Paging 2020 Democratic presidential candidates:
Where the hell are you?
The government shutdown over border wall funding should be your opportunity to break out early. This is a slam-dunk, folks.
Trump has shuttered part of the government causing paychecks to stop for some 800,000 federal employees ….
- … over a wall that doesn’t have popular support.
- … over the holidays.
- … over the objections of his own party’s leadership in Congress.
- … after previously agreeing to a bipartisan bill that kept the government open.
- … after stating on live TV that he’d take responsibility.
Now is the time to get out there and calmly explain …
- … why the wall is simply not a good idea.
- … why we can’t afford it.
- … that Trump is just playing politics.
- … that the departments of homeland security, state, justice, transportation, agriculture, and interior work for Trump. As does NASA. If he doesn’t think these folks need to get paid, that’s on him.
I’m all for compromise, but not this time. Any parent knows you can’t give into a child’s tantrum. People apparently need to be reminded of that.
Unfortunately, I don’t see a charismatic spokesperson emerging from the Democratic camp. We don’t need the mirror image of Trump playing partisan politics on the left. Schumer and Pelosi can handle the politics; neither can be the voice of reason. What we need is an adult. Sure, you’re on vacation. Get over it. Show us the leader we need is you.