Donald Trump isn't going to have any lack of "new friends" today. Sycophants and scumbags who supported Clinton will now be climbing over one another to take advantage of this "surprise opportunity" for a new career move.
I will let other people deal with questions such as what to do with Paul Ryan. But, as perhaps the only person in politics who doesn't want a job, let me make ten suggestions which you may not see elsewhere:
FIRST, "MASS-REPEAL" ALL OF OBAMA'S EXECUTIVE ACTIONS, UNLESS AFFIRMATIVELY REENACTED BY EITHER THE PRESIDENT OR ONE HOUSE OF CONGRESS. Obama transformed the country through illegal "executive actions." And the last thing you want to do is slog through the controversy of repealing them, one by one. Instead, repeal them all. And reenact them one-by-one if (1) miraculously, any of them turn out to be good, or (2) the political pain of repealing some becomes too great. Allow this to be done by Trump or by a single House of Congress. Sure, this creates "Chadha problem." But let the Democrats worry that the preservation of one of their treasured executive actions may violate the Presentment Clause.
SECOND, FILL THE SUPREME COURT SEAT WITH A HARD-CORE CONSERVATIVE AND LET THE DEMOCRATS FIGURE OUT HOW THEY'RE GOING TO JUSTIFY BLOCKING A "FUNCTIONAL NINE-MAN COURT." For months, prematurely celebratory Democrats have been threatening to blow up the Senate in order to fill that seat. The GOP can threaten that, but shouldn't actually do it. Trust me, there will come a time (although well beyond 2018) when Republicans are once again in the Senate minority.
THIRD, EXPAND THE LOWER COURTS THROUGH RECONCILIATION AND RESTORE THE BALANCE. Efforts by Democrat-appointed prostitutes-on-the-bench to swing North Carolina and Arizona to the Democrats show how politicized the courts have become, since Harry Reid packed them using the nuclear option. I have no problem using the "Reid rule" (50-vote confirmations) to restore the courts and staff the administration. After that, I recommend a deal to restore the Senate's rules and guarantee that they stay in place.
FOURTH, REPEAL OBAMACARE IMMEDIATELY AND WORRY ABOUT THE "REPLACE" PART LATER. If both are part of the same package, passage will be more difficult. Once ObamaCare is totally repealed, bipartisan efforts toward a "replace" component will be easier. Risk pools, HSA's, and interstate insurance sales will guarantee that those with preexisting conditions will continue to get care.
FIFTH, REWARD YOUR FRIENDS. On guns, particularly, immediately push pro-active measures like the Cornyn-Stutzman "constitutional carry"-friendly reciprocity bill. Use the omnibus to restore that provision of McClure-Volkmer which allows people to petition to get their gun rights back. Implement a blanket restoration of Second Amendment rights for 257,000 veterans who lost their rights because they sought treatment from the VA. "Unsign" the UN Arms Trade Treaty and Small Arms Treaty. Repeal the State Department's trade regulations which outlaw gun-smithing. Repeal the various import bans, going back to Bush's semiauto import ban.
SIXTH, ALLOW WOMEN WHO HAVE SUFFERED PHYSICAL, MENTAL, OR EMOTIONAL HARM AT THE HANDS OF AN ABORTIONIST TO SUE. Grant attorneys' fees, liquidated damages, treble damages, and bars from government contracts. Let Planned Parenthood explain why the butchers are more important than the women.
SEVENTH, TERMINATE RELATIONS WITH CUBA AND CANCEL AS MUCH OF THE IRAN DEAL AS YOU CAN. The Castro-hating Miami Cuban-Americans stuck with Trump by a 50-40% margin. Just as Paula Hawkins and I courted this block by creating Radio Marti, we need to work harder to bring them back into the Republican fold. Perhaps we need to reconsider the "dry land" rule. We also need to turn up the heat on the Castros.
EIGHTH, WE NEED A NEW FAMILY PROTECTION ACT LIKE THE ONE I DRAFTED FOR PAUL LAXALT DURING THE CARTER ADMINISTRATION. We're losing the culture wars because the issues are being defined by the Democrats. We have the ability to fight over formulations of social issues which break our way -- and we should.
NINTH, KILL THE "SENTENCING REFORM" LEGISLATION ONCE AND FOR ALL. Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe taught us what this was about. It was about releasing murderers, rapists, drug traffickers, and child molesters so they could be made "Hillary voters." It's no secret why they would get the franchise, but not their Second Amendment rights. Donald Trump lost Virginia by roughly the same number as the number of newly-enfranchised criminals which the governor gave the vote. Why should we turn 6,000,000 criminals into new Democrat voters?
TENTH, EXACT A PRICE BEFORE TAKING A POLITICAL HIT FOR THE WALL STREET PROSTITUTES WHO FINANCED THE CLINTONS' CAMPAIGN. Some of the most politically risky things Republicans do are on behalf of businessmen who funded the Clinton campaign. Let them know we haven't forgotten.
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