January 25, 2019

Trump's speech just now....


As reported in the NYT (boldface mine):
President Trump agreed Friday to reopen the federal government for three weeks while negotiations proceeded over how to secure the nation’s southwestern border, backing down after a monthlong standoff failed to force Democrats to give him billions of dollars for his long-promised wall.

The decision paved the way for Congress to quickly pass spending bills that Mr. Trump will sign to restore normal operations at a series of federal agencies until Feb. 15 and begin paying again the 800,000 federal workers who have been furloughed or forced to work for free for 35 days....

The surprise announcement was a remarkable comedown for a president who made the wall his nonnegotiable condition for reopening the government. But Mr. Trump relented as the effects of the shutdown rippled across the Northeast, with effects far beyond paychecks, such as air traffic slowing Friday because of a shortage of air traffic controllers, who called in sick...

288 comments:

1 – 200 of 288   Newer›   Newest»
EsoxLucius said...

What the hell was that? I've heard of victory laps, but that was a defeat lap.

gspencer said...

Isn't this a cave-in? They go back to getting a paycheck (they're not going back to work since they don't work in the first place), and he doesn't get the wall. As to 2020 I'll channel John McLaughlin, "Bye, Bye!"

narciso said...

Possibly, I think Venezuelan options play into that.

Chuck said...

The great big orange deal maker just folded.

I heard him saying that he never wanted a (singular) “great wall.” He’ll be incredibly lucky if he gets 100 miles of “wall.” Less than a bipartisan Congress did in past years.

Hahahahaha!

Nonapod said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nonapod said...

Seems like sort of a caving on Trump's part to me. I don't imagine 3 weeks will change anything. Nancy got what she wanted: No wall. Only thing Trump can do is try the "declare a national emergency" thing.

Chuck said...

Reagan demolished the air traffic controllers.

The air traffic controllers just waxed Trump.

Hahahahaha!

rhhardin said...

Everything is being done for soap opera women.

rhhardin said...

I'd assume Trump is doing battle space preparation for the wall.

DougWeber said...

Does not look like a cave to me. Clearly everyone was under pressure given the constant coverage of the travails of the federal workers without paychecks. Trump has now shown his compassion, something the Democrats have not done. If the full funding had been done, as the Democrats wanted, it would be a concession. What it has done is forced the Democrats to negotiate. How can they say no to negotiations now without sounding cruel and insensitive.

Etienne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Chuck said...

Blogger Nonapod said...
Seems like sort of a caving on Trump's part to me. I don't imagine 3 weeks will change anything. Nancy got what she wanted: No wall. Only thing Trump can do is try the "declare a national emergency" thing.



Yessir. You have it exactly right.

But by dragging it out another 3 weeks, he has further undercut any evidence of a time-critical “emergency.” The emergency is that Trump is tanking on a Great Border Wall Campaign Promise.

Hahahahaha!

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Pelosi insisted "re-open government - then we will talk."

Sadly, Pelosi is a bad faith liar.

Hunter said...

I'm going to take a different tack here.

The government is only reopening for 3 weeks so everybody gets paid and we reset the clock. Nobody has to be angry about federal workers missing more paychecks.

But if Congress doesn't do their part, we'll go right back to partial shutdown. Trump may believe Congress will move further to avoid that. He has already demonstrated that his position is stronger than theirs.

Ray - SoCal said...

Trump just took the moral high ground.

And showed he is willing to go through a shutdown...

I don’t think he folded.

Be nice to have one of those famous Althouse polls on this.

Something like:

A. Trump got punked / folded
B. Trump just took away fed worker issue and will negotiate
C. Trump will declare an emergency and build the wall

Hunter said...

Pelosi insisted "re-open government - then we will talk."

Also this. We reopened government, and Pelosi will refuse to talk. It won't be a good look.

Birches said...

Aside from Chuck's gloating, I see this as a tactic to declare a National Emergency. The government will shut down again in 3 weeks and then what? Eventually, Nancy will have to give something.

Darrell said...

Chuck the Cuck can crow.
But he will still always be a cuck.
Time for a cruise, Chuck?

wendybar said...

So it looks like the Government is doing what it does best...kicking the can down the road...once again.

narciso said...

Why haven't we seen him on the masthead of the bulwinkle?

Darrell said...

Mittens joined the Democrats with his votes.
Stellar cuck behavior.
Utah should be proud.

bleh said...

Craziest aspect of the entire shutdown was the glammed-up "soup kitchen" efforts to fee the government workers. Give me a break. I feel for government workers, I really do, but they're well compensated for what they do and they enjoy unusually good job security. Am I really supposed to believe so many are on the brink of financial ruin after 3 weeks and that charities are needed to FEED them? Food is extremely cheap if you aren't fussy about it.

I also heard about, but didn't see any evidence of, government workers sleeping in their cars. The implication being the workers have been evicted or foreclosed on or something. I had no idea the legal proceedings could be so swift. I guess anything to gin up sympathy for the workers and anger at Trump.

Lyle Smith said...

Depends on what the definition of emergency is. Some say the border has been in a state of emergency for years... so a matter of weeks doesn’t change anything.

Jim at said...

The government is only reopening for 3 weeks so everybody gets paid and we reset the clock. Nobody has to be angry about federal workers missing more paychecks.

Exactly. That's all it is.
Let's see where we are in three weeks.

I suspect Trump will finally say fuck it, and declare the emergency.

Chuck said...


Blogger Lyle Smith said...
Depends on what the definition of emergency is. Some say the border has been in a state of emergency for years... so a matter of weeks doesn’t change anything.


See you in court.

Have a nice day!

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

I'm in the wait and see camp. Three weeks will be here quickly.

I assume they'll use the three weeks to try to get some mega amnesty for a wall deal.

If Trump succeeds in three weeks he will be reelected. If he fails he will be a one termer.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Chuck said...
The great big orange deal maker just folded

There is no folding in seven-dimensional chess.

I'll withhold judgment until this plays out.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Three weeks gets Trump a State of the Union address, where he declares an emergency.

roesch/voltaire said...

It is about time to end the non-negotiation hostage taking before an air accident happens and have congress do its job. They agreed on a joint bill before and submitted it to Trump but FoX pricked his ear and he rejected it. Both sided agree on the need for border security and now they can work out how that is to be done including some form of smart fence.

FullMoon said...

Apparently food stamps and section8 were about to be affected.
Trump cares about he poor and decided losing face was less important than keeping them housed and fed.

Democrats? Not so much.

Chuck said...

Maybe Trump will use the 3 weeks to try to get Mexico to pay for his wall. No money down, with muy affordable payments, amigo!


WintersTale said...

Three weeks gets Trump a State of the Union address, where he declares an emergency.

GOP saying nope, don't do that. Nix nix.

WintersTale said...

Trump cares about he poor and decided losing face was less important than keeping them housed and fed.

That's true. Everybody believes that.

FullMoon said...

WHY Chuck is invested in failure. He is always wrong on the big things so small"victories" bonerize him.

Chuck said:in 2015

My point, and my question to all of the Trump fans is this: Trump as the Republican nominee will result in Hillary Clinton winning the Presidency of the United States and holding that office until Justice Scalia is 85 years old. Hillary could nominate replacements for Ginsburg, Breyer, and one or two Republicans. We could end her term with a Supreme Court comprised of six young liberals who might serve for 25 years.

..

If Trump is the Republican nominee, Hillary Clinton wins by 350 electoral votes.
If Trump runs as a third party candidate, Hillary might win by 300 electoral votes.

Nonapod said...

I'll be very surprised if any deal is reached within the 3 weeks. At this point I fully expect Trump will declare the national emergency in 3 weeks time. And then the legal challenges will begin.

Leland said...

tick, tock

rcocean said...

Of course, Mitten joined the Democrats.

Everyone new he was going to be a backstabbing Cuck.

How many times does he have to Lie about being a conservative, before you stop believing him? The Utah election was No. 3.

FullMoon said...

Trump has a heart of gold. Not your average politician, thank God!

Molly said...

(eaglebeak)

I think Ace of Spades has it right--Play 1 was't working--no reason to keep doing it. Mix it up with Play 2. Pay Coast Guard and other Fed workers, Trump gives SOTU in well of House, maybe declares a Natl Emergency from there.

Maybe just dips into the big DoD pot and gets the money there.

Sometimes in war and in life you pull back and try another gambit. He can argue that Congress under Pelosi is unreasonable and won't work with him, so, boom, he's building it another way.

The NYT is doing what it always does....

bagoh20 said...

King Solomon asked if we should split the baby in two, Pelosi said: "I don't care." Trump said "Let her have the child, for now."

John said...

The Baghdad Bobs are out in full force today.

FullMoon said...

Chuck said in 2015:
If Trump is the Republican nominee, Hillary Clinton wins by 350 electoral votes.
If Trump runs as a third party candidate, Hillary might win by 300 electoral votes.


What a loser. Employment up across the board.

Hahahahahaha!

bagoh20 said...

Trump will still get the money for the wall eventually by some means. This just proved that he cares more than the Dems about real people who government screws over with partisanship.

Trump +1, at least in the eyes of people who need their jobs and those who care about them over politics.

sinz52 said...

Birches: "Aside from Chuck's gloating, I see this as a tactic to declare a National Emergency."

Trump has the authority to declare a National Emergency.

But in this country, immigration enforcement is handled by ICE, a non-military agency. Immigration has never been a military function.

To have the Army Corps of Engineers build the wall is a clear violation of the Posse Comitatus Act, which forbids the armed forces to carry out civilian functions.

No way will that survive a court challenge.

rcocean said...

Any declaration of emergency will be IMMEDIATELY brought into Federal Court. The D's will find another Hawaiian Judge, the 9th Circuit will confirm, and we'll have to wait 1 year for the SCOTUS do hear the case.

All the while the Wall will be stopped. It's a hell of a way to run a country, but everyone seems to love it, except me.

Jeff said...

The time to push for the wall was when Trump had a Republican House. Now it's too late. But unless he's dumber than I thought, he knew that. Maybe he figured out that the Republican Congress didn't want his wall, so he waited until he could blame Pelosi for blocking it.

FullMoon said...

Chuck predicts Trump disaster 2015;

What do you say, fans of Trump? Is that what you want? I don't want to hear you gripe that the Republican establishment would be to blame, or that a biased media would derail a Trump campaign. I don't want to hear that Republican money would be denied to a Trump campaign. None of those excuses will stand up to scrutiny. Trump has done nothing to win over the Republican Party.


What a loser ! Hahaqhahaha!

Jeff said...

The time to push for the wall was when Trump had a Republican House. Now it's too late. But unless he's dumber than I thought, he knew that. Maybe he figured out that the Republican Congress didn't want his wall, so he waited until he could blame Pelosi for blocking it.

sinz52 said...

Besides, Pelosi recognized that Trump's threat to declare a National Emergency was always a bluff. If he were going to do it, he would have done it in conjunction with this announcement of a deal. Because he knows that there is ZERO chance now that Congress will fund the wall.

Trump lost this one.

JaimeRoberto said...

What a relief. The creators of the Green Reaper can go back to work.

Chuck said...

Lol. You know what is happening in TrumpWorld right now?

Trump just shot somebody in the middle of Fifth Avenue. Commence the rationalizations.

Temujin said...

I have to say, I did not notice one thing missing from my life during the entire shutdown. If not for NBC, I would not have even known there was a shutdown. And I fly. Nothing in my life was altered. Does this mean that I can live without my Government. Well, military/national security and courts aside, the answer is yes. Frankly.

I'd like to feel badly for the TSA people, but I don't. I do feel badly about air traffic controllers who have probably the most stressful non-military jobs out there. They should always be paid, and paid more than they are- whatever it is. As for the rest of the government class- again- outside of the military and national security agencies- I could care less.

rcocean said...

And of course, this is a CAVE.

We all knew the R's would cave. They always do.

That's because the people really pulling the strings are the Big Donors. The Koch brothers, Singer, etc. These characters don't want a wall but they wanted Tax cuts. So...

Meanwhile,the Dems don't have to worry about THEIR base. They're all one-issue voters who don't give a fuck what happens, as long as they get their welfare checks, quotas and set asides, Union support, Gay rights, or whatever.

Darrell said...

Trump should get Cruise Republicans to pay for the wall. Maybe a class action suit on behalf of Republican voters for putting up cocksuckers like McCain and Romney.

"Just build the dang wall"

Amadeus 48 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
FullMoon said...

Uh oh!

Trump said Israel wall 99.9% effective. Is only 99.5% effective.
Chuck is on the case, emailing Snopes as we speak.

Another feather in Chucks cap.

Haha!

readering said...

All's for the best in this best of all possible Trump Worlds.

joshbraid said...

What's ironic here is that the Roman Republic, back in the day, created the (temporary) role of "dictator" specifically to protect them from invasion. The politicians couldn't ever agree to do what it would take to protect the republic as their political allegiance functionally overruled their allegiance to the republic. After getting whacked a couple of times because of their paralysis, they create the dictator (a two-year position). Alas, eventually this role became politicized as well.

sinz52 said...

Jeff: "The time to push for the wall was when Trump had a Republican House. Now it's too late. But unless he's dumber than I thought, he knew that."

Trump did.

But for the past eight years, the congressional GOP's Number One promise to the GOP base was to repeal and replace ObamaCare, not build the wall. So Obamacare was what the GOP congress struggled with. And in the end, they failed on that too.

bagoh20 said...

You see, if Pelosi had folded we wingnuts would be happy because the country would get it's badly needed border protection, and government would be doing its job. But with Trump backing down lefties only see a political win, becuase that's all they care about. What is accomplished if Trump gets what he wants, and by comparison, what is accomplished if Pelosi gets her way?

Tommy Duncan said...

"...the 800,000 federal workers who have been furloughed or forced to work for free for 35 days...."

How about "work for delayed payment for 35 days"?

wild chicken said...

God bless him, he's trying. He's crass and amoral, but trying to keep his deal with his voters. How many pols do that?

If he'd tried this in 2017 the same thing would have happened only a year earlier.

Earnest Prole said...

You can tell when your side is winning because it requires no spin.

FullMoon said...

Am beginning to think Chuck is in favor of illegal immigration.

buwaya said...

As I have often said, this fight, on this iteration of the battlefield at least, is one against fearful odds. Trump has extremely limited powers against the government structure and the socio-cultural powers that be. And Trump is pretty much all you've got as far as an effective presence in your governing institutions.

And there is no alternative to Trump, as the rest are, if not explicitly inimical to you, the American volk, certainly compromised.

Amadeus 48 said...

[corrected]
People don't send people to Washington to make sure that federal employees get additional paid vacations. Trump lost this when he welcomed blame for the shutdown. He should have laid it at the Dems door loudly and often.

Better idea: don't do it at all. You'd think he would have learned something by watching Gingich, Ryan, and Cruz trip on this issue. I guess he wasn't paying attention.

He won't get a deal by Feb 15 either.

Time to invade Venezuela.

Michael K said...

That's because the people really pulling the strings are the Big Donors. The Koch brothers, Singer, etc. These characters don't want a wall but they wanted Tax cuts. So...

Right on.

rcocean said...

"The time to push for the wall was when Trump had a Republican House."

No, we have 2/3 of the Federal Government. The idea we can't horse-trade for a measly $5 Billion to protect the fucking country is insane.

Its all always the same old shit. All the Democrats have to do, is control ONE Branch - and they win everything. Meanwhile, the R's can control House/Senate/POTUS and can't do anything.

Schumer NEVER has to worry about "Mavericks" meanwhile you always have 4-6 R Senators who've lied about what they believe in, and can't wait to stab us in the back.

readering said...

Ann Coulter:

“Good news for George Herbert Walker Bush: As of today, he is no longer the biggest wimp ever to serve as President of the United States,”

Chuck said...

1/25/19, 2:33 PM
Blogger Jeff said...
The time to push for the wall was when Trump had a Republican House. Now it's too late. But unless he's dumber than I thought, he knew that. Maybe he figured out that the Republican Congress didn't want his wall, so he waited until he could blame Pelosi for blocking it.



Mostly right.

The only thing you got wrong is blaming a “Republican Congress.” In Congress, every Republican would have helped Trump with a vote, notwithstanding Trump’s stupid campaign promises and his grossly insulting treatment of the real Republican candidates in the primaries.

No; it was the need for 60 votes in the Senate. Which would require some Dem support. And even then it might have been doable by the great Mitch McConnell, except that Trump had made such a colossally laughable hyper-issue out of “a great border wall, that Mexico will pay for!”

That was the setup. Uniquely, purely “Trump.”

iowan2 said...

I guess we have seen the last piece of legislation signed by President Trump. Every piece that hits his desk will be vetoed, unless $6 Billion is included for a border wall. In order for the house and senate to get anything, they will have to have 2/3 majorities. Suits me fine.

bagoh20 said...

"To have the Army Corps of Engineers build the wall is a clear violation of the Posse Comitatus Act, which forbids the armed forces to carry out civilian functions."


The Army Corps of Engineers have built many dams, levies, and other civilian purposed projects in the U.S. The wall would the same or even a more appropriate use of them than those undertakings.

buwaya said...

In other words, you are still on flight 93.

https://www.claremont.org/crb/basicpage/the-flight-93-election/

"2016 is the Flight 93 election: charge the cockpit or you die. You may die anyway. You—or the leader of your party—may make it into the cockpit and not know how to fly or land the plane. There are no guarantees.

Except one: if you don’t try, death is certain."

JML said...

"To have the Army Corps of Engineers build the wall is a clear violation of the Posse Comitatus Act, which forbids the armed forces to carry out civilian functions."

Custom's does not have the contracting, program management and technical ability to build a wall or fence, and in the past, the Corps has provided this support function for them. When Presidents send DoD personnel to support the boarder, the troops supplied carry out support roles freeing up the CBP Agents to actively man the fence and border.

It is not a violation.

rcocean said...

Oh well. Think of what it'd be like if Hillary had won.

Adios.

Tommy Duncan said...

Chuck adds a gloating "hahahahaha" to his posts and wonders why people hate him, missing the point that people hate him for a reason. But then, for those who lack self awareness it's always all about them.

buwaya said...

Chuck and readering and who knows who else - seem to want to die.

Chuck said...

Blogger readering said...
Ann Coulter:

“Good news for George Herbert Walker Bush: As of today, he is no longer the biggest wimp ever to serve as President of the United States,”


Ann Coulter . “Operationally aligned with the left...”?

God, I love Ann Coulter.

iowan2 said...

Pelosi and Schumer are speaking now. Singing the praises of federal employees. Dont give two fucks for the citizens that aren't empolyees. They worship the govt. Not the citizens they are service to.

tds said...

1. Pres. got back SOTU address, will make his next move then.
2. He'll also use 3 additional weeks to update non-/essential government services definition to maximally irritate Ds during next shutdown round

Tommy Duncan said...

"To have the Army Corps of Engineers build the wall is a clear violation of the Posse Comitatus Act, which forbids the armed forces to carry out civilian functions."

The Corps dredges the Mississippi River in support of commercial barge traffic.

Darrell said...

Chuck,

Ann Coulter would piss in your face.

And not in the good way.

Darrell said...

Chuck is operationally aligned with the Left, as Drago points out every day. But he is too stupid to realize it.

Kevin said...

Oh for Christ's sake.

Pelosi: Not one dollar for your immoral wall.

Trump: Shuts down government.

Pelosi: I can't discuss funding the wall with the government shut down.

Trump: Opens government for three weeks to discuss wall funding with Pelosi.

Now tell me who's losing: Trump who's now removed any condition for the Dems to negotiate on wall funding? Or Pelosi who said she wouldn't negotiate and now will be pressed by Schumer and the moderates in her caucus to do so?

Tank said...

Tank will wait and see.

readering said...

Yeah, Pelosi losing big time!!

mccullough said...

It was an unforced error for Trump not to push for The Wall when The House was still GOP. McConnell wouldn’t have caved in on the filibuster because he’s a wimp whose dragon-lady wife has to protect him from pajama boy hecklers. But it would have been a better play than this slow-drip shutdown.

Trump has destroyed the GOP so he’s done some good. Guys like Paul Ryan are gone and the Mitt Romney’s get slapped around by everyone now. No one likes W except for his country club buddies and Obama these days.

The media and the O-Cs and their millennial socialist minions will destroy the Dems. Trump can help accelerate that a bit.

He won’t get a wall but he can still be of done service to the country.

When RBG dies soon he can nominate Amy Barrett and watch the Senste burn itself down.

narciso said...

Except Ryan did Jack squat,

victoria said...

Caving, caving, caving. Could have had his way a year ago, but he is too caught up in his own ego.
Folding like a cheap suit.

Vicki from Pasadena

Earnest Prole said...

Today's rout was the inevitable result of Trump's failure to stare down wayward Congressional Republicans when he had majorities in both houses.

stephen cooper said...

Scott Adams nailed it.

Darrell said...

Ryan is a Chuck boy.

His heroes are America's enemies. Like all Democrats.

FullMoon said...


Blogger victoria said...

Caving, caving, caving. Could have had his way a year ago, but he is too caught up in his own ego.
Folding like a cheap suit.

Vicki from Pasadena

Chuck disagrees
The only thing you got wrong is blaming a “Republican Congress.” In Congress, every Republican would have helped Trump with a vote, notwithstanding Trump’s stupid campaign promises and his grossly insulting treatment of the real Republican candidates in the primaries.

No; it was the need for 60 votes in the Senate. Which would require some Dem support.

Jim at said...

It's interesting - yet entirely predictable - how some people want the 'win' because they can't stand Trump ... even it it means more dead American citizens and violent crime due to illegal aliens.

While other people - who may or may not particularly care for Trump and/or his style - are focused instead on the issue of securing the border.

It's almost as if those who hate Trump hate America, too.

Chuck said...

Blogger Kevin said...
...
...
Now tell me who's losing: Trump who's now removed any condition for the Dems to negotiate on wall funding? Or Pelosi who said she wouldn't negotiate and now will be pressed by Schumer and the moderates in her caucus to do so?



Trump lost The Trump Shutdown. Now he wants another one?

Personally it doesn’t matter to me if we get 0, or 100, or 1000 miles of wall in discrete locations, as long as Trump is denied the opportunity to claim a victory. No “Great Wall, that Mexico will pay for.”

Wince said...

I still think Trump should have instead called a national security emergency to fund his non-wall security priorities: TSA, ICE, Border Patrol, Air Traffic, etc.

Trump could wait out wall funding more than the Democrats their priorities.

Darrell said...

In India, they put shit in a rubberized bag and use the methane gas to cook with.

That gives me hope that Chuck will someday serve a use.

Chuck said...


Blogger Jim at said...
It's interesting - yet entirely predictable - how some people want the 'win' because they can't stand Trump ... even it it means more dead American citizens and violent crime due to illegal aliens.

While other people - who may or may not particularly care for Trump and/or his style - are focused instead on the issue of securing the border.

It's almost as if those who hate Trump hate America, too.



No Jim; if “the wall” had been a serious thing, proposed seriously and handled seriously by a serious President and with a serious legislative proposal, I would want it. I’d demand it. If it protected one American life I would want it.

But that wasn’t Trump’s way. Trump made into a cartoon, a cable reality show. Trump doesn’t give two shits about a wall. What Trump wants is a win.

WintersTale said...

It's interesting - yet entirely predictable - how some people want the 'win' because they can't stand Trump ... even it it means more dead American citizens and violent crime due to illegal aliens.

You should see what a handful of homeboys are doing with AR15s.

PM said...

Does no one who works for the Federal Gov't have enough in a bank acct to weather two delayed paychecks?

- Written from my wine tour.

Christopher said...

A few things:

1) Trump came out of this looking weak. It may have been the least worst option but it doesn't help his image.

2) His approval will drop briefly and then return to its standard 43-44 by summer at which time nobody will actually remember this (like every other shutdown).

3) He'll probably go the national emergency route in 3 weeks absent some actual breakthrough in discussions. It'll get tied up in courts and he'll be able to point to this as his attempt to fulfill his promise.

WintersTale said...

Does no one who works for the Federal Gov't have enough in a bank acct to weather two delayed paychecks?

Sure they do. They just don't have enough to also fund the rest who don't.

Darrell said...

But that wasn’t Chuck’s way. Chuck is a cartoon, a bad cable comedy show. Chuck doesn’t give two shits about a wall. What Chuck wants is a Trump loss.

Bay Area Guy said...

As someone who was not impressed with Trump in the 2016 primaries, but who affirmatively wants the wall and has become very impressed with his presidency, may I make a statement to my fellow Trump supporters?

Relax.

Minor and temporary setback.

He's gonna have a few incompletes, a few interceptions and, dare I say, a few losses.

Look at the forces arrayed against him: the entire Dem Party, the entire mainstream media, the entire Intel establishment and a big chunk of the GOP elite.

The wall and border security is important. So is a growing economy. So is another SCOTUS seat. So is his reelection. Lotta balls in the air.

This, in my view, is a loss, albeit a minor one. Let's see how it plays out.

Kevin said...

Trump lost The Trump Shutdown. Now he wants another one?

Why do you think this is over?

If you don't think it's over how can you assign winners and losers?

Do yourself a favor and think carefully before you respond.

Chuck said...


Blogger Darrell said...
Chuck,

Ann Coulter would piss in your face.

And not in the good way.


Ann Coulter’s “wimp” president (Bush 41) risked his life in a squadron of torpedo bombers what did President Bone Spurs do?

Darrell said...

what did President Bone Spurs do?

He took ten years off your life.

readering said...

Big loss? Small loss? The point is, stupid, pointless loss.

readering said...

Trump's appeal as far as I can tell is that he punches and punches harder. Here he is with no punch on the issue that he and his supporters seem to care about the most.

Nonapod said...

Well, I hope Trump ends up on top and I'm glad some people seem to still have faith.

The alternative is President Kamala Harris, followed by a horrific financial collapse, unabated mass deaths from opiods in middle America, a huge increase in illegal immigration guaranteeing a permanent underclass who'll consistantly and illegally vote Dem, and a wonderful era of American Socialism with an attendant unprecedented level of graft and insane corruption in DC.

Mattman26 said...

I’m with Tank. Time will tell.

readering said...

Yeah, just like under Clinton and Obama.

Matt said...

Would be nice to eat the Dems eat the shit sandwich one time. Just one damn time.

Mr Wibble said...

Trump fights, which makes me happy, but not every fight is going to be a victory.

My guess is that Trump was told that there were enough Republicans wavering to give the Dems an outright victory, and so he backed off to give himself some room to maneuver. It's unlikely that the Dems will agree to anything, and if Pelosi and Schumer try to play games, it may stiffen the resolve of some wavering Senators and Reps for another shutdown and an Emergency Declaration.

Darrell said...

If the Mexicans were losing their best and brightest, they'd build the wall.

mccullough said...

The Wall didn’t get funded because McConnell wouldn’t push it.

Mitch and his Chinese money.

But Mitch is focused and Trump isn’t.

The left will take care of Mitch.

mccullough said...

The Best and the Brightest in Mexico run the cartels. In the US, they play sports.

Jim at said...

Would be nice to eat the Dems eat the shit sandwich one time. Just one damn time.

They did. November, 2016.
They're still throwing up chunks of it.

Amadeus 48 said...

Let’s be clear about the federal workers who went to the food banks. Here in Chicago they were accompanied by the press in droves. I wonder who organized that? Hint: begins with unio and ends with n. More pathos and bathos brought to you by the press and the union movement.

readering said...

So how will the three week funding interplay with the Kim summit?

When does POTUS head to Palm Beach? Does he attend the Super Bowl?

EsoxLucius said...

The Toddler President gets his TV time taken away and folds like a cheap Trump suit. Orange Crushed found his wall and it's named Speaker Pelosi.

narciso said...

Only commie scum call him cadet bonespurs, here's your sign.

alanc709 said...

Chuck, the end of America is in sight, I hope you'll be glad when you achieve it, because you won't have long to savor it.

Unknown said...

1) Declare National Emergency.
2) Let the govt shut down again.
3) Don't reopen the govt until the courts approve.

alanc709 said...

BTW, since all the fed workers are union members, why didn't the unions open up their strike funds to help their members?

Inga...Allie Oop said...

Ann Coulter

Verified account

@AnnCoulter
Follow Follow @AnnCoulter
More
Good news for George Herbert Walker Bush: As of today, he is no longer the biggest wimp ever to serve as President of the United States.
11:55 AM - 25 Jan 2019

Robert Cook said...

"1) Declare National Emergency."

But it's not a national emergency.

"2) Let the govt shut down again.
3) Don't reopen the govt until the courts approve."


That would be a national emergency.

Robert Cook said...

"BTW, since all the fed workers are union members...."

Is this true?

"...why didn't the unions open up their strike funds to help their members?"

Because they weren't on strike.

Inga...Allie Oop said...

What a loser. He could’ve had his money for his wall in December, but Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh shamed him into changing his mind. So what is he left with? Egg on his face and Pelosi looking like his mommy who, should’ve spanked him.

Robert Cook said...

"Would be nice to eat the Dems eat the shit sandwich one time. Just one damn time."

Is it worth it to you for thousands of working Americans to go without pay in order for the Dems to eat shit? You'd rather the American people eat shit? Pride goeth before the fall.

Jeff said...

I think Chuck may be partially correct here. If Trump had pushed the Wall hard in the last Congress, he probably would have gotten it through the House, but he had no chance of getting the 60 votes he would have needed in the Senate. (That's still true, by the way.) By waiting until the Democrats controlled the House, he could plausibly blame them for not getting his Wall.

The real trouble is that there just never was (and still isn't) enough support from the people who matter to get the Wall built.

It's not enough to have a majority of the people support something. You've also got to buy off a few of the concentrated special interests to get something through Congress. Examples: (1) There's a clear majority of voters in favor of legalizing marijuana, and there has been for a couple of years now. But we don't see much of an effort in Congress to make it happen, because there are an awful lot of people working in various areas of law enforcement who would lose their jobs and/or power if it did. Those people are a minority, but special interests always are. (2) Majorities opposed Obamacare at the time it was passed, but it passed anyway. The mandate and subsidies constituted a huge increase in the demand for medical goods and services, and the bill did absolutely nothing to increase the supply of them. In fact, the increased regulation of medical practice had the effect of restricting supply even further than it was already restricted. The entirely predictable result of increasing demand and restricting supply is higher prices. (Physician compensation has been climbing rapidly recently. Just a coincidence?) The medical and insurance industries have a lot more pull in Congress than their customers do, even though there are more customers than suppliers.

So who are the special interests that want the Wall? Not the Border Patrol or the INS. If the wall drastically reduces illegal immigration, a lot of those people will be out of work. I'm not saying that every individual Border Patrol agent thinks this way, but the bureaucracy almost certainly does. On the other side, the people who stand to get the contracts to build the Wall like the idea, but there aren't that many of them and they're not as organized as the opponents.

Howard said...

Trump doesn't care about the wall... he knows he can string you people along just on the hope of a wall. A wall that's 100% façade is the mirage in the distance you are crawling on your bellies that will never be reached.

I love the smell of Schadenfreude in the morning

Howard said...

If Frump declares Nat'l Emergency, the courts will kill it by hammering in the last coffin nail into the racist wet dreams of the dupes who voted for Putin's buttboy.

Robert Cook said...

"The alternative is President Kamala Harris," As if. "followed by a horrific financial collapse" Been there, done that. It'll come again, regardless, given capitalism's innate instability and the greed of our corporate masters. "unabated mass deaths from opiods in middle America" Been going on for years now. "a huge increase in illegal immigration" It's been dropping for nearly 20 years "guaranteeing a permanent underclass who'll consistantly and illegally vote Dem, and a wonderful era of American Socialism" now you're sounding a tad coked up "with an attendant unprecedented level of graft and insane corruption in DC." Again, an ongoing constant condition in Washington, thanks to the power of corporate money.

Chuck said...

Robert Cook;

Don’t waste your time with those arguments from the Trumpkins.

The Coast Guard isn’t unionized. SNAP recipients aren’t unionized. One-third of all furloughed federal workers were not unionized. And what about the FBI agents and federal first responders who had to work but who weren’t being paid? Federal contractors who are not only not unionized, but also aren’t true federal employees?

Anyway, I do believe that we’re talking about the same federal employees who Trump called amazing incredible fantastic incredible unbelievable incredible, who were all incredible and who have been incredible during the shutdown.



Darrell said...

Gov't workers can buy tampons again.
A win all around.

rehajm said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
iowan2 said...

Ann Coulter’s “wimp” president (Bush 41) risked his life in a squadron of torpedo bombers what did President Bone Spurs do?

What kind of idiot believes one particular skill set guarantees success in every single endeavor attempted? I'll tell you. One that only wants to win the smallest most inconsequential, verbal pissing contest.
Compare apples to apples. The first two years of Busch 41 to the first two years of President Trump. Souter v Gorsuch, Just to start. GDP, Wage growth, record low unemployment, record high labor participation. Revamped trade deals, North Korea ceasing of missile and Nuke Testing, Europe increased funding of NATO, etc, etc, etc.

Mark said...

OK Dems. Trump called your bluff.

You demanded that he go first. Now that the government is open, cough up the money.

Otherwise the government will close again . . . and stay closed.

readering said...

Seeing this various places:

"He’s not going to sign a bill that doesn’t have money for the wall... if he gives in now, that’s the end of 2019 in terms of him being an effective president. That’s probably the end of his presidency."

- Lindsey Graham, January 2

Howard said...

it mute point rehajm... your cuntservative dicktatortot caved into Nancy-girl.

Sebastian said...

So did The Art of the Deal say that you get what you want by caving before you begin negotiating?

Amadeus 48 said...

The folks a the food banks in Chicago were TSA workers. They are unionized.

Jim at said...

I just love all the leftists on this board gloating. As if they have the slightest, fucking idea how the next three weeks will play out.

One thing for sure if it blows up in their faces? They'll pretend today never happened.

Hagar said...

We'll see. I don't think the fat lady has arrived at the theater yet.

Rabel said...

"They agreed on a joint bill before and submitted it to Trump but FoX pricked his ear and he rejected it."

Incorrect.

Michael said...

Time for some jujitsu. Agree that walls are immoral and move to tear down the wall stretching from the sea at San Diego as Far East as it is built. Require Dems to vote their very very moral positions. Fuckers.

Howard said...

Blogger Hagar said...

We'll see. I don't think the fat lady has arrived at the theater yet.


Exactly. The Mueller Report comes in March.

iowan2 said...

The Coast Guard isn’t unionized. SNAP recipients aren’t unionized. One-third of all furloughed federal workers were not unionized.

SO WHAT?

Why did President Trump do the adult thing and put the Nation before his political power? Because of the TSA and Air Traffic Controllers Unions were doing a work stoppage, putting citizens safety at risk. So yes Unions don't give a damn about doing their job.

Howard said...

You cucks are just like the Frogs who build the Maggot Line to stave off the Krauts. Worked almost as well as the Great Wall of China before the Mongols took over.

Earnest Prole said...

Nancy Pelosi issued a statement that read in part, “To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women: That’s what’s best in life.” Then she ripped off her blouse to reveal a black sports bra and spiked the football into Donald Trump’s crotch.

But I’m still adopting a wait-and-see approach to figuring out who was the winner in this negotiation.

Big Mike said...

It looks like s back down, and it smells like one, but hopefully it’s just Plan B. I hope.

JackWayne said...

My 2-year period waiting to rate the President is over. Trump is not the colossal failure of Bush or Obama but Ann Coulter has nailed him. He folded. Goodbye America. It was nice knowing you.

narciso said...

Maxine waters is pushing the same subprime lending scheme that led to 2008,

wildswan said...

"Bay Area Guy said...
....
Relax.

Minor and temporary setback.

He's gonna have a few incompletes, a few interceptions and, dare I say, a few losses."

Agree, I don't ask that he wins every time, just that he's trying. He's getting everything done that can be done by the President alone. This includes beginning to rebuild our military and manufacturing. And cutting regulations. Also he's getting judges done together with the Senate. Also he got tax reform through both Houses. He lowered unemployment. The problem is that the GOPe wing opposes him and basically supports Pelosi and her donor class which makes legislation difficult so the record in Congress is always going to be mixed. But Trump has more supporters now and a proven track record. The country can do better than the Democrats / GOPe / Eu say. As for the future, votes on this shutdown have probably clarified for Trump where people stand in the new Congress and that will lead to his next move. Trump doesn't lock in and repeat, repeat but usually he prevails. So the Battle of the Wall isn't over.

Rusty said...

Jeeze Howard how about you masturbate in private.

MadisonMan said...

Am glad it's ended. I have a ton of work to do with Feds in the next 3 weeks before the fun begins anew.

It'll be telecon week next week, that's for sure. Time for a lot of planning.

Jon Burack said...

What is clear is that, despite the NYTs, this is a game still underway. I've not been sure Trump made a smart move in provoking this shutdown. However, I'd wait a bit before assuming he's lost this game. He's made one dramatic move in the middle of it, that's all. Moreover, he gets to open the government now, even as the Democrats had demonstrated a readiness to keep the govt workers unpaid, all to stop Trump's wall. He gets to do the SOTU and define the current context, in a setting where it is quite possible the Democrats who hate him will be hard for Nancy to keep in line. He will very possibly come out of that looking like the man who's compromised while the Democrats did not - about a matter they themselves in the past agreed with Trump on. I don't say he'll handle it well. Maybe not. But it is all clearly still in play.

The Mongols typically in the midst of battle, would break and appear to flee to the hills. Their enemies would rev' it up and chase after them sure of victory. The Mongols, however, had split into groups, some of whom hung to the sides waiting to swoop in as the enemy charged in disarray after the ones they thought they had on the run. The Mongols who rode horses and shot arrows better than anyone else on earth before the Apaches and Comanches, would then engulf them, slaughter them and pile up the skulls. So don't saddle up too quickly, kemosabe, is all I say.

Yancey Ward said...

The Senate caved yesterday- that was what the two votes were about- McConnell showed 6 Senators from his own party were leaving the battlefield, and the next time it would have been enough defeat the filibuster and a veto. That was the message Pence got yesterday during his meeting the Senate Republicans.

No, nothing will change in 3 weeks- if Trump wants the wall, he will have to do it with an emergency declaration- the Republicans in Congress are not interested in border control- that should be obvious to everyone now.

HT said...

"Trump fights, which makes me happy, but not every fight is going to be a victory."

Fishmouth watches cable TV with the sound turned down. That is all.

Known Unknown said...

"air traffic controllers"

These jobs should have never been nationalized.

Known Unknown said...

"He’s not going to sign a bill that doesn’t have money for the wall"

If it were a permanent bill, I would agree. But it's 3 weeks. A lot can happen in 3 weeks.

mccullough said...

Trump knows McConnell and GOP, Inc want open borders. He’s pretty much acquiesced to it. Their benefactors want wetback labor.

Trump might try the emergency tactic to see if he can get some traction with that.

As long as Trump keeps shitting on guys like John Roberts and Mitt Romney on twittter, he’ll be doing alright.

Trump has done a good job destroying the GOP and their fake institutions.

Hopefully the Left keeps accosting guys like Flake and McConnell in public. Maybe they can harass Romney as well.

Force them out of public life.

Yancey Ward said...

I linked to this essay the other day- The Radical End. Here are some short excerpts pieced together:

"Usually, when you seek to take over something, you try not destroy it in the process of acquiring it. For example, if you’re trying to rise up the ranks of an organization, you don’t want to discredit the organization in the process..................................

For example, when the Left took over the institutions of the American ruling elite, they were careful to not destroy them in the process. They destroyed the people in their way, for sure, but they were careful to avoid damaging the institutions too much. In fact, they worked to increase the power of the government, the schools and the colleges once they gained power over them. Today, logic says the Left should be extremely conservative, not wanting to alter anything, for fear of diminishing the power of what they have..........

That’s the curious thing about what we are seeing from the Left. They have a firm grip on all of the institutions of the empire. They control the mass media. They control the administrative state and the education system. Global corporations are now run by people deeply invested in virtue signaling. The days of the Left having to pressure big business to do their bidding are long over. Big business is the vanguard of the Left now. Despite this, the Left is running around trying to scramble all of the rules...........

The people in charge of the empire should be the great defenders of law and order, as the rules work in their favor. Instead, everywhere you look, the Left is trying to destroy the authority and legitimacy of the things they control. It’s as if they are trying to burn down their own house to spite us.............

A good example is the two big fake news stories this past week. The first one was an obvious put up job by some hack political operators. There was no way it could hold up under scrutiny. Left-wing media should have attacked it in order to maintain what little credibility they have on these issues. Similarly, they fell for the story about the teenagers and the Indian protester. Official media should have been all over debunking that story, as that would have made them look responsible and humane...........

When you start to tabulate the radical agenda and the ad hoc activity of the Left, the most obvious conclusion is there is little coordination. The people at the top have lost control of the monster they created. They dream of creating a coalition of non-whiles, over which they will preside, so they can control the empire. The trouble is their coalition is always reminding the other side that such an arrangement will be a catastrophe. Again, the Left is mostly just radicalizing white people now.

The other conclusion is the radicalism of the Left has no limiting principle, so it has to spiral out of control. Like the Khmer Rouge, the logical end of this new radicalism is an orgy of self-destructive violence.


Me again. Sullivan is a day late and dollar short. There are simply too few in the media who are willing to do what Sullivan did here, and even worse- Sullivan is just about as bad a paragon as one could choose for this sort of thing. Reading this is like reading Jeffrey Dahmer's recommend cooking recipes.

mccullough said...

McConnell will have his hands full trying to get RBG’s replacement through the Senate.

A person would have to be nuts to accept the nomination after Kavanaugh. Will be interesting to watch how the GOP Senate handles it.

narciso said...

no they counted on the lie

https://dailycaller.com/2019/01/25/roger-stone-indictment-wikileaks-assange-mueller/

just like Mueller's stenographers,

Yancey Ward said...

And let me make it clear- the citations I gave are not Sullivan, but a blogger called ZMan. I am referring, at the end, to Sullivan's attempt at a mea culpa. At best, Sullivan is one of those that have lost control of the monster, though I think he is part of the monster and his self-reflection is too late to buy back a reputation.

mccullough said...

Yancey,

The Left is stupid. The people who took control of the institutions didnt understand human nature. They can’t control the forces they unleashed.

They are like the idiot ruler in Demolition Man who thinks they are smart because they programmed the guy not to kill them. He just hands the gun to his comrade and says shoot him.

That is the Left.

HT said...

"Trump knows McConnell and GOP, Inc want open borders. He’s pretty much acquiesced to it. Their benefactors want wetback labor."

That’s right, and so does he.

tcrosse said...

Trump is finished, just like everybody said he was then the Access Hollywood tapes came out. Game not over.

narciso said...

at least two of them were particularly trenchant about sandman and co

https://pjmedia.com/trending/buzzfeed-and-huffpo-just-got-hit-with-the-karma-stick-and-we-are-here-for-it/

pacwest said...

Chuck and Inga are interesting people. My take is that they have been so deeply insulted by the commentariat at Althouse that they are going to support almost anything that makes Trump look bad. In Chuck's case even though he keeps saying the core goals of the Trump administration are very close to his own he seems to be willing to throw that out the window if it damages the Trump brand. Inga is harder to read, she may have deep policy differences, but never seems to iterate them.

I'm really sorry you guys feel that retribution for personal insults should be your main agenda on this site. I guess I'd advise you to discuss policy goals in a rational manner rather than trying to get back at your detractors. I don't share buwaya's pessimism regarding the nation's future and still believe most Americans are basically on the same page, if we can just find a way to leave our junior high angst behind us. This can be done. It is not the zero sum game that people act like it is.

To all pro and con. We tried hope and change with Obama, but he was to easily co-opted by the us against them forces. Now we try again. Trump won't be co-opted obviously, but if you think a neophyte is going to be able to effect change smoothly to an entrenched system without turmoil you're nuts.

Humperdink said...

Having watched our beloved LLR be in continue gloat mode since the Trump speech is quite amusing. LLR thinks every ballgame ends after 6 innings. Little league maybe, not here, not now. Trump has Peelosi set up. According to Trump, the Commie-Pinko Lefties need to negotiate in good faith. They have three weeks to do it. Think they will? Of course not. Trump will then pull out his phone and wall construction will commence. "Hey, I gave them a chance."

Also want to bet Peelosi will delay the SOTU beyond 3 weeks? Yep

narciso said...

no. he removed all doubt a long time ago,


https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-25/pompeo-elliott-abrams-venezuela?srnd=politics-vp

Inga...Allie Oop said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rabel said...

Who wants to tell Yancy?

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“I'm really sorry you guys feel that retribution for personal insults should be your main agenda on this site.”

Again, IMAGINING you know what I feel or why I’m here.

I suggest you direct your musings inward. Maybe you’ll discover that you’ve been co-opted by Trumpism and having been so co-opted you will discover a way out, because Trumpism isn’t something that is conducive to being a decent human being

stephen cooper said...

narciso - Bishop Foys has apologized to the child victims of the Alinskyites - to the victims whom he cravenly abandoned in the early days when all the important voices in the world seemed to the modern flatterer bishop to be against them. I therefore reluctantly no longer call for the coward bishop's banishment from his diocese. I would like it, but I no longer think it is a moral imperative.


Ann Coulter is not a leader, Trump is, and so we can judge Coulter on what she says, because her metier is just words, whereas Trump has earned the right to be judged on eventual results.

Every single person on this thread who acts like the negotiations are over should rethink.
The Supreme Court has 4 solid votes for a national emergency building of the wall, and if Roberts does his skunk act and joins the unconstitutional resistance, then about 100 Congressmen and 10 swing vote Senators immediately come over to Trump's side on a bill with up-front cash for a wall because they know they will be either primaried into retirement of will lose in the general election.

Rance Fasoldt said...

The Maginot Line worked as designed; Hitler avoided it and invaded France through Belgium. France thought that section of the Line was unnecessary, since Belgium was neutral.

JackWayne said...

Stephen, now comment on how this is like a “Read my lips” moment.

Howard said...

Touche, Rusty

Rosalyn C. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Phil 314 said...

So much winning.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Decent human beings defined by leftwing Brownshirt lying twitter twats desperate to destroy some teens over lies and bullsiht.

Howard said...

Rance: Thanks so much for making my point. In this case MS13 is already going through Belgium via the ports of entry.

Michael K said...

The other conclusion is the radicalism of the Left has no limiting principle, so it has to spiral out of control. Like the Khmer Rouge, the logical end of this new radicalism is an orgy of self-destructive violence.

Good observation, Yancey.

bagoh20 said...

"The Mueller Report comes in March."

Of what year?

Rosalyn C. said...

Ann Coulter said something insulting and really dumb about GHW Bush as if Trump is affected by attempts at shaming. He's not. It's like she missed Bush's funeral and all the respect he was given two months ago for the extraordinary life he had. He was definitely not a wimp. So I discount what she said entirely. And I also discount the hasty claims of Democrat victory. Border security has not been resolved. Trump wants to settle that and immigration reform. I'd say we're all waiting on Nancy Pelosi now. The ball is in her court. Three weeks pass quickly and if nothing has been accomplished and no SOTU speech by then, that will all be on Pelosi.

stephen cooper said...

Jack - The better analogy is lend lease.
Roosevelt did what he could.
"Read My Lips" was Bush I listening to his economic advisor and not listening to anyone else. And actually signing, at the end of the negotiations, a bill that was a permanent repudiation of his earlier promise.
Today Trump said I will temporarily reopen the government, we will negotiate a compromise, if no compromise ----
National Emergency Wall.
More like Roosevelt and Lend Lease than Bush and his definitely broken campaign promise..

What Coulter says about Trump is wrong, but she just talks. If she supported what he did today that would hurt his negotiating stance going forward, wouldn't it?
She is a court jester, and I know she is not proud of herself - someone who has never served in uniform (Thank God!, smart as she is, she would be a terrible officer and a worse private) for calling a war hero a wimp.

Rance Fasoldt said...

No, your point was the Maginot Line was ineffective; mine refuted that position. MS-13 isn't queueing up at Ports of Entry, they are crossing where there is no barrier. A wall would make that difficult, perhaps as difficult as the Maginot Line was for Hitler. You seem to have a lot in common with Hitler, I figured you would get that.

JackWayne said...

So the question is how sincere Trump is on his promise of a wall. You believe him. I don’t. IMO, if he was sincere, this was the time to show it. He may very well go national emergency on the wall but that is a stupid way to go. We might as well acknowledge we are a banana republic. Today, Trump has not received a bill to veto. Nancy has not sent a bill to the Senate. Trump caved on the very important power of veto. Now, he can be Obama as much as he wants. But I don’t see how anyone can see this as a positive for constitutional government. Trump has outdone Bush in that regard.

JML said...

I'ma Trump supporter, a furloughed fed and a supporter of the wall. I'm also a BAMA fan. I'm sorry it came to this, but it isn't over 'til it's over. (There is always next year for BAMA!)

I have to say, those of you gloating over this are fools. And those of you in the dumps over it are too. Life goes on.

I think there is a steady decline in America and I have pretty much accepted that. I worry for my son's and then their (future) children. But in the end, I will do the best I can and try to enjoy life while I can. I'm also thinking about buying more ammo. Just in case it happens sooner or later. It being the civil disturbances that may well evolve into a shooting war.

I also got TWO rat stickers and a rat magnet today.

Thanks Ann! Thanks Meade! That made my day!

Big Mike said...

Personally it doesn’t matter to me if we get 0, or 100, or 1000 miles of wall in discrete locations, as long as Trump is denied the opportunity to claim a victory.

I never thought that I would see such a plain statement of disinterest in what is best for the citizens of the United States.

JackWayne said...

BM, consider the source.

stephen cooper said...

Jack - you are welcome to your opinion.

It does not matter if Trump is sincere or not.

This was not the time to insist on showing it, because, like Roosevelt when he signed Lend Lease, Trump was saving lives right now by not letting his domestic opponents cause harm to America, which crazy old lady Pelosi showed she was willing to do.

The deplorable Romney and similar swamp Senators signaled they were going to betray him, so he changed tactics. The terrain will change as time goes by.

And yes, the deplorable Romney is not up for reelection for 5 more years, but he has friends who can be primaried out of their jobs in 18 months, and Trump knows who those people are.

So maybe I am right, maybe I am wrong. But this was nothing like Bush's decision to enter the history books as a "Read-my-lips" liar.

pacwest said...

"suggest you direct your musings inward."

I have. It's my nature. It would be easier not to, for sure, since it can lead to uncomfortable realizations. I don't know if you have read any of my posts. Immigration policy seems like a no brainer to me. Just look at the facts and figures, which I have tried to supply. I've argued with Farmer about the JCPOA (respectfully, no stupid ad hominems) and others by using what I regard to be a logical consistency regardless of whos who. With rare exception my comments are directed towards the health of the nation in an increasingly competitive world. I agree with Trump on a lot of things, but fail to see that that makes me blind to reason. That is your problem Inga. Trump is bad seems to be the extent of your ability to digest what is going on around you. I think you might be able to lead a healthier political life if you would examine things through a different lens than I HATE TRUMP.

Inga, jr. high ended a long time ago. Get over it.

JackWayne said...

So you are ok with Trump ruling with a pen and phone. Noted.

narciso said...

I think he has gone as reasonably far as could be done, there are other considerations, we can't even suggest action in Venezuela if the pentagon's operations are curtailed, so it is with other agencies, the tsa work stoppage had it's effect,

bagoh20 said...

The gloating here is clearly premature, as seems to be the pattern of such people. This mistake by our Trump hating commenters has happened over and over, which makes you wonder why they don't learn from it. Another mistake they make is that they seem to think that we support a border wall becuase Trump ran on it, but that's backwards. If we get Trump's policies at the expense of him losing the presidency, that's still a win. I just want a full swing of the pendulum for a change, and Trump can do that in four years. It's also great that he brings out the real bigotry in the left. I have little doubt that this hysteria will backfire as leftism always does. We can only hope the cost we all endure is less than the historically average.

stephen cooper said...

And one more thing.

I think Scott Adams is deplorable too, but he gets this issue right, see his twitter feed from this afternoon, which explains the issues as well or better than I could.

(The first year of Dilbert, with those dinosaurs, was the best, and later years have been good too, but Adams is so spectacularly wrong on the central Roe v Wade issues that it is inconceivable that he really is, as he fancies himself, what Aristotle called a "rational thinking man.")

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