The Trump administration, which had not anticipated a long-term shutdown, recognized only this week the breadth of the potential impact, several senior administration officials said. The officials said they were focused now on understanding the scope of the consequences and determining whether there is anything they can do to intervene.
Given that the Trump administration is prepared to hold out for months until Democrats give him his wall, you would think that the Trump administration would be more prepared. Is it incompetence or are they purposely trying to make things as bad as possible in an effort to improve their leverage? I bet watching Fox and Friends all day has Trump thinking that he is winning so much that he can start adding additional demands.
Ask the millions of people affected by the shutdown how they like all this winning.
Hi Mojo,
Yep, no doubt. Important article. Thanks for sharing.
I’m particularly struck by this irony: The US Coast Guard is now unfunded but 45 is willing (happy, he said) to keep the shutdown in place “for months or years”... all in the name of better border security? I could almost laugh.
Maybe he can get his supporters to believe Mexico will pay for our Coast Guard? Otherwise those serving in the Coast Guard will have to take on side jobs like cutting grass or shoveling snow to pay for their families expenses? Side jobs for their landlords was the recommendation out of the White House.
...and the beat goes on.
And unpaid TSA employees are understandably calling in sick in increasing numbers. Of course they don’t don’t have anything to do with keeping Americans safe.
https://apple.news/AixYm5zSEQB2hCO-71NEWFQ
Gosh, it really makes you wonder. All the government loving liberals are digging in their heels and helping to put us all at risk, just to block a wall that the vast majority of border security guards and the head of the agency say would help. I bet they know more on the subject than Pelosi, Huh? A wall that, at 5 billion, does not even amount to a rounding error in a federal budget of 3.5 trillion.
What could have them so motivated to be so stubborn to block an inexpensive and effective border wall while placing all the people they were elected to serve at heightened risk?
Trump didn't have the votes before the Dems took control of the House. He still doesn't have the votes in the repukes controlled Senate. So, spread your BS somewhere else.
"What could have them so motivated to be so stubborn to block an inexpensive and effective border wall while placing all the people they were elected to serve at heightened risk?"
Tim, you know how things work in Washington. Tit-for-tat.
What could have Trump so motivated to be so stubborn to block DACA for an ineffective border wall while placing all the people he was elected to serve at heightened risk?
Well Moj, Pelosi and Schumer are certainly acting very vocal about it.. and Whether or not Trump had the votes does not invalidate my question.
And Berky.. "What could have Trump so motivated to be so stubborn to block DACA for an ineffective border wall while placing all the people he was elected to serve at heightened risk? "
Ineffective border wall? Not according to the head of the guards union and the majority of the guards at the border. But what do they know, right? And Trump was elected based on his strong stance on illegal immigration, including the wall. He defeated several candidates who were not so strong and/or specific. Oddly enough, many candidates have lost in many elections on many levels when they appear weak on illegal immigration. Are the voters trying to send a message?
BTW, the dream act was just another amnesty scam. We have a path to citizenship. Millions have used it. If you try to bypass it, I think, at best, you get a chance to start over. More likely, you should be banned from the country forever as you do not respect it's laws and will likely make a crappy citizen.
"More likely, you should be banned from the country forever as you do not respect it's laws and will likely make a crappy citizen."
We're talking about children and babies who were brought here, yes, illeagally, and have known no other country.
And of course, forgiving and rewarding them will fix the problem right?
BTW, how do we determine that these poor victims were brought here as children? Guess we can just ask. Illegal immigrants never lie, right?
"No, señor. No soy miembro de MS-13. Fui traído aquí por mis padres como un bebé"
This Trump shutdown shuts down shutters the US Department of Homeland Security - also in the name of better safety for Americans.
Where is the outrage from the right over these obvious psychotic like contradictions. If this were really about American safety 45 would re open the government new wall or no new wall.
The country’s identity- nationalism vs globalization- is really what’s at stake here. No matter what 45 calls it. It’s more symbolic than security based. The “idea of a wall” symbolizes a greater separation from the rest of the world. This is why the present POTUS needs this red meat for his base. Nationalism is a core part of their belief system. Separate and privileged with a strong military to keep intact an illusion of increasing dominance in the world. Hubris is the destroyer of dynasties.
His base believes the sovereignty of our nation increases with this physical barrier to our nothing-but-dangerous brown neighbors in the southern part of this continent.
I’d rather our country make sure hungry kids are fed with our bounty. If you honestly follow the money you’ll find that food stamps are actually a government subsidy to pay farmers and food suppliers. But yep hungrier poor kids, hungrier poor people and farmers selling less result.
Looking forward the the possibility of a 46 that thinks more like that. One person, one vote.
"Most certainly, it already assists my men and women," Provost told Hill.TV's Buck Sexton on Wednesday.
"We already have many miles, over 600 miles of barrier along the border. I have been in locations where there was no barrier, and then I was there when we put it up. It certainly helps. It's not a be all end all. It's a part of a system. We need the technology, we need that infrastructure," she added in the interview that aired Thursday."
https://www.npr.org/2017/01/26/511745401/head-of-border-patrol-union-on-trumps-wall-plans
"INSKEEP: In a few seconds, how different do you think the country could be in three or four years if these proposals are carried out?
JUDD: Well, I think the country is going to be a lot safer.
INSKEEP: A lot safer.
JUDD: I really do, yes, absolutely. I mean, I was there with what they call the angel families, families that had children that were killed by persons that were in the United States illegally. If these laws are carried out properly - and he's not talking about new laws. By the way, he's not saying that he's going to give us new laws. He's talking about enforcing the laws that are currently on the books."
For me, there are several questions.
1. Why is there any debate over this wall? It's clear from the border patrol/experts that having a wall WILL make the US safer.
2. Why are we only asking for 5 billion for the wall when the benefits, for spending even more would be greater than any other 5 or more billion that we spend in the long run on anything else to make our country safer?
3. Why would politicians, that sincerely care about citizens in this country not be passing legislation to fund a wall with a near unanimous vote?
4. Why is Trump, who is sticking his neck out again to do what's in the best interest of America's long term security getting attacked for doing something right for the American people based on rock solid facts?
This is not a for Trump or against Trump issue for me and should not be for anybody else.
It's a no brainer.............we need the wall.
As I've asked... Do we support/oppose people or do we support/oppose ideas?
Sadly. for most in this country, it's the former, and that flaw accounts for the majority of the problems we face as a nation.
4 legs good, 2 legs bad.
Ya know what Lar? I'll take your benevolence seriously when you open your home to a family of illegal immigrants and commit to taking responsibility for their care and feeding. Of all the liberals I know, you are the most likely to take on that task.. But I suspect you, and the vast majority would not.
Captain New,
(Where the wisdom of Howard when we need him most? His stories have a pretty cool way of putting things in perspective.)
Tim,
I don’t really care if you take me seriously or not. You have no idea about how much of my resources I’ve shared in my life. It’s none of your business... in all due respect.
I debated about responding to you as our conversations tend to get very circular and rarely productive. I do regard you as articulate and intelligent even if our political views diverge dramatically. Ultimately the electorate or legal systems will decide 45s place in history. I do not like the direction my country has taken under this administration.
One of the things I like most about the USA is that I am free to articulate my displeasure at elected officials if I don’t like what they are doing. I think this one sucks at it and has sold us out in several ways.
This shutdown is smaller government in the making. This is something conservatives have been wanting for a long time and we as a country collectively feel the impact. I think these multiple impromptu shutdowns are stupid. If the government has to be dismantled, well - so be it, but it should be done thoughtfully and purposefully.
I don’t have to invite refugees to share my house to speak my mind about it. Your jujitsu style debating approach was interesting, but kinda worn. Most of the refugees I know are hard working peace loving people. Certainly nicer than many “civilized” Americans who look down their noses at them. You are right about that part... I would generally be happier with the former sleeping over, than the latter.
In contrast to the current POTUS, I’m beginning to like Bernie more and more.
Good point Mojo,
45 couldn’t get a wall passed in two years while republicans controlled the presidency, the house and the senate- AND dems voted to support a much higher dollar amount.
Now that dems have control of the house for 2 weeks, mr trump is blaming democrats for not getting his wall paid for by american tax dollars. Mr trump is now insisting he never said Mexico would pay for it directly. I won’t bother posting a video - every body has heard him multiple times - you know I can easily find several recordings of it.
*Sigh*