I just threw up a little in my mouth. I’ve heard excuse after excuse today from Republicans in the House, Senate, and the White House for agreeing to this monstrosity they call an “interim budget.” Why? Because it is full of EVERYTHING Republicans promised they would either terminate or would absolutely shut down if they maintained the House and Senate and took the White House last November: Planned Parenthood, Sanctuary City funding, Repeal/Replace Obamacare, EPA Regulations that choke the US economy, stop immigration from 6 Middle East countries known for birthing terrorists and terrorism until a good plan was implemented to stop that. AND…..No tax overhaul and NO money for the wall. Pretty much threw a bunch of mud in the President’s face, right? Nope…it was the GOP Leadership in the House and Senate who splashed the mud. Some of the mud landed on the President, but most all of it hit conservative Americans in the face who voted for President Trump and all of these GOP Congressional candidates to stop these exact kind of D.C. political machine actions.
What we have just now seen is that the difference between GOP and Democrat Party leadership is non-existent. Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell and others of the House and Senate leadership all got schooled by Chuck Schumer in this deal. What I struggle most to understand is how did they get the Trump approval? He is a really smart a man, a great a negotiator. He eats deals like this up before breakfast in his non D.C. job. How could he simply look the other way on this? It’s almost as if he wanted this to fail. Oh they have couched it this way: “This budget is really a Barack Obama carryover budget proposal. Trump’s first budget cannot go into force until September.”
Sure it is good that this budget includes serious dollars for the U.S. military, for additional border security measures, and it reduces some funding for controversial EPA programs. But it is a total “lay-down” on the core Republican issues that drove middle class Americans to the polls to elect members of Congress, the Senate, and the only non-political Presidential candidate who these Americans feel not only has the ability but also the desire to tackle these huge spending programs and military cuts. And in doing so cutting ALL funding of Planned Parenthood and non-compliant Sanctuary cities, major cuts to the EPA and the Visa program that resettles those immigrants from those 6 Middle East countries labeled as hot beds for terrorists and terrorism. And the Dems actually got the GOP to agree to NOT fund the wall on the U.S. southern border — Trump’s #2 major campaign promise after the repeal and replacement of Obamacare. No matter how House and Senate Republicans spin it, this is a devastating blow to President Trump.
It did not take long for Republicans to go on the defensive. But as happened over and over again to the GOP during the Obama Administration, here once more Democrats got out in front of Republicans in spinning their version of the budget deal: they claimed victory at President Trump’s expense all day on Monday. Because they were second, GOP leaders spent the day in defense mode.
A few questions from www.dnewman.org:
- Why did GOP leadership in both the House and the Senate lie to their members last week with instructions to get back to D.C. for meetings yesterday afternoon to discuss the details of the budget proposal to be offered to Congress this week? Has anyone yet asked Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan that question?
- Do you know how long it would take to discuss, draft, re-draft and re-draft, then finalize a 1600 page proposal? This bill did NOT get done over the weekend. Ryan and McConnell had that bill drafted, discussed with Schumer, and verbally agreed to weeks if not months ago.
Why did they do it this way? (Answer) Just as they did with the replacement bill they put together to replace Obamacare, they purposely did NOT involve their members in planning and discussing this bill. This is more proof that Ryan and McConnell are in the tank for the Republican Establishment in D.C. and the power brokers they answer to. THIS WAS ALL PLANNED!- Why isn’t President Trump blasting them via Twitter for their actions? When did he get into the nuts and bolts of this proposed bill? Based on his varying responses late yesterday and today, it is apparent he was not a ground-floor participant (once again) and now comes out looking foolish just like when there were not enough votes to pass the AHA Medical bill that he endorsed.
- Why does the President so under estimate his political foes on both sides of the aisle? Many in both parties disdain him as President. Some even hate him. Many more want him to fail. And this fact illustrates just how narcissistic most in Congressional leadership are: they have become so entrenched in the “system” they are certain of their job security — so much so they feel invincible. Can you imagine a scenario in which FDR’s Congressional leaders went around him with plans that totally circumvented the plans he had publicly put together and promised Americans would be part of his administration in WWII? Or maybe JFK or Reagan? Maybe Ryan and Company took their cue from the Obama Administration, watching as courts ruled against several of his executive orders, but still he kept their policies in place, thumbing his nose at the courts. There apparently is a new arrogance that has taken hold of Congressional leadership.
- When will this President (or will he ever) tweet to us a recognition that his “friends” in Congress (and maybe some of those who work for him in the White House) have thrown him under the bus? How long will the business genius living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue do what it is he does so well in his “other” and previous job? If this kind of stuff happened in Trump Land before this election, you can bet there would be a few “You’re Fired’s” going around.
Summary
The battle lines in D.C. are clearer today. Everyone knew Democrats were out to get Donald Trump. They do that to every Republican. Today everyone knows that current GOP leadership has joined the Democrats in Congress to get Donald Trump as well. I know factually that Paul Ryan purposely deceived multiple Congressmen about this spending deal. And I feel pretty strongly that Ryan once again (just as he did with his healthcare bill) “did his own thing” and did NOT include the White House until the last minute, then sold them on the things he used in the press today as justification for turning on conservative voters. Ryan duped them for the second time.
The Freedom Caucus had better take action to stop this bill this week.
I sent a message to the President today suggesting he change his strategy on this, quickly pulling this proposal off the table, and putting out a new one that parallels all his positions on spending that he promised in his campaign. Then if/when Democrats say “No,” let THEM with their “No” shut down the federal government.
The President needs to draw a line in the sand here, then as his predecessor did NOT do regarding Syrian use of chemical warfare, stick to it.
