Democrats may feel they got Trumped during government shutdown
Jan 23, 2018, 6:46 AM
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
The government shutdown was over before it began. It was over before a single demonstrator chanted “hey, hey, ho, ho …” something something.
‘Idiotic’ government shutdown a win for Trump
But what did the Democrats get for all the drama?
Not nearly enough, some Democrats are saying, because what they got was basically this promise from Republican leader Mitch McConnell.
“Let me be clear, this immigration debate will have a level playing field … and an amendment process that is fair to all sides.”
He spoke precisely, and even repeated himself. Which sounded to me like he was making a confession — that the debate, up to then, had not been fair!
It turns out that statement had been carefully negotiated by a group of 25 Democratic and Republican senators, led by Susan Collins of Maine who used a carved Native American talking stick to keep it civil.
And while Democrats may feel they got Trumped here, if that promise is kept, that might be the real breakthrough lesson from all this. That if you just play fair, maybe the other team won’t pick up its ball and go home.