Jeff Flake Blames Trump and McConnell for Bringing Government to Brink of Shutdown

[truth_seeker]

Jeff Flake Blames Trump and McConnell for Bringing Government to Brink of Shutdown

The Arizona Republican will vote with Senate Democrats in a key dispute over government funding—and he says it’s all the GOP’s fault.

Andrew DesiderioAndrew Desiderio

01.19.18 12:04 AM ET

snip

In a corporate setting, an individual that resigned would be packed up and escorted to the door. Too bad the GOP can't be rid of Flake.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/exasperated-jeff-flake-bucks-mitch-mcconnell-sides-with-dems-on-shutdown?ref=wrap

[Jazzhead]

"There’s an institutional prerogative here. We pass legislation. The president either signs it or vetoes it. We shouldn’t be beholden to everything the president wants,” Flake told The Daily Beast. “Obviously you take that into account, but you can’t just wait. Particularly when the White House has been going back and forth and back and forth for a long time now.”

I agree with this.   It is folly for Congress to wait for the President to signal what sort of bill he'd sign.   Pass a bill.   The President can sign it, or veto it.   And if it's vetoed, then it can be overridden or else DACA goes away.   

That's how the process works.   

[txradioguy]

In a way Flake is right...yet he needs to shoulder some of the blame as well.

Pelosi was the first one that floated the notion of not passing a budget and the Republicans did nothing.

Republicans regained control of Congress and just continued what the Democrats started.

In short they surrendered their responsibility where spending bills are concerned in order to avoid having any mud slung at them by the media and don't have to hear the tired line of "Republicans want to kill kids and old people with this budget".

Trump could have easily come in and told Congress to get their sh*t together and give him a budget to sign because we have to get the country heading in the right direction again and we have emerging threats around the world that require our military to expand and have the financial resources to meet those threats.

He hasn't don't that.

And here we are 9 years after the last budget was passed and signed into law.  It has George W. Bush's signature on it and covered Obama's first year in office.

Since then...bumpkus.

[GrouchoTex]

Flake is wrong, and I am glad he is leaving.
People will see this for what it is.
Democrats shutting down the Government, in favor of illegal aliens, over their own constituents.

[driftdiver]

In a way Flake is right...yet he needs to shoulder some of the blame as well.

Pelosi was the first one that floated the notion of not passing a budget and the Republicans did nothing.

Republicans regained control of Congress and just continued what the Democrats started.

In short they surrendered their responsibility where spending bills are concerned in order to avoid having any mud slung at them by the media and don't have to hear the tired line of "Republicans want to kill kids and old people with this budget".

Trump could have easily come in and told Congress to get their sh*t together and give him a budget to sign because we have to get the country heading in the right direction again and we have emerging threats around the world that require our military to expand and have the financial resources to meet those threats.

He hasn't don't that.

And here we are 9 years after the last budget was passed and signed into law.  It has George W. Bush's signature on it and covered Obama's first year in office.

Since then...bumpkus.

@txradioguy
Flake is doing everything he can to hurt Trump, even if it hurts the GOP or the country.

To hell with Flake.

Trump shouldn't have to tell Congress to get their shit together.   For goodness sake they have the power of the purse.  It is THEIR job to being with.

[txradioguy]

@txradioguy
Flake is doing everything he can to hurt Trump, even if it hurts the GOP or the country.

To hell with Flake.

Trump shouldn't have to tell Congress to get their shit together.   For goodness sake they have the power of the purse.  It is THEIR job to being with.

Well he is the leader of the GOP...who holds a majority in both houses.  Presidents in the past have told Congress to get their act together and get to work.

Congress has become too self important...they think THEY are more important than the Commander in Chief....and it's something that's been allowed to happen.

It needs to stop.  Trump could do that.

[Suppressed]

I agree with this.   It is folly for Congress to wait for the President to signal what sort of bill he'd sign.   Pass a bill.   The President can sign it, or veto it.   And if it's vetoed, then it can be overridden or else DACA goes away.   

That's how the process works.

No, that's not how the process typically works.

Typically, the Administration provides some leadership, giving guidance as to where the goal line is, so the Congress isn't off negotiating futile efforts.

[driftdiver]

Well he is the leader of the GOP...who holds a majority in both houses.  Presidents in the past have told Congress to get their act together and get to work.

Congress has become too self important...they think THEY are more important than the Commander in Chief....and it's something that's been allowed to happen.

It needs to stop.  Trump could do that.

@txradioguy
It would seem he has done that and its one of the reasons the GOP refuses to cooperate with him.

[txradioguy]

@txradioguy
It would seem he has done that and its one of the reasons the GOP refuses to cooperate with him.

Perhaps if he were to put some $$$ behind a challenger to McConnell and a couple of the other Old Bulls that refuse to move aside and are more comfortable working with the Dems and acting like the JV for the DNC it would motivate the GOP to start acting like the GOP again.

Right now for all tense and purposes we have a uniparty in Congress.

[Jazzhead]

No, that's not how the process typically works.

Typically, the Administration provides some leadership, giving guidance as to where the goal line is, so the Congress isn't off negotiating futile efforts.

The key word there, Suppressed, is "typically".   Trump's not providing leadership.  Earlier this week he said he'd sign whatever bill Congress puts before him.   Later he rejected the "Gang of Six" proposal, but didn't further advance the ball.   (Of course, that's in large part because of Dicky Durbin poisoning the well for bad-faith political reasons,  by revealing Trump's alleged "shithole countries" remark made during a private discussion.)   

The Dems don't want a bill,  and Trump won't say what sort of bill he'd sign.   That's a recipe for a collision.  I guess each side thinks it will win the battle for public opinion when the government shuts down.   The Dreamers?   Who the flip cares about them?   

And that's NOT how the process is supposed to work.   

[driftdiver]

Perhaps if he were to put some $$$ behind a challenger to McConnell and a couple of the other Old Bulls that refuse to move aside and are more comfortable working with the Dems and acting like the JV for the DNC it would motivate the GOP to start acting like the GOP again.

Right now for all tense and purposes we have a uniparty in Congress.

@txradioguy
You're right, we do have a uniparty.  He grudgingly supported Roy Moore and got lambasted by both sides for fake charges.   He's supported Arapio and also gets lambasted.   Trump gets hammered by both sides for made up stories all the time.   I'm surprised he hasn't just said to hell with everyone already,

Folks say they want change and then refuse to support it.   

[driftdiver]

The key word there, Suppressed, is "typically".   Trump's not providing leadership.  Earlier this week he said he'd sign whatever bill Congress puts before him.   Later he rejected the "Gang of Six" proposal, but didn't further advance the ball.   (Of course, that's in large part because of Dicky Durbin poisoning the well for bad-faith political reasons,  by revealing Trump's alleged "shithole countries" remark made during a private discussion.)   

The Dems don't want a bill,  and Trump won't say what sort of bill he'd sign.   That's a recipe for a collision.  I guess each side thinks it will win the battle for public opinion when the government shuts down.   The Dreamers?   Who the flip cares about them?   

And that's NOT how the process is supposed to work.

@Jazzhead
thats funny, he invited the cameras into one of the meetings.   first time thats been done.   The GOP would rather work with the DNC then with Trump.

[Suppressed]

The key word there, Suppressed, is "typically".   Trump's not providing leadership.  [...]

And that's NOT how the process is supposed to work.

Okay, fair enough. I misunderstood what you were saying.

[txradioguy]

@txradioguy
You're right, we do have a uniparty.  He grudgingly supported Roy Moore and got lambasted by both sides for fake charges.   He's supported Arapio and also gets lambasted.   Trump gets hammered by both sides for made up stories all the time.   I'm surprised he hasn't just said to hell with everyone already,

Folks say they want change and then refuse to support it.

He likes the attention too much to say to hell with it.  He enjoys stirring up the controversy as much as the media does.