How Señor T Was Forced To Learn That No Means No (Who Remembers No-Drama-Obama?)

I bet Putin's Puppet didn't want to use a state of the union to explain to the American people why there are 7 million more uninsured people in America since he slithered into the White House, the highest since Obamacare started bringing the rate down 4 years ago. Sarah Kliff explained at Vox that "the country’s uninsured rate has steadily ticked upward since 2016, rising from a low of 10.9 percent in late 2016 to 13.7 percent-- a four-year high." Want to explanation for why young people, women and poor people are the least enthusiastic demographic groups when it comes to the GOP? "Certain demographic groups are experiencing a greater loss of coverage than others. Gallup data shows, for example, that Americans who are younger and lower-income have seen a greater decline in insurance coverage than those who are older and wealthier. Women have had insurance rates decline more quickly than men."

Although bright-red states Nebraska, Idaho, and Utah all passed ballot initiatives to expand Medicaid for low-income residents in the 2018 midterms and despite the fact that Maine and Kansas are joining the program this year, other things will bring the numbers down further. More red states are going to roll out work requirements for Medicaid. Kliff wrote that "the individual mandate penalty goes away this year, meaning there is no longer a tax for not carrying health insurance coverage. And the Trump administration isn’t likely to restore Obamacare’s outreach and enrollment budget anytime soon. All those trends are likely to decrease the number of Americans who have health insurance coverage for years to come."

But whatever Trump intended on saying about healthcare next Tuesday-- probably nothing-- in the State of the Union, he won't have to worry about it... at least not 'til he allows the government to open up again. Pelosi sent him a letter and made it clear he's not invited. Here's her letter to Dear Señor Trumpanzee:

When I extended an invitation on January 3rd for you to deliver the State of the Union address, it was on the mutually agreed upon date, January 29th.  At that time, there was no thought that the government would still be shut down. In my further correspondence of January 16th, I said we should work together to find a mutually agreeable date when government has re-opened and I hope that we can still do that.

I am writing to inform you that the House of Representatives will not consider a concurrent resolution authorizing the President’s State of the Union address in the House Chamber until government has opened. Again, I look forward to welcoming you to the House on a mutually agreeable date for this address when government has been opened.

Sincerely,

NANCY PELOSI
Speaker of the House

Not to be outdone, the carnival barker got someone to write a letter that he sent her back.

Dear Madam Speaker:

Thank you for your letter of January 3, 2019, sent to me long after the Shutdown began, inviting me to address the Nation on January 29th as to the State of the Union. As you know, I had already accepted your kind invitation, however, I then received another letter from you dated January 16, 2019, wherein you expressed concerns regarding security during the State of the Union Address due to the Shutdown. Even prior to asking, I was contacted by the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Secret Service to explain that there would be absolutely no problem regarding security with respect to the event. They have since confirmed this publicly.

Accordingly, there are no security concerns regarding the State of the Union Address. Therefore, I will be honoring your invitation, and fulfilling my Constitutional duty, to deliver important information to the people and Congress of the United States of America regarding the State of our Union.

I look forward to seeing you on the evening on January 29th in the Chamber of the House of Representatives. It would be so very sad for our Country if the State of the Union were not delivered on time, on schedule, and very importantly, on location!

Sincerely,

Donald J. Trump

Spineless: The GOP by Nancy Ohanian

Earlier this evening, Ken had some ideas about what might have ensued if he had tried to barge in. Maggie Haberman and her team at The Times wrote yesterday that Trump is shopping around for another space in which to deliver the State of the Union. People speculated that perhaps he should go deliver it in Mississippi or Wyoming. And then, inevitably-- the tweets of defeats: "As the Shutdown was going on, Nancy Pelosi asked me to give the State of the Union Address. I agreed. She then changed her mind because of the Shutdown, suggesting a later date. This is her prerogative-- I will do the Address when the Shutdown is over. I am not looking for an.... alternative venue for the SOTU Address because there is no venue that can compete with the history, tradition and importance of the House Chamber. I look forward to giving a 'great' State of the Union Address in the near future!" The Putz lost and a lame strategy, based on being able to bully Pelosi, fell apart when he realized she wasn't bluffing-- and that she held 4 aces while he had a couple of random cards.

Politico's Playbook this morning: "Replublicans were betting Trump had Pelosi cornered, and there was no way she would rescind the invitation. They thought this was a win-win for Trump-- either the president would deliver the State of the Union, or Pelosi would block him... But then Trump blinked and bowed to Pelosi, saying he'd give his State of the Union after the shutdown. This is a big win for Pelosi. It re-establishes that Pelosi is, indeed, in charge of the legislative branch, and there is little Trump can do about that. Republicans were winning the daily political churn Wednesday because they were talking about SOTU, not the shutdown, for which they are being blamed. And then Trump caved to Pelosi." The master negotiator, lost again. Maybe he should consider reading Tony Schwartz's book, The Art of the Deal. Oops... I forgot, he doesn't read.