Republican senators said they would support Donald Trump in a general election, because while Trump may be an authoritarian egomaniac with no principles, at least he leans Republican. Scott Walker called drug testing people on food stamps "a progressive thing," noting the Four Freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom to make poor people to pee in a cup. And Bernie Sanders said the United States was founded on "racist principles," which political fact-checkers will probably say is three-fifths true. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Monday, September 14th, 2015:
BERNIE SANDERS TO LIBERTY UNIVERSITY: SHANAH TOVAH - And now for something different. Samantha Lachman: "In a Monday address to students at Virginia's evangelical Liberty University, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) quoted Bible passages to make the case that it's neither moral nor just for the United States to facilitate extreme levels of economic inequality. Sanders' visit to the Lynchburg, Virginia, school was relatively unexpected, since the university's thrice-weekly mandatory convocations usually feature guests of a Christian and/or conservative bent. But Sanders, who is Jewish and a self-described democratic socialist, said that he believed his speech to the institution was important because 'it is easy to go out and talk with people who agree with you.' Liberty had invited Sanders specifically to dispel the notion that it only hosts conservative speakers, according to The Washington Post. 'I came here today because I believe from the bottom of my heart that it is vitally important for those of us who hold different views to be able to engage in a civil discourse,' Sanders said Monday. 'Too often in our country, and I think both sides bear responsibility for [this], there is too much shouting at each other.'" [HuffPost]
Sanders also noted that America was founded on "racist principles."
GOP LEADERS HAVE AMAZING PLAN TO AVOID SHUTDOWN - It's similar to plans they've tried before, but this time it's different because surely something different will happen this time, it's just gotta. Mike DeBonis: "Republican congressional leaders, hoping to avert another government shutdown in two weeks, have embarked on a series of maneuvers in hopes of quelling the conservative anger in their party that is threatening to blow up plans to keep the government funded and functioning. But the efforts to channel the conservatives’ fury over Planned Parenthood away from the government funding debate appear unlikely to succeed. One result is that Democrats, the minority party in both chambers, could have significant leverage going into spending negotiations ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline... To mollify conservatives, the House and the Senate are set to vote on standalone antiabortion bills that would allow lawmakers to weigh in on the divisive issue without risking a high-stakes showdown over government funding." This sucker could go down! [WashPost]
GOP SENATORS WOULD RALLY TO TRUMP - Bok bok bok. Alexander Bolton: "Republican senators, the heart of the GOP establishment, will support Donald Trump if he wins the nomination for president, even though they’re not thrilled at the prospect. Trump has become a headache for Republican leaders in Washington, who question his electability but won’t criticize him publicly, because he’s popular with the base and they fear he may wage a third-party bid.Still, even GOP senators who have been at the wrong end of the Republican front-runner’s barbs say they’ll back him if he becomes their nominee. 'It’s hard to predict because a lot of things happen between now and then, but I certainly would support the nominee, no matter who it is,' said Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the 2008 GOP nominee whose war record and imprisonment in Vietnam were mocked over the summer by Trump." [The Hill]
Haircuts: Dave Jamieson, Josh Dorner.
DELANEY DOWNER - Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) wants to make food stamp recipients take drug tests so he can help them. 'For us, it's not a punitive thing, it's a progressive thing,' Walker told The Huffington Post on Friday, following the first of several campaign stops in Iowa over the weekend…. Proponents of testing public benefits recipients for drugs generally say employers tell them they can't find qualified workers who can pass a drug test, with the anecdote serving as the entire justification for the policy. HuffPost asked Walker if he had any evidence of widespread drug abuse among SNAP recipients. "No, our evidence is that we talk to employers that say we have jobs, we need people who can have basic employability skills and pass a drug test," he said. [w/ HuffPost's Samantha-Jo Roth]
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MORE TRAFFIC FOR HUFFPOST ENTERTAINMENT - Just what America needs: more money in politics. Ben Schreckinger: "Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is so impressed with Donald Trump’s success that he is now considering running for office himself. 'I love the fact that he has changed the game. ... The idea of imperfect candidates with forceful ideas opens the door for a lot of people that would not have previously run,' said Cuban, cautioning that if he were to follow Trump’s example, 'My positions would be far different.' ... Cuban is not the only famous, and famously, rich guy moved to reevaluate his view that the only people to succeed in public service are second-rate hacks who are full of baloney. Inspired by seeing one of their own do it, a slew of flamboyant moguls are giving politics a second look. 'Why would having government experience be a plus for a presidential candidate?' asked one-time multi-millionaire software pioneer John McAfee. The former fugitive from authorities in Belize who was arrested on DUI charges in Tennessee last month is now running for president. 'I’d rather have a Trump, or I’d rather have a man on the street who has no knowledge of government.'"
[Politico]
Ben Carson says Americans should save Social Security by opting out, which is not something you can just do.
UGH KIM DAVIS - Where is her book deal so she can get out of this job she clearly hates soooooo much? "A defiant Kentucky clerk said Monday she will not interfere with her deputies if they keep issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but she declared they will not be authorized by her and questioned their validity. It was Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis' first day back in the office after a stint in jail for five days for defying a federal judge. Reading a hand-written statement outside the courthouse upon her return, Davis said gay marriage licenses issued by her office would be 'unauthorized.'" [HuffPost/AP]
DOES THE FED FEEL LIKE WRECKING THE ECONOMY? Daniel Marans: "Should we be more concerned about the pace of job growth or the threat of inflation? That is the question the Federal Reserve will face on Thursday when it decides whether to raise interest rates above near-zero levels, where they have remained since December 2008. The Fed is reportedly considering a modest increase in the federal funds rate -- the most influential of the interest rates it adjusts -- based on its judgment that economic conditions have improved enough to begin curbing inflation." [HuffPost]
Joe Biden secretly met with a rich guy and everyone's peeing their pants about it today.
JEB IS FLYING COMMERCIAL - Ed O'Keefe on what has happened as Jeb's poll numbers have fallen: "The drop also resulted in what top donors have hinted was a less-than-anticipated haul in fundraising during August, forcing the campaign to tighten its spending. While the changes affected mostly senior campaign aides, the most notable change is that Bush, who spent most of the year traveling on private jets to campaign events, has started flying commercial airliners more often, as he did Friday." Poor Jeb! [WashPost]
@fusion: Immigrant takes Donald Trump’s job fus.in/1Kar5F6
LAZY SENIORS NOT WORKING, OBAMA TO BLAME - Dagnabbit! Burgess Everett and John Bresnahan: "To hear the Senate majority leader tell it, Republicans have a real chance to achieve a wish list of conservative action items -- but most of it will have to wait until 2017, when a Republican president takes office. ... [T]hough McConnell portrays the election as a chance to turn the page on Obama, he can't help but dish out zingers at the man with whom he may well need to strike a budgetary deal in the coming weeks. Asked about the improving economy, McConnell scoffed: Business leaders tell him they have 'a hard time finding people to do the work because they’re doing too good with food stamps, Social Security and all the rest.' Rather than cut deals like centrist Democrats of the past, he said, Obama wants to 'Europeanize America' with a diet of 'massive debt, high taxes on the most successful people, over-regulation.'" [Politico]
TSK TSK, CARLY FIORINA - Josh Rogin: "On the campaign trail this year, Carly Fiorina has been a staunch advocate of keeping crippling sanctions on Iran, but under her leadership, Hewlett-Packard sold hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of products to Iran through a foreign subsidiary, despite strict U.S. export sanctions." Wow, she basically gave Iran a nuclear bomb. [BloombergView.com]
BECAUSE YOU'VE READ THIS FAR - Enjoy Trumpbart.com.
WHY IS IOWA IN CHARGE OF OUR POLITICS AGAIN? Kevin Trahan interviewed some jackasses at a tailgate: "He wore an Iowa polo and a signature Trump 'Make America Great Again' hat, with a Coors Light in hand. I asked him why he supported Trump, and he gave the standard response: Trump's not politically correct, he's a good businessman, he's not afraid of anyone, etc. Then he leaned in and said, 'To be honest, man, we're just here to get fucked up.'" [SBNation.com ]
COMFORT FOOD
- Bills fan has unfortunate tailgating incident.
- Enjoy hating this article about how New York has better cocktails and a better dating scene than D.C.
- Baby fox loves belly rubs.
- I am a Syrian immigrant in Germany, AMA!
TWITTERAMA
@LOLGOP Huckabee: I object to refugees staying in this manger due to my deeply held religious convictions.
@abeaujon: The pope is already causing a lot of WEB TRAFFIC
@meganamram: when i see a teen girl alone in a car i always assume she's running away to join ISIS
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