At this point even a pot shot would be something at least.
I think that is the main point guys like the author miss. Even if what we suggest may not accomplish much, we want our reps to at least try. Show us that they are on our side, instead of letting us wonder if they are just incompetent, cowards, or whether they actually sympathize with the enemy.
You NEVER seem the dems act like this. Even if they are in the minority and efforts seem doomed to failure, they fight tooth and nail. They never give an inch, or make anything easy for us, and often they are able to foil majorities or elicit all sorts of compromises just because of their stubbornness. That’s how an opposition party is supposed to operate!
And then when someone like Trump comes around and shows himself willing to fight in that manner for 70% of what conservatives want, they go non e bello, we want purity.