The Trump administration threatened to veto the massive spending bill passed this week, possibly leading to a government shutdown, if House Democrats didn’t drop a provision that would have required the quick release of $250 million in defense aid to Ukraine.
Pelosi exercised MASSIVE restraint here. Unbelievable. But we’ve been warned that he will triple down on his efforts now. Putin must be really putting the screws.
[quote]Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House legislative affairs director Eric Ueland made it clear that the provision concerning the new aid payment was a dealbreaker.
However, Ueland reportedly insisted that their objection was not over Ukraine specifically, but to protect executive branch powers.[/quote]
Why would these officials reporting directly to the President-in-impeachment insist so strongly on this point? Assuming that the aid payment were not being used in pursuit of personal political gains as alleged?
I will say this. Trump takes orders well.
It’s just amazing. He can’t not demonstrate that he’s wildly guilty over and over and over again. It’s like Homer Simpson’s “continuing and baffling” desecration of the Sacred Parchment, and not just as a metaphor since there’s actually a fairly venerated parchment involved here too.
Most criminals have the sense to pause the crimin’ while the heat is on.
I’m betting that Putin is worried. Watch for a new push for sanctions. It’s already started but it will escalate.
Maybe Pelosi can invite president Zelensky to the SOTU address and hand him the check in person.
This is the first time I’ve seen this story, or anything else about the progress of the bill, so for me the big story is: How and why did the Ukraine provision get dropped? And the question: Was dropping it a good idea? Has this information ever appeared TPM? Shouldn’t it be in this story?
Trump signed the bill
Pundits and reporters characterize the Party fights right now as being a “struggle for power.”
It’s about money.
Republicans want access to the national treasury, so they can give our money to their friends.
Too bad Ed McMahon isn’t around to bring in the Pelosi’s Clearing House of Representatives’ giant check:
Yuuuuugest check ever!
They should have passed it with these provisions and told him to go fuck himself. sigh…
I’d say pulling this provision out was bad strategy. So now that Trump is impeached do Democrats have to go out of their way to show they aren’t playing politics on every single issue?
This too…
This article gives a lot of detail:
A rare miscalculation on Pelosi’s part. Trump would have backed down. He remembers how he got slammed the last time. And he’s a coward. I’d have double dared him to shut down the government.
Trump on (2) week vacation.
“The Trump administration threatened to veto the massive spending bill passed this week,”
“idle hands are the devils workshop”
Yeah, exactly. Why was it dropped? Because it sounds like a pretty damn good and necessary provision to me. I hope it’s not a another case of Dems doing the weak thing because they’re afraid of what Republicans will say if they don’t (“Democrats caused the spending shutdown”, which isn’t a lie they should be afraid of given how easily it could be turned back on Republicans).
"Along those lines,have nothing liquid or throwable in your hands when reading this.
" Media personality of the year
Political news dominates the news cycle these days. Turn on your TV looking for news out of Washington and chances are, he’s there. It’s NBC’s Chuck Todd. He hosts the shouldn’t-be-missed “Meet the Press,” still the gold standard of Sunday morning news shows. He also hosts a daily version of “MTP.” He is front and center on NBC’s debate and impeachment coverage. And whenever there’s breaking political news, he’s the network’s go-to voice on the “NBC Nightly News.” His excellent interview skills of the top newsmakers and his accessible delivery make him THE voice when it comes to news in these politically divided times."
