Congress withholding pay & benefits from any .gov worker is inhumane.

[mr715]

26. I am sympathetic to the concern for people that have been hurt.

I am not, however, of the position that

(a) Democrats bear any responsibility in this mess at all

(b) We can weigh paychecks against foundational liberal (classical principles) such as the government not being empowered to kill its citizens with impunity

(c) it is good political calculus for the minority party to initiate negotiation with a majority that has no respect for the rights of a minority, despite the razor thin margin separating them

(d) We must unilaterally disarm political weaponry because we are concerned about the poor, the needy, and general public, and the good of the Republic. We should have learned over the last 30 years - we should not negotiate with terrorists.

(e) When we engaged in a foreign war, with less thought than Iraq and even more muddled messaging - a war started on a whim and a whisper from a foreign nation - that we, the minority party, should form a coalition with the people that put us in this position.

(f) That had the veritable orgy of spending that went to ICE and Border Patrol can't be redirected to TSA. Trump has already shown little concern for Congressional control over spending and budget - why should he stop now? He even issued his dogshit executive order. Let them clean their mess using their own tools. Why should we care? We didn't start the fire. If they want to put it out with spray bottles, more power to 'em. Let them try. We have a clear, articulable, and superior position.


Yeah, TSA workers should get paid. And Alex Pretti shouldn't have been murdered. And Renee Good shouldn't have been shot in the face and left for dead while her partner watched.

The Democrats have suffered for my entire political awareness because they wan't stuff to work, and that means they put forward policy, test it, and sometimes it doesn't work. But it is always for the public good. Every Democrat I've known has triangulated their position to try to open the tent as wide as possible, to invite as many and ensure that support for policy is wide yet shallow.

What Trump has taught me, and I hope taught us as a party, is that there is a separate axis of action, independent of policy outcomes and ethics -- assertiveness. An unwillingness to engage in 'smarm' and 'bullshit' and is willing to call it out. Someone when presented with the claim, "Do you support the troops?" responds with, "That is a bullshit question -- it is easy to say support the troops but I support the American people and want our troops at home, safe, and secure"

When presented with "The TSA should get paid," responding with "Yes, so the GOP should pass a funding package. They have the votes. They cannot count on our votes because we do not believe DHS should be funded."


Imagine, indeed.

I'd rather 10,000 be inconvenienced than 1 be murdered. They will get their pay with interest. They will get special payment plans and protections. It sucks, they were put in a horrible position by their coworkers in DHS/ICE/CBP. They should be angry as well with the party that made it possible for their employer to be so damaged that 50% of the Senate cannot in good conscience continue funding them.

Who's mess? Thune's mess.