are likely to follow through on their threats and cut them off. The 2018 and 2020 elections could be like the Great Marianna Turkey Shoot of WWII -- the DEMs playing the role of the US fliers.

It would free so many of them to actually earn their positions the right way...on their principles and public positions. The best way to beat Citizens United is at the ballot box since the sorry SCOTuS in also in their pockets.

I wonder how that sits with him. His best pal in the Senate engaging in a scheme to play him.

I'm so sick of this!

Just give it up GOP - you have neither the will nor the ability to lead this country.

American Death Care Bill. The four Hundred wealthiest Families want their pay back with interest.

Much of that nearly $1 B Repub leaders promised to funnel to them by gutting government programs was going to made possible by our tax dollars.

Well, if 330 million people did't kick these sociopathic predators back in the cages our grandparents put them in, they'd at least be somewhat right that we don't deserve to exist. But we will. It just gets so exasperating waiting for enough people to finally wise up.

and are trying to subtly defend this POS of a repeal. The Comcast Media Group which is NBC/MSNBC,today trotted out Pete Williams to do his spittle. So predictable when one sees certain so called On Air Talents,and they spew GOP talking points,one just knows that their Upstairs Crowd got the call with a threat. Example,watch Chuckie Todd,Mrs. Greenspan,and a couple of others.

All about Comcast doing the next merger,Koch Brothers not paying any Taxes,and the Military Industrial Complex getting their next bloated contract for some piece of Junk that kills it's operator.

but will tune in to watch. Absolutely no surprise that it's happening.

Of course it is. Those Too Big To Expose on these shows are also turning their screws on the MSM who support/depend on/are afraid of them.

class,actually,several. Wow,it really opens one's mind and listening skills. One picks up on the little subtle nuances and speech patterns. Example,ABC/Disney uses what is called the Gish Gallop on all their local and national news. NBC/MSNBC when they do what is called a stand up piece,notice how the Talent's Head is bobbing around like a bobble head before they inject their tow cents. Don't watch Faux,so have zero idea what stupid thing they do. Must be really ugly.

watch anyway to try to identify those with more subtle deliveries. And the overly critical and undermining groupthink most who want to remain in the inner circles need to conform to if they want to be on the A lists. And the much smaller number who don't move in those circles.

Best, of course, is to turn what became long ago an insidious poison off.

TCM calms the beast. Can not have our local stations on. Ambulance Chaser Ads or some worthless Dental Lab hawking their less than quality crap. It is like watching a food fight by Kindergartners. At least little kids get creative from time to time.

Your description of its painful lowest common denominator inanity is all too apt.

Network evening news, of course, has become a disgustingly venal delivery vehicle for viewers to advertisers. They've become experts at editing the world into little slips between blocks of commercials that avoid disturbing with too much truth or information, and of course always end with an adorable puppy story or some such. We turn both of these on rarely just to see what their viewers are being exposed to.

If not exactly as calming as TWC, business channels can at least be notably better than the nonbusiness programming. We'll turn one on when wanting to hear the news and every else on right then stinks. Their audience tends to insist on more reliable information, even if some return to Fox after, and are not interested in conservatizing reminders of how Dangerous It Is Out There. Even Fox business, most business viewers' last choice, is nevertheless significantly less dishonest.

Last edited Fri Sep 22, 2017, 03:34 PM - Edit history (1)

How do we inform Graham he is just a pasty?

But the label still fits, of course.

Monday

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/19/us/politics/john-mccain-lindsey-graham-obamacare.html?mcubz=1

How about this for a modification of your premise:

The Republican donor base has insisted that they get this done so McCain and Graham have worked out a script where Graham gets it close, and in doing so creates and even bigger stage for McCain to give his lasting legacy to the Senate "Return to Regular Order" which will bring praise from some Republicans and a whole lot of Democrats.

Failing also serves Graham's purpose of undermining the Tea Party wing of the party and keeping the donor part with the establishment.

The question isn't why they picked Graham, the question is why did Graham volunteer to head it?

1) It keeps the donor happy that they gave it a strong try
2) It weakens the ultra radicals of the Republican Party
3) It creates a bigger stage for McCain to come to the rescue and create more support for "Regular Order".

If McCain again delivers the blow to kill the repeal of the ACA then the only reasonable conclusion is that Graham was in it from the beginning.

I've thought that was a real possibility from the start.

Maybe he is trying to save Graham's status in the GOP now that he is sick.

McCain's age and illness may give him some independence, but Graham's up for reelection in 2020.

Big money almost always can "fix" problems with voters (with 3 years to work on that), and it could also kill this 62-year-old senator's career stone cold, boot him permanently from DC's social A list, no second run for president, not even a cushy lobbying job.

If I thought these old friends were colluding for some occult purpose, I'd guess it would be to bring Graham safely through this rock-and-hard-place.

Graham can say he face 100%

Any alternative explanation requires believing Graham nor blowing what McCain was goingvto do, something I give less than a 1% chance of.

If it's true and this shit passes, really bad gamble.

.. haha this might lead to a breakup of their bromance

Graham and McCain have set up a dramatic foil to play the donor base, undermine the Tea Party and let McCain have an even bigger stage to tell Trump to go f*$* himself.

Sorry, it's too cute by dozens.

Screw the middle class and poorer Americans to satisfy billionaires and keep their funds flowing. That describes Republicans.

I am suggesting that Graham and McCain are colluding to play their donor base and undermine their enemies, you can't get more Republican than that.

It's a show to keep the bucks coming, take away a talking point from the TEA Party faction and put more power into committee chairman's hands. We will know who is right when they vote.

One thing McCain and Graham do is talk a very good game, then 99.5 times out of a hundred they vote party line. I have fallen for it more times than I care to admit. What the hell, I will 'hope this time is different' and hope indeed they are playing a long con on the Tea Party.

I do......

From Esquire:

McCain values friendships very much. It will be very difficult for him to vote against Lindsey. Perhaps he will see that they are trying to use him for political purposes?

How in the holy hell he could vote for it given what he knows and his situation, I just cant believe he is that bad of a person.