On one hand, Trump promised a wall. On the other, he has time. And the third hand, this is the kind of thing a businesses person does, who understands sometimes you have to give a little to get a little, and that compromises can be made. And that you pick your battles. Oh, and that the elected GOP are often squishes and are not willing to fight
(Washington Post) The White House sought Monday to calm a jittery Washington ahead of a showdown with Congress over spending, and President Trump softened his demand that a deal to keep the federal government open include money to begin construction on his long-promised border wall.
Despite one-party control at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, the brinkmanship that came to define spending battles in the Obama years has tumbled into the Trump era, as have the factional divisions over strategy and priorities that have gripped the GOP for a decade.
But with a Friday deadline looming to pass a new spending bill, the Trump administration projected confidence that a shutdown would be avoided. In the face of fierce Democratic opposition to funding the wall’s construction, White House officials signaled Monday that the president may be open to an agreement that includes money for border security if not specifically for a wall, with an emphasis on technology and border agents rather than a structure.
Trump showed even more flexibility Monday afternoon, telling conservative journalists in a private meeting that he was open to delaying funding for wall construction until September, a White House official confirmed.
The wall may be a campaign pledge, one which excites the Trump base, but, a full border stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific is unrealistic, and, even unpopular in many border areas. It would be worthwhile in certain areas, particularly those in the middle of nowhere, but
In a speech on the Senate floor, Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) blasted the idea of a wall while suggesting that a combination of smart technology and law enforcement, including the use of drones, would be “a much more effective way to secure the border†without hitting an impasse in Congress.
It’s strange when it’s Schumer having a good idea. Of course, in reality, he probably doesn’t want those things either, he’s just taking a position that is not broadcast as “open borders for all.” Yet, using more manpower, drones, and technology are better than a wall from sea to shining sea.
“I’d like to make it as clean as we can and fund the government,†said Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.). “I wouldn’t mind funding the wall, but it’s a question of what we can do. The question is, what’s doable and will we make the deadline?â€
What the bill should do is fund the core government responsibilities as defined by the Constitution, and leave everything else to the states. No wasting the taxpayer’s money at the federal level. No more shrimp treadmills.
Crossed at Right Wing News.
