Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast.
According to multiple Trump administration officials speaking to The Daily Beast on the condition of anonymity to talk freely, the president is angry that his first big legislative push is crumbling before his eyes—and his chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon is advising him to take names and keep a hit list of Republicans who worked for Trumpcare’s defeat.
“[Bannon] has told the president to keep a shit list on this,” one official told The Daily Beast. “He wants a running tally of [the Republicans] who want to sink this…Not sure if I’d call it an ‘enemies list,’ per se, but I wouldn’t want to be on it.”
One aide described it as a proposed “hit list” for Republicans not sufficiently loyal. Courses of action stemming from any related tally is yet to be determined, but the idea and message is that “we’ll remember you.”
Two senior Trump administration officials with direct knowledge of the process told The Daily Beast that Bannon and Trump have taken a “you’re either with us or against us” approach at this point, and that Bannon wants the tally of “against” versus “with us” mounted in his so-called West Wing “war room.”
“Burn the boats,” Bannon (in his typical, pugnacious style) advised Trump, according to one official involved. Burning one’s boats is a reference to when military commanders in hostile territories order his or her troops to destroy their own ships, so that they have to win or die trying.
Sources also said that others including Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s director of the Office of Management and Budget and co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus, endorsed the idea of the running list, and that Trump agreed with the idea.
The Daily Beast has the full story.
That is one interesting thing about regressives: they will eat their own young. Not a good survival strategy.
There isn’t enough paper or bandwidth.
Die trying +1
Well, hurrah for pointless infighting. I am reminded of Tolkien’s trolls arguing all night about how they should cook the dwarves. All you have to do is keep them -- the Republicans, not the trolls -- at each others’ throats for … er … four years. Good luck?
The problem with this strategy is, when ones opponents know you are using it there is a temptation to get ones retaliation in first.Impeachment anyone…
Looks like the bill failed
Giliell:
This is just round one. Won’t be the end of it. Right now, all the blame will be shoveled onto Ryan, Trump already said all the blame will go there, and they’ll get busy on extortion and other dirty tricks to get what they want.
Oh my effing gods, look what the Times did -- it’s Mr. Trump all the way through!
Hahahahahahahahahahaha.
This (Trump Blames Democrats as Major Push to Repeal Health Law Fails) appears to be the New York Times article mentioned and briefly excerpted in @8. Some other excerpts:
Caine @ 8.
The Times was being respectful. It was Mr. Tiny-hands in the draft.
Trying to get through the tweetstream on the AP’s tweet, holy shit, the gifs run the gamut from the muppets to Hamilton. Going by the few Trumpholes here and there, they are, like the Tiny Tyrant, going to “wait for Obamacare to EXPLODE” next year, or hope there’s a push for a full repeal, no replacement.
Ah can the Trump frown make up for Koch money? Interesting battle for the billionaires (well, Trump might only be a millionaire).
A sample of @ 11:
https://twitter.com/PatriotMAGA/status/845379307803414528
Busterggi:
After his recent “I’m president and you’re not” remark, it he sees that, he’s going to tweet the fuck out.
:falls over laughing:
Earlier Spicer: “The president has left everything on the field.” Including his ass.
And the slaughter of Ryan begins: http://www.rawstory.com/2017/03/steve-bannons-breitbart-floats-replacing-ryan-as-house-speaker-after-colossal-trumpcare-fail/
Didn’t even take a day.
Knowing those people, I could picture that becoming literal.
PS: Also, if the bill had passed it could have been said “And Ryan’s slaughter begins.” Thank goodness it’s not the case for now.