I believe we just watched Trump at the top of his game.

[WeekiWater]

Never has he been more hands on in a negotiation. He didn’t have his high powered negotiators there to do the work for him. With the house being in Democrat’s hands he only had Mitch, who appearantley didn’t like Trumps strategy and became Missing Mitch.

Trump played every card he had to get his wall wrapped up in the funding bill except one thing; paying off legislators. He doesn’t have the power to do that like he does in the private sector. It’s something he should have tried when Republicans held both chambers of Congress. I feel the wall would have passed in the last budget had Republican leadership only loaded up some goodies for legislators. It’s what would have happened had Mitch and the rest of the leadership really wanted the wall. They saw the writing on the wall and knew their numbers were going down.

Instead, Trump gave it all he had and proved to the country that he is a weak and pathetic negotiator. His position held firm on the wall but everything else changed by the hour. What the wall would look like, reasons we need the wall, what the money would go to, grand lies about its effectiveness... his message was all over the place. Then there was his brilliant move to call Pelosi and Schumer to the WH. Trump, you aren’t a negotiation leader. You aren’t qualified to pull such a stunt. But he convinced himself he was a negotiator. It turned into another failed tactic. He caused pain among millions and thought that was going to be his Trump card. What an idiot.

What does it look like when Trump heads up his own negotiation? Not only does he not get a single thing he wants, he paid a price. Public opinion went against him, he burned through political clout, and in the end he let the country know that none of it was worth it. He threatens that the government might shut down again in three weeks but he ended this negotiation by telling the country that the shutdown wasn’t worth it. What an idiot.

I see no other way than for him to call a national emergency. It’s going to be interesting to watch. It’s going to come at a time when Trump just starts getting pounded by our house committees. These committees are going to start releasing dirt quicker than people think. It’s also going to be a situation most Republicans will be completely against. Will they act like they oppose it? I don’t know. They appear to be spineless in the face of Trump. It would set a precedent that could pave a path for a number of things we want. I see cracks in the Republican foundation. This could do even more harm.

Trump is temporarily negotiating the Republican Party out of existence. He is not a negotiator and has never had to be one. His claim to fame is a massive joke that was just put on full display. We just watched his personal best effort.

[Achilleaze]

1. The High Water Mark of the KGOP republican regime?

Time will tell. No doubt the russians are plotting another underhanded ATTACK ON AMERICA since the republicans have demonstrated they are willing to cooperate.

Yes, (all) 17 (US) intelligence agencies really did say Russia was behind hacking

(Acts of War, as US Intelligence described it. Still ongoing, though the republicans don't lift a finger against it.)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/10/21/17-intelligence-agencies-russia-behind-hacking/92514592/

[empedocles]

2. It may get very rough.

[marble falls]

3. Please explain this:

"I feel the wall would have passed in the last budget had Republican leadership only loaded up some goodies for legislators."

[WeekiWater]

6. I'm not sure what there is to explain.

The sentence seems extremely straight forward.

[marble falls]

7. No it doesn't. It implies that Mitch could have bought off his opposition (Democrats?) ...

with a little Pork Barrel.

[WeekiWater]

9. Seems I was as clear as I thought.

I didn’t think things like that were a secret when it comes to negotiations. It’s a time honored tradition.

https://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/12/why-bernie-sanders-is-backing-a-15-trillion-military-boondoggle.html

You think he would have supported this had it been going to Florida?

This is a more grand example but it’s no secret that bringing home the bacon can influence votes. I didn’t think that would be in contention.

Still wouldn’t have worked outside of a talking point. We have the house.

[edhopper]

10. He's right

if they had included Universal Health Care with the Wall, it would have gotten every Democratic vote.

[C_U_L8R]

4. He played every card but one

The obvious one. Build real consensus.
Instead he took hostages, made threats and called people names.
He's a pathetic deal maker. A total amateur.

[Generic Brad]

5. He played the race card

Plus he was not dealing with a full deck.

[quaker bill]

8. The very moment

he said that he would "own" and "be very proud of" the shutdown, Ms. Pelosi had him. In that moment the fight was over, she had won, and all that was left was the time needed for him to faceplant in the gutter. They went into the Oval, saw the cameras and proceeded to play him like a cheap fiddle.

Watch the tape again and look at it from the perspective of what two experienced legal minds would do with a bozo like that. They tag-team baited him, questioning his guts, strength, and even his manhood, back and forth until he bit. Once he said he would own it, because he was "man enough" to own it, the conversation was over, and Nancy left the party smiling. They had accomplished everything they were after, all that was left was for him to capitulate, and a vaguely smart player would have done it sooner.

[malaise]

11. Yep

He's a rank amateur