Incoming White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci made his debut last week at a press conference. Hired over the objections of chief of staff Reince Preibus, chief advisor Steve Bannon and, now former press secreatry Sean “Spicey” Spicer who felt Scaramucci did not have the qualifications for the job, Scaramucci immediately proved them right. The …
July 2017 archive
Jul 28 2017
The Breakfast Club (Jumpin’ Jack Flash)
Welcome to The Breakfast Club! We’re a disorganized group of rebel lefties who hang out and chat if and when we’re not too hungover we’ve been bailed out we’re not too exhausted from last night’s (CENSORED) the caffeine kicks in. Join us every weekday morning at 9am (ET) and weekend morning at 10:30am (ET) to …
Jul 28 2017
The Big Fail
So Skinny goes down, 51 – 49. Murkowski, Collins, and surprisingly McCain. Is it dead yet? Because I am naturally cautious and have experienced too many Zombie Resurrections I’m not quite ready to declare Trumpcare staked, decapitated with a mouthful of garlic, pumped with a clip of silver bullets, dissolved in a vat of Holy …
Jul 27 2017
The Trumpcare Play
Remember, our sites deal in only the most scurrilous rumors and speculation. By necessity this post is kind of sketchy because at this point there is no Bill. Now the grand plan is transparent- bulldoze through whatever will pass and toss it to the House/Senate Conference Committee so that they can, in secret, produce something …
Jul 27 2017
The Russian Connection: The Russian Mob
Update 16:24: This just dropped at TPM: Felix Sater, who worked obtaining financing for Trump projects including the Trump SoHo, told TPM that the “peace plan” came up in the course of his attempts to broker an agreement to sell energy abroad from Ukraine’s nuclear power plants with Andrii Artemenko, at the time a Ukrainian …
Jul 27 2017
Rattle Shaking Shamen
This particular piece by the inestimable Dean Baker is about Economics but could just as easily apply to any other form of Academic Credentialism. How about a little accountability for economists when they mess up? Dean Baker, The Guardian Thursday 27 July 2017 Suppose our fire department was staffed with out-of-shape incompetents who didn’t know …
Jul 27 2017
About That Recess Appointment
Maybe not so much. While in Robert’s Rules a “Motion to Adjourn” is always in order (meaning it can be brought forward at any time), is undebatable, and requires a mere majority, the Senate Rules are different and, technically, we’re talking about a recess, not adjournment which would effectively end the current session of Congress …
Jul 27 2017
The Breakfast Club (Frustration)
Welcome to The Breakfast Club! We’re a disorganized group of rebel lefties who hang out and chat if and when we’re not too hungover we’ve been bailed out we’re not too exhausted from last night’s (CENSORED) the caffeine kicks in. Join us every weekday morning at 9am (ET) and weekend morning at 10:30am (ET) to …
Jul 26 2017
Subway
So I know this guy who actually owns a modestly large network of stores (I also know his IT guy who, in the context I’m about to discuss, is a much bigger deal but not relevant). He was my boss one year in this rather large but temporary project I was involved with annually for …
Jul 26 2017
Trump Bans Transgenders From Military Service
Update 15:37 ET: A report in Poltico claims that this ban is all about money in the budget for the border wall. When anti-trans Republicans from the House told Trump they would hold up funding for the border wall unless he banned Transgender people from the Military, Trump, obviously, didn’t hesitate. In the middle of …
Jul 26 2017
The Breakfast Club (Anarchy)
Welcome to The Breakfast Club! We’re a disorganized group of rebel lefties who hang out and chat if and when we’re not too hungover we’ve been bailed out we’re not too exhausted from last night’s (CENSORED) the caffeine kicks in. Join us every weekday morning at 9am (ET) and weekend morning at 10:30am (ET) to …
Jul 25 2017
Now They Debate But Debate What?
The the vice president casting the tie breaking vote, the Senate voted 51- 50 to debate the repeal and replace of the Affordable Care Act. But just what are they debating? The plan emerging in the hours before the successful vote was for the Senate to vote in the days to come on competing repeal-and-replace …