Abulsme.com

Curmudgeon’s Corner: Magic Eight Ball

On this week’s Curmudgeon’s Corner the main topics are the end of the SCOTUS filibuster, the US attack on Syria, a Trump-Russia update, and infighting within the administration. Ahead of that, we do squeeze in a little on the pace of the news these days, healthcare, “the wall”, and the latest audiobook Sam finished. A full and busy show!

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Show Details:

Recorded 2017-04-08
Length this week – 2:24:17

(0:00:35-0:38:13) But First
- Agenda
- Pace of News
- Healthcare Debate
- The Wall
- Book: With the Night Mail (1905) and As Easy as ABC (1912)
(0:38:59-1:05:50) SCOTUS Filibuster
- Oops on odds
- Democratic strategy
- Impact on the court
- Better without filibuster?
- Legislative Output
- Checks and Balances
- Fate of Legislative Filibuster
- Gold Coffee Table
(1:07:06-1:32:39) Syria
- Different Kinds of Death
- US not innocent
- Why did Assad do it?
- How does airstrike help?
- Why did Trump do it?
- Telling the Russians and Syrians
- What is the strategy?
(1:33:19-1:59:12) Russia Stuff
- Corruption story
- Nunes story
- Unmasking
- Obama handling
- Flynn immunity
- Mark Cuban theory
- Who will they get?
- The Pee Tape
(2:00:55-2:23:57) Administration Infighting
- Sirens in Dallas
- Method of management
- Presidential Ages
- Seating Arrangement
- Alt-Right Unhappy
- Trump the Mastermind?
- Moderating Influences?
- Self Dealing

The Curmudgeon’s Corner theme music is generously provided by Ray Lynch.

Our intro is “The Oh of Pleasure” (Amazon MP3 link)

Our outro is “Celestial Soda Pop” (Amazon MP3 link)

Both are from the album “Deep Breakfast” (iTunes link)

Please buy his music and support his GoFundMe.

@abulsme tweets from 2017-04-07 (UTC)

01:13:30 Shit https://t.co/Frbrsms30h
01:14:53 And here we go… https://t.co/BkPhB6DcsB
01:18:40 Someone please explain how the US attacking Syrian government bases actually will lead to an improving on the ground for Syrians?
01:22:29 Retweeted @brianefallon 01:20:51 MSNBC’s Brian Williams on US missile strike in Syria: “This has been a neck-snapping change in policy in just days”
01:23:05 Retweeted @JamesFallows 01:20:41 You people who were warning that HRC was the вЂњreal hawkвЂќ:Go to hell. https://t.co/KHTbnL3cb4
01:23:29 Retweeted @summerbrennan 01:20:37 I can see the despair in @andersoncooper‘s eyes right now on CNN.
01:24:25 Retweeted @CarlosWPLG 01:19:44 Pool reporters called to gather at #MarALago for remarks from President #Trump.
02:31:43 Retweeted @lrozen 02:23:45 .@barbarastarrcnn saying DoD briefing were multiple conversations w Russians thruout day to inform them of strikes, so not to hit them
02:32:24 Retweeted @Joyce_Karam 01:53:03 Arab sources speaking of #Hezbollah casualties at Shayrat Airfield hit by US missiles in province of Homs, #Syria
02:32:37 Retweeted @leithfadel 02:14:41 Update from a soldier at Shayrat Airbase:- strikes concentrated on airstrip, aircraft shelters and fuel tankers.
-No casualties
02:33:23 Retweeted @mattyglesias 02:33:12 My impression is that Obama shied away from “limited” anti-regime strikes for fear that they wouldn’t work and we’d be dragged deeper in.
02:34:21 Retweeted @PeterAlexander 02:32:58 BREAKING: Tillerson: No communication b/w administration & Putin/Moscow other than “deconfliction” notice for Russian troops in Syria.
02:36:45 Clinton probably would have done something like this too. But… still don’t see path from here to anything better. https://t.co/fJgRMegieb
02:39:38 Retweeted @MiriamElder 02:32:14 Pentagon spox said US military took вЂњextraordinary measuresвЂќ to avoid hitting areas with Russia personnel https://t.co/xUXqRVaJbn
02:39:51 Retweeted @stevenportnoy 02:20:58 BREAKING: Sec of State Tillerson says “either Russia has been complicit, or simply incompetent” in preventing Syria’s chem gas attack.
02:54:01 By the way, this has been bugging me tonight. There were beautiful babies in Mosul too. https://t.co/bpUvYmBkrX
02:56:58 Retweeted @iKaylaReed 02:24:10 Dropping missiles on a regime that just attacked its own citizens with chemical agents is not how you assist victims of war.
02:57:19 Retweeted @timkmak 02:23:40 With this action, Trump signals to the world you can never be sure https://t.co/lBUocDygdk
02:59:32 Retweeted @joshrogin 02:49:18 Rex: “You should not in any way extrapolate that [the strikes] changed our policy or posture on Syria in any way.” WOW.
03:04:41 Retweeted @AymanM 02:56:53 Official statement from Pentagon on tonight’s Syria airstrike. Also confirming they informed the Russians ahead ofвЂ¦ https://t.co/zNGpD24hwy
03:05:30 Retweeted @alex_shephard 2017-04-06 19:12:00 it’s been eleven weeks https://t.co/mhkIOyL7nH
03:07:07 Retweeted @samsteinhp 02:56:25 it won’t be hard to find hypocrisy on Syria positions between 2013 and now.
03:08:57 Retweeted @chrislhayes 02:46:59 Tonight Trump is getting praise from the very same Establishment he ran against and whose approval he desperately seeks.
03:10:40 Retweeted @IsaLeeWolf 02:48:01 Well I’d say @MalcolmNance called it, nearly down to the minute. https://t.co/xL4oCZkg59
03:11:43 Retweeted @colindickey 02:53:46 “War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good.” Jimmy Carter
03:14:13 Retweeted @NeilPHauer 02:37:04 Russian news reporting that US officials agreed to not strike parts of Shayrat base where Russians were present https://t.co/uhoNU9fBaE
03:16:48 Retweeted @dyllyp 02:52:26 So the plain ol’ 2000lb bombs being dropped on hospitals are okay, but when the chemical weapons come out, it’s anвЂ¦ https://t.co/oJktZ8UA26
03:19:43 Retweeted @chrislhayes 02:51:50 There have been 9 documented chemical attacks in Syria this year, correct?
03:20:27 Retweeted @JonahNRO 02:50:39 .@POTUS Very interesting to see who were the actual non-interventionists and who were the вЂњwhatever Trumps says orвЂ¦ https://t.co/qwohxwvGMp in reply to JonahNRO
03:21:24 Retweeted @fmanjoo 02:51:05 The 4th biggest news of the day was literally called the “nuclear option.” https://t.co/jhaNsnsSlr
03:22:40 Retweeted @natsecHeather 03:14:41 Last shout into void: Assad killing so many w/impunity is failure of prevention:D & R,US,UN,region.50 Tomahawks don’t erase stain on us all.
03:23:44 Retweeted @ddale8 02:00:28 Chemical attacks have happened before, and thousands of kids have died in Syria before. Trump hasn’t explained why he’s flipped completely.
03:23:49 Retweeted @anamariecox 03:22:00 Because he’s an incurious idiot who never really thought about it before. https://t.co/fqearn3OJs
03:25:20 Retweeted @DrTGIF 03:13:52 All major networks are in a dumpster fire. No more reporting on Trump & his homie’s investigations. No talk on senaвЂ¦ https://t.co/yO998O5M4q
03:27:07 So, looking more and more like this is one of these “mainly for show, no real impact on anything” actions?
03:34:06 Retweeted @Gus_802 03:27:43 @abulsme Yes. in reply to abulsme
03:34:48 Retweeted @xeni 03:20:40 this is not about children in syria
this is not spiritual awakening by video
this is not about the unfeeling
suddenly having
feelings in reply to xeni
04:06:38 Retweeted @Gus_802 04:06:01 According to this theory someone that murders someone with a gun is more ethical than one that uses poison.
04:51:55 Retweeted @BNONews 04:50:20 The U.S. strike on a Syrian airbase caused a number of deaths and a fire raged at the site for more than an hour, governor says – AP in reply to BNONews
04:59:12 Retweeted @mattdpearce 04:12:01 ABC News: Eyewitness says Syrian officials evacuated personnel and moved equipment ahead of the strike. https://t.co/SSXd1u3QxZ
05:13:07 Thread https://t.co/KUGH0ovxhg
05:20:56 Retweeted @BNONews 05:03:15 At least 6 Syrian soldiers, including a brigadier general, were killed in the U.S. strike on Shayrat Airfield – AJ in reply to BNONews
05:21:37 Retweeted @joshuahersh 04:50:10 I guess we’re about to find out if absolute unpredictability is just the antidote the Middle East needs.
08:49:48 Retweeted @Elizrael 08:27:59 Now: Intense bombings, apparently Russian, on the northern outskirts of Khan Sheikhoun, the town targeted in the chemical weapons attack
08:50:49 Retweeted @BNONews 07:50:51 Russia suspends 2015 memo with the U.S. that established measures to avoid incidents between Russian and coalition aircraft in Syria in reply to BNONews
08:55:34 Retweeted @ARothWP 06:01:29 Putin spokesman says attack was “act of aggression against a sovereign government in violation of international lawвЂ¦ https://t.co/tnnvCl6uoF
08:56:39 Retweeted @davidfilipov 08:53:30 but Moscow’s body language is disappointed, not aggressive: “I don’t think this will lead to an irreversible situation,вЂќ said ForMin Lavrov in reply to davidfilipov
15:04:18 Retweeted @mattyglesias 14:48:40 “Trump is an unstable, ignorant, madman with no regard for democracy but I’m glad he’s shooting missiles” is a bizarrely popular take.
15:25:04 Reading – Acting on Instinct, Trump Upends His Own Foreign Policy (Mark Landler) https://t.co/nfRqpR1RDe
15:27:33 Retweeted @gregpmiller 13:55:40 Just an insane front page. At least four stories here that could lead the paper most days. https://t.co/JZtF31lZ6J
15:30:27 Reading – Some of Trump’s biggest supporters are furious about his strikes in Syria (Jeff Stein) https://t.co/rE4nvBNgXq
15:35:06 Reading – After the Missiles, We Need Smart Diplomacy on Syria (Antony Blinken) https://t.co/JqzFrIXJbO
15:35:42 Retweeted @GebeilyM 15:15:17 #BREAKING: Syria’s armed forces were warned about US military action hours before strike on Shayrat, military source tells @AFP
15:35:46 Retweeted @CrispinBurke 15:24:18 Again, it’s likely there are many behind-the-scenes agreements among all parties. https://t.co/OcBs6r6SUW
15:36:28 Retweeted @LorenRaeDeJ 14:32:45 Good job to all telling Mr Trump rapid, unplanned, uncoordinated military action with no follow on plan is presidential and exculpatory.
15:41:40 Retweeted @SamSacks 01:59:11 Guest after guest is gushing. From MSNBC to CNN, Trump is receiving his best night of press so far. And all he had to do was start a war.
15:41:45 Retweeted @drskyskull 15:33:04 We never, ever fucking learn. https://t.co/0zNKDi1glP
15:41:58 Retweeted @ZoeTillman 15:32:56 And we’re off: VP Mike Pence has arrived in the Senate chamber and has initiated the final vote on Neil Gorsuch’s #SCOTUS nomination
15:42:30 Retweeted @nycsouthpaw 15:32:54 In 2011, we had laptops on the table. In 2017, tiny little screens wired to centerpiece of larger screens? https://t.co/elZfkIzuSN
15:43:21 Retweeted @BNONews 15:43:05 BREAKING: U.S. Senate confirms Neil Gorsuch as Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
15:48:10 Retweeted @NickBryantNY 14:34:08 Typically blunt statement from Nikki Haley on Security Council meeting at 1130 #UN https://t.co/qwY3pzz1oi
15:50:18 Retweeted @ChrisCJackson 15:31:54 Gotta think that lucky Mar-A-Lago member who won the raffle to press the launch button had a great time last night.
19:29:52 So… airstrike was a big success? https://t.co/0nplaibCmk
19:55:40 Listening to Slate’s Political Gabfest The вЂњCrossing Many LinesвЂќ Edition
via iCatcher! https://t.co/4NKHeWOiAC

@abulsme tweets from 2017-04-06 (UTC)

00:00:12 Reading – A father bids farewell to twin toddlers after Syria attack (Sarah El Deeb) https://t.co/jgmOF98QL6
00:29:03 Yup -> Republicans Are Going to Wish Hillary Clinton Won (Jonathan Chait) https://t.co/Dc1OV7y6fr
01:10:09 Retweeted @MarisaKabas 00:46:47 according to @maggieNYT, this morning trump said interviews are “like therapy.” explains a whoooole lot. in reply to MarisaKabas
01:13:16 Retweeted @MarisaKabas 00:44:26 “[Trump] associates most Times coverage with me, whether i wrote it or not.” – @maggieNYT in reply to MarisaKabas
02:06:16 Retweeted @AdamBlickstein 02:02:58 .@maggieNYT Left push, & Bannon’s own ego, to make Bannon bigger than Trump worked. Looks also like NYC Trump factiвЂ¦ https://t.co/8HtkMrHQiI in reply to AdamBlickstein
04:13:55 Reading – Mega-donor urged Bannon not to resign (Johnson/Vogel/Dawsey) https://t.co/9YBsreuCX6
04:32:05 Reading – Bannon removed from security council as McMaster asserts control (Costa/Phillip/DeYoung) https://t.co/k4AxD8PsKH
04:57:50 Wading through the incoherent word salad is so frustrating -> Partial Transcript: Trump’s Interview With The NYTimes https://t.co/iUTUyR2LLw
10:09:35 Retweeted @davidmackau 2017-04-05 14:42:39 Most disturbing part of the Times profile of CNN: Kushner can’t understand why anti-Trump voices are allowed on airвЂ¦ https://t.co/GdOwfhiR3G
12:45:27 Retweeted @JenniferJJacobs 2017-04-05 19:20:55 Bannon will continue to attend National Security Council meetings–including the one this afternoon, top official tвЂ¦ https://t.co/adJxP7LKUG
12:52:36 Watching – NASA at Saturn: Cassini’s Grand Finale https://t.co/wOR7izFB8w
13:56:22 Listening to The Axe Files with David Axelrod Ep. 136 – Ben Smith
via iCatcher! https://t.co/EO7vVv8BCQ
14:41:07 Listening to Episode 161: White Privilege (Peggy McIntosh, Charles Mills, et al) (Part Two)
via iCatcher! https://t.co/kwHRxHa9Kb
15:43:28 Retweeted @ChadPergram 15:42:29 Nuclear option: Chair will rule against McConnell. McConnell will then appeal ruling of chair. Senate will vote on chair’s ruling
16:36:51 Boom goes the nuke! https://t.co/Qiv8sH8q8Y
16:37:08 Retweeted @harrysiegel 16:36:54 https://t.co/Mu1pWpnVUd
22:36:45 Thread on legality of possible US intervention in Syria. Separate question… odds intervention would make things wвЂ¦ https://t.co/xV6l1C0FIV

@abulsme tweets from 2017-04-05 (UTC)

00:30:43 Thread https://t.co/J2DjadLamN
00:35:04 Retweeted @APDiploWriter 2017-04-04 23:55:09 Statement on #NorthKorea missile test from #US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson: https://t.co/CdkaQE7TMC
00:35:30 Retweeted @AdamWeinstein 2017-04-04 16:35:57 Quite a testament to the failure of our institutions and cultures that the news today isn’t nonstop images of children killed by gas weapons
00:36:42 Retweeted @AdamBlickstein 00:24:33 This obviously a joke. Scary thing about Trump era is it’s also completely, insanely plausible https://t.co/ejooq0wzIv
01:15:08 Listening to Undone The Columbia
via iCatcher! https://t.co/1pz04S7609
01:31:10 Watching TEDTalks (video) How to take a picture of a black hole | Katie Bouman
via iCatcher! https://t.co/a4jKfB4MEm
02:38:31 Retweeted @colbertlateshow 01:15:04 Tonight on #LSSC we drop this #phenomenal collaboration from @TheMuppets and @PressSec. Tune in tonight for more! https://t.co/arMpsT6kSK
02:59:56 Retweeted @NateSilver538 2017-04-04 21:43:11 This is a *really* bad result for Trump if he’s hoping to blame Democrats for subsequent problems with Obamacare.вЂ¦ https://t.co/iANjsYk13H
03:33:57 Reading – Putting federal spending in context (Drew DeSilver) https://t.co/mliQdjjjwI
04:02:39 Reading – The border wall that already exists (Bianca Silva) https://t.co/Z0CsnIBGLR
04:09:08 Reading – Citizen scientists may have located candidates for Planet Nine (Sarah Kaplan) https://t.co/XiYJCTlTvT
04:26:34 Reading – Gorsuch’s writings borrow from other authors (Bresnahan/Everett) https://t.co/dPI7HClE19
04:34:57 Retweeted @kshaheen 2017-04-04 23:40:08 I don’t wish to share graphic images from chemical massacre in Syria. But this father holding his 2 dead kids shredвЂ¦ https://t.co/tpFO5r8Zic
05:37:10 Reading – Carmaggedon stalks Atlanta (Joe Cortright) https://t.co/U4gsL3KkoL
10:28:14 Nice rant on being a “business” president -> https://t.co/NnvuqCQhcU
10:31:47 Retweeted @RVAwonk 10:00:30 Another one <symbol> -> Russian lawmaker found dead after allegedly slipping & hitting his head https://t.co/2WBzAYGokN
10:41:39 Reading – Republicans Really Want To Reach A Deal On Trumpcare But Can’t (Paul McLeod) https://t.co/Q37ddTuO6X
10:58:27 Reading – Nevermind The Russians, Meet The Bot King Who Helps Trump Win Twitter (Joseph Bernstein) https://t.co/leJD4VPJMc
11:55:26 Went to bed about 11 pm. Woke up about 3 am. Tried unsuccessfully to get back to sleep until 4:55 am. Alarm goes off in 5 minutes. Argh. :-(
13:22:00 Retweeted @BlogtorWho 12:18:37 PREVIEW: The Pilot – Back to Basics for Doctor Who @bbcdoctorwho https://t.co/SVesNDZw5h https://t.co/Skx8ytLFN2
14:44:23 Listening to NBC Meet the Press (audio) – 04-02-2017-115344
via iCatcher! https://t.co/TUAa8GL4XA
16:53:29 Reading – Bannon Loses National Security Council Role in Trump Shakeup (Jennifer Jacobs) https://t.co/QUX394VJwk
18:30:57 Reading – Doctor Who: 11 things Steven Moffat and Peter Capaldi told us about season 10 (James Baldock) https://t.co/ny6p2nltdf
18:37:07 Reading – A Thunderbolt From the 7th Circuit (Mark Joseph Stern) https://t.co/w9zhp6sfhB
18:43:24 Reading – Will North Korea fire a missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland? Probably. (Anna Fifield) https://t.co/gzpgILt1zp
19:58:18 Reading – The Long, Lucrative Right-wing Grift Is Blowing Up in the World’s Face (Alex Pareene) https://t.co/ii11cGnGwu
20:19:39 Reading – Pence’s Obamacare diplomacy fails to yield a deal (Bade/Dawsey) https://t.co/ZVxff5znFQ
20:36:24 Retweeted @danpfeiffer 16:56:16 It’s not that Trump thinks O’Reilly didn’t do the things he is accused of, he just doesn’t think doing those things is wrong
20:47:00 Reading – How the GOP Could Use Science’s Reform Movement Against It (Ed Yong) https://t.co/TLZ4OB5nJZ
21:45:08 My wife @Scatterbrandy is quoted in this article. Read it! -> No Factions in Foxholes (@ejgraff) https://t.co/QiUlHHRFrt
23:59:14 Reading – Trump’s View of Syria and Assad Altered After вЂUnacceptable’ Chemical Attack (Shear/Baker) https://t.co/CMTlsgJ6Ug

@abulsme tweets from 2017-04-04 (UTC)

00:17:44 Reading: Blackwater founder held secret meeting to establish Trump-Putin back channel (Entous/Miller/Sieff/DeYoung) https://t.co/CLzQvRmiE4
00:19:13 Retweeted @CillizzaCNN 2017-04-03 20:54:38 SIREN.Related: No politician goes to Iowa or New Hampshire by accident https://t.co/wBwGPuEPJW
01:05:14 Reading – Arab News discontinues Andrew Bowen’s column (Arab News) https://t.co/Px2kjZdJVk
01:25:21 Retweeted @byrdinator 00:26:20 Freedom Caucus is deliberating what Pence offered them. They’re also eating pizza and cracking jokes, because they’re the Freedom Caucus.
02:13:47 Retweeted @BenSasse 01:54:16 I was unaware that that was part of the plan https://t.co/EzY6Rak6bP
04:40:45 Reading – A Former Trump Adviser Met With A Russian Spy (Ali Watkins) https://t.co/SvIkn2mqwJ
05:04:01 Reading – The House GOP Health Care Bill Is Very Much Alive (Matt Fuller) https://t.co/nnW3wMGbbK
05:28:18 Retweeted @Ugarles 00:24:32 Once again the Maverick bravely and solemnly does what he believes is wrong https://t.co/2242Oa0E0Q
14:56:54 Reading: вЂIt went off the rails almost immediately’: How Trump’s messy transition led to a chaotic presidency (Balz) https://t.co/Vc8BWtLixo
18:41:56 Retweeted @BerthaDigsSR99 18:26:58 The cutterhead is visible #BerthaBreakthrough
18:45:22 Retweeted @wsdot 18:43:22 #BerthaBreakthrough Cutterhead visibly spinning. https://t.co/LBPMFqm8y4
18:58:03 Retweeted @sahilkapur 18:39:40 Are you confident you have the votes to change the rules if Dems filibuster Gorsuch?McConnell: “Yes.” in reply to sahilkapur
19:04:08 Retweeted @JSwiftTWS 18:38:18 There are entirely too many recent House transplants for me to believe this. https://t.co/KPM8uerk8T
19:06:13 The legislative filibuster will be dead the second there is legislation the majority really cares about that is bloвЂ¦ https://t.co/3rXhERRQ9M
19:06:25 The legislative filibuster will be dead the second there is legislation the majority really cares about that is bloвЂ¦ https://t.co/j8Pp2FF3HO
19:06:39 Retweeted @seattletimes 18:38:46 It’s official: Bertha has broken through into daylight! Here’s the latest: https://t.co/uXxILpBZiVвЂ¦ https://t.co/pge4to53BK
19:16:07 Reading – Trump Has a Problem With NSAвЂ”But So Does Obama (John R. Schindler) https://t.co/UHJKe4WPVP
19:25:48 Retweeted @kasie 17:27:38 JOHN MCCAIN: Anyone who thinks the nuclear option will be good for the Senate is an “idiot. Stupid. Idiot. Stupid.”
19:25:53 Retweeted @nycsouthpaw 19:14:06 so obviously he’s gonna vote for it https://t.co/dXFB0KRsQD
20:04:27 Reading – Apple pushes the reset button on the Mac Pro (Matthew Panzarino) https://t.co/DRUJnWPjPB
20:08:03 Reading – Scores reported killed in gas attack on Syrian rebel area (Ellen Francis) https://t.co/Gj7weohG1V
20:56:36 Listening to The Axe Files with David Axelrod Ep. 135 – Sen. John McCain
via iCatcher! https://t.co/EO7vVuR0Li

@abulsme tweets from 2017-04-03 (UTC)

02:10:32 Retweeted @donwinslow 2017-04-02 02:19:37 A line in All The President’s Men is more relevant today than ever”The truth is these are not very smart guys and things got out of hand”
14:55:25 Reading – Top Obama Adviser Sought Names of Trump Associates in Intel (Eli Lake) https://t.co/tALC7kCh1O
15:02:49 Retweeted @20committee 14:27:13 I truly despise Susan Rice but her asking #NSA to unmask USPs in SIGINT reports is utterly normal.There is no scandal here.
15:17:37 Retweeted @ericawerner 15:11:59 Graham: вЂњIf we have to we will change the rules and it looks like we’re going to have to. I hate that.вЂќ
15:20:42 Retweeted @DecisionDeskHQ 15:13:15 We have 42 Democrats opposing cloture- enough to filibuster. Full list here: https://t.co/z6GJoZYwzN
15:22:32 .@DecisionDeskHQ Do you have a count on Nuclear Option vote yet? Expect straight party line I presume? No defectors? in reply to DecisionDeskHQ
15:29:58 Seeing both R’s and D’s excited that Dems have the votes to filibuster. Looks like neither party really likes 60 vote rule. Bye bye. #nuke
15:38:58 Filibuster has been doomed since Dem nuke a few years ago. SCOTUS falls this week. Bet filibuster for legislation gone within a year too.
17:31:35 Reading – Why is Trump flailing? Because Americans hate his agenda, and it’s based on lies. (Greg Sargent) https://t.co/ude7CGXZeI
17:59:55 Retweeted @Politics1com 17:55:23 McConnell has a non-nuclear option to confirm Gorsuch: make Dems do a real 24/7 speaking filibuster until it runs oвЂ¦ https://t.co/kC2agvxqxj
20:13:04 Oath? Really? https://t.co/cR001p8ugr

@abulsme tweets from 2017-04-02 (UTC)

01:09:46 Retweeted @JPMajor 2017-04-01 03:58:01 4 true-color images from Saturn’s north pole, captured on March 29 by NASA’s #Cassini spacecraft https://t.co/a6g7mhoi1f
01:12:44 Retweeted @RadioFreeTom 01:00:09 Thus justifying and reinforcing the condescension they hate so much. https://t.co/varFOqpkPl
01:28:01 Retweeted @mattyglesias 2017-04-01 23:53:03 Someone should interview comfortable dentists, car dealership owners, and sales VPs in the Milwaukee suburbs about why they voted for Trump.
01:28:06 Retweeted @tripgabriel 00:54:56 Will save the trouble. He had an R next to his name. And they despised Clinton. https://t.co/RLJV5a5IyT
01:31:19 Retweeted @PollsAndVotes 01:25:21 Change in Trump approval by groups, Jan 28 through March 25. https://t.co/Tju0zVuLBh
04:55:21 Reading – Murdoch And Trump, An Alliance Of Mutual Interest (David Folkenflik) https://t.co/RYJQSkRm3H
04:59:23 Reading from Jan – Tesla update rolls back speed limit cap for Autopilot on undivided roadways (Darrell Etherington) https://t.co/OQBVRaVcP3
05:53:53 Reading from December – David Fahrenthold tells the behind-the-scenes story of his year covering Trump https://t.co/S3CYUgBM0B
06:36:05 Retweeted @SethAbramson 2017-04-01 23:16:25 (THREAD) Today’s discovery that Mike Flynn hid payments from Russian propaganda and cybersecurity outfits may be biвЂ¦ https://t.co/unHhfnU52I
07:51:48 Retweeted @TheRickyDavila 2017-04-01 17:54:22 Q: “Why did these Russian active measures work?”A: Because the trump campaign helped them work.
Important moment.
https://t.co/GkNu1o09hZ
07:56:03 Retweeted @lestrangle 2017-03-31 18:46:10 THE ENTIRE POINT OF THE EGG WAS TO SYMBOLISE THE START OF YOUR BIRD LIFE THE TWEET BUTTON IS A FEATHER AND THE HOMEвЂ¦ https://t.co/ouJ4qldnZP
16:25:15 Important -> Watching the hearings, I learned my “Bernie bro” harassers may have been Russian bots (Leah McElrath) https://t.co/65g71HRyK1
21:44:27 BINGO -> https://t.co/LRknrseSCl
22:17:15 Retweeted @albamonica 21:18:47 Rand Paul on health care after golfing with POTUS today: “I think the sides are getting closer & closer together & I remain very optimistic”

@abulsme tweets from 2017-04-01 (UTC)

00:17:30 Listening to WhoWhatWhy’s Podcasts RadioWhoWhatWhy: Behind-the-Scenes Interview on Exclusive Trump-Russia-FBI Story https://t.co/s3VZlceouD
01:05:17 Retweeted @chrisgeidner 2017-03-31 23:42:44 So I guess this is @jack‘s motto: “@Twitter, we love killing our product.” https://t.co/jocmYxeIfP
01:17:40 Reading – White House ponders reorganization after health care debacle (Isenstadt/Goldmacher) https://t.co/GQI1d7eHSF
01:18:19 Retweeted @th3j35t3r 2017-03-31 16:13:42 #FLASH Mike Flynns legal counsel tweeted this back in November. Just letting y’all know this could be part of TrumpвЂ¦ https://t.co/G2HNGkuwFj in reply to th3j35t3r
03:43:23 Reading – Trump administration stops disclosing troop deployments in Iraq and Syria (W.J. Hennigan) https://t.co/Y6ZdAY11pZ
03:52:52 Reading – This Presidency Is Failing — and Stunningly (Michael Gerson) https://t.co/1lWWS7VMIF
03:57:02 Retweeted @b_schaffner 2017-03-31 18:35:10 Barreto rightly notes that what drove vote choice among non-college whites had little to do w/ economics #PA2017вЂ¦ https://t.co/lTCxLVicxX
04:40:01 Latest Patribotics -> Alfa Bank, Trump Tower and a Social Media Impeachment (Louise Mensch) https://t.co/FcXZ02taHQ
04:44:48 Negative coattails? -> Democrat Gaining Ground in Georgia Special Election (Ed Kilgore) https://t.co/og0cU0y9an
04:57:45 Reading – Trump’s approach to intel agencies shows anxiety, distrust (Pace/Sullivan/Salama) https://t.co/lqsPwbzt8Y
05:02:55 Reading – FBI probing whether Trump aides helped Russian intel in early 2016 (Jeff Pegues) https://t.co/dFSZHFhOdb
05:05:05 Interesting -> https://t.co/rSn0Jh2W2x
15:46:00 Retweeted @kenvogel 15:23:45 When you’re totally feeling it, but your partner just isn’t. https://t.co/zGjm2vfsen
16:08:36 Retweeted @BecketAdams 16:03:27 The most important video you’ll see today (I did not make this, fyi). https://t.co/886DjqTvsj
17:42:51 Reading – Business Empire Leaves Trump Family With Web of Conflicts (Lipton/Drucker) https://t.co/jtlbp0o1Id
18:00:33 Reading – Russia investigation has a new front: Inside the White House (Dan Balz) https://t.co/h3xfUyde3x
18:33:14 Retweeted @DavMicRot 2017-03-31 18:35:29 Markets getting spooked by Flynn, Manafort, Trump, and Russia. Trump now just 45% in markets to still be presidentвЂ¦ https://t.co/qWKHI53koX
22:40:08 Reading – White House official seemingly violates federal law in calling for the defeat of GOP congressman (Peck) https://t.co/ZTRQiLUV7u
23:14:31 Reading – In Trump Country, Shock at Trump Budget Cuts, but Still Loyalty (Nicholas Kristof) https://t.co/PmzDl7EcVB

@abulsme tweets from 2017-03-31 (UTC)

00:01:59 Retweeted @JeffPohjola 2017-03-30 23:53:42 BREAKING: Spokespeople for both Rs and Ds on House Intel Committee disagree with @WSJ rpt, sying Flynn did NOT offer testimony for immunity.
01:40:43 Retweeted @Pepsiscrub 00:54:43 Mike Flynn Then: “LOCK HER UP”
Mike Flynn Now: “Ill tell you everything don’t lock me up”
01:51:40 Retweeted @dynarski 00:45:45 WTF is up with gray cat moving in on white cat’s bell?THERE ARE 2 BELLS, GRAY CAT. COMPETITION NOT NECESSARY.
https://t.co/fqIyOHLB5v
02:02:13 Retweeted @samknight1 00:33:34 I think @projectexile7 just confirmed that he is FBI Director James Comey and now he wants to hire @ashleyfeinberg https://t.co/1coP1G0SoB
02:10:33 Reading – Flynn’s Public Offer to Testify for Immunity Suggests He May Have Nothing to Say (Alex Whiting) https://t.co/vPIRA77UUH
02:17:21 Thread on Flynn -> https://t.co/AxzkXpS7SR
02:51:13 Retweeted @smsaideman 00:26:07 A friend put the Flynn Lawyer statement into context:
#Generalshavebigretirementaccounts https://t.co/RWXvXgkFAn
03:05:16 Retweeted @HowardMortman 2017-03-30 19:48:53 “Had John Podesta had 2 factor authentication the last month of the campaign would have looked very different”вЂ¦ https://t.co/rzQR6B0EPr
03:46:16 Retweeted @VitruvianMonkey 2017-03-30 23:44:56 #BREAKING: Trump reacts to Mike Flynn seeking immunity with a new executive order. https://t.co/3K37AbqXiB
03:53:58 Retweeted @AstroKatie 03:43:08 A storm on Jupiter, close to the size of the Earth, imaged by @NASAJuno & processed by @JPMajorвЂ¦ https://t.co/Vwb1dwVger
04:08:29 Every time I see people complaining about the latest Twitter changes I am surprised anew that anybody uses the website or official client.
04:15:59 Retweeted @HeerJeet 04:15:43 We’re at a little under 5% of Trump’s first term in office. 95% to go! https://t.co/bq0yDdsfyo
04:41:16 Retweeted @GazWeetman 2017-03-30 06:52:53 Straight.
Out.
Of.
Naked.
Gun.https://t.co/MKKJU35c7z
05:05:24 Retweeted @wilw 03:52:09 Real quick question: has anyone checked to see if we’re in a Seldon Crisis right now? It would honestly explain so much if we were.
05:14:45 Retweeted @cliffmasstldr 05:03:01 This has been the wettest, cloudiest, shittiest winter ever. Friday will be nice. Weekend OK. Then back to shitty on Monday.
05:19:34 Retweeted @HayesBrown 04:56:08 “The aides quickly realized the the president had taken their April Fool’s Day prank a little too seriously” – an article on 4/2, probably
05:41:31 Retweeted @imbou 05:41:18 @abulsme That’s because you are an idiot in reply to abulsme
05:42:20 .@imbou I obviously actually KNOW that most people use the official site & clients. I just can’t imagine why anybody would. They are awful. in reply to imbou
05:46:56 Retweeted @imbou 05:43:06 @abulsme Because you are an idiot, yep! in reply to abulsme
05:47:38 .@imbou вЂњvia Twitter for iPhoneвЂќ Get yourself a real Twitter app and tweet me in the morning. in reply to imbou
05:54:54 Retweeted @imbou 05:54:36 @abulsme Fucko! in reply to abulsme
06:19:45 Curmudgeon’s Corner: Implosive Growth https://t.co/dbt4fNku6U https://t.co/oaXAYjRCE9
07:16:08 Retweeted @iancrouch 2017-03-30 15:04:12 Over in the other simulation Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine are having lunch alone together every week.
12:51:25 Reading – GA-06 Special Election Moves to Lean Republican (David Wasserman) https://t.co/KaIewrzXJ4
13:02:56 Reading – Baffled, brooding Trump searches for new approach (Mike Allen) https://t.co/fAadr20Uov
14:24:21 Listening to Slate’s Political Gabfest The вЂњDarkness at NunesвЂќ Edition
via iCatcher! https://t.co/4NKHeWOiAC
17:45:04 Reading – Doctor Who gets first openly gay companion (Lizo Mzimba) https://t.co/ljuSNyX1mR
17:45:49 Retweeted @Blatherscribe 16:36:42 Watching MSNBC for my daily dose of existential horror, and an odd thing bothers me: When did “take a listen” replace “listen to this”?
17:48:24 Retweeted @AuthorLMendez 2017-03-30 22:16:36 Yeah, cause lord knows inter-party fighting helped Carter and HW Bush win reelections in landslides https://t.co/FlkQRzaXGu
18:09:53 Reading – Twitter wants you to stop saying вЂTwitter eggs’ (Kaitlyn Tiffany) https://t.co/TtTmcXltUq
18:11:13 Retweeted @BadAstronomer 17:47:59 PSA: Take the critical thinking you use reading stories tomorrow and employ it every day of the year.
20:22:54 Retweeted @DecisionDeskHQ 20:11:38 UPDATED: Claire McCaskill (D-MO) becomes 39th Democrat to commit to oppose Gorsuch nomination AND Cloture. https://t.co/z6GJoZGVIf
21:52:16 Listening to Presidents Are People Too! William Howard Taft
via iCatcher! https://t.co/gZCkzdrYig
22:07:48 Retweeted @VicBergerIV 20:56:36 President Trump forgets to sign executive order, walks out of ceremony. Pence remembers, grabs executive order fromвЂ¦ https://t.co/TcNGBi25QC
22:15:41 .@scatterbrandy Seattle July 23rd https://t.co/YtfvANolgf

Curmudgeon’s Corner: Implosive Growth

This week on Curmudgeon’s Corner Ivan makes his triumphant return, once again joining Sam to talk about the issues of the day. The main topics this time: The healthcare debacle, the future Republican agenda, and the Gorsuch confirmation process. Rounding it out, a little discussion of the intersection of politics and ideology, fiscal responsibility, and Sam discusses a book he read. Fun stuff!

Click below to listen and subscribe!

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Show Details:

Recorded 2017-03-29
Length this week – 1:44:02

(0:00:10-0:24:08) But First
(0:25:50-0:50:18) Healthcare Debacle
(0:51:38-1:29:01) The Republican Agenda
(1:30:04-1:43:42) Gorsuch Confirmation

The Curmudgeon’s Corner theme music is generously provided by Ray Lynch.

Our intro is “The Oh of Pleasure” (Amazon MP3 link)

Our outro is “Celestial Soda Pop” (Amazon MP3 link)

Both are from the album “Deep Breakfast” (iTunes link)

Please buy his music and support his GoFundMe.

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