Sep.08

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GOP 53

Should the Democrats Shut Down the Government on Oct. 1?

Ezra Klein has a very interesting op-ed piece in The New York Times about a potential government shutdown on Oct. 1. If you have a Times subscription, it is worth reading. If not, here is a brief summary.

In March, the Democrats had a chance to shut down the government and they caved. Klein is neutral on whether that was a good move then. Nevertheless, he makes a strong case for shutting it down now, even for a modest time. The basic reason is that what Donald Trump is doing is not normal, but no one is paying attention. Democrats have no power to stop him but they do have the power to get everyone's attention and make their case boldly and clearly. They should not throw it away even though it won't change the outcome. But it will give them the chance to put all of Trump's illegal acts front and center. That could drive his approval down with independents. If it gets into the low 30s, history shows that the Republicans will be crushed next year. Here is a short list of things Trump has done that would drive his supporters stark-raving mad if Barack Obama or Joe Biden had done them. (The Democrats could even formulate it as: "What would you think of Joe Biden if he had done all these things that Donald Trump has done?")

• Refused to spend money Congress lawfully appropriated.
• Fired agency heads protected by statute from being fired except for serious malfeasance.
• Fired civil servants for no reason, in violation of the Pendleton Act.
• Called up the National Guard for the flimsiest (and probably illegal) reasons.
• Outsourced slashing the government to an immigrant (Elon Musk) who was not confirmed by the Senate.
• Corrupted the government for his own gain in a way that would make Warren Harding blush.
• Used the DoJ to punish his political rivals and anyone who has criticized his illegal acts.
• Browbeaten law firms, media companies, and universities to subjugate themselves to his will.
• Appointed cabinet officers and others who are totally incompetent.
• Accepted very expensive gifts from foreign governments (e.g., Qatar) in violation of the Emoluments Clause.
• Used the National Guard to invade and occupy U.S. cities in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act.
• Used masked agents to sweep random people off the streets and imprison them with no due process.
• Deported people to a foreign gulag in El Salvador with no trial and no chance to defend themselves.
• Etc.

At the very least, the Democrats could make a website listing and explaining all of these things and more. When the mafia took over an industry (e.g., collecting garbage), after they were paid off, they did do the work they were supposed to do. Being as honest as the mafia is a pretty low bar and Trump fails to clear it.

At the moment, Democrats are considering politely asking for some small favor, say, not gutting funding for some minor program they like, in return for agreeing not to shut the government down. Klein says this is just cowardice. They need to do two things. First, get everyone's attention (which a shutdown will do). Second, compile a list of things to tell every media outlet from the Times to the East Cupcake Middle School Reporter. And everyone needs to be on the same page. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) did a pretty good job in July when he said this:

Corruption is why they just defunded nursing homes to cut taxes for the rich. Corruption is why you pay a fortune for prescriptions. Corruption is why your insurance claim keeps getting denied. Corruption is why hedge funds get to buy up all the houses in your neighborhood, driving you out of the market, and then your corporate landlord ignores your calls during a gas leak. Corruption is why that ambulance costs $3,000 after you just had to get your choking toddler to the hospital.

Claim that Trump was right when he said the system was rigged. By him, for himself. Saying the system is rigged will resonate with many voters. Explain who is doing the rigging and why.

The DNC has plenty of smart strategists and can do all the polling it wants. Find out what people are unhappy about and blame Trump for all of it. Make it short and to the point. Make sure everyone understands what the Democrats are fighting for: You. Copping out and saving some minor funding program in return for the Democrats' full cooperation isn't going to win any hearts and change any minds. And it certainly won't win the midterms. (V)