McConnell is back to confirming conservative judges

Mostly white men, of course

"It seems the need to pick up the pace on seating judges is now desperate." ~ Dahlia Lithwick | Slate • https://t.co/MQJw8JEjDY pic.twitter.com/JaKzDtCykU
— David Hensley (@dashen87) January 23, 2019

The White House has announced its intention to renominate 50 judicial nominees https://t.co/F8yL2axjue
— CNN (@CNN) January 23, 2019

Lack of diversity in Trump’s first judicial nominees for 116th Congress

More on the sham offer from the Republicans

They don’t just want the wall. Without telling us, they loaded up their bill with anti-asylum provisions they know Democrats won’t accept.

The WH deliberately got poison pills inserted in Senate GOP bill reopening govt, NYT confirms.

"WH officials conceded privately they had tacked on controversial proposals anathema to Dems that would block many migrants from seeking asylum"https://t.co/eS78g19WPa

Yup, a sham: https://t.co/6Jh32ebSuE

— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) January 23, 2019

Starting a new thread here on how the Senate GOP bill doesn't extend TPS either and actually guts it, including going forward. It is entirely new program & new restrictive status. Media should stop reporting that the bill would extend TPS https://t.co/DejhVpOILF

— David Bier (@David_J_Bier) January 22, 2019

The malevolence in this Trump/McConnell bill is staggering. It gives the Democrats nothing; the President clearly misled the American people and Congress; it isn't a compromise; it has major revisions to imm law which must go through regular order. It is a horror show. Thread: https://t.co/LeL5m8YHWe

— Simon Rosenberg (@SimonWDC) January 22, 2019

This isn’t a “compromise.” Trump’s proposal rolls back existing protections for asylum seekers. Trump’s team had to know Democrats would vote against it. The whole point appears to make it look like a “compromise” without actual compromise. https://t.co/FZL4Tyw6FH

— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) January 22, 2019

"if McConnell really wanted to get a bill passed, he wouldn't have put stuff in it that would have scared off the other side." @clairecmc on the government shutdown. #Hardball

— Hardball (@hardball) January 23, 2019

The case for and against impeachment

I want indictments, not impeachment.

I want Trump to go to jail.

It is good to have a discussion about impeachment.

1. It’s not too early.
It won’t backfire.
It’s what the Constitution demands.
Congress must open a formal impeachment inquiry, and bring the debate out of the court of public opinion and into Congress, where it belongs. My cover story for @TheAtlantic:https://t.co/s9Y6UMQVCn

— Yoni Appelbaum (@YAppelbaum) January 17, 2019

Should Democrats impeach Donald Trump now that they have control of the House?

It's a serious question and @YAppelbaum has just made a compelling case for impeachment in @theatlantic.

But, for now at least, I think the right answer is no.

(Thread.)https://t.co/tcKICZgQlk

— Yascha Mounk (@Yascha_Mounk) January 23, 2019

This is exactly the time for House and Senate Dem leaders to go all in and control the narrative that Trump is constitutionally compromised.

Do one thing: use the word "impeachment". Don't shy away from it.https://t.co/btz4LOs2N2

— David Jolly (@DavidJollyFL) January 18, 2019

Trump has no strategy beyond bullying and intimidation

McConnell and Ryan advised him against the shutdown but he did it anyway. He has not made any offer that Democrats could accept. He doesn’t have a plan if bullying doesn’t work. If he insists on the wall, I don’t see how this ends. It’s unfortunate that Trump is using 800,000 federal employees as hostages. I feel for them, not Trump.

Notable about the shutdown battle is how transparently Trump is flailing. You can usually see some crude political logic in his moves even if he’s lying, inflaming, race-baiting. Once he played his crime card and it didn’t work, this one has been pure flail.

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) January 25, 2019

"Trump has boxed himself into a position he can't get out of because at a very basic level, he has no idea what he's doing. He started a bad fight over an unpopular wall and can't admit he's wrong." https://t.co/0mF8AeT77L
#NoWall #TrumpShutdown

— Democratic Coalition (@TheDemCoalition) January 16, 2019

It's incredible to me that so many smart people don't understand that if Trump reopened govt tomorrow without any strings attached, he would *not actually have surrendered anything or made any concessions.*

Agreeing to stop hurting the country to get your way isn't a concession.

— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) January 23, 2019

White House aides say the disorganization and lack of discipline feels like early 2017. Hill aides say no one — including Pence — can speak for Trump. And 30 days in, no one says a deal is close to end the shutdown. https://t.co/xLRThfyR5G

— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) January 21, 2019

Twice in the past 5 prez elections, Rs have won the Electoral College while losing the popular vote. Their Senate edge is centered on small states. But is it a sustainable long-term strategy to aim an agenda at 45% or less of the country? Trump is testing. https://t.co/LNlQSN08WD

— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) January 17, 2019

If Trump now reopens Govt, he visibly surrenders to Pelosi.

If Trump keeps Govt closed, he bleeds support faster. Workers miss next paycheck, air travel delays, govt services fail, and economy stalls.

Trump built the trap and walked into it. Pelosi just locked it behind him.

— David Frum (@davidfrum) January 16, 2019

"Trump wants rational people to be so horrified at the damage he’s willing to inflict that they’ll cave in…Giving in to such behavior is not moderate, reasonable or sensible."

Good @EJDionne piece calling for mere accuracy in describing Trump tactics: https://t.co/k4jinHEPr0

— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) January 23, 2019

The Art of the Why Can’t We Get a Deal https://t.co/4BAgVydWJm

— Philip Bump (@pbump) January 17, 2019

On Radio Atlantic this week, @maggieNYT explains how President Trump's dealmaking as a businessman parallels his time presiding over the shutdown https://t.co/XjzPzPL7S4 pic.twitter.com/JvZ5YHn30T

— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) January 24, 2019

The fight over the wall and shutdown has done more to unify Dems that it has to 'rally' the Trump base. https://t.co/rpqM4r7cKp

— amy walter (@amyewalter) January 17, 2019

McConnell answers to Trump and Trump answers to Coulter https://t.co/ub4vp3Gnls

— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) January 16, 2019

The Wall is a device, a sales pitch, a bottle of snake oil, a Fyre Fest. Trump never intended to actually build it, because he did not expect to actually become president. The many subsequent scams were concocted to keep the original scam going. https://t.co/q8HMfwlhaf

— Jack Holmes (@jackholmes0) January 23, 2019

Trump’s poll numbers are dropping

This is not winning.

The majority blames him for the shutdown.

More people oppose the wall than support it.

The majority doesn’t want a shutdown over the wall.

Trump approval in high-quality phone polls since the shutdown fallout started:

AP-NORC: 34%
CBS: 36%
Pew: 37%
Gallup: 37%
CNN: 37%
Kaiser Family Fndation: 38%
Quinnipiac: 41%

Average: 37%. The liver-caller average hasn't been lower since December 2017, post-BCRA and tax bill. pic.twitter.com/xPRZ55cHFT

— G. Elliott Morris (@gelliottmorris) January 23, 2019

Trump voters now blame him for the government shutdown https://t.co/F4ArKXtNMO

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 21, 2019

In CNN's poll of polls from Jan 2-Jan. 21, Trump is at:

37% approval
57% disapproval

— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) January 23, 2019

new CBS poll: is Trump’s border wall worth a government shutdown?

yes 28%

no 71%

https://t.co/2o99qvPoTm

— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) January 23, 2019

Only 7% of American voters surveyed support giving Trump funding for his Mexico border wall to end the U.S. government shutdown https://t.co/Gq6sxaYbcB

— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) January 23, 2019

new AP-NORC poll on share of Americans who approve Trump’s performance as president

December, pre-shutdown: 42%

now: 34%

— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) January 23, 2019

Would you say you trust what Donald Trump says more, about the same, or less than you trusted what previous presidents said while in office?
More 26%
Same 14%
Less 58%
(Pew, 1/9-14/19)
trend: https://t.co/y7sFCxMUS3

— PollingReport.com (@pollreport) January 19, 2019

As you may know, there is a proposal to substantially expand the wall along the US border with Mexico. …
ALL
Favor 40%
Oppose 58
Whites
Favor 47%
Oppose 51%
Blacks
Favor 20%
Oppose 79%
Hispanics
Favor 23%
Oppose 75%
(Pew 1/9-14/19)
more: https://t.co/nf4JAwcrG1

— PollingReport.com (@pollreport) January 20, 2019

Trump is touting a poll that shows that 45% of Americans strongly disapprove of him, compared to 24% who strongly approve; that 57% of Americans say they definitely will not vote for Trump in 2020; and that 43% of *Republicans* want him to face a GOP primary challenger in 2020. https://t.co/hOai4tQiMF

— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) January 22, 2019

An even worse poll for Trump, from CBS:

Trump's approval sinks to 36%.

71% say Trump's wall is not worth shutting down government over.

Only 28% say the wall is worth it — meaning fewer than 3 in 10 support his current position.https://t.co/B7h1pZZ6i8 https://t.co/w0TGAcLfRD

— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) January 23, 2019

This to my knowledge is the first (at least "high quality") poll that directly pitted Pelosi and Trump. Good for the Speaker and not so good for the President. pic.twitter.com/wIGCH07to0

— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) January 23, 2019

Only 31% of Americans feel confident that Russia is *not* blackmailing the president according to Morning Consult poll https://t.co/wHpzgpxGxU

— David Frum (@davidfrum) January 23, 2019

Trump’s strongman style inspires other autocrats

Around the globe, Trump’s style is inspiring imitators and unleashing dark impulses https://t.co/NtnpZ8KAjU

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 22, 2019

Trump and Pompeo Embrace Autocrats and Disparage Opponents at Home. An important piece about the message the administration is sending to the world. Via @MarkLandler⁩ https://t.co/xLQSEI46EK

— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 11, 2019

Dictator envy

When a national leader urges that votes be ignored, or that an election result he doesn’t like might best be set aside, we label him an autocrat or an authoritarian. When it’s #Trump, we shrug. Worse, many in his party go right along. My columnhttps://t.co/VqgzKCjFH4

— EJ Dionne (@EJDionne) November 15, 2018

Shep explains how Trump’s autocratic attacks on Amazon are based entirely on lies. He is nothing more than a politician who admires dictators and is trying to destroy one of America’s most innovative companies. https://t.co/fvu1CqnStu

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) April 3, 2018

Trump is wrong to attack Cohen’s father-in-law

Just more mob boss stuff

Witness intimidation

Update – it worked, for now

The Godfather in the White House may have snuffed Cohen's testimony for a while. But this is one witness he's right to fear. https://t.co/DtxXzKrE0M

— Chris Matthews (@HardballChris) January 23, 2019

Schiff, Cummings and Nadler issue statement after Trump’s comments about Cohen testimony. “Our nation’s laws prohibit efforts to discourage, intimidate, or otherwise pressure a witness not to provide testimony to Congress.”

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 13, 2019

Trump has been publicly attacking Michael Cohen’s family, an apparent effort to soften or prevent his Congressional testimony.

Trump knows what Cohen knows, and what Cohen can prove, so those attacks are pretty telling as new details of what Cohen might say are coming out.

— Ari Melber (@AriMelber) January 18, 2019

What's that saying about people in glass houses? https://t.co/FKZUmUkpIl

— Crooks and Liars (@crooksandliars) January 20, 2019

This is a big, big deal getting too little attention. Trump and Cohen's father-in-law. (sub req) https://t.co/DtfcB4IYRD

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) January 18, 2019

WATCH: @GeoffRBennett discusses President Trump's tweets about Michael Cohen's father-in-law. https://t.co/2xnedDzdjZ

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) January 18, 2019

For the second time in two months, the president referred to Michael Cohen's father-in-law in ominous terms this morning, which brought me back to a mystery I still haven't solved. Please let me know if you have any ideas. https://t.co/sN4GtEVOBu

— Dan Alexander (@DanAlexander21) January 18, 2019

Are we paying Trump just to tell us what they say on Fox News?

Kevin Corke, @FoxNews “Don’t forget, Michael Cohen has already been convicted of perjury and fraud, and as recently as this week, the Wall Street Journal has suggested that he may have stolen tens of thousands of dollars….” Lying to reduce his jail time! Watch father-in-law!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2019

The shutdown is hurting Federal employees

Trump is hurting employees to get a wall the majority of people don’t want. The Republican senate bill has provisions to make asylum harder – it’s not just the wall.

Open the government. It’s Trump’s shutdown (or should I say Fox News’s shutdown since they call the shots). I think we are paying Trump $400,000 to watch Fox TV and tell us what it says. If I wanted to know, I would watch it myself.

The U.S. government shutdown, the longest on record, is prompting tens of thousands of federal employees to file for unemployment https://t.co/JeOvDTU2gz

— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 21, 2019

Federal employees shouldn’t be used as pawns. We can’t continue to ask federal workers to be furloughed or work without pay every time the president doesn’t get his way. That’s why I plan to vote yes on the House Democratic plan to reopen the government. pic.twitter.com/wqc9oszx77

— Sen Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) January 22, 2019

As we mark day 32 of the Trump shutdown, the operation of agencies and programs that keep Americans safe, housed, and fed continue to be put in peril.

And, more than 800,000 federal employees still have not been paid.

It is far past time for the President to #EndTheShutdown.

— Elijah E. Cummings (@RepCummings) January 22, 2019

.@WCKitchen says the Resource Center will provide support, groceries, as well as diapers and pet food to employees on furlough. https://t.co/2t1Ig5D3j1

— FOX 5 DC (@fox5dc) January 21, 2019

I don't think Trump has any idea what his shutdown is doing to federal employee families, and I doubt he'd care if he did. It's especially hard on those forced to work for free, who can't work other jobs while they're on duty. Some can't afford gas to get to work or childcare.

— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) January 22, 2019

The firefighters who responded to the fire in the Lincoln National Forest are furloughed, federal employees. Apparently, Senator Mitch McConnell thinks the wall is more important than paying these firefighters who saved people's homes. #WheresMitch https://t.co/Dxu8jXKwvw

— Congresswoman Deb Haaland (@RepDebHaaland) January 22, 2019

And Rachel at the top of the show voiced the thought that few (folks like @MalcolmNance and @sarahkendzior and some others excepted) dare think: that the intense suffering the shutdown is causing federal employees may not be the fallout, but rather the point.

— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) January 22, 2019

USDA employee, Forrest Pitt, tells @marianaatencio that the "political football" of the government shutdown has been "devastating."https://t.co/ymY9iJOSZK

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) January 22, 2019

As a businessman, Donald Trump repeatedly failed to pay contractors and stiffed others on the bill.

As president, he’s forcing federal employees to work without pay and is doing nothing to reopen the government.

Is anyone surprised?

— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) January 22, 2019

Federal employees are bracing themselves for their second missed paycheck. If the government doesn't reopen today in time to make payroll, some 800,000 workers won't get paid for a second pay cycle in a row.

Follow for more updates: https://t.co/jJVieeKGwZ

— CNN (@CNN) January 22, 2019

There's a payroll deadline tonight, meaning hundreds of thousands of federal employees are more likely to miss a second paycheck. https://t.co/5eS83CftZr

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) January 22, 2019

They don’t understand the problems the employees have:

Federal Employees Going Through 'A Little Bit of Pain' But Border Wall is 'Bigger Than' Them Says Lara Trump https://t.co/ku5kei0Yaj

— Jeffrey Levin (@jilevin) January 22, 2019

The Supreme Court will hear a guns case

The Supreme Court is finally taking another guns case. Get ready for guns to be everywhere. https://t.co/CVnyucDahc

— Slate (@Slate) January 22, 2019

The case will be a challenge to New York City's prohibition on carrying a licensed, locked and unloaded handgun outside the city limits https://t.co/a4mItZ2DDN

— TIME (@TIME) January 22, 2019

Supreme Court to hear biggest gun rights case since 2010 https://t.co/vDfYsemz6e pic.twitter.com/KmjisVNzHT

— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) January 22, 2019

The Supreme Court agreed to hear a challenge to a New York City gun ordinance that does not allow people licensed to have guns in their homes to transport the weapons outside the city https://t.co/y2Lf5Fkeuk pic.twitter.com/ACgjQrQ5CU

— NYT Politics (@nytpolitics) January 22, 2019

Sad!

More shutdown articles – bad news