****** A crack ? ******G.O.P. Senators, Pulling Away From Trump, Have a Lot Less Fear of Him

[DemocratSinceBirth]

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans, increasingly unnerved by President Trump’s volatility and unpopularity, are starting to show signs of breaking away from him as they try to forge a more traditional Republican agenda and protect their political fortunes.

Several Republicans have openly questioned Mr. Trump’s decision to fire the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, and even lawmakers who supported the move have complained privately that it was poorly timed and disruptive to their work. Many were dismayed when Mr. Trump seemed to then threaten Mr. Comey not to leak negative information about him.

As they pursue their own agenda, Republican senators are drafting a health care bill with little White House input, seeking to avoid the public relations pitfalls that befell the House as it passed its own deeply unpopular version. Republicans are also pushing back on the president’s impending budget request — including, notably, a provision that would nearly eliminate funding for the national drug control office amid an opioid epidemic. And many high-ranking Republicans have said they will not support any move by Mr. Trump to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement.

...


https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/05/14/us/politics/trump-republican-senators.html?_r=0&referer=

[L. Coyote]

1. The Senate Intel members were briefed on the Trump indictment last week.

The full Senate gets the news this week. Bu Bye Donnie. Rosenstein and Boente met with Senate Intel last week, so they already know Trump is indicted. The process is unfolding apace. Subpoenas were issued for Flynn associates by the Grand Jury indicting Trump, Manafort, Flynn, and others.

EXCLUSIVE: Sealed Indictment granted against Donald Trump

Given these circumstances and trump's own admissions, impeachment should follow in due order. Remember, it took 400 days to get rid of Nixon. This is moving very fast.

Trump's New Impeachable Offenses: Obstruction of Justice, Conspiracy, Abuse of Power

[Feathery Scout]

6. I'll buy Flynn and Manafort indictments right now. They can flip on the others...

And provide information to justify search warrants into Donnie's taxes, etc...

Then I can see him getting indicted down the road.

But I think the underlings need to get hit first.

[L. Coyote]

23. After the full Senate is informed, I assume Trump's indictment will be unsealed with the others.

[RKP5637]

2. Trump, is a Payara! n/t

[bettyellen]

5. Pariah? Papaya?

[rufus dog]

7. Thanks!

I looked at that for a good five seconds before I read your comment. Then I got it! I was putting the emphasis on PAY, so I don't think I would have ever got it.

[bettyellen]

9. No problem- I've had a load of trouble w spellchecks myself lately!

Seems like three syllable words are out of the question in the age of DT.

[cstanleytech]

10. Hey dont feel bad we all know that Trumps pretty fruity anyway. nt

[Still In Wisconsin]

11. He's a plate of paella. n/t

[FailureToCommunicate]

22. +1

[RKP5637]

14. To be avoided!

https://pescamoscas.blogspot.com/2013/05/payara-on-fly.html

[colsohlibgal]

3. I Don't Get It

Why have they not turned on him already? Pence could push their sick cruel agenda without the crass crazy sideshow and blatant incompetence of Orange Jerk Guy.

[brer cat]

4. I think they are afraid of riling trump's base.

If the true believers in trump turn on the republicans before 2018, no amount of voter suppression or voter machine rigging will save them.

[Juliusseizure]

24. Trump's the GOP's wet dream

I keep reading about Republicans turning. It never happens. It won't happen unless absolutely necessary.

The GOP would prefer a dictatorship as long as the dictator promotes their agenda.

They've been looking for a great bullshitter for a long time - a charismatic sociopath marketer/TV personality with media expertise who knows how to leverage polarization, and market/appeal to a large dumb loyal voter base, while monopolizing money/power in the top .25%

Trump will do what he can to keep the GOP in perpetual power. He'd be perfect if had more control over his f'ed up psyche.

[lovemydogs]

8. If they are and can stay distant, despite Mcconnell

it may be because of bad news from Town Halls and calls and emails.

[Mr.Bill]

12. Message deleted by DU the Administrators

[Pluvious]

13. Can he advance pardon his son-in-law ?

[Mr.Bill]

16. Message deleted by DU the Administrators

[benld74]

17. If there be grand juries

Indictments
Further mayhem
Further smoke

I would think whoever hands them out
Knows to whom they go
The order
The charges
To prevent any chicanery
Even if chicanery happens

Would result in more
Charges

[mvd]

15. K&R

They also must let their health plan get public scrutiny before voting, though.

[progree]

18. But those angel Repub senators have sure voted for a lot of shit lately, so be wary

GOP wins in reversing Obama-era rules on guns, environment, AP, 5/14/17
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/gop-wins-reversing-obama-era-120137105.html

Final score: Republicans 14, Barack Obama's last-minute regulations, one.

Congressional Republicans anxious to show voters they can get something done are hailing their reversal of more than a dozen Obama-era regulations on guns, the internet and the environment.

Among the 14 Obama rules overturned:

rules that enhanced protections for waterways near coal mines,

rules that required contractors to disclose violation of 14 federal labor laws for the previous three years when bidding on contracts

and rules that imposed tight restrictions on what broadband companies such as Verizon, AT&T and Comcast could do with their customers' personal data.

They voted to allow states to deny federal family planning money to Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. (That reversed a rule Obama issued in his last weeks in office.)

and voted for the repeal of a regulation designed to keep guns out of the hands of certain mentally disabled people. The NRA as well as advocacy groups for the disabled and the ACLU weighed in. They said it was discriminatory for the Social Security Administration to forward the names of certain beneficiaries to the instant background check system based on a mental disability and having a third party manage their benefits.

Democrats and environmentalists scored one victory last week -- Senate Republicans failed to overturn a rule that would have forced energy companies to capture more of the methane that's burned off or "flared" at drilling sites. (John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Susan Collins were the 3 Republicans that voted with the Democrats)

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Not to mention all the garbage Trump nominees that they voted to confirm.

[rpannier]

19. They wring their hands and talk but haven't seen anything else

we likely won't either

[DeminPennswoods]

20. With Pence waiting in the wings

I don't really get why the Rs are sticking with Trump. If the Rs are worried about their "base", Pence is just as tuned into it and probably moreso with the evangelicals. Pence will sign whatever wacky bills the GOP sends to him, too. Pence isn't as charismatic as Trump, but he's much more reliable. His appearance of midwestern earnestness can win over the block of voters who don't like Trump or Dems.

[Juliusseizure]

25. GOP wants a dictatorship

See my post. Plus your point about lack of charisma can't be underestimated. Its more than that. Trump is a highly skilled professional marketer and TV media star with unusual talents for manipulation and persuasion that a regular politician can't emulate.

They called Reagan dumb too, but he was a professional actor known as the "great communicator" and now an icon. Reagan was sane though and had a conscience.

[DeminPennswoods]

26. This is anecdotal

but out with a few friends last week and all were appalled by the prez, but when the talk turned to the veep, they were much more open to him. While I agree Trump has a small cult following, most Trump voters aren't so attached to him that they wouldn't fall right in line behind Pence.

[Juliusseizure]

28. Trump would have clobbered Pence too

I'm not sure what part you're stating is anecdotal, but if you're referring to Trump's popularity, just look at the results of the Republican nomination which was a rout.

Trump easily won with 1,441 delegates. Cruz was second with 551, or just 38% of Trump's total. Trump also won the popular vote by more 2X Cruz's total and won 41 out of 50 states.

Pence is a boring bureaucratic establishment politician, exactly the type of candidate uninformed and unthinking and stupid voters hate or at least ignore. Like Romney, Bob Dole, McCain, and Kerry, Gore and Dukakis on the dem side.

Leading isn't an intellectual exercise. Right now, its just the opposite. In the age of mass media horseshit advertising to the lowest common demoninator to replace thought, the most popular leaders are professional pitch men/actors with charisma and easy solutions who sell the hell out of nonsense. Build a wall. China bad. America's a disaster. I'll make America great. Come to Trump University and you'll be rich like me. OK. D'oh!

Republicans will fall in line with Pence, but he, ironically, weakens the overall party's popularity. He deflates the voter base. He's a bad salesman.

[DeminPennswoods]

29. Yeah, Pence is boring, but traditional

My point is most people don't know Pence's very conservative ideology. He looks like your nice next door neighbor. He sounds sincere and earnest when he speaks. In temperment he's the polar opposite of Trump. That will win over, at least for awhile, the voters who had concerns about Trump but voted for him anyway and some 3rd party voters. The extreme RW already knows who Pence is and loves him. They won't have a hard time accepting him.

[dchill]

21. So, do we give them credit? For being slightly less...

Merciless, mercenary and murderous?

Than last week?

[dalton99a]

27. +1