Politics

While Donald Trump soils his diapers and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tucks his head under his turtle shell, Democrats continue to remind people that our government need not be shut down. There is nothing...

As immigrant rights groups pressure Democrats to refuse to offer President Donald Trump any money for his anti-immigrant agenda, House Democratic leaders are reportedly preparing to release a plan on Thursday that would provide...

This isn’t whimsical, there actually is an almost insanely easy solution to the government shutdown, and one that gives every side the ability to claim a “win” on the issue. And funnily enough, the basic mechanics are already in place. There is no doubt that the Republicans are feeling the heat. Poll after poll shows them guilty by association to Trump, who is so proud to be hurting American families. Phone lines are burning up on Capitol Hill and in district offices. A new CBS poll shows Trump’s approval rating at 36% ,with 71% disapproving of shutting down the government over the wall. If you consider his base at 35%, this means that even 6% of his base finds him to be an insufferable dick on this issue. Here’s the solution. Mitch McConnell already has two procedural votes lined up tomorrow for ending the shutdown. The first one is on Trump’s hard line “compromise” offer made Saturday, already poison pilled by late additions by racist xenophobe Stephen Miller. McConnell already accepts that this vote will fail miserably, possibly without even carrying a united GOP caucus behind it. We know this because if he felt it had a snowballs chance in hell, there would be no reason for the second procedural vote on the clean House continuing resolution to reopen the government. The only question lies with Mitch McConnell. Has McConnell turned his caucus free to vote their conscience and constituent wishes, or is the vote on the clean CR a “show” vote to prove there is no GOP support for a clean reopening. If it’s the former, the clean CR bill passes in a nanosecond. Here’s how you end the shutdown by Friday. McConnell calls the vote on the Trump inspired bill, and the Senate wipes its collective ass with it. McConnell then calls Pelosi’s clean CR bill to the floor, where it passes, by more than 67 votes. McConnell then calls the bill to the floor for a final vote, where it passes, being sent to Trump’s desk for his signature, since it’s the original House bill, already voted on and approve. Trump instantly vetoes the bill in a fit of pique. Friday morning, Pelosi brings a vote to the floor to override the veto, which passes. Friday afternoon, McConnell brings the same vote to the floor, where it also passes. The shutdown is over, and everybody goes back to work. This is a win-win-win scenario for all concerned. Pelosi and the Democratic House get credit for passing the bill that ends the shutdown, and are hailed by their base for not bowing to hostage takers. The GOP House and Senate members can claim victory for bowing to their constituents and taking decisive action to end a disastrous mistake. McConnell can portray himself as a selfless leader, who bowed to the wished of his caucus and the nations desire to put the workers back to work. And Trump can claim victory because he didn’t cave under pressure to end the shutdown. In fact, exactly the opposite, he held firm and vetoed the legislation, it was turncoat Republicans in the House and Senate who buckled. The only losers are the Four Horsemen of the Shitpocalypse, Coulter, Limbaugh, Hannity, and Igraham, who lose their favorite chew toy. But even they can spin this, since it only 29% of […]

Trump is living in a dream world, and seems to have forgotten who the Speaker of the House is now. Nancy Pelosi is tough as nails, not a genuflecting tool like Paul Ryan. Honestly, this almost isn’t even...

Appearing on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" Monday night, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) once again brought to American households a discussion of the economic system which has allowed an extreme wealth gap to...

When former Kansas City Republican Barbara Bollier endorsed a Democratic candidate, she was stripped of her committee leadership role. The Republican Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle said Boliler crossed the line. As it turned out, Wagler’s “line” became a good...

Ahhh, South Carolina. Land of southern beauty and hospitality. I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting the state, but all of the photos and video I’ve seen of it are charming and beautiful. But if I wanted to go there on the cheap, I’d declare myself as a Democratic candidate for President, and let my campaign coffers pay for the junket. With an ever growing list of 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, South Carolina is about to become a very busy patch of southern political soil. Senators Corey Booker and Bernie Sanders are both holding events in South Carolina today, and as more Democrats declare their candidacy, visits to the state will ensue shortly thereafter. You want to retire in the summer of 2020? Start a business making placards, yard signs and bumper stickers today. There is a solid political reason why South Carolina is going to be such a popular political stomping grounds for Democratic candidates for the next year. Its demographic make up. Traditionally, the campaign primary season starts with the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primaries. Both of those are majority white states, with low minority populations. Next on the primary calendar is South Carolina, and as former SC Democratic chair Jaime Harrison puts it; ,Why is South Carolina important?” said Jaime Harrison, a former chair of the state Democratic Party. “It’s important because it’s the first state that these candidates will get an opportunity to vet their message with a population that reflects the heart of the Democratic Party, which is African-Americans and specifically African-American women.” Bingo. South Carolina is the first state in the primary calendar where the majority of Democratic primary voters are going to be African American, the portion of the Democratic base that was crucial in helping to drive the “blue wave” in 2018. The South Carolina primary will be the first test of these candidates mettle, not only holding out the possibility of gaining some early separation in the primary race, but gauging their potential strength or weakness with a base that will not only be important in the primaries, but critical in a general election. For potential candidates Corey Booker and Kamala Harris, the state is an early barometer of their popularity and viability. Not only against each other, although it will be a useful yardstick, but in general. If either one of them does well in Iowa and New Hampshire, and scores big in South Carolina, then their message is resonating across demographics. A middling to poor showing in South Carolina following poor performances in the two previous states may signal an early trip to the showers. But the state is critically important to white candidates of both sexes as well. In a crowded field, a strong showing in South Carolina can offer a candidate that precious separation from other poorer finishers, and the potential of more separation in the more industrialized states to come. For instance, it should have been a big, flashing, red “danger” sign for Bernie Sanders when he only captured 26% of the vote in 2016. In a field with only two major, serious contenders, that should have been an alarm claxon. In a field with potentially 10 times that number? It could be a death knell for several candidates. My guess is that as the summer […]

There is no doubt that black voters will play a definitive role in the 2020 election cycle. For the last several years, politicians and the media have paid increasing attention to the choices and motivations...

Sen. Kamala Harris announced her plan to run for president on Good Morning America on this morning of Martin Luther King Day. In an introductory video (watch below) teasing a campaign launch rally in Oakland, California, on...

When making old white guy comments about young PoC, brilliance in writing fiction about politics only makes Sorkin more like Stephen Miller’s make-up technician when the actual politics is now so critical. As aspirational as West...