The angry orange toddler has summoned Republican senators to the White House for a meeting to start shortly, per The Post. Just as he did during yesterday’s House meeting, Trump will bang his sippy-cup on the high chair tray, reach into his diaper and angrily fling poop at GOP lawmakers, and this time, he’ll demand a senate rules change to pass the House spending bill that contains $5B in WALL money.
Will the Senatortoise from Kentucky nuke the filibuster, as Trump urged on Twitter this morning as he was performing for Fox & Friends? The conventional wisdom is, McConnell doesn’t have the votes. I hope that’s true, but who knows with these debased clowns? Nothing would surprise me.
The Democrats sound resolute. Here’s Schumer’s comment last night:
“The bottom line is simple: the Trump temper tantrum will shut down the government, but it will not get him his wall.”
But as always, the Democrats have the disadvantage of actually giving a shit what happens to the country, so the pressure will be on them to blink first. Negotiating with Republicans is ever a game of chicken on a narrow bridge vs a car without brakes, and with Trump in the mix, add a meth-addled psychopath in the driver’s seat.
Dan Pfeiffer on Twitter is speculating about compromises:
Things Democrats could consider accepting in exchange for wall funding:
A. The 2013 Immigration Bill
B. Trump’s Resignation
C. Medicare for All
D. Nothing— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) December 21, 2018
Options B and C aren’t realistic, of course. Trump already blew up an offer of a lot more WALL money paired with a fix for young Americans in DACA status. So I’m leaning toward option D at this point. How about you?
Corner Stone
I am wondering what the downside is for McConnell to get rid of the filibuster. My other question is, are all R Senators back in town? Did Flake and Corker return?
Brachiator
I am hoping that the Democrats don’t blink.
stinger
?Porque no los todos?
Dmbeaster
Nothing is the only proper choice. Schumer actually has the right tone. Otherwise Dems just become another brick in the Wall.
Or else repeal the 2017 tax cut for the Wall. lol.
Spanky
@stinger: Not (D)
Corner Stone
@Brachiator: Even though it’s Chuck Schumer, and the struggle is real, I am also staying optimistic they will line up to say No.
kindness
Except trusting McConnell to do the right thing is not something I would bet on.
These crazy people WANT 2nd Amendment solutions it seems. The phone calls….they are coming from inside the house.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
OK, just spitballing here, but what if we put a cover page on every bill with Trump’s smiling face and worshipful Ben Garrison cartoons. And a signature line. He won’t read them anyway, but maybe that way wouldn’t he sign pretty much anything?
Quinerly
Interesting new post up by FPager Anderson on 51 vs 60. Hmmmmmm….
feebog
Time is running out. Democrats take over the House in 13 days. Trump’s leverage, weak as it is now, becomes almost non-existent. I would say go for the same DACA deal that was on the table earlier, but for the 5 billion, not a penny more..
David Anderson
@Corner Stone: There is no upside for McConnell to get rid of the filibuster. He placates a toddler for a few minutes with a cookie, and tosses a very powerful tool aside for trifle
hueyplong
Pick D or bend the knee to President Coulter.
JPL
@Corner Stone: It appears that Hatch and Alexander are both nos. If true the filibuster stays for now.
p.a.
They could always offer him a glowing blue globe on a pedestal to drop the slats/wall.
Repatriated
@Corner Stone: The downside is that after January, he won’t be getting anything from the House that will need the 10-Senator margin that nuking it provides, to ram through.
germy
Will Bunch:
Corner Stone
Thought this was a good one:
lamh36
Just saw that apparently, to add to my pissed off-ness, the VAWA also expires today!
Paul W.
What @feebog: said. Democrats don’t have to hold out for long, so the pressure is minimal. I am very confident that after Schumer got Trump to own the whole shutdown there’s no way he gives up because the Dem House will have his back in less than 2 weeks.
mapaghimagsik
I cannot think of a promise the republicans haven’t broken, and while the Democratic base will largely punish their own for breaking promises, the Republicans see this as a sign of strength. Its a natural extension of the corporate world when you’re told you’re invaluable even as they’re planning on eliminating your position.
We’re dealing with traitors to the United States. There is no dealing with them.
JPL
@p.a.: Steel slats. I wish someone would let him know that the price of steel has gone up because of his tariffs.
Corner Stone
@David Anderson: Rules were made to be broken…if you’re a Republican.
germy
Mexico can pay for the wall and China can build it.
lamh36
SMH…is a vote at noon. all it would take is the Dems holding strong which I think they will esp since the retiring one have nothing to lose Manchin won and has four years to hold on to before anything happens so he should also hold fast. Any other Dem Senators that might defect?
The same should be said did try GOP Senators who are leaving or retiring. They should vote NO…what does it matter to them to vite YES to appease Chump?
I don’t trust McConnell at all, but my question is where da fuq is the money $5billion supposed to come from? I mean McConnell has to know this is a BAD idea.
Paul Ryan is done with national public service life…so he went out in a way to burn it all to the ground. At least Boehner seemed to care about how he wasn’t gonna be leaving the House in ashes ruins
Spanky
I see Trumpov’s meeting with his Senate posse is going as well as his usual goat rodeos. From WaPo:
Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.)
D. I vote D.
PaulWartenberg
I agree with the assessment that Mitch will not give up the Cloture rule to force 60-vote majorities, because he’ll be aware that letting the Senate go to a 51-vote simple majority will kill conservative legislation even if Republicans hold a slim lead (like 52 seats) in that wing of Congress (because all it will take to kill a bill is a small team of 3-4 Senators to refuse to vote for it unless they get their own sweet deals).
PaulWartenberg
@Spanky:
I wonder if the Senators in question are the ones who tend to openly question trump (like Collins, Flake and I think Corker).
If there’s a time for centrist/moderate GOP Senators to flip parties (and yes, there are several) NOW would be a good time to flip: 1) trump’s crass behavior over a loser issue like the Wall, 2) trump’s abrupt abandonment of Syria to offend foreign-policy minded Sens, 3) on the off-chance McConnell DOES get rid of the 60-vote rule, all of a sudden being at 51 votes with the Dems vs. a broken GOP would seem enticing.
schrodingers_cat
He gets [email protected]feebog: Fuck no. That DACA deal involved torching legal immigration by getting rid of whole green card categories including throwing in the trash pile thousands of applications that have been approved for permanent residency but are waiting for their GC for the appropriate quota numbers to be available, sometimes for decades.
Plus, the Orange Man does not keep his word.
Kay
I vote “nothing”. I’m hardly ever an all or nothing person but the wall isn’t just bad policy, it’s going to be a corrupt boondoggle.
Their child prisoner program is (now) under investigation. Not because holding children in jails is wrong but because they are corrupt and money is missing.
Don’t give them a 5 billion dollar slush fund. This seems obvious to me. Under no circumstances do Donald Trump and his low quality hires get 5 billion dollars to pass out to their corrupt cronies! Come on. That’s nuts.
We know how this ends. It ends with another investigation, because they are crooks.
MattF
My pure gut-guess is that as Schumer is now having daily contact with Pelosi, he’s growing a spine. A miracle, I guess. There’s also the possibility that Schumer had one, once, but Mitch persuaded him that it was useless. We shall see.
daveNYC
@stinger: Porque DHS will use the $5B as a slush fund to inflict pain and suffering on immigrants. Six months ago I’d have traded the wall for some Democratic priorities, but not since DHS and ICE started shifting funds around to help pay for their internment camps and whatnot.
Roger Moore
@JPL:
He could easily create an exemption to the tariffs for wall construction. It has a much better national security justification than imposing them in the first place did.
schrodingers_cat
@Kay: Yes agreed. I am also appalled at how quickly some people are ready throw immigrants waiting for their Green Cards under the bus. The entire process of getting your intention to immigrate form approved is nightmarishly difficult. It takes years not to speak of blood sweat and tears.
DACA holders deserve a path to citizenship but so do the people who have had their I-140 (job-based GC )and I-130 (family based GC) approved.
ETA: In many cases they are already in the country on other long term visas. So just getting rid of those applications means that they would have to pack up and leave.
cynthia ackerman
BC, you’re giving toddlers and meth-addled psychopaths a bad name.
chopper
wait, dems should give trump funding for the wall in exchange for…nothing? not sure people are reading that tweet right. or maybe i’m not.
stinger
@Spanky: Okay, I didn’t really think that through.
Gin & Tonic
@schrodingers_cat: We are in that sort of vague uncertainty with my son’s long-term girlfriend. I had no idea how expensive all that stuff is, too.
schrodingers_cat
@Gin & Tonic: If you can afford it, go through a reputed immigration lawyer. If you live close to a major university ask their international programs office for recommendations. It will be expensive, but you will have peace of mind. Some of my applications I have done on my own some through a lawyer. But I wouldn’t take a chance with the current crew without a lawyer.
gvg
@schrodingers_cat: Actually, I think we just don’t understand how immigration things work as carefully as you do. And also, we are kind of news overloaded, stressed and stunned and the news firehose just won’t stop. So, we sometimes say simplistic things.
Spanky
@chopper: @stinger: Muliple-choice tests: Biting people in the ass for God knows how long.
Chief Oshkosh
Trump claims that the wall is the most important thing ever. OK, then he should be perfectly willing to provide in exchange for $5B “wall” money the following:
1. His immediate resignation.
2. The immediate resignation of his VP.
3. All of his tax returns. All of them, Katie.
4. The removal of all family members from any governmental position, formal or informal.
5. Bills on his desk from the House and Senate proposing Medicare for all (which, btw, would fulfill another campaign promise, the one about providing a better solution than Obamacare).
6. Relinquishment of his Twitter account.
schrodingers_cat
@gvg: That’s true. Our current president knows even less, unfortunately, than any person commenting here.
Gin & Tonic
@schrodingers_cat: She and her family are pretty sophisticated and have resources, so I don’t think that’s an issue. I don’t want to pry too much, so I’m not really sure of her exact status, but she was a student here, and now she’s working (legally) but does not yet have a green card. I’m assuming at some point my son will marry her, but he wants to finish his Master’s first (this May.)
chopper
@Spanky:
true fact: you’ll always get an A if you fill out ABACADABA over and over.
donnah
Option E: pound sand
Spanky
@chopper: Hmmmmmmm.
schrodingers_cat
@Gin & Tonic: FWIW getting a GC through marriage is the easier route of the two, mainly because you are not subject to any quotas and hence no waiting period. ( there are quotas for sibling visas and most employment based visas depending on your country of origin)
ETA: Also, you need your employer to petition for you for most of the employment based categories.
WaterGirl
@Corner Stone: The down side? I think the downside is that there would be no excuses (not enough votes, Democrats won’t play along) for terrible things Trump wants that the Rs don’t want. With the filibuster gone, the party of personal responsibility would have to take responsibility for something, which is totally against their nature.
SFAW
@chopper:
I’m hoping Pfeiffer meant “No deal” instead of “Nothing,” since “Nothing” is completely counter to choices A/B/C.
Well, either that, or he doesn’t understand English construction, OR that he’s actually pushing for the Dems to roll over.
Maybe he can get some tutoring from Katrina Pierson?
rikyrah
@Kay:
uh huh
uh huh
c-r-o-o-k-s
different-church-lady
Oh, I don’t know, let’s go upstairs and see what Anderson’s friggin’ actuary tables say about the whole thing eyeroll.
Quaker in a Basement
Dems should demand option A. Here’s why:
A renewed effort on DACA serves the legitimate interests of people who need our help and who were promised they would get it. Force Mitch and his gang to choose between the interests of real communities of color and the demands of this overgrown toddler. Make him either yield to good sense or capitulate entirely to a petulant, vindictive madman.
There’s for sure a pony in there somewhere.
Hob
@schrodingers_cat: I know you know this but I just wanted to clarify, “no waiting period” in this context is a relative thing. It could still take… well for people I knew in the early 2000s it was about a year, so I’m guessing it could be longer now just due to generally higher government fuckedupedness.
Ruckus
None of the options that are over a very remote one% possibility of happening are any good.
But as David shows upstairs, actually giving shithead 5 billion for his wall could be cheap and profitable. It could also come back and bite us on the ass in the future.
Anonymous At Work
Can’t believe no one thought to include Pence’s resignation in the mix!?!!
schrodingers_cat
@Hob: Yes indeed and collecting all the documents that you need for the said application can take well over a year to collect. USCIS vets you more than FBI does for the people who work for this WH.
Raven Onthill
I don’t see how this ends without the Democrats making some concessions. Trump could give in. Trump could be convicted of high crimes and misdemeanors.
I suppose it could continue until Trump was out of office.
sdhays
@MattF: A more charitable way of looking at it (although, not necessarily more correct) is that now that House Democrats are coming into the majority, “the calvary has arrived” for Senate Democrats and Pelosi is able to help take some of the heat. Of course, she’s better at taking it, regardless.
She’s been such a breath of fresh air (now that she’s the big dog for Democrats after the election) – the contrast between her clear, serious demeanor and President PP is so stark. Right now, she’s the only one in Washington who actually acts “Presidential”.
Ked
A, B, and C. As a starting position for negotiation. And settle for two of them – C is kinda important to me but I’d take any two at this point.