Investigation vs Legislation

The Democrats won a majority in the House of Representatives last night. The Republicans gained a couple of seats in the Senate. A split Congress.

So what happens now?

Nothing useful.

If you thought the first two years of opposition to Donald Trump’s presidency was a zoo, wait until you see the next two.

The best phrase I heard last night was “legislation or investigation” with regard to what the new Democrat controlled House will do.

Exit Polls said these are the issues that drove the vote yesterday:

When you think about the reality of a split Congress and a President who the Democrats hate, there can be no real legislative activity. So if you voted for:

• Healthcare, forget it. Not happening, because the Democrats are putting all their weight behind Medicare for All and the Republicans will kill that at every turn.
• Immigration changes, forget it. The Democrats have already proven they will not negotiate on that issue and their is no reason to think they will negotiate now.
• Gun control, forget it. Never going to get through the Senate or the President.
• A strong economy, you already got it. Will the economic momentum continue? The stock market likes a split Congress, so that might do okay, because they expect nothing big to happen. A more secure betting platform. Will it help international negotiation on trade? No, but it may not completely inhibit those negotiations since Republicans held the Senate. We will have to see. Can the Democrats in the House do anything with taxes or regulation to hurt the economic momentum?  No. Will they continue to try to make political hay out of the usual lame talking points of “tax cuts for the rich” and an “uneven economic boom”, absolutely, focused on 2020.
• Speaking of 2020, expect the Democrats to pass legislation on something, weather its healthcare, immigrant, gun control or the economy so they can push it to the Senate and the President.  Then, when the Senate does not pass, or the President vetoes, they can point to the Republicans in 2020 as obstructing the progress America voted them in to produce.  The success of this strategy will depend on the story about the legislation.  Don’t expect the story to be factual.

So, legislation? I think not. House Democrats realize the position they are in.

Its going to be all out investigation. The hatred they spewed after losing the 2016 election will go into an even higher gear if you can believe it. The liberal news media will be recharged after two years of nothing from the Mueller investigation and news media fueled speculation on how corrupt Donald Trump is. The crazies come out of the wall again (as if they ever receded).

House committee chairmen, brace yourself; Maxine Waters (D-Ca), Adam Schiff (D-Ca), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Adam Smith (D-WA) and Elijah Cummings (D-Md) have already said their priority will be on getting even with Donald Trump, investigating his finances, investigating Russia and impeachment.

All this will just waste tons of taxpayer money.  That should not surprise anyone, when Democrats are in charge of the purse strings.

For Democrats, the media and Democrat voters, this morning is a time of celebration, though muted. For Republicans, it is a 2 year delay on progress, saving America and sadness in the expectation that the country will continue to be embarrassed by Democrat crazies, now in control of the House, over that 2-year period.

If there is a bright spot to this mid term election it may be this. If the Democrats had not won anything in this mid term election season, the mobs would have gone over the edge with violence and hatred. But, the Democrat crazies may have gotten enough satisfaction from winning the House to stop assaulting people in the streets, at restaurants and in the halls of Congress.

Okay. You’re right. Too optimistic to hope for.

Raise your seat back, put away your tray table and fasten your seat belts. Turbulence is to be expected.

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