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Begala: Why Trump caved to Pelosi and Schumer
Paul Begala-Profile-Image
By Paul Begala
Updated 11:35 AM ET, Thu September 7, 2017
(CNN)I never again want to hear someone ask why the Democrats chose Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer as their leaders. The two just made a deal with the guy who wrote "The Art of the Deal" and made it the Art of the Steal. Poor President Donald Trump was lucky he got out of the room with his hair.
On Wednesday, Trump threw his support to a deal that gave the Democratic leaders everything they wanted: disaster relief funding and a 90-day extension of both the day-to-day funding of the government and the debt ceiling.
That means when the dual deadline for the budget and debt arrives in mid-December, Democrats will have enormous leverage. They will be in a position to trade support for the budget and the debt ceiling for any number of Democratic priorities, from health care to protection of Dreamers who are suddenly facing deportation.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker Paul Ryan were left fuming, the rug having been yanked out from under them by the leader of their own party.
How did this happen? How did the relatively powerless Schumer and Pelosi get everything they wanted in a negotiation with a man whose party controls the House, the Senate and the White House? Four factors:
Schumer and Pelosi maximize what little leverage they have by holding their fractious party together -- no easy task. Most legislation requires 60 votes in the Senate; the GOP has just 52 seats. And in the House, the renegade right-wingers in the Freedom Caucus have already threatened to oppose a debt ceiling hike if it is paired with disaster relief.
That makes Ryan's job of getting 218 votes more difficult. And Pelosi, with 193 other Democrats behind her, may be needed to ride to the rescue. She will do so -- at a price. Because of Democratic unity, Schumer and Pelosi were able to play a weak hand expertly.
2. Experience matters: Pelosi is in her 30th year as a member of the House; Schumer is in his 36th year in Washington, having served in the House before being elected to the Senate. That's 66 years of lawmaking experience, spanning six presidencies. Mr. Trump, on the other hand, has 229 days of governmental experience. Turns out running the government of the United States of America is a little more complicated than reading off a cue card on a reality show.
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http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/06/opinions/pelosi-schumer-and-art-of-the-steal-begala/index.html?sr=fbCNN090717pelosi-schumer-and-art-of-the-steal-begala0913AMVODtop
Warpy
(111,116 posts)while he's trying to get his taxes cut.
leftynyc
(26,060 posts)are that many people who even know what the deficit is? Or the debt ceiling? Or why it's important? And what's to stop anyone from talking about the deficit? No - it's actually so much more simple. Donnie wanted good press, Nancy and Chuck promised him it would look good to deal with the Dems and he rolled over and showed them his belly. It's really that simple.
tblue37
(65,212 posts)will prevent him from cooperating with Dems in the future. He needs to feel that he is "winning," and he needs to believe that others see him as winning. If Dems keep crowing about how they beat him, he will do everythign in his power to destroy everything they try to do for the good of the rest of us.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)Erode his base. He's now desperate for a win, and has less leverage.
leftstreet
(36,097 posts)Overlooked by all the current punditry. I don't think people really understand that
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)As long as he keeps up those illusions- (and I think the conservatives in TX and FL are going to find out they're illusions now) he's golden with those people. He needs to look like a loser- a selfish loser who don't care if they suffer. I think he's getting there.
He knows this too- which is why he keeps claiming wins and it's important we do not give him any. No wins.
sharedvalues
(6,916 posts)Hekate
(90,519 posts)StatGirl
(518 posts)God knows I have no reason to love Trump, but when he does something reasonable, it's not a loss for him. It's just a human being negotiating with other human beings and being reasonable.
I wouldn't mind if it's spun as a loss for McConnell and Ryan, of course!
Gothmog
(144,876 posts)BeyondGeography
(39,339 posts)He was his genial self on Real Time a week or so ago until Frank Bruni dared say something critical about Hillary. I guess our leaders deserve our never-ending fealty while Paul retains his status and income defending them.
mcar
(42,278 posts)underpants
(182,580 posts)Lots of leverage.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)as much as possible, perhaps reaching a settlement on 6 or 9 months, not the 18 the pubs wanted.
O'Donnell said the gobsmacked Republicans were still trying to find a way to put the toothpaste back in the tube when they were flat-out shocked to see Ivanka walk in prematurely. Apparently Rump uses her to signal the end of meetings. Game over. For that day, anyway.
JDC
(10,114 posts)rtracey
(2,062 posts)I don't trust ANYTHING FUCKUMP says or does. The democrats may think they got a deal, but will the deal blow up in our faces or will this deal just push the right winged base to get MORE right wingers into power...
I almost had to hold my lunch down when I heard Ryan speak of the importance of getting the debt ceiling higher, and how its not good to be political at this time, etc,etc and I just shook my head and remembered a few years ago when President Obama was looking to get the debt ceiling raised, and the total BULLSHIT bitching the right did....FUCK THEM.
TeamPooka
(24,201 posts)It's that simple.
raven mad
(4,940 posts)This is better than excellent. Bookmarked for the better half to enjoy!
NastyRiffraff
(12,448 posts)"I never again want to hear someone ask why the Democrats chose Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer as their leaders."
Exactly. (Waiting for the "but Pelosi and/or Schumer did something I don't like! Whaaaahhh!"