"This is your fault": GOP senators clash over shutdown inside private luncheon
30 replies, posted
https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/this-is-your-fault-gop-senators-clash-over-shutdown-inside-private-luncheon/2019/01/24/cde0ca22-2045-11e9-8b59-0a28f2191131_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.644dc86779ee
Republican senators clashed with one another and confronted Vice President Pence inside a private luncheon on Thursday, as anger hit a boiling point over the longest government
shutdown in history.
“This is your fault,” Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) told Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) at one point, according to two Republicans who attended the lunch and witnessed the
exchange. “Are you suggesting I’m enjoying this?” McConnell snapped back, according to the people who attended the lunch.
The argument was one of several heated moments in a lunch that came just before the Senate voted on the opposing plans to end the shutdown offered by President Trump and
Democrats.
The outbursts highlighted the toll the shutdown has taken on Republican lawmakers, who are dealing with growing concerns from constituents and blame from Democrats, all while
facing pressure from conservatives to stand with Trump in his demand for money to build a wall on the border with Mexico.
Also during the lunch, McConnell made clear to Pence and others in the room that the shutdown was not his idea and was not working. According to Republicans familiar with his
comments, he quoted a favorite saying that he often uses to express his displeasure with government shutdowns: “There is no education in the second kick of a mule.”
“This is your fault,” Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) told Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) at one point, according to two Republicans who attended the lunch and witnessed the
exchange. “Are you suggesting I’m enjoying this?” McConnell snapped back, according to the people who attended the lunch.
Then stop declining to vote on the spending bills if you're suffering so bad, you boxturtle bitch
i hope they eat each other alive like rats locked in a buried suitcase
the worst suffering imaginable wouldn't equal one one millionth of the suffering they've inflicted on others purely for personal gain over the last few decades
Poor McConnell, everyone bullying him :'(
https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/205984/cb143848-6c98-4726-b62d-6c0149b3a074/image.png
Wow this stuffed dummy really resembles the actual McConnell!
This fucker looks like one of my sons toys, I swear to fucking god. Let me go find it.
I was trying to figure out how they got a tortoise to walk upright like that, and why they stuck it in a suit.
God I sure hope not
I'm all for some infighting to break out within the Republican party.
The more fracturing the better
Music to my ears.
“Are you suggesting I’m enjoying this?” McConnell snapped back
pictured, the face of someone totally not desperately holding back a smile
The outbursts highlighted the toll the shutdown has taken on Republican lawmakers, who are dealing with growing concerns from constituents and blame from Democrats, all while
facing pressure from conservatives to stand with Trump in his demand for money to build a wall on the border with Mexico.
1. Trump demands wall, putting more pressure on Republicans.
2. Trump caves and gets trashed in the polls again
3. Republicans still under pressure anyway.
Who will defeat this unstoppable political mastermind.
All I can hear and picture in my mind is Mr Burns saying Excellent
"You think I'm enjoying this?"
yes. Stomping on the rule of law and good governance is your kink, there isn't a rule or custom you won't bend to gain an ounce of power.
“Are you suggesting I’m enjoying this?” McConnell snapped back, according to the people who attended the lunch.
Considering how you keep stopping votes on bills that reopen the government, I'm not sure how you expect us to think you aren't, you decrepit old fart.
You know if this was a shutdown over something useful I'd still be pissed, but this is even more retarded than BREXIT. At least there is enough merit in leaving that you could maybe have grounds to fucking argue it.
why the fuck can one guy just decide that bills, some of which might even get passed, won't be put to a vote? What kind of undemocratic bullshit is that?
The Republicans are supposed to be able to call for McConnell to step down as majority leader but apparently they don't want to.
why does he have that power to begin with though??? why aren't they obligated to put it to a vote?
I assume they're not obligated to put anything to a vote to prevent a flood of pointless legislation clogging things up. I doubt anyone who came up with the rules expected this sort of situation to ever actually arise.
I think the committees used to be able to recommend bills to be voted on on the floor, but that was changed by one side or the other relatively recently, and now the Senate Majority Leader has to do it. Not really sure; I'm in America, so they didn't really teach us these things in school. :P
Just realized what he reminded me of.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezAJeaCySV4
When Republicans took the Senate in 2014 they changed the rules so the Majority Leader (Mitch) has nearly exclusive control of what gets put to a vote.
Who wants to bet that his banging on about the drugs aspect is to play on the fears of those who still buy into Eternal God-President Ronald Reagan's "war on drugs", while in fact if this is anything like the "homophobia hiding closet homosexuality" epidemic of the Republican party, these assholes are probably doing hella blow behind closed doors at private parties that would make even The Wolf of Wall Street look like The Sound of Music?
I hope the next elections will bring a Democrat majority in the Senate as well so they can use that power for good.
And then they'll change the rules right before handing it off to the Democrats, just like in Wisconsin.