The Trump shutdown

He owns it.

The majority doesn’t want the wall and more people blame Republicans than Democrats for the shutdown.

For the last time, Nancy Pelosi is not the Speaker of the House. Until she becomes Speaker on January 3, 2019, she cannot convene the House, schedule a vote or open the government. Republicans control all three branches of government. The #TrumpShutdown is entirely on them. pic.twitter.com/4N1W16IIXF

— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) December 29, 2018

It’s always a woman’s fault™️ https://t.co/KcVnLQR4z6

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) December 29, 2018

Americans are blaming Trump for shutdown that is likely to last into 2019. https://t.co/0A2mY3jZtK

— Slate (@Slate) December 29, 2018

Read some of the sample letters the government suggests federal workers could send to their creditors, as hundreds of thousands of them are expecting to begin the new year furloughed or working without pay due to the partial shutdown https://t.co/1AlbeNwilw pic.twitter.com/k5pFeuR9Yc

— CNN (@CNN) December 29, 2018

Narrator: Ths is a lie, the Democrats had already offered $1.6 billion for border security in exchange for DACA, everyone was on board, and Trump killed the deal at the last minute.

PS Note that Trump once again admits that it is HE who shut down the government. https://t.co/bm0q3mkKik

— John Aravosis 🇺🇸 (@aravosis) December 29, 2018

Our President is threatening to shut down the southern border over funding for his $5,000,000,000 wall. Experts say doing so would cost our economy hundreds of millions of dollars a day, maybe over a billion.

This isn't leadership, it's the world's most expensive temper tantrum.

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) December 28, 2018

“Donald Trump suggesting that President Barack Obama should have been fired for a government shutdown. Priceless.” https://t.co/5zjiaFooIe

— HuffPost (@HuffPost) December 29, 2018

Poll: Most Americans don’t understand scope of the government shutdown @HillTVLive https://t.co/jcKnIXTVnx pic.twitter.com/AwGRr1aOlw

— The Hill (@thehill) December 29, 2018

Donald Trump too busy watching Fox News to contact Nancy Pelosi about ending government shutdown, senator suggests https://t.co/R2F6NGlzTj pic.twitter.com/rHRs6juUxV

— Newsweek (@Newsweek) December 29, 2018

Some pundits argue that the shutdown is no big deal because federal employees will eventually receive back pay.

What they forget to mention is that it also means that government contractors will be forced to work without pay or even be laid off. https://t.co/b6s3uk5n3i

— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) December 29, 2018

Except there’s no amount of salesmanship that can change the fact that the shutdown is Trump’s fault. He asked for it, he said he’d take the blame for it, and he can end it by dropping his demand for a wall that the majority of Americans and Congress don’t want. https://t.co/j5vntnkHuL

— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) December 29, 2018

Trump’s pathetic attack on Democrats over deaths of two migrant children

He is way out of bounds by blaming Democrats for the death of two migrant children. They died because of his inhumane policies if you’re going to blame anyone. This tragedy should not be politicized.

Exactly, @MalcolmNance. Good for you for pulling no punches. Trump aids, abets, and enables the needless deaths of innocent children. And does so without pity or responsibility, blaming anyone but himself. Donald Redrum Trump. Pathetic excuse for a human being. https://t.co/jRMEYl9cKp

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) December 29, 2018

Pretty sure this is a new low. (Also, what he calls Democratic policies were in place for decades and kids weren’t dying in US govt custody.) https://t.co/0Zig4dqNZh

— Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty) December 29, 2018

President Trump didn’t just wrongly blame Democrats for two Guatemalan children dying in @CBP custody, on his watch. He also blamed the father of 7-year-old Jakelin Caal for her death, telling an outright lie about how “he hadn’t given her water for days.” https://t.co/53ThXccV3y

— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) December 29, 2018

This is pretty depraved but also an amazing window into his mind. It’s not that the government bureaucracy has failed or the system is overwhelmed and needs to be changed. It’s that his opponents are to blame. https://t.co/mJqhkUXFnC

— Sam Stein (@samstein) December 29, 2018

The tweets marked Trump’s first public comments about the deaths of the immigrant children, and he offered no empathy to the families and took no responsibility for the government’s handling of their cases. https://t.co/AOlg6EEKWv

— David Nakamura (@DavidNakamura) December 30, 2018

Think about this for a second. The guy is supposed to be President of the United States of America…all of America. Think about what he’s saying here. There are no more lines to be crossed. https://t.co/yoy3bsJvvj

— Mike Barnicle (@mikebarnicle) December 29, 2018

"White House officials say that the president, who is concerned about the collapse of his own political support, feels good about his stance on the shutdown, and sees no urgency toward making a deal with the incoming Democratic majority." https://t.co/GwVuFBUIaa

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) December 29, 2018

This isn’t what either the families nor CBP are saying. CBP is investigating both deaths. The extent to which Trump, in the name of defending Border Patrol, runs roughshod over what the people closer to the ground are actually doing is really underappreciated. https://t.co/FF5RF6LAlq

— Dara Lind (@DLind) December 29, 2018

Trump’s casual cruelty is always breathtaking. We can’t become immune to it. https://t.co/u3rPsMVSMq

— Elise Jordan (@Elise_Jordan) December 29, 2018

What would be the reaction if another president blamed another political party for children who died in his government’s custody?

— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) December 29, 2018

Any sympathy for the dead child? https://t.co/Y87K2dqVYc

— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) December 29, 2018

Donald Trump implemented a series of new policies that resulted in the deaths of two young children in a few weeks and Trump’s first comment was to blame Democrats and use their deaths to push for his “wall” rather than expressing any sympathy that two kids died in US custody.

— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) December 29, 2018

Democrats in power for 10 years – 0 deaths, Trump in power for 2 years – 2 children dead. But sure, blame the democrats for the deaths you caused. pic.twitter.com/L58rKjmX5j

— James Felton (@JimMFelton) December 29, 2018

Trump tried to blame the recent deaths of two migrant children on Democrats. Before the two incidents this month, it had been more than a decade since a migrant child died in CBP custody.

— Jane’s not Tame (@JksKathryn) December 29, 2018

President Trump, lying? Naming fake scapegoats? No, not possible! https://t.co/iCdnA2NqIk

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) December 29, 2018

Fact check from June: "The Trump administration owns this family-separation policy, and its spin deserves Four Pinocchios." https://t.co/fEB7NAMKIQ https://t.co/UoaBK1YpYe

— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) December 29, 2018

Ethereal Cereal commercial from the film Putney Swope

Putney Swope was a 1969 satire directed by Robert Downey, Sr.

I love the Ethereal Cereal commercial:

Covers: Let Me In

songwriter: Yvonne Baker

The Sensations recorded the 1961 original version of “Let Me In”

It was covered by Bonnie Raitt in 1973.

Sensations

Bonnie Raitt

The original version is used in a current (December 2018) Cadillac commercial which is what got me to post this.

Oppose Barr for Attorney General

.@JoyceWhiteVance makes a compelling case that confirming Barr would do serious damage to the US Department of Justice and to our legal system. Senators need to read this ⬇️https://t.co/BpeEDFiEox

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) December 28, 2018

WSJ: Trump’s attorney-general pick pushed pardons for some in Iran-Contra affair because he thought they had been unjustly treated by a special counsel. https://t.co/Z3egFA6QFe via @WSJ

— Will Rabbe (@WillRabbe) December 28, 2018

Trump’s AG pick, Bill Barr, sent an unsolicited 20-page memo to the Justice Department this year excoriating Mueller’s obstruction of justice investigation. He apparently told Trump about the memo and said it could come up during his confirmation hearings. https://t.co/tw2NcKAjHt

— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) December 20, 2018

Now we know why Trump picked Barr. https://t.co/tob9dToX3S

— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) December 20, 2018

This is a pretty devastating attack on nominee Barr's memo, a memo which effectively puts the President above the law. The Senate should really scrutinize this memo and ask if our Founders really fought King George III to establish such a regime. https://t.co/IhVe0pPECO

— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) December 26, 2018

Barr’s memo takes an indefensibly regal view of a president’s powers. We wouldn’t have fought a revolution to end up with a presidency unbound by law. Any Senator who finds the views in this memo acceptable either doesn’t understand it or is a sellout.https://t.co/OiygNwgB4A

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) December 28, 2018

Trump blames Pelosi for the shutdown – another lie

Republicans control the presidency and both houses of Congress. They’re just trying to put Schumer vs. Pelosi. They are also lying when they say she doesn’t have enough votes to be elected Speaker.

.@sallykohn: Only "Trump could find a way to blame a situation entirely of his creation, where his party under his leadership has control of the White House, the House and the Senate and still find a way to blame it on a woman. Nancy Pelosi is exactly right to stay out of this" pic.twitter.com/FxdEFMWnUD

— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) December 28, 2018

I don’t get this argument at all. Trump is only unifying Ds w/ his shutdown strategy. The best way to have messed up Pelosi’s return was to have not lost 40 seats. https://t.co/c6EaDL0dbZ

— amy walter (@amyewalter) December 28, 2018

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and her top lieutenants are considering several options that would refuse Trump the $5 billion he’s demanded for the wall https://t.co/6mMx0J6Qdx

— POLITICO (@politico) December 28, 2018

Nancy Pelosi: Democratic House will end shutdown, show Trump how to "govern responsibly" https://t.co/z9X6Byg0sX pic.twitter.com/N81YpSSIrl

— Newsweek (@Newsweek) December 28, 2018

Pelosi to Graham: Only 35% support shutting down the government to pay for the wall. https://t.co/KsUoP50jFN

— John Aravosis 🇺🇸 (@aravosis) December 28, 2018

Trump lies about ethics because he is so corrupt

This is a lie. If a reporter donates to a political campaign they would be fired. There are actual rules and ethics. https://t.co/sD7WHBIAgi

— Kevin Baron (@DefenseBaron) December 28, 2018

Maine’s governor’s election was not stolen

It was done under the ranked choice system approved by Maine voters.

Maine governor deems congressional election "stolen" while certifying result https://t.co/29cBeFc3Pz pic.twitter.com/RNJ7o5VeRo

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) December 28, 2018

Not only are the Governor’s comments wrong, this is yet another attempt by the Maine GOP to undermine the will of Mainers, who twice voted to approve RCV. Maine people are tired of this kind of poor leadership — which is why they voted for sweeping change in November. #mepolitics https://t.co/aMDBj1Onnc

— Jared Golden (@golden4congress) December 28, 2018

GOP governor who attempted voter suppression measures & ignored the result of an election to expand Medicaid now complains about a “stolen election” after the GOP loser failed to win a majority as required by law. Good thing Maine will finally have an adult as governor again soon https://t.co/CgHPm4ljdS

— Stephen Wolf (@PoliticsWolf) December 28, 2018

BREAKING: In Maine, GOP Congressman Poliquin has filed a motion to dismiss his appeal of the decision upholding Maine’s congressional ranked choice voting. The litigation is over, Democrat Golden has won, and ranked choice voting has survived.

— Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) December 28, 2018

“Stolen election,” he hand wrote. https://t.co/FEBMAXag2R

— James Pindell (@JamesPindell) December 28, 2018

Trump lies about the wall

Since I keep making these points in various articles, a collection: Trump’s rhetoric about the wall, debunked. https://t.co/C7b4wVh03J

— Philip Bump (@pbump) December 27, 2018

AP FACT CHECK: Trump confuses, misleads on border wall https://t.co/4PRs1TTDz7

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) December 28, 2018

Trump is cutting refugee admissions

The U.S. is now rejecting more legal immigrants than ever before.

Refugee advocates warn that President Trump is dismantling the country's refugee resettlement program. https://t.co/G2NYWnDBKs

— NPR (@NPR) December 28, 2018

More news about refugees

This is elementary foreign policy. The best way to stop an influx of refugees is to rehabilitate the countries they’re coming from.

Nobody WANTS to flee their home with nothing, they’d rather stay.

Building barriers is not only inhumane, it’s ineffective. https://t.co/aIQvgVp2SH

— Marc Love 🏳️‍🌈 (@marcslove) December 28, 2018

Do refugees increase crime?

New study finds no discernible effect of refugee resettlement on local crime rates in the US: https://t.co/mKP9VzFVCV by Daniel Masterson and Vasil I. Yasenov @ImmigrationLab

The paper uses @realDonaldTrump's 2017 refugee ban as a natural experiment. pic.twitter.com/pAxxNH4PJ3

— Robert Dur (@DurRobert) December 27, 2018

After the fatal shooting in a Pittsburgh synagogue, Jewish congregations across the country have vowed to continue helping resettle refugees in America. https://t.co/KAcCrSOiHk

— NPR (@NPR) December 28, 2018