GOP Senator Explains Party’s Disarray: Nobody Expected Trump to Win

[Right_in_Virginia]

GOP Senator Explains Party’s Disarray: Nobody Expected Trump to Win
New York Magazine, Ed Kilgore

<snip>

Sen. Patrick J. Toomey offered a simple, remarkable explanation this week for why Republicans have struggled so mightily to find a way to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

“Look, I didn’t expect Donald Trump to win, I think most of my colleagues didn’t, so we didn’t expect to be in this situation,” the Pennsylvania Republican said Wednesday night during a meeting with voters hosted by four ABC affiliates across his state.

According to the Washington Post’s Paul Kane, this is almost certainly why congressional Republicans agreed upon a “repeal and delay” strategy for dealing with Obamacare soon after the election: They had no real clue how to do anything else. But the lack of advance planning has also been evident in the inability of Republicans in the Executive and Legislative branches to reach any kind of agreement on how to proceed with other very basic agenda items — also achievable without Democratic votes — like “tax reform” and the federal budget. And the disarray extends beyond the legislative process:


More: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/07/senator-explains-gop-disarray-nobody-expected-trump-to-win.html

[Right_in_Virginia]

Anyone believe this  ?     They've know since November 9th who would be the next POTUS --- eight months.  They've also known Obamacare's repeal was a priority.

[truth_seeker]

What about the 6 preceding years, when they promised to repeal?

Voters do NOT need more excuses, reason. They need results.

[INVAR]

Sen. Patrick J. Toomey offered a simple, remarkable explanation this week for why Republicans have struggled so mightily to find a way to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

“Look, I didn’t expect Donald Trump to win, I think most of my colleagues didn’t, so we didn’t expect to be in this situation,” the Pennsylvania Republican said Wednesday night during a meeting with voters hosted by four ABC affiliates across his state.

According to the Washington Post’s Paul Kane, this is almost certainly why congressional Republicans agreed upon a “repeal and delay” strategy for dealing with Obamacare soon after the election: They had no real clue how to do anything else.

Abject HORSESHIT there Toomey.  Trump was all-aboard your insufferable first attempt at remaking ObamaCare into your own permanent fixture.  You had staunch CONSERVATIVES like Lee and Cruz throwing a monkey wrench in your plans to reinvigorate the Democrat agenda as your own.  I recall plainly Trump's threat to 'primary' Freedom Caucus members who would not bend to approving this debacle so he could sign it for "the win" Trump so desperately revolves his life around.

Your Uniparty has no clue how to 'do anything else' because your party is simply just the moderate wing of the Democrat party - and completely useless and hostile to Conservatism itself.

Your leader and your party are every bit the enemy and obstacle to liberty that the Marxist Left and the Democrats are.

Your can't get shit done because of the Conservatives who are attempting to hold your bogus party and all their lies running for control - to the fire of accountability to those of us out here whom you hold in contempt.

What animosity you all have for Trump because he was not groomed in your private club by the Establishment is simple cosmetic games you are playing so you can chum and buddy up with your Democrat compatriots in whose agenda you share.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

What an utter crock of an excuse.

The reason they can't agree on a repeal/replace now is the same reason they could never agree on an alternative bill before the election -- there was never actual agreement on doing anything other than the purely symbolic act of voting for a repeal they knew wouldn't get past Obama.

Perhaps a majority of Republican Senators would be willing to vote for a true repeal, but a bare majority isn't enough.  They'd need at least 50 out of 52, and there's no way in hell they're close to that.

[bilo]

If the Pubs are not going to follow through on the biggest promise they've been making for 7 long years there really isn't any reason to support them.

I wonder how many of the conservatives who said "hold your nose and re-elect McConnell" are regretting that now.

If conservatives support a bill "for the good of the party" that does not include Sen Cruz's amendment, or a better alternative, there really isn't any reason to support them either.

What's the point in electing people who won't represent you and exempt themselves from the laws they pass.

[bilo]

At what point do we just recognize that there are 2 USA's? One that wants the all encompassing nanny state and the other that wants as much individual liberty and as small a govt as possible. These two positions can't be reconciled. Why not begin the discussion about how we peacefully separate.

[Cyber Liberty]

What an utter crock of an excuse.

The reason they can't agree on a repeal/replace now is the same reason they could never agree on an alternative bill before the election -- there was never actual agreement on doing anything other than the purely symbolic act of voting for a repeal they knew wouldn't get past Obama.

Perhaps a majority of Republican Senators would be willing to vote for a true repeal, but a bare majority isn't enough.  They'd need at least 50 out of 52, and there's no way in hell they're close to that.

They're faced with the same problem a dog has after catching the car...they have no idea what to do with it now that they caught it.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

What a gold-digger.

Sorry he had so much support.

Really got your ear to the ground on Americans, eh Pat?

[INVAR]

At what point do we just recognize that there are 2 USA's? One that wants the all encompassing nanny state and the other that wants as much individual liberty and as small a govt as possible. These two positions can't be reconciled. Why not begin the discussion about how we peacefully separate.

No such thing.

You will be told that the answer to that suggestion was answered in 1865.

Wanting to be free of an all-encompassing nanny state is sedition.

Individual liberty is simply a privilege granted by the state as long as it does not offend or harm a protected constituency.

To oppose the state when it tramples on liberty is treason.



Don't laugh - because that is the reality we now exist in.

[Cripplecreek]

And why the media helped him.

[GrouchoTex]

Anyone believe this  ?     They've know since November 9th who would be the next POTUS --- eight months.  They've also known Obamacare's repeal was a priority.

I'm with you.
I don'y buy it either.

[XenaLee]

At what point do we just recognize that there are 2 USA's? One that wants the all encompassing nanny state and the other that wants as much individual liberty and as small a govt as possible. These two positions can't be reconciled. Why not begin the discussion about how we peacefully separate.

Because.... we don't.  Not peacefully, anyway.  And nobody wants to talk about what that would mean.

[bilo]

No such thing.

You will be told that the answer to that suggestion was answered in 1865.

Wanting to be free of an all-encompassing nanny state is sedition.

Individual liberty is simply a privilege granted by the state as long as it does not offend or harm a protected constituency.

To oppose the state when it tramples on liberty is treason.



Don't laugh - because that is the reality we now exist in.

I'm not laughing. I'm afraid all the evidence points to you being right. When the party of "smaller govt and individual liberty" wants to fix and expand the nanny state controlling our medical care it's a pretty bad situation.

[bilo]

Because.... we don't. Not peacefully, anyway.  And nobody wants to talk about what that would mean.

It has to be peacefully. The military would never support armed rebellion.

If the Pubs won't stop the nanny state from taking over all of our lives then why stay united? The left would be very happy for the right to go away so they can implement their socialist utopia. The biggest issue would be who stays and who goes. If I'm in a state that doesn't leave let me migrate to one that will and vice versa.

[libertybele]

Anyone believe this  ?     They've know since November 9th who would be the next POTUS --- eight months.  They've also known Obamacare's repeal was a priority.

Nope, don't believe this horse pucky for a minute.  The party has been in disarray for quite some time and will continue to be in disarray until the leadership of McConnell and Ryan are replaced with conservatives.

[rodamala]

What about the 6 preceding years, when they promised to repeal?

Voters do NOT need more excuses, reason. They need results.

They need to stop voting for Republicans.

[Smokin Joe]

They're faced with the same problem a dog has after catching the car...they have no idea what to do with it now that they caught it.

They told us what they needed and the voters delivered it. Now, it's time to put the golf clubs in the closet, set down the cocktail glass, roll up their sleeves, and get the job done they were elected to do.

[INVAR]

They told us what they needed and the voters delivered it. Now, it's time to put the golf clubs in the closet, set down the cocktail glass, roll up their sleeves, and get the job done they were elected to do.

What WE elected the Republican Party to do by handing them the House and Senate is IRRELEVANT.

It is what the Establishment Oligarchy WANTS them to do that matters.

The whole system is fundamentally corrupt and unfixable via civil means.

It has already surrendered any moral or legal authority it has over the last several years.  All it does have is guns their agents will put to our heads to force compliance with whatever it is they say we will do, and we are told we will like it... or else.

At least that is how I view the entirety of Mordor on the Potomac in its current state.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

Everybody knows Pat Toomey is a snowflake Cuckservative ESTABLISHMENT RINO who pals around with traitors like McCain, McConnell, Graham, Collins, and Murkowski.  GET EM OUTTA HERE!!!!


www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZCzHYMEIeo
Drain The Swamp.

Anybody know when, and where the Senate Baseball game practices?

[Smokin Joe]

What WE elected the Republican Party to do by handing them the House and Senate is IRRELEVANT.

It is what the Establishment Oligarchy WANTS them to do that matters.

The whole system is fundamentally corrupt and unfixable via civil means.

It has already surrendered any moral or legal authority it has over the last several years.  All it does have is guns their agents will put to our heads to force compliance with whatever it is they say we will do, and we are told we will like it... or else.

At least that is how I view the entirety of Mordor on the Potomac in its current state.

Some of this is incompetence and not just malice. They've been sucking up the cocktail party circuit, being schmoozed by lobbyists, and getting called "Senator", with all the excuses they needed to be ineffectual for eight years. So not  doing much except tossing a bone into some omnibus act for the voters back home has become the whole gig. Now, Now they are expected to get up off their collective derriere and deliver and they are gobsmacked, out of ideas or never had one, and haven't kept their iron sharp by writing the wish list of bills the Dems are noted for. That's how Obama's first 100 days were a flurry of activity, the bills were ready to go. The Republicans have been getting fat and lazy and occasionally speechifying some, but not enough to piss off the people who invite them to the best parties, with few exceptions.

Time for those welfare muthas to get back to work.

[Smokin Joe]

Everybody knows Pat Toomey is a snowflake Cuckservative ESTABLISHMENT RINO who pals around with traitors like McCain, McConnell, Graham, Collins, and Murkowski.  GET EM OUTTA HERE!!!!


www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZCzHYMEIeo
Drain The Swamp.

Anybody know when, and where the Senate Baseball game practices?

[INVAR]

Some of this is incompetence and not just malice. They've been sucking up the cocktail party circuit, being schmoozed by lobbyists, and getting called "Senator", with all the excuses they needed to be ineffectual for eight years. So not  doing much except tossing a bone into some omnibus act for the voters back home has become the whole gig. Now, Now they are expected to get up off their collective derriere and deliver and they are gobsmacked, out of ideas or never had one, and haven't kept their iron sharp by writing the wish list of bills the Dems are noted for. That's how Obama's first 100 days were a flurry of activity, the bills were ready to go. The Republicans have been getting fat and lazy and occasionally speechifying some, but not enough to piss off the people who invite them to the best parties, with few exceptions.

Time for those welfare muthas to get back to work.

I'm a lot more cynical than you are.  To me, with the record of bashing Conservatives while working hand-in-glove with Obama and their statements now versus then regarding ObamaCare - it is clear they had no intention to do what they all campaigned on, and those who did and initially meant it - were yanked into the 'room' and told where reality lies.

[Smokin Joe]

I'm a lot more cynical than you are.  To me, with the record of bashing Conservatives while working hand-in-glove with Obama and their statements now versus then regarding ObamaCare - it is clear they had no intention to do what they all campaigned on, and those who did and initially meant it - were yanked into the 'room' and told where reality lies.

I think reality lies where they need to be confronted on why they haven't done away with a burden they will not shoulder themselves. They are immune to the ACA, as are their staff, and the people need to be reminded that the people who are doing nothing to free them from the healthcare mess the Congress made don't have to go by that law. Then primary the bastards and let them try to get a real job.