Donald will say the world wasn't ready for him yet and soldier on. He already senses that three initiatives are about to go nowhere. He will not get a repeal and replacement of Obamacare. He will not get anything done on taxes. He will not get any help in constructing his wall. When 100 days comes he will register a big zero. The consequences of this week are another thing. We'll get to that. But there is one more thing that is likelier than anyone seems to think. That would be a total government Shutdown.

More serious than the shutdown Cruz helped cause

The reason why a shutdown would be more disastrous than the one Ted Cruz spearheaded a while back is that this week may finally convince the entire nation not only that government is broken but that this cannot go on.

I am surmising a much bigger moment than has been anticipated. If I am wrong we will limp along. If I am right we will have a good deal of soul-searching and perhaps even a special prosecutor to investigate whether the election in November was a monster con of the whole nation.

Why is this even possible?

The three initiatives that Trump wants action on are laughable examples of GOP impotence combined with an entirely immature notion of what is involved in governing. The entire Congress is based on the idea of a conversation. With the nuclear option used to install the Federalist Society's darling justice as the ninth SCOTUS figure, we are at a precipice. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that the only way the Republicans can pass anything is with a simple majority.

McConnell cannot be trusted to resist expanding that option to gain a little win or two for the president.

The three Trump proposals are like the submissions of a D student to a course in remedial reading.

Trumpcare was an example of this approach. Nothing says it has changed. One week in this Congress when avoiding a shutdown is the only real order of business is probably not enough to get a deal on that single item.

Why the shutdown is possible.

You know that the GOP will not allow a clean bill to be submitted enabling the government to stay in business.

They will want to do Planned Parenthood in or extract a commitment to build the Wall. The Democrats cannot be depended on not to cave. But if they grow a spine they will not. So a shutdown may indeed be in the works.

Cumulative Trump fatigue

I am not saying it will happen. But I am saying it is not unlikely. The logical conclusion of this is not that time is the problem. Trump is. If what gets turned down this week is turned down, the same thing will happen again and again. This will add to the Trump fatigue that already exists. Go back to the Apprentice and study up. The nation may have had enough.
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