30 days and counting…..
Politicalwire…
Politico: “Republicans have tried to drive a wedge between the duo for more than a month now. They’ve cast Schumer as eager to cut a deal and Pelosi as an impediment. They’ve floated the idea that Pelosi would be more willing to compromise after she was elected speaker. Trump tried again on Saturday, pitching temporary protections for Dreamers and other immigrants, in exchange for $5.7 billion in border wall funding.”
“None of it has worked.”
“Democrats believe the only way to get the president to cave on the wall and reopen the government is to stick together, a plan they reiterated when they rejected Trump’s latest proposal. And by setting a model of unity, Schumer and Pelosi have kept moderates in their caucuses from breaking ranks and underscored how difficult it will be for Trump to get Democrats to fold.”….
“In the 24 hours since Trump offered his immigration proposal, not a single Democrat has publicly expressed openness to it,” Axios reports.
“Senior White House officials told Axios their strategy — conceived largely by Jared Kushner and Vice President Mike Pence — was to get Trump’s “compromise” immigration bill through the Senate with an overwhelming vote and then pressure House Democrats to break from Speaker Nancy Pelosi.”
“But the Democrats have a consensus: No immigration talks until the government is back open. Even the moderates who sometimes break with the party, including Sens. Joe Manchin and Chris Coons, are sticking with leadership on this, for now at least.”….
Washington Post: “Trump’s management of the partial government shutdown — his first foray in divided government — has exposed as never before his shortcomings as a dealmaker. The president has been adamant about securing $5.7 billion in public money to construct his long-promised border wall, but has not won over congressional Democrats, who consider the wall immoral and have refused to negotiate over border security until the government reopens.”
“The 30-day shutdown — the impacts of which have begun rippling beyond the federal workforce into everyday lives of millions of Americans — is defining the second half of Trump’s term and has set a foundation for the nascent 2020 presidential campaign.”
“The shutdown also has accentuated several fundamental traits of Trump’s presidency: His apparent shortage of empathy, in this case for furloughed workers; his difficulty accepting responsibility for a crisis he had said he would be proud to instigate; his tendency for revenge when it comes to one-upping political foes; and his seeming misunderstanding of Democrats’ motivations.”
New York Times: “In business and governing, Trump seeks victory in chaos.”
The Hill…
Crowdfunding website GoFundMe on Saturday launched what it dubbed the “Government Shutdown Direct Relief Fund” to help federal workers impacted the by the ongoing shutdown.
CEO Rob Solomon announced the initiative in a statement, saying that donations would be “distributed to several nonprofit organizations across the country offering direct assistance to government workers.”
“These nonprofits are doing important work, providing hot meals, necessary counseling, and housing relief. I encourage everyone to support them,” Solomon said, noting that the crowdfunding campaign was launched in partnership with author and speaker Deepak Chopra.
Solomon added that celebrity chef José Andrés’ nonprofit would be among the first to receive funds. Andres has fed about 12,000 furloughed federal workers at his temporary kitchen in Washington, D.C….