Conservatives, it’s time to start sweating. When The New York Times and Washington Post praise the president, you know we’re in trouble.
Understandably, President Trump is fed up with Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell, who have brought him nothing but grief. He found common ground with the Democrats on the debt ceiling hike, and sent an unmistakable message. 90 House Republicans and 17 Republican Senators voted “No” to the debt ceiling hike, while every Democrat voted “Yes.”
(Amazingly, our $19 trillion debt and $440 billion in yearly interest payments weren’t enough. Moderate Republicans wanted more, and knowing those “pesky” conservatives always seem to insist on fiscal responsibility and spending cuts, they turned to the trusty Democrats, who never met a reckless spending bill they didn’t like.)
The question is, will the president try this new “winning” approach with tax reform, immigration, and healthcare? Will the taste of victory be too tempting to resist? Will he see “Chuck and Nancy” as his best shot to get the legislative wins he’s been desperate to achieve, that Republicans have failed to deliver? There are many signs that’s exactly what he’s planning to do.
According to Bloomberg, the White House’s tax strategy is “squarely aimed at Democrats.” On Tuesday, he met with Republican and Democratic Senators to discuss tax legislation. Now he plans to rally support by visiting states he won where a Democratic senator is up for re-election. The president is also meeting with Pelosi and Schumer on Wednesday to discuss “Dreamer” and healthcare legislation. And Steve Bannon told Charlie Rose a deal is in the works to repair Obamacare. Not repeal, but repair. It’s hard to believe Rand Paul and Mark Meadows have been invited in those discussions.
According to a new Rasmussen poll, 66 percent of likely voters believe the president should work with Democrats to advance his agenda, including many Republicans. In November the American people declared the Democrats dead and buried, yet the Republicans have resuscitated them and made them relevant. How sad is that?
As I’ve been ranting about on my podcast, Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell are squarely to blame. These card-carrying members of the swamp have either failed to deliver, or sabotaged the president, every chance they’ve gotten. Eight months into the term of a Republican president, with a Republican-controlled House and Senate, they have not passed a single piece of major legislation.
They failed to repeal Obamacare. They have refused to fund a wall. They haven’t even introduced a tax bill. They’ve done nothing to address DACA, and pitifully little to combat illegal immigration.
Despite the country’s overwhelming desire for change, Congress has placed sabotaging the president ahead of the American people. They never got the memo that says that Congressional gridlock is not supposed to happen when you control every branch of government.
The president isn’t stupid. He’s gotten the hint. And Chuck and Nancy were thrilled to be yanked out of obscurity and given the gift of relevance.
To be sure, this is not the first time a president has crossed the aisle and cut a deal with the other side. Barack Obama, George Bush, Bill Clinton, and Ronald Reagan all did the same thing. But it’s not supposed to happen when the president’s own party controls the House and Senate.
Despite Mitch McConnell’s recent insistence that Congress does things painfully slowly, it’s time for him to get rolling. The president is willing to sign virtually any piece of legislation he gets. All he wants is to show the American people he can deliver on his promises.
Ryan and McConnell need to start acting like leaders, not babies. It’s time to cast aside their personal distaste for the president, leave their egos at the door, and pass some serious legislation. The clock is ticking, and many of the people who put President Trump in office will clearly support him unconditionally, regardless whom he works with. Any politician who wants to stay in power better jump on the bandwagon, before it’s too late.
Josh Margulies is the host of "Politics: Clear and Simple," a daily podcast offering analysis with an intellectual, conservative perspective. He has worked as an intern for the "Imus in the Morning" program, and has hosted several online political talk shows. Josh is currently a digital marketing consultant. He has assisted companies like Lockheed Martin, Netflix, and Bloomberg. Josh is also an ordained Rabbi who has studied Talmudic law. To read more of his reports, Click Here Now.
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