They’d better hope shoe polish isn’t poisonous after all that bootlicking

From Chris Cillizza:

(CNN)—Congressional Republicans gathered at the White House Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the passage of a major tax cut bill with President Trump. It was a love-fest.

Front row: Orrin Hatch Middle row: Lisa Murkowski, Twitler, Diane Black Standing: Tim Scott, Kevin Brady, Mike Pence, Eddie Munst…I mean, Paul Ryan, Kevin McCarthy

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The Lobbying Epidemic

From The Charlotte Observer:

The drug epidemic of the 1980s and ’90s was horrific.

…snip…

That period is no longer considered the worst drug epidemic in the nation’s history. The ongoing opioid crisis has, unfortunately, taken that title – because no one was lobbying Congress on behalf of crack cocaine dealers the way they have for large drug companies. That’s the devastating finding from a joint investigation by “60 Minutes” and The Washington Post released last weekend. Between 2014 and 2016, the drug industry spent $106 million lobbying Congress for a law that makes it virtually impossible for the DEA to freeze suspicious narcotic shipments from the companies.

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Unravelin’ Man

From VANITY FAIR:

At first it sounded like hyperbole, the escalation of a Twitter war. But now it’s clear that Bob Corker’s remarkable New York Times interview—in which the Republican senator described the White House as “adult day care” and warned Trump could start World War III—was an inflection point in the Trump presidency. It brought into the open what several people close to the president have recently told me in private: that Trump is “unstable,” “losing a step,” and “unraveling.”

To the tune of Ramblin’ Man performed by the Allman Brothers, written by Dickey Betts:

Side Effects

From ShareBlue:

Mike Pence continued his attempt to cover up for Donald Trump’s refusal to directly rebuke racial terrorism committed in his name, but when challenged by a reporter on his claim that Trump had forcefully spoken out, he instead complained about “many in the media.”

Trump has refused to call out the white supremacists and Nazis who rioted in Charlottesville, Virginia, and who killed a young woman. Instead he referred to “many sides” being involved in the case.

Maybe instead of complaining about “many in the media,” Pence should complain about Nazis and alt-right white supremacists like Sebastian Gorka, Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller, et al who swarm all over the West Wing.

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Turtle Hacks

From PoliticusUSA:

It isn’t a surprise, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell kept his health care bill a secret because it is even worse than the House passed Trumpcare bill.

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Senile Impants

From MSNBC:

HHS Secretary Tom Price testified yesterday before the Senate Finance Committee on his department’s budget, and not surprisingly, there was a fair amount of discussion of the Republican plans on health care policy. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) asked the committee’s chairman, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), whether the panel would hold any hearings on the GOP’s proposal.

The Utah Republican, apparently unsure how to respond, had an aide whisper a talking point in his ear.

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13 Has Never Been a Lucky Number

From CNN:

Just hours after House Republicans managed to pass a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, the Senate is signaling it will write its own proposal — announcing a group of 13 Republican members who will be responsible for crafting the Senate’s plan.

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I Pledge a Grievance to the Flag and the United States of America

From THE HILL:

Congressional leaders have until Aug. 16 to name the 12 members of the newly created “supercommittee” to deal with reducing the deficit, but special interest groups are wasting no time in pushing their choices for the panel.

The debt-ceiling-increase legislation enacted Tuesday created a bicameral, joint committee of 12 legislators charged with finding at least $1.2 trillion in deficit cuts by Nov. 23.

…snip..

Failure to come up with a plan will result in deep automatic defense and Medicare cuts.

One wrong pick, lobbyists on the right and left said Wednesday, could swing the panel toward a terrible compromise. So they are not taking chances.

These sources are already urging leaders to pick top lieutenants who will stick to party positions — no entitlement cuts for Democrats and no tax increases for Republicans.

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