Former Trump administration adviser Steve Bannon is furious with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and is accusing him of being a traitor to the MAGA movement and failed, one-term former President Donald Trump.
On his “War Room” podcast Wednesday, Bannon referenced remarks made by President Joe Biden that there were five Republican senators who support him but fear saying so because they believe they would face primary challenges from pro-Trump candidates:
“The five traitors — and this is the scumbags and slimeballs you have here in the nation’s capital — he got five Republican senators have told him they agree with what he’s doing. They agree with what he’s doing and they would vote and support him, but they’re afraid of, wait for it, the War Room Posse.”
Bannon then urged the five senators to identify themselves, taking direct aim at Graham:
“Have enough guts to step up and tell us, Lindsey Graham, who you are. We need you guys to step up to the plate, Lindsey Graham!”
Wow! Sounds like the GOP is starting to implode. And with Trump facing the very real possibility of being indicted in New York, Georgia, and by the Justice Department for his role in the January 6 Capitol insurrection, we could see the Republican Party in a full-scale civil war long before the 2022 midterm elections.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) thought he had a surefire way to prove that the majority of Americans don’t support reforming the Senate filibuster so that voting rights legislation can be voted on, so he decided he’s post a poll on Twitter.
But it didn’t take long before Johnson found out his poll only succeeded in making him look like a complete fool.
This could be a crucial week in the fight to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has made it clear he intends to call a vote and make very member of the upper chamber cast a vote for or against expanding the right to vote, according to The Hill:
Schumer, from the Senate floor, moved to formally end debate on voting legislation that combines the Freedom to Vote Act, which overhauls federal elections and campaign finance laws, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which strengthens the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
That is expected to set up a vote on Wednesday, though it could be delayed until Thursday, where the legislation will need 60 votes to advance in the Senate. Republicans are expected to block the bill, and once that happens Schumer is vowing to bring up a vote on changing the Senate’s rules.
That led to Johnson’s Twitter poll.
But the senator didn’t get the response he was expecting, as over 95% of those who responded said they want to see the filibuster booted and voting rights legislation passed:
Oops! How embarrassing for Sen. Johnson, who recently announced he’d be seeking a third term in office in the 2022 midterm elections. Many of his fellow Republicans are said to be apoplectic and “having a heart attack” about his reelection campaign, which insiders believe is doomed to fail.
Quite clearly, Ron Johnson is out of touch with voters. Here’s hoping they take that out on him in spectacular fashion come November.
For those of you keeping score at home in the Great GOP Civil War of 2021, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) says he’s officially done with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) because Mitch isn’t being sufficiently subservient to failed, one-term former President Donald Trump.
Yep. Lindsey says he won’t even support Mitch to be the next majority leader if Republicans happen to win back control of the Senate in the midterm elections.
During an appearance on Fox News Wednesday evening, Lindsey told host Sean Hannity:
“Elections are about the future. If you want to be a Republican leader in the House or the Senate, you have to have a working relationship with President Donald Trump. He’s the most consequential Republican since Ronald Reagan. It’s his nomination if he wants it, and I think he’ll get reelected in 2024.”
If elections are about the future, as Graham asserts, why would you want to hitch your wagon to a man who was impeached twice, lost by nearly 8 million votes, and has a lower positive approval rating among the public than gonorrhea, not to mention that he’s facing indictment in multiple jurisdictions?
But Lindsey was far from finished laying a massive smooch on Trump’s fat butt, adding:
“I’m not going to vote for anybody for leader of the Senate as a Republican unless they can prove to me that they can advocate an ‘American First’ agenda and have a working relationship with President Trump, because if you can’t do that, you will fail.”
Graham: If you want to be a Republican leader in the House or the Senate, you have to have a working relationship with Trump. Can Senator McConnell effectively work with the Donald Trump. I’m not going to vote for anybody that can’t have a working relationship with Trump pic.twitter.com/boOjekgyTT
Pay attention, Lindsey: DONALD TRUMP HAS ALREADY FAILED! He failed miserably and will go down as the worst president in American history. Step aside, Millard Fillmore and Warren Harding, Dotard Donnie is taking your spot!
Graham was asked Thursday by Fox host Sandra Smith if he really meant what he told Hannity:
“When you go back to the warning to Mitch McConnell, why would you do that in this moment in a midterm election election year?”
Graham snapped back with this reply:
“Are you not listening? It’s not a warning. He says he wants to be the Republican leader. I’ve acknowledged he’s been the most consequential Republican leader of my lifetime. … But look what Mitch accomplished working with Donald Trump. The question is, how do we go forward as a party?”
Graham then added to be an effective GOP leader “you don’t have to kiss Donald Trump’s ass, but you got to have a working relationship with him for us to be successful.”
Fox News anchor Sandra Smith: "When you go back to the warning to Mitch McConnell, why would you do that in this moment in a midterm election year?"
If that’s the case, then why is Lindsey so eager to pucker up and kiss Donald Trump’s ass?
Republicans are convinced they’ve got the 2022 midterms all sewn up, but based on the way they’re sniping at each other ten months out, they might not want to count those chickens just yet.
Oh, and Lindsey, one other thing: Do us all a favor and wipe that orange and brown smudge off your nose.
During a Senate hearing Tuesday on the U.S. response to COVID-19, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases made it clear that he has only so much patience when it comes to explaining things to Republicans who refuse to accept facts.
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) was questioning Fauci and asked if he planned to public disclose his financial investments.
Fauci told the senator that his his financial disclosures have been available to the public for decades:
“I don’t understand why you’re asking me that question. My financial disclosure is public knowledge and has been so for the last 37 years or so.”
Rather than accept the reply and move on, Marshall made a snide remark:
“The big tech giants are doing an incredible job of keeping it from being public. We’ll continue to look for it. Where would we find it?”
Clearly getting frustrated, Fauci said:
“All you have to do is ask for it! You’re so misinformed it’s extraordinary! All you have to do is ask for it.”
Again, Marshall pressed even though the question had been answered not once, but TWICE, saying he wondered what “shenanigans” Fauci was hiding in his finances.
Fauci told Marshall yet again:
“What are you talking about? My financial disclosures are public knowledge and have been so. You are getting amazingly wrong information.”
As Marshall’s time expired, Fauci could be heard saying under his breath:
HOT MIC MOMENT: After clashing with GOP Sen. Roger Marshall, Dr. Fauci was caught muttering, "what a moron," followed by "Jesus Christ." pic.twitter.com/merKU3BGAJ
This was immediately after Sen. Marshall suggested the "big tech giants" were keeping Fauci's financial disclosure secret.
But Fauci was correct: You just have to request the disclosure from the NIH. It is public record. I asked for it & got it in 2020: https://t.co/V6x0PEFqBc
As he continues to obstruct major portions of President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) is now lying about the history of the Senate filibuster in a desperate attempt to make it appear that he’s on the side of the angels.
According to Chad Pergram of Fox News, Manchin had this to say Monday when asked about whether or not he would support changes in the filibuster rule so that voting rights legislation could be passed:
“The tradition of the Senate here in 232 years now..we need to be very cautious what we do..That’s what we’ve always had for 232 years. That’s what makes us different than any place else in the world.”
Manchin on the filibuster. Says it's been "The tradition of the Senate here in 232 years now..we need to be very cautious what we do..That's what we've always had for 232 years. That's what makes us different than any place else in the world.
But that’s simply not true, according to attorney Max Kennerly:
“232 years ago, in 1790, a simple majority could end any debate. The current form of filibuster that Manchin is protecting—in which votes can’t happen until 60 Senators agree—didn’t exist until 1975. Hundreds of exceptions have been made to it, including one last month.”
232 years ago, in 1790, a simple majority could end any debate.
The current form of filibuster that Manchin is protecting—in which votes can't happen until 60 Senators agree—didn't exist until 1975. Hundreds of exceptions have been made to it, including one last month.
Kennerly then added this painful reminder about the filibuster:
The few successful filibusters had a theme: anti-lynching legislation in 1922, 1935, and 1938. Anti-poll-tax legislation in 1942, 1944, 1946, 1948, and 1962. Civil rights legislation in 1946, 1950, 1957, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1972, and 1975. Some tradition, huh? 6/9 pic.twitter.com/7bdW5QBMR4
Jonathan Chait of New York Magazine also weighed in, noting:
“The Founders considered, and rejected, a routine supermajority requirement.
“The filibuster is actually not in the Constitution.”
And Mehdi Hasan of MSNBC branded Manchin’s comments a “Trumpian lie.”
Straight-up, deliberate, Trumpian lie here from Manchin. He knows this is false, has been told multiple times it is false, but says it anyways. https://t.co/M5MvD2L5bI
Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich also called Manchin out on Twitter:
Anybody notice that the filibuster rule was changed to allow the debt ceiling to be raised with just 51 votes? So why can't the filibuster rule be changed to allow the passage of voting rights by just 51 votes? Manchin — Holdout-in-Chief — are you listening?
Joe Manchin needs to be forced to explain why he wants to allow Republicans to keep people of color from voting. And he also needs to be called out for his endless lies.
