McConnell defends Corker amid Trump feud

[babylonsister]

http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/354568-mcconnell-defends-corker-amid-trump-feud

McConnell defends Corker amid Trump feud
By Jordain Carney - 10/09/17 01:55 PM EDT


Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is offering support to Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) amid a war of words between the latter and President Trump.

"Sen. Corker is a valuable member of the Senate Republican caucus and he’s also on the Budget committee and a particularly important player as we move to the floor on the budget next week and he’s an important part of our team,” McConnell said Monday in Kentucky, according to the Associated Press.

snip//

McConnell's comments on Monday come as Senate GOP leadership will try to pass its fiscal year 2018 budget next week. The bill includes instructions that will allow Republicans to pass tax reform by a simple majority, avoiding a Democratic filibuster.

But Republicans have a narrow path for passing either the budget or ultimately tax reform. With a 52-seat majority they need the support of at least 50 senators, which would allow Vice President Mike Pence to break a tie.

Corker has emerged as one of the loudest Republican critics in the Senate of leadership's tax blueprint, saying he won't support even a "penny's worth of deficits."

“I want to tax reform to reduce the deficit,” he said last week. “I want it to be pro-growth, and I want it to be permanent.”

But he added that his skepticism about the current tax framework wouldn't impact his support for the budget.

[spanone]

1. the worms are turning....

[imanamerican63]

2. Good cop, bad POTUS!

Mc dumpy need every vote he can, so that is why he siding w/Corker!

[DFW]

3. Republicans were NEVER the budget hawks they always claim to be

They yell and scream about deficits when a Democrat is in the White House but suddenly get a bad case of laryngitis when a Republican is in the White House (or they get their VP, Dick Cheney, to say that deficits don't matter--until the president's name is Obama, anyway).

McTurtle probably went white with panic when he heard that Corker took their no deficit talk literally. "For God's sake, Bob, we never meant it! It's just another empty campaign slogan, didn't anyone ever tell you that in all these years? When have we EVER tried to balance the budget for real? Who do you think I am, Bill Clinton?"

[UTUSN]

4. Bwah-HAH!1

[underpants]

5. What if Pence sees someone sit down, he gets confused and walks out in protest?

This whole thing is starting to look like a Jerry Springer show

[gratuitous]

6. A ringingly tepid defense

Bob "is a valuable member," and "an important part of our team." Among Senate Republicans, who wouldn't get at least that much said about him by McConnell? When you're scraping by with such a bare majority, the Majority Leader can't afford to say, "Corker's off his nut, ignore him." Notice, also, that McConnell doesn't really take a side and certainly doesn't say anything against Trump or the madness of King Donald.

I have to give the Hill's effort a "nice try."