US Senate

Time to question John McCain’s capacity and competency to serve (updated)

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Arizona’s angry old man, Senator John McCain, is not a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, but he is an “ex officio” of the committee, so he was allowed to participate in today’s testimony by former FBI Director James Comey.

The local media tried to build up John McCain as “playing a key role” in the questioning of James Comey, because the local media all kiss his wrinkled old butt. See this ABC 15 report. John McCain to question James Comey at Thursday’s congressional hearing.

Sen. McCain went last in questioning today as an “ex officio” of the committee, and hoo-boy! Was that ever a disturbing and deeply embarrassing performance, both for him and for this state.

It was as if someone woke up Grandpa Simpson from his nap and he started spouting off on a different topic from what everyone else had been talking about for the past two plus hours.

McCain appeared dazed and confused, frequently confusing “Mr. Comey” for “Mr. Trump,” and everyone – including James Comey – was staring at him with pained expressions on their face wondering to themselves “what the hell is he talking about?”

Here is how Foreign Policy describes McCain’s bizarre performance. What on Earth Was John McCain Asking James Comey?

During former FBI Director James Comey’s highly anticipated testimony Thursday, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) launched into a strange line of inquiry that puzzled Comey and everybody watching the hearing. While questioning Comey, the one-time Republican president candidate seemed to confuse the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the campaign with the closed probe into Hillary Clinton’s private email server.

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The battle over a stolen SCOTUS seat begins today

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Today’s the day: Donald Trump Supreme Court choice announcement coming Tuesday 8 p.m. ET.

Paul Waldman at the Washington Post reports:

Burgess Everett (Politico) reports that Democrats look like they’re ready to pull the trigger on a filibuster of Trump’s Supreme Court nominee:

Senate Democrats are going to try to bring down President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court pick no matter who the president chooses to fill the current vacancy.

With Trump prepared to announce his nominee on Tuesday evening, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) said in an interview on Monday morning that he will filibuster any pick that is not Merrick Garland and that the vast majority of his caucus will oppose Trump’s nomination. That means Trump’s nominee will need 60 votes to be confirmed by the Senate.

“This is a stolen seat. This is the first time a Senate majority has stolen a seat,” Merkley said in an interview. “We will use every lever in our power to stop this.”

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Ethics schmethics: GOP to ram through Trump cabinet nominees without proper vetting

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Congressional Tea-Publicans, to borrow a term from football, are going to a spread offense with five receivers to flood the zone with Trump’s cabinet nominee confirmation hearings this week.

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Cabinet nominees are not supposed to get a confirmation hearing until they have completed their background check by federal law, but our authoritarian Tea-Publicans say “Meh, we’re going to jam through Trump’s nominees this week without completing their background checks. Laws are for little people, not for millionaire and billionaire Plutocrats!” Senate Confirmation Hearings to Begin Without All Background Checks:

As Senate Republicans embark on a flurry of confirmation hearings this week, several of Donald J. Trump’s appointees have yet to complete the background checks and ethics clearances customarily required before the Senate begins to consider cabinet-level nominees.

Republicans, who are expected to hold up to five hearings on Wednesday alone, say they simply want to ensure that the new president has a team in place as soon as possible. “I believe all the president-elect’s cabinet appointments will be confirmed,” Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, said.

But Democrats are calling for the process to be slowed and for the hearings to be spread out. That, they say, would allow more time to vet the nominees. “Our first overarching focus is getting tax returns and ethics forms,” said Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota.

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John McCain jeopardizes the safety of this nation

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Arizona’s angry old man, John McCain, is entirely lacking in the temperament, character, honesty and judgment to serve as Arizona’s United States senator.

This was self-evident when McCain picked the halfling governor of Alaska, the Quitta from Wasilla, Sarah Palin to be his running mate in 2008, and jeopardized the safety of this nation by being willing to put this loon one heartbeat away from the presidency. This certainly played a role in McCain’s electoral landslide defeat at the hands of Barack Obama, and deservedly so.

Now we have the male version of Caribou Barbie, Donald Trump, the poster boy of the Obama “Birtherism” movement as the GOP’s presumptive nominee.

In an interview with the New York Times, McCain said he’s hopeful that Congress might be able to keep Trump in check. Donald Trump Could Threaten U.S. Rule of Law, Scholars Say:

McCainTimeSenator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, who has become a reluctant supporter of Mr. Trump, said he did not believe that the nation would be in danger under his presidency.

“I still believe we have the institutions of government that would restrain someone who seeks to exceed their constitutional obligations,” Mr. McCain said. “We have a Congress. We have the Supreme Court. We’re not Romania.”

“Our institutions, including the press, are still strong enough to prevent” unconstitutional acts, he said.

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John McCain: I’m in ‘the race of my life’

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McCain-TrumpThe kidz at POLITICO Tiger Beat on The Potomac have a report on Arizona’s angry old man, Senator John McCain. It seems McNasty is worried that Donald Trump at the top of the GOP ticket will be a drag on his reelection prospects.

Well, I don’t know Johnny, maybe Trump should pick the halfling governor of Alaska, the Quitta from Wasilla, Sarah Palin as his running mate, like you did. Would that make you feel better?

From the kidz, McCain on tape: Trump damages my reelection hopes:

Publicly, John McCain insists Donald Trump will have a negligible effect on his campaign for reelection. But behind closed doors at a fundraiser in Arizona last month, the Republican senator and two-time presidential hopeful offered a far more dire assessment to his supporters.

“If Donald Trump is at the top of the ticket, here in Arizona, with over 30 percent of the vote being the Hispanic vote, no doubt that this may be the race of my life,” McCain said, according to a recording of the event obtained by POLITICO. “If you listen or watch Hispanic media in the state and in the country, you will see that it is all anti-Trump. The Hispanic community is roused and angry in a way that I’ve never seen in 30 years.”

Audio link: McCain sweats Trump at fundraiser – POLITICO.

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