In the Senate cloakroom, a conversation among two Republicans:
"This is a shitty tax bill. It's mean, it's dumb, and it's favoring our rich donors, all while screwing over wage earners."
"Yes, but Trump is clear, and so are Ryan and McConnell. We need to pass something--or else we are a 'do-nothing Congress,' as we head into 2018. And our donors won't fund us because we will have failed--again. They want the goodies they have long wanted, and couldn't get before Trump came along to tweet people silly while we dismantle everything we can, and give more money to our donors who fund us."
"But what I worry about is what we end up passing is itself a monstrosity, which leaves us open to charges we're just catering to rich people and corporations. Populism can work both ways, ya know?"
"Yeah, I made that point to McConnell and Ryan. They said to me, 'Look. People are dumb, people have short memories. We don't have to fool everyone, just fool enough people to win.' They said, too, that they can whip up any number of culture war issues to divert people. And people will forget all about this bill--and if they feel screwed over, it's the usual, you know, 'Just say it's the liberals' fault.'"
"They better be right...."
"Well, the funny thing is we can almost guarantee the DNC will keep throwing up weak candidates like Doug Jones, who only won because of how bad Roy Moore was. The Dems keep doing us a favor with their social liberal, economically vague and corporate oriented candidates--who just look like they'd be awkward at a labor union bar-b-que. The DNC will never put their full forces and money behind a Sanders type--"
"Sanders really put a scare out there...for all of us, the Democrat people here, too."
"He did. But we can count on wealthier liberals in the coastal regions to say he's too old to listen to, and, anyway who else have the Dems got?"
"Yeah, I hear that. And you know, something I thought about today, that when the new FCC rules kick in, Comcast and Google can really start limiting what people are exposed to. That's what Pai at the FCC told McConnell. It's like gerrymandering the Internet! Remember, Obama had to pick Pai back in 2012 for the Republican seat on the FCC. McConnell pushed Pai, and McConnell told me today he knew what he was getting with Pai from the start. McConnell plays a longer game, though he looks really bad when he said 'Seat Scott Brown in 2010, but don't seat Doug Jones now, when the shoe's on the other foot.' McConnell takes a hit for the rest of us on stuff like that...He's safe in Kentucky because all he has to do is say, 'I love coal and guns' and people just vote for him. Lucky bastard!"
"See? There's another reason why we go along with this shitty tax bill!"
"But what about the middle class, the country?"
"Don't talk like a Commie. We know who we rely on and who pays for our campaigns. And it's the same people who will fund us after we leave this God forsaken swamp."
"Yeah, you're right. Damn...Well, here we go. Gonna vote for the shitty bill! Glad Cruz and Corker fell into line. Lotta noise, though, with those guys."
"Prima donnas. Don't worry bout them. Just vote for the shitty tax bill."
Smiling, the two shake hands and leave the cloakroom.
