Category: Uncategorized

Posted on

Trump Chokes As First Legislative Effort Fails With No Vote On Healthcare

After much posturing and drama right down to the wire, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan pulled the American Health Care Act from a floor vote to avoid an embarrassing, lop-sided defeat.

In a recent Quinnipiac poll, the legislation only had 17% support from the American people.

President Trump, the man who campaigned on his reputation as “master negotiator,” and “the closer,” couldn’t close this deal. Although White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters over and over today that Trump “left everything on the field” to get the bill approved, not only did he not get the ball into the end zone, he whiffed on the kickoff.

Via The Hill:

“We were very close, it was a very tight margin. We had no Democrat support, no votes from the Democrats,” Trump said, flanked by Vice President Pence and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price in the Oval Office.

“I think the losers are Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer because now they own ObamaCare,” the president added, referring to the House and Senate Democratic leaders.

But he said he would be “open” to working with Democrats on healthcare again if ObamaCare “explodes.” “When it explodes, which it will soon, if they got together with us and we got a real healthcare bill, I would be totally open to it, ” Trump said.

In truth, the effort failed because far-right Freedom Caucus House members didn’t like the bill, even though concessions were made to pull in their votes.

I think Trump mentioned being “open” to working with the Democrats in the future as a way to let the Freedom Caucus know he could potentially go around them and instead work with more moderate Dems and Repubs.

Ultimately, I don’t think the actual details of legislation is that important to Trump. I think he just wants to win and be popular. Perhaps this thumping might encourage him to work with the Democrats a bit.

But make no mistake, this was a loss; a loss for the guy who said folks were going to be “tired of winning, winning, winning.”

Speaker Ryan took the loss in more manly manner, admitting the difficulties of being a “governing” party now.

From CBS News:

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said the U.S. is “going to be living with Obamacare for the foreseeable future” after he abruptly canceled a scheduled vote on the contentious Republican health care bill Friday. “Obamacare is the law of the land, and it will remain the law of the land until it’s replaced,” Ryan said.

“Moving from an opposition party to a governing party comes with growing pains,” Ryan told reporters Friday afternoon. “We’re feeling those growing pains today.” The failure to bring the bill to a vote is a major embarrassment for President Trump, Ryan and congressional Republicans, who had vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act since its passage in 2010. “We came really close today, but we came up short,” Ryan said.

So, let’s look at the scoreboard:

• Muslim ban failed twice
• National Security Adviser Mike Flynn resigned
• Mexico won’t pay for the wall
• FBI investigating Trump & Russia
• No evidence of wire tap at Trump Tower
• Trumpcare failed

Winning?

Posted on

NCAA To North Carolina: Kill HB2 Or Lose Championship Games For Five Years

Yesterday, the NCAA reaffirmed it’s position against North Carolina’s anti-LGBT law, HB2.

With upcoming deadlines looming for the decisions on championship sites for the next five years, the NCAA’s message is clear – either change the hateful bathroom law or “no championship games for you!”

“Last year, the NCAA Board of Governors relocated NCAA championships scheduled in North Carolina because of the cumulative impact HB2 had on local communities’ ability to assure a safe, healthy, discrimination free atmosphere for all those watching and participating in our events. Absent any change in the law, our position remains the same regarding hosting current or future events in the state. As the state knows, next week our various sports committees will begin making championships site selections for 2018-2022 based upon bids received from across the country. Once the sites are selected by the committee, those decisions are final and an announcement of all sites will be made on April 18.”

Posted on

Top House Intel Committee Dem: Chairman Nunes Trying To “Choke Off” Info To Public

Ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee Rep. Adam Schiff says the chairman of the committee, Rep. Devin Nunes, didn’t share info with committee Republicans or Democrats: “All of us are essentially in the dark.”

Schiff also told reporters today that Chairman Nunes has cancelled an open hearing of the Intel Committee to “choke off” information to the public.

Posted on

Gay Cowboy To Haters: “I Will Always Be Out And Proud”

Australian gay rodeo cowboy, Josh Goyne, saw a video he recorded in February go viral as he told viewers he intends to stand up to homophobia

Goyne says in the video:

Today I was attacked for being an openly gay cowboy. They think they’re gonna silence me but there’s no chance in hell. They think they’re gonna stop me from riding in this weekend’s rodeo. Not a chance in hell. I will proudly stand up to any homophobe and say right to their face that I’m a proud openly gay cowboy.It doesn’t make you any less of a person – nor be it, a cowboy.

Rural Australia has a terrible problem with homophobia and it needs to stop.

The fact that I am getting death threats just from going to a rodeo is disgusting and these people are the scum of the Earth. I have zero respect for them and I hope they get their comeuppance.

People think that homophobia doesn’t exist in the rode circuit but it certainly does. I face it daily, and it’s really sad that it still happens in the 21 century.

Today I was asked if I thought it was good that gays died of AIDS, and he also said he wished it was 1850 so he could go and shoot me for being a fag. Kudos to you mate. You’re a real prick and I hope everything that comes to you is karma.

The gay cowboy will never be silenced. I will forever be an openly gay cowboy. I will happily give a voice to those too scared to speak up and be who they are and I will always be out and proud.”

Goyne says the reaction to the video has been “99.9% brilliant,” adding that straight cowboys have offered to stand with him at rodeos if he encounters trouble.

Watch below:

(h/t Towleroad)

Posted on

Paul Manafort, Former Trump Campaign Chair, Volunteers To Interview With House Intel Committee

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes announced at a press conference today that Paul Manafort, former Donald Trump campaign chair, has volunteered to be interviewed by the committee.

While it’s admirable he “volunteered,” Manafort was going to have to testify before this committee no matter what.

Posted on

Taiwan’s Constitutional Court Hears Arguments For Marriage Equality

A panel of 14 judges will hear a case today that could make Taiwan the first country in Asia to legalize marriage equality.

Veteran gay rights activist Chi Chia-wei and the Taipei city government filed the petitions with the Constitutional Court asking for a ruling on whether Taiwan’s civil code, which states that marriage is between a man and a woman, is constitutional.

The ruling, expected within two months, would be legally binding. If the law is found to be unconstitutional, Taiwan’s parliament would have to change the laws to accommodate same-sex couples.

President Tsai Ing-wen has previously said she would support marriage equality.