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Trump sprang three traps on Pelosi and Schumer yesterday
American Thinker ^ | 12/12/2018 | Thomas Lifson

Posted on 12/12/2018 8:10:01 AM PST by SeekAndFind

President Trump clearly shocked House speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer yesterday with his televising of the Oval Office sit-down over his demand for $5 billion in funding for border security, including funding of critical mileage for his border wall.  Knowing well that Pelosi had already vowed publicly that "transparency and openness" would characterize the Democrat-run House starting next month, her plaintive request to speak in private scored points for Trump and revealed her hypocrisy before any substance at all was considered.

The remarkable body language during the meeting tells the story of Trump's dominance.  Here is the full video of the press gaggle, via Grabien:

That was merely the first of three traps Trump had prepared for the Democrats' congressional leadership.

Trump's second trap is his bold declaration of ownership of any "government shutdown."  Democrats have convinced themselves that what is called a "shutdown," but really means furloughing non-essential federal workers, is a tragedy, a scar on the nation's psyche.  The fact that federal workers are now a major and solid constituency for Democrats skews their perception of the public's concern.  Aside from canceling sleigh rides in national parks and other such photo drama, the fact is that life goes on well for nearly all Americans during the furlough.  They learn that there are a lot of non-essential government workers.

After multiple shutdowns, including the last one that bore the label "Schumer Shutdown" and was quickly conceded by the Democrats, the public is no longer afraid of non-essential services (roughly 25% of the government) being temporarily suspended.

Chuck Schumer took the bait on the second trap, and after the Oval Office meeting, he employed triumphantly the term "Trump Shutdown" as if he had won a victory through Trump's surrender.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 116th; borderwall; budget; pelosi; schumer; speakerpelosi; thomaslifson; trumped; winning
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To: SeekAndFind

Chuck and Nancy’s combined IQs, squared, would not make minus zero


41 posted on 12/12/2018 9:20:23 AM PST by SMARTY (Hatred is a feeling which leads to the extinction of values. Ortega y Gasset)
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To: bert

I had a ‘red badge’ once. [see my profile]................


42 posted on 12/12/2018 9:23:11 AM PST by Red Badger (We are headed for a Civil War. It won't be nice like the last one....................)
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To: dead
Pence was doing exactly what he was suppose to do.....be “present” representing his support.

I would not be at all surprised if Pence was calling on the Lord....which we ultimately heard loud and clear when the tide turned and Trump said loudly to ShuMer he would wear the Mantel of the Security of this country if it Meant closing the gov...Powerful Moment.

43 posted on 12/12/2018 9:23:23 AM PST by caww
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To: caww

You’re right caww - took the wind out of their sails... it’s a win.

:)


44 posted on 12/12/2018 9:26:04 AM PST by GOPJ (Term limit DC SWAMP bureaucrats - a permanent unelected ruling class is a threat to our democracy.)
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To: SeekAndFind

It’s a good bet a poll of government workers would show a huge majority, if not 100%, favors a paid furlough


45 posted on 12/12/2018 9:29:25 AM PST by Terry Mross (I)
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To: SeekAndFind

In a war of wits democrats are unarmed.


46 posted on 12/12/2018 9:33:38 AM PST by Vaduz (women and children to be impacIQ of chimpsted the most.)
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To: bigbob
" Chuck sitting there shakin’ his odd-shaped head like he could not wait to get the hell outta there"...


47 posted on 12/12/2018 9:39:05 AM PST by caww
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To: dead
...Trump is 1-0 in elections in which he is an actual participant. The elections for other offices are the contests of other people in individual congressional districts or states, each with their own advantages, flaws, issues, and history...

It looked to me like we also gained in the Senate, where Trump actually campaigned for people. There are just too many House members for the President to get involved in their races.

48 posted on 12/12/2018 9:40:54 AM PST by CurlyDave
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To: GOPJ

Post 47.....Balloon is deflated.


49 posted on 12/12/2018 9:41:28 AM PST by caww
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To: SeekAndFind

Please, please don’t throw me in the briar patch.


50 posted on 12/12/2018 9:44:34 AM PST by NTHockey (Rules of engagement #1: Take no prisoners. And to the NSA trolls, FU)
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To: Red Badger; All
If they are 'non-essential' why are we paying for them?.................

"Non-essetial" here is used as in "not required for potential emergencies".

It is like saying Ford production workers are non-essential, because there are plenty of Fords on the road.

There are lots of federal employees that won't make any immediate difference to the running of the federal government if they are not at work for a few days.

I worked in DOD (Army) Research Development, Testing and Evaluation (RDT&E) for three decades.

We went through a number of these. Quite a few workers were "essential" if it would have cost the government a lot of money to shut down an ongoing test, for example.

Non-essential were administrative staff, building maintenance, and such.

51 posted on 12/12/2018 9:55:02 AM PST by marktwain (President Trump and his supporters are the Resistance. His opponents are the Reactionaries.)
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To: SeekAndFind

it would be a HUGE win if the gov does shut down to start pushing the notion that..

NON ESSENTIAL WORKERS DON’T NEED A UNION.

they can TRY to spin it any way they want. But that is a winner of a slogan to the tax payers.


52 posted on 12/12/2018 9:58:48 AM PST by uranium penguin
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To: SeekAndFind

Trump sprang nothing. After two years of having Ryan and McConnell ignore his requests for funding for the wall Trump went, hat in hand, to Pelosi and Schumer and had his hat thrown back at him. And after Trump’s threat of yesterday, McConnell is talking about no shut down being necessary. The fact of that matter is that nobody in Congressional leadership fears Trump or respects him. Time for that to change and the only way to start it is for the President to stick to his guns and shut the government down if they don’t give him his $5 billion.


53 posted on 12/12/2018 10:00:11 AM PST by DoodleDawg
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To: DoodleDawg

We can only hope this works it way down to local guberments and people in general. Throw out some of the social programs that overlap and waste a lot of money. Throw out the PC police. Time to stand up for the average hardworking taxpaying, God Fearing, person who lives in fear at what crap they dream up next.


54 posted on 12/12/2018 10:16:44 AM PST by oldasrocks
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To: pepsionice; shelterguy; SeekAndFind
ATTENTION!! Nancy & Chuck - Jonathan Gruber here! Reminder!!!


55 posted on 12/12/2018 10:48:21 AM PST by 4Liberty ("The Democrats are the Party of Crime." - Donald J. Trump)
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To: SeekAndFind

bump


56 posted on 12/12/2018 11:03:11 AM PST by Albion Wilde ("The word 'racist' is used to describe 'every Republican that's winning'" --Donald Trump)
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To: SeekAndFind

you know, there were several studies done many years ago figuring/estimating what illegals cost this country every year, and the figure was massive- between $400 BILLION DOLLARS and $600 BILLION DOLLARS every single year. These estimates included many outright crimes, health care costs, schooling costs and the like, but also incidental costs like therapists needed for victims of illegal criminals, lost wages due to crimes committed against our citizens, school lunches, etc etc etc-

The cost today is likely closer to $1 TRILLION DOLLARS per year. Every single year.

Democrats are screaming about spending $5 BILLION DOLLARS to build a wall that will cut down on our yearly expenses for illegals by perhaps $100’s of BILLIONS OF DOLLARS per year?? Seriously? Why aren’t republicans making the case that a $5 BILLION DOLLAR investment today will save us many many trillions of dollars over the next few decades? This argument would put the lie to the ignorant liberal accusation that $5 BILLION DOLLARS is ‘just too expensive’ or a ‘waste of money’. Republicans need to learn how to put the bald-faced liars to shame by presenting them with facts like the above facts- There is simply no answer to their claim when presented with these obvious savings should we build a wall! $5 BILLION DOLLARS is a flippin bargain if you ask me!


57 posted on 12/12/2018 11:05:32 AM PST by Bob434
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To: SeekAndFind

Trump should have looked them in the face and ask them why they don’t want to save hundreds of billions of dollars per year by building a wall-

Their ignorant claim will be of course ‘Experts have declared that a wall will not save money’- but studies show that walls do keep people out- and keeping people out means we will NOT be spending money on them like we would if they got over a ‘fence’ unhindered-

It is an ignorant argument to claim a wall will not keep people out- and anyone making such an argument is a bald-faced liar that should be shamed into silence!

Even if we cut down the amount of people by 2/3’s by building a wall, that amounts to a savings of about $200 BILLION DOLLARS per year or so-

Build the freakin wall!


58 posted on 12/12/2018 11:10:15 AM PST by Bob434
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To: shelterguy
Honest to God I thought Nancy was going to swallow her dentures or have an ‘’accident’’ right through her ‘’Depends’’. That old bag didn't know whether to sh!t or go blind. Schumer looked like the Penguin. He was definitely hating the moment yesterday. It's obvious those two weasels have never been talked to that way, and in public. They were humiliated.
59 posted on 12/12/2018 11:48:48 AM PST by jmacusa (Made it Ma, top of the world!'')
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To: GOPJ

That’s how they roll in New York brudda! What, shutdown? All right I own it. Fugggedaboutit Chuckie Boy!


60 posted on 12/12/2018 11:51:05 AM PST by jmacusa (Made it Ma, top of the world!'')
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