Populism or not, it’s the right thing to do.

Trump was probably not involved in the painstaking negotiations, so I’m not sure your little scenario is analogous. The conflation between Trump and those who actually negotiated the bill (indeed, between him, his party, and his entire administration) seems to be the common misinformation of a certain narrative. But history shows Trump goes against his own administration and party quite regularly.

Trump was probably not involved in the painstaking negotiations — NOS4A2

Well, he probably hasn't been involved in any painstaking negotiations as the President (negotiations with Trump might be painstaking to others).

At least he takes care of his health by driving a golf cart.

Trump is the most admired man in America for 2020, according to Gallup — NOS4A2

Staggering evidence of a very deep disorder in America. He's presided over a health disaster, tried to destroy the democratic system, and somehow a large number of people are OK with that. It really is a political cult, not any kind of rational political movement.

Before committing seppuku, it was only 18% that spoke for Trump. The other 82% well-divided among many worthy candidates. So, yes, horrifying and embarrassing, but in no way conclusive. Perhaps an example of sorts of the 80-20 rule - and I can believe that twenty in a hundred are cretinous morons. With the note that many people select the incumbent president perhaps as a reflex, it may not even be as bad as 80-20.

Too much TV, I think, although it seems to affect American society much more than, say, Australian.

Australian society? Do not we have some evidence even here that's an oxymoron?

What I mean is, we too have fringe right-wing politicians, anti-vaxxers, climate-change deniers, and conspiracy theorists, but they've never been able to really get a foothold here. Note the Answers in Genesis guy - Ham or Lamb or something - got started in Sydney but he had to relocate to Kentucky to find an audience. :-)

An interesting kind of immunity, but I get it. A variety perhaps of ample common-sense.

Australians are in some ways a lot more worldly-wise than Americans. It goes back to our convict ancestory and distrust of hierarchy. Mind you we're massively influenced by America, and in my case as you might know I have immediate family there. But - similar, but different.

McConnell ties full repeal of Section 230 to push for $2,000 stimulus checks

He really is the worst person in US politics. Playing games with people's livelihoods.

https://beta.documentcloud.org/documents/20438365-mcconnell-stimulus-offer

McConnell thinks he's invincible, and given how Kentucky voters reelected him, he isn't wrong. Hope people in the state of Georgia have more sense though. Either they vote to give everyone $2000, or Mitch gets to run the senate for at least 2 more years.

Dirty, dirty, play. No-one wants that law repealed. It would lead to chaos. But pretending he does is probably his only realistic option given the spot Trump put him in.

But pretending he does is probably his only realistic option given the spot Trump put him in. — Baden

The fact that a simple vote just on increasing COVID relief isn't an option is all the evidence you need that he/Republicans/Trump are in the wrong.

Yes, the game is 'how can we not do the right thing and minimise the chances of us getting blamed for it'.

Trump golfs, sure, and he also works while golfing, something the misinformed like to suppress. As Lindsey Graham said:

“We’d hit a shot, take a phone call. Hit a shot, take a phone call. Hit a shot, talk about what’s a good deal. It was a very intense Christmas Day.”

It’s just how he works. He’s gotten more done on the golf course than other presidents have gotten off of it, which is pretty sad.

He’s gotten more done on the golf course than other presidents have gotten off of it, which is pretty sad. — NOS4A2

Can you demonstrate this? Or did you just think, like Trump, that if you say it everyone ought to believe it?

Lindsey Graham said it and we all know he's totally legit.

My partner's just read Mary Trump's book on little Donald. Sounds like his dad really knew how to build a monster.

I don’t care if you believe it or not. I’m just expressing what I believe.

Dirty, dirty, play. No-one wants that law repealed. It would lead to chaos. But pretending he does is probably his only realistic option given the spot Trump put him in. — Baden

A bunch of Republicans do now cause some guy started complaining about it. Same way they all suddenly started to oppose mail-in ballots, or funding cities in a crisis.

Trump can literally just tweet that honey causes cancer and he'll get the majority of the conservative base to never eat it again. Fox will start to run segments bringing on crank "doctors" (of political science) to talk about how bad Honey is and how Trump is right about it's dangers. Conservatives will act like they've always opposed it's consumption and soon GOP lawmakers will add provisions to commonsense bills that call for the utter annihilation of the Bee ecosystem before going on about how "insane" the left has gotten.

I guess he should have played more golf when they were trying to repeal and replace the ACA, build his wall that Mexico was supposed to pay for, and all during the Pandemic crisis. Hopefully, he's on the course right now.

I don’t care if you believe it or not. I’m just expressing what I believe. — NOS4A2

Ah. Thanks for clarifying that it was just more bullshit.

the whole show was to (1) keep him the centre of attention, as always, and (2) to wreak vengeance on Americans for not voting for him and (3) possibly also exploring whether causing a shutdown would enable him to declare martial law and stay in office — Wayfarer

Bad, sure, but that bad? :o

Anyway, thought you might enjoy these:

As I said before, Trump will really come unstuck when he’s finally held to account - something that he’s avoided his whole life.

Trump will not be held to account, ever. Unless you fuck kids, the rich and powerful do not turn their backs on their own. Class solidarity 101.

Besides, he was good for them. They owe him.

Dream killer.

We'll see. Sure he's got a 'base', but there's also a lot of very heavy hitters that he has deeply pissed off.

Unless you fuck kids and get caught — StreetlightX

There, fixed it for you.

Trump administration declassifies unconfirmed intel on Chinese bounties

We had some pretty heated discussions on “Russian bounties” in Afghanistan. The story reached a fever’s pitch earlier in the year leading to Dems and their followers (and many on this board) using the story to bash Trump, while the administration went so far as to say rogue elements within the intelligence community were trying to undermine the president’s peace talks with the Taliban.

Now we have uncorroborated reports of “Chinese bounties” of an oddly similar nature. I’ll wait to see if those who lamented Russian bounties will show the same outrage, but somehow I doubt it.

I have been following this since the start. This is how Trump wins: congressman in the House challenge the vote, then they just need 1 Senator to go along (which they have), then it throws the entire thing to VP Pence. He decides if there is fraud and there is a debate, then Congress is forced to vote along party lines, that means 1 Vote per state. That means 30 Republican States vote for Trump and 20 Democrat states vote for Biden. It is a little more complex than I just listed, but this is the basics on how I understand it. If Pence will follow the Constitution, then Trump is in.