The McConnell-Pence-Kushner Plan-- Has Trump Asked Ann Coulter's Permission?

Does it surprise you that Americans are overwhelmingly pessimistic about Trump's illegitimate presidency? Only 29% of Americans think Trump's "presidency" will be successful in the long term. They must all be on the pharmaceuticals his allies are manufacturing and dumping all cross America.

In his incoherent speech today, never once mentioning the hundreds of thousands of federal works he's beens screwing over, Trump made an insincere, unilateral offer to Democrats-- instead of negotiating with them in good faith-- to give the Dreamers a 3-year reprieve (a non-starter) in return for a monument to his vanity. It's filled with Stephen Miller poison pills and was rejected immediately. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), a member of the House Judiciary Committee told me a few minutes ago that Trump "is clearly looking for a way to end the self-inflicted political wound of this obscene and deeply unpopular shutdown. Someone needs to tell him that negotiations can start the minute he ends the shutdown which has turned the system of checks and balances into a hostage crisis. We cannot reward this political extortion racket by paying for his medieval fantasy wall that he promised Mexico would pay for."

Kushner, McConnell and Pence came up with the plan-- with help from some Blue Dogs and New Dems from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party-- to trade $5.7 in border wall in exchange for the BRIDGE Act-- which would extend protections for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)-- and also legislation to extend the legal status of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders.

McConnell supposedly told Trumpanzee Pelosi was never going to move on border funding because, in McConnell's mind House Democrats would never allow it. So a proposal had to come from Trump that he would promise to sign so that McConnell could bring it to the Senate. It looks like President Miller made certain that Trump would propose something that the Democrats would scoff stand give Trump manufactured cause to blame them for all the problems he created all on his own.

As Ryan Grim asked after deciphering Trump's nothing-burger p.r speech, "Who's dumber-- Jared Kushner or somebody who takes advice from Jared Kushner?" Or substitute Stephen Miller. No one in the White House could have possibly thought the democrats would embrace this. I hope Ann Coulter calls the offer "amnesty light" and angers the bigots who still back Trump.

Marianne Williamson, who is about to declare her candidacy for president, took a strong clear position that leaves no one in doubt about where she stands: "The president’s continued use of other people’s lives as pawns in his ego-driven games will not stand. I support Speaker Pelosi’s refusal to negotiate with his tactics of emotional terrorism."

Ted Lieu (D-CA) could have been speaking for the whole Democratic caucus after he heard Trump's speech: "Democrats have a straightforward, reasonable position:

1. Reopen government;
2. Negotiate a deal.

The President prides himself on being a great negotiator. Why does he need to use a harmful government shutdown as a negotiating tactic?"

For Trump to get this junk-proposal through the House, he would have to win over the majority of Blue Dogs and New Dems. An hour after he finished speaking I got in touch with Long Island New Dem, Tom Suozzi who told me "Trump’s proposal is wholly and completely inadequate. The government should reopen immediately. The idea of holding federal employees' jobs and paychecks hostage as a negotiating technique cannot be permitted. After the government is open, I would support more robust border security that could include some additional physical barriers and more important, technology, improved ports of entries, immigration judges and border personnel. Any support for more robust border security, however, should only be in the context of immigration reform and real permanent protections for Dreamers, TPS recipients and others." A few moments ago on Twitter:

Eva Putzova lives closer to the border, in Arizona's first congressional district, where she's running against conservative Democrat Tom O'Halleran this cycle. She saw right through Trump's scam today: "Trump’s proposal is laughable. Once we have permanent legal protections for DACA and a pathway to permanent legal status for millions of immigrants who have been making so many American businesses rich we can talk again."

Mike Siegel is officially announcing his candidacy for Congress in Texas tomorrow afternoon. He's not beating around the bush about anything, let alone Trump's latest dishonest p.r. stunt. He took a minute out of the preparations for tomorrow to tell me that he "can’t help but be reminded of that old saying, 'never negotiate with a terrorist.' Trump is abusing the political process to seek a wall that the majority of Congress opposes-- otherwise, he’d have the funding already. I’m proud that House Democrats have refused to roll over. We need a way out of this crisis, but paying for a wall is not the way."

Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) has probably been the most outspoken advocates for immigrants rights in Congress. Her press release made it perfectly clear she wasn't buying Trump's fake compromise: "'Deals' that don't provide any permanent solutions and that contain a wall are not real deals. The economic, political and personal costs of the Trump-McConnell shutdown are piling up. This latest proposal is not a serious offer. It’s time for the President to stop taking the country hostage, ask his Senate colleagues to vote on the same bill we approved last month and end the suffering once and for all."

Oops-- the far right seems far from happy

McConnell said he will have the Senate pass Trump's "proposal" next week. "I intend to move to this legislation this week. With bipartisan cooperation, the Senate can send a bill to the House quickly so that they can take action as well." Pelosi will no doubt hold hearings and make some amendments.