Tough times, concerned citizens.
For a while, it’s been easy forming opinions on current events. Since the election, all you’ve had to do is walk around shaking your head and moaning.
But now things are getting more complicated. This week, the Democratic leaders and Donald Trump were besties. He made a big deal with “Chuck and Nancy” to keep the government running and pay for hurricane relief, ignoring the howls from his own alleged party.
Since the frustrated Republicans can’t get rid of Trump, they’re talking about deposing the House speaker, Paul Ryan. What do you think?
A. Hasta la vista, Paul!
B. God, the next person would probably be worse.
C. In my priorities of things to worry about, this is somewhere behind cancellation of “The Vampire Diaries.”
Let’s try to work some of this out. It’s a super-heavy news time, and all the stories no longer involve the president saying something incredibly insensitive. You’ve got to keep up on everything from hurricanes to Hillary Clinton’s book.
The one thing everybody agrees about is getting disaster aid to the weather victims. Well, not entirely. More than 100 Republicans voted against the relief package in Congress, including several from the states most in need of help. “It’s a shame that lack of preparation leads you to a point where crisis dictates how you have to vote,” said Ted Yoho of Florida. I am mentioning him in particular because the quote makes no sense and I always like saying
“Ted Yoho.”
And about the new Hillary book. I want to hear your opinion:
A. Wow, I was just saying the other day that there’s nothing I would like more than to relive that presidential campaign.
B. Leave the poor woman alone. She won the popular vote. The least she should get is a damned book tour.
C. Can we just talk about the part where they were having a debate and Trump followed her around the stage breathing down her neck?
O.K., back to the Trump deal with Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi. Besides the hurricanes, the government also needed to do something quickly about extending the debt limit and the budget. Otherwise the country would be plunged into crisis. This happens so frequently, you may regard it as news somewhat less exciting than preparations for the solar eclipse in 2024. But it’s still important.
The Republican leaders required Democratic votes, due to that problem with an insane right wing that wouldn’t vote for disaster relief. The Democrats just wanted short-term extensions, to increase their future negotiating power.
Ryan said no. Then when Trump signed off on the plan anyway, he gulped and announced that the president was obviously just trying to avoid “some partisan fight” during the hurricane crisis.
Really, people, can you imagine anything worse than being Paul Ryan? I know he wants to kill off Medicare and likes to catch fish by grabbing them by their throats in the water. But still, this is a man who suffers.
The Washington Post has reported that some disgruntled conservatives are floating the idea of recruiting Newt Gingrich or former Senator Rick Santorum for Ryan’s job. It turns out you do not have to be a member of the House of Representatives to be speaker of the House. Who knew? And who better to take command than one of the two most irritating ex-public officials in America? Maybe next they can make Ted Cruz majority leader.
About that debt limit. Many countries, you will be surprised to hear, just pay their creditors automatically without repeatedly setting the entire world on the verge of financial collapse. The Republican position is basically that these crises are good for our character. But Trump seems to have come around to Senator Schumer’s position that we should stop torturing everybody and eliminate future debt limit votes.
Once again, we are faced with the possibility that our president is taking the reasonable position on an important issue. This is not, of course, true about everything. There’s immigration. Corporate tax cuts. The advisability of letting your daughter just walk in and join critical meetings with the leaders of Congress.
But his deal with the Democrats will allow the country to make it all the way through Thanksgiving without either defaulting on its debt or closing down the government. Happy holidays! After that, no promises. Trump will continue governing like a contender on “America’s Got Talent.” Congressional Republicans will still be split between the pragmatists and the people who will vote against hurricane aid for their own states.
Nevertheless, in a TimesTalks conversation, Ryan expressed confidence that the Republicans could quickly work out new agreements on the debt, the budget, immigration and health insurance, while simultaneously passing major tax reform.
“We can walk and chew gum at the same time. Congress always does that,” he said.
Pick your response:A. Yes, Congress always does that.
B. The current Congress cannot even simultaneously crawl and grind its teeth.
C. I do not like any of the images this question calls up in my mind.
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