Low Bar in D.C.

A dysfunctional galaxy far, far away

Predictability, there's no shortage of political leaders up on Capitol Hill this evening patting themselves on the back.

As journalist Niall Stanage observed in his scorecard for The Hill.com on the fallout from the latest compromise deal to keep the lights on in Washington, members of Congress from both sides of the aisle are finding creative ways to spin this debacle as a victory.

For most Americans it's anything but.

Do the roughly 20 Democratic and Republican senators who met in Washington on Sunday to cobble together the framework for a deal to pass a temporary spending resolution to reopen the government deserve some credit for at least being willing to sit down and (presumably) talk like adults?

Yes, a measure of credit is due when men and women on opposite sides of the political spectrum are able to come together and demonstrate that the legislative branch of the federal government can function in a bipartisan manner to act on behalf of the American people. 

But that's what they're supposed to do, it's why they were elected in the first place - that's their job.

There's no disguising the uncomfortable truth that the fact that they had to be there at all on a Sunday just to keep the basic functions of government running is a pretty poor reflection of the ability of congress to put the good of the country first.     

After a bruising 2016 presidential campaign abetted by a floodgate of dark money that flowed from their conservative billionaire donor base, and overt voter suppression efforts in key battleground states like Ohio, Florida, North Carolina and Wisconsin, Republicans finally got what they've been pining after for years - control of all three branches of the federal government.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and
Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer

But the chaotic, inexperienced narcissist they worked so hard to put into the White House proved to be as politically inept as he is racist.

In fact, last week as the government shutdown loomed, the orange-haired BLOTUS was rendered all but politically-neutered because of his own big mouth.

That's after he partially caused the shutdown by recklessly repealing DACA to score points with his base.

The actual work of keeping the federal government running was left to Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer as Trump was essentially rendered irrelevant to negotiations to solve a manufactured crisis - one caused in no small part by his own chaotic buffoonery and total ignorance of how government functions.   

After a year in office, it's remarkable and disturbing that he still doesn't seem to understand that the power of the presidency is wasted when the majority of Americans despise you and disapprove of the job your doing.

With quasi-delusional sycophant advisers like Stephen Miller and Kellyanne Conway surrounding him, Trump still thinks he can lead the country by pandering to the 30-something percent of Americans who support him.

The global condemnation Trump generated dominated the headlines after the bipartisan meeting at the White House that was intended as an opportunity for Republicans and Democrats to hammer out a deal on immigration to avoid the government shutdown imploded when he wondered aloud why DACA protections would be extended to nation's he dismissed as "shithole countries". 

As if that wasn't enough, as the threat of the shutdown loomed closer, reports emerged that porn star Stormy Daniels had been paid $130,000 by Trump's lawyer to keep her from speaking publicly about their years-long affair - this as the #MeToo movement dominates the cultural conversation.

Stunned lawmakers in the White House meeting on
immigration last week realize 45 is a clueless child

So in a situation where a normal president would be using the power of his or her office to put pressure on lawmakers to pass a comprehensive spending bill, Trump was essentially rendered useless.

Because his brand is so toxic and his disapproval rating so high that he was actually more of a political liability to the Republican leadership who'd grown impatient with his constant wavering back and forth on immigration.

So, yeah, this deal got done, but only after a three-day shutdown of the federal government.

And without any help from the guy who campaigned repeatedly on his supposed mastery of what he calls "the art of the deal". 

And as far as deals go, it's not exactly the kind of thing one brags about on one's political resume. 

The spending measure only keeps the government running for three weeks while Democrats and Republicans try and hash out their differences to pass an actual spending bill to properly fund the government for the next fiscal year.

No doubt Trump will use his Twitter account to boast about his signing the compromise measure he had no hand in negotiating, to reopen a government that shutdown on the anniversary of his inauguration.

As thousands of women, men and children across the nation marched to protest his presidency.

But it's a poor reflection of the GOP's ability to govern effectively considering the fact that they control the White House and both chambers of congress.

And it doesn't exactly boost the public's perception of congress either.

Especially considering we're only nine months from the mid-term elections in November and the only thing they've passed is a huge tax cut for the rich and corporations.

None the less, politicians will continue to milk this short-term spending compromise as if they just passed the New Deal; acting as if doing their jobs has become cause for celebration.

When the reality is it's a reflection of just how low the bar has slipped in D.C.