Lucylastic
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http://www.npr.org/2017/04/01/522232180/a-presidency-stalled-and-sputtering
This is just part of the particle,
Since the Republican health care bill collapsed a little more than a week ago, President Trump's White House has struggled with a path forward. Trump is dealing with finger-pointing and infighting that threatens to derail his agenda, as well as nagging Russia investigations on Capitol Hill that are raising more questions than answers about his team.
And Trump has a real perception problem with the American public — he has the lowest approval rating at this point of any president in more than half a century.
This past week didn't help matters. Let's recap as well as look ahead:
1. They will never take away our freedom (caucus): There was continued GOP infighting over health care, including Trump all but declaring war on the House Freedom Caucus. Members of the Freedom Caucus weren't taking it lying down:
30 Mar
Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
The Freedom Caucus will hurt the entire Republican agenda if they don't get on the team, & fast. We must fight them, & Dems, in 2018!
Follow
Raúl R. Labrador ✔ @Raul_Labrador
@realDonaldTrump Freedom Caucus stood with u when others ran. Remember who your real friends are. We're trying to help u succeed.
2:27 PM - 30 Mar 2017
634 634 Retweets 1,246 1,246 likes
Follow
Justin Amash ✔ @justinamash
It didn't take long for the swamp to drain @realDonaldTrump. No shame, Mr. President. Almost everyone succumbs to the D.C. Establishment. https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/847435163143454723 …
10:00 AM - 30 Mar 2017
4,831 4,831 Retweets 9,166 9,166 likes
2. GOP in a box: Trump flirted with potentially working with Democrats ("Hello, Chuck"), only to have that undermined by House Speaker Paul Ryan.
"What I worry about," Ryan told CBS, "is if we don't do this, then he'll just go work with Democrats."
Either way, Republicans are in a very tight corner – if you aren't going to work with Democrats and you're going to go to war with a group that, if it sticks together, can block anything you want to do, nothing will get done.
Something has to give.
Ryan's posture didn't sit well with one Republican senator:
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Senator Bob Corker ✔ @SenBobCorker
We have come a long way in our country when the speaker of one party urges a president NOT to work with the other party to solve a problem.
8:55 AM - 30 Mar 2017
6,252 6,252 Retweets 11,368 11,368 likes
3. Executive actions don't equal legislation: That lack of an ability to get much done on Capitol Hill has hobbled Trump's agenda. During the campaign, Trump made big, bold promises.
So far, he has tried to follow through on them with big, bold... executive orders. (He's on pace for 100 or more this year, which would be a higher rate than any president back to Truman.) This week, Trump sought to curtail President Obama's environmental rules and appeared to soften his harsh stance on NAFTA espoused during last year's campaign.
But here's a reality check on executive orders: they're usually something presidents resort to when they can't get legislation through. (See: Obama, Barack and immigration.) They're only so useful. They have their limits, which is why presidents still need Congress.
4. High Nunes and a Burr in the saddle: The revelation that Rep. Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, got his information on the White House grounds about communications of Trump transition officials that were incidentally scooped up by lawful U.S. surveillance, undermined the bipartisanship of the committee.
It has left the panel far less relevant, if at all anymore, especially with the buddy show put on by the heads of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sens. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Mark Warner, D-Va.
"I have confidence in Richard Burr," Warner said in response to NPR's Mary Louise Kelly, who asked Burr if he could swear with his hand over his heart that he could conduct an impartial investigation even though he was a Trump supporter during the campaign.
What a difference from the House committee, where the ranking Democratic member, Adam Schiff, has called on Nunes to step aside from leading the Russia investigation. House Speaker Paul Ryan, however, has said he has no problem with Nunes, who was a Trump transition official, continuing as chairman.
The Senate committee held a rare public hearing this week and is going to be interviewing Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and adviser. Time TBD. He came forward voluntarily after it was revealed he, too, had met with the Russian ambassador and the head of a Russian bank that is dealing with sanctions after Russia's annexation of Crimea.
more at the link above
I think this brings it together quite nicely.
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