GOP Leaders See Support Eroding for Trump’s Shutdown

Warehoused immigrant children. 

Foolishly, in my view, networks are going to air Donald Trump's lie fest during prime time when he will likely repeat the false statistics and made up rhetoric loved by his racist base.  I will NOT be watching and urge others to join the boycott.  Also, if Trump is given such free time, there should be a Democrat response offered where one by one the lies Trump will utter can be taken apart and shown to be what is the most defining thing about Trump: he is incapable of telling the truth.  Polls currently show that 60% of Americans oppose Trump's southern border wall - and that's before factoring in the opposition that many landowners will mount against Trump's seizure of their lands.  In addition a significant majority of Americans oppose Trump's government shutdown.  Not surprisingly, GOP Congressional leaders are fearful that they may face a mutiny of rank and file members who are feeling pressure from constituents who are tired of them giving Trump political fellatio (Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham are engaging in the political equivalent of deep throating).  A piece in Politico looks at the growing GOP bind.  Here are excerpts:

Several dozen House Republicans might cross the aisle this week to vote for Democratic bills to reopen shuttered parts of the federal government, spurring the White House into a dramatic effort to stem potential GOP defections.

White House officials and Republican congressional leaders worry that GOP support for the shutdown is eroding, weakening President Donald Trump’s hand as he seeks billions of dollars for a border wall that Democrats have vowed to oppose, according to GOP lawmakers and aides.

Hoping to sway skeptics in his party and the broader public, Trump will make an Oval Office address Tuesday night to discuss what he called the “Humanitarian and National Security Crisis on our Southern Border," he said on Twitter. Then he will visit the border region on Thursday.

Vice President Mike Pence and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen will address House Republicans on Tuesday evening. The House is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a Democratic bill designed to fund the IRS and several other agencies, the first of four bills Democrats hope will peel off Trump's GOP support in the House.

The Democratic funding measure is one of several narrow measures that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and party leaders will push forward this week. The bills are designed to put pressure on GOP lawmakers to break with Trump and support re-opening the nine departments hit by the 17-day shutdown. More than 800,000 federal workers are currently not getting paid — roughly 350,000 remain on the job without pay — with their first missed paycheck coming later this week.

Despite the White House PR blitz, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) and other senior Republicans believe that “a significant bloc” of House Republicans could vote with Democrats on the funding measures, according to GOP lawmakers and aides.

GOP leaders say they can keep that number below 55, a key threshold. That many Republican defections, coupled with all House Democrats, would reach 290 "yes" votes, a veto-proof majority. House Democrats can't overcome Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) refusal to bring up their bills, but such a vote would signal the House can override a Trump veto, a major blow to the president and his allies.

“I think the more that you have people not getting paid, the more the stories coming out about the hardships this shutdown is creating, not just for federal workers but those who rely on federal agencies to get their work done, people are shaking their heads,” said Oregon Rep. Greg Walden one of seven House Republicans who voted with Democrats last week to reopen the government. “I think it’s a pretty unsustainable position, and I felt that early on.”

The first House vote, which will take place Wednesday, will dare GOP lawmakers to vote against funding for a slew of financial agencies including the IRS. A “no” vote — Democrats argued before Monday's comments from OMB — is a vote to delay tax refunds to U.S. taxpayers.

Democrats will also force Republicans to vote separately on bills that include funding for food stamps and some federal mortgage programs.

On the later note, let home buyers (and mortgage lenders) find they cannot close home purchases because of Der Trumpenführer and the opposition will only continue to grow.