Democrats must take no prisoners with Trump
Although it’s only been a few weeks since Donald Trump assumed the presidency — which so far looks more like a dictatorship — it might as well have been years. It certainly seems like it, with all the political curve balls Trump has thrown and the the chaos he’s caused around the world.
The reality star turned commander-in-chief is issuing executive orders faster than his Nazi Svengali sidekick, White House Chief Strategist Stephen Bannon, can write them. When you consider the Muslim refugee ban, the federal hiring freeze, the undermining of reproductive rights, undoing Obamacare, the war on the press, building those pipelines on Native American lands and building that damn wall — destroying a country is hard work. And Trump is working overtime.
So what should Democrats do in response to President Trump? The answer is simple: No compromise.
Now is the time for Democrats in Congress to get a backbone and not sell out the American people with their silence.
Democrats are now faced with some choices, and the choices are clear. And the time is perfect now that the illegitimate president has selected his nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch. Senators from the minority party are going to filibuster the Gorsuch nomination, and that makes sense, given that the GOP last year refused to give a hearing to Merrick Garland, Obama’s pick for the high court.
The Democrats must proceed with a scorched earth policy. This means refusing to cooperate with this administration on anything. Treat Trump with at least the same lack of respect that he treated Obama, and with the same disregard that the Republicans treated the first — and probably last — black president throughout his eight years in office.
Republicans were intent on making Obama a one-term president. They wouldn’t lift a finger to assist with the Affordable Care Act, or anything for that matter. And what did it get them? The Senate, the House, the White House, and the Supreme Court.
Fortunately, there are signs that the opposition party is actually becoming an opposition party. For example, in the Senate, they are boycotting confirmation hearings for Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) for attorney general, taking advantage of Trump’s firing of the acting attorney general who refused to follow Trump’s Muslim ban. And they are blocking Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) for Health and Human Services, and Steve Mnuchin, Trump’s pick for Treasury, due to their general sketchiness and failure to disclose all their financial dealings.
Meanwhile, millions of people have been pouring into the streets protesting Trump and the extreme policies of the GOP. And they demand change.
Even Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the Senate minority leader who hails from the corporate wing of his party, is getting the message — hopefully. After showing a lukewarm response to Trump’s cabinet selections and displaying a willingness to cooperate with Republicans — as is typical of the Clinton triangulation wing of the Democratic party — he is being forced to tap into his inner progressive populist and find a spine.
While some Dems are on the fence, uncertain what to do and doing outrageous things like voting for Ben Carson for HUD secretary, Congresswoman Maxine Waters knows the war is on. Waters, who said Trump thinks he is a dictator, introduced a bill to investigate Trump and possible ties to Russia and the cyberattacks.
“Like so many of you, we have been shaken by events that have occurred over the last 11 days since Donald Trump was inaugurated. We have been shaken by the lies, the deception, and the stunning level of incompetence,” Waters said in a press release. “In just under two weeks, Donald Trump has unnerved our allies, challenged our values, and brought so much instability and chaos to our country. This chaos is sure to please at least one person – Vladimir Putin.”
Rep. Waters added that during the campaign and since the election, Trump has surrounded himself with people who have extensive ties to Putin. “We cannot allow any investigation led by the Republicans in Congress to whitewash Trump’s ties to Russia or avoid examining these critical questions.”
Maxine Waters is showing us how it’s done. The talk of wanting Trump to succeed that we heard from Dems should never enter the mind of anyone who wants this country to do better by its citizens. There is no cooperation with a president who is seemingly Hitler and Mussilini all in one.
If Republicans woke up each and every day to make it their mission to stop President Obama in his tracks, the least the Democrats can do is make Trump’s impeachment a top priority. Eat, sleep and drink it on a regular basis. And once that’s done, go after Mike Pence, because he’s bad news as well.
But the larger issue is that if the Democratic Party wants to get serious about power, they cannot show up only once every four years for the presidential election. They must get local. Republicans control 32 state legislatures and 33 governors, including veto-proof majorities in 17 states. Dems only control 13 states. The GOP has their people running for dog catcher all the way up, and that is why they have been able to redraw the maps and rig the system, and take away our voting rights on a steady basis.
Making Trump a half-term president should be the mantra of the Democratic Party. Better yet, a half-year president. And strong progressive leaders like Keith Ellison, along with fresh new blood in the party and a commitment to the people, will help turn things around.
Democrats, stop bringing butter to a knife fight. Take no prisoners.
Follow David A. Love on Twitter at @davidalove.
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