(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
Thoughts on Dana Milbank's Big Idea? [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-02-07
Raw Story has a piece out about Washington Post Opinion Columnist Dana Milbank’s theory of defiant acquiescence (? — not quite sure how to characterize it yet) on the part of Democrats in the House and Senate towards the Trump/Musk/Maga deconstruction of our democratic institutions, constitutional norms, and everything else we might cherish about America:
It's time for Democrats to take a step back and let President Donald Trump dig his administration's own grave, Dana Milbank wrote for The Washington Post on Friday. The simple fact is, he wrote, Trump and Republicans have the votes to pass much of their agenda. But where Democrats can't stop them, they can wash their hands of it and let the GOP own their policies when they hurt voters ...
After enumerating all the various laws and sections of the Constitution Trump and his MAGA-Musk-Minions have already violated:
The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act of 2024.
The Administrative Leave Act of 2016. The Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014.
The Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014. The Affordable Care Act of 2010.
The Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998.
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993.
The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986.
The Inspector General Act of 1978.
The Privacy Act of 1974.
The Impoundment Control Act of 1974.
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
The Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972.
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952.
The Administrative Procedure Act of 1946.
The Public Health Service Act 1944.
The Antideficiency Act of 1870. ------— The First Amendment ’s protections of free speech and association;
First Amendment the Fifth Amendment ’s guarantee of equal protection and due process;
Fifth Amendment the Eighth Amendment ’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment;
Eighth Amendment the 14th Amendment ’s promise of birthright citizenship;
14th Amendment Article I’s spending, presentment, appropriations and bicameralism clauses;
Article II’s take-care clause; and
the separation of powers generally.
Milbank goes on to castigate congressional Republicans:
Yet Republicans are willing to go along with all this, noted Milbank, with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) scoffing on Fox News that Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk are just "doing what we’ve all expected and hoped and asked that they would do." "These are not the words of a constitutionally designated leader of the legislative branch. These are the words of a Donald Trump handmaiden," wrote Milbank. "And it is time for Democrats to treat him as such" — starting with cutting off all negotiations to avert a government shutdown. "Clearly, there is no hope of good-faith negotiation with Trump, or with Johnson. Republicans control the House, Senate and White House. Let them pass a 2025 spending bill on their own. Let them raise the debt ceiling on their own. Let them enact Trump’s entire agenda on their own. They have the votes. Democrats ought not give them a single one," Milbank added. After all, he argued, why should Democrats negotiate "in good faith" on things like that when "Trump has shown that he will ignore the spending bills passed by Congress and fund only those programs he supports — the Constitution, and the law, be damned," and Johnson will simply say that is what he "expected and hoped and asked" for? "Democrats, by withholding their votes, will be giving Trump and Johnson some good parenting," Milbank concluded. "Republicans can shut the government down. Or they can enact the sort of devastating cuts to popular programs that they like to talk about. Either way, the voters will provide the natural consequences."
The basic problem with this rather fatalistic approach is that it seems to accept an enormous amount of pain and destruction being inflicted on the body politic of America (and the world at large) with no guarantee at all that there will even be a chance to right things in 2026, let alone 2028. Nonetheless, what do you all think about the general idea of forcing a government shutdown in March when the debt ceiling needs to be raised?
Democrats have traditionally been the party of responsible government and have been adamant about not defaulting on the national debt; but what if we just collectively summon our own inner John Galt and say eff it — let them do their worst so we can supposedly swoop in and pick up whatever pieces might remain?
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/story/2025/2/7/2302290/-Thoughts-on-Dana-Milbank-s-Big-Idea
Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/
