The thread where we meet to discuss the unfolding Trump administration catastrophe, but end up discussing adoptions from Russia

[illegitimateMortificadospawn]

If we can get our hands free to type from the constant facepalming, we should be able to post on this topic.

Continuation of the previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2968382-The-one-where-Trump-just-cant-stop-being-Trump

45 and his administration have - just maybe - taken SCOTUS for granted. They won't like that.

MCConnell said something yesterday about the Supreme Court that sounded sinister but I just saw it in passing. Will try to find

(Also, it's nice to have you back ginger!)

Whoops, not sinister. Just ridiculous.

Erica Werner @ericawerner
Wow.
"Well we have a new Supreme Court justice" McConnell says when asked how he'll justify failure on health care to voters

McConnell is facing what just may be the first major defeat in his career. (In his terms.) He has no real excuse - he'll just try distraction.

thehill.com/homenews/administration/342700-poll-nearly-half-of-trump-voters-dont-think-trump-jr-met-with-russian

'77 percent of the Trump voters said they think Trump should stay in office even if the campaign did collude with Russia.'

...of Trump voters...

(But Yes. They're apparently dispiriting polls. I'd be interested to know just how the questions were put to them.)

Mr Colbert on the topic.

articles.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/07/without_christies_top_fundraiser_guadagno_looks_to.amp

Criticize Trump at your peril, Republican candidates. Just ask Kim Guadagno

TRENTON -- Already trailing badly in the polls , Republican New Jersey governor candidate Kim Guadagno has been hit with another devastating 1-2 punch: She's lost the confidence of a pair of deep-pocketed GOP groups that spend big on governor's races, NJ Advance Media has learned.

The Republican National Committee , which is controlled by President Donald Trump , views the lieutenant governor as someone who hasn't been loyal to the president and officials there see her race as a losing cause, according to two sources familiar with the RNC's plans. The sources requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Indecision.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/19/donald-trump-healthcare-bill-revived-obamacare-senate

A standoff. If he wins it - which he just might - I reckon he'll lose McConnell.

I believe that Burr didn't attend the lunch?

@jules_su
Just wanna make sure you all know there is a Russian handbook from 1997 on "taking over the world" and Putin is literally crossing shit off.

This bits interesting from that guardian article

Conservative groups have already begun attacking the Republican senators who said they were opposed to repealing the Affordable Care Act without a replacement. Dean Heller of Nevada finds himself in the most difficult position as he prepares to defend a seat in the 2018 midterms in a state which Hillary Clinton won in the presidential election.

His Republican governor does not want him to vote for a bill that might rob voters of their health insurance, but conservatives are ready to mount an onslaught of attack ads.

On Wednesday, Trump hinted that there would be consequences for Republicans who stood in the way of healthcare overhaul. The president teased Heller, who was seated to his right, noting: “He wants to remain a senator.”

Are we going to see the Republicans turning on each other for the mid-terms? Should I start stocking up on popcorn?

Yep.

www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a56433/republicans-healthcare-beef/

I'll just be happy if we make the midterms. I wasn't too sanguine about making this July.

Natasha Bertrand @NatashaBertrand
Big: Trump ends covert CIA program to arm anti-Assad rebels in Syria, a move sought by Moscow

t.co/9T3LNdoH7b?amp=1

That is big.

Paula Reid
Paula Reid @PaulaReidCBS
JUST IN: DOJ new asset forfeiture policy - police can seize property from people not charged w/crime even in states where it's been banned.

Bradd Jaffy
Bradd Jaffy @BraddJaffy
Kobach: “We may never know” if Clinton won the popular vote. (We do know. She did. By about 3M votes. This is an astonishingly false claim.)

mobile.twitter.com/BraddJaffy/status/887757163174780928/video/1

Eric Boehlert @EricBoehlert
this is straight from Putin playbook. it called the creating the Fog of Unknowability

So they're rolling back Holder's Reform?

The Democrats need to put someone forward, even if it's only a stalking horse.

I wonder how long Holder will be able to hold back?

Caroline O.‏ @RVAwonk 1h1 hour ago

7/24: Kushner to testify before Senate Intel; closed hearing

7/26: Manafort & Don Jr to testify b4 Senate Judiciary Committee; open hearing

thehill.com/homenews/administration/342843-trump-sessions-recusal-unfair-to-me

poor manafort