USA TODAY International Edition
‘ Obstruction doesn’t work!’ Trump says after Dem downfall
Republicans win elections in Georgia, South Carolina
WASHINGTON Celebrating Republican special election wins in Georgia and South Carolina, President Trump taunted Democrats Wednesday over their intense opposition to his presidency.
“Democrats would do much better as a party if they got together with Republicans on Healthcare, Tax Cuts, Security. Obstruction doesn’t work!” the president tweeted.
It should be noted: Even Republicans, who control both the House and Senate, and members of the Trump administration have had trouble agreeing with each other on a path forward for major priorities such as health care, tax changes and other issues.
Stressing that Republicans have won special elections in Georgia, South Carolina, Montana and Kansas, Trump tweeted late Tuesday, “Well, the Special Elections are over and those that want to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN are 5 and O! All the Fake News, all the money spent = 0.”
There have been four special races for U. S. House seats vacated by Trump appointees, all won by the GOP.
The highest- profile contest came Tuesday as former Georgia secretary of State Karen Handel defeated Democrat Jon Ossoff in a race to replace Republican Tom Price, who left Congress to become Trump’s secretary of Health and Human Services.
The Republicans also won a special election in South Carolina. GOP candidate Ralph Norman narrowly defeated Democrat Archie Parnell in a race for the seat that Mick Mulvaney held before accepting a job as Trump’s budget director.
Democrats spent a lot of money in the Georgia race and began to reassess their strategies in the wake of Ossoff’s defeat. Rep. Seth Moulton, D- Mass., said the Georgia result “better be a wake- up call for Democrats — business as usual isn’t working. Time to stop rehashing 2016 and talk about the future.”
Other Democrats said their candidates performed well in Republican districts, signs that their chances could improve in congressional elections next year.
DuBose Porter, chairman of Georgia’s Democratic Party, said the district won by Handel “was not supposed to be in play,” and “the Democratic Party is a party for everyone. ... Together, we are positioned to make history in 2018.”
GOP consultant Bruce Haynes, founding partner of Washington- based Purple Strategies, said the Democrats’ loss in Georgia is “troubling” for their hopes of winning an antiTrump congressional majority next year.
He described the district Handel won as highly educated, fiscally conservative, socially moderate and suburban.
“If they want to break the GOP majority, they have to find a way to win districts like this,” Haynes said.
The Georgia result “better be a wake- up call for Democrats — business as usual isn’t working. Time to stop rehashing 2016 and talk about the future.”
Rep. Seth Moulton, D- Mass.