Most political observers have figured out by now that President Donald Trump and his republican cronies operating in the White House and the US Congress, have been made privy to inside credible research that bears devastating news. They have been duly warned that they will be confronted with a tsunami wave of Democrats taking over the majority of seats in the US Congress post the November 2018 mid-term elections.
There is a reason that a former critic of the president, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has been sounding like he’s had a lobotomy as he vociferously defends President Trump on the various Sunday talk shows. Why do you think that the president and his republican sycophants in the White House and the US Congress took time to travel on the weekend of January 5, 2018, en masse to Camp David to have a pow wow on this very subject. This helps explain the republicans’ schizophrenic reversal of being positive to now becoming downright hostile towards the FBI’s Trump-Russia probe and its leader, the Special Counsel Robert Mueller III. The Democrats have surely noted noticed that 30+ republicans are retiring from the US Congress? In short, the republicans are motivated to do everything possible to mitigate against the expected losses that are inevitable during the 2018 mid-term elections.
They are now confronting the reality that they will have to work with Democrats to pass bills that put them in a more favorable light. This gives the Democrats some added leverage when negotiatingn on priorities like fixing DACA, CHIP and providing aid to Puerto Rico.
The columnist Dana Milbank is warning that this is not the time for the left to beat up on their own working in the US Congress. Of course, keeping up the pressure on Congressional democrats with phone calls, protests, etc., are perfectly acceptable tactics but not at the expense of not targeting the republicans, opposing immigration reforms.
My opinion, for those who strongly back DACA protections being extended, is to give the democratic leaders in the US Congress a chance to succeed in fixing DACA, as it is my perception that the leaders are truly working hard to protect DACA dreamers, those young peoples who have been living in the USA since childhood without US citizenship, and who know no other country. They get this!
Here’s the rest of the story…
On January 9, 2018, Dana Milbank of the Washington Post penned the following opinion piece, “Dreamers’ need to get out of their own way”
“Once again, the left is eating its own.”
“Democrats are in a good position as they negotiate with President Trump and the congressional majority over their legislative priorities for the next couple of months: children’s health care, nondefense spending, disaster relief and legalization of the “dreamers,” that group of immigrants brought here illegally as children. They also are within reach of retaking both chambers of Congress in November.”
“But the dreamers have decided to give the Democrats a rude awakening.”
“The group declared the 17 Senate Democrats who voted for the bill the “Deportation Caucus” and, in a social-media barrage, said they “voted to deport young immigrants.”
“This is bonkers.”
“Democrats — in and out of the supposed “Deportation Caucus” — support legalizing the dreamers. And Lee? His opposition to the spending bill had nothing to do with dreamers. He had called DACA “an illegal abuse of executive power.” Meanwhile, Trump, who created the artificial crisis by announcing he would end DACA, gets away with barely a scratch.”
“There have been sit-ins and sometimes arrests at the offices of Democratic senators.”
“The opposition party has been unusually unified over the past year, the result of their common horror over Trump’s ruinous reign. But just as things have begun to look hopeful for Democrats, the “professional left,” as Robert Gibbs famously called it, has begun manufacturing wedge issues to cleave the Trump opposition: over single-payer health care, impeachment, abortion and, now, immigration.”
“I’m sympathetic to the dreamers’ demand for immediate action. Greisa Martinez Rosas, director of advocacy for United We Dream, tells me that her group has “called out Trump as a white nationalist” and has identified the many Republicans who oppose DACA as “dream killers.” The group’s recent attacks on Democrats reflect desperation as time runs out for DACA. “We can’t wait,” Martinez Rosas said, noting that her DACA-covered sister, in college in Texas, could soon be deported. “That’s the moral position we are in.”
“United We Dream, by contrast, understandably wants the DACA legislation above all. It is demanding that Democrats instigate a government shutdown on Jan. 19 by refusing to support a short-term spending bill that doesn’t legalize the dreamers. Those who favor this approach argue that Trump and Republicans would be blamed for the pain of a shutdown, and Republicans would then legalize the dreamers.”
“Instead of training their fire on those who support them, dreamers and their supporters could use their prodigious energy on the 34 House Republicans who said they support legalization. These Republicans could force House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) to include DACA in the spending bill. Meanwhile, dreamers and the Democrats will likely gain more leverage against Trump and the Republicans with the approach of March 5, the day the DACA program, per Trump’s order, expires. Trump, who had made clear he has no appetite for deporting the dreamers, would then have to capitulate — and Democrats could get a better deal for the dreamers.”
“Patience has been paying off for the Democrats. In his marathon televised session with lawmakers at the White House on Tuesday, Trump softened his position on the border wall and suggested a DACA deal could be had while postponing thornier issues such as chain migration. (This is before his Shxxhole comments made during a meeting over immigration issues) He repeatedly said he would like to see “comprehensive immigration reform” — long opposed by immigration hard-liners as “amnesty.”
“Dreamers will win this fight — if they don’t mow down their friends first.”
Gronda Morin 
Lindsey Graham was NEVER a statesman.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear CarolMaeWy,
You are right. As of 2014, I started looking at him as a self serving republican with little back bone. There was a time when folks thought better of him. I need to do a little rewording in this post.
He did have a military background and the experience to have been a wonderful leader and statesman.
Around 2014, I became disillusioned with him when he chose to become a cheap politician who managed to hog the airwaves and TV stations with vitriol and nasty comments about President Obama. He was one of the partisan republicans who kept yelling “Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi” while tainting the names of four brave men who died there in the service of the USA.
Hugs, Gronda
LikeLiked by 1 person
I lost all respect for him during Pres. Clinton’s impeachment.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear CarolMaeWY,
I was a little slow in assessing his lack of character. But, I am there now.
Hugs, Gronda
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well said, Gronda, I think. I read this post twice, and while everything sounds good, I’m not really sure of what it is you want to have happen here. Maybe this is because I am not American, and cannot even pretend to know how individual senators are going to vote, or what you think about United We Deeam. I feel almost like I am listening to a politician who has his/her fingers crossed behind their back while speaking to the American television audience, saying one thing, meaning completely the opposite. Please don’t bother trying to explain things, I don’t have the history to understand. All I’m trying to do is give you an outsider’s view, and this “outsider” is completely confused. I know in your heart you want the Dreamers legalized, to be made American citizens no matter how they got there in the first place. That is a good thing to want. But all the “behind-the-scenes” and “preparing-for-the-next-election” stuff, that is what I am confused by. Is it the Democrats or the Republicans who will be hung out to dry by what is going on today? I would expect that to be the Republicans, the backers of the bill to end DACA, but what I’m hearing is that it could be the Democrats, who should be rejoicig at the position the Republicans are putting themselves in? Oy vey ist mir! Who is right? And who is left to hang themselves?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Rawgod,
In short, if democrats in the US Congress can’t pass legislation by March 2018, to restore DACA protections that the president arbitrarily ended in September 2017 with an extension until March 2018, these young people who came to US as children and who know no other country,will be subject to deportation..
Hugs, Gronda
LikeLike
That part I understand, and abhor. But it is the political manipulations I don’t get,..
LikeLiked by 1 person
@rawgod
Sadly, Trump will do everything to appease his base, who put him in office and support him unconditionally. The Repub. party is now fully behind Trump trying to shore up power going into 2018 midterm elections. This means alot of of ugly and nonsensical actions will be taken, like ramping up ICE to deport the young Dreamers, building that stupid wall as a symbol of US sovereignty, blaming Muslims for everything terrorist related, etc.
Repubs and Dems are trying to hang each other to dry. Dems want Trump impeached ASAP via FBI’s Trump-Russia probe. Repubs want to impede the investigation by removing SC Mueller by any means necessary.
Essentially it’s an all out political war, and poor undocumented immigrants are caught in the middle. Both sides routinely lie and make false promises to sway voters during this most contentious period in American history since the Civil War!
The reason why all this sounds so confusing is b/c that is the intent of the political elite, it’s all double-speak meant to confuse and misdirect from the real issues. That’s why nothing of significance ever get done and “we the ppl” become disillusioned, jaded and angry. Sadly this turmoil is embedded in our western political system, there’s really no way to “fix” it. Pick either side of the political scale and we still all lose. Have you noticed every four to eight years, the public become fed up with the party in charge and vote the other party – but fundamentally nothing changes so we’re still stuck in the same mess!
LikeLike
Dear !EarthUnited,
This time I think that there may be a bipartisan agreement to extend DACA protections between democrats and republicans for different reasons but we will see. The president may very well get his wall.
I actually see future outcomes differently than you do.
Hugs, Gronda
LikeLike
Gronda I sure do hope you are right for the sake of the children, and all those ppl devastated in Puerto Rico.
However like you said, Trump is not an honorable, rational, or even sane human being. He lies and deceives at every turn, I don’t believe he can help himself either.
I would be genuinely surprised if he did work with the Dems and extend DACA and CHIP… the man is just so vindictive, I can see him and the Repubs sabotaging Obama’s programs for spite.
Yes, I would love to be wrong on this issue, but judging from Trump’s track record…..
LikeLike
Great article. I hope the Dems heed your observations.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Louie,
The democrats need to deliver on DACA, CHIP and emergency aid to PR. as peoples lives are at stake. The Democratic leaders are savvy enough to make progress on these issues, but this is a game of chess where there is a lot at stake. Patience is required but I get that this is hard to do when it is your life that is on the line.
Hugs, Gronda
LikeLike