Cracks in the facade are beginning to appear.

[berg80]

John Thune and Donald Trump had a ‘spirited’ conversation over Senate war powers vote​

McALLEN, Texas — Shortly after five Republican senators broke with Donald Trump and voted Thursday to advance a measure constraining his military options in Venezuela, the president lashed out and called for them to lose their seats.

Before he turned to Truth Social, however, he connected with John Thune and gave him a piece of his mind.

The Senate majority leader acknowledged the “very spirited” conversation with the angry president in an interview Friday after appearing with several Republican senators and candidates along the U.S.-Mexico border to promote last year’s GOP megabill.

“There’s a level of frustration at the White House — and with us, too, on a vote like that,” he said.

A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The war-powers fight is hardly over — the Senate still needs to debate and pass the resolution that was advanced Thursday, and even if the House passes it, which is unlikely, Trump could still veto it. But the surprising procedural vote contributed to a narrative that Trump is losing his grip on congressional Republicans after running roughshod over potential GOP renegades in 2025.

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/01/09/congress/john-thune-trump-war-powers-00719369

Giving trump all the respect he deserves, Thune should have said, "It's time for Congress to assert its authority over you. And BTW, go **** yourself."

 

[Mac1958]

Giving trump all the respect he deserves, Thune should have said, "It's time for Congress to assert its authority over you. And BTW, go **** yourself."

This is all up the congressional GOP now.

A few, for example, could signal to the Dems that they're willing to impeach.

If not, if the shit hits the fan in the future, it will be on their hands.

 

[berg80]

If not, if the shit hits the fan in the future, it will be on their hands.

IMO, the shit is already splattered all over the place. That's on the hands of every R senator who voted to acquit, especially for the second impeachment, and every voter who pulled the proverbial lever for trump.

 

[berg80]

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis vows to block Trump’s Fed nominees following Powell probe​

President Donald Trump will face an important obstacle — from within his own party — as he seeks to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said Sunday he will block any Trump appointees to the central bank, including for the new chair, in light of revelations over the weekend that the Justice Department is investigating Powell for potential perjury charges.

“If there were any remaining doubt whether advisers within the Trump Administration are actively pushing to end the independence of the Federal Reserve, there should now be none. It is now the independence and credibility of the Department of Justice that are in question,” Tillis said in a statement.

“I will oppose the confirmation of any nominee for the Fed — including the upcoming Fed Chair vacancy — until this legal matter is fully resolved,” he added.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/12/republican-sen-thom-tillis-vows-to-block-trumps-fed-nominees-following-powell-probe.html

trump is completely out of control and some R's know it.

 

[berg80]

Powell investigation: Drumbeat of Republican opposition grows on Capitol Hill​

Republican protests are growing louder on Capitol Hill as the Trump administration’s Department of Justice pursues a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

Powell on Sunday night revealed that the Justice Department opened an investigation into his handling of renovations to the central bank’s headquarters and his testimony about the matter to Congress. Powell said the investigation was an attempt to intimidate him as he lowers interest rates at a slower pace than President Donald Trump desires.

The GOP resistance could derail his eventual pick to succeed Powell when the Fed chief’s term is up in May, as North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, a member of the Senate Banking Committee, threatens to block any nominee to the central bank until the investigation is resolved. Tillis’ comments are now being echoed by other Republicans.

Powell investigation: Drumbeat of Republican opposition grows on Capitol Hill

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said he was under investigation on Sunday night, the latest episode in President Donald Trump's feud with him.

www.cnbc.com

Are the cowards finally concerned enough to act?

 

[berg80]

Florida judge slams Trump DOJ’s ‘incoherent’ immigration position, threatens sanctions​

The Trump administration’s slapdash immigration enforcement keeps causing federal judges to speak out.

One of the most prominent recent examples came from Minnesota, where a conservative judge demanded that the acting U.S. immigration chief explain why he shouldn’t be held in contempt. In that case, Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz went out of his way to note that he wasn’t upset with the government lawyers, who he wrote “have struggled mightily to ensure” that officials comply with court orders.

A similarly scathing ruling just came out of Florida, but in that case, the judge ordered the lawyers involved to explain why they shouldn’t be sanctioned.

Like Schiltz’s order in Minnesota, U.S. District Judge Roy Dalton’s ruling in Florida stemmed from the detention of an immigrant. In the latter case, the Obama-appointed Dalton had ordered the release of a high school student named Javier Gimenez Rivero, who had been living in Florida with his family for more than four years after they fled Venezuela. On Monday, Dalton published an order memorializing what he said during a hearing last week when he ordered Gimenez Rivero’s release.

Florida judge slams Trump DOJ’s “incoherent” immigration position, threatens sanctions

A judge called the government’s legal position “ill-informed” and “simply insupportable on all fronts.”

www.ms.now

Calling the regime a clown show doesn't adequately express the seriousness of its ineptitude.

 

[berg80]

Republicans Start to Fracture Over Immigration Enforcement​

Less than a month into 2026, President Trump’s grip on his party seems to have slipped a little more.

Here’s why.

After another fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by federal agents in Minneapolis last weekend, many Republican officials — most of whom rarely, if ever, criticize the president — publicly objected to the spiraling situation in Minnesota, where the Trump administration has orchestrated an immigration crackdown.

They included an ideologically diverse slate of Republican candidates running in key races this year, like Senator Susan Collins of Maine, Senator Jon Husted of Ohio, who offered a nuanced statement but urged a thorough and objective investigation, and Representative Mike Lawler of New York, from a competitive House district. Republicans from safely red states, like Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas, expressed grave concerns, and even Gov. Greg Abbott, the Texas conservative, suggested that the White House should “recalibrate” its strategy.

The polls are showing new fissures, too. A sizable and growing number of Republicans disapprove of the hard-line tactics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and a small but notable share also express discontent with the president. And Republicans increasingly say that G.O.P. members of Congress are not obligated to support Trump if they disagree with him, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/us/politics/immigration-news-trump-gop.html

The simple truth is millions of people who voted for trump out of frustration with paying higher prices did not vote for this.

 

[berg80]

Facing Immigration Backlash, Trump Called Schumer to Cut a Deal​

Senator Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat and minority leader, knew things were moving in his direction in the spending showdown on Wednesday afternoon when he got a surprise phone call in his Capitol office suite.

It was President Trump, not a frequent contact in these days of hyper-polarized politics.

“He says, ‘Chuck, I hate shutdowns. I don’t like shutdowns. We’ve got to stop them,’” Mr. Schumer said in an interview as he recalled his conversation with Mr. Trump. “And I said, ‘Well, Mr. President, the thing you have to do is rein in ICE.’”

The call touched off a rapid series of events that culminated in a rare compromise between a president who hates to give in and Democrats in Congress who have struggled to use what little leverage they have to counter his agenda. The deal, which did not come together in time to avert a brief shutdown of a large portion of the government starting on Saturday, is fragile and could yet fall apart. The spending package needed to restore funding is set to reach the House on Monday, where approval is not yet certain.

But the agreement to freeze homeland security spending and negotiate over new restrictions on immigration enforcement reflected a swift political shift on Mr. Trump’s signature issue — one that has long been a vulnerability for Democrats — and demonstrated how a public backlash can turn those dynamics upside down.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/us/politics/trump-schumer-deal.html

trump isn't an ideologue, he's an entertainer. When the audience turns on him he changes his act.

 

[berg80]

House Is Set to Vote on Canceling Trump’s Canada Tariffs​

Republican leaders have blocked challenges to President Trump’s trade war for a year, but dissent in their own ranks will force a vote.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/us/politics/trump-canada-tariffs.html

Self preservation is a powerful thing with Dotard sinking in the polls and threatening to take House R's down with him.

 

[berg80]

Three reasons the latest failure for Trump and Mike Johnson was ‘seismic’​

In the House, before a bill can be voted on, members adopt a measure to establish ground rules for how the legislation will be considered. It’s known as adopting a “rule,” and the vast majority of the time it’s little more than a procedural speed bump, because members tend to vote with their parties to begin the process.

During Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s tenure as House speaker, she literally never lost a rule vote. During former Republican Reps. John Boehner’s and Paul Ryan’s tenures, they also never lost such a vote.

In the last Congress, however, then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy lost three of these votes. And after he was stripped of his gavel, his Republican successor, Mike Johnson, lost four.

In the current Congress, Johnson lost one rule vote last year, and then another Tuesday night. This latest failure, however, was almost certainly the most important to date. MS NOW reported on what happened when House GOP leaders tried to adopt legislation Tuesday night that would prevent any lawmaker from forcing a vote on Donald Trump’s tariffs until August:

That effort failed, however, 214-217, after three Republicans joined all Democrats to defeat the legislation.

Tucked into a rule setting up floor consideration for a bill on U.S. energy security was language that would have prevented House lawmakers from challenging Trump’s tariffs until July 31. The language stipulates that certain days won’t ‘constitute a calendar day’ for the purpose of terminating national emergencies — the authority Trump has used to impose the tariffs.

Three reasons the latest failure for Trump and Mike Johnson was ‘seismic’

The speaker asked members to keep surrendering their own legal authority to protect the president’s tariffs. Most House members replied, “No.”

www.ms.now

The predicate to the vote is just as interesting as the vote itself.

 

[luiza]

Cracks in the facade are beginning to appear.​

An excellent self appraisal , OP.
With 20 out of the last 22 posts ( as I type ) I thought Litwin was with us , particularly as the content seemed similarly low and obsessional .
Perhaps it is time for a rest as things have been obviously awful for you these last twelve months and even more .

Trumpfy is doing awfully well with his moves to obtain universal Digital ID and rid you of that now toxic dollar .
And, as promised , he has cemented his working relationship with fellow spirit , the insane Nutty Yahoo .

What price them going to war with Iran, or, will they first get in some much needed practise in Syria , Lebanon or even the West Bank ?
So, if you wish to further your pre - full break down , at least concentrate on some of the major issues and resist getting bogged down in details .
That has been the literal death of so many Obsessionals .

Cheerio for now from Luiza , broadcasting on Radio Luscious .

 

[berg80]

House Is Set to Vote on Canceling Trump’s Canada Tariffs​

Republican leaders have blocked challenges to President Trump’s trade war for a year, but dissent in their own ranks will force a vote.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/us/politics/trump-canada-tariffs.html

Self preservation is a powerful thing with Dotard sinking in the polls and threatening to take House R's down with him.

The House just voted to override trump's Canada tariffs. He is going to have to get the blonde sock puppet to initiate lots of mortgage fraud investigations.

 

[berg80]

Epstein files: House committee subpoenas Attorney General Pam Bondi​

The House Oversight Committee on Wednesday voted to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi for a deposition on the Department of Justice’s handling of its investigation of Jeffrey Epstein and its compliance with a law requiring all documents related to the notorious sex offender to be made public.

The 24-19 vote by the committee came after growing criticism of the DOJ for failing to release all of the Epstein files, and reports that it has removed from public view tens of thousands of documents that previously were made public.

The motion to subpoena Bondi was introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, who blasted the DOJ earlier Wednesday over its suppression of many Epstein files.

“AG Bondi claims the DOJ has released all of the Epstein files. The record is clear: they have not,” Mace said in a post on X.

“The Epstein case is one of the greatest cover-ups in American history,” Mace wrote.

Epstein files: House committee subpoenas Attorney General Pam Bondi

Attorney General Pam Bondi "claims the DOJ has released all of the Epstein files. The record is clear: they have not," Rep. Nancy Mace said in a post on X.

www.cnbc.com

The odds are running 5-1 that the blonde sock puppet will be her usual uncooperative self, refusing to answer questions while being in attack mode.

 

[berg80]

Republican Rep. Kiley leaves GOP, tightening Johnson's margins​

Rep. Kevin Kiley (Calif.) announced Monday that his decision to leave the Republican Party and register as an Independent will take effect immediately.

Why it matters: House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) two-vote majority just got even smaller.

• Kiley said he will still caucus with Republicans for "administrative purposes" but noted that he's been a less-than-reliable vote for Johnson even as a Republican.
• The California Republican did not give leadership a heads-up before announcing Friday that he was leaving the party, but he said he did speak with Johnson over the weekend about continuing to caucus with the conference.

https://www.axios.com/2026/03/09/republican-kiley-gop-indepedent-mike-johnson

Who can blame him?

 

[berg80]

Israeli Officials Said U.S. Was Told about South Pars Attack​

An Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field was coordinated with the Trump administration in advance, according to three Israeli officials, despite President Trump’s initial assertion in a social media post that the United States “knew nothing about” it.

“The United States knew nothing about this particular attack,” Mr. Trump wrote in the social media post late Wednesday, saying that Israel had “violently lashed out.”

A day later, Mr. Trump appeared to have changed course.

Speaking to reporters Thursday at the White House, Mr. Trump implied that he had spoken about the strike ahead of time with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.

”I told him don’t do that,” Mr. Trump said. He went on to say, “we’re independent. We get along great. It’s coordinated.”

Israel has not commented publicly on the attack, carried out on Wednesday, or on Mr. Trump’s effort later Wednesday to distance the United States from it.

Loading…

www.nytimes.com

I can see a scenario where trump signed off on the attack, then saw what it did to energy prices, and plead ignorance. Ignorance in all things being a plausible defense for the orange brain stem.

 

[berg80]

Recession odds climb on Wall Street as economy shows cracks beneath the surface​

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell last week pushed back when asked whether stagflation posed a threat to the U.S. economy. His successor may face a tougher challenge, as Wall Street forecasters raise their expectations of recession, brought on in part by the Iran war and potential for higher prices.

In recent days, economists have pulled up their risk assessments of a U.S. contraction amid heightened uncertainty over geopolitical risk and a labor market that for the past year has shown strains over the past year.

Moody’s Analytics’ model has raised its recession outlook for the next 12 months to 48.6%. Goldman Sachs boosted its estimate to 30%. Wilmington Trust has the odds at 45%, while EY Parthenon has it at 40%, with the caveat that “those odds could rapidly rise in the event of a more prolonged or severe Middle East conflict.”

Recession odds climb on Wall Street as economy shows cracks beneath the surface

Economists have pulled up their risk assessments of a contraction amid heightened uncertainty over geopolitical risk and a labor market slump.

www.cnbc.com

Uh oh.

 

[Lesh]

We will see how things are for the mid-terms. Every whine before then is meaningless.

Dems just flipped Trump’s home district

Just sayin

 

[berg80]

Dems just flipped Trump’s home district

Just sayin

In a district he won by 14%.