Lets cut to the core on politics and policy in short fashion this morning.
The tragic weather that has smashed parts of Texas is going to reshape what had appeared to be a most cantankerous fight in congress over the debt limit. There are times when events overtake all the other news stories and in the process realign priorities and alliances. Hurricane Harvey is one such event.
Everyone was thinking September was going to be fireworks galore in congress concerning government funding. President Trump had even thrown out red meat that shutting down the government might be a worthy price to pay for the border wall. Even when it was said it looked silly and inept–but now such a statement looks just down right ridiculous in comparison to the severe woes and needs of many Texans.
At this time there is no way to judge the amount of loss or the piles of money which will be required to rebuild the impacted areas and restore people. The fact that this mission will be a multi-year undertaking and will cost a great deal means there is no way anyone is going to allow government funding to lapse. Even the president is now saying such funding would be approved quickly for Texas, saying that such a funding measure would have “nothing to do” with talk of shutdowns. He needs to go further and verbally omit leaving a shutdown on the table over wall funding. Because if he does not remove such a position he will find himself once again on the losing side–looking just plain foolish.
CAFFEINATED POLITICS 