Monthly Archives: January 2018

US Capitol Dome

Shutdown – “The Art Of The Deal!”

To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, “Well, there they go again”. The Federal government is shut down, with each side, as is custom, blaming the other. Not without some merit, but from where I sit, the primary fault lies on the Republican side, for one simple reason:

Failure to govern.

I’ll start with the White House, and simply say “case closed.”

On the Congressional side, The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) act is the proximate excuse for the shutdown. After President Trump announced he’d sign ANY bi-partisan legislation placed in front of him, he reneged, in his famous “shithole countries” meeting. it was Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown. And it left legislators on BOTH sides of the aisle seething. Bi-partisanship, indeed.

The House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution through February, which actually addressed several important issues – primary among those a 6-year funding extension for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). But it didn’t address DACA, which both sides want resolved in much the same way.

Republicans – especially the President – are now shouting that the Democrats shut the government down to support illegal immigration over the military.

Please.

The government has been shut down over a lack of good faith, pure and simple. And there’s an easy way out of this.

Senator Mitch McConnell needs to show that the Republicans can govern.

He needs to remember that Congress is a co-equal branch of Government, and can, when so motivated, do its job with or without the help of the President.

He needs to remember that bi-partisanship works – especially when most of the hard work has already been done.

He needs to govern.

A simple path out of this shutdown is as follows:

  1. Republican and Democratic senators meet, and come to an informal – but sincere – agreement that DACA will be a priority in the next three weeks, using the framework already developed. The framework will be focused on acceptability within the legislative branch, and not the the whims of the Jell-O like President.
  2. Pass the continuing resolution. Reopen the government immediately.
  3. Put together a DACA bill that will garner 70+ votes in the Senate. Something that pulls 40-11 on the Republican side and a majority of Democrats should be doable – again, they’re in violent agreement on the major outlines of the deal – and pass it. (For those worried about slapping a bill together in haste – they managed with tax reform …..)
  4. Call it “The Art of the Deal Act (TADA)“
  5. Send it to the President, with the understanding that a veto WILL be overridden.

For the Republicans, the upside is obvious – showing that they CAN do what they’ve been accused of not being able to do. Actually govern. The risk? They can’t pull it off, and the “Can’t govern” claim sticks.

For the Democrats, they show that they’re willing partners, and not simply obstructionists. And the risk is limited – if a deal can’t be reached by Feb 8th, the threat of another shutdown is available.

This is all avoidable. Both sides in Congress simply need to act in good faith, to implement what they’re basically in agreement on.

The shutdown WILL end. A budget resolution of some sort for the rest of the year WILL pass. The government will re-open. How about we Stamp Out Stupid, drop the posturing and overblown hyperbole, and get it done sooner rather than later, with minimal disruption to the most important business of governing the great land.

On shitholes.

Let me start with the fact that I’m saddened that I need to use the word “shitholes” at all – much less in a public forum. I was raised and educated (in public schools) to avoid vulgarities in polite conversation, in public, and most especially in professional settings. You don’t use coarse language, because you don’t need that kind of language, and because generally, it’s lazy. It’s called having a sense of decorum.

It should come as no surprise that President Trump lacks a sense of decorum.

But that’s not the sad part of his recent “shithole countries” remark. I expect no better from Mr. Trump. (I DO expect – better – MUCH better – from the President of the United States. But that just is a another log on the “Donald Trump is not fit for the Presidency” fire.)

The sad part is the people trying to defend that statement, generally by suggesting that that’s really what “the forgotten man sitting at the bar” is thinking.

That is wrong on so many levels, that my head is about to explode.

First is the sheer arrogance of that statement. Of course, Dear Pundit, you don’t think that kind of thing – but those poor schlubs in flyover country probably do, and, well, don’t their opinions count for something? (Or could it be that you’re jealous that you can’t say that kind of thing out loud, given your more elite position – so you take comfort in the fact that there must be others who can give voice to your darker thoughts? Nah ….)

Second, so what? Yes, I will gladly acknowledge that there are some people – all across this great land of ours – who harbor exactly those kinds of feelings. Does that mean we promote that? Celebrate it? It’s anti-social behavior, and it’s something we try to root out. “Good citizenship” was graded on when I was in elementary school. “Civics” were taught. Churches preached “love your neighbor as thyself”, and went so far as to treat things like this as sinful. We denounce and shun unprincipled behaviors, not promote and normalize them.

Which leads us to the third point – normalizing bigotry. The bar is being consistently lowered. The bigots are emboldened; and when there are no real consequences to their bigotry, they feel safe to go further. And everyone else becomes inured to it. It’s tiring to keep fighting. And is disheartening to see those in leadership positions not only do nothing about it, but look for ways to condone it. And that’s completely unnecessary. You can promote an agenda – ANY agenda – with dignity, class, and comity. There is no reason to tolerate what is being tolerated – by either side.

This is simply another riff on the “us vs. them” strategy, promoting the thought that “others” are responsible for our troubles. Divisiveness only weakens us. The real “shitholes” in this whole affair are the leaders and pundits driving this narrative and working to promote discord, hatred, and bigotry.

Don’t be complicit. Speak up. Help Stamp Out Stupid.