With all the great thinkers, how come no one has question the timing of trumps play?

[beachbum bob]

This was the ace he and the GOP were holding onto to when all signs that the Democrats would win the house. Its a very simple tactic to bend Pelosi and the house democrats to the will of trump


the forced the pain on the american people has little to do with $5 billion wall and MORE to do with extorting and breaking a congress capable of impeachment. This is THE political moment in US history.

we all must hold firm when this shutdown last for months AND trump finds a way to suspend SS payments and Medicare payments, HE does NOT care and that being said, is the worse type to "deal with". He (and GOP) are holding america hostage and we should treat that as an act of terrorism and we do NOT negotiate with terrorists. PERIOD


The pain has to be so great and backlash at trump AND congressional republican. Until GOP sees complete disaster for THEM, the shutdown will remain in place as the ONLY solution will be presidential veto OVERRIDES. No chance in hell for that to happen for MONTHS

Trump cares nothing about any of this. Its my belief this is the ACE he has been holding onto. Why NO SERIOUS action on this fricking $5 billion border wall has been taken by the GOP in congress. They are trying to use the pain of the shutdown to destroy the House Democrats. We all must stay resilient and the pain has even started. This is to THE HISTORIC moment in our history with a madman who wants to be a tyrant willing to destroy americans at will to achieve it.

[MyOwnPeace]

1. I am TRULY sorry

for those that are already suffering by this disgusting display of ignorance and power, but this is indeed correct - we MUST hold firm on "the wall!" Pressure on more and more Pugs will get it done when they realize that THEY will pay for this disaster - they will be out of work - and office.

[Eyeball_Kid]

2. Thankfully, Maddow has exposed Trumpy's lapdog adherence to Putin's commands.

That the OSC is now looking at the pattern of Trumpy's statements to determine if Trumpy is promoting Russian interests to the US' detriment is a profoundly disturbing but necessary decision. The possibility truly exists that Trumpy is getting direct instructions from the Kremlin to promote Russian interests from the White House.

The pathetic shame that we're noticing is that the GOP leadership is covering their collective eyes and pretending that nothing unusual is happening, which brings to mind the recent rumor that Maria Butina has testified before a grand jury that 22 GOP Senators have taken Russian money to finance their campaigns. If true, it then makes perfect sense that McConnell and his pals are ALSO guilty of felonies, and that the GOP leadership is running a RICO operation to not only bring in foreign money, but also to conspire to conceal the multiple felonies that they are committing.

[Demit]

3. He can't stop SS payments. The SS Fund doesn't depend on budget appropriations.

My theory: The longest shutdown in history (1995-1996) lasted 21 days. Dollars to donuts Trump is aiming to surpass that so he can add another superlative to his dubious record. As soon as that happens, he will suddenly be willing to open the government again, regardless of whether he gets his wall money or not. He will look like a magnanimous hero, or so he thinks. Simultaneously, he can position backing down as him being a victim of the mean Democrats who are always out to get him. His base will lap it all up.

[wishstar]

4. He is wasting Dem leaders' time while getting tons of media coverage to spread lying propaganda

No campaign rallies needed when he can manipulate the media and grandstand about border security at any moment on a whim. He likes this opportunity to throw a wrench into the Dem House's momentum, perhaps slow down the federal probes and achieve a great diversion just when increasing revelations from criminal investigations and criticism from prominent Repubs and the Generals have been eroding his base.


He thinks most Fed workers are anti-Trump and that his base looks upon Fed workers negatively, so punishing Fed workforce is enjoyable, as evidenced by him needlessly signing executive order Christmas week denying a 2019 pay raise on top of the uncertainty over their paychecks. The sociopath was giddy with joy at the cabinet meeting after hogging spotlight creating chaos over the holidays and knowing that he now has an easy target with House Dems to blame for everything.

[babylonsister]

5. As Maddow pointed out,

it could also have everything to do with shutting down courts and the judiciary via lack of funds so no actions can be taken against him. We all know he's in it solely for himself, so this doesn't seem to be beyond the realm of possibility.

[PeeJ52]

6. I wish more judges would go along with the ones that deny DOJ delays

due to the shutdown because the shutdown is of their own choice. This is a deliberate stall tactic by tRump to hinder cases against him. Defendants in cases don't have the ability to shutdown the government to delay their cases when they want. Neither should pencil dick...

[watoos]

7. He doesn't care

Trump has orders from Putin to destroy our institutions and our democracy. The shutdown is a means to do that.

Trump will never budge, pressure needs to be put on Republican Senators, so far we have 2, if we can trust Susan.
Find the Senators up for election in 2020 and hammer them. Protest them.

[irisblue]

8. He saw Game of Thrones sometime back. Hence the meme

But 'Bend The Knee' stuck for him.
Time for the daily-F that guy.

[SKKY]

24. Which means Trump is Ramsey Bolton...

...and he about to get eaten by his own dogs.

[diverdownjt]

9. From the mouth of a bum.....

Beachbum that is...good job BOB!!!

[saidsimplesimon]

10. We do not negotiate with a terrorist bully.

Never, ever think rump will accept any compromise when his goal is total meltdown of our government and holding hostages until he gets a deal to line his pockets or pump up his delusional image of himself as a Putin look a like.

[paleotn]

11. If that's their plan, that figures....

Neither Shitler or congressional Rethuglicans are deep thinkers. Or thinkers in general. The main problem is that hole called shitler's mouth, specifically what comes out of it, proving to more and more Americans what an imbecile he really is. It's a losing gambit, particularly for Rethugs running in 2020. The meme cast by this disaster will be fresh on many minds 20 odd months from now. Add that to the utter destruction caused by a successful impeachment. Don't for a moment think that isn't coming. It's inevitable.

[Mc Mike]

12. All organized labor should walk out, general strike until our sisters & brothers in government labor

unions get paid.

[Jim__]

13. Much of Trump's base is on SS and Medicare.

They're extremely tough people and completely willing to accept any pain the shutdown causes - to other people. Stop their SS checks and we'll see how long before they start howling..

[Honeycombe8]

14. What ace in the hole? This is hurting their cause.

An ace in the hole is something that is a winning strategy, which this is not.

[randr]

15. Sooner of later the Republicans in the Senate will be forced to make a choice

Trump has drawn the line early, before questions of impeachment hit the floor. We will only get out of this mess if the Senate overrides his veto of any bill that makes it to his desk.
The likelihood of this is what Trump is challenging. He wants the sides drawn before the real shit hits the fan.

[Texin]

16. I don't know that there was as much *strategery* in this as the OP posited.

It really stemmed more from the tongue lashing he received by Coulter and Limbaugh when he agreed to the bi-partisan bill that didn't fund Wall. He re-acts to events. He is not a strategic thinker (though I admit McConnell certainly is). That said, I do believe this has the potential to cause every bit as much political damage to the Dems as it does to the rethugs. People want something to happen. When it doesn't, the tendency is for both sides to be blamed. There will be political fallout on both sides. And, for the most part, we're dealing with the notion that the precedent for blame being heaped more onerously on the party and president* who initiated it and perpetuates it through their obdurate refusal to negotiate honestly, is not necessarily in play in today's political climate. Shitler has changed the rules of public opinion from everything I've seen within the past four+ years.

I don't believe the Dems should cave. But the loss of political capital is likely to be steep.

[watoos]

17. The time to take a stand is now.

9 million more people voted for Democrats in 2018 and regardless of the M$M not reporting it, this was a refutation of Trump. Democrats have a mandate, even though the M$M won't ever say that.

Also, the 5.6 billion is just a down payment for the wall. Trump will come back for another 5.6 billion, etc. etc.

"Fixed fortifications are monuments to man's stupidity." General George Patton.

[beachbum bob]

19. I don't think it was foxnews or limbaugh as much as its the only play trump has, after the caravan

hysteria which might have saved the senate for the GOP, not much else trump can do with his power against the democratic House which will be coming for him, his family and his crooked admin. Same mentality of trump who began bashing the FBI, the CIA and the DOJ a year BEFORE the 2016 election.


My crystal ball hows me the untentional consequence of trump's actions will be making GOP WORK with democrats to reopen the govt OVER trumps veto.. The magic number to override a veto in the senate? 67 votes. The senate votes to convict impeachment? 67 votes.

If my prognosis plays out under worse case scenario for trump, he is giving GOP cover to rid america of him.

Goes back to market response of a crashing govt
Goes back to market response to SS and Medicare being cutoff

Goes back to wealthy's patience to exposure of markets crashing
Goes back to wealthy GOP donors.

If worse case happens, we may have a light at the end of the tunnel

[beachbum bob]

18. going be awhile before the shutdown ends. So america best be prepared

[CTyankee]

20. now is the time to organize and develop our plan going forward. 2020 is our chance.

[Hestia]

21. IMNSHO, I think this is furtherance of what's been happening with "red" states and the 'thugs

trying to take power away from Democratic governors, ala WI, NC, MI. Everyday the gov't is shut down, is another day the Democrats don't get to shine. Thugs know this play - it's all they know.

[Texin]

22. It definitely is. They want to remain in total control of all the legislative chambers

throughout the U.S. The government - in their opinion and in their actions - is only for two purposes: enrich the wealthy and corporations, their shareholders and the members of those legislative bodies that are recipients of the donor class's monies; and to be the only members of society entitled to hold power and wield it over all others. We are seeing a flagrant and notorious return to the Gilded Age and everything associated with the wealthy and the serfs, of whom most Americans are part of the great unwashed whom they have deemed unworthy of anything but treatment as serfs.

Mitch McConnell has been fully in command of this ship for the past ten years and counting. I think we have to realize that by him absenting himself from the so-called Rose Garden WH Brief* Friday, he was signaling he is fully onboard with the notion of unitary executive action (and he himself has engaged it in the Senate, witness his refusal to advance Merrick Garland's SCOTUS nomination for more than a year). The rethugs are not participating in their duty as members of our representational democracy because they don't believe in it.

[Hestia]

26. Excellent post.

welcome to Democratic Underground

[malaise]

23. Great post

Rec

[Vinca]

25. It could be, or this could actually be an attempt to defund the "witch hunt."

Federal courts are on the verge of shutting down and I suppose that would put the Grand Jury on hold. Who knows? The only sure thing is that it's a stunt that's hurting a whole lot of innocent people.