Robert Reich on America's absentee president.
...he’s not actively governing the United States. That work is happening elsewhere—in Congress, the courts, the Fed, the career civil service, lobbyists, and in the states. Or it’s not happening at all.
It’s not just that Trump lost the epic battle to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Trump never understood the Affordable Care Act to begin with, and played no part in developing Republican alternatives.
The budget Trump submitted to Congress in March was dead on arrival. House Republicans ignored Trump’s request for $54 billion in cuts to departments and agencies and decided instead to cut non-defense spending by just $5 billion, and explode the defense budget.
The 9-page tax plan congressional Republicans and Trump unveiled last week only vaguely resembles Trump’s original tax proposal from April, and all the important decisions have been left to the tax-writing committees of Congress.
Trump’s relations with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan have become so strained they have no interest in looping him into policies before they have to.
...
Business leaders have deserted him over his remarks over Charlottesville. NFL owners have turned on him over his remarks about players. Tom Brady, who once called Trump “a good friend,” now calls him “divisive” and “wrong.”
Don’t get me wrong. Trump is still a dangerous showman and conman – tweeting condemnations of critics and ranting before friendly crowds at his never-ending campaign rallies. He continues to fuel bigotry and meanness. He has reduced America’s standing in the world. His outbursts could start a nuclear war.
But when it comes to the actual work of governing America, Trump is becoming utterly and completely irrelevant.
Trump doesn't realize it but he could be so straining his relationship with Congressional Republicans that he may lose their support if a bill of impeachment is brought.
No hands at the helm?
ReplyDeleteThen all it will take is one nasty s.o.b general with his finger on the big red nuclear button to really screw things up!!
TB
ReplyDeleteWell it's definitely a less stable place than it has been in my lifetime and for decades before that, TB.
.. pus sack pres Trump et al Inc is a wondrous example
ReplyDeleteof just how diseased American politics has become
and Canada is catching up fast..
Perhaps we fall short on nepotism
but as far as attacking our own environment
subsidizing foreign owned multinationals
neoliberalism, election fraud & vote suppression
we are neck n neck with the US of A
Ok.. we don't really have a Navy or Air Force..
or really a lick of coastal defence..
from invaders, climate & political refugees
or internal political sellouts (elected public servants)
We freely give away our fresh water to Nestle
our wild salmon, who cares.. ?
Our forests are destined to Asia
and if our inland waters turn toxic
well.. sez Joe Oliver, Jason Kenney
its a fair price to pay for jobs jobs jobs
tar sands, fracking & toxic mining 'ponds'
and the fountain of evergrowing economy eh ?
And young middle aged Justin seems to agree
And what's a few hundred thousand TMP's
to take over pipeline welding.. or Tim Horton's ?
Argh.. I'm 66 the other day..
and must get off to work..
Will tune in later..
to the latest disaster, mass killing or hurricane
or election poll telling me what I think.. or should..
or suggesting my vote is worthless..
my opinion even less..
ReplyDeleteSal, I don't want to be picky but, about that 'wild' salmon business - lately we've been running into those escaped fish farm "Atlantic" salmon well up the coast of Vancouver Island. That's what happens when governments embrace free market fundamentalism, the religion of neoliberalism.
.. no worries Mound.. I was being sarcastic..
ReplyDeleteextirpating a keychain species - wild salmon
hardly concerns neoliberals..
All the other related species will collapse of course
so goodbye Orca, eagle, bear, otter..
Herring will go of course.. coastal wolves
Oh.. First Nations ?
The sport fishing industry ?
Hell, the commercial fishery is essentially toast this year
but we have foreign owned pipeline entities
fighting off any spawning salmon..
And you're quite right, the escapees from Washington
are already attacking wild BC salmon fry
that may have escaped farmed salmon sea lice
or have not.. and will never spawn..
Its a sick situation..
and after 10 years of Harper's trashing of environment
we are getting lip service now from Trudeau...
Somebody needs to inform him.. of the cost of destroying
such a keychain species.. and that the marine environment
will never recover.. not ever