Don’t Mess With Lisa Murkowski

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A lot of people are talking about John McCain’s “no” vote on “skinny” repeal. But this is more interesting:

A lot of the media coverage in the wake of the vote will focus on McCain, because he’s the most famous, and Collins was always going to vote “no.” But Murkowski’s opposition was equally decisive and perhaps most illustrative of the problems ahead for Trump.

Trump, who won Alaska by 15 points, ripped the state’s senior senator on Twitter Wednesday after she opposed a key procedural motion to open debate on health care:

Later that day, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke called Murkowski and the state’s other Republican senator, Dan Sullivan, to threaten that the Trump administration may change its position on several issues that affect the state to punish Murkowski, such as blocking energy exploration and plans to allow the construction of new roads. “The message was pretty clear,” Sullivan told the Alaska Dispatch News.

Nevertheless, Murkowski persisted. In fact, she took it one step further and demonstrated that she has more leverage over Zinke than he has over her. As chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Murkowski indefinitely postponed a nominations markup that the Interior Department badly wants.

And the moral is …

Only an amateur would threaten the person who has oversight over his agency!

Note that Murkowski isn’t up for re-election until 2022.

15 thoughts on “Don’t Mess With Lisa Murkowski”

  4. IMO, the big reveal here is that the Trumpers did not appreciate that, since she was just re-elected, they had no leverage on her at all until 2022, at which point Il Douche’ will (please God) be out of office.

  5. Hopefully, t-RUMP-Don’t-Care is dead!
    And now, they can concentrate on fixing the weak spots in PPACA!

    I’m sure that t-RUMPLE-THIN-sKKKin and Mitch the turtle, will try again.
    Hopefully, to fail again!!!

  7. But, also, Murkowski won her last election by being a write-in candidate. That is really tough to do. The trumpers probably thought they could threaten her because she is a woman being the sexist louts that they are.

  8. Or maybe they didn’t realize that it is hard for a White House to steamroll things through Congress when the POTUS has an approval rating of 39%.

  11. Trump isn’t going to own the failure – Ryan will say he did his part. McConnell will not say it’s his fault. And the kicker is – it’s the Senate that is the jury in an impeachment. Something to consider – Sessions is popular in the Senate with his GOP colleagues. If McConnell is terminal with cancer (I do not know.) the entire Senate will treat his final months? with great respect. Bottom line: Trump may be making enemies he can’t afford. It will take 18? republicans plus all the democrats in the Senate to remove Trump, and he’s not making friends. I still say impeachment is a long shot, but the odds keep shifting – away from Trump.

    OT. An NBC station in DC visited me this month and this story was the result. We got into areas that previous interviews didn’t go to.

    http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/There-Was-a-Calculated-Risk-Gyrocopter-Pilot-Knew-He-Could-Die-During-Protest-Flight-to-US-Capitol-436817883.html

  13. That was an interesting article and interview, Doug. Thanks. I wish you the best in the future. Your efforts to make this country better mean a lot to me.

  15. Maybe the spontaneous applause that greeted Susan Collins at an airport, will indicate an additional strategy of rewarding the precious few who will stand up to Trump.

    I guess women get used to dealing with bullies, and thankfully some of them get damn good at it. If I were to meet Lisa Murkowski or Susan Collins, (heck even John McCain,) I gladly join a round of applause.

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