After Trump stormed out of a White House meeting with congressional leaders, GOP senators privately gathered in Sen. Lindsey Graham's office Wednesday to discuss a way out of the logjam. The long-shot idea: propose an immigration deal that would include $5.7 billion for Trump's border wall along with several provisions that could entice Democrats.Nahhh -- won't happen. First, the plan isn't being negotiated either with Democrats or with mainstream (i.e., Trump-loyalist) Republicans, as Politico notes:
Those items include changes to help those who are a part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program as well as immigrants from El Salvador and other countries impacted by the Temporary Protected Status program - along with modifications to H-2B visas....
GOP senators pitched the idea to senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, who said if they came up with a proposal that got Trump his border wall money and could pass the Senate, the White House would be open to more discussions on the matter, the source said. He did not say Trump would endorse such a plan.
Democrats were not invited to participate in the meeting, which largely comprised of centrist Republicans, including Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Susan Collins (R-Maine).Other participants: Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis, and Lamar Alexander. In other words, senators your average binge consumer of right-wing media would call RINOs.
And the right-wing media is already deeply suspicious. Here's the guy who's probably the most respected voice in wingnut talk radio after Rush Limbaugh and possibly Sean Hannity:
This is scary. Look at the Republicans who are involved. The usual worst of the worst. https://t.co/WHwCNv7N47
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) January 10, 2019
The linked post from Levin's site, the Right Scoop, reminds us that the GOP base doesn't trust its own politicians on this subject, and is ready to fight any compromise:
You know that the base would howl angrily if there was any amnesty granted. And a lot of anger would be tossed against the Republicans....I can't imagine that even a Republican group intent on compromise would sweeten the pot enough to sell Democrats on the deal, and then I can't imagine it getting past Mitch McConnell and mainstream Republicans. But even if it did, would Trump sign it? Not once he'd heard from Levin, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, and the rest of the white nationalists in the media. Every immigration compromise, however small, is the hated "amnesty" to these folks, and this would have to be a big compromise. So it's not going to happen.
I mean, we all knew this was coming right? Republicans and Democrats have been wanting amnesty for more than a decade, while their constituents have been fighting against it. That’s partly why Trump won.
Nor is this:
Prediction: There'll be discussion about a possible wall/DACA immigration compromise. It won't happen. Then (Monday?) McConnell steps in and agrees to reopen the government. The fig leaf for Trump? A pledge to consider border security legislation in both Houses reasonably soon.
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) January 10, 2019
Clap louder, Bill. Trump doesn't want a "fig leaf." He wants to grind his opponents into the dirt. He'll have to believe he's doing that before he yields.
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