Great article.............I salute you.
114
Interesting to learn about Nancy Pelosi's background.
At the tend of the day, the problem is the modern day Republican Party, who have effectively sold out our country.
164
Spot on! Yes "the Trumps saw suckers to squeeze" and until the current suckers in the states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio get the fact that they are the current Trump chumps we will all be stuck with this carnival con artist again in 2020.
116
Nancy Pelosi grew up with 5 brothers, a powerful father.. and then moved into the DC patriarchy. What a learning ground!
Decades later, she is a fighter, expert listener, defender of one's rights, and has learned to stand strong for her beliefs and produce results. But it is the compassion and empathy honed from her mothering that stands apart from her peers. She is one wise woman.
211
Great column! So glad you have regained the wit and power of the pen that our country needs to confront the disgrace and corruption in the White House.
86
Correction:
Once again, the "subtle" kinky language at work. To say what exactly? The obvious, the cheap, the irrelevant.
Wittgenstein's Seventh Thesis comes to mind. I doubt Mo is aware of it though. Probably was not part of her undergraduate curriculum.
9
It takes two to tango.
I live in California not too far from the border. The WALL built right works. Illegal Immigration and homelessness is a problem:
1) Illegal immigration slows down the legal immigration: A shortage of workers is a wrong reason for justifying illegal immigration. When there is a real shortage of workers; solutions like the H1 Visa and others for Hotel Workers come to the rescue.
2) Illegal immigration undermines laws and creates problems by burdening the system: welfare paid by over taxed taxpayers, a badly educated children remains his entire life, gangs have a vast population to tap into to recruit and prey on
3) Illegal immigrants bring along a child just to increase their chances at asylum and then complain of separation. Social Services would take my child away if I left him at home alone.
5) Legal Immigration is a problem too and needs reform:
a) Families uniting is not an excuse. Immigration separates them when they leave by choice.
b) The old arrive having paid nothing into the system and consume Supplementary Social Security, free housing, free healthcare, free everything which costs taxpayers; probably $1 million plus per person in their lifetime.
It is time USA saves legal immigration by enforcing laws. Stop illegal immigration. A barrier is the first line of defense.
Legal Immigrants help millions of people by (1) sending billions of dollars to help them (2) bringing awareness of their plight (3) Pushing US foreign policies to help them
35
@Anil
Amen.
Walls - physical border security, to be precise - WORK.
They work in Israel on the West Bank.
They work in India on the border with Bangladesh.
They work in Hungary on the Serbian border.
They work in France (near Calais), in Spain, in Morocco, in Ulster/Northern Ireland.
We already have a wall in our southern border; we just need to finish it, fund all the other necessary border security provisions and do what 77 countries around the world now do: eliminate illegal immigration into our country.
22
Deal:
True border security, fully-funded, no amnesty in exchange for Justice Ginsburg stepping down immediately and being replaced by Merrick Garland.
Make it happen.
Do the right thing for this country.
16
The Speaker must put OCA in her place. As a Freshman, OCA must follow the Democratic Leadership and stop grandstanding .
25
I think he meant he was aware, becaise of all those people he employed in the private sector over the years whom he stiffed. He said he could relate, not that he cared.
27
In 17 x 6, here’s the thing - Howard Stern - EVEN Howard Stern - lets Donald Sr. off the hook, letting him think his answer was correct.
12
Nancy Pelosi is 78 years young, and similar in age of some of the wanna be Presidential male candidates.
Compared to all of them the Majority Speaker of the House would be a fine first American Female President.
79
your best column in a long time.
33
It would have been helpful if Dowd wrote a similar column comparing Clinto and trump,say three years ago. She was too enthralled by the lies and the outrage of the trump show to see clearly.
46
Just a thought. The president should do what we middle class folks due when there is something that we want and can't afford - we start a go fund me page. I think Speaker Nancy Pelosi has already committed a dollar to the cause. I bet she could convince her friend Chuck to also kick in a dollar. In no time at all, the President would either have his $5 billion, or realize just how little support the idea has and be willing to move on. Or maybe not.
9
@RachelThere is a Republicn who started a Go Fund Me page awhile ago. He had quite a bit of money collected, although he has a lot more to collect before he hits 5 billion.
10
Trump lives in a cocoon of lies - James Comey
44
I find it difficult to appreciate Dowd's anti-Trump articles given the nasty pieces she wrote about Hillary during the campaign. I wonder if she accepts any responsibility for the fact that we are suffering through this administration in part because of her.
81
Also for mocking Al Gore so mercilessly in 2000. Dowd not the only one.
56
A strong woman is just what Donald needs. I dream of Donald getting impeached, Pence getting indicted for covering up Donald's crimes and then of course third in line, President Pelosi!
Meanwhile Donald may be either an unwitting or willing agent of Putin's. Fred is dead Donald. Not here to help you. Your father taught you to cheat. Too bad for us.
61
Big Tommy looks just like Richard J. Daley.
Democrat Machine bosses.
Daley put in an Interstate and made it extra wide to segregate the blacks.
No doubt same thing was going on in Baltimore.
That's how the Democratic Machines kept the white vote.
8
This is the first Dowd column I've agreed with in recent memory.
Perhaps the best, most effective and permanent antidote to Trump's incessant ridicule of Democratic Party members might be a new type of Democratic candidate for President. It's an eternal mystery to me why Jon Stewart - yes, that Jon Stewart - does not announce his candidacy for the office of the President of the United States. At age 56 - he's relatively youthful and perhaps the greatest political satirist of the last 75 years.
It's inconceivable that Stewart would bat an eyelash when assaulted by the Trump's inevitable assault of insults. And Stewart's name recognition is unparalleled amongst the critical age 18 - 34 age demographic (let alone all ages!) that is so vital to the Democratic Party's chances.
Finally I don't see how Stewart could fail when campaigning in the Midwestern States that are so absolutely critical to an Electoral College win. Who better to explain to the farmers and small businessman how they've been had by Donald (a leopard cannot change his spots) Trump?
RUN, JON, RUN!!!!
38
A Majority of Senators approve of the CR to fund the Wall and the Government, a minority of Senators do not and it is Presidents Trumps fault? Obviously the Dem leadership does not really care about the working Government middle class or they would agree to spend .06% of Federal Budget to re open the Government. Take a long look at the things we spend .06% on and see if you don't agree. This is simply Dem obstruction and all the East Coast liberal crying won't change this fact.
7
The sons ,the daughters ...Are they even qualified ,does anyone care? How many of the current crop of world heads of state would even pass a test designed to show they are fit to lead their own country?
The notion that an election by a very small representation of the citizenry is how we make our most important decision every 4 years is baffling to me.Yet nobody ever wonders about it.How many incapables in chief can a country withstand before it collapses into unextricable chaos?
10
Pelosi and Schumer should not budge - It's Trump who will have to come up with a detailed budget and plan for implementing a sea to sea wall, including an environmental effect study, cost-benefit analysis, eminent domain issues, timeline, contracting procedures, weighing of alternatives for a wall against a wall, who has to pay for what (Mexico, anyone?) etc., just like for every other major infrastructure project. I bet he can't do it, and Republicans in Congress won't do it.
32
As always on matters political, I am not optimistic. With her extensive child-rearing experience, Madame Speaker must know that a screaming two-year old in a restaurant is, in fact, the world's greatest negotiator.
13
As far as the Wall Shutdown is concerned, polls show increasing concern, among Democrats as well as Republicans, over the problems posed by increasing illegal immigration pressures, a problem well-known to other industrialized societies. Over the long term, Trump has a good chance of winning on this issue. Over the short term, Americans don't like government shutdowns, and whatever Trump is or isn't, most of the American media are hostile to him as exhibited daily in news stories that are really very biased, sometimes childishly so. This has been noticed; so we'll see how it plays out over the long term. Something else occurred to me: What is happening when a large part of a society daily seeks to destroy its elected leader? This is sabotaging your own governance. Will the results produce remorse in the ruins?
7
@John Corr
Illegal immigration is destroying California's educational system.
It is by far the biggest reason that California's public schools are among the worst in the nation - and the downward spiral continues, year after year.
By the time Speaker Pelosi's grandchildren are in high school, the CA public schools will be close to 70% drawn from a demographic that does not care about even minimal educational achievement.
The same downward spiral afflicts other California public services: hospitals, law enforcement and security, on and on - all of the promises of a generous society are undermined or even ruined because California's social structure is now, thanks to illegal immigration, dominated by Latin American-style mass poverty + a few oligarchs and a huge public sector class. Over 40% of California's households now lives hand to mouth, unable to buy both groceries and medicines and gasoline each week.
California is America's future: a slightly wealthier version of Mexican/Brazilian-style oligarchy, with mass poverty and a middle class desperate to leave.
16
@T-Bone
Agreed. As we see daily in this state, the reality does not match the flowery picture the politicians continue to paint. Social services, hospitals, law enforcement and schools are a all headed in a downward trend.
9
This is an unfair comparison. In addition to her values, Pelosi is blessed not to be burdened by character defects that may reflect pathology. It seems that ultimately Trump is a victim of the combination of bad genes, a bad upbringing and deep insecurity that manifests itself as bluster, bullying and a constant need for self-aggrandizement. As a result, her winning formula is largely constructive and his, both destructive and untethered to reality, let alone the truth. Worse still, his relationship to his progeny seems to be similar to that he had with Fred. The fact that this family moved into the WH is a testament to the power of stupid and ignorant people in large numbers. That he remains in the WH is an indictment of Republicans in the Senate. One day McConnell will have to face his maker, a higher Court than the SCOTUS he has worked so hard to shape in so many unfortunate ways.
47
“And the last shall be first, and the first last..”. .it takes a lifetime of living to understand these words and some people never will. They don’t know what they’re missing by focusing on ‘me’.
14
Just for the record.
Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. had a much dicier reputation with alleged mob connections and corruption charges than did Fred Trump.
12
@greta Really? What's your evidence?
26
A great read from Maureen. Nancy Pelosi and the democrats actually care about the welfare of our citizens. Selfish, hateful and cruel, besides ignorant applies to #45. He has brought shame to the USA.
31
Contrast—not the CONTENT of his messages—but the chronic TONE of Trump's voice. Loud to a point of SCREAMING—the child who feels no one listens to him. Relentless WHINING—the child who feels abandoned, alone, placated but not truly valued. Enraged TANTRUMS—the child who bullies to ensure his own wishes by wearing down any obstacle. BELITTLING & DEVALUING—the child who identifies with his aggressor-father, fearful (beneath the surface) that he himself may be the next target of father's wrath. [Has Fred been replaced by Vladimir in little Donald’s mind?]
There was an (original) STAR TREK episode wherein a young tyrant corralled Kirk, Spock, & McCoy. They were at his mercy. Turns out, he was really an unruly child who'd wandered from his planet, wreaking havoc as a little bully. When his parents discovered his escapade, we witnessed his transformation back to the frightened little boy who’d been masquerading behind a facade of imperial power.
What was that planet? Can't recall. But oh, how I wish for interplanetary space travel to transport Trump elsewhere. Kirk ! Spock ! McCoy ! Where are you now that we really need you?
30
The episode was called the Squire of Gothos, and it is indeed very sadly apropos.
18
@HurricaneKate
Thanks, so very much, Kate!
I'm certain you know that "rumor" has it that
Nixon was involved in removing Star Trek from
the airwaves. Lois Ann Cipriano.
2
So it’s the Bad German father? Maureen, his Mother was a dirt-poor Scottish immigrant domestic who was mugged and badly beaten by a drunken Italian kid.
Trump’s a real sociopath and his paranoia about honest citizens being in danger of being assaulted by immigrant thugs should be understood in that factual context.
MODO is continuing a career built upon ethnic stereotyping and a fixation on Daddy — a bigger-than-life Irish hero cop.
5
Pelosi grew up to be a dictatorial politician who felt comfortable ordering her house member to vote for a law without reading it. She claims to be Catholic but doesn't feel compelled to give even lip service to its doctrine.
Trump built his career buying influence from Democrats, she spent her career selling influence. [Let's not try to create the impression that Trump was a bipartisan buyer of influence.]
She and Trump are going to enjoy their stay in purgatory together.
13
@ebmem Thank God she doesn't give lip service to her religious doctrine. It is not relevant...separation and all.
24
Until Mitch McConnell moves the House bill through the Senate and puts it on Trump's desk, I don't want to hear ANYBODY blaming the Democrats for this.
Mitch McConnell, move that bill along. You are what is standing between solving this mess or not. Stop running interference for Trump. Right now, you are the cause of this shutdown.
58
@BaldEagle
Hadn't you noticed that most of the government shutdowns occurred during Democrat administrations?
4
An excellent article. All Americans know about Pelosi is what the FOX WSJ Britbart Republican slime-propaganda machine puts out.
Thanks for the good piece. About time Maureen had something good to say about a Democrat. Long time.
18
McConnell must be removed in the next election by the Dems taking the Senate.
He is a traitor to our constitution and nation.
51
One has to wonder where the tipping point is in all of this. It's not just this wall, it is everything about this venal and cruelly insensitive greedy egomaniacal miscreant who managed, now obviously with a lot of help from the Russians, Putin in particular who is a master of manipulating the weak-minded into hating everything decent about what their own country stands for, to put this monstrously inpet, unqualified misfit for any office having power of the purse over any U.S. citizen. When does the rotting cloud of stench coming from Donald Trump's taking up residence in the White House become so terrible that even the weak-minded finally realize what is happening here and what this creature is. He barely qualifies as a human being. He is a vile and venal person who needs to be out of the White House as soon as possible.
36
How? You fire him, indict him, then incarcerate him. He (and his family) could take remedial human lessons in prison. Maybe then, if the other inmates haven't eliminated him, there could be a dent in this grotesque malignancy.
15
Looking at her tenure as both Speaker and minority leader it is hard to see that Nancy Pelosi is anything but not smart. I hate to say dumb but she is dumb. She is the epitomy of Washington's dumbness. Make no mistake. It comes from both sides but she is the poster child.
8
Yes, Donald is a child who cannot match Nancy in the Washington machinations, but isn't the real problem with the American public who voted for him, many of whom still support him? Isn't the real crisis with the Senate Republicans who refuse to call out his lies, his egregious, daily obfuscations and out-right lies? There's a sickening vein of hatred and ignorance that the Donald has tapped into, which Ann Coulter and her ilk continue to mine for all its worth, at the price of our Democracy. Donald is a pathetic opportunist. Those who support him are traitors.
38
Rachel Maddow just completed a compelling podcast called "Bagman" all about systemic long term corruption involving contractors and payoffs in the City of Baltimore, The linked NYT obituary briefly mentions "Big Tommy" being hospitalized for 4 months during an investigation involving contractors and payoffs in 1954. Digging a little deeper reveals FBI investigations that point to some truly disturbing information. "Bagman" makes it very clear that the corruption that brought Spiro Agnew down was institutionalized and in place for a very long time before Agnew jumped into Baltimore politics in 1957. "Big Tommy" was Mayor of Baltimore from 1947 to 1959. Now, obviously, Fred Trump Sr, was no angel and the NYT reporting on his shady dealings is very disturbing BUT if Maureen Dowd wants to go down the road of comparing fathers (as opposed to comprising a piece of pure political propaganda) perhaps a bit more journalistic integrity could be applied here.
13
@George
Oops.
Give him the money if he agrees to put the DACA issue to rest with the dreamers on a path to citizenship. Get it done. Now. Of course, he doesn’t want a deal. He wants a distraction from mueller and Manafort and Cohen. He is a faker.
21
Trump was offered that deal in 2017, said that he would accept it, and then rejected the deal after all.
22
mo - is this article about the same person that you thought would be a better alternative to hillary? I look forward to your snarky tidbits aimed at whoever the democrats put forth against your guy donald in 2020.
15
Seeing the way Nancy's mother is looking at her father can be contrasted with the look on Melania's face when she looks at her husband. Decency begets decency.
9
Stand with drugs, cartels, gangs and child traffickers OR protect American citizens. Keep kidding yourselves that Trump is being “spanked”. There is nothing more ridiculous. Trump has absolutely ZERO to lose by waiting this out.
7
Trump is clearly out of his depth in the Washington political swamp. Pelosi isn't even up to her ankles.
With his threat to invoke national emergency provisions to get his own way on the border wall, Trump is toying with autocracy.
He is far too dangerous a person to have such powers. The only national emergency facing the USA is the continued presence of President Trump in the White House and you don't have to invoke any special provisions to legally end his administration.
18
You know why you can enjoy a day at the zoo? Because walls work.” Doesn't that comment by the Liar in Chief say it all---immigrants are animals to be feared and kept caged....What an image from the occupant of the WH....Ms Pelosi, on the other hand, is a breath of fresh air. I love the image of her asking her grandson about how he intends to use his hard earned money...and expects that he will help others! What a concept in this day of I AM THE UNIVERSE syndrome! I also love the sound image of the "mother of five" voice. Thanks for that smile.
12
the real discipline will come when "father mueller" comes home. and its sooner than later.
notably many former tool mouthpiece repubs and right wing propagandists like tucker carlsen are now acting like a real soak-the-rich politician while as always, wearing a sheep's clothes.
they know the end is near and want to whip the "poor white victims" of 30 years of repub thievery (and who is a better poster child for lame paper-rich unindicted co-conspirators than the orange mistake?) into a froth so when dems take back over govt for the foreseeable future they'll complain about congress while the thieves who actually stole their futures sneak out the back door with their ill-gotten gains.
carlsen and his ilk think they're 3 moves moves ahead of everybody. and I'm 3 steps ahead of them.
get ready for it.........daddy's almost home. I can hear his footsteps right about now.
6
We all need to take a deep breath and enjoy a bi-partisan laugh.
President Trump steps out of his bulletproof limo, and an assassin points a gun at him. A junior Secret Service agent shouts at the top of his lungs: “MICKEY MOUSE !!”
The gunman pauses, confused, and he’s immediately neutralized.
Later, the Chief of the Secret Service commends the new agent for his unorthodox approach. “But why did you shout MICKEY MOUSE?” he asks.
“I was nervous,” the young agent says. “I meant to shout: ‘DONALD, DUCK !!’.”
9
I’m zenoa
The nuns turn in their grave over Nancy. Shame she is welded to such ancient politique.
4
I don't listen to Howard stern, but would love to know the multiplication question dumbo and his kids were asked. Would help confirm that they truly are dopey as can be.
4
@Rachel
17 x 6
Trump came out darkness and into the light. When you have rats crawling out of the sewers it's shocking at first. We'll soon be building walls to keep the rats in.
5
"But how do you discipline the world’s brattiest 72-year-old?"-- Easy. Impeach him. Indict him. Convict him. Imprison him.
24
@weneedhelp and Pelosi has already put all those options OFF the table
2
This is the very 1st White House, in the history of White Houses, that does not have a cat or a dog or both. WHY? Because Trump, POTUS, is afraid of dogs! Who knew? LOL! Afraid of dogs.
When his son, Donald Jr., asked for a dog when he was little, Trump refused to get him one. What does that say about Trump & his upbringing? What does that say about how Trump was treated as a child to make him the spoiled-brat, bankrupted, POTUS he is today?
(And that's 6 bankruptcies! FYI: Bankruptcies are supposed to stay on your credit report for 7 years)
If we'd known this sooner . . . LOL!
8
Ah, Maureen, I just wish you had "seen the light" during the Clinton/Trump presidential race. You attacked HRC almost daily. How much did your venom help give us Trump? We shall never know. "How do you like your fair haired boy now" ...lines from a poem. You had a part in this debacle. How's your conscience given the perilous state of our union?
21
Americans knew absolutely everything you include in your short Trump bio before the 2016 election cycle. PBS Frontline did a special report on both candidates that included most of this. And yet, Americans still elected him as their President, knowing just how he would behave once in office. Government shutdown, the diminution of American influence around the globe, chaos in the Executive branch, increasing levels of racism and anti-Semitism, Neo-nazi and white supremacy resurgence and more are all on us. They are the direct result of our own fecklessness. We are at last reaping what we have sown.
6
Trump voters don't watch PBS, just FOX News. PBS is infested by liberals, don't you know? /s
9
MD your opinions are meaningless since you are picking and choosing ways to beat up on the same person, President Trump, all the time. How do we know these story selections are true? You are so partisan that your opinions are fraught with a closed mind and a punishing spirit. President Trump has made some very mature decisions that have benefitted this country greatly. Building a wall on the border is one of them. Please quit your child-like whining, name calling and grow up to support your President and America.
3
Meh. Yet another snarky anti-Trump column. I'd like to hear more about the Speaker and what she thinks.
6
For those of you who think that the Democrats share equal blame for this shutdown let’s make one thing clear. This shutdown is owned, by self admission, by Donald aTrump and also, by extension, the McConnell Republicans. They own this, lock stock and barrel. They have taken their hatred of government to its ultimate limit...they’ve shut it down. This is their collective temper tantrum to their monumental losses in the midterm elections. The Republican Party has completely lost their way. They are disfunctional and they have a Russian Agent as their titular head. How much worse can this get?
29
The Republican-controlled Senate could reopen the federal government immediately by passing the same appropriations bills that it passed in 2018. The shutdown is 100% a Republican production.
19
@Tim Prendergast: The oaths these fakes took on Bibles should remove any doubts that any empathetic God cares what they do.
3
@Lona: It boggles my mind that people come here to write that Trump does not own this shutdown after he proudly claimed it on live TV. It is like people will sacrifice their own brains for the man.
15
"But how do you discipline the world’s brattiest 72-year-old?"
You laid the groundwork for the answer, "Just keep your eye on NDP". She is doing it as we speak.
1
smoke and mirrors.noise he cares not who is suffering as long the discussion deflects from holding HIM resposnible
Channel Nancy reagan and just say No. This is just the first time the first brat is hearing it
Assuredly it will not be the last
In fact this is the accountabiility that this spolied brat, criminal law breaker needs and never has had.
It's waaaaay past time. Hold his feet to the fire. He is accountable to US. The Americam people. let the games begin He will assuredly lose. He;'s in waaay over his head as are his enablers including the soon to be bankrupt Fox news. Bad business decision Rupert really bad.
Letting your VERY RICH TALKING HEADS who don't know "paycheck to paycheck" living, speak down to their minions, losing their homes, and going hungry Real winning tactic. See ya'll in balruptcy court with your partner in crime.
3
You have to hand this to Ms Pelosi: Her accomplishments are the result of her own brains and hard work. That's much different from Mr Trump who's wealthy daddy looked out for him well into adulthood or Hillary whom, if she hadn't married Bill, we'd never have heard of.
But, I'll bet none of the three could answer this every-day question: About how much does a 5 lbs bag of white potatoes cost at the grocery store?
8
Trump is, quite simply, a disaster.
11
"But how do you discipline the world’s brattiest 72-year-old?"
How, exactly, do you discipline any brat when the parents or the base supports every bratty outburst???
Trump is bratty because he gets away with. His father let him get away with it. Now, Trump's base lets him get away with it. You can't discipline any "child" when the parents encourage bratty behavior.
If you want to discipline the child, you must first discipline the parents. If you want to discipline Trump, you must first discipline the base. They all need to be taken out to the woodshed. If allowed to run rampant, they will drive this country into a very large hole and chaos will ensue.
Pelosi, on the other hand, represents adulthood. A surprisingly large number of people in the US don't like adults...particularly female adults. Maybe they didn't like being disciplined at school by mostly female teachers. So, they don't like Pelosi and they don't like Hillary. They don't want to grow up.
Today, the Peter Pan syndrome is running rampant in the USA. Trump is president because the citizens want the freeDUMB of a supervision free childhood to do whatever they want without any nasty old adults telling them how to behave. They don't want to behave like adults, they want to behave like spoiled children, which makes Trump their perfect president.
9
Not surprising that Henry Miller is from South carolina
1
What about giving Trump a bigly Lego assortment, Nancy?
4
Good one, Ms. Dowd. Wish we had more of this before the election rather than rants against Hillary Clinton. That said, I think referring to Trump as a toddler trivializes some of his truly dangerous persuasions such as being metaphorically, or maybe literally, in bed with the Russians.
11
What does Nancy have to say about JFK's affair with then 19 year old Mimi Alford and Bill Clinton's "consensual" affair with 22 year old Monica Lewinsky? There is a photo of a young teenage Bill Clinton enthusiastically shaking hands with JFK. What impressions our hero leaders make on people when young. Talk about secret handshakes. I wonder if Nancy would ever publicly tell the truth about how she assessed the great president Kennedy while he was speaking to her father. What did she have to say about Bill Clinton's open womanizing while in office? Why is she still a Democrat? Who are, or were, her heroes and inspiration that made her Speaker of the House?
5
@Aristotle Gluteus Maximus And just what does this have to do with our present day problem - our government is shut down and the President is a toddler? If we wanted to extend your conversational thread, we could ask "Just what does Nancy Pelosi think about the fact that Reagan had Alzheimer’s or (hear's a good one) Mary Todd Lincoln was a spendaholic control freak?" Etc. Etc. ad naseum. Now, back to the subject at hand....
11
I will admit to being totally wrong about Speaker Pelosi.
I did not want her to be speaker again, but thought new blood would be good.
She proved me wrong and in a big way.
She has so deftly and firmly handled the petulant man-child brat boy, it is hard to imagine her not in the Speaker's Chair.
You go Madam Speaker. Do not let up on this despicable slouch and con man.
29
McConnell is a villain who deserves more recognition for his careless regard for his country and its values, for politics rather than government.
If he runs for re-election in 2020, I am going to construct lemonade stands all over the country to earn money to send people to Kentucky to work against him.
22
I'm a liberal Democrat. I don't believe that Nancy Pelosi is a saint, but she's certainly more rational and mature than the Big Orange Baby currently in the Oval Office. Storming out of a budge meeting THAT HE CALLED is a crystal-clear example of his immaturity and narcissism. The man is NOT fit for office. I hope Ms. Pelosi refuses to budge on Trump's wall, if for no other reason than to infuriate him. He cannot stand to have a WOMAN telling him "No!"
17
I am glad that Nancy Pelosi is standing up to Donald Trump, but I think Maureen Dowd overdraws that contrast between the two, as though Pelosi is an angel (she says her parents raised her "to be holy") and Trump the devil. I don't think that being the daughter of a machine politician is much more admirable than being the scion of a real estate family. And Pelosi's husband, while not as rich as Trump, is a multimillionaire real estate investor. Pelosi has been an effective political candidate, but she is hardly a candidate for sainthood.
4
The only person who can department a 72 year old brat is the best himself. But he won't. His power and money hungry behaviors have served him well, from His perspective. Even though only 25% of Americans think a wall would be useful, Trump can't let go. He can never admit he is wrong. That would be too painful for him. Yet he doesn't understand or care about the pain of others.
2
@Barbara Darned autocorrect. The first sentence should read:"The only person who can reparent a 72 year old brat is the brat himself."
1
If Trump were merely a "brat," we'd be okay. In fact, he's a mortal danger to the republic, and indeed to the world.
12
Mr. Trump has learned self-discipline. He does not drink or smoke. He took care of his many properties in a first class manner. He is a quick study and has good instincts in economics, foreign afairs, military issues, business, TV, criminal justice, VA health care, climate solutions, trade, immigration, courts, etc.
Not too bad for a daddy's boy.
5
@Eugene Patrick Devany
Are we speaking about the same Donald Trump?
11
Impeachment and/or jail would both be good disciplinary moves to help donnie see his isn't special.
6
I agree wholeheartedly with the lead Reader comment
The media must stop focusing on Trump. Trump is nothing but the revolting symbol of the true crisis we face as a nation. The GOP paved the way for racist Birther Donald Trump with 8 years of anti-Obama propaganda and lies. They spent vast amounts of dark corporate money corrupting the electoral process at the local and state level. The GOP put Trump in office through Republican systematic voter suppression and gerrymandering along with massive quantities of Russian fake news on social media.
In addition to corrupt election practices, the Republicans work hard to turn the despair of working families into hatred toward the "others". The Wall is a symbol of that hatred. The Shutdown is Trump's Nuremburg Rally. Clearly Trump and McConnell and their GOP Congressional minions are willing to use racial and anti-immigrant hatred to create massive chaos in government in order to further pursue an agenda of division and prejudice.
The crisis that must be addressed in every discussion of the Trumpian disaster is that he represents a failing 2-party. democracy.
Trump, his manager McConnell, and the cowardly Republicans in Congress must all be thrown from office for the sake of our nation.
14
@Jefflz
“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.”
― Thomas Jefferson
4
Ms. Dowd,
It is an exercise in futility trying to , as The Ramones famously sang "beat on the brat with a baseball bat."
The only win for Speaker Pelosi and Congressional Democrats is to out maneuver a political way out of this shut down debacle. This will entail political sensibilities along with incorporating some of the tendencies that both fathers instilled in their offspring.
Sadly we are not seeing that yet from Speaker Pelosi and one must contemplate, how much longer can 800,000 federal workers hold out?
Speaker Pelosi should consider taking a page out of the Lewis Howe's playbook.
“Get clear on what you want. Then find the people to support you to get it.”
That support is clearly on the other side of the aisle.
1
But hold on. Trump has won again. His Wall gambit and government shutdown isn't even an issue. It's his "Look over here!" magic trick to divert America and the media away from the massive, earth-moving groundswell coming when Mueller unveils the truth.
Keep your eyes on the ball - It's all about Russia.
9
It's a shame that so many Americans have never learned that character is destiny.
5
The GOP has tried to demonize Nancy Pelosi because she is everything Republicans and Trump are not—principled, service-minded, and good at governance. Instead, the real demons live inside the Senate and particularly within the mindset of the amoral Mitch McConnell, who sacrifices his nation at the altar of the corrupt Republican Party. Of course the most demonic of all is Donald Trump, who sells out his country to its greatest adversary to line his own pockets, exchanging his metaphorical 30 pieces of silver for American security and Americana’s safety and well-being. Nancy Pelosi is the right person at the right time to thwart Trump. To Ms. Dowd’s point, no one with her moral or political authority has ever stood up and told the devil bully “No.”
10
You deprive him of the attention he craves. The media must stop giving him a bullhorn. I am past the breaking point and may have to go news free soon.
7
@LH Don't abandon ship yet my friend.
AS MLK once said.
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
4
This is a Wizard of Oz moment.Time to pull back the curtain and expose the "all powerful Oz/Trump" as the fraud he is, a cheap huckster who can't govern, who makes fake promises to cater to his nativist base, and who has not the slightest concern for the people of this country or the Constitution he swore to uphold, which he violates daily. Break his hold on power and do it now!
10
I wrote a letter to the Kentucky chamber of commerce yesterday stating that I would be boycotting all KY products and canceling any future travel plans to the state until McConnell does his job.
I recommend others do the same. We need to put the pressure on.
11
Pelosi has the same problem with Trump that she had with W.
It is this;
“The person who cares the least controls the relationship.”
Anyone that has been in a relationship with someone they cared about knows this.
In 2006-7 America finally voiced its opinion about the Iraq war (after 3 years of lies). They wanted a change in policy and voted the Dems in with big numbers. George W Bush noted the need for change, but instead of withdrawing he implemented the surge: more troops not less.
The problem was there wasn’t enough money allocated for a surge. No problem Bush thought - if the Dems in congress want to abandone the troops that’s their problem.
You see, Bush was counting on the Dems to care more about our troops than he did. He held the troops in ransom - a way to extort an increase in funding for the $3 trillion sink hole of Iraq. And in time the Dems in congress under Nancy allocated the money.
Trump is doing the same thing with the federal government. It’s a perfect issue for him because he doesn’t care - moreover - Putin wants him to destroy the federal government so he’s doing his master’s bidding as well. There is nothing he cares about in that scrape.
The art of the deal is dishonesty, er ...
The art of the deal is have no ethics, er...
The art of the deal is to be willing to walk away from any deal, that is to say -
the art of the deal is to care less than the other person.
None of this works out good for the United States’ people.
11
@Tim Kane I think that is call co-dependency and our politics of the last forty years have been dictated by it.
3
Yep, when Trump said he could relate to furloughed workers, I was livid. I grew up poor and remember going with my mom from grocery store to grocery store as she tried to get my dad's worthless paycheck cashed every Friday. He worked for the crooked owner of a paving company that eventually went bankrupt. Everyone in town knew the company had no money in the bank. But there was always a store clerk who would take pity on us and cash the check anyway, probably lying to their boss later that they didn't know better. In the summer, Dad worked 14 hour days and came home with salt, from sweating, dried on his jeans. In the winter, he always got laid off due to the weather and had to collect unemployment. Donald Trump is an ignorant fool and that would be okay except he is holding us ALL hostage with this intolerable presidency.
1310
@carla Record employment including all time record minority employment. Record receipts to US Treasury, revitalized military, Manufacturing jobs returning to US, incomes rising faster then inflation. Your Dad should have switched jobs or moved his family to another State, or how about other members of the family getting part time jobs? Your story just doesn't add up but that is how it is with liberals, feelings over facts.
8
@carla
Trump has at least visited construction sites, something that Pelosi has never done.
9
@ebmem
Trump is in the construction business. Of course he has visited construction sites.
Meanwhile Trump has filed for bankruptcy six times; also something that Pelosi has never done.
238
A clear and cogent comparison between the daughter of a public servant who taught her to honor public service and the son of a crooked businessman who taught him the tricks of cheating and scamming. Pelosi has learned well and I think in her Donald Trump has finally met his match. I look forward to her continuing to stand her ground in the service of the American people and teaching Trump a lesson he should have learned many years ago. And I admire that she conducts herself in a professional way--not by anger and tantrum. She is a good role model for young women.
1551
@Barbara - A good role model for all, men included.
127
@Barbara Nancy Pelosi is a good role model for all of us, boys and girls and dare I say us adults.
105
@Frank Heneghan You cannot be serious. She says she is a devot Catholic but is for abortion at any time. She also spent her Christmas vacation in Hawaii $1,000 night room. She really is for the little guy correct? How about she stay in a $500 room and donate the rest to the family of the policeman in CA killed by the illegal? No mention of their plight.
9
When any leader’s political philosophy gains the power of infallible religious truth in their mind, compromise with opponents becomes impossible.
When a politician’s hierarchy of personal values places the vice of unfettered ambition, personal pride, and messianic mission, the people must lose. When any political party’s unconditional victory is joined to the humiliation of opponents in defeat, then democratic republican government degenerates into war that can only end in unconditional surrender.
In the American nation state with diversity of region, economy, race, religion, ethnicitity, social mores, and wealth, such an internecine war based on non-negotiable fundemental values can have no partisan victor. Indeed, it guarantees that such protacted conflict threatens the very nation both sides of the war took an oath to protect.
It is well to remember, in this situation, that the hyper-partisan conflicts among politicians mirror the same conflicted values in their partisan constituents.
If ,as a people, we continue to elect politicians whom we expect will seek to impose our conflicted tribal values on the entire hetergeneous nation, then even our party wins the conflict of the moment that we insist is existential, we will ultimately lose the essence of our democratic republic. That basis is and always has been unpleasant but necessary compromise.
Nancy Pelosi encouraged her grandson to use his earnings not for himself, but for victims of disasters. A lesson in compassion.
Trump, on the other hand, wants to take money from disaster victims and use it for the disaster that is his promised border wall. An illustration of selfishness to the extreme.
3706
@NM -- to the president, "public service" means service to him. It's strictly a one-way street.
He threw towels to hurricane victims in Puerto Rico and in the midst of California's worst raging inferno he blamed firefighters for not doing their jobs.
The president and his Republican enablers, including Mitch McConnell, are all drawing their pay while millions of Americans are left to fend for themselves. Empathy is not in the president's DNA, nor his party's, for that matter.
428
@NM - His vanity project will destroy Monarch butterfly habitat which can never be replaced:
https://www.npr.org/2018/12/03/673022628/south-texas-butterfly-sanctuary-threatened-by-trumps-border-wall
and:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/butterfly-sanctuary-border-wall_us_5c0a942ae4b0b6cdaf5ebc5c
No one person has such a right; even if the project is stopped after Clueless 45* departs, the preliminaries of destroying the habitat won't be reversible.
262
All good points, my friend. I think too of Trump's perverse notion of "sacrifice." He just glibly put words in the mouths of those financially hurt by the shutdown, declaring that many of them would sacrifice their livelihoods to help the cause of his border wall. Then there was his outrageous claim that his own life's sacrifices had been comparable to that of the Khan family.
The common denominator, as you point out, is that everything begins and ends with himself. Thanks, as always, for writing.
137
Any unpaid government workers renting from the
Kushner's? The rent is due on the first.
11
Trumps wealth came inherited and from Real-estate development and Deals, Nancy not so much but she is very wealthy herself and comes from Politics makes you wonder why politics can be so rewarding financially look at the Clintons life time politicians and control an incredible fortune?
2
Trump is learning the lesson taught to all of us--mostly descendants of immigrants in the USA--when we were children. If you are mean to others, no one will help you when you inevitably need some assistance. Trump is alone in the White House because he alienates everyone who is working for the greater good, and not just the benefit of the Trump brand. Trump is stuck in an awful mess, and Pelosi has no obligation to help him. Let the Dealmaker find his way out through his "best words." (Good luck with that.)
14
@Michael V.
The deal is simple and obvious:
a) the GOP President replaces Justice Ginsburg with his Democratic predecessor's liberal choice, Merrick Garland,
... in exchange for
b) the Democratic Congressional leaders signing legislation that provides all of the President's requested border security measures, in their entirety.
A for B.
A balanced Supreme Court for at least a generation, in exchange for an end to illegal immigration.
That's progress.
That's the American way of compromise.
Let's see whether our political class - of BOTH PARTIES - has the wisdom and the courage to make this obvious and simple win-win compromise proposal a reality.
2
@Michael V. Trump brings happiness nowhere he goes, outside of his own circuit of properties.
@T-Bone
How does replacing RBG with MG change the balance in the Supreme Court?
1
Let's hope in the next election in 2020 voters learn to pay more attention to character, honesty, fairness, compassion, their values, and understanding other people's perspective. And, now that I think about it, how the candidates were raised as children--thanks to the NYT articles on Donald's upbringing and Maureen's contrast between Pelosi and Trump today.
Character matters, but we must figure out why 35-40% of voters in this country voted for and continue to support a man with no conscience, no character, who is highly dishonest, has terrible judgment, and demonstrates cruelty to others, including small children.
18
@PB
Although I strongly agree with the idea that character matters, there is far more a responsible, thoughtful citizen must consider than just “candidate personality evaluation” when casting their vote.
The current crisis in our country is not on our southern border. It’s in the Oval Office. Mr. Trump’s lack of character and concern for others are certainly problematic. However, the fact that he’d never held elected office, lacked experience in public service, lacked knowledge relevant to office he sought, openly disrespected his Republican primary opponents... All of these factors should have disqualified him from consideration.
Voting for an abrasive, abusive, loud-mouthed, unqualified demagogue in the hope he’ll “stir things up” is the height of irresponsible citizenship.
Looking forward to 2020, not only do we need to nominate candidates of sound character, those candidates should be supported by parties that provide them with clear platform statements on which to run. We need candidates willing to provide us with specific plans, with a vision as to how they will address the problems we face.
We have suffered through enough elections where the candidates evaded specifics in the hope of not losing votes by taking a strong position.
One thing is clear. Change must be made at every level of the political process to insure that no candidate as ignorant, immoral and unqualified as Donald Trump is ever again elected POTUS.
The needed changes begin with us, the American voters.
5
Trump stiffs contractors and hides undocumented workers. Is it a surprise he stiffs government workers by the shutdown?
28
I don't understand why that kid can't have an X-box.
4
Maybe the kid can't have the X-Box because their are people in the world that need things more important to life than an X-Box to an affluent kid. Besides, the kid earned $1,000. How much is an X-Box?
But is Nancy going to make America great again?
Trump is a spoiled brat, and, just as he promised, he's running the country like one of his businesses, which likely means bankruptcy for all of us. Trump's shutdown is just another of his self-serving, Russia-enriching attacks on America. The truly unsung villain, however, is Mitch McConnell, who, for some reason, has chosen to forget what his constitutional role is as majority leader of the Senate. What checks? What balances? To whom, besides himself, is Mitch loyal?
21
@KJW
Thank you for mentioning McConnell, a villain who deserves more recognition for his careless regard for his country and its values, for politics rather than government.
If he runs for re-election in 2020, I am going to construct lemonade stands all over the country to earn money to send people to Kentucky to work against him.
5
The path to resolution is simple - three simultaneous events:
Justice Ginsburg retires.
Pres. Trump sends Circuit Court Judge Merrick Garland to the Senate for approval to replace Justice Ginsburg.
Speaker Pelosi and her fellow Democrats pass legislation funding the wall and all the other border security items in their entirety.
Sum:
No amnesty for illegals ...
+ real border security and an end to illegal immigration ...
+ a balanced Supreme Court for another generation ...
= PROGRESS and an enormous win for America.
7
To be clear, we should agree on No _ADDITIONAL_ amnesties for illegals.
Remember, we have them amnesty in 1986 - and it was a complete disaster that caused our entire political class to try to fix the problem in the mid-1990s under Clinton's bipartisan commission headed by the liberal champion, Congresswoman Barbara Jordan.
Pres. Reagan later said that signing the 1986 Amnesty bill was "the stupidest thing I ever did in politics."
Barbara Jordan said that illegal immigration was outrageous, not to be tolerated, and in saying this she was supported and seconded by every single leading Democrat during the ten years after the bipartisan reform commission's report was issued.
Illegal immigration by single males is a disaster.
Illegal immigration en masse by families with small children is a crisis that must be resolved, immediately, with the strongest possible border security measures.
Einstein defined insanity as doing the same (stupid) thing repeatedly in the expectation of a different result.
We've done amnesty. It was a fiasco.
Never again. No more amnesties.
End this madness. Border security now.
Whatever Trump and the GOP need to trade for this outcome - including giving the Democrats their preferred Supreme Court pick to replace Ginsburg - they must do it. Now.
End the idiocy of tolerating and encouraging illegal immigration.
End this scourge.
6
@T-Bone
Let’s end the idiocy of placing irrational racist fear at the top of our national list of priorities.
As a nation, we currently face far more pressing problems.
3
@Tom W
Please stop with the lies and red herrings. This has nothing - zero, zip, nada - to do with race. Illegal immigration hurts ALL RACES in this country, which is one of the reasons that Congresswoman Barbara Jordan - and then-Sen. Barack Obama - both described illegal immigration as outrageous and intolerable.
This is about the destruction of our public schools, hospitals, communities and generous social provision due to a tsunami of impoverished illegal immigrants.
3
If I believed in the power of prayer, I'd be on my knees pleading for Mitch McConnell to be "called home" ASAP. Since I'm not religious, I can only cross my fingers.
6
How do you discipline a 72 year old brat?
Call me old fashioned, but I'd say handcuffs.
28
Ahh the romance of the New Deal, the Mayor Curly in his best turkey giving days....the narrative of the Gangs of New York, sans the gangs. No Joe Kennedy here....No noblesse....Just A Wonderful Baltimore Life
Fred Trump using a tax scheme used by so many for so long but who is counting. Fred ruined Donald and Donald is ruining us. But Nancy is the Clifford Odets kitchen heroine .....
I have no hesitation in disliking Trump but we are into screenplays that would not be bought....
2
"But how do you discipline the world’s brattiest 72-year-old?"
Impeaching him for treason would be a start.
13
Just impeach this guy already. Enough is enough.
9
And in examining Trump's background, let us not forget his mentor, Roy Cohn.
14
Bratty? Such an anodyne term? Makes him seem so harmless. This man is very very clever in the nastiest way possible.
9
here's another. Little Tommy gave his money to fire victims while Trump's idea of charity is getting people to donate to his foundation which he used as a personal piggy bank
9
Nancy Pelosi will be remarkable Woman of time. If she fight off attacks White House President Donald Trump every day tantrum. If figure out Donald lies. I believe by now he not aware of his lying.
His fantasies building Wall who expense .America People. Nancy Pelosi will be best chair of House Representative.
If slay Dragon in White House. Save the Republic.
4
She was cute!
the trumps were and are ardent racists and white supremacists.they were and are crooks. trump makes a perfect complement to the russian oligarchs for which he works.
12
Not sure if there was a specific when or why she said it, but I can still hear my mother's voice in my head, saying "Always help those who can't help themselves before helping yourself." I was raised in an Irish Catholic Democrat-voting union-loving household where Harry S Truman and John F. Kennedy were revered. We had it drilled into us that being of service was far more important than self-aggrandizement which is why I can relate to Nancy, but Donald -- a complete void of a human being, I cannot even begin to comprehend the guiding principles of his life.
8
@Jennene Colky: Donald delights in the esteem of toadies he provides with opportunities to rake off from dubious schemes. I hope Michael Cohen doesn't meet with a poisoned doorknob before he appears to testify to Congress about Trump's MO.
5
Thank you Nancy. There is still hope in the Land of Plenty.
6
Nancy Pelosi is an adult, unlike the rows of minions that stand behind the trump. He does not like to be told no and he will throw tantrum after tantrum to get his way, even if hundreds of thousands of people are suffering because of it. That was his father's way and he was a faithful pupil.
I hope that Mrs. Pelosi will continue to tell the Brat in Chief no, until he finally gives up. That will be a first in his life, for sure.
7
A big reason for Trump‘s intransigence over the Wall: He doesn’t want to appear bested by a 78-year old woman. Speaker Pelosi is absolutely right, this is a “manhood thing” for him.
13
If Trump supporters would read, and if the news media concentrated on what Trump actually does as opposed to what he tweets, they would learn that since taking office, Trump has spend 25% of his time at one of his 17 golf properties. That’s 154 visits between Jan. 20, 2017 and Sept. 1, 2018. There are no stats yet for his golf trips since last September because the media has stopped counting. Those trips that have been counted cost American taxpayers $77 million, more than Mueller has spent on the Russia investigation. This includes flights on Air Force One, accomodations and overtime pay for his Secret Service detail and others who travel with him (he charges the Secret Service for meals and rooms at his golf clubs) and $300,675 in golf cart rentals alone. He also spends 50% of his time watching TV. So he actually works only a quarter of his time, and much of that “work” is actually campaigning, bloviating and lying to the American public.
16
First off; one upping the Donald isn't that hard. The problem is that neither he or his followers care.
Second; can we all agree that for 30 years neither the Republican Party nor the Democratic Party has been willing to articulate a position that is workable or even consistent with their party platforms. The DNC platform which supports amnesty for those “without proper documentation” but is silent on what to do with future arriving “undocumented” immigrants which undercuts any claim that “(t)he Democratic Party supports legal immigration, within reasonable limits.” While the GOP platform position is largely a tirade, with the only concrete position that legal immigration should be limited to less than one million per year, which is inconsistent with their pledge to support the US economy. US Census projections show the share the population that is of working age falling by 10% over the next 40 years using an immigration rate much higher that what the GOP is proposing.
Third; When all others are sitting on their hands there is something attractive about someone waving theirs. General Custer became famous for taking action; incompetent action, but action. Trump is taking action.
Fourth; just as the Republican obstructionist behavior during the Obama administration won few if any converts from the Democrats, the Democrat's “Just say no” posturing won’t gain any support from centrist Republicans.
Fade to “Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right,”
1
Okay, but where are the Democrat Senators this weekend? In their offices or in caucus working on ending this shutdown? Doubt it. They have "staff" to do this. The Senators just show up for photo ops or to go on cable news shows telling us what we already know. Their biggest pressing concern appears to be how many of them can stand behind Shumer and still be in the shot.
3
@Eric
The Repubs had all the power last 2 years why didn’t they caucus and give Donnie his wall? They are weak ineffective twits!
5
A recent Times scoop asks whether Donald "knowingly or unwittingly" was a Russian asset.
That's a legal question, but for our national security and for party politics, it does not matter. Either way, the Russians are in the driver's seat.
When the house is burning down, the cause of the fire is academic. Let's get this guy out of the White House first and do the psychoanalysis later.
4
I enjoyed this article, until the final, unnecessary comment on Pelosi “mothering” trump. Pelosi is a mother, and that’s fine. But can we admire her for a ton of other accomplishments and not just her biology? She’s a 2-time Speaker, a fabulous organizer, and smart as any newbie in Congress. And I would welcome her as the first female President as soon as the corrupt crook who’s holding us all hostage is perp-walked to a jail cell.
15
Extortion is the legacy of Fred & Roy Cohn's mentoring. Pelosi refuses to submit to extortion, but many wish for a compromise settlement. Alas- a compromise makes extortion effective. It negates negotiation as the process for congressional policy differences.
Trump thinks thug style should replace representative democracy; it's all he knows. The burden is now on Senate republicans to defend the Republic.
3
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy in 2016: 'There’s two people I think Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump'
Los Angeles Times, May 17, 2017
The republicans have known all along that trump was under Putin's control.
What does that make them?
9
Pelosi is comfortable in who and what she is and is outward focused on others, her party, and the country. Her experienced judgment is contrasting well these days against Trump.
Trump is largely the product of his own 24-hour-a-day spin and image-building efforts to paper over the empty, pathologically insecure, and failed poor excuse for a human being who soothes himself by playing the little dictator.
Everything about Trump is fraudulent, including his hit "Apprentice" show that gained him many of his Trump cult celebrity fans.
An recent article in the New Yorker discloses how Trump's judgment on the show about who should "win" was deeply flawed, and the editors of the show spent hours pasting together bits of film to try to demonstrate how this person "won," because that person did not appear to be the winner to the rest of the staff on the show--much like the White House staff does now backtracking and reframing what Trump says and does.
While on the "Apprentice" Trump liked to be shown getting in and out of limos and airplanes as if were a very important rich person--and how many videos do we see today with Trump doing the same thing as POTUS?
Trump also liked to escort the Apprentice contestants around his glitzy, garish properties. Fran Lebowitz commented Trump is a poor person's idea of what a rich person is.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/01/07/how-mark-burnett-resurrected-donald-trump-as-an-icon-of-american-success
3
I am the same age as Nancy Pelosi and grew up within a few blocks of her in Baltimore. It was a blue-collar neighborhood, and I remember her father well. He was very popular. I have never thought of her as a wild-eyed lefty extremist. She inherited the New Deal ethos of her father, who would have recognized a kindred spirit in the new Speaker. The Republicans demonized her. Too bad many people believe them.
10
Beautifully written. you lay out the difference between Mr. 'Me My & I' and Ms. " think of those in need before yourself." Those lessons are laid in us when we are children, and if not done you raise a spoiled brat like Mr. Trump!
3
Awesome article- well done! How do we get rid of the brat destroying our great nation.? The fluke president stole the lection with Vlad’s help. He has no governance skill as reflected by chaos and corruption by his swamp. Congress must investigate and expose all of the crimes by him and his cronies.
1
Once again I am in awe of just how deeply America’s plutocracy is invested in public juvenile delinquency. Rich people who invest in nihilism have a death wish.
3
McConnell seems bullet-proof to the media. He does outrageous and unconstitutional things and the press shrugs. Why? Where are the "investigative journalists"? Something smells really bad here.
6
To Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Schumer:
Ignore Trump. Let him stew in his own filth. Do not attend any "negotiation" meetings unless and until Trump re-opens government. Just sit there. Do nothing.
Just keep repeating "re-open government", until he does!
Just say NO to everything until he does.
6
Yes, Donnie is a truly disgusting individual--but that doesn't makes Nancy's would-be policies right for America.
The Democrats think so much in terms of "we" that they leave no room for "I," and about half the country thinks more in terms of "I" rather than "we." So long as Democrats insist on trying to tailor the country exclusively to "we" they're going to continue to alienate the millions of "I" people.
Donnie is an "I" guy; Nancy a "we" woman, and to understand the modern American schism you have to understand that, as disgusting as Trump is, we can trust him (we think) to defend the idea that individual freedom, economic and otherwise, is a paramount consideration for millions of us. Nancy, on the other hand, has no apparent interest in individual freedom.
Sorry, but millions of us are far more interested in our Xboxes than we are in the victims of Hurricane Harvey or the California wildfires, and self-righteous scolding from Nancy isn't going to change that--even if, perhaps especially if, she manages to turn her self-righteousness into law.
69
@Henry Miller
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Notice it starts with, “We.” The “I” people in this country need to understand that we are all in this together.
492
@Henry Miller, I quite agree with your characterization of Nancy Pelosi, and Democrats generally, as proponents of we, & it's the way I generally describe the differences between Republicans and Democrats. Democrats are, indeed, the party of 'we', while Republicans are the party of 'me.' What I don't understand is why your takeaway is that the party of 'we' does not respect the idea of individual liberty. Just the opposite.
The idea of the individual as a part of the community, the group, and of the right of that individual within the group to have the benefit of choice of action that the group works to ensure benefits a maximum number of people does not mean freedom is diminished. It is enhanced.
When Democrats advocate for 'a woman's right to choose' it's the choice that is the issue. Each individual is free to make their own choice as to how to handle reproductive health.
When Democrats want to ensure protections for consumers, as the original CFPB did, against predatory lending practices, that is to ensure that individuals have the options - the choice, again - to pursue their capitalist dreams while not being financially raped by lending institutions.
Not sure, but I'll bet Nancy's grandson has his X-Box, & I hope he learned something about giving to people in desperate straits. I don't see how that translates to anyone forcing someone into not having an x-box, or not starting a lemonade stand.
I'll stick with Nancy. I'd rather have help than be a stubborn island.
476
@Henry Miller I suggest you watch 60 Minutes tonight and the story on on AI and automation, which is expected to displaced 40% of the world's workers in the near future and we think the wall will protect us and our " individual" freedoms?
Enjoy arguing your laissez faie and neoliberal economic polices with Alexsa over that one my friend.
153
These biographies of Trump and Pelosi reveal exactly what makes them tick. Where are the biographies of Mitch, Lindsay, McCarthy and their Republican cabal? What drives them beside power and allegiance to their donors? Like their master, it is clearly not their quest to uphold the tenets of our Constitution for the good of its citizens.
5
I'm having a hard time understanding why the banks holding mortgages, and credit card companies, haven't stepped up and said, "If you're a furloughed federal employee, we'll give you a break -- no interest accruing in this time; and no penalties or late fees assessed." HOW HARD would that be?
How KIND and GENEROUS would that be?
How thoughtful of landlords to float the renters during this time.
Honestly. Where is our humanity?
12
Just like a Democrat -- someone shows initiative, goes out, works hard earns money, and a leftie shows up and says, "you have to give that to someone else."
In this case, the kid has no worries anyway, since his family is very wealthy. So he can give away all he worked for and still have plenty. And the recipients are worthy.
But the principle holds.
2
@Kathleen880 I'll bet you drive out your driveway and happily run your car on our Interstate Highway that we hard working people worked for with our taxes. Perhaps your favorite corporation will run its 18 wheeler on that same highway tearing up the asphalt. Then you'll all cry 'boo hoo' when we ask you to pay some taxes to keep it all up and running so that those 'somebody elses' can use it too. Taxes are the price we pay for civilization and yes, the principle still holds.
25
How can you make it negative that Pelosi encouraged her grandchild to donate to victims? What a wonderful thing to do! Should he have used the money for a self portrait?
6
No, it is called to those who much has been given, much is expected.
9
Interesting how Pelosi went from becoming a pariah just a couple of years ago (which was never right or justified) to now suddenly a popular person when compared against Trump.
8
The Con Don is trying to destroy OUR government. He is trying to "prove" it doesn't work.
Like the neighborhood bully who always tries to blame someone else.
Didn't Ms. Dowd refer to this as "palace intrigue"? The Con Don is no "king". HE WORKS FOR US - not the International Mafia who manipulated OUR voting systems to implant him in OUR white house.
Good People in power in OUR political/legal/military/secret service systems who do not want to see OUR United States of America - and the world - destroyed must step up and put The Con Don, Minister Pence and Traitor Mitch McConnell under citizens arrest and hold them for prosecution and imprisonment for life for trying to destroy OUR America.
NOW is the time.
7
Pelosi, Schumer and the NYTs have lost their minds. A triumph of the neo con anti Russia hysteria factory are at it again. They are using the news media to sell the story that Trump is a Russian agent. Dowd's story of the creation Trump real estate empire based on slimy business dealings has been oft been told. The NYTs love affair with Pelosi is juxtaposed with the rightful scorn of the rise of Trump from rip off millionaire to President of the US, is a supremely cautionary tale of American democracy. Pelosi the queen of the 800 super delegate take over of the Democrats and the hell bent for leather neglect of Clinton's obvious weaknesses. Added to this the FBI never Trump failed coup. Which the Horowitz report showed in shining colors. Added to the relentless pursuit of the anti Russia hysteria. So sweet Nancy is up to her eye teeth in Democratic efforts to keep the US all over the world pursuing the neo con dream of US hegemony and destruction of Putin. But Trump and his idiotic gov't shutdown and its suffering inflicted on gov't workers and the loss of gov't services is so screwed up.
1
@c harris Well that's a quality rant and all, with much to offer, but Bernie was gonna lose with or without the super delegates. He got millions of less votes. He lost. Take out the caucus states (which favor extremists/partisans, by nature), and make all states either open or closed primaries and he'd still have lost. This "Bernie was robbed" narrative is ridiculous. Get over it. Frankly I'm more concerned with how easy it was to make the Bernie-or-busters re-tweet, re-post, and endlessly share anti-Hillary memes made by some Russian troll farmer. Having an eventual searchable database of those posts would be sobering, I expect. The hard left was conned, plain and simple.
3
Excellent illustration of the terms ‘sesquipedalian’ and ‘grandiloquence.’
2
The shadow our parents cast on our lives follows us to the end.
My mother was German. I never forgot a story she told me. She came from a large family, who although not well off, were taught to share with those who were less fortunate. In the Spring in her town of Mudersbach bands of gypsies would pass through with their wagons. Every year, my grandmother would tell little Rosie (my mom) to go down to the valley and stream where they were camped to invite a family to dinner. I still, today, picture my mom as a child going through the woods down to the stream on her mission to show some kindness to people who were less fortunate.
11
How do you discipline the world’s brattiest 72-year-old? Simple, discipline the world's brattiest 76-year-old, Mitch McConnell. Senate Majority Leader McConnell needs to allow the US Senate to vote their veto proof bipartisan legislation that will fund the government. While bratty Donald is to blame for the shutdown the media needs to equally blame McConnell for usurping the work of the US Senate and the will of the American people. Instead of allowing the vote, McConnell is using the same warped logic he used to obstruct President Obama's judicial appointments. McConnell bears as much blame for the shutdown as Trump---it is time for the media to recognize this fact.
1787
@Zdude
Yes, with McConnell's Senate Shutdown, he keeps Trump's Shutdown going. How is it that criminals like this run our country?
94
@Zdude
John Karl, ABC Chief WH correspondent, shocked This Week host George Stephanopoulos this AM when responding to a NYT story on Trump being a Russian agent. Karl said: "When Mueller issues his final report it will be anti-climatic." He continued "my sources indicate that there has not been any evidence of collusion nor obstruction."
Then when commenting on the WAPO story on Trump-Putin transcripts missing, Karl indicated "Trump has had many similar meetings with other world leaders." He downplayed any implication of wrong doing, stunning again George.
14
@Zdude
No question that the point is well-taken re: McConnell's culpability in the shutdown. But let's stop referring to Trump as a brat. Even the brattiest people have some degree of intelligence and understanding of things. Trump is mentally ill, as evidenced by his short attention-span, narcissism, inability to understand anything beyond the simplistic, lack of empathy, pathological lying, etc., etc., etc. For the Democrats to attempt to negotiate with someone like this is futile. The Trumpdown is a testament to the idea that one man truly can destroy our government -- because that precisely is what Trump is doing -- far better & to a greater degree than Putin ever could have imagined.
68
Excellent column.
The really unfortunate aspect of all of this is that Trump supporters share his character traits, and I suppose that's why they are Trump supporters. Not to name names (ho ho), but Limbaugh, Hannity, Coulter and my brother-in-law are Trump-like.
We are not yet a nation of bullies, but we're getting close.
10
@GMoore: What a cold fish Pompeo is.
The US has a love-hate relationship with bullies. The ones who talk softly but carry a big stick are the most revered.
Ugh, Every 4 years, she hates the Democrat nominee, and loves the Republican nominee. Then, after the election she will endlessly criticize the winner, no matter the party. Her constant screeds against Obama and Clinton helped elect Trump.
20
I so agree. Does Dowd take credit for electing Trump? Journalistic ethics are involved here.
2
Whatever you think of Nancy Pelosi, Big Tommy taught her well. The only woman to be elected Speaker of the House, not once but twice! Ushered through Obamacare without a single Republican vote, eight years later, Democrats took back the House primarily on the basis of defending Obamacare. Boehner and Ryan can't hold a candle to her. When will ever see another female speaker of the house? Amazing
17
Given the track record of racial injustice and segregationist policies in Baltimore—many of which were exacerbated during the 1950s—I don’t think Big Tommy deserves sainthood. Yes, the Trumps are despicable, but this article is very selective in what it chooses to discuss.
4
What I have learned from the rise of Trump is just how corruptible Americans are. Trump's followers know quite well how corrupt Trump has been in his life but they didn't care. They elected him to be corrupt on their behalf. They sold their souls for a tax cut and for a chance to keep America white dominated. It is depressing to realize that this is not the country I thought it was. It will take a long time to recover from the poison that Trump has mined from the hearts of Americans. If ever.
17
But how do you discipline the world’s brattiest 72-year-old? You fire him (by impeachment).
14
The Republican leadership has known about Trump and his potentially being a Russian Agent since 2017; or before, and they still cover up for him, are they loyal to America or to the Kremlin?
12
When are people going to stop playing the game with Trump, it's not a game, this is looking like Armageddon. People talk about Trump being delusional, we're being delusional to think Trump's behavior isn't going to get even worse and more destructive. Seriously, what are the GOP members getting out of this, when it's so obvious this President is hurting our country possibly beyond repair. DO SOMETHING !!
13
The Trump/McConnell shutdown of the Government is not about personalities or upbringing.
The Trump/McConnell shutdown is about diverting attention from Trump's Mueller criminal investigation and conviction of Trump's close associates and about McConnell protecting the loot from the tax cuts.
Trump and McConnell are despicable traitors.
23
An entertaining and well-founded piece, as we can observe from the empirical evidence. My only complaint regarding Ms. Dowd's spot-on analysis is the final description of Individual-1 as "the brattiest", which doesn't do justice to the amount or degree of venal and corrupt activity undertaken (or ignored) by this "president" and his henchpersons.
8
So happy to hear that Donald Jr. believes that walls work. With Mr. Mueller's help, Junior may soon find himself behind Leavenworth's.
17
Why not use the wall as a bargaining chip? Offer it in return for a citizenship path for the 11 plus million undocumented folks who've been living and working here for many years?
If Trump refuses he looks bad, and the Dems look good. Calling the wall "immoral" and refusing to negotiate just makes both sides look intransigent.
Yes Trump created this "crisis," but why not use his resultant shutdown to try achieving something worthwhile -- comprehensive immigration reform. Negotiate! Even if you fail, at least you'll look reasonable, while he looks (Surprise!) infantile.
2
@Ira Brightman
Where have you been? Trump offered amnesty to all the so called dreamers in exchange for a barrier, even those who had not signed up under DACA. The Democrats rejected it. A larger general amnesty is a non starter. It will reward lawbreakers and encourage more. Reagan fell for that. The amnesty happened; border control did not.
I’m not a a Trump fan but an independent. I do pay attention and I have a long memory.
1
If only Nancy Pelosi were a New Deal Democrat like her father.
2
How do you discipline the world’s brattiest 72-year-old? Jail.
9
How do you discipline our infant in chief? You vote him, and all his Republican enablers, out of office, then indict him for his treason, tax fraud, and obstruction of justice...
12
I work for family-owned, manufacturing business. The owners are, to say the least, financially successful and yet humble. They and all the employees have worked hard over the years to make it a successful enterprise. They are also incredibly kind and generous. They are charitable and deeply involved in the communities where we have operations. They are, the real McCoy. They are honest and fair. They have compassion and when the company does well, they share that wealth with the workers and the community. They engage in "genuine" enterprise. They are the antithesis of the sniveling, whiny, privileged brat, Donald Trump. Unfortunately, he is but one example of the many uber-wealthy creeps who now hold power in the U.S. For them, everything is "transactional" which basically reduces everyone to liabilities on their balance sheet universe. I have no idea what is on people's minds when they support or admire people like Donald Trump. How can they believe that someone who never worked an honest day in his life could actually lead something as complicated as the U.S. government?
2887
@mrfreeze6
My sentiments exactly!
I have been privileged in my lifetime (and most recently) to work for two similar companies where company ethics have rewarded employees who in turn, gave back a hundredfold.
228
Mr. Freeze, I have grappled with this question for two years: how could Trump, an empty suit unfit to shine Obama's shoes, attract the votes needed to become President?
Obviously there is no simple answer. Russian hacking surely played a role as did the dysfunctional electoral college, as well as the desperate economic straits in which so many find themselves. Yet I've come to conclude that many of the millions of voters, including millions of college educated voters, including millions of college educated women, voted for Trump (or stayed home on election day) because they are so put off by the left. I do not mean the liberal center, those focused on individual rights and liberties. I mean the rigid, intolerant, illiberal left that makes clear that it cares only about the interests of some races and one gender, rather than focusing on the interests of the working and middle economic classes, as well as the individual person as such. In effect, as Andrew Sullivan recently observed on Bill Maher, the left undermines the Democrats by making clear to whites (especially white men, but also the white women who care about some white men), that they do not want their votes.
I hope the left stops it.
36
@John
You've just slandered the left, unintentionally no doubt. You let a small part of the left hide the main part from you.
104
Like Nancy learned from Big Tommy, I learned the importance of responsibility to one's community and neighbors from my Dad as well. Throughout his life he alway found a way to lift up those around him in whatever way he could. He rose from working as a runner for a Bank to eventually become a bank CEO and then Chairman of its Board. One of his rules applied to all the officers who worked for his bank was to find at least one charity or social agency you care about and become a volunteer. He believed that everyone had the capacity and responsibility to make a difference in their community. When he eventually died hundreds turned out for his memorial service to express their thanks for how he had specifically helped them and their families. I was raised by him to exhibit that same sense of responsibility and compassion.
Let's all try to remember how important that sense of public service and compassion is as we consider the choice of our political leaders. Believe me it makes all the difference in the world.
It is much better and makes for a much better community and nation for us all if we spend time giving others "a leg up" and a boost when they need it instead of building walls to separate us from "the other."
683
@BruceC
Thanks for sharing this story about your father, Mr. C. I know of your father and that bank, but nice to learn something so personal and uplifting about him and your family.
40
I stand with Speaker Pelosi.
She understands that this insane fever of the feckless, quisling Republicans must be broken.
She understands that we are being held hostage by a corrupt, compromised president.
She understands that Article I of the Constitution establishes Congress and gives it the power to make laws. This makes it separate from the Executive Branch, which is established in Article II -- I believe Trump has never even read our Constitution and has no idea that the Executive Branch comes in at #2.
The Founding Fathers anticipated that there might be venal, corrupt president like Trump, who must be kept in check by the other branches of government.
Gouverneur Morris, who wrote the Constitution’s preamble, and future president James Madison were worried about a leader who would “pervert his administration into a scheme of peculation” — theft of public funds — “or oppression. He might betray his trust to foreign powers,” as Madison put it.
But I believe that the Founding Fathers never anticipated a leader of the Senate like McConnell, who is just as vile as Trump because McConnell has the power to actually check the president.
But that traitorous coward McConnell is in hiding and continues to destroy our Constitution, our norms, our rules of order, our very democracy.
Keep doing your job, Speaker Pelosi. You have more guts than all the Republicans in the Senate put together.
Unlike Trump and McConnell, you are a true American leader.
2486
@V Thank you for your deference to her immense importance to governance by referring to her by the well earned title, Speaker Pelosi. The "Chuck and Nancy" meme put out by Trump to diminish their positions has been picked up by the MSM and many others as if they are jokes. Speaker Pelosi, in particular, demonstrated in her previous term as speaker, her gift as a premier legislative leader.
Your entire comment is excellent.
133
@V
The best comment I have read in many a day.
Thank you.
When she says the wall is "immoral" - the metaphor is this: "wall" equals "Trump."
65
@VE
Everyday I find comfort in the fact that we have a person of Speaker Pelosi's many leadership qualities, as well as her integrity, in her position, to help us out of the abysmal situation we find ourselves in.
65
There are too many nails for all of the hammers to hit but you've made a very decent effort in trying to do this.
6
I'm now old enough to confront my opinions with a tempering sense of reality, humor and occasional gratitude:
It's not just because she's gorgeous (my earliest impression). It's not just because she's my "homey" (I'm also from Baltimore). It's not just because she is feared and hated by the worst elements of the GOP.
I'll admit that, to some extent, it is all of those things. But at the core of my admiration and appreciation for Ms. Pelosi is the contribution her public service career has made to what I think of as the Pelosi/Obama era.
Taken together, the success of their leadership has inspired an ethical awakening in U.S.culture that has ignited a growing rejection of the dual lies of racism and misogyny. And, their leadership has proven that decency, grasped and embraced, can take on a power of its own. That, I, believe, springs from the depth of their shared character and commitment to an insistence that Democracy means Everybody.
Hence, my gratitude and my hope.
23
When you are raised Catholic the emphasis is not only on God but what you can or should do for your 'neighbors' whether they live next door or across the globe. I can relate to the household she was brought up in.
Nancy and I have a moral compass. Trump is amoral. Fred evidently told DJT that he was the center of the world, everyone's world, and accountable to no-one, and probably included not even God in his peculiar homily.
10
@Andrea Landryand why can’t the evangelicals see that huge gap?
It's fascinating to watch Nancy Pelosi grow into the Speaker's role over these past two weeks. The first time around, I wasn't terribly impressed with her leadership - often she came across as a scold and an ineffective one at that.
Perhaps that's the difference between the Speaker and the inhabitant of the executive mansion - she can grow, he's locked into perpetual toddlerdom.
35
@Bobbie are you kidding? Passed Obamacare without any Republican votes changed healthcare forever in this country. Not effective? lol
4
@Bobbie, Nancy has not grown; she was always that way. I was living and working in Baltimore at the time this photo was taken. She was the darling of the town (more so than her father). She always had composure, patience, an ability to work with people, and a deep sense of morality.
3
Keep on targeting Trump it's great. In the meantime Mitch does things quietly and sets the real agenda behind the scenes.
Corker and flake are gone and the GOP have a senate majority that is likely to increase even more in 2020. Mitch knows, it's the Judiciary that counts.
17
@Mr Chang Shih An
The Republican leadership has known since 2017 that Trump was being investigated as a potential Russian Agent and they lied to the American people and covered it up. The GOP is the Enemy of the American people.
3
I will admit I've not always had a great opinion of Pelosi but the past couple of weeks I'm starting to see her very differently. Whereas some of the most prominent amongst the new crop of Dems seem to share some of Trump's worst traits (foul-mouthed, an obsession with Twitter, an inability to ignore criticism and a tendency towards adolescent responses), Pelosi is a welcome antidote - composed, focused, and quite frankly able to get in a dig without sounding like she just wandered away from the set of a reality T.V. show.
63
Now that we all know who Trump is, where he came from and all about his very low, if any, ethical and moral standards, it's time to make a deal. The government is shutdown, let's reset it to default mode by offering Trump an immunity deal to resign, immediately. Seriously, are we going to allow the country to suffer another two years of this trauma?
32
@CW Cross He has no incentive. He has always gotten away with everything so why would he agree to an immunity deal? He is 100% certain he can do whatever he wants and there will be no consequences because there never has been!
I'm not so sure he's wrong either. He has a lot of people protecting him. Hopefully, they will all be brought down one day.
21
@C M Lansmoor by the looks of things coming out, he will soon have incentive to cut a deal to resign...his incentive will be contained in the Mueller report. The nation holds it's collective breath, waiting for the issuance of that report.
11
@CW Cross
He will resign if his family business is threatened. All the probes are showing how vulnerable his precious brand is.
7
What was their respective relationship with their mother?
18
@RE Great question. Mothers of famous people are so often overlooked, although their influence is enormous.
9
thanks again for great work
7
We have a mechanism to resolve this standoff and it is called veto override
It is high time that every member of the house and senate vote whether government back to work and in a second bill whether to fully fund the whole wall
Our elected representatives should vote on the presidents agenda - the people have the right to know where they stand so we can vote accordingly.
This nonsense of not bringing bills up for a vote must stop
33
@Deirdre: McConnell nullifies the whole democratic process with his one man veto.
33
@Steve Bolger Sander Levin, long-time Michigan congressman, suggested upon his recent retirement, that we work to abolish the senate (obviously requiring a constitutional amendment, so the lift is very heavy-- but even talking about it sends a message). It's worth a thought. Most of the undemocratic, minority rule we have been experiencing these last several years is coming from the senate. Perhaps the problem is deeper than just Mitch (though Mitch does singlehandedly seem to be destroying democracy in our country).
6
@Deirdre
"Government back to work" is government building the wall.
" But how do you discipline the world’s brattiest 72-year-old?"
Perhaps a nice orange jumpsuit would provide a calming influence ...
42
And trump can have the FBI investigate every democrat in congress when he pleases so Nancy can be gone faster then Trump. the democrats have been predicting Trump will not last week since he got elected.
2
@plainleaf Actually, he can't. Nor have Dems been predicting "won't last a week" since election. I thought Trump would make a year and a half or so, originally, and now think mid-March makes sense....perhaps on the Ides themselves? It's a Friday this year, and that would be convenient for the weekend.
26
@plainleaf-- Requesting an investigation into his political opponents would be an egregious abuse of power, and Trump would face a range of consequences, including impeachment. Even the Republican party would turn away from such an action. It would finish Trump.
1
@plainleaf Gone by October 2019.
1
" ...they were all stumped."
Oops, should have actually watched the video, Maureen: the Donald got it right.
4
May you should watch the video. The Donald said 112, the correct answer was 102.
3
No, The Donald did not (17x6=102).
2
@Bill Lee You obviously did not watch the video all the way to the end!!
3
Perfectly contrasted, Ms. Dowd. You've done a public service with this editorial.
8
@EB It's not an editorial. It's an opinion column on the op-ed page. "Op-ed" means "opposite the editorial page." Editorials on the left page, opinions on the right, or so it used to be. An editorial voices the opinions of the newspaper publisher, and the op-ed piece reflects the views of the columnist. It's an important difference.
4
@CKent
Point well taken :)
Thank you.
And so goes American life in the early 21st century.
Trying to understand how we ended up with this imposter of a president (parents aside) is like watching a 747 take off. I understand the physics of flight but my eyes tell me there's no way for that thing to get off the ground. And then it happens.
The notion of Trump as the president defies everything I ever learned in school about our political institutions and how our founders imagined the office of the president.
And then Trump happened. A bumbling, uneducated, inarticulate, spoiled brat of a human being, having lived a lifetime surrounded by lickspittles and sycophants—became the occupier of he most hallowed office on the planet.
Woe to us all.
60
@Bob Burns Indeed. But Americans must not fool themselves. We allowed this to happen. Many of us have sold our soul for a tax cut and for racist feelings. It is who we are, who we always have been. The tendency to be corrupt and the suppressed racism has all along been hidden behind a thin veneer of civilization. Trump knew these feelings were latent among the voters so he successfully mined them. He mined the most base instincts in people. The sooner we all look in the mirror and admit this the faster we can begin to rebuild our civilization.
2
Maureen, Trump needs more than a spanking, he needs a good walloping! His comments about Joe Biden are worthy of a wallop. Trump's inference that Biden is 'weak' are so disturbing. Weak in what way, I would question? Weak in fulfilling his commitments to family and wives? Weak in taking vows seriously to defend and protect the United States? Weak in showing compassion and caring for the entire America? Weak in standing up to bullies like Trump? Or maybe Trump likes his leaders to be 'strong' like Putin, authoritarian dictators who is totally pulling the strings of this 'so-called' president of the United States. Perhaps, Trump doesn't see his own weaknesses in lack of self control in tweeting whatever comes into his mind, acting like a schoolyard bully and refusing to get informed about anything, except what comes easily to him over FOX., all while using the office of the presidency for his personal gain in wealth and status, while trashing anyone who disagrees with him who is less powerful. Republicans better get strong and stop supporting this weak candidate that they never vetted, who is an obvious puppet of Putin's, who continues to pull his strings and turn us away from our ideals as the sole superpower in not only nuclear weapons but human rights and basic ideals and decency. The strongest are those who can take his 'low and still go high'(Michelle Obama), but how much lower will he go and will the RNC allow? Justice will be served. The day of reckoning comes.
23
@GraceNeeded. With the dossier, the Dems can’t go any lower.
@Jackson The Dossier is proving more accurate by the day.
1
I often disagree on policy with Nancy Pelosi and on occasions I cringe when like all politicians she would sometimes slide into a demagogue moment, but I never ever disagree with Nancy Pelosi on her humanity, because she is full of it. She is full of humanity, while Trump on the other hand is completely full of something else altogether.
26
A great opinion contrasting two wildly different people. It's hard to fathom how Trumpers are so gullible in their support of this, in my opinion, evil, self centered sociopath. Speaker Pelosi has more guts than Trump can cope with.
19
A good (and long overdue) start might be: any misdeed on the part of any Republican politician which is defended by the ubiquitous "Yeah, but Clinton" not only results in a lengthy time-out for the perpetrator but a good mouth-soaping for the defender.
Also, the next conservative leader who says "I have nothing against gay people, but... [what I have against gay people]" should be made to write (longhand) "I have nothing against gay people" (no "but") 500,000 times and do 1,000 hours community service at a LGBTQ social services center.
10
Despite decades in public office, Nancy Pelosi is still a bit of an enigma. I still feel like I don't know the real Nancy Pelosi. I heard rumors of her throwing donuts at people, but I don't know who she is and what she authentically cares about. This is at least a start.
1
Nancy Pelosi lives in an exclusive, gated enclave and her husband is worth hundreds of millions of dollars, much of it "earned" as a result of real estate deals done after his wife achieved power. Why no mention of this?
8
@c smith
“And what about...?”
If you’re asking in sincerity, you may want to go back and re-read the column, because I think you’ve missed the point.
2
@c smith No. Her money comes from her husband, Paul Pelosi, who made money in real estate in San Francisco. His career allowed her, at first, to stay home and raise five children, while volunteering in California politics. She first held office when her youngest was 18. Then again, do you have a problem with capitalism. Just the fact that they had five kids and Nancy was a stay at home mom should make you seriously question your assertion.
2
@c smith. So what...she still is a champion for regular folks.
3
I definitely hurt for the 800,000 federal workers, and their families and communities, who are hurt by the Trump shut down. If not for the pain of those who didn't vote for Trump I would be tempted to say all the Trump voters and supporters are getting exactly what they deserve. Trump is doing what he's always done... sell out those who go to bat for him. You have to wonder though just how much pain and disappointment Trump's supporters are willing to endure before they come to their senses and admit they bet on a Trojan Horse? After all, I guess he hasn't shot anyone yet.
10
Well it's about time someone told the Pelosi story. We all know how Trump got to where he is today. And it isn't a nice story. But Ms. Pelosi had a different story to tell, but it took Maureen Dowd to paint the portrait for us. that is the problem with Ms. Pelosi and the Democrats. They simply don't tell the story in a way everyday Americans can understand and appreciate. Trump tells a fairy tale and the country believes him. Pelosi allows Trump and the Republicans to portray her as a monster and she sits there and lets them. And as to all the people who take issue with the immorality of the wall, I would say this....your kid demands a candy bar and threatens to set the house on fire if he doesn't get it. The response on the right is to give the kid the candy, after all, compared to the house, it is insignificant. The immorality isn't the candy, per se, it is giving the kid the candy while he puts the matches back in his pocket that is. Sooner or later SOMEONE needs to sit the boy down and give him a good old fashioned spanking. Daddy Mitch certainly isn't up to the task.
14
What happens when you give in to an extortionist? Invariably they come back for more. What do you think Trump will do when there’s no money in next year’s budget for the “wall”?
13
I think that Pelosi is a much better person than Trump but give me a break with that grandson anecdote.
He must have been selling lemonade to wealthy people in his own building as I doubt most New Yorkers would trust drinking any liquid not from a sealed bottle sold to them on the street. Perhaps he sold it at $100 a cup and only needed 10 customers.
And I wonder if he ever got that XBox.
2
Tense is important. The author states that the "pain of the shutdown is kicking in". I maintain the pain kicked in a long time ago. It's just ow coming home to roost and it is roosting on innocent, hardworking people. Take away the salaries of Congress and the Senate and we'd get a different outcome. This entire issue in my opinion, for what it's worth, is nothing but an act on tRump's part, it is a diversion for many other crises swirling about his head. More importantly it is an opportunity for tRump to blame Dems for the shutdown and attempt to manipulate the public about that blame. He took ownership if the shutdown, he absolved Schumer and Pelosi, 'nuff said. tRump created it, tRump owns it. Now all of a sudden it's the Dems who won't negotiate but he is the one who walked out of negotiations. I fervently hope that the evidence against tRump continues to build and when it reaches capacity blows up all over him. I do not want it to blow up on anyone but him and his supporters be it a farmer, a cop, Mitch McConnell, Devin Nunes, Kavanaugh or anyone else who continues to cover for this con man grifter who is systematically destroying our country.
9
Concerning the 'wall": Donald should consult the Mongols on the effectiveness of walls.
3
@FJG Hadrian's wall didn't exactly keep the Scots from raiding across the border either.
1
As always, the people who need to read this probably won't.
6
Don Jr.’s uncharitable message on Instagram on Tuesday: “You know why you can enjoy a day at the zoo? Because walls work.”
Sure would go over big with the Very Fine People at their next You Will Not Replace Us get together. What a chip off the old block so near to the apple tree.
5
The ugliest part of this nightmare is yet to come-the Special Counsel's report will finally send the crook who thinks he's President over the edge. Our biggest worry is who and what he takes with him.
6
@Nick Adams
"Our biggest worry is who and what he takes with him. "
I hope we flush the whole lot of his ridiculous band of con artists. His cabinet members won't notice they don't work for the government any more because they have never been working for us--just finding ways to help their own businesses and those of friends. His lousy Attorney General will not get a job as a lawyer anywhere there is a requirement that one pass the Bar Exam. Doubt he can. Let them all go. And send the V-P back to church. We don't need his kind of transactional faux religion anywhere near power.
2
Ms. Dowd is not helping us to reach a resolution with headlines like this. In fact, she is overreaching because she is late to the party.
6
The only genius in the world that can not do simple math in his head.Nor can his children.
1
" Nancy Pelosi has a net worth of around $135 million"
5
Four Republican senators could end this crisis. Start with Lisa Murkowski and let her draft 3 more. Go to Majority Leader McConnell and tell him they want him to bring the bills passed by the House to the floor for a vote. If he refuses then inform him that they are ready to switch their party affiliation from Republican to Independent and the Republican party will no longer be the majority party in Congress.
This would be a bold move and potentially dangerous politically for them to do so.
I would find it comforting to know that there are members of either party willing to stand up to a president demanding bad policy decisions that harm the country.
33
If that story about her grandson is true then we know why the Sheldon Adelsons and Robert Mercers of the world fear her so.
8
I suppose Ms. Dowd might have written the same or a similar article contrasting Trump with HiIlary Clinton before the election, but she never would have done so and now it is too late.
19
Nancy Pelosi's daughter said recently she is as tough as nails. She may seem sweet on the outside but I bet she is a tiger on the inside. You do not get where she has in politics by being a shy retiring violet. You do not "mess" with Mrs. Pelosi. She will chew you up and spit you out.
11
I've reached my limit on articles about the president's warped personality. I no longer care what caused him to become a sociopath. Let's put him, his family, and his criminal republican enablers in jail, and get on with it.
36
Was it a $20K donation from the Trump Foundation?
What would be the POTUS's parlor trick … playing a version of Carnac the Magnificent: divining the thoughts of everyone in any room he's in … what a self-absorbed buffoon Trump is.
5
Ms Dowd did a thorough takedown - ably abetted by commenter Linda from Oklahoma - but could we just add something about how horrible it is that Trump's kids shoot elephants?
11
Trump supporters remind me of those parents who feed their baby boy Doritos and put soda in his bottle, and chortle about how big and strong their baby is! "Who's our big little man? It's you! You are so big!" When he gets mad and lays shrieking in a big blubbery heap, they inexplicably expect us to be charmed by his angry, tear-stained face and sticky hands.
Except this baby is 72 years old, and the president. "The buck stops with everyone" president. The one who, like a child, only likes the playmats (no pun intended) who don't ever tell him he's wrong.
8
And how telling about our 21st century right wing America that Nancy Pelosi is the Wicked Witch of the West. These people who idolize Trump have totally lost their moral compasses.
7
The ignorant voters who support Trump deserve criticism as much as Trump does.
18
Vote him out.
7
Welcome back Mo!!!
Brilliant......I’ve missed your biting logic, thank you
Trump is the same spoiled, indulged brat he always was. My money's on Nancy Pelosi.
8
Nancy Pelosi Education-In 1962, she graduated from Trinity College in Washington, D.C. with a Bachelor of Arts in political science then interned for Senator Daniel Brewster (D-Maryland) in the 1960s alongside future House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. She's got politics in her veins.......
3
Should probably listen to all the verses of “This Land is Your Land.” Most people don’t. A shame, really.
3
Why in the world is the NYT titling Ms. Dowd’s piece in such a flippant and sexist fashion?
Infantalizing the president minimizes the serious implications of his behavior in office. It also does little to earn readership of Ms. Dowd’s astute observations outside the liberal bubble.
Flippantly characterizing Ms. Pelosi as a moralizing mommy figure similarly minimizes her power at a time when much is at stake. I cannot imagine this headline would’ve been chosen to describe the relationship between, for example, Retired General John Kelly and Mr. Trump.
6
Haha very funny. All we care about is maintaining America's heritage of self reliance. The hordes from South of the border know how to build a tin roofed shack and huddle in ineptitude. We don't need those qualities here.
3
I won't even bother to point out the bigoted inaccuracy of your description of those strong, fearless folks trying to come to make a better life here.
What we REALLY don't need here are people whose narrow-minded insularity makes a mockery of the principles upon which our country was founded.
5
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iMIKzUAY8n4
Why didn’t you bring up stuff like this back in, say, 2015 or 2016?
He says he was an excellent Ivy League business student. Yet he can’t break down a simple multiplication question. No wonder he is a serial bankruptee.
5
Well, I have a city, not a state job. I don't even feel sorry about this stuff. If you voted for Trump this is your fault. And most likely, you are suffering, not me. Us libs just wanted to give you money for health and human services. Whatever, one more pizza, pair of sneakers or bottle of wine for me.
8
Your brother must be so proud of his support of this monster. A monster does not come to power unless he/she is supported by ordinary monsters.
9
I thought Maureen was smarter than this article. Granted you got the President right. But making Nancy out to be a "saint" is a real laugher. I strongly doubt her brother agrees with her. Nance is a charlatan in sheep's clothing. Her main purpose in life is to destroy the President. She does not care about the immigrants or what they represent. She is on a power trip to take down the President and the Republican party. During the course of this she is greatly contributing to the downfall of the USA!
3
Nancy D'Alessandro represents your past, Donald Trump your future. Good luck.
Hi Maureen! If you hadn't disparaged Hillary so much and so often, we might not have a President Trump to worry about! Thanks, I guess. :(
15
"But how do you discipline the world’s brattiest 72-year-old?"
Yes, it's difficult. But perhaps we wouldn't have to answer such questions if Maureen Dowd hadn't contributed to Trump's victory with her smarmy, celebrity-smitten peans to the bratty 72-year-old and her non-stop savagery toward Hillary Clinton.
13
Just for anybody who didn’t click on the link to Howard Stern video, the multiplication question was: what is 17×6? All three of them gave the wrong answer!
What is really fascinating also is that after Trump Senior insists a couple of times that the answer is 112 he even manages to convince Howard Stern that this is the correct answer!
Part of the point of this exercise was to demonstrate Trump Junior‘s point that you had to be really smart to get in to Wharton.
Anyone who hasn’t watched the video yet might want to check it out and see for themselves.
Oh and by the way, there’s another video going around that’s quite interesting, from a television program that was around in the 50’s called “Trackdown” which features an episode with a con artist named Trump, who wants to build a wall. Really!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs6UcgiDwg0
1
Absolutely surgical hatchet job --well done!
Yes, how do you discipline the world's brattiest 72 year old?
I’m with her.
And what kind of values did Joe Kennedy teach his sons ...especially about women?
6
Trump isn’t a brat, he’s likely a traitor.
8
One other Baltimore item of note: Pelosi graduated from the Institute of Notre Dame, a downtown Catholic girls' high school, four years after another decent politician with strong ethnic roots, Barbara Mikulski.
Maureen hit it out of the park on this one. (It's amazing to find so much insite when she not bashing HRC.)
Indeed Trump is just another Republican who can't help himself when trashing the country and our relationships with allies, all the while French kissing the worlds most despicable dictators.
Trump is also just another RNC puppet preordained to hand off our treasure to the rich and super-rich, and of course to Wall Street's worst greedlings. Then, after the damage is done, and the American people have had enough of GOP incompetence and corruption, the Democrats are elected to be the adults in the room.
But wait, there's more: when the only way to end the madness of ultra-conservative damage is through bringing back the taxes that were lost under GOP control, the Repugnants growl and howl about "keeping what is yours," of "smaller-government-is-better" and, the one that seems to get the votes from the uninformed, "freedom."
When the Dems have to restore the mission and integrity of the EPA, Interior, and the rest of the cabinet departments — all sullied and demolished by corporate shills — the Repugnants warn of lost jobs if energy companies can take over our wild lands and National Parks.
Which takes me back to Trump. He is vacuous, with no sense of policy. His job is to sign Republican legislation. The rest of his energy is taken with revenge against, and demolishing, all accomplishements by Obama. It is all about the Trump brand and it is sinking fast.
2
You ask how “we discipline the world’s brattiest 72-year-old”?
I suggest with impeachment for “Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors”.
7
Nancy Pelosi watch out! When Maureen Dowd pats you on the back Democrat, she is looking for a soft spot to stick her dagger into! We have not forgotten how she wrote puff pieces on Donald Trump in the runup to the 2016 election, while writing acidic pieces on Hillary Clinton.
I am no fan of Hillary Clinton, not since 2001, but I despise and distrust back-stabbers more.
6
"But how do you discipline the world's brattiest 72 year-old?"
In a federal penitentiary.
9
Assuming this government shutdown ends, another one looms in a just a few months, over the debt ceiling. The US only gets more idiotic every day of the enablement of the worst president ever.
1
Old man Trump tried to pawn off Donnie to a military school for discipline but they couldn’t do a thing with him; Roy Cohn was his adopted father who taught him that everything was a con.
Trump now sees Putin as his adopted father, and has attempted to give America away to the thugs. Trump the puffed and reckless libertine treads down the primrose path of dalliance to his own destruction.
2
The bigger question:
How do you address grown men, like Maureen Dowd's brother, who LIKE having a spoiled, bratty, entitled President? Because these men hate uppity women and "libs" much more than they love this country and believe that as long as Trump pleases them by attacking those uppity women and "libs", they adore him.
3
As I recall, during the 2016 campaign Ms. Dowd enjoyed calling little Donnie on the phone and found him amusing in a way -- the word that comes to mind.
Now she's happy to call him out for the lowlife he has always been. What changed?
5
Trump tries to hide his age by sleeping with porn stars and Playboy models and marrying younger women when the current Mrs. gets too old.
He thinks twitter is the equivalent of a presidential communication with the American people.
On a recent MSNBC special Pelosi was asked what she would be doing if she wasn't Speaker.
She replied she would go back to being a grandmother.
After Alesandra Cortes won her primary in June a reporter asked Pelosi what she thought about these progressive women coming up in the ranks in the Democratic Party.
Pelosi replied she was a woman and a progressive.
2
Trump may have been a brat at one time but he has grown up to be a sociopath.
7
fascinating perspective.
Maybe I missed it ... Trump was schooled by Roy Cohen ... who was schooled by the Devil himself ... no conscience & no morals
3
Why in the world is the NYT titling Ms. Dowd’s piece in such a flippant and sexist fashion?
Infantalizing the president minimizes the serious implications of his behavior in office. It also does little to earn readership of Ms. Dowd’s astute observations outside the liberal bubble.
Flippantly characterizing Ms. Pelosi as a moralizing mommy figure similarly minimizes Ms. Pelosi’s power at a time when much is at stake. I cannot imagine this headline would’ve been chosen to describe the relationship between, for example, Retired General John Kelly and Mr. Trump.
Don Jr. “You know why you can enjoy a day at the zoo? Because walls work.”
You could really enjoy a trip to the Zoo if the Trump family were in a cage.
3
You know who need's the spanking? Pennsylvanians, Wisconsinites, and Michiganders.
4
That little old lady will teach mr trump a thing or two
Please forget this idiot in chief and focus on the issues, the disappointments that inspired his voters to choose his chaos over professional goverment that they judged to be failing them. I believe they include educstion, fairness, job training for the new economy, and, believe it or not, ethical behavior in business. How better to chsllenge the status wuo than to elect a wild man who will shock thr comfortable above all. The fact that so many who voted for Obama then voted for Trump, suggests a reasonable promise of “change” hadn’t worked and now they wanted to send a clearer message. Not sure the true message they intended hasn’t been lost in Trump’s failings. Trump isn’t the cause of our problems. He is a symptom.
2
"But how do you discipline the world’s brattiest 72-year-old?"
Ask Vladimir Putin!
6
If this were a real, true national emergency, Trump and Melania would be down at our Southern border right now throwing paper towels at American citizens.
6
This column might have been helpful in 2016, when you were catfighting with Hillary Clinton.
4
Am I missing something here? How can a wall that some folks say will take 20 years to be built be the solution for a National Emergency? It is like having a fire and the fireman take a decade to get there. Taking land through eminent domain takes years. Just saying No is not going to suffice. People should be told what a Boondoggle a wall would be.
10
"a resolute liberal"; please learn the word "neoliberal." If Speaker Pelosi were a genuine "liberal" in the FDR tradition, she'd recognize the urgent need for a Green New Deal just as FDR urgently implemented the original version. The stakes are even higher, this time around.
15
@Vincenzo Yes, spot on. Pelosi is a resolute Neoliberal; One of the wealthiest members of congress who obviously sees no need for Green New Deal or perhaps even universal health care which every other developed nation has.
4
@Vincenzo Ah yes, the righteous demands from the left on how each particular quarter must be labelled properly, and on their terms alone.
2
@Vincenzo Don't you think maybe we should get the government open again before we talk about the Green New Deal? Just maybe?
4
Trump can relate to federal workers going without pay because he’s stiffed people who have worked for him for years.
29
Nice piece of Democrat propaganda. As mayor of Baltimore, to his credit, Big Tommy accomplished a lot for the city but his administration was surrounded by scandal and corruption. However, he was not indicted.That's an important point that Dowd overlooks as she is in the forefront of accusing the Trump family of criminal misdeeds. Until such time that any Trump is indicted and found guilty, Dowd she stop making such biased comparisons.
7
@MCH Check back later this year, lol.
@MCH, you miss the entire point: Pelosi came from working class roots. Trump carries a sense of noblese oblige because he's never had to work. His understanding of the common man is lacking. It's simple.
1
@D. Smith Pelosi, like the Kennedys, can expound on liberal talking points, while living the lavish life. She's supported by her husband's millions but made her bones by pretending to be what she's not. That's easy to do when you already have the comforts of life.
1
I'm beginning to realize DTJ is just a very damaged individual. He's probably beyond psychological help, the light bulb doesn't want to change, but we should kindly and gently remove him from office and guide him to a couch.
23
@Lively B Just beginning? Really? Better late than never, I suppose. Or as Victor Lazlo would say, "Welcome back to the fight. This time, I know our side will win."
4
@ckciii Now there's a quote I haven't heard in a long, long time. That's the kind of "beautiful friendships" we need.
1
Hey! About those photos on trumpf’s desk- previously I noted only two: Dad in a matted bigger frame and mom in a slightly cropped photo with an inexpensive looking frame. But a third photo has popped up; anyone know who is in the photo?
You can’t discipline Trump. He has been raised to only care about himself everyone else is there to be used.If he were the Captain of the Titanic he’d tread on women and children heads to make the lifeboat.
28
Trump is like a rich obnoxious kid in a school yard who threatens to take his basketball and go home if he isn't chosen to play. Only now he feels he owns the country, and if Nancy Pelosi won't play ball with him, he's going to hold the country hostage until he gets his way.
10
Donald Trump, Don Jr., and Ivanka at least should definitely read Stephanie Land's column in today's NY Times.
2
Nancy Pelosi - vilified by the Right - disrespected by the Left - is this old man's true heroine. She has earned the accolade. And I am not some starry eyed bleeding heart liberal.
While the Right's rants against Nancy are mostly laughable or boil down to "she's super bad because she's super effective and has power and she is NOT on our side" the Left's displeasure in part can resonate with me.
I've wished Nancy would act faster, more aggressively, be more in your face against our regressive foes.
I've fretted that she - like me - is too old school.
I worried her mere persona - her giggle, her voice, her being a woman - shaves off some voters we need and could have.
But while there are complaints I might substantiate mostly intellectually I know I'm just being naive, silly, impatient, unfair.
No Nancy is and has been a hero for America! A true role model.
And I proudly share her heritage and her era.
We took the best of our Italian Catholic Immigrant upbringing to heart. I'll bottom line: that we are all in this together, get over yourself, greed (selfishness) is a sin, and you'll be judged on how you treat/help the least among us.
And right now she is a warrior for ALL real Americans - Conservative/Progressive/In-Between.
Get woke America!
It is not about "the wall". It is existential. It is about the nature of our democracy and our character as people.
Trump would be King - GOP would love Dukedoms - Nancy fights a Holy War against that for us.
17
@MegaDucks
Here Here/Go get 'em Nancy! You have my vote.
I appreciate Nancy more and more with each passing day. She is the Gold Standard. The "Don" is the mafia.
9
Ms. Dowd, will you please explain to us why you spared Trump this sort of lashing prior to his election? His vile nature was just as obvious then as it is now.
23
@Jethro
Even worse was Paul Krugman's frequent description of Bernie Sanders as the Democrats' Trump. As far as I know he's never apologized for that.
This story is so damming you think someone would have written it sooner? Ms. Dowd says Trump received a $5 million allowance at age 40? How did she gather that fact? Has someone researched it? Or is she just making it up? If so, she wou!d be exhibiting the same behavior she accuses Trump of.
1
@Frank Leibold Seriously, what planet have you people been on? To quote Casablanca yet again, you're "shocked, shocked that gambling has been going on!?!"
DT is without a doubt the greatest huckster in American history. And shame on you and millions of your fellow Americans for either not knowing this or being willfully ignorant of it.
From the October 2, 2018, NY Times investigative report based on decades of Trump family tax returns and financial records:
https://nyti.ms/2P0PvuC
"By age 3, Mr. Trump was earning $200,000 a year in today’s dollars from his father’s empire. He was a millionaire by age 8. By the time he was 17, his father had given him part ownership of a 52-unit apartment building. Soon after Mr. Trump graduated from college, he was receiving the equivalent of $1 million a year from his father. The money increased with the years, to more than $5 million annually in his 40s and 50s."
5
@ckciii And how did Joe K get his money and what did he do for his kids especially JFK
Build the wall.
3
@Autumn before you build the wall, you're going to have to tear down the statue of liberty, so they won't clash.
3
@Autumn Why?
Wow, never knew anything about Pelosi's background ... you can see already in that fearless gaze at one of America's most popular presidents that she was already becoming the woman for the job she's in now!
8
The photo of Nancy Pelosiin the Kennedy Oval Office and the Woody Guthrie lyrics are new to me. Both of these items should be brandished on every billboard in America.
I pray Nancy doesn’t relent - Baby TRUMP CREATED THIS GOVT SHUT DOWN.
Great piece.
14
Trying to "discipline" Mr. Trump is a fool's errand, given that the root of the word means "to educate." Like all malignant narcissists, the president is the complete opposite of a true "discipulus" (learner): He has no idea of - or interest in - how much he doesn't know. He dismisses as unimportant anything he doesn't know, creating his alternate reality around the baseless precepts that he believes because he heard them somewhere. His willful ignorance is perhaps the one trait among a competing horde that most makes him unfit to hold the office.
5
Game theory explains why one of the players here has made others wary of even sensible compromise. This is a fine summary of the problem... from two years ago. The same dynamic has played out again and again. http://www.spectacle.org/0118/pd.html
2
One congressman said the patriarch’s chicanery made him “nauseous.”
There isn't enough compazine in the world to treat the nausea the Trumps have inflicted on all of us. Sadly, his supporters have this unexplainable immunity.
12
@maxcommish
At this point, it's a well-established intelligence test.
The knock out punch will land on Trump's glass jaw when Mueller unleashes his fury. It will be the end of him...and a return to normal.
7
@Harley Leiber We can only pray
The Trumps can't do 17 x 6 in their heads? Whoop dee doo!
The Trumps are profiting from corruption and the decay of democracy. And they don't have a conscience between them.
Don't insult the mathematically challenged with references to Trump! We're missing souls here, not calculators.
11
@jzu It's actually simple arithmetic, not mathematics. And not a bad indication of a mind that can or can't think. I used to use mental arithmetic calculations to warm up my English class of middle schoolers. They loved it.
2
@Karen K Enough, here is the fast way: 20x6=120-18=102.
Why are we not hearing "Pelosi for President?"
2
@Akadeni
Instead of Biden, who has hugged the party's bumper for nearly 50 years, run several times to dismal failure and was selected in 2008 to mute the optics/reality of the young, unknown and inexperienced black guy. Alas, politics is an insider team sport steeped in both sexism and incompetence.
2
Calling him a brat is like calling Jack the Ripper a "miscreant." Rather, Trump is killing people, ruining many, many thousands of lives, destroying the social fabric of this country and of the world, ignoring real catastrophes (including global) etc., etc., and that is far beyond merely acting in a brattish fashion.
8
To most, this piece is stating the obvious. Speaker Pelosi learned to share, Trumpy to steal. This and pieces like this serve little purpose. The damage is done, he's president, Clinton is not, and curiously (or not curiously), with some help from Dowd. Perhaps, it makes Dowd feel better. After all, she's a wealthy opinion writer with a generous paycheck. Why the newspaper publishes any of this is also anyone's guess. Most likely, it the same reason the media gave Trumpy all that attention pre-election. Perhaps, the same reason the front page headline claiming that Secretary Clinton was under investigation by the FBI. Most likely, it was because stories like this raises their revenue.
3
@Cynical, the reason the newspaper publishes a piece like this is because we honor the idea of a "free press". The only thing that is keeping our society honest is the voice of the media. God knows that it isn't politicians. My hope is that the media will not let off until this joke of a president is gone; and until this recalcitrant ruling party is gone -- McConnell and all his cronies. We need opposing voices, logic, reason and public debate via the media.
1
The answer to your last question is easy: You discipline him by indictment, impeachment, conviction and jail time.
See, Trump made a big mistake. When he was just a celebrity conman and corrupt, minor player in New York real estate, nobody had the resources or reason to follow all the dirty little threads that hang from his Chinese suits. He was like a small bottom feeder, scamming and lying his way with relative impunity.
But now, Donny boy, you've become a big fish and the nets are closing in. Watching his downfall will be my greatest thrill since the '64 Cleveland Browns won the NFL Championship.
9
@Barking Doggerel Or mine since Kirk Gibson's homer in '88.
1
@ckciii
Ah, yes! I lived in Cleveland in '64 (teenage thrill) and in Detroit in '88 (not so teenage anymore) so I loved Gibson's heroics even on the West Coast.
1
Nancy Pelosi is terrific. Trump is not. Republicans are not. Informed, thoughtful people know this. Others do not. Those who do not have their reasons--and frankly the rest of us are not interested. We could agree with bad people but I choose to be on the right side of history. What others choose is on them. Enjoy the stench, I say.
16
No amount of spanking will change this Petulant Adolescent President.
Best to focus on who can beat him. Warren, Harris, Gabbard, Castro, Biden, Sanders, Booker, Klobuchar...?! So far don't see it.
4
How do you discipline the world's brattiest 72-year old?
Put him in time out. Permanently.
2
@Michael
Defenestration!
Quick, cheap & permanent.
I grew up in Queens. Fred and Donald Trump gave my beloved borough a black eye.
1
The real brat is this mess is those folks that have punted on immigration legislation for 20 years. Congress, in which Pelosi now heads the lower house again, has left the immigration problems up to presidents to figure out. Thanks to Congress, presidents now have to deal with issues that should be decided by the real brats, our elected representatives. Before we rush to canonize Pelosi, remember she has been and is now in charge of the largest group of brats that brought us this mess.
2
@dudley thompson Oh, ignore history at our risk. Democrats in Congress have tried to reform immigration time and again. Moderate Republicans joined across the aisle to achieve this. Obama wanted this. Mitch McConnel did not. McConnel more than anyone is responsible for this mess - how long has he been in Congress? Study history. You may learn something.
2
How do you discipline the world’s brattiest 72-year-old? By giving him a big boy Time-Out behind bars.
3
I love visiting New York museums, libraries and other cultural institutions. Most of these places have big plaques or walls covered with the names of the wealthy who have donated their support.
Never, not once, have I ever seen the Trump name on any of these places. You can find it on the front of the family's tacky buildings (most of which they don't even own) or on the skating rink (that Donald never fails to mention he "saved").
He and his stingy, cheating, bankrupt family contributed nothing to this great city that didn't line their own pockets.
We New Yorkers knew how venal and shallow this man was from the day he scammed his way into developing that Hyatt at Grand Central.
That he managed to fool enough Americans to get himself "elected" President is a farce. And a tragedy.
8
@Elizabeth A
"That he managed to fool enough Americans to get himself "elected" President is a farce. And a tragedy."
He fooled no one, they knew exactly what they were voting for.
@Elizabeth A Yes he fooled many Americans but don't forget, he had MUCH Russian help getting elected too.
2
@Mary However check his approval ratings. There are way too many Americans who like this dictatorial, racist, foul mouthed behavior.
“bleeding into our punishing, pressing national debate over immigration”
Although stereotyping nationalities is politically incorrect, I concur with Ms. Dowd on her analysis.
1
Then there’s his third wife with the message “ I don’t care , do you “ on the back of her jacket to visit immigrant children separated from their parents. Nancy Pelosi has a heart ... Trump is inhuman and has no empathy. I also doubt Nancy has gold in her bathrooms !
2
Just watched RBG on CNN. Was good to hear that in spite of the awfulness of this Administration today that the least and the greatest among those of us in this nation are to be treated the same. And it's that ideal, that American thing that Trump has defamed every day since he came down the escalator at Trump Tower.
And after all the days of his nonsense, that at least what happened in Helsinki did not bring about his impeachment is something I do not understand and I do not forgive the GOP House Freedumb Caucus nor Mitch and his minions. The Repulicans are a dead party; now there are only Trumpers.
So, the fact that as old as Trump is he's still a brat...that's the least of it.
2
Maureen, Why didn't you tell us any of this when Trump was running of President, instead of when he is running the country?
1
MD's ruminations do nothing for me. Her relentless attacks on Ms. Clinton overshadow and color everything for me.
MD helped create the day to day horrors we all must endure.
1
“How do you discipline a bratty 72 year old?” You take away all his toys and lock him all by himself in an 8x10 cement-walled room with a sink and a toilet, give him an orange jump suit to wear, and allow no TV and no cell phone. Daily analysis with a team of Freudian psychiatrists from Vienna might help too.
3
Would a former US President get Secret Service guards if he was indicted, convicted and in jail? Just wondering.
1
Let's be careful about turning Big Tommy into Saint Big Tommy. He apparently also had some questionable friends and political practices. See Dan Gifford's piece here:
http://www.capoliticalreview.com/capoliticalnewsandviews/san-fran-nan-learned-to-be-a-bully-by-corrupt-father-mafia-dons-and-assorted-criminals/
2
Bone Spurs knows nothing about charity other than feeding his own ego. A "foundation" used for his own personal use including paintings of himself. Spurs and Pelosi have absolutely nothing in common other than having a mother who gave birth to them. He is a bully and a pathological liar who just might be in bed with the Russians. What could possibly go wrong?
2
Maureen, with every Trump outrage, with every hard-right Supreme Court appointment, with every treaty broken, with every judge attacked, with every environmental protection removed, that you helped elect him. Your vendetta against the Clintons has born rotten fruit that imperils us all. Thanks a lot.
1
I think I've hit my saturation point with Lyin' Don and his band of co-dependent minions. Right now, I think Mitch "Turtleman" McConell, is our worst problem. He honed his obstruction skills on Mr. Obama, promising his racist buddies that Mr. Obama would be a one term president (oops!). Now he's using them to keep the gov't from opening. He won't even take a resolution to the president if 45 isn't willing to sign it. It's so outrageous and offensive, we should all be out protesting, but we're just so exhausted from the Trump Show, we can't even muster the energy. Repubs need to step up and get enough votes for a veto-proof CR. Maybe, probably, definitely.
1
This hagiography of Pelosi is galling. She is as corrupt as anyone in the system, making a personal fortune from 'public' service. Trump is a terrible human being, but that doesn't make Pelosi a saint or even an acceptable representative. The Democrats need to clean the stables.
1
Donnie was born on third base and thought he hit a triple. Of course, he lied and said he'd hit a home run.
How do you discipline the world's brattiest 72-year-old? You take away the keys to the car, in this case the presidency of the United States.
With the gang of thugs, crooks and enablers that surround him, it won't be easy but we must persist. We have no choice.
2
Woke Maureen Dowd. Meh.
Compare and contrast Dowd’s description of Trump in this column to her descriptions of him in all of her 2016 columns leading up to the election. None of the facts about Donald’s background have changed in the last three years yet her smitten-oid columns of him in 2016 are starkly different from her description of him now.
As I have said in the past, Maureen Dowd is partly to blame for Donald Trumps success in the 2016 election. As much as I have admired her work in the past, I will never let go of this. She owes her readers a massive apology.
5
Maurren Dowd wrote: "In her memoir, Pelosi recalled that her Catholic parents 'raised me to be holy.' She told me, 'My mother and my father instilled in us, public service is a noble calling' and to 'never measure a person by how much money they had.'”
^ It's a matter of historic record that Pelosi's father Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. was one of the most bigoted politicians in the modern history of Maryland. He fought against racial integration in Maryland every step of the way, and his hopes of being Governor of Maryland were torpedoed when it was revealed he had taken bribes from convicted felons. In Pelosi's retelling, he is a progressive saint.
2
So Pelosi changes her voice when she speaks to the President, and that's spanking? She leveled a criticism about his father face to face? That's quite a thrashing.
My mother didn't have 5 children, but she knew you attract more flies with honey than vinegar.
Democrats and the NYT have been attacking Trump verbally for years and have nothing to show for their venom. Time to try another tack?
2
**RESUBMISSION** One of the tests of good parenting that took me and my wife too many years to learn is to say "No!" to your children. Fred Trump, an authoritarian Ku Klux Klan member and bigot, clearly never said "No!" to his son Donald, but "spoiled him rotten" (as my mother often taunted me and others) while creating a selfish Richie rich "brat," racist, cheater, misogynist and an authoritarian. Nancy Pelosi clearly knows how to say "No!" as she just did to Donald Trump when he demanded $5.7 billion ransom for the wall before he'll release 800,000 of his government employees he's holding hostage. And, the man who loves to hate women slapped the table (assuming he couldn't reached Speaker Pelosi) then stomped his bone-spurred little feet out the door and back to what former Sen. Bob Corker called his "adult day care center" to throw a temper tantrum and threaten to call a national emergency. It's time for the Republicans in Congress to stop acting as Fred Trump and enabling this truly childish, destructive behavior and to stand with the adults like Nancy Pelosi and to say "NO, Donald! The wall is not a toy." by passing a veto-proof budget to end this unnecessary puerile demand.
3
How can middle class voters ever support Trump? He would rather put 800,000 of them out of work than compromise on his stupid wall. His tariffs are hurting farmers and others all of the country. He gave 1 trillion dollars in a tax cut to the wealthy. I just don't see how he merits any support whatsoever.
3
The Manchurian Candidate's day of reckoning cometh.
Great column, Maureen - thanks!
The X-Box story is stupid - 1. It doesn't cost 1000 dollars. 2. Who sat with him at his Lemonade Stand? 3. Of course he deserves to have something special as a result of his work, which presumably involved making lemonade, toting it to the stand, sitting or standing in the heat all day (for how many days did some adult stay with him while this occurred?). I think this story is made up, and if it isn't, it's not smart.
The title is appalling, NYT. Way to get down on the floor.
Bashing Trump isn’t the answer.
The answer is: “You don’t have the votes. No wall.”
Jared and Ivanka are airheads. They shouldn’t dictate policy . Send them back to New York where they can harmlessly do lunch to their heart’s content .
I am 70, born in 1948. When my parents and grandparents were alive (and voting), this situation would not be happening. First, the minute they heard their President had dealings with the Russians, that would be it. Some of them were Democrats and some Republicans. It wouldn't matter. They were all WWII and Depression people. Any consorting with the enemy, no matter how slight, would have had them in rages. "Loose lips sink ships," etc., That we have so many people who are so gullible about this President is astonishing. The people behind us were less gullible. But they had to be. If they had done something this stupid, as put this man in charge, we would have inherited a very different America from them. As it was, we inherited a great country from them and gave it to a fool.
1
Once upon a time I called Republican politicians traitors to America, now we learn that it is really true. Those Republicans who won't stand up to the Russian attacks on our government are all traitors.
Watch the Howard Stern video and you will see Ivanka and Don Jr. unable to figure out what 17 times 6 is, and Donald Trump insisting over and over that it's 112. As if by insisting, it makes it true.
So, for Trump, no matter what anyone else says or does, 17 times 6 IS 112. And if you don't agree you're a "sad loser".
Think about that for a moment. Take some time and let it really sink in. The President of the United States of America, the most powerful office holder in the world, cannot multiply 17 times 6, and not only that, but he INSISTS that it's 112. This man actually believes that his incalculable ignorance and stupidity makes him a "stable genius". A "genius" who can't do simple arithmetic? I'd call him an idiot savant, except there is no "savant" aspect to his character what-so-ever. Unless you consider self-adoration and racist ideals "special gifts".
What else should we expect from someone who "relates" to
furloughed workers via his "knowledge" that you need an ID to buy groceries?
As Seth Meyers so witty pointed out, "If you need an ID to buy groceries, it means you're an alcoholic."
If only our collective problem was that simple.
1
You put him in his crib. The adult kind, with metal bars
I dislike Trump immeasurably but don't try to tell me that Pelosi is someone to admire.
Please.
She basically insider traded stock with non public information.
Read my lips again..."they're all crooks and need to be removed at the ballot box, until we have public servants again".
You knew most of this stuff about Trump in 2016, but you soft pedaled it then. Better late than never, I guess.
I strongly supported Pelosi for speaker, knowing her to be a master tactician. But she has always been a terrible communicator and her reference to the wall as an immorality is an example. She has painted herself into as tight a corner as the President has painted himself. She is now in the position of refusing to give more than a dollar for the wall even as she is helping to deny 800,000 people millions of dollars in pay. Ask for something positive -a path for dreamers, investment in combating climate change- don't just say "no."
Unfortunately, Speaker Pelosi has also refused to put the safety and security of Americans first and foremost. Why?
3
@Conservative Democrat
The wall will not get built because it is a waste of money. It is costly and would be ineffective. Our southern border can be made safe using means that are much cheaper and effective than a wall. How about we use the money to actually build things we need. Let's rebuild our infrastructure. We can keep ourselves safe by replacing deteriorating bridges.
3
@Conservative Democrat
Why? Because in the past Democrats have often caved in to Republican pressure. Was the country better off when the Democrats bowed to the pressure and lies perpetuated by those Republicans who thought it a great idea to invade Iraq. Iraq has been destroyed and our troops die and many were grievously wounded. I could go on with other examples. Is Ms. Pelosi to cave to Trump's demands which are no more than blackmail hoping to hang the impasse on her and not him. Do we bow to a bad idea for dealing with our southern border just so this madman can please his base. It is he who is not willing to compromise. It is he who threw the tantrum and walked out of the meeting not Nancy Pelosi. It hurts my heart to think of federal workers being treated this way, but the Democrats can't cave on this one and let Trump become the winner rather than the whinier.
1
@Steve
Walls work to keep those inside safer than they would be without a wall. Ask Israel.
1
Could we please stop using infant/child memes and analogies to describe the president of the United States? This multi-year drumbeat across all media has resulted in even sensible Americans saying, “Well, what do you expect from a child?” when the man takes an action impacting us and the world, as if the action is both unstoppable and dismissible because the man is a child. He is president. Let’s make him responsible, not infantalize him.
15
@Eileen. The point is that he acts like a child and nothing like tha President of the U.S.
@Eileen
"Let’s make him responsible, not infantalize him."
Impossible!
@Eileen as we move through the world, we train people how to relate to us.
Trump has trained observers to relate to him like a child. This is on him, not us.
Pelosi and her troop of flying monkeys are on the attack. So what else is new Maureen?
Before you preach Baltimore to the masses perhaps you should quote its crime rate which is well above the national average, and worse then Chicago's. The first time I visited Baltimore in the late 89's, 2 of my friends decided to leave the safety of the inner harbor and walk back to the hotel. The were robed at gun point. I will acknowledge that their recollections of the event indicated the mugger was a true professional.
What did Fred Trump do? He worked within the tax code and minimized his tax liability, nothing different than what Warren Buffet has done for decades. Buffet is very proud that he pays less in taxes than his secretary! What has Pelosi championed to address the problems in Baltimore? Nada, vvilch, it's still a cesspool ! Ask yourself Maureen if you would feel safer knowing the wall was in place. The simple answer is that we all would feel safer!
9
@George Mr. Buffett is NOT proud of paying a smaller percentage than his secretary. He believes the wealthy need to pay MORE. And what is wrong with teaching a child to think of others before indulging themselves in unnecessary toys. The GOP motto- Me first and always. Pathetic.
@George: We have government of by and for real estate developers and their lawyers here in the US.
1
@George You're wrong about Buffet. He actually stated the opposite about his tax rate. He stated it was unfair to his secretary. But further, to draw a connection between the value of charity that Pelosi's family gave her to crime rates in Baltimore, is completely illogical and absurd. How similar your form of empty argument is to that of Trump's. No wonder you support him. He's a straw man who wrecks havoc and evil on us all.
That is a Liberal Democrat for you. Give away the youngster's hard-earned money to someone else. That says it all about Democratic values. I will take Trump Family values any and every day over Pelosi Family Values. With the Pelosi's the famed "Catholic guilt" strikes again.
Let me and all other Americans earn and make our money, make our own decisions as to how to spend it, enjoy it or give it to charity. If I had to pick between "Big Tommy" and "Old Joe" (the Ambassador) Kennedy, I would pick "Old Joe" every time.
The sooner Grandma Pelosi leaves the national scene and landscape, the better off we citizens and that landscape will be and look.
9
@ReggieYou aren't making your own decisions about where your money is spent unfortunately, nor your own decisions. As for "Trump Family Values" they do not exist. Never was there a more mendacious, duplicitous, self involved family. They are a disgrace.
And I thought that George W. Bush was in incompetent party boy who was unfit to be president. Netanyahu played Bush like a fiddle when he convinced him to go to war with Iraq because they "had weapons of mass destruction" which they could use against the US. We all now know that was a lie, generated by Israel to induce the US to fight a war for them.
Now the Republicans have reached into the bottom of the barrel of nincompoops and came up with Trump, who is being led by the Israeli strongman again to fight a war for Israel. We are three-fourths of the way there with the US moving its embassy to Jerusalem. We used to defend Israel because they were the only democracy in the Middle East. No longer true.
When will the Republicans find leaders who can lead instead of follow the dictates of autocrats like Putin and Netanyahu? Trump is the only crisis in this country. I hope Mueller can give Congress the tools to impeach Trump. Then we can say "Bye Bye", you were never fit to be president.
13
I have to admire Putin;s business acumen as he has gotten his investment back 100 fold.
7
Here goes the NY Times again feeding into its readers' Trump Derangement Syndrome.
We have a crisis at the border, and a government in shutdown. How does this article address any of that?
We need to change our asylum laws so that criminals, children in tow, can't enter the country and ask for asylum. And we need a comprehensive solution to keep illegal immigrants out. And we need to open the government.
Instead what we have is sanctuary cities like NYC providing comprehensive, and expensive, health insurance to illegals to attract even more of them to this city than the 1.5 million already in NYC, and Maureen Down's liberal platitudes.
Very irresponsible.
10
@Neil Blah blah blah. What facts do you base your argument on? What criminals are coming here with children in tow? Undocumented immigrants are not criminals. Just as in any group of human beings, there will be those who are criminals but statistically criminality is low amongst immigrants documented or undocumented.
@Neil
What is this crisis at the border Neil?
Really? there are 1.5 million undocumented non citizens in the Big Apple?
Do you have documentation for this claim?
Can you establish that they all crossed the border illegally? Is that the Southern Border?
Not a single one of them flew into JFK on a valid visa and then stayed?
At the time the Speaker is shown with her father, she had already learned more about counting votes than a Plaquemines Parish sheriff! The current occupant of 1600 should not imagine for a picosecond that he has any chance of getting the Cliff Notes for that phony book and learning how to 'DEAL' with her.
3
@P.C.Chapman I think Trump could write a book on how to lie, cheat and scam any contractor or businesses that might be unfortunate enough to have dealings with him.
We have known this about the Trump family for decades. I keep wondering why this information wasn't more broadly shared during the campaign. Did we simply ignore his campaign and believe he couldn't win? Was it the catch and kill of stories?
When I talk with Trump voters, many are conservative friends who wanted a "businessman" in the office. Really? Bankruptcy to bankruptcy? Again, I just wonder why he wasn't vetted like all other candidates.
Probably rhetorical questions. We are where we are.
6
Daddy coming in Castle Casino to buy $3.5 millions in chips no one played so his son doesn’t skip an interest payment: that’s the type of “adjustment” Donald can relate to.
3
Trumps support stands firm at 40%.
And Republicans see him as their savior
While Evangelicals think a true God hath descended
It’s not Trump ‘the persona’ that is splitting this country apart
It’s us....
5
President's were supposed to be people to be looked up to, not pitied, embarrassed by and/or ashamed of. Because of the current occupant of this country's highest office, that platform is no longer one of honor and ultimate aspiration. If a 6-year old acted like Trump, with the name calling, pathological lying every time he opens his mouth and obscenely selfish actions/persona, the parent would tell that kid to grow up and act his/her age. All can see this caricature of an adult human for what he is, except seemingly the entirety of the Republican Party. Their inability to put country over party has forever harmed this once great nation that served as a beacon of reason, not a bottomless pit of pandering partisan ignorance.
7
Excellent thoughts on the New York crime syndicate now in Washington, but a misplaced knock on Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land." It wasn't written as a patriotic sing-along, but rather as a critical retort to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America."
4
Pelosi spoke so many times on how strong borders were required. Schumer and Obama also gave speeches about strong border enforcement but all these Democrats now are playing politics because they hate Trump. Instead of doing what the country needs, they are out vacationing in far flung places because of politics. They are what is wrong in America today.
4
@James Democrats still want strong border security. They have never stopped. What they don't like is mixing border security up with funding the government. These must be separated. Do you recognize how compromised our security has become with shutting down the government? Democrats have always been willing to talk. They did not hold thousands of human beings and their families hostage by shutting down the government.
2
@James Billions spent on a "wall" that will keep no one from entering is a total waste of taxpayers' money. Naive and ineffective.
1
@James Did you forget the republicans had the House and the Senate for the pass 2 years and did NOTHING about the wall? Now it's on the democrats. Please
1
Since the infamous 2016 election we have been digging the darkest hole in history of this Great Country.
Now finally the shiny star of Nancy Pelosi is there to show Americans the way to climb out from the unjustified and perilous chaos purposely created by this administration.
We should all stand by Nancy Pelosi and help her putting the fragments of America together to guarantee a better and just future to our younger generations.
4
Discipline for brats requires firm corrective punishment, and redirection through education from someone who loves the brat. It also requires role modeling from the same. Does this sound like the individuals who serve as Republicans in Congress presently?
3
What would the office of the presidency be like with a liberal political lioness in it, the likes of which we haven't seen since LBJ or FDR?
5
@ClydeS My fantasy is that both Trump and Pence get impeached and forced to resign and Pelosi becomes president.
4
Since the November election I have pondered a fantasy that if Trump leaves office before 2021 (I prefer impeachment but any method will suffice e.g. the Big Macs catch up with him) we would have to deal with President Pence, who blessedly doesn't tweet but is almost as big a liar as the Donald. But if he too leaves office before the next election (again, any method will do), Speaker Pelosi is second in the line of succession and would be President. You read it here first.
6
“It was miraculous. It was almost no trick at all, he saw, to turn vice into virtue and slander into truth, impotence into abstinence, arrogance into humility, plunder into philanthropy, thievery into honor, blasphemy into wisdom, brutality into patriotism, and sadism into justice. Anybody could do it; it required no brains at all. It merely required no character.”
Joseph Heller, Catch 22
8
I could have sworn she said "use your words Donald"
1
This is, of course, an "opinion" piece so you can't expect much from it, but I find it disappointing. Do we really need another rehash of all we have been hearing for several years now? It is quite possible that Pelosi is nothing but virtuous and Trump is nothing but evil, but it is also quite possible that the truth is more nuanced than that.
This is a little bit like hearing a popular song again, and again. You know the refrain by heart. It may tuck at your psyche, or it may not, but you want to hear new music anyway.
2
An absolutely guaranteed way to become rich and stay rich is to not pay taxes. The Trumps have had plenty of failed business projects, but scamming the IRS has kept the family flush through thick and thin.
It is also guaranteed to warp your ethical sense: I'm still rich, so I must be brilliant. Since I'm brilliant, not paying taxes must be the smart thing to do. Since not paying taxes is the smart thing to do, everyone else must be dumb if they pay theirs. And if they're not rich, they're dumber than me.
The ethical contrast between these two leaders is truly incredible.
7
Come March 20th spring will sweep in. By then Trump will be out including his family, Pence and his false Christianity, and the weasel Mitch will all be wearing orange. The new spring color. Impossible you say? They have all been singing their song before our faces when former President Obama choose Garland for the Supreme Court and Mitch, the Weasel, squashed that Since the summer of 2016 they have increased their volume. Apparently the FBI is hard of hearing but they have now tuned in.
May we all have a most beautiful spring. And may Nancy Polosi have a most beautiful, peaceful spring. I'm quite sure orange is her favorite color.
3
Let's see.
Nancy and her dad were telling people how to get on welfare by getting free housing in the projects and free medical care.
Meantime, Trump and his dad were working on providing housing to tens of thousands.
4
@True Observer, your screen name makes me laugh! No true observer would overlook the racial discrimination toward minorities seeking housing, that Fred Trump and Donald played over the years. He was also hauled into Congress for discriminating against veterans returning from WWII. So spare the sainthood, "providing housing to tens of thousands". It was only for earning a dirty buck with cheap government loan money that made it possible for them. Loan money that came from taxpayers. Put your TV remote down and turn off Fox News.
1
Unaccountable #45 needs more than a spanking —
an indictment sounds about right.
4
Trump knows not to give Pelosi a nickname. He is outmatched. Pelosi is smarter, more experienced, ethical all in jewel tone power dress armor. Thin-skinned Donald cannot comprehend a woman besting him.
2
Prov: 11:10-11:
"When the righteous prosper, the city [America] rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy."
"By the blessing of the upright a city [America] is built up, but by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down."
Who can forget the images of thousands dancing in Firdos Square,Baghdad as they tore down the statue of Saddam Hussein?
It is really sad that former Speaker Paul Ryan could not find the spine to stand up to Trump. Ryan will go down as a weakling and collaborator.
Thank God Pelosi has no fear of the septuagenarian toddler and Putin puppet.
3
C'mon Maureen. If you think Nancy's Little Italy neighborhood in Baltimore wasn't seething with racism in the 1960's you are living in an opaque bubble. To this day an African-American, or any other minority for that matter, would be hard pressed to rent an apartment in Nancy's old hood.
In addition, Nancy wasn't just "giving immigrants who came to her door advice on how to get into the projects or the hospital." She was also recording the names of the people she advised so daddy could call in the favors later.
Daddy Trump and Daddy D’Alesandro came from the same corrupt system. The D’Alesandro household was just smart enough to spread it around a little bit.
3
Can we impeach Trump and Pence, and have Pelosi as President?
1
Yes! Why not! It would be a happy ending and a just reward for the opprobrious McConnell, the sycophantic Pence, and the despicable charlatan Trump. It would be even more fitting if the Republican Party would be trounced to be replaced by an honorable, and democracy loving Conservative Party that respects the opposition and wants to work for the good of the country not just for the rich and powerful.
1
Chances of success better if just impeaching Trump.
The GOP should be the ones controlling "little Donald" but they secretly love his white nationalism, anti fact, anti science, religious fundamentalist, fascist views. They don't care if he sold out America to Putin because they believe only in the power of the .01 percent and not in American democracy. The GOP will want an equal seat at the table once they are out of power, however, the only people who should share power in this country are those who believe in democracy. Sadly, by backing Donald Trump they have shown they no longer have a place in public life.
6
Speaker Pelosi cares more about Central Americans (Central American family attempts to enter the US southern border are at an all time high according to this very newspaper), and the 22 million undocumented aliens who have piled up inside our borders due to lack of enforcement of US immigration laws, than she cares about:
-- Working class American citizens who are Federal workers living paycheck to paycheck, but now living without any paychecks;
-- Federal contract workers, disproportionately Democrats, who won't see any back pay even after the shutdown eventually ends;
-- African American and Latino American men who have to compete for ever-lower-wage jobs with the undocumented; and
-- Legal immigrants who played by the rules, struggling for years while standing in line for green cards.
Grandson Tommy better get ready to fork over next summer's lemonade profits again to make Grandma Pelosi look good. That's Grandma's business, using Other People's Money to retain power and play Lady Bountiful. Indeed, her 100% tax on Grandson Tommy, like her 100% exaction on Federal workers and Federal contractors, makes AOC's 70% tax seem quite generous toward earners.
3
This column sets up an interesting parallel but it misses more sinister notes.
1) Trump was from an immigrant family but he (like his father) lied about his origins. Well into adulthood including in The Art of the Deal, he claimed his ancestry was Swedish. He lied about his birth. When he spent years with the racist birther lie about Pres. Obama or attacks the the ethnicity of Sen. Warren or sets up a contrast between immigrants from Africa (expletive deleted) and Scandinavia, remember his decades of lies about a Swedish heritage.
2) Trump's mobster ties have accompanied his story and were again brought out in a recent Newsweek article. His purchase of a switchblade and fights in school preceded his abrupt departure for a military school. Posturing and acting as a thug in his language and aggression are deep in his character. Mistreatment of workers, sexual assaults on women and business frauds cause real harm to his victims. He avoided honorable military service through fraudulent bone spurs but again and again praises thuggish dictators like Putin.
The child is father of the man. But infantilizing Trump ignores his much more sinister and criminal aspects.
6
This pretty much summarizes the difference between the President and the Speaker as we observe their performance today. Donald sees his job being to serve himself, Nancy sees her job to serve her constituents...us;
"Where the D’Alesandros saw the downtrodden and immigrants as people to weave into the American dream, the Trumps saw suckers to squeeze."
2
How do you discipline the world's brattiest 72 year old? By winning over his Republican senators and getting them to discipline him. Delegate.
http://www.thecriticalmom.blogspot.com
1
This entire debacle is embarrassing. Of course Trump is an idiot but Chuck and Nancy aren't much better. Old, retread politicians holding to pride and power as long as they can until they retire to "ghost write" their memoirs.
I am so tired of the political cycle and don't be so quick to place faith in the new group of elected Reps either. They'll fall in line after their first term. Hooked on power, campaigning for re-election, they too will be engulfed in the DC morass. They'll fight not for their constituents but for their right to serve as long as Chuck and Nancy. They too will want retire as millionaires like all the elected representatives before them.
The more things change the more they remain the same.
2
I like that Ms. Dowd further illuminates us about Ms. Pelosi, even better, using Trump as her foil. Boy, does she look good: tough but has a heart. As for Trump: well...
Who would I put my trust with? 3 guesses...
1
So it's time to talk turkey. Through proper bipartisan study where does it make sense to put up barriers? I'm guessing not too many places exist and with the rest of the 5.6 billion bring judges to the border to ease the chaos for those seeking asylum. DACA residents' road to citizenship should also be assured.
This puts pressure on legislators to come to their senses and do the right thing, making a veto proof bill.
If the answer for added fencing is zero after study, so be it. A thorough review by a Cato sponsored paper has already nixed a wall. Only reliable data, not opinion, should count.
This second objective look should seal any deal. The legislation should be passed mandating the investigation, and its results agreed to. Six months should be enough to come to a conclusion. In the meantime open the government so we have a functioning safe country again.
The Cato Report:
https://www.cato.org/blog/new-cato-report-border-wall-wont-stop-drug-smuggling-marijuana-legalization-has
I hope a journalist asks Trump on live TV how much a quart of milk costs.
He absolutely can't relate to people who live pay check to paycheck! Am doing he has no idea what it would be like to have no pay check!
Brilliant piece! Thank you.
Your final question was rhetorical, right?
Because obviously the answer is "incarceration."
One more (daily) reminder that millions of Americans have lost all capacity for moral outrage, witness their vote and continuing nauseating cheerleading for this Daddy's Little Boy in the White House. I wonder whether the Times's "blockbuster" piece on Trump's tax-scammed bailouts ever penetrated the awareness of Trump's base (and base it is).
2
$5.7 Billion dollars would build a beautiful new tunnel under the Hudson River. The remaining funds would remake a substantial portion of our cracked, sagging and antiquated infrastructure. The resultant jobs and return on investment would pay dividends for a generation or two.
5
I echo the thoughts of many who comment here. Mitch McConnell is the enemy of the people and must be stopped. He is the sycophant par excellence of the mad hatter who is in the oval office.
8
Trump has changed dynamics of government shutdown from dispute over border security to dispute over national emergencies. Negotiate. Give him his billions in return for addressing democratic notions of national emergencies: addressing gun violence, addressing climate change, addressing health care and addressing economic inequality. In fact if I remember correctly two of Trump’s campaign promises involved getting rid of Obamacare and getting something better and providing tax release to middle class and not the rich. Help him keep those promises.
Interestingly, near the end of Trump Sr life, Donald tried to fraudulently put all the inheritance in his name. I'm sure Senior wasn't too happy about that, but he taught him well.
The jig is up and we're only halfway through. How on earth do we prevent this type of pathologically flawed human personality from ever becoming President of our country again? We need to start working in this immediately.
22
@fdc
One step would be to make it mandatory for all presidential candidates to release their income tax returns!!!
1
Fred Trump and his wife raised and enabled a pathological narcissist, the latter efforts occurring to their dying days and even beyond, with Fred's estate replete with fraudulent machinations as uncovered by the NYT in an exhaustive investigative effort. Now, this country is the collective victim of their dysfunctional parenting, as exacerbated by their adult son's willing embrace of seemingly endless malfeasance, corruption, and even criminality. The core "lesson" of the Trump household certainly seems to have been the adoration of money above all else, which the Fake President has dutifully passed down to his own offspring. Hopefully, this family's deep damage upon our republic will come to a final, conclusive end with the disposal of its White House incumbent. Never again.
20
I wish to add that the corrupt effects of the dysfunctional Trump parenting extended to influence their other children, besides son Donald. Their daughter, Maryann Trump Barry, served for years as a judge on a United States Circuit Court of Appeals in New Jersey, the highest federal court below our Supreme Court. Like Trump, she was a co-trustee of her father's estate and was also a financial beneficiary of the extensive criminal and civil fraud committed by that estate, as revealed in the Times's Investigation. This fraud is currently being investigated by the Attorney General of New York State.
Great comparison by Maureen.
Just for the record, that photo is at the start of the Grand Hyatt Hotel project, said to be Donald’s first on his own, and that is architect Jordan Gruzen next to the rendering, alongside Gov. Carey. Gruzen, like Trump, had taken over and expanded his father’s business.
3
Thanks for the analysis.
The contrasts, though apparent, are useful.
How about an analysis of a comparison? Trump may not engage in the kind of bloodletting [yet!] that Idi Amin did, but it seems, no matter the audience, the Donald, like Amin, is "the best," irregardless of the topic, or expertise.
Trump and Amin share the same type of oversized, though underinformed. egos.
Give that one a serious eval, Maureen.
4
Two simple things to remember about how Republicans operate. In the House, when they are in control, they operate under the Hastert Rule, a system go blocking bringing bills to the floor for a vote named after a former representative who is in prison as a result of child molestation and bribes to hide it. In the Senate, we have Mitch McConnell who did everything in his power to block President Obama right down to leaving a Supreme Court seat open for over a year while whining that Democrats are meanies just trying to block poor President Trump. Talk about hypocrisy and disgusting behaviors in general. And McConnell doesn't care about ordinary workers, married as he is to an heiress to Taiwanese millions or even billions. And he and his immigrant wife will both be getting $10,000 raises while ordinary government workers get no pay at all, even if they are working!
23
This is a struggle between solid American values (Ms.Pelosi) and no values(Trump). I expect Ms.Pelosi to be the cream at the top and Trump the detritus at the bottom.
13
Oh boo-hoo! Pelosi is just as bad as all the other politicians. She is for something when it is her party's idea but if it is someone else's she's an obstructionist. When the liberals had charge of the presidency, senate and congress what was the unemployment rate? Who thought twice about taking advantage of us (Iran, Saudi Arabia and China didn't). So we just get a different form of bad government. And no, I didn't vote for Trump. I voted for Sanders.
3
@Jeff You wrote: "She is for something when it is her party's idea but if it is someone else's she's an obstructionist."
Sir, you have an interesting take on even short term history. It's missing facts.
@Jeff Pelosi is "just as bad"? Your choice of voting for Sanders didn't matter in the state of Washington, but what if your vote was the vote that made the difference in the whole election.....it's either Trump or Hillary, and your vote for Sanders allows Trump to win? You'd still have voted for Sanders? How many anti-Hillary memes made by the Russians did you unwittingly "like" and share, I wonder.
@Jeff You did not have to specify that Sanders was your man, it was quite obvious and, btw, thanks for unwittingly contributing to Trump’s election.
At the risk of getting too technical, I will point out that Trump by definition cannot be the "First Brat", a role that surely belongs to Don Jr.
I wish that Dowd had mentioned that when Trump Sr. was young, that he threw rocks at a child in his playpen. The Dotard is so much more than a mere "brat"; he's always been of poor personal character and a threat to others.
Trump isn't "first" in anything other than in his capacity for sheer evil; he's last in war, last in peace and last in the hearts of his countrymen.
7
Pelosi is a far superior leader to Trump. If the GOP could not get the wall funded for the past two years, then there's no reason to fund the wall now. There is no crisis, except for the humanitarian crisis brought on by the Trump administration's horrid policies.
Let us not forget that the Democrats offered money for wall funding last year, and the GOP demurred. Let us also not forget that the Trump administration has barely scratched the billion + already set aside for border security.
This is a pure act of hubris on the part of Trump and McConnell. McConnell could end this today, but he is a coward.
17
If Trump is president because of a fraudulent election it is logical that we can get rid of the entire administration, not just him. I know that the founders did not provide for this situation and that impeachment will only rid us of Trump but that does not seem fair. If we send the Trump AND Pence packing then Nancy Pelosi would become president.
7
Of course trump is intellectually and morally unfit for elected office. We knew that before he descended his gauche escalator. Even folks like Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio and Mitt(ens) Romney told us so. But those same folks in the GOP who flagged trump's mendacity and vulgarity now grovel before him and enable his infantile tendencies. Speaker Pelosi now has the position, and I believe the skills, to force a reckoning with trump's erratic even chaotic rein. She has the political skills to work through the baroque power structures of Congress. That is why Republicans and trump fear her and fought against her.
15
Terrific piece. Dowd points out that apples don't fall far from the trees. The opponents couldn't be more different. Values or lack thereof are instilled in us as youngsters. We learn from example. The following sentence says it all:
"Where the D'Alesandros saw the downtrodden and immigrants as people to weave into the American dream, the Trumps saw suckers to squeeze."
Trump still holds the opinion that Ameicans are suckers. Let's hope that Pelosi and others with similar convictions, start standing up to the Trumps and their ilk. Since Trump's election, an autocracy has been making headway, slowly but surely. If you don't stand for something, you can fall for anything.
6
Interesting insights on Donald and Nancy. What about Mitch McConnell? What makes him tick?
1
Too bad Trump didn’t grow up in a big Italian family, like the Corleones’. Then he would have been shunted into irrelevancy like Fredo or Sonny, and not given the reins to the family business, or foisted on the country as the very personification of unwarranted fame and wealth. The great American Huckster. Our President.
4
I recall working next to teams of computer programmers who came to NY City from India. They were great people but they worked real cheap. They could take the money and return to India, where it went a lot further.
They came from the elite social strata of India. I became good friends with one of the owners of that startup company, Infosys. When it became the largest outsourcing company in India he became its CEO.
A couple of decades later, technology had gone through many revisions and I found myself competing ever more against off shoring software development. The companies that had vied for my talent when my skills were hot and I in my youth, lost interest. They cried crocodile tears about a shortage of talent to drive down wages and bring in H1-B workers. There were plenty of programmers such as myself who had to once again spend a fortune to retrain themselves and begin again at the lowest rung.
Pelosi might tell her grandchild to give up his lemonade stand profits for charity, but the hypocrisy will mean something when she gives up her house, and her savings and her medical benefits plan to help those who work in the private sector.
When she comes to understand that the tens of millions of illegal immigrants chew up social services of working stiffs (suckers). That illegal birth rate is so high because we subsidize them. That population explosion is responsible for immigrant flight and climate change.
Trump is a pig – but at least he doesn’t try and apply make up.
4
@Ben Ross Well said.
@Ben Ross
Thumbs up for the story, but disagree with your conclusion. You might want to look at the recent tweet about H1-B from Trump and look at Breitbart story about it. Thumbs down for the misogyny and conclusion. Agree and it is so important to get more press on this aspect on the H1-B scam.
My reality is that Mr.Trump is so far out of the level of competence required to do this job, that just watching him handle someone who doesn't dance on his command truly is a meltdown moment for all of America. As he has now proven with this shutdown
He literally is devoid of empathy for anyone. Immigrants fleeing violence, hurricane victims in Puerto Rico, fire victims in California, flood victims in tents in Houston, people going without pay ....None of it moves him.
Speaker Pelosi is 2nd. in line for succession. Her response to dealing with him is apt, accurate and a clear signal that groveling to his psychological neediness for adoration is not on her game plan.
Win or lose, I applaud her for being aware that this Emperor not only has no clothes on, but cannot walk to the closet and get his own robe. She doesn't plan to help him navigate that chore.
America is so done with this cheesy reality show and this moral train wreck. Elections do have consequences and Mr. Trump has failed to face that reality. I suspect that Pelosi and company will make him realize his time treating America as his performance stage is over.
12
Sure he's 72, but in his case the 7 is silent.
Apologies to some 2 year olds.
4
Excellent caricatures, though the idea that Destiny, rather than personal responsibility for their choices is unsettling. Trump's exposure to corruption didn't corrupt him. It was his choice to become spoiled and corrupt. Pelosi's exposure to honest "Golden Rule" public service didn't make her conscientious, she decided to be. The 63 million who voted for Trump may not have his means, but, they are just as spoiled because for them, being white and male meant they were entitled to the destiny of privilege and they're hoping Trump will bail them out like Donnie expected from his father, Fred. Destiny is not an American value. Before Emancipation, born a slave meant your were destined (mostly) to be a slave. Defining Pelosi and Trump by the power of Destiny is not how we do things (or should be striving to do them) in America. Donald isn't Fred's fault. It's Donald's.
3
How do you discipline him? You vote him and his party out of office.
6
It's worth highlighting that Nancy Pelosi has been married to only one man in her lifetime, for over 50 years now. That shows integrity.
7
Well-crafted essay, Ms. Dowd. Thank you.
4
Thank you Maureen for sharing some insight into the upbringing of Trump and Nancy and how that development crafted a spoiled brat, Trump, and a compassionate leader, Nancy.
3
Am I alone in thinking the dangerous bumblings of The Donald are strikingly reminiscent of Peter Seller's character in "Dr. Strangelove"?
1
The story about Nancy Pelosi's grandson was touching. But at some level, I couldn't help but think: Let the kid have his XBox.
1
This is a n interesting background regarding Pelosi, buthas nothing to do with the wall. A wall, along with other manner of protections, is essential. And Pelosi's analogy to it being immoral is absurd.
1
Why is he still in office.
Why is removing this talentless, useless, human microbe from office such a hard thing to do.
Why can't we get back on track.
Where is the Mueller probe going.
When will both houses of Congress coalesce and get their act together to take action.
Who will lead the charge of Republicans to organize and orchestrate the end of this mad man?
What will it take to convince the stalwarts that 45 is a mistake?
Please. Do something. Please.
4
As Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi is next in line to be President after Pence.
Given the corruption and incompetence of this administration, I like the sound of....President Pelosi.
6
This is all just a sideshow, a distraction driven by a gifted manipulator and grifter. Those are the nicest descriptors I could use for this abomination of a man. We’re watching his left hand while his right is slipping something into his pocket every single day without fail.
7
Your piece on Nancy D'Alesandro Pelosi and Donald J. Trump is brilliant. One of the most memorable since you started recording our history in Op-Eds at the Times in 1995, Maureen. Nancy Pelosi followed her Father into politics (he was Mayor of Baltimore from 1947-1959). She owns a righteous belief in the Democratic Party and American Democracy. She was our Speaker of the House under President Obama, (2007-2011) and is now Majority Leader and Speaker again. Donald Trump followed his father, Fred, into the real estate biz in Queens, New York, learning from him how to grift, lie, scam and scorn people of colour. Now Donald Trumph occupies the world's most powerful position. He is our President, facing Speaker Pelosi and a Democratic Congress, and facing impeachment or some constitutionally lawful means of removal from office. These two consummate Americans (of immigrant descent) are flourishing the flags of their fathers. One a Democrat, one a Republican. We are all living in a disfunctional dystopia under Trump, and await the American trial of the 21st Century during this president's regime.
1
Trump has two chances to come out ahead of Pelosi: slim and nonexistent. He thinks of himself as a fighter but he is anything but.
3
Thankfully you’ve moved on from the Clintons with the rest of us. Good column today. Now it’s time to take on McConnell.
8
Pelosi has accomplished absolutely nothing in her first days,
Divisive, shrill and angry looking all the time, she doesn't have the disposition to tangle with trump.
1
NANCY TELLS THE PRESS What she told her kids and grandkids when they raised money--that it was going to be donated to people in need. And that she wanted Trump to get the same message. Trump is incapable of empathy or remorse. So he CAN'T feel YOUR pain. He CAN'T feel bad that he's caused anybody else PAIN. Because for him scamming people, ripping them off, cheating, swindling, robbing, stealing, lying--all feel great to Trump because he gets high from hurting others. Nixon had many severe character flaws. But he had learned that a veneer of social politeness was part of who he had to be. Nixon did not necessarily feel the pain of others, nor did he regret causing others pain. But at least he was civilized enough to know that part of the job of president was to appear to be decent and respectful. To Trump, decency and respect toward others would be giving up the pleasure he gets from planning to harm others, then causing them pain. It is not accident that Trump is attracted by thugs and sadistic criminals like Putin le putain, the murderer Duterte, the violent Maduro and the notorious outlaw criminal he PARDONED, Sam Arpaio. Let it be very clear to all that Trump is in possession of a criminal mind. He cares nothing at all about appearing civilized. Trump will do anything to get what he wants. Even if it means that he's making the US more vulnerable to terrorists by shutting down the National Security Admin. If we're attacked it will because THE FILTHY WALL!
2
I'm curious. Who pays the White House staff: the cleaners, housekeepers, chefs, gardeners, security? Are they paid during this government shutdown or are they also without pay? If so, they should walk.
5
The Trump family and cabinet and their selfish, greedy donors are the poster children on why the estate tax should be reimplemented along with a higher rate for all income greater than $1 million
4
As Nancy said, she’s the mother of five and the grandmother of nine and she knows a temper tantrum when she sees one.
It’s too sad that our president who is physically an adult but is mentally a petulant child and certainly acts like one. He’s like the little boy who owns the kickball but doesn’t like the rules so he grabs the ball and goes home alone.
Can you imagine the conversations in other governments around the world regarding the childish behavior of this president? Probably a good reason to cancel that Davos trip, although I’m not sure this president is capable of even realizing how foolish he looks.
5
In the old days when Hillary Clinton was a Senator from New York Donald Trump was a hanger on practically begging to be invited to her parties and everyone that he was her 'friend'. Things changed a bit as he saw an opportunity to become a GOP shill and Trump trashed her as if she were an old used rag doll. if you think Trump is your friend, think again for he will drop you the moment you are not valuable to him either politically or he perceives you as a threat to his pocket book.
If you chant 'lock her up' it could you that he turns on next.
1
That Trump is President is unfortunately not just a bad joke. It is a disaster, as we veer towards chaos and as he seeks to further destroy trust in our government, its institutions, the press, the rule of law, and the sanctity of the truth. He is a much more deranged and megalomaniac version of his amoral father. By now it is obvious why Putin interfered in our election to elect him. He knew that Trump’s election would weaken America greatly. A government shutdown over a wall that will never be built. Enough said!
4
She plays chess, very well. He plays Whack-a-Mole.....not so ..... good.
2
I cannot think of a better story of Donald Trump’s learning at daddy’s knee than the occasion mentioned in the article. When his father Fred “was hauled before a congressional panel investigating whether he had looted government money through fraud. (One congressman said the patriarch’s chicanery made him “nauseous.)” Most of us passed nausea on Jan. 20, 2017.
A shuttered government, 800,000 unpaid workers, the below-the-belt punch to the European Union as an ally, and insults to our own citizens (as well as friends), and-on-and-on make chicanery seem almost quaint.
But a $5 billion wall? Yeah. We need that because Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh say we do. Why don’t they pay for it?
5
The man child called POTUS doesn't even understand the concept/responsibility of "the buck stops here". If he did he would know that ultimately the responsibility for ending the shutdown and national angst is his and that the bucks of 800,000 stops at his desk. Instead he retorts that the buck stops everywhere. Someone should, very privately, whisper in his ear that ending the shutdown could make him a hero. It worked on the villain in Schindler's List. Maybe it could work with Trump.
1
It's interesting to slice and dice that narcissist who temporarily leases space in the WH. By now I have a good clue to this corrupt, amoral, lying, cheating phony. It may be time to dissect the dysfunctional reasoning of millions that could cheer madly at rallies listening to words of this charlatan that gave them comfort. Do we wait for historians to do the work.
2
And we have to clean up the mess? No immigrant worth her salt would stand for that.
As my mother would have said, “ what a colossal nerve!”
1
One of the tests of good parenting that took me and my wife too many years to learn is to say "No!" to your children. Fred Trump, an authoritarian Ku Klux Klan member and bigot, clearly never said "No!" to his son Donald, but "spoiled him rotten" (as my mother often taunted me and others) while creating a selfish Richie rich "brat," racist, cheater, misogynist and an authoritarian. Nancy Pelosi clearly knows how to say "No!" as she just did to Donald Trump when he demanded $5.7 billion ransom for the wall before he'll release 800,000 of his government employees he's holding hostage. And, the man who loves to hate women slapped the table (assuming he couldn't reached Pelosi) than stomped his bone-spurred little feet out the door and back to what former Sen. Bob Corker called his "adult day care center" to throw a temper tantrum and threaten to call a national emergency. It's time for the Republicans in Congress to stop acting as Fred Trump and enabling this truly childish, destructive behavior and to stand with the adults like Nancy Pelosi and to say "NO! Donald the wall is not a toy." by passing a vet-proof budget to end this unnecessary puerile demand.
3
Daddy Trump did his sons no favors. Had he not underwritten their every whim and failure, perhaps one would not have died an alcoholic while the other has proven to be a sociopath. Don's history especially is marked by multiple bankruptcies, failed marriages, misogyny, xenophobia and racism and, most importantly, during his presidency, the total inability to speak truth and assume responsibility for his own behavior. At no point did Don need to develop any coping skills whatsoever, leaving us with the brat we see in the White House. Equally important, Daddy set no high moral standard or value set, so Don wavers endlessly.
There is a villain in this shutdown, and that is Mitch McConnell.
As welearned when McConnell made his mission in life the disruption of President Obama’s administration and defeat of the Democratic Congress, and refused to consider the nomination of Merrick Garland, Mitch O’Connell regards the Constitution in the narrowest possible terms, as a distribution of power among powerful rivals. That it was, yes; yet the Constitution also embodies a democratic idea.
McConnell has no respect for that democratic vision. All he sees is a set of constraints on what he views as the natural order of things; namely, power struggles. Where the Constitution is silent or seems ambiguous, McConnell takes control.
Most of the country has recognized that Dpnald Trump is an incompetent, corrupt fool, a court jester who, as the result of a few votes in a few states by benighted, angry white minority, was elevated to the most powerful office in the world. He needs to be checked, not enabled. His much-feared base is a chimera, with no politics or convictions, that would run to another candidate if the Trump mystique blew up.
McConnell chooses to court that base — to hold it together and protect Trump - to advance GOP policies. If Trump loses power, and the Trump base disappears - not turns agains the GOP,, but evaporates - McConnell loses leverage in a divided Congress.
So once again, the Majority Leader sells his country out. McConnell is the villain here. Trump is merely the fool.
5
Nancy D'Alesandro Pelosi is a decent and most admirable human being. I hope she becomes President soon.
1
It is quite possible that the Good Lord has given us Donald Trump.....to lance the putrid boil of this country's racism, classism, and intolerance.....
Trump's call to arms - enabling and encouraging the most despicable of our secret urges - just might start the cleansing of our body politic. Do we see the pendulum, seemingly pushed forever to the Right, finally swinging back, away from Fascism and the glorification of a plutocratic oligarchy?
Let us hope that we are seeing the beginning of the end.
Nancy has a great sense of humor and an enjoyable laugh (even if it's at her own expense).
Donnie has no sense of humor and never laughs (unless it's at someone else's misfortune).
Like an angel contrasted with a devil.
1
Yet I can't help thinking that Nancy is not totally blameless in this. I have not heard of any efforts to compromise on either side. And so the stalemate continues.
2
@Julia Ellegood Trumps wall does not have the votes in the House. Nancy Pelosi and 434 other members of Congress voted, the majority said no to spending 5.7 billion dollars on Trump's barrier.
Pelosi's job is to represent the people, not to compromise with an autocrat's demand.
2
@Julia Ellegood. Perhaps you should read more. Pelosi and the House have passed several bills for ending the shutdown. McConnell refuses to put them on the Senate floor. This is McConnell's shutdown.
@Julia Ellegood DID YOU NOT WATCH TRUMP IN THE OVAL OFFICE CREATE THIS GOVT SHUT DOWN?
Proud that Nancy Pelosi refuses to clean Trump’s mess.
I immediately translated this article into Italian and e-mailed it to my Italian relatives. Nancy Pelosi is not only our heroine, but also our "paisan". Her maternal grandparents and even her mother were born in the same small, isolated (two thousand residents) village of central Italy in the Molise mountains that my mother and father came from. My parents emigrated to Rhode Island, as did briefly Nancy's grandparents before they moved on to Baltimore in the early years of the 20th century. Our village, Fornelli, Isernia holds a festa every August to which is invited all the emigrants and their descendants in a program with a theme of immigration that connects second and third generation with their heritage in this peaceful, beautiful countryside. Nancy Pelosi has been invited and says she hopes to visit our common ancestral village. What a respite from the turmoil of Washington and American political life that would be for her ! We Italian Americans as well as ethnic groups of other traditions are proud of Nancy Pelosi's immigrant background and impressive accomplishments. Her character, dignity, and honest values are assets found among the strong people in our small village. Until that rediscovery of her traditional past, Pelosi should be very busy with the political task at hand - taking on the first Bully without a Pulpit, Donald Trump.
.
18
If Ms. Pelosi's father was the "loyal New Deal Democrat" Ms. Dowd describes in her Op-Ed, I'm sure he's absolutely spinning in his grave at the thought of whose interests his daughter now serves. It's precisely because the Democratic Party abandoned FDR's principals and consequently elects as leaders people such as Speaker Pelosi (whose chief talent is raking in campaign donations from the 1% Donor Base) that Trump is President today. While I'm sure Mr. Trump's father would applaud his son's efforts, I can assure you that Mr. D'Alesandro would NOT be proud of those of his daughter. He'd be weeping, as am I.
9
What I cannot shake from my mind is that all this was well known before the election. Yet Trump was the choice of the American people. The United States has elected great leaders. Lincoln and Roosevelt were the right people for the right time - perhaps for any time. Now you have given the world Trump. I don't know what this tells us - but it is a sinking feeling.
22
@Canuck
Slight correction:
Hilary was the choice of the majority of the American people who voted.
Donny was the choice of the electoral college.
6
@Canuck It tells us of the rise in right wing media. Its name is Murdoch.
1
@Canuck Actually, it was not well known for those outside the NY circle. Having grown up in Manhattan, Trump terrible business practices and legal troubles were frequently in the news which is why he lost NY. But his smarmy style suckered the rubes in KS and elsewhere. Those folks were not conditioned to the filth in NY real estate.
1
The stark differences between Pelosi and Trump highlight the critical issue that underlies much of our political and social contentiousness: What DOES it mean to be an American today? Are we bound together solely by a platitudinous belief in broad concepts of "freedom", the "land of opportunity", the "American Dream", "all men are created equal", which we each interpret to mean as we see fit? What beliefs, what bedrock principles do we truly share as Americans? Our inability to articulate a clear answer to this question does not bode well for us.
11
I think Speaker Pelosi, who I was unsure about for a second term, has the brains, stamina and focus to take down Trump. And to do it in a way that eases our great divides. She has shown extraordinary grace, style and leadership throughout the mid-terms and since.
If the party can stay behind her we will get back on track, My hope is that Trump runs in 2020, gets beaten badly and then goes to jail for the rest of his life.
48
This may be mawkish, but I literally cried reading Maureen Dowd's column at the tragically different realities of values between the Trump clan and the D'Alesandro family. Why, in the 21st Century, has America grown fond of the values of the Trump Reality, favoring them for our future, over the values of the D'Alesandro Reality?
34
@Robert Douglas
That's not a mawkish response, it's a humane one. Good man. You're not alone in your grief.
As a grandmother of 7, I applaud Mrs Pelosi’s teaching her grandson to think of others. When one of my granddaughters made and sold cookies to get a pet, her father talked to her about how it was not the right time. They had an very old dog and it would be hard for him. The money went to charity and both she and her sister have asked for donations for the animal shelter (their favorite charity)instead of friends bringing gifts to their birthday party. My other granddaughters have been involved in efforts to raise money for other charities and giving their hair for wigs for those who need them.
26
Fred also taught family patronage. One half of Team Javanka as World Bank President, the other Minister Plenipotentiary without portfolio? The World is a piggy bank, you’re goal, to bottom feed your way to financial success.
14
"But when Howard Stern had Donald, Ivanka and Don Jr. on his show in 2006 and asked them a multiplication question, they were all stumped."
Meanwhile, The Financial Times reported on Friday that Ivanka is one of the names being considered as a replacement for outgoing World Bank president Jim Yong Kim.
You cannot make this stuff up!
47
@Dorota. No way should Ivanka, or anyone in the trump family, be allowed anywhere near the World Bank.
Great article, Maureen.
As a picture is worth a million words, I think this perspective says it all.
17
Not to mention that the White House has just hired seventeen...yes, 17!...additional lawyers to work on Donald Trump’s legal team. Really, what innocent person feels it necessary to hire 17 additional lawyers to defend himself? In addition, are these lawyers paid for by taxpayers?
35
@Cody Not to dissagree on your message, but they lost about that many in the last 2 years. Think of this as replenishment. The legal department is the one branch of administration that Trump needs to be fully staffed and run properly...
5
The only appropriate discipline for this particular 72 y.o. brat is to put him a very large orange jumpsuit (hey, color coordination!) and march him right into a federal time-out corner. He’ll be thrilled to see he’s surrounded by four big, beautiful walls.
I’m sure his loving wife will visit at least once a year.
34
@Pde666 Congratulation!
I agree with most of the comments, but your's actually hit the Bull's-Eye!
1
There is no doubt that Donald Trump has a lot of daddy issues . He went into Manhattan`s real estate business and then ran for President out of a need to compete with the guy who actually made the money , his father . He is an insecure rich boy that will never become a man . Even thought he is doing a lot of damage , you understand and pity him . It is a little more difficult to understand the allure he holds for so many people . The answer may lie in F. Scott Fitzgerald `s novel the Great Gatsby . The reason Gatsby was so madly in love for Daisy was her money . Money can buy almost anything including love .
15
Bernardo:
It wasn’t just Daisy’s money that attracted Gatsby. After all, he had lots of money. It was the flashing light of social status at the end of the pier across the Sound.
3
I understand that a man of 72 may never have grown past his epoch of colicky, malevolent toddlerhood. What flummoxes me is an entire nation whose voting majority elevates such an infantile figure to the highest public office in the land.
Try as I might I still don't get it.
39
@John lebaron But the voting majority did not elect him! The Electoral Collage did1
@John lebaron
Except that only in Trump Reality did he get a "voting majority." And that makes this presidency that much harder to stomach.
1
Both kids never were truly fired in their lives. But the huge difference is obvious. Trump and his old man were and remain common opportunists and 2nd rate New York construction thugs. Pelosi and her father were rich politicians but also cared for people on a street level.
But some folk like cowardly bullies. So Trump may yet again narrowly prevail in 2020. That does not mean they and this nation will succeed.
6
@Mixiplix What do you mean by "fired"? Losing a job isn't the only way character is built. In fact, by the time someone does get fired the mechanism for coping with the rejection and failure has already been formed by that person's upbringing. Trump can't cope because he has never had to. Dad always came to his rescue. Pelosi's parents were wiser. They likely allowed her to learn to manage a lot of small firings, to try, fail, and try again. Therein lies the difference, and it has nothing to do with how much money the family had.
1
Her allusion to Trump’s father was a great burn - but I wonder what good it will do outside cheering up Trump opponents. Trump seems pretty much shameless and not self aware. How does one reason with a bilious malevolent grandiose man-child? You don’t. You get him out of there. The Dems need to focus and put the heat on him. Pelosi is a gracious careful mature adult dealing with a destructive 72 year old brat. Nice and clever won’t work. Put AOC on point and change the dynamic.
10
The apple does not fall far from the tree. In Trump we have a rotten apple. In Nancy, we have Golden Delicious.
16
Now *that* is an amazing photograph! (Nancy in the background, with JFK and the D'Alesandro family)
13
I wish trump would do the inevitable perp walk right now.As Pence was a Russian pick,[Putin to Manafort suggestion to Trump who didn't have a clue who he was] will not be VP "dirty"as he is.What a delicious irony to have to Nancy Pelosi next in line for President.
15
Nancy Pelosi's decency flows from the D’Alesandros seeing the downtrodden and immigrants "as people to weave into the American dream." However, the Trump's don't simply see the same people as "suckers to squeeze." Someone who is a "sucker" is still human. The Trump's view most people as other and as sub-human. Don Jr.’s message on Instagram on "Zoos" and "Walls" is beyond "uncharitable," it is patently racist. It harkens back to the darkest periods of human history, with walled ghettos for all those vilified as "other", and of a purportedly "Great America," where those with higher levels of melanin were literally kept in cages.
Further, Don Jr. obviously is about as smart has the father he's named for. He has no idea what a real Zoo is, confusing it with pens where animals are held to be killed by wealthy hunters paying a premium to kill endangered species. For instance, in 2014, Prince Fahd bin Sultan gunned down and killed 2,000 birds, already hunted to the verge of extinction, in what was an internationally protected preserve. Visit the Tropic Zone: The Rainforest, at the Central Park Zoo and you'll see that many of the animals, especially the birds, fly free. It is the animals which are protected from the people. It is why people can see the animals, like lemurs, but must stay behind Plexiglas, (not massive concrete walls).
If the Trump's seriously want to make an argument for walls, they should start by talking about the prison walls they are all soon to inhabit.
10
Trump is second generation career white collar criminal. Pelosi is second generation career politician and a good one. One has earned her position as Speaker, the other's election is a stain on our nation.
"how do you discipline the world’s brattiest 72-year-old?"
Stop treating him like a child and hold him accountable for his crimes: Impeachment and indictments. The judges can use any tone of voice they want.
21
We need the "The American Trust Fund Baby Protection Act" - to protect America from these Trust Fund Brats!
It's a tax of 100% on estates (that's also known as "unearned income) over $10,000,000.
9
There should be a law that every bill regarding funding the government must be voted on by the house and senate during a shut down
The American people deserve to know how their representatives vote on issues while we are all held hostage
The senate must vote
8
Perhaps Speaker Pelosi can school POTUS on how to address the Speaker of the House and the Minority Leader of the Senate - it's not "Chuck and Nancy." Even if he doesn't like the current occupants, he should respect the offices that they hold. It's not like they refer to him as "Donnie."
11
I choked up with this column, being blessedly reminded of the American Dream I was raised on, as outlined by Dowd's description of Pelosi's vision for an immigrant friendly America all over again. Down nails the essential difference between the two, although I wish she'd added that Pelosi, perhaps by virtue of her gender, had also been taught to do her homework, unless Donald. The real concern for me isn't Trump anymore -- it's the 37% who share his two fisted, belligerent vision of a white America free of "illegals." They continue to breathe power into this pathetic excuse for a president, and will continue after he's gone. I am however, confident that we, as liberals, have the right leader in Pelosi at the right time, who has, as Dowd pointed out, a firm grasp of the "numbers" not to mention how government works. She also has the unique advantage in that trump clearly underestimates her. And she's not afraid of the fight. Good. He needs a little more than a slap, and Pelosi is the best person to give it to him. I for one want my country back.
20
What an exacting depiction of him, a brat. It seems every picture of him shows crossed arms, just like a pouting child. And there is no doubt Ms. Pelosi is the badly needed adult in the room since the GOP refuses to discipline the brat or hold him accountable.
5
How do you discipline the world's brattiest 72-year-old? Ms. Pelosi knows the answer to that, and has already started doing it: you tell him no.
10
So I can imagine Nancy's grandson saying, "Grandma, you don't need that big house with the wall around it. You'll turn it into a rooming house for many of the homeless living on the street of SanFrancisco, right?"
1
Ah, yes, clearly one of those ‘all or nothing’ conservative talking points. So useful.
@greatnfi You have no idea what the Pelosis give to charity. Neither do you take into account that the policies she supports benefit the less fortunate. According to you, how much of one's wealth does one get to keep? Sounds like you'd make an excellent socialist.
1
How do you discipline the world's brattiest 72 year old? The same way you discipline any 2 year old: set clear boundaries and enforce them.
7
That "ask dad for money" barb was one of the finest bits of shade it has ever been my pleasure to witness.
9
If Trump wasn't so malicious and cruel,
I could feel a tiny bit of sympathy for him.
Learning disability, emotionally stunted,
possibly a victim of child abuse,
never loved?
Whatever the case, he must be removed from office before he does more lasting damage, if not getting us all killed.
9
“When Trump said he could “relate” to federal workers who are now going without pay, it may have been the most audacious lie he told all week.”
Um…even though CNN says it happened that way, it’s fake news.
I saw him stand in front of the WH and a reporter asked him if he could relate to landlords that could give their renters a break and delay rent collection until the workers were paid.
He said yes.
I also saw CNN take his answer out of context and make it as if he was answering if he could relate to the workers.
Shame on CNN for deliberately making fake news.
And shame on Maureen for getting sloppy.
Do you actually believe that when Trump was a landlord with vast rental property holdings, he was understanding and accommodating when renters could not pay their rent? I don’t think so. In fact if you read about that family at all you know they weren’t, they are heartless, cruel people who only want more and more money and power. And what I’ve read in several places quoted him as saying he could relate to workers in that situation. From the Huffington Post:
“Mr. President, can you relate to the pain of federal workers who can’t pay their bills?” a reporter asked Trump outside the White House on Sunday.
“I can relate,” the president responded. “And I’m sure that the people that are toward the receiving end will make adjustments, they always do. And they’ll make adjustments. People understand exactly what’s going on.”
“Many of those people that won’t be receiving a paycheck, many of those people agree 100 percent with what I’m doing,” he added, without evidence.
4
The journalist was Kelly O'Donnell her question was"Can you relate to the pain of federal workers who can't pay their bills" @Mr Coffee
@Mr Coffee
Faux News twists, slices and cherry picks facts into their daily dollop of lies and distortions designed to mislead the American public.
CNN is the antidote to Faux News propaganda and it drives the rabid right crazy when CNN reports truth in response to republican lies.
The Truth will prevail and Trump will go down in history as a stain on the Presidency.
Babies are innocent human beings. Donald Trump is not a baby nor is he innocent. Please stop comparing him this way. He should be describe as an evil entity. No remorse, no compassion and no truth to his soul at all.
12
America cares nothing for Ms. Pelosi's values. America watches Mr. Trump on TV and then sees the hapless Democrats put up Mr. and Ms. Milquetoast. It's American Psycho vs. American Gothic. That new potty-mouthed Representative would have done a better job, and made a better impression even if she couldn't call Trump by his true name.
This isn't about two different sets of values. It's two different games, and the Democrats don't even know they're on the wrong field.
@Daedalus sure, and trump is a stable genius
The fruit has not fallen far from the tree.
But then there are so many who comes out of such rubbish environment and come out generous and giving.
But not con don , a 73 year old man was given a chance but blew it with his lies, greed and manipulation.
He will be remembered as a semicolon in history and will end as a lonely man.
6
Everything the occupant in the White House says and does makes my head hurt. Truly painful days for America.
4
"Brat" is nowhere near severe enough of a word for Trump. While he was spoiled he was also sent away to school, predictably feeling unwanted at home. And hurt people hurt people. He brags that he likes getting even. True schadenfreude.
And after he tried for years to undermine the legitimacy of Obama's presidency, and Obama humiliated him at the famous Correspondence Dinner, inspiring hundreds to laugh and laugh at him, he sat there seething, perhaps at that moment deciding that he would invest whatever it took to take Obama's place, and obliterate all of his eight great years-- no matter the loss and pain to Americans, humanity and the earth.
Speaker Pelosi may handle him like a child, but ultimately she will more than spank him. And he will go down with a whimper, not a bang.
5
As a child Donald had it all
Plenty of cash before he could crawl
But to him charity
Was a true rarity
His father's great wealth had him in thrall
8
But the brat is not the one going to bed without his supper. That’s the fate of 800,000 federal employees and their families.
6
Let's forget the politics and personalities for a moment. Do we really need a wall? Pelosi lives in a million dollar house with a wall around it and 3 years ago under Obama she voted for a wall. The former head of CBP under Obama says we need a wall. Close to 90% of the rank and file border patrol agents support a wall. Chuck Schumer has previously voted in favor of a wall. Come on Nancy. Give us a break and give Trump and the American people the wall. Stop supporting illegal immigrants over Americans.
1
@Dan Locker:
First, the wall around Nancy Pelosi's house is ornamental, and about 3 feet high. (Check it out.) Second, the union for the border patrol agents used to have a webpage that said that building walls and fences along the border would be a waste of taxpayer money. The webpage was taken down last summer.
And give us a break, Dan, stop saying that refusing to support an ineffective solution to a problem means that you don't support actually addressing the problem.
4
She is also doing something that is crucial to being a good leader.
She is not identity obsessed at least so far. She is concentrating on progressive issues that benefit all Americans, like universal health care, opening the gov't, investigation Trump but not a witch hunt etc. etc.
That is what put the crucial lethal nail in Hillary's campaign and has already doomed women like Gillebrand.
The female rep. from Hawaii and Pelosi learned from Obama.
Don't put identity politics as number one. Serve all the people.
Obama learned that and served two terms.
14
I do not get this worship of Pelosi. As a democrat, can't we do better than her? Oh, well, I am obviously in the vast minority. At least on this column. I hope you guys are right, I really do. But her initial speeches and actions do not fill me with confidence. The latest 'creepy twins from the Shining" performance she put on with Schumer, their 'response to Trumps TV address' - doesn't that scare ANY of you Pelosi people at the incompetence of that hideosity? And the de-valuation of the climate committee powers - that doesn't strike fear and anger in any one's heart but mine??
1
@grace thorsen -- the portrayal of Pelosi is relatively neutral, especially as compared to the thoroughly negative portrayal of Trump. Provide quotes of passages from the article that are worshipful of Pelosi.
3
@grace thorsen - This opinion piece was no "worship of Pelosi". It revealed her decency and upbringing as a contrast to Trump , the pig. I don't get your problem with
the piece - Pelosi has proven her competence and smarts
as a leader despite the smears she's received for years from Republicans. What should scare you is Trump, McConell and the host of Republican enablers that have created the fiasco of a government we are faced with. There is nothing wrong with celebrating decency for a change.
2
@grace thorsen First, take pride in your gender. There's a hint of overt sexism in your remarks. Second, listen to your TV set, don't watch it. You attack the messenger for not looking the part you wish for.
1
His age is 72, but the 7 is silent.
36
@Michael stahl
Arrested development?
Is he in his second childh[d or just never came out of his first?
I've finally come to understand Trump. He ran for president as a way to restart his brand. He never expected to win so he spent his time doing things for his companies. Hotels in Moscow or Dubai or wherever he could get financing and it never mattered how.
When he did win, he never approached the job with the respect and seriousness of the President of the United States. He continued running his companies and using the new opportunities to build his brand.
He's never acted presidential because he has no interest in working that hard. He's lazy and old. He stays in bed and watches TV all morning. He eats junk food. He does the absolute minimum to stay in office but only to stay out of the inevitable jail cell.
He knows where the bodies are buried in the GOP and they all know that he knows and they know what he'll do if they oppose him. So they don't. They cover for him. They're up to their necks in dirty Russian money. Theu made a deal with the devil and now they do what they have to do to stay put of jail.
That should explain McConnell and the rest of the losers in the Senate.
Are they working FOR America? Don't make me laugh.
3
Ms. Dowd presents a succinct contrast between Trump and Pelosi. But this contrast goes beyond these two individuals in the context of modern American politics and public policy.
You have a small, but wealthy and politically powerful group of plutocrats (Koch’s, Mercer’s, etc.) who worship at the altar of the likes of Ayn Rand and do not see the role of government as a force for greater good, whether it’s public education, protecting the environment and our food supply, investing in infrastructure, or maintaining a social safety net, to name but a few worthy roles. They seek to maintain and grow their wealth and buy politicians to implement government and tax policies favorable to them. This is more than just conservatism. It’s a rejection of collectivism of any kind. And they’ve found the enablers of their quest in the modern Republican Party.
Although Fred Trump’s roots may be more humble than those of some of America’s wealthiest blueblood families, the values he imparted to his son are the same as those passed on in many privileged families — you are superior by virtue of your wealth and for those less fortunate, well it’s entirely their fault because they’re lazy, ignorant, or just plain out of luck.
Although Ms. Pelosi and her family are quite well off, it’s clear these are not the values she is passing on to her children and grandchildren. After decades suffering at the hands of politicians with Mr. Trump’s worldview, it’s time we return to Ms. Pelosi’s.
21
Also do not forget she was also raised by a smart strong Italian Catholic mother. No more needs to be said on the subject.
16
Born this way, that's the song that characterizes Trump. From his earliest years, he lacked empathy. It's almost as if he can't help behaving the way he does. He doesn't relate to the problems of others. He never accepts responsibility for his actions if they go awry. He has a kind of mental abnormality.
I didn't know what a narcissist was before I heard the term applied to Trump, but now I do. He is the poster boy for that diagnosis. And it seems his father did all he could to reinforce Don's affliction. A former executive in the Trump Organization recently stated that whenever a deal went south, Trump always blamed it on someone else. His whole campaign mirrored this, appealing to people who wanted to blame others for their problems. And because of some 70,000 votes in three states, we have a "president" who is incompetent, who cannot speak without lying, who impetuously makes decisions, and is a person who insults anyone who calls him out on his daily malfeasance.
To get a sense of how flawed Trump is, consider this. Since he won the electoral college vote, the Times has had an average of three to four opinion pieces a day for two years critical of Trump. That's something on the order of 2,700 or 2,800 articles decrying the terrible mistake that has befallen our country. Thank goodness for Nancy Pelosi, a person who is just the opposite of Trump, who can begin to stop this nonsense before it goes any further.
16
@John Woods
Apart from being smart and moral she's also fearless.
She's not afraid of Trump or his taunts or threats. Schumer is feeding off her strength and fearlessness.
I call them Double Trouble - to Trump.
2
I read this article because I adore Ms. Dowd's writing style. Yet I must say, New Yorkers have been inundated with D.T. news stories focused on his child-like behavior for over 40 years! Now many of us have stopped listening.
5
Nancy Pelosi is showing courage, strength and gravitas.
Kudos!
14
How tiresome and disheartening it is for interested citizens to deal with the most corrupt Crime Syndicate strangling the Constitution out of the Executive branch.
And the full reality of that corruption is yet to be fully fleshed out going forward, starting with the Cohen hearings.
If it wasn't so painful for the country, it is a wonderful end for the quintessential example of the positively worst aspect of selfish, self-centered capitalism.
9
Trump will also be spanked by Gross. Gross told the whole story. Marina Gross has already been interviewed by the Special Counsel team. Mr Acosta will soon report on the Marina Gross interview meeting . The Con Man in Chief and Putin's 1-on-1 meeting in Helsinki . In the wake of President Donald Trump's controversial summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin Russian election meddling The decision to meet with Putin alone was broadly criticized, as the president's opponents felt he could not be trusted to speak privately with the Russian leader. Mueller, Chief Justice Roberts, Speaker Pelosi and Mitch McConnell will meet to discuss impeachment and Senate trial given the public concessions" Trump made to Putin "by siding against the US intelligence community, law enforcement, and our military officials about Russia's attack on our democracy, Congress and the American public deserve to know the details of their private conversation .
10
Maureen Dowd has touched on the core reason for the impasse between these two very different people.
Yes, "Trump and Pelosi offer very different visions — shaped by their parents — of what it means to be an American."
"Where the D’Alesandros saw the downtrodden and immigrants as people to weave into the American dream, the Trumps saw suckers to squeeze."
But that explains the past. The answer to the present impasse is fundamental to our democracy - "who is an American?"
When Trump says he wants a "wall" he means he wants a closed, anti-nonwhite, anti non Christian, anti-straight immigration policy which excludes all the "others. Revert to 1924, repeal 1965.
When Pelosi says the wall is "immoral" she means this exclusionary anti-immigrant stance is immoral.
Indeed, the wall is a metaphor. Dems cannot give in. The Supreme Court will have to decide what America stands for.
9
Trump has never had to stand on his own and suffer the hardships of experience and survival. Take away his money and he is an empty shell. Pelosi knows this and is not intimidated by his facade.
12
@WillGee Without his money, trump would be panhandling on the subway.
What is wrong with our country that so many of our fellow Americans voted for Trump to be president?
It makes you nauseous to think that he won with such a cynical line as make America great again.
America was greatest in the Age of FDR, when people like Pelosi’s father were in politics.
In the Age Of FDR income inequality was reduced and the wealthy paid their fair share.
All that changed in 1980 when we entered the Age of Reagan.
Trump is just the full flowering of the Age of Reagan.
It’s good to see new Democrats coming into Congress who have the values of Pelosi and her father, the values that once made America great.
Maybe some day the New Democrats will become ascendant and America will indeed become great again.
14
I could care less about Trump's or Pelosi's childhoods or their upbringing. Saying "No" takes no political savvy or leadership. At this point it's become a battle of the wills which is extremely selfish and forces us to become a dystopian society. We need to throw these two pinheads out and mandate that the senior leadership of both parties come together and get this mess settled, amicably, once and for all.
1
If a five-year-old brat exhibited arrested emotional development and began destroying things around him, normally the parents or other adults would step in and stop the destruction. But in the case of Trump, the 72-year-old de facto brat and president of the United States, who is damaging everything he touches, the role of parents should be assumed by Republican senators responsible for oversight of the executive branch. Instead, Mitch McConnell has become the brat's pacifier and the other senators just sit there and let the havoc continue. Their cowardice equals negligence.
8
Trump and Pelosi cannot be mentioned in the same sentence. Trump, who has never had to earn a living, has no right to say he can 'relate' to anyone who has to live from check to check. He can't spell the word empathy, let alone display it. Nor, for someone who was bequeathed a million dollars a year from the age of eight and still went through multiple bankruptcies, does he have the standing to say he is a successful businessman - a claim he brandished lavishly in 2016 as he ran for president. He is incompetent and unstable. Dangerously so. He was a failure, is a failure, and will continue to be one if we let him. Speaker Pelosi alone cannot do it, but Americans can. The child must be removed.
7
I have an outrageous idea: not to unite the nation as our beloved President Abraham Lincoln did, but this time saving it by dividing it.
In proportion to the population, those who would in real time vote for Donald J. Trump will get a portion of the Unite States and all others will get the rest.
I would imagine that the Trump's country would ultimately become a two tier society of the rich and powerful whites and the majority become second-class citizens.
The non-trump section would, however, reach a higher plateau of existence as the most advanced society in the world that America deserves to be.
5
@Abolghassem Abraham Sadegh
Then the second tier Trumpers would try to move to non Trump nation.
I know! We could build a wall to keep them out. LOL
1
And Maureen fails to properly assign at least half of the blame for the government shutdown to Turtleneck McConnell, Senate Majority Leader.
Just as he stonewalled Merrick Garland, he’s refusing to even bring ANY of the House bills to the Senate for a floor vote.
Why one of these House Bills is word-for-word identical to the Senate bill passed just before Christmas. All they have to do is pass it and it goes to Trump.
Trump of course would be too cowardly to either sign it or veto it; the smart money says he would simply allow it to become law without his signature.
Too bad Senators can’t be impeached for failing to uphold their oaths of office.
10
@Herman
They can be voted OUT of office.
1
It doesn't matter what Ms Dowd says. Or you say or I say or what anybody says (except maybe Putin). To Trump, all that matters is himself and the money. Any money. From anywhere. From anybody. Even Putin.
9
Trade the wall for ten years of Trump's tax return and pass the Dream Act.
2
Ms. Pelosi will get some help this year in reining in our destructive toddler waving the club of American presidential power. Democratic House investigations start soon which may uncover more sleaze to sort thru while the Mueller report exposes possible criminal actions of Trump. Investigative reporters are working hard to uncover the truth about this manic toddler swing his club around the world art our allies and and at the democratic opposition and free press. All together they may be able to take down the Frankenstein of a president who conned his way into the high office he has interest in learning about just act like the American government is just another Trump asset to make a profit on. This year may be Trump's downfall as the forces looking into his malfeasance are determined and ditzy Rudy will not be able to save his hide. McConnell hides under his desk trembling with fear of TRump's base and a nasty nickname is a flashing thumb away if he caves . King Joffrey of Game of Thrones in the person of Don the Con will exit the stage without any grace as he has none.
2
It's not only values that differentiate Pelosi from Trump, but intellect, curiosity and a willingness to compromise. Guess who has those qualities and who has not. Pelosi would not be where she is were it not for her smarts and understanding of how government works. Trump, lacking all three of these traits hasn't a clue.
4
There are a lot of people in Washington who need disciplining, and discipline.
Trump, of course, is incorrigible. And that may be the best thing that can be said about him. He is a pathological liar, a malevolent narcissist and a man totally lacking in human decency.
Many in his administration are cut from similar evil cloth, especially Sanders, Mnuchin, Kushner, Ivanka and, it seems, his entire cabinet. The Republicans in Congress are little better, even if they may not be as loud.
But it's important to remember that the traits of not knowing when to shut up or what their limits are are not limited to malignant Republicans. A bit more (actually, a lot more) discipline would be appropriate from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or Rashida Tlaib, and probably some others who cannot seem to resist the shining lights and the ability to mouth off whenever they want and get attention.
In short, Trump never had to learn discipline. Many of his trolls, like him, never seem to have learned decency or kindness or truth. These are qualities that stand people in good stead, whether they are Republicans or Democrats. Most people learn these lessons the hard way, and I'm hoping that Trump's education occurs just like that.
4
No wonder the Republicans started a smear campaign against Pelosi that some scared democrats got nervy about when they tried to talk her out of the leadership role she is so obviously suited for. The whining went something like, “we need new blood - she’s had her time.” Her strength right now is something the new blood could learn from. And support.
5
I'm sure Big Tommy could have told Nancy about how badly Italian Americans were treated back in the 20's and 30's: How a few famously bad people could cost Sacco and Vanzetti their lives. Speaker Pelosi (AKA Our Nan to some of her fans) can probably relate the unfairness of the treatment of one group of immigrants to that of some newer ones.
The undying and unshakable belief among the Donald's fans of his role as national redeemer reminds me somehow of the Cowardly Lion's belief in witches. The rest of us say "why?"
Quick, somebody! Try throwing a little water on him. Maybe he'll melt.
3
When did we know Nancy Pelosi was the perfect candidate for Speaker? When the Trump global posse started to attack her with zeal in social media.
Alas, that disturbing fact should give us all reason for pause.
Donald Trump doesn't have the gray matter nor the skill set necessary to orchestrate the attacks made against Nancy Pelosi prior to her Speakership. He is woefully inept at the planning necessary to plot a comprehensive attack that was carried out on so many fronts. Obviously, he was coached. He doesn't listen to his domestic advisors or his cabinet, so who was pulling the strings?
There are directors in this life, and there are actors. Trump is an actor. The director in this global page turner? That's the trillion dollar question.
Will it be "I was wronged!" Donald or Comrade Trump who we find? Hopefully we'll know the answer to that, sooner than later.
4
I wish I had 1/10th of Nancy Pelosi’s intelligence, fortitude, strength, and composed graciousness.
3
Maureen - "Wow" ! . . . What a wonderful piece you gave us.
A night and day vision of two different parents, two different moral views, and two different children who are now pitted against each other.
The comparison is stunning as we now have an actual civil servant and and a conman doing a terrible job at pretending to be one.
How sad for all of the workers without pay to be the pawns in this mortal showdown.
Sadly, it is extremely unlikely that the spoiled brat will fold on his Ego-Wall-Monument.
Funny how Mexico paying for it has been erased from the equation by Trump his his band of GOP slackers.
I understand that the shutdown is costing the American tax-payers 1.2 billion dollars/week - - What a waste !
The only way out I see is force Trump's bluff of an National Emergency and allow our civil servants to get their paychecks and get back to keeping us safe.
Even with the emergency - the ego wall will never get built - there will be endless lawsuits from land owners who will be fighting Eminent Domain . . .
And finally - hopefully, there will be orange jumpsuits in Trump's future - as we learned, he became a Federal Investigation "Target" shortly after firing Comey !
4
The Presidency and executive branch have too much power which is being unchecked by a Senate which doesn't represent the people. May they all go down in 2020.
6
Time for Nancy to pass the Senate's 2013 immigration law. That will give Trump the money he want for the wall - a small price to pay for fixing the messy immigration situation we have now. I think Trump may soon be ready to do something like that - to the benefit of everybody and his fragile ego.
2
As Ms. Dowd noted, "Trump has not gone for the jugular with a nasty nickname for Pelosi." The reason for that is simple. More than almost anyone else, little Donnie Johnnie fears Nancy Pelosi, and does not wish to further aggravate her. He knows that it's Speaker Pelosi who will decide when (not *if*) the Presidunce will be impeached.
4
Where in Manhattan can I set up a lemonade stand and make $1000?
1
The sad fact is, from the outside it is Mr Trumps's view of America that most coincides with the european view of modern America, greedy, grasping, unfair and no longer the land of the free, rather the land of the down trodden
3
Well Donald has inherited one trait from his father, the ability to make people nauseous. As a matter of fact, he has probably surpassed good old dad in that respect. Fred could only make a congressman sick to his stomach whereas Donald has managed to do the same to the entire world.
3
Trump is nauseous; he makes other people nauseated.
Claim to political fame Trump: First person without political or military experience to be elected US president. Pelosi: First woman to become speaker of the US House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011, re-elected in 2019. (the Guardian)
3
Nancy Pelosi is worth $25-50 million and her husband's business has benefited from numerous government projects. Mayor Tommy Dalesandro was not "beloved" - he and his cronies were driven out by good government democrats trying to clean out corruption. Please spare us the moral comparisons of the Speaker and the President.
1
Obviously, Nancy Pelosi is a decent person and Trump isn't. But you can't hold parentage or DNA responsible. We are not responsible for the conditions of our birth, but we are all responsible for who we become.
2
@Jim
Nature or Nurture question again?
Most people grow out of name calling by the end of primary school, a few of those slower to mature take it into secondary school, sure their friends will snigger when they do it, but in an embarrassed way - it's an echo to days and humor they have left behind. But someone who hasn't grown out of it at 72??
3
As the big news of this weekend unfolds, it appears more and more likely that the president isn’t merely a brat, but that he is a traitor to the US. The idea that he will move to end the shutdown for any rational reason seems remote.
We—Citizens, elected officials, and the judiciary need to take the steps to remove Trump from office. Every day he continues as President is a significant risk to the country.
3
I know this will not be a popular view, but I think it;s time for Pelosi to stop "spanking" Trump. He certainly deserves it, and then some, but a lot of people are being hurt. He wants $5.7 billion for his wall, which is a pittance next to the vast federal budget, not to mention all of the economic harm being done to innocent people and to the country. We have divided government now, so no one is going to be the undisputed boss. Give Trump half of what he's asking for his blasted wall and get the government reopened. And for those who say that will set a terrible precedent and make Trump sure that he can get away with anything, I don't believe it. He gets half of what he asked for, not all of it. Time for posturing politicians to stop standing on "principle" when so many people are suffering.
62
@lydgate Nope - he said would be proud to own a government shutdown, so now let him live with the consequences: he may lose his job over this, and let that be.
He told us that Mexico would pay for the wall, and that's what his base voted for.
If he wants the wall so badly, let him pay $5B for it out of his own funds.
172
@lydgate
We all know what happens when you give a two year old what they want. They want more.
You say "give" him half of what he wants and imply that will satisfy him. After Pelosi was prepared to offer 1.3 billion Trump went from demanding 5 billion to 5.7 billion. This money is not a pittance and will go a long way to securing our border using more effective means than a wall.
154
@lydgate I may be mistaken but In think the Dems with some cross party support already offered half. Am I missing something ?
103
I greatly admire Pelosi, but I feel kind of bad for her grandchild trying to raise money for an Xbox. He isn't allowed to keep any money he made for himself? That's pretty harsh.
1
In the main and in the end people tire of constant drama and stress in their lives.
This is why families fall apart, divorces happen, people abandon careers, and political careers end with a whimper, not a bang.
Trumpo’s political power was at its zenith in Nov 2016 and declined since then by virtue of his stunning incompetence and that of those of his sycophants in the White House and the Congress.
So the only question is how much more damage can he do to our democracy and world order, such as it was before he took over the Presidency, before he leaves office.
Having Nancy there makes me hope that the worst is over.
3
No wall.
The xenophobic guy with the nest on top of his head said he would build a wall and make mexico pay for it. Now he is holding federal workers hostage and endangering public safety. He is inflicting a lot of pain on small businesses and farmers already under severe duress from his tariffs, though self inflicted since they voted for him and continue to support him. They are schizophrenic, wanting loans and subsidies and opposing government at the same time: His job is to run government but being unfit he has shut it down.
He says ‘take it or leave it’ and keeps changing his mind. McConnell got his two conservative judges by stonewalling and is doing it again to get a border wall, except his party’s job is to run the government this time, and he is complicit in shutting it down. Trump, under investigation for colluding with Russia, is trying to divert the media and public. He could have had his wall in the last two years, and even after the caravan, when his party had house majority. But he was not interested, instead trying to repeal obamacare, ban muslims and reverse every obama policy. Now he is trying to make the wall an issue in 2020 and just playing politics. No wall.
3
The main reason Republicans have made Nancy Pelosi their she-devil is because she is so good at what she does: out maneuvering Republicans. It’s the same reason they demonized Hillary Clinton all those years: because she was more than qualified to be President of the United States. Thankfully the Democratic caucus didn’t remove their strongest, toughest negotiator in order to mollify the opposition.
5
America is teetering on the edge of dictatorship. Few Americans seem to understand that. If Trump invokes a national emergency, it’s clear what comes next - martial law, curfews, you name it, from the dictator’s playbook. I hope for the sake of our democracy that Speaker Pelosi stands firm and completely puts an end to the steady erosion of our way of life. There really is no other option.
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Trump learned at a very early age that there are benefits to telling lies. In fact, Trump's lies form the base of his existence since his entire reality hinges on them. So why would anyone trust anything he that comes out of his mouth or tweet? Given that this is the essence of Trump, Pelosi and the Democrats could give him what he appears to want in order to stop the pain of over 800000 federal workers. But true to form Trump could ask for more, refuse to sign the bill, or, as usual, say that he won over Pelosi and her crew. This then would open the door for more threats of dire consequences from Trump. Perhaps another shutdown since this one went so well. We cannot allow such Trumpian events to be given birth. So Trump is going to have to learn to live with a truly independent Congress that can say no to the perceived King. This will be tough on him, but he apparently likes the presidency. It is such a wonderful field upon which to squander his lies.
Trump is indeed the Manchurian Candidate as more details about his obeisance to Putin and the interests of Russia come to light. It is hard to believe that the course of American History brings us to this point, a traitor to American ideals and interests now occupies the Oval Office. The same can be said of Mitch McConnell as he aids and abets Trump as both politicians pursue their individual agendas for personal gain and power at the expense of the American people and our republic. I remain confident that Trump's machinations on the domestic and global fronts will be corrected quickly once he is no longer president.
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I have a dream, that one day the son of an emigrant (who is currently living in free government housing) will soon leave his current dwelling and move in to permanent federal housing.
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"But how do you discipline the world’s brattiest 72-year-old?"
Perhaps by a tried and true method - a term in prison?
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True to form, trump stiff contractors, like he always has.
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I admire Mrs. Pelosi so much. And I hope this nightmare of a Presidency is over soon. It's become more frightening as the center of power has shifted to Democrat's control of the House, and Donald's protections are falling away.
But the thing I keep forgetting is that the empty suit of a man was actually elected to break the government, it's norms & institutions ( remember Bannon? Mercers?) - It was Putin's intention & the Republican's (remember Paul Ryan?) -- & McConnell has done a masterful job for umpteen years ensuring that Congress does nothing for Americans except wave the flag at us. Maybe gross negligence should be part of the crime of treason. I am praying this is over soon.
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It's going to take more than a spanking - I don't think Donald Trump enjoys pain.
At least pain caused others. 'Here's a roll of paper towels, Puerto Rico, if you want anything more, you're lazy and asking for too much'.
Federal workers aren't happy? 'Let them get real jobs'.
I get the feeling Donnie's reason for shutting down the government may have nothing to do with his Magic Wall.
It has to do with his anger with the Paranoiac Right's DEEP STATE. We're talking about the same guy who's considering selling off the post office - goodby universal service and First Class mail.
We call them bureaucrats - people who go to work for the government and spend their lives receiving low salaries (compared to the private sector) along with no right to unionize, negotiate salaries beyond the levels set by the President and Congress, though a decent benefits package.
Trump hates these people - the lawyers who tell him things like "No, the President cannot bring in the Army to build a wall".
Actually, they've been very good to him, insisting, for instance, that a sitting president cannot be indicted (where they get that idea, I have no idea - isn't in my copy of the Constitution) and conducted a micro-investigation on Bret Kavanaugh after promising to investigate all the questions left unanswered by Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
He wants most of 'em to go away so he can privatize the whole government and run it himself. Like he ran the Taj Majal Casino.
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I favored new leadership pre-midterms, but now see Nancy Pelosi has skill set needed to challenge and expose an amoral President, and his feckless enablers in Congress. Watching Republican males toss away their dignity kowtowing to Trump, while the Speaker of the House holds her ground suggests adding another 100 females to the legislative branch in 2020 would be good for America.
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Pelosi really did deal with trump like he is a 10 year old brat, as she should. This is much more serious because trump is doing real damage to our country. The checks and balances have arrived and not a moment too soon.
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Any chance you could run that photo of Ms. Pelosi at age 7 holding the Bible for her father's swearing-in? Not all her constituents out here get to visit her Washington office to see the original.
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Who knew? Fred Trump, celebrated in song by Woody Guthrie. When your name is a symbol in folk song for all bad landlords, it's quite a legacy for the next generation. But the president has more than lived up to it.
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Had the press been doing their job from day one, we might have been in a better position to defend this country against this highly dangerous situation. The danger and risk grow daily with every move this man and the Republican party takes to consolodate and abuse their positon and power. We can say all we want about those in the country who have been easily manipulated to support these traitors to our Democrocy for so many years now but we must also call out those who sit on the sidelines and do not vote. For those who continue to support R's and DT, a good number of them are isolated and fed propoganda by Fox news that has willingly chosen to promote lies and sew dissent with shameless abandon. How is it that we are not seeing their peers in the industry digging deeply into their agenda and exposing them for what they are? Why are they not being publicly shamed with exposure in detail for those who do not watch them? We need to stop tredding lightly around these attacks from within on our Democrocy. I am glad that we finally have a functional check on the President in government. We need the press to join them to expose the truth in regards to all of the components and support mechanisms in place that are keeping the American people from having a government that serves the people not just the rich. A government that will not tolerate power grabs from one party. A government that does not protect a preisdent that does everything he can to destroy the country from within.
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@JDH
And maybe Fox should be investigated for its ties to Russia.
Nobody has ever told him NO!
Now that a maternal, powerful, smart, and strong woman has done it with conviction, he doesn't know how to deal with it. The clock is ticking and his comeuppance is looming and it will be welcome by people of all ethnicity, gender, color, and religious persuasion.
It can't come soon enough!
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When did we know Nancy Pelosi was the perfect candidate for Speaker? When the Trump global posse started to attack her with zeal in social media.
Alas, that disturbing fact should give us all reason for pause.
Donald Trump doesn't have the gray matter nor the skill set necessary to orchestrate the attacks made against Nancy Pelosi prior to her Speakership. He is woefully inept at the planning necessary to plot a comprehensive attack that was carried out on so many fronts. Obviously, he was coached. He doesn't listen to his domestic advisors or his cabinet, so who was pulling the strings?
There are directors in this life, and there are actors. Trump is an actor. The director in this global page turner? That's the trillion dollar question.
Will it be "I was wronged!" Donald or Comrade Trump who we find? Hopefully we'll know the answer to that, sooner than later.
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No matter when or how this game of Chicken ends it really is time for some sober thought about our political system. If anyone knows how long our Interstate Highway System took to be built has to know to build a 2400 mile wall is going to take over a decade. The Left needs to learn how to use the media the way The Right does. The Right needs to stop lying to certain groups to make them hate The Others. Our political system is broken because politicians on both sides of the aisle love their jobs more than the people who elected them. For Congress to have the Gall to leave town while the government is shut down is beyond the pale. To hear that they got on airplanes to go home is insulting. All of the people responsible for Mitch McConnell having a safe flight home with the exception of the flight crew were forced to work for free. Free labor used to be called Slavery. If the pols wanted to go home the should have driven or taken The Greyhound. The Gall of them all.
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Pelosi can’t even put a coherent sentence together. And we all remember when she said the Catholic Church was ambivalent about abortion, And let’s not forget her solution to the border was to mow the grass.
What is this charade that is going on with the government shutdown? Our constitution gives us a way out of this. The problem is not trump. It is the Senate, and more specifically the majority leader McConnell, that is enabling this depraved blackmail. McConnell will not permit a vote on budget bills from the House. So what if trump doesn’t like what the House proposes. We don’t need his signature defiling the legislation that passes both chambers of Congress. Time to turn the heat way up on McConnell. What do you say, Maureen?
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A study in contrasts to be sure. Trump's immigrant father, his immigrant wife, his immigrant in laws, his immigrant, false- documented, low-paid housekeepers. Trump, the man carrying the banner for the neo Know Nothing GOP, Stephen Miller, et al., happily uses immigrants when it suits his purpose and tosses them under the bus when it doesn't. Pelosi is a real adult - a sophisticated, intelligent, caring human being.
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Trump won the presidency due to: GOP’s lack of moral principles, Mark Burnett and electoral college.
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