Sit-com in Washington
Multiple reports say the House and Senate will pass a bill to levy sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea by large bi-partisan margins this week. Reporters and pundits alike are all aflutter over whether President Trump will sign this sanctions law since it limits the president's power to lift sanctions unilaterally.
In other news President Trump has shaken up his own communication team, thrown at least one cabinet secretary under the bus, and admitted that he had a “secret” meeting with President Putin in front of 80+ other international leaders. Trump iced these and other accomplishments with a host of relevant … or not … tweets.
Politicians, bureaucrats, and special interest groups, i.e. lobbyists, have been running the federal government for far too long. Now we have a businessman in the White House who is used to getting what he wants when he wants it. He's used to moving quickly, changing his mind on a dime, and following his gut instinct. This has not been a good mix so far.
And the media? Don't get me started. I suppose CNN covers news other than “Trump” and “Russia,” but those two words are almost always in their headlines. Of course they're paying for it with historically low ratings, coming in 13th in cable channel ratings just below Nick at Nite that features marathon episodes of Full House, Friends, and Fresh Prince.
One of President Trump's mantras coming into office was “Drain the swamp.” That's much more doable in corporate America than in political America. It's like saying healthcare is much more complicated than we thought. Why is the federal government hell-bent on governing healthcare and health insurance anyway? Do you really want politicians, bureaucrats, and lobbyists to tell insurance companies what they can and cannot sell? Don't physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers have enough to do treating patients without spending inordinate amounts of time completing paperwork for the government?
We should probably be glad Congress is passing a bill with overwhelming bi-partisan support. As a businessman, President Trump will likely sign it. Check one more item off the list. How will the law and additional sanctions affect our relations with Russia, Iran, and North Korea? What relations do we have with Iran and North Korea?
Russia is a different matter. Amazing how before the election nobody except Mitt Romney thought Russia was a danger to us and the world. Nowadays Russia is nearly as dangerous as climate
change and CO2! Before November 8th, we were being reassured nothing could undermine the integrity of a national election. Now we know Russia threw the election to Trump and the Republicans. It's an almost proven allegation!
How will new sanctions affect relations with Russia? What do
bears normally do when they are poked?
The federal government has become a national sit-com. Maxine Waters (D-CA) is contemplating a run for the White House in 2020. That's how out-of-touch lawmakers are in Washington. RINOs haven't figured out yet that they need to
pass something, preferably related to healthcare or tax reform.
We can expect more of the same kind of news coming out of Washington, but with a little less Southern “Spicer” and a lot more New York attitude from Scaramucci! Who knows? The White House might launch its own daily program!
I bet they'd get higher ratings than Full House!
Daniel L. Gardner is a syndicated columnist who lives in Starkville, MS. You may contact him at PJandMe2@ gmail.com, or interact with him on the Clarion-Ledger web site http://www. clarionledger.com/story/opinion/