I would be remiss if I did not note that President Trump has short-circuited the “debt ceiling” theater along with the expected wailing for Hurricane Harvey relief and gone around the recalcitrant Republicans in Congress to strike a deal with the Democrats. Instead of getting a budget, we’re getting another continuing resolution to carry through to December, because Chuck U Schumer was locked and ready to hold Harvey relief hostage to get a debt ceiling increase.
People are freaking out all over and the Zombie NeverTrumpers are practically wetting themselves with excitement. I will admit that this is disappointing. Part of the reason that I could swallow the CR from earlier in the year was the promise of a full-on actual budget in September. Well, it’s September, and now we’re getting another cromnibus monstrosity. Or at least, that’s what the “deal” supposedly is. You see folks, this resolution can’t go anywhere unless at least some of the Republicans are on board with it. And by “some of the Republicans” I mean “at least three of the majority party in the Senate.” Which would be the same majority party that could not get its act together and lasso idiots like Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski into line to repeal the Unaffordable Don’t-Care Act a few weeks back. It’s real simple for the Republicans to stop President Trump’s “deal” here–offer him a goddamned better deal. Senator Ben Sasse, who talks a very good game but then falls into the NeverTrump sand pits somewhere along the way, has made a counterproposal to get the hurricane funding through the Senate on a clean bill just like the House did. Frankly, I hope he succeeds, and then maybe even remembers how to win.
I have very deep concerns about working with the Democrats, specifically being that it cannot actually be done. Chuck U and San Fran Nan are giddy over this and that makes me both worried and a little nauseated. In that respect, if this is actually the best deal the President feels like he can get, then that’s a pretty damned sorry statement about where the Congressional GOP is leaving him. I am holding out hope that President Trump is playing the Democrats against the Republicans to essentially show Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell he’s not bluffing, because at the end of the day, the debt ceiling was going to get hiked and the hurricane aid was going to get authorized. Whether it happens together or separately, after a bunch of breathless reports on the nightly news or before that narrative gets a chance to spin up, it makes no long-term difference. Frankly, I’m more concerned that the establishment Republicans will just dig their heels in and refuse to get the point than I am worried that this is a bad sign for the future. When it comes down to it, President Trump is a deal maker, and if he can get a better deal out of the people who call him Hitler than out of the guys who he dragged kicking and screaming to full control of Washington, that says a lot more about the Republicans than it does about him.
Also, there’s a little fuss going on about a tweet the President sent out about rescinding DACA, how no action would be taken on deportation within the next six months, which is what the initial announcement essentially said already. Apparently there was some kind of conversation between Nancy Pelosi and President Trump where she asked him to clarify this and he did, and now Nancy is out running a victory lap like she controls the President’s tweets now or something. Look guys, if I’m in a negotiation with an adversary and she asks me to go out and tell everyone it’s a nice day outside, when I’ve already said it’s a nice day outside, then I’m not going to fold my arms and turn up my nose and say “no, I’m not gonna.” This is not a sign of switched allegiance to Nancy Pelosi, it’s merely a civil gesture at most. I thought all the NeverTrump types wailing about the Twitter account wanted to see some more civility in there. Make up your damn minds.
Wanderer's Way 