Thom Tillis' Dog Show Was a Public Relations Fiasco...and It Might Have Muddied Stuff on the SAVE Act
Nothing more needs to be said:
what are you doing, Thom? The outgoing North Carolina Republican, who
had everything in his control until he chose to sabotage Ed Martin’s DC
US Attorney nomination and almost ruined Pete Hegseth’s Secretary of War
appointment. The man has since taken a stand on the losing side of
every issue, leaving him a pariah among Republicans.
And now, a classic case of political senioritis: a dog parade hosted
while the Department of Homeland Security remains shut down after both
parties failed to pass a long-term funding bill before the Presidents’
Day holiday. So, we have that issue, but also the SAVE Act to pass to
ensure our elections are secure. These are ‘gimmes’ on where to land—and
Tillis chose to end up on the wrong side of both, which takes a unique
brand of incompetence (via WaPo):
Sen. Thom Tillis Slammed for Dog Parade Amid SAVE America Act Delay
GOP
Sen. Thom Tillis faced backlash for hosting a 45-minute dog parade
while conservatives push for the SAVE America Act. CNN quoted him
dismissing criticism, saying he can "walk and chew gum at the same
time."… pic.twitter.com/AH7xYStPSW
It
was a rare day for the Senate. Despite their differences, the unlikely
crew forged ahead, one at a time, persevering through delays and
distractions toward a shared destination.
One stole a whiff of another’s bottom. Another laid down on the floor.
Wednesday was a memorable day to be a dog on Capitol Hill.
Dozens
of dogs paraded through the Senate in Mardi Gras costumes and beads.
Never mind that the government is partially shut down, or that Mardi
Gras was last Tuesday, or that dogs probably don’t know what Mardi Gras
is.
The event —“Doggi Gras” — was for humans, and was held by
North Carolina’s retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R). The parade is silly, he
concedes, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t important.
“Having
Democrat, Republican offices, lobbyists, whoever has a dog that wants to
come and participate ... you end up building better relationships,”
Tillis said. “It makes for a better environment, a more productive
environment.”
This was blessed by a Senate resolution. Sure, Thom said we can walk
and chew gum at the same time, but are you kidding me, man? Also, please
tell me this wasn’t the reason why Senate Leader John Thune had
virtually walked back on pushing the Democrats into a talking filibuster
on the bill (via The Hill):
Senate
Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters Wednesday that
there’s not enough consensus in the Senate Republican conference to
increase the chances of advancing voting reform by forcing Democrats to
wage an arduous talking filibuster in order to block the House-passed
legislation.
Thune warned that forcing Democrats to hold the
floor continuously with speeches to make it tougher for them to
filibuster the SAVE Act would require getting 50 Republicans to agree on
the strategy — and he said Senate Republicans aren’t there yet.
“If
we were to go down that path, it’s very hard to pivot and get back to
open up the government,” Thune said, referring to funding for the
Department of Homeland Security that lapsed on Feb. 14.
Thune
said it would be very hard to advance government funding legislation or a
bipartisan bill to make housing more affordable if Republicans have to
spend time trying to break a Democratic blockade of the SAVE Act, which
would require voters to show documented proof of citizenship.
“That’s harder to do once you’re in the throes of a talking filibuster,” Thune warned.
Tillis is also against the SAVE Act, and so is McConnell, who apparently doesn’t know where he is anymore.
What is wrong with Thom Tillis? He's on the wrong side of everything. https://t.co/XSjsnuHqmw
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