PJ Media
Michael Walsh
Mar. 24, 2017
Excerpt:
And yet Paul Ryan walked straight into the Barzini trap that president Trump set for him. By insisting that the voters desired "Repeal and Replace" when in fact all anybody wanted was "Repeal, full stop," Ryan's inner wonk superseded his duties as the speaker of the House to ensure the votes were there for the "Replace" part of the equation. That they weren't should be the end of his speakership.
Apparently, Ryan had been listening to the die-hard never-Trumpers too much, and actually thought he could skate on his opposition to the insurgent outsider, whose entire campaign was based on his contempt for the Permanent Bipartisan Fusion Party and apparatchiks like Ryan. Once the bright shiny penny of young GOP congressmen, Ryan blotted his copybook badly in his disappointing vice-presidential debate performance against a gibbering Joe Biden. He then played coy after House conservatives finally managed to sack former speaker John Boehner, but eventually accepted the proffered crown. During the election, he fought Trump every step of the way and lied about it.
More... https://pjmedia.com/michaelwalsh/2017/03/24/paul-ryan-takes-the-barzini-meeting/
"Tell Mike it was only business. I always liked him."
I blame Ryan. Trump is new to the show, but Ryan has been present in GOP leadership ever since Obamacare came about. Someone with competence over 7 long years of saying we would repeal it would have devised the best strategy to do so with support.
The fact that Ryan, with a strengthened GOP majority, on his initial leadership test would fail so miserably, really weakens the GOP considerably.
There are hidden ways they are weakened as well. For example, the last time the GOP had such a solid majority, it became convincing for a number of Democrats to switch parties as they 'saw the handwriting on the wall'.
That won't happen now, as what Dem is his right mind would go get behind the Von Ryan disaster?