points of Senate rules, specifically those allowing the majority party to force or override their leader as to allowing a vote on a bill. What is the mechanism for that? I’ve found an article claiming to have researched the issue, and it states McConnell has sole and unfettered power to prevent a bill from coming to the floor for a vote, with the only option for overcoming that being his removal from the post of Majority Leader by a vote in the Senate. Which has never happened.

https://www.kiiitv.com/article/news/local/verify/verify-can-senators-remove-mitch-mcconnell-to-reopen-the-government/507-89f1f5b9-db19-4af3-9347-bf38621bda2e

As a technical matter, this would be the way they could do it if McConnell refused no matter what. However, McConnell isn’t dumb and would allow a floor vote way before it came to that.

A GOP senators biggest leverage is simply to stop consideration of anything in the senate. If 4 GOP senators banded together with democrats and said they wouldn’t consider any senate action (no bills, no confirmations, no nothing) until a vote on a government bill was brought to the floor, you can be sure that McConnell would do it.

So no more stories on how Republican senators are hapless bystanders. They have the power to end this and every day they don’t act is a stain on them, their party, and the senate.

[dickweed]

I just just have the feeling Republicans either don’t care or don’t understand how much this shutdown is fucking over so many people and the country and are going to let it go way to far, before they do something. Kind of like if McCain had beat Obama he’d have let the economy go into full depression.

[squirreltown]

Democrats are at a loss:

Um… No, Kate. They’re not.

[joce_m]

And I keep wondering why I am not hearing that from MSM. It’s still “Dem’s at a Loss”?

It is a simple concept that can be explained in one sentence.

[asturcot]

#Where’sMitch?

[gonzoc]

Seriously, two TPM articles in a row now from different authors spewing bothsiderism. I can alway just put AP or Politico directly in my feed if I wanted more of that. Oh, and rescind my subscription.

[captain_america]

cConnell has sole and unfettered power to prevent a bill from coming to the floor for a vote, with the only option for overcoming that being his removal from the post of Majority Leader by a vote in the Senate. Which has never happened.

Time for a change. Only a few Republicans are needed. (they would never be elected again, but they are patriots, right?)

[captain_america]

Like the Mahatma said, “I know a way out of Hell.”

IMPEACH THE MOTHERFUCKER! (Then, convict, and then indict… Lastly, a long stay at Leavenworth. I’m even ok with reopening Alcatraz to house all the lesser fry.)

[jefemeister17]

While it may be true that the rich fly on private planes in luxury, the majority of those people who do their work and make them money have to take the bus i.e. commercial airlines. What happens when a deal cannot be closed or implemented? If ATC is shutdown, it would be like the two weeks after 9/11. There were no private or commercial flights, only military.

[hoppy]

Perhaps a rope should be draped over a street light outside McConnell’s office? With any sane majority leader this crisis would not exist. The Republicans have surrendered far too much of their authority as senators to Mitch, far more than Senate Rules specify. Remember, the Constitution doesn’t even mention a “majority leader” - he has no Constitutional powers at all.

[squirreltown]

Outdoor, chain-link pens right on the border, so Mexicans can toss tear-gas at them. And rotting fruit.

[hoppy]

The Senate rules do not give the majority leader the sole power to decide what gets to the floor of the Senate. That is just tradition, a tradition that needs to be stopped. Any Senator can ask for a bill to be brought to the floor, and without objections it will be bought to the floor.

It would be a brilliant move to just shutdown the Senate until this crisis is ended. And, it only takes 4 patriotic Republican senators to do it. But, at this point I can’t name 4 patriotic Republican senators. Do we really have 4 of them???

[claimsadjuster]

Sorry, Collins is not worthy.

[jills]

It still limits where and when they can go. Big money doesn’t do no very well…