Republicans: How Many Ways Can They Lose? (Let's Count Them)

Whatever made them think they could govern if they controlled all three branches of government? Winning elections apparently didn't do the trick.

Freaks like this don't help: Senator Cassidy (R-LA), this week's Liar King.

The Trump administration and its minions in Congress aren't completely down and out, not by a long shot, but its record since Day One has been pretty sparse. Now erstwhile "level-headed" Republican voices are counting the ways for them.

To this tally, add these other defeats:
1) exposure of WH private email accounts
2) slow doom of tax reform
3) Mueller’s progress https://t.co/hfJhYFxPVw

— David Frum (@davidfrum) September 26, 2017

Frum, one of a number of conservatives who have turned against Trumpism with a passion, fits well with formerly conservative voices like Charlie Sykes:

ICYMI: Some Sunday reading: A preview of my book in Newsweek...How the Right Lost Its Mind and Embraced Donald Trump https://t.co/UyLcCiSkXy

— Charlie Sykes (@SykesCharlie) September 24, 2017

 and Jennifer Rubin:

If you thought it absurd and incredibly irresponsible for Republicans to propose last week a slipshod, radical health-care bill that would not even allow for a Congressional Budget Office score, then the Sunday night amendments cooked up by Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) will infuriate you.

ICYMI, Grassidy (as they're being called) slipped various bribes into the bill to snag votes from Alaska, Maine, Texas, and Kentucky. Rand Paul called it "unseemly." Ya think?

And today conservative columnist and former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson dares to call Trump by his name:

Stop and consider. This is a sobering historical moment. America has a racial demagogue as president. We play hail to this chief. We stand when he enters the room. We continue to honor an office he so often dishonors. It is appropriate but increasingly difficult.

Republican senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa spelled out the Republican predicament best of all. About the Graham-Cassidy bill that just went down in flames:

"You know, I could maybe give you 10 reasons why this bill shouldn't be considered," the Iowa Republican said. "But Republicans campaigned on this so often that you have a responsibility to carry out what you said in the campaign. That's pretty much as much of a reason as the substance of the bill."

Mind you, Grassley was fully prepared to vote for the bill. That's today's GOP. Holy shit.

BTW, they're going after tax cuts next. Since they're prepared to use voodoo economics to justify a $1.5 trillion cut without offsetting spending cuts, what are the odds? Unfortunately, that still isn't evident. Hopefully, they'll screw this up, too. Fingers crossed!

Bonus. National Review -- a conservative bible if there ever was one -- thinks the Republican tax plan is bananas. Wow.