Seen on the street in Kyiv.

Words of Advice:

"If Something Seems To Be Too Good To Be True, It's Best To Shoot It, Just In Case." -- Fiona Glenanne

“The Mob takes the Fifth. If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?” -- The TOFF *

"Foreign Relations Boil Down to Two Things: Talking With People or Killing Them." -- Unknown

“Speed is a poor substitute for accuracy.” -- Real, no-shit, fortune from a fortune cookie

"If you believe that you are talking to G-d, you can justify anything.” — my Dad

"Colt .45s; putting bad guys in the ground since 1873." -- Unknown

"Stay Strapped or Get Clapped." -- probably not Mr. Rogers

"The Dildo of Karma rarely comes lubed." -- Unknown

"Eck!" -- George the Cat

* "TOFF" = Treasonous Orange Fat Fuck, A/K/A Dolt-45,
A/K/A Commandante (or Cadet) Bone Spurs,
A/K/A El Caudillo de Mar-a-Lago, A/K/A the Asset., A/K/A P01135809

Sunday, January 13, 2019

Deadlock

Trump has been, in essence, claiming that he has a mandate to build his Great Wall of Trump because he won the 2016 election.

The Democrats are claiming, in essence, that they have a mandate to block Trump's edifice complex because they took the House of Representatives in the 2018 election.

Both sides have valid points.

So, where do we go from here? Trump is going to have to back off his inflexible demand for $5.7 billion. The Democrats are going to have to give him something, but since Trump has spurned smaller offers without climbing down from his initial demand, there's little reason for Democrats to budge.

Meanwhile, Mitch McConnell has pulled his head into his shell.

And so it goes.

20 comments:

B said...

Pretty much the same thing as the Obamacare "mandate".

Except that the Dems were smart enough to act when they had enough votes in Congress. The R's were, apparently, not smart enough

CenterPuke88 said...

The funniest comment by Donnie is to say now that “elections have consequences”. He is referring to his election in 2016 and ignoring that he lost the House in 2018.

Expected result:

Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate move a bill toward the end of the week, funding all but DHS till October, and DHS for another 3-4 weeks. The premise will be they have to reach agreement of Donnie will declare. The result will be an offer in the $3-3.5B range focused on technology and staffing, which is what border sheriffs want.*. Donnie will sign the first round and then won’t accept the compromise, so it’ll end up in court and he’ll get nothing for the wall.

*Terrell Co., TX. Has miles of border with 300 foot cliffs where wall would be a waste. Also has a few miles of open, flat border with dense scrubland. The Sheriff is a huge Donnie supporter, but absolutely don’t want any walls in his county because they won’t work. The crossers can get over the wall and disappear before his people get there...he wants more of the technology to track the crossers (they’ve been demoing and testing) and more staff.

Comrade Misfit said...

B, when the Republicans were thwarted in '17 in trying to repeal Obamacare, they probably made a calculation that they could hold onto the House and pick up four or five Senate seats, so they wouldn't have to listen to Collins, Murkowski and McCain. So it would be easier to try again in '19.

Bad bet, that.

Dark Avenger said...

Obama wanted affordable healthcare for all Americans. The Republican health care plan is “Get sick or injured? Why should we
care?”

dinthebeast said...

So Fergus "dressed down" Mulvaney for trying to negotiate a number that could be acceptable to all parties involved, demonstrating the fact that there is only one party involved, and that party is Fergus.

-Doug in Oakland

The New York Crank said...

The Dems offered a compromise. Trump rejected it. Mulvaney tried to broker a compromise more favorable to Trump. Trump rejected that one, too. There's no compromising with this guy. Either cave in — in which case he will hold everybody and every last thing hostage for every position that comes to him in his wet dreams, or over Fox news, forever. Or get him out of office and into prison, where he belongs.

Yours crankily,
The Nw York Crank

Marc said...

The D's know they can't trust his word, and have to get an OK from Fox & Friends, Limbaugh, etc before they'd even have a hope of him putting his signature on an agreement. McConnell has disappeared from the scene - he knows there is no good way out, with that 100-0 vote in December. If he allows anything to go forward, there are enough votes to override a veto - which would show just how bad a position 45 is in. The donor base got what they wanted - his signature on the Tax Cuts, so he isn't any use to them now. They're good with anyone in the seat, now that they got what they paid for. He is just twisting in the wind now.

montag said...

It was about this time last year that the Dems were willing to give Trump $20B for the wall in exchange for DACA. It was refused by the White House. More recently Trump could have gotten $5B from the Dems. This was also refused. And Trump was willing to accept the clean CR until he decided not to. To a cynical soul it would appear that the Trump Shutdown was planned a long time ago for reasons not fully explained yet.

B said...

So if they aren't afraid of a Wall, then why are we having the conversation???

Trump said no, he wanted Wall legislation FIRST. The Dems (and many R's) have lied, cheated and failed to deliver on Border security first. Get the facts straight. They insisted on DACA first, then they said they would "discuss" wall funding after. They would not let it happpen in the same bill.

'Twasn't a trade. They offered nothing concrete. Trump knew that they would not keep their "promise" as they have so often failed to do regarding "border Security".

Which is why we are here.

CenterPuke88 said...

“The Wall” is Donnie’s kabuki theatre to keep eyes off Russia. It’s just he’s had to radically up the volume to drown out the approaching footsteps. This Presidency will go down in history, and infamy.

Dark Avenger said...

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/03/23/politics/daca-rejected-deals-trump/index.html

January 11 (2018-Ed) After months of meetings, Democrat Dick Durbin and Republican Lindsey Graham go to the White House to propose to Trump a compromise worked out by their group of six bipartisan senators. The offer includes a path to citizenship for eligible young immigrants, the first year of Trump's border wall funding, ending the diversity visa lottery and reallocating those visas, and restricting the ability of former DACA recipients to sponsor family.
Trump and the White House invite hardline Republicans to the meeting and he rejects the deal, making his now-infamous "shithole countries" comment in the process.


January 19: House before a government funding deadline, Schumer and Trump meet for lunch at the White House. Schumer offered Trump the upwards of $20 billion he wanted for his border wall in exchange for a pathway to citizenship for the eligible immigrant population. The deal is rejected, and government shuts down at midnight.

Funny how what happened last year isn’t as you described, B.

B said...

"The first year of Border wall funding".
Which composed of plans and studies. Not full funding for the wall. Not the start of construction. Pretty much the same thing the second time.

They could have, and would have pulled the funding after the first year. Trump knew this. Which was why there was no deal.

You twist words nearly as well as Schumer.


If it was so easy to give $20 BILLION then, why is it so hard to come up with $5 billion today?

I know the answer. Do you?

DTWND said...

B, I believe you only THINK you know the answer. The reality you believe is based upon your preconceived ideas. I believe the reason is much more complex than either you or I or anyone else on these blogs can understand.

Yes, Trump is digging in. So are Schumer and Pelosi. And the ones caught in the crossfire are the federal workers and the beginnings of the general public at large. I think it will end once critical mass is reached and the bases of support for each side begin to erode. Whichever one crumbles first, will have to make concessions. How long that will take is anyone’s guess.

Dale

Dark Avenger said...

B, the question is: Why did Trump turned down 20 Billion for his wall and now can’t get 5 Billion?

And yeah, the first year. It’s known as “not giving away the store”

Could it be that Trump is a piss-poor negotiator?

B said...

DA: Asked and answered. Read above.

The "deal" for the "20 Billion" wasn't a real deal. Smoke and mirrors. No commitment.

Dark Avenger said...

I linked to a source, B. You have nothing but mere assertion. Like I said, it appears Trump is an incompetent negotiator.

CenterPuke88 said...

I was notified today, that as an essential “excepted” employee (must work, not paid), I am now eligible to apply for unemployment, food stamps, and my daughter is eligible for free lunches at school. 31 years and we’re down to this...

CenterPuke88 said...

And comes the word from California that the Administration is telling States that Federal Workers classified as “excepted” are NOT eligible for unemployment compensation. Cali is going to pay it anyway, but how low can they stoop?

Marc said...

CP88 “How low can they stoop?”

They’re going to continue until something breaks, and the a little further.

They don’t feel any pain from this, so It’s all ‘fake news’ to them.

The second they feel pain, you’ll hear ‘em squeal.

CenterPuke88 said...

Marc, they felt some pain, hence the early release of SNAP funds and the recall of IRS personnel. When will it be enough is the real question.