Senate Trumpcare May Preserve ACA Taxes

Because the whole point of Trumpcare is to give a huge tax break to millionaires and billionaires, this seems highly unlikely. Nevertheless, it is a start. If McConnell's Senate somehow comes up with a program that 1) retains the ACA tax structure, 2) continues to ensure preexisting conditions are covered in a real way, and 3) doesn't cut or privatize medicare or medicaid - they might just get some Dems on board.

Trump sent this G20 tweet

‘Make America great again' - The Song. Just listen to it as pictures of Trump greeting Angela Merkel, Justin Trudeau, Narendra Modi and other world leaders fly past in a flurry of cross dissolves and zooms

Proof? I’m Still an Impeachment Skeptic

I'm a "Trump will be impeached" skeptic. for the following reasons: 1) The entire federal Government including the Supreme Court is in the hands of ideological Republican zealots, 2) At least half of the country is firmly in the "so what?" camp, 3) The Democrats, as ever, are fractured, weak-willed and pusillanimous, and 4) The 4th estate is a joke. That said, these new revelations about Donny Jr. turn the knob in the direction of something (not impeachment, but something) happening. Per Josh Marshall:
Donald Trump Jr. began this engagement with Rob Goldstone on the basis of this message. “This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.” At a minimum Don Jr. and likely (though this is as yet unproven) all high level members of the Trump team knew about this more than a year ago. Ergo, all the total and aggressive denials about Russia’s role supporting Trump, law-breaking for Trump, etc. etc were all the most total and abject lies.

Open Thread For July 10, 2017

Trump 'Brain Trust'  Met With Russian Lawyer To Get Dirt On Hillary Clinton. Trump, Jr., Manafort and Kushner. And Donnie Jr. lied about the purpose of the meeting.  Sounds like…

Help Laura Sturgeon Take On Greg Lavelle

Sturgeon has launched a polished, professional campaign that I'm sure is already giving Lavelle a panic attack. That is worthy of support all on its own, but as a DEMOCRAT, I also like reading...
All strong economies have a large, vibrant middle class. Unions help the middle class, progressive taxation helps the middle class, affordable health care helps the middle class, women's access to reproductive choices helps the middle class, and excellent public education helps the middle class. I do not support the failed trickle-down economic policies of the past, and will fight to make sure the working people of Delaware are not over-burdened by shouldering the bulk of the cost of state programs.
This was El Somanbulo's take on Lavelle back in March:
I think Lavelle could well be vulnerable based both on anti-Trump sentiment and b/c he’s such a shill for the least desirable aspects of Rethuggery. District’s about 50-50, and there are a lot of moderate R’s. A D appeal to R women could prove effective.
It only takes a $1.00 to show you are onboard.

Reince Priebus’ Flop Sweat

White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus has accused Democratic operatives of arranging a meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and a Kremlin-linked lawyer last summer, two weeks after Donald Trump…

Open Thread for July 9th – Fox and Friends

Has anybody else watched Fox and Friends, the AM "news" show on the Fox News Channel? I just watched that idiocy for about two minutes, and a painful two minutes it was. The doltish hosts are very aware that they are talking to the Republican President who is almost surly watching. Moreover, they are very aware that they need to flatter their doltish baby-man viewer on topics such as:
  • How great the President is.
  • How smart the President is to conclude a cyber-security agreement with Putin
  • How great the cyber-security agreement is.
  • How angry Democrats will be at being bested by the genius President, yet again.
  • How great America is thanks to the greatness of the great Republican President.
  • I'm not exaggerating. That all happened in the two minutes I had it on. North Korean state media has nothing on Fox News. In totally not surprising news, The Republican President doesn't know the difference between China and Taiwan.

    Clintonite Dems, Stop killing America

    I don't dislike Clinton zealots and "centrist" Dems personally. Some of them are very nice people. Tom Carper one on one? Class guy. First rate. Mat Marshall? The best. What I don't like are people wedded to a political philosophy that has such a long track record of abject failure. By luck and design we live in a two party system, and the radical modern Republican Party in America needs a legitimate counterweight. The Party of John Carney and Hillary Clinton is not that acting as that counterweight. If mushy, "third way", middle of the road, compromise first and bi-partiisanship above all actually WORKED, I'd love it. Other than for the election of Bill Cinton, WHEN HAS IT EVER WORKED? Your endless appetite for appeasement is leaving Republicans to run roughshod over American norms and values that have served us well for over 240 years. Just stop it. Stop killing America. Dustyn Thompson and Eric Morrison wrote a guest post at Blue Delaware which deals with this topic more diplomatically than I could have.