“The vote — 51 to 49 — was a party line one. (Tennessee GOP Sen. Bob Corker was the only rebel, voting ‘no’ due to his unhappiness with the $1 trillion the bill is predicted to add to the deficit.)”
“Democrats viewed the bill as a giveaway to big corporations and a tax increase on lots and lots of Americans. And because of the unpopularity of both the bill and Trump, they felt very little political pressure to get on board — or even feint at the idea that they might.”
“…The public doesn’t like [the bill] much. A majority (52%) in a Quinnipiac University poll conducted in the middle of November disapproved of the plan, while just 25% approved. More than six in 10 surveyed said that wealthy people would benefit most from the tax plan while less than one in five (16%) said it will reduce their taxes. Other polls on the tax legislation show similar results.”
“What Republicans passed in the wee hours of Saturday morning then was this: An unpopular bill that will add to the deficit and not pay for itself.”
“Sen. John McCain does not want President Donald Trump at his funeral,” Business Insider reports. “The Arizona senator is battling brain cancer, and … reportedly prefers Vice President Mike Pence to represent the current administration […]
LA Times: “President Trump on Monday signed a $716-billion defense policy bill named for John McCain but included no mention in his remarks of the Republican senator, who is battling brain cancer at home in […]
The Atlantic: “The request didn’t seem all that difficult: Could President Donald Trump’s spokeswoman say that he didn’t use the N word on tape? Yet time after time during Tuesday’s briefing, White House Press Secretary […]