The Trump-GOP Bargain May Be Unraveling

[question everything]

By Alan S. Blinder

Republicans in Congress appear to have struck a Faustian bargain with President Trump : They turn a blind eye to his antics, ethical lapses, possible Russian ties and sheer incompetence. In return, he supports their hard-right agenda to shred the social safety net and cut taxes on the rich.

But now—after the clumsy firing of FBI Director James Comey, the alleged obstruction of justice, the unconscionable revelation of sensitive intelligence to Russia, assorted other Trump misdeeds and gaffes, and the appointment of Robert Mueller as special counsel—the bargain may be unraveling. Thank heaven.

The pact’s last best hope may be the American Health Care Act, a truly cruel piece of legislation already passed by the House. Getting the bill or something similar through the Senate would fulfill Republicans’ pledge to “repeal and replace ObamaCare”—though not with “something great,” as President Trump promised. Rather, the AHCA would be something horrible for tens of millions of Americans who would lose their health insurance or have their Medicaid coverage eviscerated. Only the richest would get “something great”: hundreds of billions in tax cuts.

Fortunately, the AHCA now looks like a long shot. Republican senators say they will not accept the House bill but will write their own from scratch, and several major provisions of the House version are anathema to GOP moderates. Further, the Senate has notoriously narrow bandwidth and relatively few legislative days to deal with what’s already, or soon will be, on its plate.

Such as the budget. In March the White House released its “skinny budget,” so named because it covers only appropriated funds (a minority of spending) and is extremely light on details. For example, it calls for slashing State Department funding by 28% but doesn’t say how. Presumably the answers will come in the real budget, due out Tuesday.

Will the president’s budget, or any budget, pass? Bet against it. Remember, for years Congress has been too tied up in knots to pass a budget. Besides, another foolish confrontation over the debt ceiling looms this fall. Lawmakers will somehow have to squeeze these and other matters into schedules crowded with investigations, maybe even impeachment proceedings.

(snip)

The one-page tax reform “plan” the administration released last month was mostly empty space. If you omit the hortatory language at the top and bottom of the page, it included exactly 107 substantive words about tax reform. (I counted!) Example: Under “Business Reform,” the administration says it will “eliminate tax breaks for special interests.” Oh? Which ones?

More..

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-trump-gop-bargain-may-be-unraveling-1495403179

(you may be able to read the whole op-ed by googling the title)

[Dawson Leery]

1. kick

[manicraven]

2. It's at least feeling like the winds of change are blowing. If Fox "news" turns against tRump, then

we'll know his days are numbered. The GOP will need their propaganda arm to begin convincing right-wing voters that tRump is toxic.

[hedda_foil]

3. Wow! Not the sort of piece you expect in the WSJ editorial pages.

You can read the whole thing by going to their Facebook page and using the link there.

[Wellstone ruled]

4. The story that is sprouting legs is,

McConnell and the forty million plus dollars of Campaign money funneled through Trump and into McConnell's Election Pac.

Mitch McConnell has and is all about his Image. Watch for a major train wreck coming as far as the Senate.

[dalton99a]

5. +1