Muth’s Truths: March 24, 2017

If congressional Republicans don’t get their $#!& together and pass something that repeals ObamaCare as promised, or at least starts us down the road toward repealing ObamaCare, make no mistake…

We, the people, are gonna blame CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS, not President Donald Trump.

This will be a failure by the legislative GOP, not the White House. They’ve had SEVEN YEARS to prepare for this.  And everybody knows it.

Two additional points…

1. It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.  Our president isn’t the author of “The Art of the Deal” for nothing.  He – and any other successful negotiator – knows resolution of these things doesn’t even START until after the first deadline comes and goes.
2. Even if the deal does falls through, the fact is it’s Mr. Trump’s first time dealing with Congress – an ornery lot to be sure.  The president will learn and live to fight another day.  But again, that’s not necessarily true for congressional Republicans.

In 2005 the GOP held the White House, the Senate and the House.  And they blew it.  So in 2006 the Democrats won both the Senate and the House, along with a majority of governorships and state legislatures.

It’s déjà vu all over again.  Republicans never blow an opportunity to blow an opportunity.

Cheers.

Dr. Chuck Muth, PsD
Professor of Psephology (homeschooled)
Nevada’s #1 Irritator of Liberals and RINOs

P.S.  Senate Republican have the votes and the power (thank you, Harry Reid!) to break the threatened Democrat filibuster of Neil Gorsuch’s appointment to the Supreme Court by using the “nuclear option.”

But there are serious doubts that they have the will and backbone.

I say again: The greatest threat and danger to the Trump presidency isn’t the Democrats or the media, but his own Republicans.

HEADLINES

• Trump Praises ‘Great’ Healthcare Plan, Hits Freedom Caucus
• Tom Price: AHCA Just One Part of Plan; House Will Say Yes
• CBO: Deficit Cuts Halved in Revised AHCA
• Trump Administration Poised to Roll Out New Iran Sanctions
• Mike Huckabee: Cry-Baby Dems Take ‘Massive Risk’ in Gorsuch Fight
• Report: GOP Expects ‘Smoking Gun’ on Obama Surveillance
• Spicer Rips CNN’s ‘Nebulous’ Report Using Unnamed Sources
• Nunes: ‘Duty, Obligation’ to Tell Trump About Surveillance
• Pete Hoekstra on Surveillance Data: ‘Powerful’
• Trump Grants Permit for Keystone XL Pipeline
• Report: Secret Service Agents Set for Discipline Over White House Fence Jumper Incident
• Twitter Mulls Subscription Fee After 11 Years as Free Service
• NYT: Tillerson Enacts Trump’s ‘Extreme Vetting’ of Visas

NEVADA NEWS & VIEWS

Apparently Assemblywoman Jill Tolles (R-Reno) is putting out her own version of “fake news” by telling people she didn’t have an appointment with me last Friday at 3:00 pm.  For the record…I did.

Now I’m hearing that Ms. Tolles is telling people she refused to meet with me because I showed up with brothel owner Dennis Hof. But that’s absurd.

First because Ms. Tolles was locked behind a closed door when we arrived and never even saw us come into the outer office.  And secondly, the whole initial point of the meeting was for Mr. Hof to meet with her about her prostitution bill!

That said…

Even if this was nothing more than a communication breakdown (it wasn’t), good manners dictates that someone (preferably the elected official) call or email Mr. Hof and me with either an explanation or, preferably, an apology.

Instead, a week later and nothing but radio silence and a tangled web of butt-covering deceit.

Bad form on top of a bad bill.  And since Ms. Tolles refused to discuss the merits of her prostitution bill with Mr. Hof in person, he’s published his comments and observations on his blog.  You can read them by clicking here

• Mitchell: Bill would start compulsory education at the age of 5
• Joecks: Public defender, moonlighting as Judiciary chair, holding up bills to help rape victims, veterans
• Root: Renaming McCarran International Airport after Harry Reid would be a branding disaster

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

“An MS-13 gang member from El Salvador is facing a possible life sentence after allegedly raping a 2-year-old girl, stabbing her mother, and stabbing another woman.  The Salvadoran national, Tommy Vladim Alvarado-Ventura, 31, pleaded not guilty in a Hempstead, New York courtroom on Thursday. The judge ordered the four-time deported criminal alien held without bond, CBS News reported.” – Breitbart News, 3/24/17