Link , Link , ["For guys like Rubio this is all just kabuki theater. They belong to a party that is populated by people who hate 'elites.' So they have to hate 'elites,' too...And since Donald Trump hates Fauci, then Fauci is, ipso facto, an elite. Period, the end."], Link , [Actually, that’s not true. Because Rubio isn’t doing this because he’s stupid. He’s doing it because he’s an ambitious coward desperate to earn the approval of a deranged man who still has a chokehold on the Republican party. And it only serves to sow distrust among the segment of the population which already views scientific expertise as a marker of the evil “elites.”], Link , Link , Link , Link , [Thornberry also linked to a summary of major provisions and authorities, including a number of pay provisions and bonuses, that would lapse if the NDAA fails. The compromise bill passed the House this month in a blowout 335-78 vote, well beyond the two-thirds majority needed to overturn a presidential veto. The Senate also passed the final NDAA by a wide margin. But the override requires solid bipartisan support, and Republicans could tank the bill if enough of them side with Trump. Republicans supplied 140 votes to pass the NDAA this month, joining forces with 195 Democrats. The dilemma of whether to defy Trump has exposed rifts in the House Republican conference. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy voted to pass the bill, but said he won't vote to override Trump, while Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) opposed the bill. Several dozen Trump-aligned conservatives also opposed the legislation. On the other side, senior Republicans such as Thornberry and House GOP Conference Chair Liz Cheney of Wyoming have underscored the need to enact the bill at all costs. "This is a time to put our nation’s security and our responsibility for our troops ahead of any other consideration," Thornberry said.]