Has anyone dominated the news more than Trump?
Well Kara Lawson’s Duke women’s basketball team won the ACC. Congratulations Kara! While at UT she was in my class and was a Finance major. I hear from her occasionally. One of my life’s many small world stories occurred when my other half and I were visiting the Big Island. One day we took our rental from Kona around the island to Hilo to go to Volcanoes National Park. We stopped to eat lunch at a local restaurant. We were asked to sit at the bar until a table came open. I was wearing a Georgia cap – like always – and a man sitting at the bar said “Go Dawgs.” I said “You know the University of Georgia?” “Most everyone else wonders why the Green Bay cap is red and black and not green and gold.” He said that he was from California and the only reason he knew it was a Georgia cap was because his niece went to the University of Tennessee. Naturally I said that I was on the faculty at UT. He then said “You are not Dr Black are you?” We nearly fell off our seats. I said yes and how did he know that. Then he said “You were my niece’s favorite professor.” His niece was Kara Lawson.
When Ontario threatened to impose a 25% tariff on electricity it exports to the US, Trump immediately said that he would raise the tariff on aluminum and steel to 50%. Ontario backed down. Then France imposed a 50% tariff on American whiskey and Trump immediately threatened a 200% tariff on French wine. Well Trump got Ukraine to agree to a cease fire and Putin rejected it. Only silence from Trump. Why didn’t he just as fast threaten Russia with a 200-500% tariff? Only silence. What’s up with that? Does Trump only threaten our erstwhile friends? Come on Donald, get as mad at Putin as you have done with Ontario and France. Doesn’t Putin know that resistance is futile?
Now the democrats are also learning that resistance is futile. They were going to oppose the budget bill in the Senate and filibuster it. This was stupid. They should just vote against it and let it pass since Kentucky’s Rand Paul will be the only republican to vote against it. What’s with these Kentucky republicans anyway? Will Trump rant and rave about Paul like he did Massie? In the end 10 democrats including Schumer voted to end any filibuster and let the bill advance. Now passage is certain. If the dems had caused a government “shutdown” the onus would have been on them, not Trump. They have shown the American public that they support keeping government spending growing. They are against cutting waste. They support the terrorist sympathizers like the one at Columbia University. One hundred democrat congressmen signed a letter supporting Khalil. They want open borders. They favor transgenders over women. These are all losing issues yet the democrats are lock step against the majority of Americans. The only reason why they don’t collapse entirely is that many of their constituents also hate Donald Trump.
Trump has made the democrats stupid. This is a short term funding bill. They should have just vote against it and let it pass. Then they can negotiate on a long term bill in which perhaps they can get a few crumbs of their own included. But “shutting” down the government never results in a shutdown. The democrats would actually help Trump who could have declared workers as “nonessential”. As before, when the public realizes that it functions just fine with the government “shut down” then it just gives Trump more cover for his actions.
But what would a “shut down” have entailed? Workers designated as “nonessential” would be laid off and not paid. But if a worker is nonessential then why is he employed anyway? The dems realized that this would give Trump an excuse to permanently eliminate that position. Before, after the last shutdown there was no reduction in force and the laid off employees came back and were given back pay. I recall that the military keeps working as does law enforcement and Social Security checks keep coming. The last time they closed the national parks and museums. Also one of the nonessential parts of the government, the Congress will still get paid.
The democrats recognized this and folded. However, the ones in the House screamed. Hakeem Jeffries had said that the dems had the republicans on the run. Huh? Jeffries seems clueless. Maybe the dems need new leadership in the House. Pelosi said “America has experienced a Trump shutdown before – but this damaging legislation only makes matters worse. Democrats must not buy into this false choice. We must fight back for a better way.” AOC went after Schumer and essentially called him a traitor. It will be interesting if Schumer can continue as minority leader. It will also be interesting to see if he gets primaried when he is up for reelection in 2028. Will AOC run against him? Let’s hope so because she will have to give up her House seat.
I presume that Trump would not support the repeal of the Jones Act which requires that cargo shipped between US ports must be on US ships, made in America, owned by Americans and crewed by Americans. Republicans have long sought the repeal of the act because it raises costs to American consumers. Obviously the act was to protect Americans from foreign competition. But only 3 percent of the global commercial fleet are Americans and there are only 93 ships that move cargo between American ports. Trump with his America only policies is not likely to support a repeal of the Act.
Remember Trump’s vicious attack on Chip Roy? Well he has turned his ire on another conservative republican, Thomas Massie of Kentucky. Massie announced that he would not vote for a continuing resolution. He would only support a bill that cut spending. When he voted against the current one Trump ever the statesman tweeted “Congressman Thomas Massie, of beautiful Kentucky, is an automatic ‘NO’ vote on just about everything, despite the fact that he has always voted for Continuing Resolutions in the past. HE SHOULD BE PRIMARIED, and I will lead the charge against him. He’s just another GRANDSTANDER, who’s too much trouble, and not worth the fight. He reminds me of Liz Chaney(sic) before her historic, record breaking fall (loss!). The people of Kentucky won’t stand for it, just watch. DO I HAVE ANY TAKERS???”
Yet another presidential piece of tweeting diplomacy from our leader.
Massie then used the Trump tweet to solicit funds for his next campaign. “Why don’t more Representatives stand on principle? Because telling the truth can get you in hot water. I’m going to need your help. I will run again because we need at least one person in Congress who won’t cave. Can you show support by contributing now?” He raised $400,000. I am certain that a large number of the contributors would never have contributed to Massie in any circumstance other than opposition to Donald Trump. Watch out Rand Paul!
Is Chuck Schumer really a Palestinian?
haroldblackphd.com 