Senate Democrats are now making noises about 60-vote cloture being removed for legislation. The cloture rule was removed 55-45 for Supreme Court nominees. Why Democrats have brought up the discussion for removing the cloture rule altogether remains a mystery, unless they expect to use fear as a preventative tactic in 2018. However, once an idea is introduced, even if by fear, the idea is up for valid discussion. Had Democrats hoped to retain cloture for legislation, they should have allowed Republicans to bring it up first. Now, elimination of the cloture rule altogether is inevitable.
The White House is in somewhat of a shakeup. Chief “Strategerist” Steve Bannon is getting shuffled, but no reasons seem to be valid. We may not find out the real reasons for at least two years, once the presses cool off, the stakes aren’t as high, and people aren’t so tight-lipped about inside baseball.
Trump ordered a 59-Tomahawk cruise missile strike on Syria after 80 were killed with nerve gas. The missiles targeted what was thought to be the base for the gas attack. Russia is also on the scene. The nerve gas was banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Putin responded with his usual worldview of nationalist, socialist victimhood. Whatever he and his crew resort to is necessary because of what the West took from them in the zero sum game. Putin is a true Hitler—gentle and endearing as a teddy bear who never raises his voice before his audience, compassionate, polite, never rude, never tough to critique directly, only strong to march behind, and everything he does is excused by what “they did to us”.
Syria’s use of banned chemical weapons could have been a ploy all along, by the Russians and their allies, to draw Trump’s action to justify escalation. Though it may have been bait from the Russian’s view, it might have been brilliant for Trump to tell the world that the US isn’t pantie-whipped anymore and to draw Russia’s attention to the Middle East while the USS Carl Vinson carrier group goes to North Korea.
Nearly 100k jobs were created in March alone, over 200k in February. An accurate presidential poll—Investor’s Business Daily—ranked Trump at 34% approval. Since Trump took office, Americans have only seen two results: a boom in jobs and an onslaught from the news industry. The people haven’t heard much from Trump directly because he is too busy keeping promises, no matter how politically controversial those promises are.
With good and bad news, people’s political opinions haven’t changed; they have only strengthened. And, that strengthening is just now getting started.
Economy
153,000,000 Americans Employed in March, Setting 2nd Straight Record | CNS News
Payroll Gains Slow, U.S. Jobless Rate at Lowest Since 2007 | Bloomberg
White House
FBI Turns Up the Heat on Russian Election Hacking Investigation | Yahoo – Fiscal Times
Exclusive: Trump eyes new chief of staff; House Leader on short list | Axios
Trump’s chief strategist Steve Bannon stripped of national security council role | Guardian
What Steve Bannon’s demotion tells us about the Trump White House | CNN
Trump’s 34% Approval In IBD/TIPP Poll Is Nothing To Cheer, Or Ignore | IBD
Congress
Senate Republicans go ‘nuclear,’ pave the way for Gorsuch confirmation to Supreme Court | WA Post
Republicans Use ‘Nuclear Option’ to Clear the Way for Gorsuch Confirmation | NBC News
In big win for Trump, Senate approves his conservative court pick | Yahoo – Reuters
GOP leaving town with little to crow about | The Hill
Syria
Initial reports indicate Syrian airbase ‘almost completely destroyed’ after US strike | Fox News
The US warned the Russians ahead of Syria missile strikes | CNBC
Kremlin Says Syria Missile Strike Harms U.S.-Russia Relations | Huffington Post
Attacking Syria again? You’ll need to get through me: Russian battleship… | Daily Mail
Iran and Russia threaten to react to US ‘aggression’ in Syria… | Daily Mail
Tech
French inventor flies real-life hoverboard over the Atlantic Ocean | Telegraph
High-speed Hyperloop track ready for first trial run | Telegraph