Tag Archives: #TrumpShutdown

The Emperor strikes out

25 Friday Jan 2019

Posted by in Josh Hawley, Roy Blunt, US Senate

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

Bad combover. Check. Too long red tie. Check. Orange spray tan. Check. Tiny hands. Check. Cluelessness. Check…

#TrumpShutdown

Thirty-five days into the government shutdown, with escalating financial tress on approximately 800,000 federal workers, an increasing drag on the economy, and an air traffic control system breaking, Donald Trump (r), blinks.

The republican controlled Senate and most republican senators, as Trumpian sycophants, have placed themselves in the position of voting against opening the government the day before and, now, voting to open the government – with no funding for Donald Trump’s wall – his unnecessary and narcissistic monument to himself.

Josh Hawley (r) [2016 file photo].

Of course, Josh Hawley (r) can’t help himself:

Josh Hawley @HawleyMO
After President’s announcement, Democrats now have chance to demonstrate that they are truly serious about securing the border. Democrat members of Congress have said over & over that they support border security. Now it’s time to prove it
12:39 PM – 25 Jan 2019

You first.

There was much hilarity in some of the responses:

I’m still trying to figure out how you aren’t in jail yet.

Hopefully in time.

Right, that political consultants in the Attorney General’s office thing.

How do you explain the past two years? The President couldn’t get a wall built with a majority. How is that winning again?

We get it Mr. Hawley, you are a WH rubber stamp.

Thursday: A CR with no wall funding is unacceptable, doesn’t address the border

Friday: President Trump is right, a CR with no wall funding is a sensible way forward.

Meanwhile people are 2 paychecks in the hole. Thanks.

So you want to spend $5-7billion for a wall that can be breached by a ahh… ladder? Not my tax money!

Well, Josh Hawley (r) certainly knows a thing or two about climbing ladders.

Your party could have done this in the two years y’all had control of the Exec. and Legislative branches. Why put this on the Democrats?

GOP is so serious about border security that they stop paying the people providing it.

and YOU need to figure out if you stand for something besides political opportunism.

Convenient you don’t mention who shut down the government in the first place. We could have been here 35 days ago.

Border security does not mean a wall.

This is also an opportunity for you to prove that you can be reasonable about securing the border, rather than simply parroting partisan doublespeak.

Too late.

Pretty soon you will have to prove you didn’t violate campaign finance laws while you were busy ladder climbing. Rs had 2 years to do this. Own your own party’s failure and stop scapegoating.

Ooh, ladders again.

Provided you’re ready to focus on solutions rooted in the 21st century, not the 4th.

Well, almost every other policy he supports is Medieval. he’s somewhat consistent.

You’re a clown. And the fact that you support Trump proves me right.

Stop wasting our time with a wall and address real issues.

At least they are willing to stand up to a bully and do something and not cower as you have

No wall

Just proving you’re a #TrumpToady. We get it you are trying to save face, but I’m from Missouri – you’re going to have to #ShowMe more than this.

It would be nice also if YOU and @RoyBlunt prove that you give a flying fig about WORKING PEOPLE (like the approx 4,600 decent Missourians at the IRS in KC). Remember most illegals come thru the airports & a wall won’t help. But you guys know that. You think we are all stupid.

You are lying. Dems want border security, just know the wall is pointless, as you do. You threaten the lifes of thousands, with your disregard and loyalty to Trump.

Yeah, @SenSchumer and @SpeakerPelosi are taking a victory lap on TV now, no wall, no wall $$.

Border security. Not a wall. How’s that coordination between your campaign and the NRA going? Scared yet?

Aren’t you under investigation Josh?

Looking forward to casting my vote to make you a one term Senator next election. You’re a crook just like @senatemajldr and @realDonaldTrump .

Previously:

Whereupon Josh Hawley (r) suddenly discovers that he has over 6,000,000 constituents (January 10, 2019)

Two of a kind

24 Thursday Jan 2019

Posted by in Josh Hawley, Roy Blunt, US Senate

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Josh Hawley (r) [2016 file photo].

Roy Blunt (r) [2016 file photo].

The vote today in the U.S. Senate on the republican poison pill bill (cloture), negotiated among republicans, which would appropriate money for Donald Trump’s (r) wall in exchange for temporary immigration policy changes (on DACA and Temporary Protective Status, hence the “poison pill”) and temporarily punting the partial government shutdown:

Question: On the Cloture Motion (Motion Invoke Cloture on the Shelby Amdt. No. 5)
Vote Number: 9
Vote Date: January 24, 2019, 02:42 PM

Required For Majority: 3/5
Vote Result: Cloture Motion Rejected

Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 5 to H.R. 268 (Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019)
Statement of Purpose: Of a perfecting nature.
Vote Counts:
YEAs 50
NAYs 47
Not Voting 3

Missouri: Blunt (R-MO), Yea Hawley (R-MO), Yea

Joe Manchin of West Virginia was the only Democrat to vote for this bill (cloture). Two republicans voted against it (Cotton of Arkansas and Lee of Utah). Two republicans didn’t vote (Paul of Kentucky and Risch of Idaho). 60 votes were needed for cloture, to advance the bill.

Is anyone surprised?

The “clean” version of the bill, which the previous republican controlled Senate approved before the Trump shutdown was also brought up for a vote. It, too, failed get the 60 votes for cloture, to advance the bill:

Question: On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Schumer Amdt. No. 6 )
Vote Number: 10
Vote Date: January 24, 2019, 03:18 PM

Required For Majority: 3/5
Vote Result: Cloture Motion Rejected

Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 6 to H.R. 268 (Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019)
Statement of Purpose: Of a perfecting nature.
Vote Counts:
YEAs 52
NAYs 44
Not Voting 4

Missouri: Blunt (R-MO), Nay Hawley (R-MO), Nay

Two of a kind. Is anyone surprised?

Six republicans voted for the bill (Alexander of Tennessee – retiring in 2020, Collins of Maine – seeking reelection in 2020, Gardner of Colorado – seeking reelection in 2020, Isakson of Georgia, Murkowski of Alaska, Romney of Utah). No Democrats voted against the bill. Three republicans did not vote (Burr of North Carolina, Paul of Kentucky, Risch of Idaho).

The #TrumpShutdown continues.

CLEAN Missouri bar fight!

12 Saturday Jan 2019

Posted by in campaign finance, Claire McCaskill, Missouri General Assembly, social media

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Someone doesn’t like CLEAN Missouri restrictions on lobbying expenditures:

Robert Cornejo @CornejoForMO
This great idea is banned here in Missouri #moleg thanks to the unconstitutional sham of Clean Missouri! People of all political stripes should get together over a drink and work towards common ground. Prost!

Harpoon Brewery @harpoonbrewery
Govt shutdowns impact all of us. As a brewery, we can’t get approvals needed to keep new beers headed your way. We’re asking our reps to share a beer (on us) with a colleague and help America’s brewers get back to doing what we do. So all of you…

12:36 PM – 12 Jan 2019

You want a brewer to buy you a beer?

Uh, at least use the correct spin. The beer purveyor’s post was about the #TrumpShutdown. You know, a federal issue. Own it, dude.

And, Claire McCaskill (D) lands a punch:

Claire McCaskill @clairecmc
Whooaaaa. There is nothing in CLEAN Missouri that stops YOU or any other legislator from buying a beer for your colleagues, no matter what their party. Says a lot that you think LOBBYISTS buying you booze is necessary for the work towards common ground.
[….]
12:55 PM – 12 Jan 2019

Bam!

Heh. That’s our Claire. This beer’s for you…

Whereupon Josh Hawley (r) suddenly discovers that he has over 6,000,000 constituents

10 Thursday Jan 2019

Posted by in Josh Hawley, social media, US Senate

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Josh Hawley (r) [2016 file photo].

#TrumpShutdown

Josh Hawley @HawleyMO
Voted AGAIN this afternoon to secure our ally Israel. Dems AGAIN blocked it as they continue their shutdown. Anti-Israel and anti-Semite groups celebrating. Dems: are you proud of this?
3:39 PM – 10 Jan 2019

What a yutz.

Some of the responses:

Why is this your #1 Concern during the UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT shutdown.

You have to admit, that’s a good point.

Dish it out but can’t take it, huh?

And the First Amendment won today, and you voted against federal law enforcement again the day after you said you appreciate law enforcement. Congrats I guess

GOP is all for freedom of speech, as long as it agrees with them.

Hey fellow MO citizens! Aren’t we proud of our newest Senator? He’s doing exactly what we said he’d do when those of us with a brain DIDN’T vote for him.

True that.

Rookie.

I wish you worried as much about your fellow Americans who are working with no pay or furloughed as you do Israel. The Russians are celebrating our government being shut down! Do your job, OPEN THE GOVERNMENT.

Constitutional lawyer in your bio. No 1st Amdt. concerns?

Until you kick Steve King out of your party, STFU about antisemitism.

Please vote to end shutdown so furloughees like myself can get back to work. I don’t give a shit about anything else right now. Thank You!

WOW! Way to go, dividing the nation. Remember that a great number of your constituents are democrats. You are sworn to represent all Missourians, even those of us who have Jewish heritage and are former republicans.

When everyone finds out that you are trying to criminalize free speech, how do you think it will go over?

Um. It’s Trump’s shutdown and getting the government open should be priority 1

Vote on appropriations bills to reopen the federal government. Everything else is secondary.

Why is this your #1 priority? Re-open the government.

When did Democrats get control of the Senate Josh?

Not a Democratic shutdown, but you already know that. Tell McConnell to release the hostages.

Have you voted to re-open the government?

Yes. Criticism of a foreign power – even an ally – should not restrict our own free speech here in the US. Quite a slippery slope. What other foreign nation’s policies should we not criticize? Russia? China? Turkey? Syria?

Hey Josh, you’re in the same party as Steve King. Have a great night!

Wow, you’re really not good at this at all.

Heh. Josh Hawley (r) needs to hire better political consultants to write his Tweets.

I think you should be focusing on a bi-partisan solution to the government shutdown instead of using non-priority legislation as an excuse to criticize the dems. Today Mitch McConnel prevented you from voting on a bill that was previously Senate approved. I am not proud of you.

Were we ever?

Lot of overlap in that Venn diagram..

Uh?

you proud of denying hard earned basic paychecks to Americans?

Dems are doing their job. You sound like you’re still campaigning.

He has this thing about ladders.

Just Yuck

@Twitter @nytimes Josh you fit perfectly in the Trump era: stoking anger, fear & resentment. You are conflating disagreeing with Israel’s hard right govt w being anti Semitic. As an American Jew I support the Ds and condemn your incendiary tweet.

Which flag do you pledge allegiance to?

319 U.S. 624 West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (No. 591) [1943] – He doesn’t have to.

imagine being the type of rube that believes this hawley nonsense.

So you’re against the first amendment, then? Noted.

Why do you hate the First Amendment?

Because for right wingnut republicans there’s only one amendment that counts.

How do you not know Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is Jewish? The reason Trump calls him “Crying Chuck” is because Schumer became emotional when speaking about his great-grandmother, who was killed during the Holocaust.

Oopsie.

And hopefully, they will keep doing it. Actions have consequences and how dare you say one damn word after @senatemajldr refused to allow a vote. Screw the lot of you.

Alrighty then.

The Pro 1st Amendment Senators are anti semites?
Bad take, Josh.

*believes the purpose of Israel is to create the Temple and Armageddon so as to force God to take them up to Heaven and send all their enemies, especially as it turns out the Israelites and their progeny, to a particularly cruel and depraved Hell…while the people in Heaven get to watch and revel in their suffering*

*accuses literally anyone else ever of being anti-semitic*”.

oh honey, this ain’t it

That appears to be a variant of “bless your heart”.

Bad combover. Check. Too long red tie. Check. Orange spray tan. Check. Tiny hands. Check. Cluelessness. Check…

Claire McCaskill and the #Trumpshutdown – Claire tries to save military pay, McConnell slaps her down

20 Saturday Jan 2018

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , ,

There’s no denying it – Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill failed to stand in solidarity with other Democrats when it came to the shutdown vote. I can’t pretend this doesn’t bother me; right now all Democrats have got going for themselves is a shaky commitment to standing united against the ugly GOP Trumpocalypse.

But we all know McCakill’s got a bad situation in Missouri and her stance in that regard always been to emphasize what seems most pragmatic in terms of the next election. I’ve got nothing against pragmatism – 2018 is coming up and a GOP congress more or less enabled by an incompetent dotard President to run wild is an existential threat – and McCaskill has delivered for progressives on scores of occasions. I just hope she’s really made the most pragmatic decision this time – although I trust her political sense most of the time.

Besides, four Republicans broke ranks and voted with Democrats, reinforcing the Democratic argument that the deal on the table – along with the process – stinks. Maybe it doesn’t hurt to underline the fact that this shutdown doesn’t necessarily break along partisan, but rather commonsense and human decency concerns. Republican PR to the contrary, the issues do not involve “illegal immigration” per se, but rather young DACA immigrants who are totally integrated into our culture – and who are here through no fault of their own – that and poison pill cuts sidecars that the Republicans have attempted to hide behind the pretense that an inadequate CHIP extension is a meaningful compromise.

McCaskill was, however, admirably quick to bring some her pragmatic commonsense to bear on the GOP claims that the shutdown showed that Democrats didn’t care about hurting the military. After Trump got the GOP blame-the-Democrats show on the road, tweeting (what else?) that “Democrats are holding our Military hostage over their desire to have unchecked illegal immigration,” McCaskill, bless her heart, put the lie to that dim-witted and way too obvious effort to avoid blame:

While Trump, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and other Republicans blamed the Democrats, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) made an effort shortly after midnight to get the troops’ salaries and death benefits paid through the shutdown.

“I want to make sure that tonight we send a very clear signal that we don’t want one moment to pass with there being any uncertainty of any soldier anywhere in the world that they will be paid for the valiant work they do for our national security,” McCaskill said, calling for a resolution to pay the troops.

McConnell scuttled the effort, objecting to her motion.

But McCaskill didn’t stop there. She earlier co-sponsored a bill that would, symbolically at least, put some tiny piece of the financial onus of a shutdown where it belongs:

Earlier Friday, a group of Senate Democrats introduced a bill to withhold congressional pay should there be a government shutdown Friday hours before a deadline to pass a budget.

Because Congress didn’t pass a budget before midnight, members of both the House and Senate would not receive paychecks under the proposed No Government No Pay Act of 2018.

“If members of Congress can’t figure this out and keep the government open, then none of us should get paid,” said McCaskill, one of the co-sponsors of the bill.

This initiative might have easier sailing – the optics are good for the GOP too, and, unlike federal workers who will see their pay withheld, few of the disproportionate numbers of wealthy congress creatures are likely to be hurt too badly. Nevertheless, symbolic gestures are important and kudos to McCaskill for helping to bring it forward.

ADDENDUM: Here’s more hardcore, classic McCaskill on the #Trumpshutdown:

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who herself is in a tough re-election fight, was one of five Senate Democrats who voted against the shutdown. But an hour after the vote, she issued a statement saying she was “disgusted” with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for pushing off a resolution of a children’s health insurance program until it got entangled in greater government funding differences.

“While I voted yes tonight to continue funding the government, it’s embarrassing how badly this place is being run,” McCaskill said.

Amen, Senator.

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): #TrumpShutdown

20 Saturday Jan 2018

Posted by in social media, US Senate

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Four republican senators voted against the resolution. Donald Trump (r) and Mitch McConnell (r) couldn’t even convince enough republican senators to vote for the resolution.

Fact check: Military won’t ‘shut down’ as Trump claims
…A federal law generally bars agencies from continuing to work at taxpayer expense during a shutdown, but that law provides major exceptions for military and intelligence operations, national security and emergencies.

The Defense Department’s most recent contingency plan for a shutdown says all active-duty military personnel would stay on the job, as well as 22 percent of its civilian employees. Moreover, the president has broad authority to decide who stays on the job during a shutdown — an authority that extends to maintenance workers for military weapons systems. Trump himself tweeted in 2013 that the government continues to run ‘‘essential services’’ during a shutdown…

Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) is a member of the House Armed Services Committee. She’s supposed to know and understand this.

Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) [2016 file photo].

From Representative Hartzler (r) last night, via Twitter:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler‏ @RepHartzler
Senate Democrats just proved they’re willing to shut govt down & deny our troops funding unless they get their way, and they refused to pass funding bill the House passed. I call on them to join us in a bi-partisan manner to fund the govt [….]
11:11 PM – 19 Jan 2018

Some of the Twitter comments:

REPUBLICANS used CHIP kids as bargaining chips rather than come up with a plan. The REPUBLICAN President refused a bi-partisan bill. You own this!

Who controls Congress again?

who are you trying to convince?

Uh, she thinks a sufficient number of voters in her district our stoopit.

Surely you know the answer to this one, Vicky–do Trumps hookers still get paid when the government shuts down?? Asking for a friend.

I believe those would be private, not public, funds, so they’re okay.

Your majority party has repeatedly blocked bi-partisan efforts. This is on you.

Repub house + Repub senate + Repub potus = Democrat’s fault? Your math is as weak as your talking points.

The gop controls the senate lady get your facts straight

I am absolutely very proud of my Democrats who stand up for the Democratic ideals and do everything in their power to try to work with this man who will not work with them. It’s his fault, your fault, and everyone who blindly follows him.

Nice try Vicky. #trumpshutdown #Gopshutdown

Your party controls every branch of the damn government. You could have worked with Democrats to avoid this, but like last time, you would rather let people suffer then work with the other party.

There was a bipartisan bill; Trump shit on it.

This is ridiculous. Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the White House. This is all on you.

You. Control. Both. Houses. [….]

Republicans just proved they are willing to shut down govt. Military will be paid, let’s be truthful! The truth is, Trump flip-flops on DACA, no guarantee they’ll protect dreamers in 6wks, some dreamers already being deported & Rep do nothing.

Republicans version of bipartisan negotiations is that the Democrats do what you say or they are obstructionists. You people are idiots

How do you sleep at night being such a hypocrite???? Amazing. You didnt get your way so you shut the gov down in 2013….. [….]

Well, yes. Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): well, that didn’t go so well (October 3, 2013)

You’re an #idiot

It’s a #TrumpsShutdown and a #GopShutdown. Own it.