The "skinny" version of Trumpcare failed last night.

Here's the moment the Skinny Repeal failed. pic.twitter.com/y6kiT2HzC5

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 28, 2017

Courtesy of NPR: 

In a moment of unexpected high drama, Republicans were stymied once again in their effort to repeal Obamacare — and they have John McCain to thank for it. 

The senator who earned the nickname "Maverick" over his long tenure showed why in the early morning hours Friday. 

McCain, who was diagnosed with brain cancer and returned to Washington to advance the health care bill, turned around and bucked his party's leadership — and President Trump — by joining two moderate Republicans and every Democrat in voting against the so-called "skinny repeal" of the Affordable Care Act.

Personally I am in no way ready to throw a parade in McCain's honor.

This is clearly the right thing to do, and the fact that he was one of only three Republicans to do it should shame the GOP into hiding under their beds.

However as we know Republicans don't feel shame.

Having said that I am going to give another shout out to Lisa Murkowski who kept her promise to the Alaska natives who helped her hang on to her Senate seat when the Republican party abandoned her.

Losing Obamacare would have been devastating for them, and she stood by them as they stood by her.

So I think this thing is really dead dead now.

There are now calls from some on the GOP side to start working with the Democrats to move forward and repair Obamacare so that it works better.

And I think that is really the best we can hope for at this point.

New Ted Cruz ad claims that he started a "movement" and hints that he will be back in 2020. How is that not a terrorist threat?

I'll be back.

Courtesy of TPM: 

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) credited himself with creating a movement through his failed presidential campaign and flirted with the idea of running again in an long, emotional video titled "No Regrets" posted online Wednesday. 

"What we accomplished is frankly insane," Cruz said, arguing that his campaign "sparked a fire and started a movement." 

"And that's powerful and it doesn't go away with one election," he continued. 

Cruz said he was sad but knew the campaign did "everything we could." 

"It's going to be our task to go forward and continue, fighting for that movement. It has been the greatest honor of my life to be in this foxhole," Cruz said, getting choked up. "Twenty, 30, 40 years from now the people in this room, the people across this country will say I was part of this."

Here is the video which I warn you is over five minutes long and unfortunately features Ted Cruz talking.

At the end of the video you will see the words "To Be Continued" flash across the screen.

Some have taken this to mean that Cruz is looking to run again in 2020, and in interviews he has pointed out that Ronald Reagan also lost his first bid for the GOP nomination.

The first thing that Ted Cruz needs to understand is that HE is no Ronald Reagan.

And the second thing he needs to understand is that as stupid as this country is, it will NEVER be stupid enough to vote his pasty white pear shaped ass into the White House.

So is Jeb Bush on the verge of dropping out of the race?

Wall Street source tells me top Jebber calling donors: He will drop out unless he finishes "strong third" in South Carolina.

— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) February 18, 2016

Okay so I saw that tweet yesterday, and my first response was "bullshit."

I mean there is no way that Jeb, with his name recognition and so much money at his disposal, is not going to stay in for the long haul.

Right?

But then this courtesy of Politico: 

A top Jeb Bush adviser on Friday morning repeatedly dodged the question of whether the former Florida governor will stay in the presidential race if he disappoints in South Carolina, instead saying the campaign is laser focused on Saturday's primary. 

Okey dokey.

So look I get it, being Jeb Bush right now must suck balls.

I mean everyday he must wake up and say, "Dammit! It's not a dream, I really am being crushed by Donald Trump."

And that would be enough to grind down anybody's will, not only to campaign, but just to go on living even.

But if Bush does indeed drop out after Saturday, that is going to cause the kind of after shocks throughout the GOP the likes of which I don't think we have seen in decades.

And it really will be down the rabbit hole for the entire 2016 race. Assuming we have not been down that hole this entire time of course.

Picture of President Obama terrified over debate challenge from Sarah Palin.

Oh yeah, I am going to have a LOT of fun with this picture.

The idea of Palin debating Obama actually did make ME laugh so hard that I was wiping tears away as I read her Facebook challenge the other day.

If ever anybody had ANY doubt that she was suffering from a mental illness, THAT should have put those doubts to rest.