OPINION:
Republicans aren’t reacting so well to President Donald Trump’s step across the political aisle to Democrats — something that came about, if truth be told, only after the GOP failed time and again to work with the White House on long-promised agendas, like Obamacare.
And here’s another point to consider: How come establishment Republicans, when they’re reaching across the aisles to work with — err, make that cave to — Democrats, call it cooperation?
Now that Trump’s gone and done it, it’s utter outrage.
Well, talk to the hand. The elites in Washington are showing their hypocritical side.
Here’s what Rick Wilson, a Republican strategist, said of Trump’s reach-out to Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi: “Trump betrays everyone — wives, business associates, contractors, bankers and now, the leaders of the House and Senate in his own party,” the Washington Post reported.
Really?
Because voters would look at it another way: House Speaker Paul Ryan has betrayed the conservative base for quite a long time. So has Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Think of their budget actions alone while Barack Obama was president.
And they’re not the only Republicans to follow a more Barack Obama style of politicking than, say, a Trump team. Ryan, in fact, made a whole media message out of resisting Trump, one that lasted even after the new president took over the White House.
So what has Trump done to be called a traitor to his party?
Trump simply got fed up with do-nothing Republicans in Congress — the ones who hold clean majorities in the House and Senate, yet can’t seem to get Obamacare repeal passed — and shook his shoulders and turned to Democrats to craft some fiscal deals.
Republicans crying about the cross-party reach-out now seem a bit — well, pot meet kettle.
“Republicans,” Trump tweeted late last week, “sorry, but I’ve been hearing about Repeal & Replace for 7 years, didn’t happen!”
Yep, that’s pretty much where conservative America is right now, as well. Republicans: Where’s the Obamacare repeal?
The silence on that is deafening. Truly, the GOP has a lot of nerve slamming Trump right now for working with the Dems, when the White House’s own agenda — the same one many congressional members campaigned upon themselves — sits idle in the houses of Republican majorities. For shame.
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