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THE GOPS McCAIN FANTASY Four years ago, Sen. John McCain dealt a decisive blow to the Republican push to topple Obamacare with a memorable thumbs-down vote on the floor. The dramatic moment, as the 2008 GOP presidential nominee crippled his own partys efforts to repeal and replace the landmark health care law signed by the Democratic president who defeated him, resonates in Washington to this day.

And some in the GOP are hoping to watch a revival of it to see one or more centrist Democrats stage their own McCain moments by tearing down their partys precarious plans for a $3.5 trillion social spending bill packed with progressive wish-list items.

For several reasons, that Republican hope is almost surely in vain. The biggest one is simple: In the summer of 2017, McCain was standing against an attempt to take away benefits from the American public, protections that were growing in popularity as then-President Donald Trump pushed to revoke them.

Yet any moderate Democrat who casts a deciding vote to quash the social spending plan promoted by President Joe Biden would be yanking away benefits or at least halting the establishment of new ones from the public, donning a black hat by stopping legislation thats poised to expand paid leave, universal pre-K, free community college and Medicare coverage.

Even Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), who is said to envision herself as a home-state heir to McCains maverick mentality, knows better than to let her resistance to a bill as big as $3.5 trillion play out at the 11th hour, when it would hurt her party most. The Democratic architect of the Senate-passed bipartisan infrastructure deal (your Nightly host rejects the Playbook-pushed acronym that rhymes with a peanut-butter brand) is laying down her marker early, with a spokesperson telling our Burgess Everett earlier today that she wont accept a social spending plan with a price tag shaped by Senate Budget Chair Bernie Sanders.

(L-R) Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) speaks as Susan Collins (R-Maine), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) listen during a news conference after a procedural vote for the bipartisan infrastructure framework at Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill. | Alex Wong/Getty Images

Theres another big reason that a Democrat is unlikely to play the McCain role of showy spoiler, this one embodied by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.). Unlike the Arizona conservative and decorated war hero, most Democratic centrists are the Rodney Dangerfields of the Hill: They get no respect.

Sinema and her Senate centrist-in-arms Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) are persistently reviled by the left and embraced by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. McCain was hardly Mr. Popular in the post-tea party GOP, but his heroic personal narrative and past standard-bearing put him on a different intra-party footing than Sinema or Manchin stands on today.

At least Sinema and Manchin have outsize influence in the 50-50 Senate, however. Gottheimer co-chairs a bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus thats operated in the shadows of the Senates dealmakers throughout the infrastructure drama, even after it helped deliver 35 Republican votes for an independent commission to examine Jan. 6.

One congressional aide even compared Gottheimers caucus to the cycle of cicadas, those weak 17-year presences that end up crunched on sidewalks, to our Sarah Ferris back in June. So Gottheimer and his fellow House centrists are putting their oft-underestimated credibility on the line as they hold out their votes for their partys budget this week in a push to get a faster vote on the Sinema-led Senate infrastructure bill.

But their ultimate goal is to gain influence inside their party, particularly as the 100-plus members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus start making demands for the forthcoming social spending bill. The best way to get that influence isnt by tanking the speakers priorities, McCain-style especially when Gottheimer is trying to repeal the cap on state and local tax deductions in the same bill hes holding up.

Gottheimer can win by reaching an agreement that makes his centrists look as smart as possible while giving Democratic leaders what they want. He might still defy the laws of legislative physics this week and lead his allies to a House-floor squashing of the budget, with its reconciliation instructions that tee up the social spending bill. But the safer bet is that as memorable as McCains rebellion was, it is unlikely to get a sequel.

Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. A note for next week: Nightly wont be publishing from Monday, Aug. 30-Monday, Sept. 6. Well be back and better than ever Tuesday, Sept. 7. Reach out with news, tips and ideas for us at [emailprotected]. Or contact tonights author at [emailprotected] and on Twitter at @eschor.

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DEADLINE DRAMA The White House has been clear for weeks that there wouldnt be a mission accomplished moment to end Americas longest war. But after initially pushing back the timeline to pull out of the country, the president had been adamant about marking the wars end by a date certain: Aug. 31. And it quickly became the latest example of how the White Houses devotion to deadlines can backfire, Christopher Cadelago and Natasha Korecki write.

Deadlines serve a purpose. They are motivational. They bring focus, said David Axelrod, a senior strategist for former President Barack Obama. They also can be treacherous and hard to keep, especially in complex situations. And that can come back to bite you.

Until last week, Bidens Afghanistan policy had been defined as a rigid adherence to his withdrawal deadline. And that insistence opened him up to a wave of criticism for being both shortsighted and politically motivated the withdrawal was timed to mark the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks that effectively triggered the war.

Bidens resolve seemed to recede a bit on Sunday night when, in response to two consecutive questions about his Aug. 31 deadline, he said his hope was to not have to extend it. But, he added, there are going to be discussions, I suspect about how far along we are in the process. Administration officials point to the thousands of evacuations that have taken place in the past few days as an example of their agility.

Evacuees from Kabul arrive in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. | Photo by Handout/Bundeswehr via Getty Images

Pentagon confirms latest mission to rescue Americans stranded in Kabul: The Pentagon revealed today it had performed another rescue mission to transport Americans stranded in Kabul to the Afghan capitals international airport, where the urgent U.S. evacuation effort remains underway. The announcement comes after the Pentagon confirmed that three Army CH-47 Chinook helicopters last Thursday airlifted a group of 169 Americans from the Baron Hotel in Kabul to the Hamid Karzai International Airport just 200 meters away.

Taliban threaten consequences if U.S. delays Afghanistan exit: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to ask Biden to keep American boots on the ground in Afghanistan after Aug. 31s withdrawal deadline but the Taliban say they wont accept any extension. Johnson is set to push the American president for more time for evacuation during an emergency summit of G-7 countries on Tuesday, according to briefings to journalists by No. 10 Downing Street. The meeting comes as several thousands of people have gathered around Kabul airport in a desperate attempt to escape Taliban rule.

FDA approves Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, making way for more vaccine mandates: The Food and Drug Administration fully approved the first Covid-19 vaccine for use in adults today, raising hopes that the decision will convince some holdouts to get vaccinated and spark a wave of employer and school immunization mandates. The agencys decision applies to people 16 and older.

Cuomo calls AG report a political firecracker: Gov. Andrew Cuomo pledged today to fight the allegations of sexual harassment detailed in a recent report from Attorney General Tish James as he addressed New Yorkers for the final time as governor. The governors video farewell remarks capped a 14-day transition period that began when the three-term Democrat announced his resignation. Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will officially be sworn-in as New Yorks first woman governor at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.

Capitol Police clear officer in shooting of Ashli Babbitt during Jan. 6 riot: The Capitol Police said today it had cleared of wrongdoing the officer who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt during the Jan. 6 insurrection, announcing that an internal investigation found the officers conduct lawful and would not result in discipline. The department said in a statement that its Office of Professional Responsibility determined the officers actions were lawful and within Department policy. The Capitol Police allows officers to use deadly force only when the officer reasonably believes that action is in the defense of human life, including the officers own life, or in the defense of any person in immediate danger of serious physical injury.

Trump-appointed judge clashes with Biden DOJ in immigration suit: A federal judge presiding over a major legal challenge to Bidens immigration policies lashed out today at Justice Department attorneys, accusing them of trying to rush him into making a key decision in the case.

Severe oil leaks worsened Keystone pipelines spill record, GAO finds: The company behind the controversial Keystone XL project that Biden effectively killed on his first day of office had an oil spill record worse than the national average over a five-year period thanks to two major spills, according to a Government Accountability Office report published today. The two spills from the Keystone pipelines dumped a combined 12,000 barrels of oil in the Dakotas even as operator TC Energy was planning to expand that pipeline with its proposed Keystone XL project, which would have tripled the amount of crude the pipeline system would carry from Canada into the United States.

Nightly asks you: Did you, or someone you know, initially decide not to get vaccinated but then got the shot? If so, what happened to change your mind (or theirs)? Send your response using our form, and well include select answers in Fridays edition.

POST-MERKEL NAILBITER Germany heads into the final month of its national election campaign this week with the three largest parties in a virtual dead heat, in the latest sign that the contours of the countrys political typography will be redrawn after Angela Merkels exit.

A rash of polls in recent days points to a steady decline in support for the ruling Christian Democrats, whose candidate for chancellor, party leader Armin Laschet, appears to have so far failed to convince the public that he is a worthy successor to Merkel, who plans to step aside after 16 years in office.

The Christian Democrats are supported by just 24 percent of the population, down from 29 percent last month, according to POLITICOs Poll of Polls, which aggregates polling data from numerous sources. The Social Democrats, boosted by the popularity of their candidate for the chancellor, Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, have jumped to 20 percent from 16 percent. The Greens, who many tipped to be the clear No. 2 party, have stagnated at 18 percent.

The most recent individual polls are even more worrying for the center-right Christian Democrats, who campaign together with their Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union. According to a weekly barometer published by the Bild am Sonntag newspaper over the weekend, the Christian Democrats are now even with the Social Democrats at 22 percent, but still ahead of the Greens at 17 percent.

$125 million

The amount Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is spending to hire an additional 1,500 people to staff hospitals through December on top of the 1,300 health workers the state already sent to 68 hospitals. Hospitals and lawmakers in states gripped by the Delta variant are offering nurses tens of thousands of dollars in signing bonuses, rewriting job descriptions so paramedics can care for patients and pleading for federal help to beef up their crisis-fatigued health care workforces.

STORM ROLLS INTO WH For the first time since 2016, an NBA or WNBA championship team visited the White House today, as Biden welcomed the WNBA champion Seattle Storm. The president said the team had done significant work off the court to make an impact in their communities. What makes this team remarkable is they dont just win games. They change lives. Encouraging people to get vaccinated so we can beat this pandemic. Speaking out of standing up for racial justice and voting rights. Supporting education and mentorship programs for young people. And fighting to protect trans youth from an epidemic of violence and discrimination, Biden said. Thats what winners do: They shine the light, they lift people up, theyre a force for change. Biden then knelt in front of the team with a customized Biden 46 jersey for a photograph.

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Where the centrist rebellion goes from here - Politico

By LISA GONSALVES

The following year with Michele was mostly magical. She was a gracious hostess in what seemed like an enchanted tea party, speckled with moments of relative madness. She was the psychedelic version of Martha Stewart.

Impressive were her business sensibilities that continued to manage roughly half a dozen staff of rotating caregivers. She ran her home with the fastidiousness of her business endeavors. Her kitchen, cleaning regimen, and trash handling were designed with precision; everything was labeled and dated, nothing wasted, and every resource scrutinized. We designed, laminated and posted an elaborate guest policy, to the chagrin of family members and visiting friends.

I understood her need for structure as an accommodation in the face of a handicap, as I require it to ameliorate my distractibility. Michele would say, I cant have chaos, and I heard, Because my cancer condition creates a condition over which I have minimal control, I must control what I can.

No surprise, the shining highlight was meal prep. In her kitchen, she was a magnificent maestro orchestrating a symphony of healing meals. Thats where her precious culinary secrets were disclosed. Occasionally, the mini diva reminded us how much those lessons were worth. Nevertheless, meals were always shared. Sometimes wed help her host small dinner parties for random friends and neighbors, because, why not? As a woman who could shatter or master many stereotypes, she never appeared to me much as the Jewish mother, except in the kitchen. Michele fed others with relish.

Entertainment was ensured that year. We caregivers were afforded equal opportunity to escort her to any free cultural event she found. Always a great date, while overdressed to the nines, she was charming, witty, and easily the center of attention. Her sex appeal was as effervescent as ever and she could flirt like a vixen, simultaneously attempting coy while upholding archaic courtship protocol.

Yet she made no secret of her cancer. In fact, it was typically the first thing out of her mouth. With a smile. And the smile was real. Queen that she was, her grand finale was her final entry into the Ms. Senior America Pageant.

Michele had placed in several senior beauty pageants over the years. What was notable in her participation in the title for Ms. Pennsylvania Senior America 2020 was her Stage 4 cancer. The pageant expected contestants to be the picture of health. Because of full disclosure, the pageant people were aware of her condition. Perhaps desperate for bodies, they coddled her throughout. She and I worked together to master her best answers, which were scripted and rehearsed. Her cousin came from the city to fit her for the event in top designer fashion.

With those requirements covered, she needed only to focus on the talent segment. She chose interpretive dance because thats something she could do on the spot and just make it up in the moment. The problem for her was finding a song. She had asked a friend to compose something. That didnt happen. Oddly, she neglected to search herself, was avoidant even. She passed the responsibility on to one of the caregivers. Keen on requirements, Michele made certain I provided her with a song version with exactly the time allotted, but she never rehearsed her dance at all. In fact, aside from timing her entrance, she never even listened to it. That wasnt the most concerning issue.

By the time the pageant came around, Michele made the journey to Harrisburg all by herself, while in hospice. This involved a car ride of several hours and an overnight stay for preparation and rehearsals. As she tells it, she got lost someplace short of her destination, pulled in at a diner, and called the police, who escorted her the rest of the way. She was many hours late, but since she worked superbly under pressure, she could go with the flow.

Im Every Woman isnt a song about womens empowermentits Hoochie-Mama! reported a dismayed Michele, perfectly cast as a real-life Little Miss Sunshine in her twilight years! As tiny as she was, she showed up big, or not at all. She made it back in one piece, positive attitude intact. Id argue that Michele was the most courageous beauty pageant contestant ever. For that, she is a champion.

Michele admittedly put on characters like costumes she changed out of her endless wardrobe. Yet she was never inauthentic. Akin to Dolly Partons exaggerated glamour, she was forthcoming about her constructed illusions and despite them all, still incredibly real. Each shift (to use her word) was a decisive strategy to meet a necessary end that worked for her. The newly adopted persona or change in perspective was embraced wholeheartedly as a true aspect of herself. From early on, she learned how to be the conductor of her own ride, and not allow life to happen to her. She was a fervent student of life until the end. Although not academic, she was heavily learned in hard and soft skills, taking courses throughout her life in various fields, from fine art to energy healing, often with the most prestigious of educators.

I realize there might be those who thought her just nuts, but Id argue she was misunderstood. Most of what she professed was grounded in respectably established concepts. True, she was known to have fantastical notions, and we arent certain to what degree she took them seriously. I must note, however, that even her most far-fetched stories are difficult to disprove. She might just have returned to her far-off planet Zatar. We cant really know. Essentially, she raises the question whether perhaps someones craziness isnt crazy at all. It could be genius the rest of us dont understand.

Michele was not blind to her imperfections and strove to improve until the end. Granted, she could be exhausting. At least she was mindful of maintaining her integrity and willing to look where she faltered. At times Id point out when she was asking for too much or being unnecessarily bossy. She appreciated my honesty and stopped expecting bank tellers to make her photocopies and get her envelopes. Together Michele and I worked on her swan song. My Gift of Destruction was the title she gave to her cancer journey because this dichotomy was her theme. Her chosen totem was the Black Witch moth, which in various cultures symbolizes contrary concepts. For some, it is a harbinger of death, and for others, it is a positive omen of good fortune. She had accepted her early denial of her condition and her futile attempts to escape the clutches of cancer. What became paramount to her was jurisdiction over her own conscientious choices. No one was going to tell her what course of action was right for her health.

For the rest of this story, visit http://www.riverreporter.com/miracles.

Originally posted here:
Crazy as wise, part three - The River Reporter

Let's face it. Second time round there is no novelty about lockdown.What a stupid redundant sentence that was. There can be no novelty about something that happens more than once, surely. While I am on the subject of grating expressions, what about the ludicrous GOAT acronym which pervaded recent Olympics coverage? If something is the Greatest, it has to be Of All Time, doesnt it? It is as silly as saying best ever, worst ever. Best or worst, please.

And please, please Jacinda, Ashley et al, do not talk about the (expletive deleted) team of five million any more. Also, if you do not want to answer a question, or cannot, say so. Do not avoid a curly question by saying What I can say is... or What I would say is... It is infuriating.

Grumpy. Thats what I am in lockdown this time, in case you havent guessed.

It is hard to explain. I have no issue with the necessity for the lockdown, but as valid as criticisms might be about the slowness of the vaccination programme and other shortcomings in our creaking system, I am sick of hearing about them. I wonder instead how it feels to be listening to all of that when you are one of those overworked vaccinators, testers, lab technicians, contact tracers, supermarket workers or anyone else considered part of essential services.

Swanning around at home not doing very much makes me feel useless rather than a member of any team, especially when I know for some people being at home will be dangerous and depressing. Also, compared with the ongoing misery people in many other countries have had to endure, our lockdown concerns seem piffling.

Whereas last time, in the countdown to lockdown I was scrubbing the kitchen floor and thinking deeply, this year the floor is filthy, and my annoying leaking fridge is in danger of rotting the floorboards.

Day one was no better. In a fit of enthusiasm, I decided to turn rotting bananas into muffins, kidding myself that though I havent made them for years, I knew what I was doing and no recipe would be required.

Spooning the stiff batter into the muffin tray made me wonder if milk should have been included, so the mess was spooned back into the bowl and milk added.

The strange growths emerging from the oven would not have looked out of place in a gruesome illustrated oncology textbook. The maxim never beat a muffin it will toughen had also been ignored. They were only edible toasted and slathered with butter.

News of this failure led to some strange culinary text correspondence with my sister, the Earthquake Baby, in Murchison. In every text we each assumed the identity of a different well-known chef or cook. At one point when she was doing a Gordon Ramsay, I had to pull an Aunt Daisy and tell her not to be so unladylike. After we had gone through about 14 celebrities, I was having an identity crisis and my cooking had not improved.

At least my companion provided some light relief trying to follow instructions from afar from the Last Born to download the Covid Tracer app since he has recently upgraded from a burner phone to a smartphone.

We were expecting a swipe-by-swipe account of his first use when he went to the supermarket, but he was too worried he would be faffing about and holding up other shoppers to attempt it.

Privacy Commissioner John Edwards understandably has reservations about the practicalities of recently announced moves to mandatory scanning/contact recording.

How will those managing the places where this is required ensure people are doing it properly, not faking using the app or putting down false contact details?

Most places which have had pen and paper contact systems up until now have given little regard to the privacy of anyones details. The best place Ive seen (my phone is appless and I am hapless) for privacy is the Dunedin Library where contact details are written on individual forms and popped into a ballot box.

By the end of the first week, I had completed a baby blanket begun months ago. But when I assembled teddies for a tea party (with real tea) on it so they could test my homemade digestive biscuits, the First Born politely inquired if I had cabin fever. (The biscuit-making was to appease the designated supermarket shopper, upset that I and one of the offspring had scoffed most of his packet of digestives.)

When I sent the tea party pic with explanation to the Murchison-dwelling sisters, they were quick to suggest cabin fever might be the least of my worries. It was hard to argue with that.

Read more:
Grumpiness pervades in this round of being stuck at home - Otago Daily Times

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said at an event Wednesday night that he will vote for Gov. Greg Abbott over at least two notable challengers in next years Republican primary, prompting boos from a conservative activist crowd.

Abbott, who served as attorney general before moving into the governors mansion, appointed Cruz as solicitor general the states top appellate lawyer shortly after taking office in 2003. Cruz credited Abbott for launching his political career with that appointment, while also citing the governors endorsement of his 2016 presidential campaign.

I can tell you very, very simply, if it were not for Greg Abbott, I wouldnt be in the U.S. Senate, Cruz told attendees at a meeting of the True Texas Project, a tea party group in Tarrant County. So listen, I understand there are a lot of folks here who have concerns about some of the things Greg Abbotts done. But I gotta say, as for me, Im going to vote for Greg Abbott, and to be honest, I think Id be a disloyal jackass if I didnt vote for him given two decades of our working side-by-side.

LAST MONTH: Sen. Rand Paul wades into Texas governors race against Gov. Abbott

Cruzs comments elicited boos from the crowd and drew pushback from Julie McCarty, CEO of the True Texas Project, who appeared onstage wearing a shirt in support of Abbotts primary opponent, former state Sen. Don Huffines.

I would encourage Sen. Cruz to hold Gov. Abbott accountable and then do whatever step comes next, McCarty said.

Abbott also is being challenged by former Texas Republican Party chairman Allen West, who like Huffines has criticized Abbott for the measures he enforced earlier in the pandemic to stem the spread of COVID-19.

McCartys group, previously known as the Northeast Tarrant Tea Party, has its own deep ties to Cruz, backing his insurgent 2012 Senate primary bid over the favored candidate, then-lieutenant governor David Dewhurst. The group is often openly critical of Republican establishment officials, and has come under criticism at times for its incendiary rhetoric.

jasper.scherer@chron.com

Read more here:
Sen. Ted Cruz backs Gov. Abbott in GOP primary and gets booed by a tea party crowd - Houston Chronicle

The second Peterborough International Tea Cosy Exhibition continues this month from the Friday the 27th to Tuesday the 31st.

This years theme is the Mad Hatters tea party from the iconic Alice in Wonderland story and the idea behind it was from local man Allen Crack.

The Peterborough SA Craft Group has had fun in crafting interesting cosies, designing and creating props for a special exhibit depicting scenes from the story.

There will be so many different handcrafted tea cosies on display at the Peterborough Town Hall along with a variety of local teapot collections.

Interest in the event has grown as stall holders displaying their wares which will hopefully provide something for anyone.

Secretary of the Peterborough Craft Group, Moira Lawler said "whacky ideas bring out the creativity in people and if we hold it bi-annually it provides more time for ideas to develop thus creating a more interesting event."

"We need something to cheer people up in the current climate."

Chairperson Janet Ridge said "this event was a collective brain wave that has brought many people together."

"The event creates a wave of enthusiasm amongst the local crafters also brings in people with other talents for props."

"The beauty of our group is that it is diversifying and no longer are we just knitting and crocheting.

"We have a resident artist, Haley O'Shea, Polymer Clay crafter, Peta-Jayne Crack and with the upgrades happening with our recent grant win, a more diverse range of crafters may be enticed to join the group and share their talents."

International Tea Cosy Exhibition started as a whacky idea at the Peterborough SA Craft Group in August 2019.

Tea cosies were originally from Peterborough in England, Canada and South Australia but interest has spread to New South Wales.

During their first exhibition in 2019, there were around 1,200 visitors and tourists that were surprised to see such a high-quality event while travelling around the state.

The event will be running from 10am - 4pm with a $2 entry fee.

Link:
Come to Peterborough's Mad Hatter themed tea party. - The Flinders News