Government Shutdown

                            Government Shutdown

Now that this shutdown mess is over for now, we need the Democrats to come to the table with a border funding bill. Trump needs to sign it and go on. He is threatening to declare a national emergency if he doesn't get his money. That will be tied up in court, and he might win there in the long run. In the meantime, if he closes down the government, again in three weeks, declares a national emergency after the Democrats gave him money Trump and is out of touch with the basic reason for them coming in the first place. People don't come here for the freebies, they come here for the security. The security of the rule of law. They always have, and always will, it will never change. Until we become the same as the place they left. Trump has already lost politically in this wall deal. To beat a dead horse in hopes of salvaging his promise, is cost prohibitive, relative what he has already lost. He should just go on to the next thing on his list, and revisit this later, or not. He needs to focus on another promise, and get a win, so as to have a better bargaining position. To go on with this wall push beyond here, not a good move. There is nothing to be gained, and more to be lost. He can't portray that the Democrats as supporting "open borders," because they offered funding to enhance border security. Shutting down the government again is a non starter, because if it happens again, it will be perceived as Trump shutdown, and people will remember shutdown, not so much the reason, and Republicans will take a hit at election time. Even if the President is reelected, he might lose the Senate. then he is a lame duck. Politics is about perception, and perception is reality. Just some random thoughts from the west end.