Fun times all around today in the Oval Office
As the Washington Post reports:
President Trump, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer clashed Tuesday over funding for the border wall, an explosive Oval Office encounter that ended with Trump declaring he’d be proud to shut down the government to get what he wants.
The stunning public spat, during which Schumer accused the president of throwing a “temper tantrum,” ended with no resolution and appeared to increase the chances of a partial government shutdown at the end of next week.
The three leaders pointed fingers, raised their voices and interrupted each other repeatedly as they fought over policy and politics.
Schumer lectured Trump that “Elections have consequences, Mr. President.”
Trump claimed that, because she is working to nail down the votes to become speaker, “Nancy’s in a siutation where it’s not easy for her to talk right now.”
Pelosi answered: “Please don’t characterize the strength that I bring to this meeting.”
“I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down.”
— President Trump (12/11/18)
The Washington Post has the full annotated conversation. The entire exchange is fascinating, but it’s hard not to laugh at Trump’s ridiculous rhetoric about building a border wall with Mexico:
One thing that I do have to say is tremendous amounts of wall have already been built, and a lot of wall when you include the renovation of existing fences and walls renovated a tremendous amount, and we’ve done a lot of work. In San Diego we’re building new walls right now. And we’ve — right next to San Diego, we’ve completed a major section of wall, and it’s really worked well. So a lot of wall has been built. We don’t talk about that, but we might as well start because it’s being built right now. Big sections of wall. And we will continue that. And one way or the other it’s going to get built.
So much wall!
Earlier today, Trump also “threatened” that the U.S. military would “build the remaining sections of the wall” with all of the extra billions of dollars they have (not to mention the extra time):
….People do not yet realize how much of the Wall, including really effective renovation, has already been built. If the Democrats do not give us the votes to secure our Country, the Military will build the remaining sections of the Wall. They know how important it is!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 11, 2018
So, yeah. The President of the United States of America, ladies and gentlemen.
When I look closely at that photo, Schumer looks like he's trying to stifle a smirk.
Schumer offered a deal last year. If I remember correctly, beginning funding for the Wall in exchange for consideration for the Dreamers. Trump refused.
If Moderatus, Andrew, Negev, Pear are "out there," please come in from the cold and inform us how the Wall will be built in the Rio Grande River canyons of Big Bend National Park. Will the Wall there be another engineering marvel like I-70 in Glenwood Canyon? Inquiring minds do want to know.
Delete
Or right through a monarch butterfly refuge?
Speaking of Trump — fun times ahead:
Couple weeks ago, a judge in NY ruled that the NY AG's civil lawsuit, filed in June, against Trump, Don Jr., Eric, Ivanka could proceed. Issue is the obvious, at least to me as a long time member of non-profit boards of directors; illegal transfer of charitable monies from the Trump Foundation to the 2016 campaign. The issue was also referred for possible criminal proceedings.
Right now, I'd say that good-old-boy Don Sr. is in a world of legal hurt.
Too bad it's only civil for now.
I'm certain *resident Trump can build even more wall than the tremendous amount already built.
And who actually needs all the government from the "Homeland Security Department and other agencies including the Justice, Interior and Agriculture departments?" It would mean the end of pay and activity for Sec. Nelson, Acting AG Whitaker, Sec. Zinke and Sec. Perdue.
Anyone know if an office holder who is suspended due to the lack of an appropriation can still be held liable for previous actions? Nelson, Whitaker and Zinke may be interested in an answer.
Anyone know if an "emergency" program to disperse payments to farmers offsetting tariff losses would qualify to be an essential service?
Anyone know if an "emergency" program to disperse payments to farmers offsetting tariff losses would qualify to be an essential service?
Absolutely since the Iowa caucuses are only 13 months away.
Nancy Pelosi after the meeting:
Did she mean how high up on the wall he can piss?
Well, I wonder if Pelosi might also have been remembering Demi Moore's famous line from her movie "G. I. Jane"
Ouch!!!! Donnie done got burned.
OMG…..a water sports metaphor!
Thanks, Nancy, for the immortal image of you in a tinkle contest with a skunk. I'm going to have to sacrifice a bunch of neurons to get rid of that one.
“All I want for Christmas is a real President . . .”
You can do it Santa! (. . . and, you know you owe me . . .)
“I am proud to shut down the government…"
The ads write themselves.
Because who doesn't love a government shutdown?
The scariest part is that *rump believes that yelling and bluster are the best way to accomplish his political goals. That, and being best buds with Putin, MBS, Duterte, and others who practice literal murder of dissidents and opponents to accomplish their political goals.
You left out Erdogan in Turkey, Maduro in Venezuela, and Ortega in Nicaragua.
The latter three may be dictators who murder dissidents, but they are not friends with *rump. Erdogan paid off Mike Flynn as a foreign agent. .
More than anything else, #TrumpsterFire is jealous of the power (including murderous power) that Putin, MBS, Duterte, and others have. THAT should concern you just a bit.
Did anything I posted communicate unconcern?
Nope!
It was an all-inclusive “you,” to the world!
He is poised to pull the trigger on ANYTHING he thinks will save his ass. I think he will go military thinking his new JCOS Chairman can/will control a response when he makes some move to declare martial law and arrest his enemies.
His connection to reality has all but vaporized.
I can’t believe that neither Pelosi nor Schumer remembered to point out to Cheetolini that they had been given firm public assurances that Mexico was supposed to pay for the wall????!!
…or that his de facto party still controls both chambers for a couple of weeks???
I'm not a fan of Pelosi. But I freely admit that she owned Trump's ugly ass in that meeting.