There would be no illegal immigration if we allowed anyone who wants to come in to present themselves at a well staffed border crossing, receive a hearing and decision within a month or so, and if they are not a criminal, be allowed to enter. Spending money on preventing drugs entering the country by a myriad of means available is worthwhile. Keeping out people who are happy to work for peanuts until they can work their way up is stupid.
Catch and execute a sufficient number of drug smugglers and their mules…the traffic will slow way down. Send special forces to places where identified drug lords are located and make examples of them. Throw anyone selling illegal dangerous drugs, including kids working for distributors, into work camps, let them grow their own food and erect their own lodging. Let them appeal for release after 10 years on first offense, 20 on second, etc.
If the drugs being snuck in were simply for recreational use, non addictive, more or less no more problem than alcohol, then I would have little problem with it. Too bad, a lot of people are dying from them. 5 times or more than are killed in homicides.
there is no legal way that a go fund me account proceeds can be used for actual border security funding or construction by the administration. the money raised could be used by pac’s for advertising, not much else.
Let’s do an analogy: sometimes I see a hot babe, and a part of me would really like to get it on with her.
But on the flip side, I love my wife, and I’m really really happy with the life that she and I and our son have. I want to hold onto all of that far more than I want to bang some beautiful woman I see somewhere.
So on balance, do I want to bang that babe? No, I don’t. I smile at her and keep on walking, because I want other things more.
So, let’s think about the Republicans in Congress. Taken by itself, they would rather have the government open than closed. But it’s only a mild ‘rather.’
OTOH, they really reallyreally don’t want to piss off their base by going against Trump. They want to not piss off their base far more than they want to keep the government open.
So on balance, do they want to reopen the government? No, they don’t - at least as long as Trump is against it. They want other things more.
Well, if dem’s are not going to use this as an opportunity to make a deal, then I agree they should play this one out. Ol’ master negotiator:
a) has zero patience
b) negotiates against himself over time
c) isn’t willing to walk away from the “wall” demand
d) does not hold overwhelming negotiating power that he is used to
e) voters have little patience and sympathy for shutting down the government
So, it sure looks like Donny two scoops doesn’t have time on his side. And frankly, his core base, won’t think any less of him no matter how ugly it gets, but those non core base will be more alienated than not. And if I was a government worker and a voter, this sure wouldn’t make me want to vote for a second term.
To clarify, it is not Pelosi’s responsibility to clean up a crisis started by President Bone Spurs. However, a crisis is a terrible thing to waste, and Nancy certainly understands this represents an opportunity that she should lead her party to take advantage of.
There’s nothing, aside from voting for a bill with a large enough margin to override a veto, that anyone aside from Trump can do. Trump declared that this was his shutdown, and it will go on until he decides to end it or Congress can override a veto. There’s no possibility of successfully negotiating with an irrational actor whose word is worth nothing.
That’s exactly what they - i.e. the Republicans - had voted to do before Trump shut it down. You don’t remember the 100-0 vote in the Senate? How was it acceptable then when the Republicans voted for it, but not now?
Y’know, we should just have a standing law that, in the event that Congress fails to pass a budget, everything just automatically stays at the previous year’s same funding level. Maybe even an amendment, but I’m guessing that even just an ordinary law would have enough inertia to stick around, because any time there would be enough consensus to repeal it, there’d be enough consensus to just pass a budget and make it irrelevant. That’s what a real long-term solution would look like.
Why, after funding ran out on Friday night the 21st, they met for a few hours on the 22nd, adjourned until the 27th, did nothing on the 27th then adjourned until the 2nd or 3rd, I’m not sure which.
Isn’t it amazing, how effective the Republicans can be when they control the Presidency AND both houses of Congress?? I bet you’re as impressed as I am!
Well, I think they should have already fixed it! So there!
But unless they just pass a CR extending last year’s funding levels through the end of FY 2019, with a few minor tweaks - which they really don’t want to do, mind you, and really shouldn’t, because circumstances change, and with them, funding needs change too - it will take them a while to finish off a bill funding the rest of the year.
So they’re really going to need to do a short-term CR for a few weeks to do a proper appropriations bill for the rest of the year.
