O'Donnell: Kennedy would have supported Democrats-only health care bill
August 28, 2009, 9:35 AM ET
Msnbc political analyst Lawrence O’Donnell joins Coutndown’s Keith Olbermann to discuss Sen. John McCain’s recent statement that with Ted Kennedy’s death comes an end to the kind of negotiations the health care debate desperately needs.
This video is from MSNBC's Countdown, broadcast Aug. 27, 2009.
Donald Trump lobbed an attack on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' handling of the coronavirus pandemic Tuesday – despite it being a stance that's been widely applauded by conservatives.
The governor became a national political figure by defying COVID-19 restrictions and fighting vaccine mandates, and he has tried to connect Trump to Dr. Anthony Fauci, who remains deeply unpopular among conservatives. But the former president hit back by pointing out that DeSantis had shut down businesses and beaches in the earliest days of the pandemic.
"Under Ron DeSanctimonious as Governor, Florida was the third WORST State in Deaths by Covid," Trump posted on Truth Social. "So why do they say that DeSanctus did a good job? New York had fewer deaths! Also, he shut down the State, and even its beaches (unlike other Republican Governors)."
DeSantis briefly ordered beaches in Broward and Palm Beach counties to close in March 2020 and restricted bars, nightclubs and restaurants with seating for more than 10 people to serve only takeout or delivery, but he relaxed some of those restrictions by the end of April 2020 and ended lockdown altogether in September 2020.
While he was vaccinated in April 2021, DeSantis refuses to say whether he got booster shots and has signed a law banning vaccine mandates and appointed a surgeon general who opposes such mandates. He also signed a law that permanently prohibits mask mandates for schools.
Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) is ready to move Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) out of the Speaker's chair amid the debt deal made with President Joe Biden, Politico reporter Olivia Beavers revealed Tuesday.
It was something predicted by analysts who feared conservative members would try to sink the proposal and let the country ultimately default on its debts. If Biden and McCarthy agreed on something, conservatives would immediately be suspicious of it no matter what it was, they feared.
"That is not realistic with this speaker or with this House of Representatives," explained Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) last week. "If that would happen, they would certainly recall him, and they'd elect a new speaker, and McCarthy does not want to be the shortest-serving speaker in history."
Democratic strategist Kurt Bardella said that McCarthy would have to wrangle the far-right.
"You know, I think actually because of this deal coming right now, the expectation game has been well managed now because the ball's really in Kevin McCarthy's court now," said Bardella over the weekend.
"The pressure is on Kevin McCarthy to deliver the votes. If this thing falls apart now, it's going to be because of House Republicans — because of MAGA extremists — successfully holding McCarthy hostage once again, and that they are the ones who will get the blame. We will be done with this both sides narrative that each side has something to lose, that this could blow back on the president. No, no, no, no."
According to Rep. Bishop, “absolutely,” it is an option to remove McCarthy, he told Beavers. He went on to call it “inescapable," saying he thinks it must be "done" at this point. But he acknowledged it would depend on whether enough of his colleagues have the courage to move forward with it.
Thanks to the agreement made in January, it would only take one member of Congress to bring a "motion to vacate," which would force a vote on removing the speaker.
Former President Donald Trump this week announced on his Truth Social platform that he would issue an executive order ending birthright citizenship in the United States, despite the fact this policy is enshrined in the United States Constitution by the 14th Amendment.
Ben Domenech, a conservative Fox News contributor and cofounder of The Federalist, panned Trump's newest idea and argued that it would simply never come to pass given that a single executive order cannot repeal a fully ratified constitutional amendment.
"Promising things that can't be done via executive order then blaming the system when those orders are blocked is how Trump governed before and would govern again," Domenech commented on Twitter.
He then went on to predict how the entire ordeal would play out should Trump once again become president.
IN OTHER NEWS: 'The best deal is no deal': Freedom caucus members threaten to burn down US credit over debt limit
"Step 1: Trump issues day one Executive Order overturning 14th Amendment's birthright citizenship," he wrote. "Step 2: Judge blocks order immediately Step 3: Trump complains, probably insulting judge's heritage Step 4: Trump DOJ (purposefully?) loses case, cementing birthright citizenship."
Domenech concluded that Trump would do such a thing simply to reinforce his voters' belief that he is treated unfairly by the "Deep State," despite the fact that judges, in this case, would simply be following established constitutional law.
"Losers always whine about doing their best," he commented.
Copyright © 2023 Raw Story Media, Inc. PO Box 21050, Washington, D.C. 20009 | Masthead | Privacy Policy | Manage Preferences
For corrections contact corrections@rawstory.com, for support contact support@rawstory.com.