you may be satisfied with lip service, not all of us are. What good is scoring some cheap political points with a two week expiration date——— if you’ve given away the country to gain them. Fool.
“you may be satisfied with lip service, not all of us are... Fool.”
I don’t understand what you are talking about. I think you may have misinterpreted what I wrote. You are wrong to insult me.
The President has put a high degree of pressure on the Democrats, who are the problem. It is going to require huge pressure to make them give up concessions.
The President is also applying incentives for them to deal, and also applying such carrots and sticks to their emotional and political motives. It is a political battle.
So he has a full spectrum effort at work. I think it is masterful, and long-planned.
Before the Republicans gave up the House, VP Pence had negotiated with Sen. Schumer for about $2.5 billion per year, for two years. Some of that money would go toward wall (most), and some toward technology, more people (BP and judges) and more holding capacity for detainees. It would have built some significant barrier, but not really stopped the flow.
President Trump passed on that deal, and is swinging for the fences, for funding a challenging program that will strain (but not likely break) the Corps of Engineers ability to contract, contractors ability to ramp up, and potentially drive up the price of steel in the short term - as well as more technology, people and capacity.
I think he holds a trump card in his authority to use emergency funds, and is forcing the Dems to deal to inflict political damage on them in the process.
So, far from lip service, this is the most substantial effort to really address the problem that we will likely see. This is the main battle of the Border/Immigration War, and it is being fought on many fronts at once - budgetary, political, in the media.
The political and media aspects are critical - that is where a few weeks of exposing the Dems to the public is so powerful. If the Dems are crushed politically their first month holding the House, their whole strategy of offense with subpoenas and impeachment is derailed. The best defense is a good offense.
I believe that President Trump takes a long view of strategy, whether it is realigning our trade relationship with China, defeating the Dems in 2020, or getting the wall built.
A lot of prep has gone into the wall program. A program management office has been established, which has studied the whole border to develop a comprehensive plan - determine the route for the wall, prioritize the segments, and define the requirements and design specifications.
The Army Corps of Engineers, in support of the program, has developed two standing contracts (Eastern and Western) each with a pool of pre-approved capable vendors, who can rapidly bid on each segment. They have exercised these contracts, and successfully ramped them up with more and faster awards for more miles (40 for FY17, 80 for FY18 - but awarded faster).
Legally, all the objections and delaying nuisance lawsuits have been overcome. DHS has waived dozens of restricting and delaying laws (environmental, etc.) and overcome the resulting court challenges. The right of way/eminent domain process with private landowners has also been tested and proven. The President has stated that they front-loaded much of that work.
So now the program is ready to expand more rapidly. The who, what where and how are all clearly defined - all they need is money. Getting that money is a major political battle, and has to fought on the political battlefield. That is what we are witnessing, right on schedule with the wall building program, which just committed most of the money they had left in Nov and Dec.
Dragging the Dems over the coals, where they must daily try to defend their indefensible position while a lot of attention is focused is not an accident - it is a main feature of the strategy.
The Art of the Deal.