If you're reading this after game three of the World Series, power to you. The Dodgers' Freddie Freeman hit the walk-off home run in the 18th inning earlier this morning. Almost 500 pitches were thrown last night. Now, as the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers take a short rest before game four, which starts in around 18 hours, which roster is deeper? On the Hill, Democrats and Republicans have been engaging in this sort of duel. And like the World Series, one side must win. Who's digging deeper? Who can endure this marathon shutdown?
It better not be the Republicans who blink first. The "No Kings" rally is over, Democrats. You can surrender now, because nothing is more unpopular than shutting down the government to get $1.5 trillion more for illegal alien healthcare benefits and funding for NPR. You must have the worst political instincts if you think that's going to fly with voters.
Republicans have offered numerous bills to reopen the government, and Trump shouldn't cave on anything here. We have a continuing resolution that Democrats supported in March. It's funded at Biden-era levels and has no GOP initiatives. It would've given Congress time to finalize a slew of appropriations bills and get the looming Obamacare subsidies issue under control. At least it would've been on the docket, and lawmakers would've had all month to get something done. Those subsidies expire at the end of December.
But the Democrats had to shut down the government. The trips we see to food banks from furloughed workers are the Democrats' fault. Trump and the GOP are obligated to do nothing. We won. We got the Big, Beautiful Bill passed. Democrats don't get to bypass that by shutting down the government and trying to extort back the money that was cut. They don't have the political acumen to pull that off, especially with their roster.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) are out of their depth, and Jeffries is helpless going off script. They'll cave, make sure not to blink. All their messaging is getting wrecked because they're all disingenuous. The "GOP runs Congress" falls flat because most now know that 60 votes are required in the Senate. That inside-the-beltway narrative is now well-known, which is a sign of the times: we do this CR stuff too much.
Wait it out and let them cave. This is their mess that their people caused because illegal aliens need healthcare. It's unpopular, so let them sweat it out. They'll cave. Until then, keep the powder dry and the phones off the hook. We're not in the wrong; they are. Make them pay for it.
Also, it goes without saying that if the GOP folds on illegal alien healthcare, they're cooked for the midterms.
