He's Not Conservative, He’s Not Liberal... He’s For His Own Personal Interests

Trump, who didn't write a single word of Art of the Deal, likes to portray himself as the world's greatest deal-maker and negotiator. Those who have been on the other end of the table from deal-making Trump, all have something in common: laughter at his preposterous claims. Trump's a loser who rants and raves, bullies and blusters but who, in the end, is notorious for making bad deals. He's been dragged into bankruptcy court 6 times. One of his own former lawyers, Thomas Wells, actually wrote a blistering indictment of what his unsavory client was all about. But now Trump isn't ripping off shopping malls and contractors, he's ripping off America. And even Republicans in Congress are finally beginning to grow weary of his shenanigans-- and become wary of his treachery.

The superficial Trump technique of getting what he wants by asking for double and "compromising" on half, isn't going to work on a fellow shyster like Chuck Schumer but even McConnell and Ryan have begun to catch on. Last week they and their henchmen slashed his patently absurd budget to ribbons. The Regime's moronic proposal-- the laughable "New Foundation for American Greatness"-- was "a jaw-dropping document," containing random and ill-informed cuts to essential programs and agencies meant to keep Americans secure and healthy. When the $1.2 trillion dollar government funding package passed last Thursday-- 14 Republicans voting NO and just one mangy Blue Dog (Collin Peterson of Minnesota) backing it-- tons of his silliest cuts were nowhere to be seen.

The funding bills are not expected to become law, but represent a likely starting point for fiscal negotiations between the two parties this fall.

“I see the House omnibus as just the first step in an overall process of coming to an agreement,” Reynolds said.

Trump’s budget, released well before hurricanes Harvey and Irma devastated portions of Texas, Louisiana and Florida, would have cut FEMA’s funding by $876 million. Instead, the House voted to increase FEMA’s funding by $39 million. Trump also requested cutting the National Weather Service budget by $62 million, or roughly 6 percent. The House cut $25 million.

The Community Development Block Grant, which many members of Congress noted helps fund Meals on Wheels, were targeted for elimination in the administration’s blueprint. The House cut $100 million, but left $2.9 billion of the funding intact.

Trump’s budget proposal called for eliminating the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funded the channel that created “Sesame Street” long before it was sold to HBO. Congress left its funding untouched, and only slashed 3 percent from the National Endowment for the Arts, which Trump had also slated for elimination.

On healthcare research, the House approved a whopping $1.1 billion increase for the National Institute of Health. Trump proposed cutting the agency’s funding by $7.5 billion.

Still, despite the House’s moves, the Trump administration appears to be making some headway in its pursuit of spending cuts.

By throwing out an enormous initial proposal for non-defense cuts, Trump may have made it easier for Congress to adopt cuts that are nonetheless significant. Psychologists call the strategy “anchoring,” because it anchors the first number-- in this case $54 billion in discretionary non-defense cuts-- at the center of a negotiation.

“It’s a hugely powerful tool, as behavioral economists and psychologists have proven,” says Gabriella Blum, a negotiations expert at Harvard Law School. “Once you throw a number out there, it serves as a very powerful anchor that your mind is drawn to. It forces the conversation around it.”

...Overall, while the House package didn’t reach the Trump’s goal of $54 billion in cuts, it does cut $5 billion, a significant figure that touches many parts of the government.

The EPA’s funding would be slashed to levels it hasn’t seen in more than a decade, and the IRS would see a $149 million cut. Meanwhile, $1.6 billion would be appropriated to start building Trump’s famous border wall.

But there’s a long way to go before any cuts become law.

The 12-bill package approved on Thursday will not become law; the Senate is still working through its own appropriations using a completely different set of numbers, and will require Democratic support to overcome a filibuster.

As Democrat Adam Schiff put it yesterday on ABC's This Week, Trump is "not conservative, he’s not liberal; the only consistent theme seems to be, he’s pro-Trump. He’s for his own personal interests... Right now, too often, Gen. McMaster is talking about a president not that we have, but one that he wishes we had."