This morning the news is all Trump's taxes and thereby hangs a tale. We are dealing with a fantasy. And this is news. Consider this. The Trump health bill was intended to be the first in a domino row that Donald would push to the point where the deconstruction of the national government would be complete, to the satisfaction of deconstruction's principal author Steve Bannon. But as the New York Times has just made clear, a crucial quaver has occurred. The Senate Republicans, sensing limits to fantasy, have asked the House GOP to change the bill.
Just jitters or death knell?
The fearful Senators asked their House colleagues to do a few things that Speaker Paul Ryan apparently has no interest in even considering. The laundry list includes reducing costs for those who are poor and elderly and dealing charitably with those who are hard to insure. If the House would add these emphases to the bill they are trying to pass, it might go all the way and become law. So the Senators suggested.
G.O.P. Senators Suggest Changes for Health Care Bill Offered by House https://t.co/fRHclIExSd
— Stephen C. Rose (@stephencrose) March 15, 2017
Will Paul Ryan prove up to dealing with the Tea Party folk?
John Boehner is rarely mentioned these days but among his more famous failures was his inability to get anywhere with the likes of Representative Dave Brat, the academic from Virginia who laid Eric Cantor low on the immigration issue.
Mr. Brat has already told the New York Times he is a no vote on the existing Trumpcare legislation, never mind modifications. One can surmise that Paul Ryan will now remember John Boehner and wonder why he ever said he would accept the honor of succeeding him.
Trump encounters reality or does he?
Ryan's idea was to shunt the bill to the Senate unchanged and avoid likely defeat by defection in the House.
Now, as everything seems to do, it comes down to Donald Trump. Trump could see the writing on the wall and tell the House they can either go with him and make some reasonable concession or Donald can spend the next few days tweeting that Obama is working in secret to kill the bill.
But when all is said, this morning's news is about all that is needed to enable a betting person to figure that the odds are against passage of the Trump bill.
