"THE ANSWER, MY FRIEND, IS BLOWIN' IN THE WIND...." - Bob Dylan (1962)

Many of us - me included - thought that the time would come when our new president would wake up... and begin to behave "presidential."  That Trump would drop his narcissistic, little-boy-games, name-calling, taunting, tweeting, and would get down to the serious issues that face the nation.  Health care "covering everyone with better coverage and at a lower cost that the ACA", fix our crumbling infrastructure, end wage stagnation, create a fairer tax code, and, of course, cause "tremendous" job expansion.  In his spare time, Trump could also keep his other promises - no cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security.... and, he could also fulfill his pledges to bring peace to the Middle East, beat ISIS in a month, "handle" Iran and North Korea, and, especially, set a new course of relations between the US and Russia.  As a candidate, he promised that he ALONE could make all of this happen... and, that he had "plans" to make all of this work - but, that he would not reveal the plans because to do so would be to unmask the secret sauce!  No sense telegraphing his "plans" to Make America Great Again (MAGA), lest someone attempt to gum up the works and prevent his brilliance from becoming self-evident.

So, here we are 6 months into the first year of the Trump reign, and where are we?  No major legislation - a health care proposal removing 23,000,000 Americans from their current health insurance (mostly, destroying Medicaid), thankfully stalled in the Senate, a budget and tax outline that is nothing more that "trickle down" on steroids featuring massive tax giveaways for large corporations and the wealthiest Americans and program cuts and eliminations for the rest of us.  And, in foreign relations, the Russian collusion investigations, failed diplomacy with China, more saber-rattling with North Korea, a famously failed Jared Kushner visit to the Middle East, insulting our NATO allies, and nearly precipitating a shooting aerial war with Russia in the skies of Syria after shooting down a Syrian jet fighter.  And, a recently unveiled military plan to add yet another 4000 or so US troops to our forces in Afghanistan - the longest war in our history.  Some "secret plans"..... 

 

   

The Republican attempt to "repeal and replace" the ACA has shocked the nation with its bloodthirsty objective of cutting millions of Americans of middle or modest income who wish for nothing more than the ability to seek medical care for themselves and their families without facing bankruptcy.  From the very first House bills, Trump signed onto a program that is the exact opposite of his campaign promises and more aligned with the previous Ryan plan to gut Medicaid and remove the financial supports that are the backbone of providing an affordable insurance alternative to the wholly unaffordable health care marketplace. The predictable result according to the Republican-led Congressional Budget Office, is that 23,000,000 Americans would lose their coverage if the bill were to become law. Most of that carnage would be visited on the least among us - lower income families - through cuts to Medicaid.  That bill resulted in massive demonstrations in DC and across the nation, raucous Town Hall meetings, especially for Republican Representatives and Senators, and a 17% approval rating for the bill with near 60% of the public opposed.  One would think that this toxic mix of public outrage would persuade Trump and the Republicans in the House and Senate that such an approach was wholly untenable.  Every single advocacy group - doctors, nurses, hospitals, and other providers, the AARP and dozens of other non-profit groups have lodged their objections to such an approach as well.  In fact, as many media outlets have observed, the nation has not witnessed this level of public engagement and protest since the 60's.  Bob Dylan, a balladeer of that era, asked in his song "Blowin' In the Wind", "how many times can a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn't see?"  Evidently, the Republicans just do not see...

As Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell famously said when he shut off Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) from Senate floor debate, "she persisted."  McConnell and the Republican Leadership in both Houses continues, with the full support of Trump, to try to find a way to pass this massive transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich disguised as "healthcare reform." Yet, Trump promised "no cuts to Medicaid, even if it costs him votes!"  Trump described his "plan" as covering more people with better plans for less cost."  Instead, the TRUMPCARE bill in the Congress covers far fewer American families, at higher costs, with massive cuts to Medicaid.  It seems that the answer is "blowin' in the wind."

Hey, at least we are "winning, winning, winning" in the jobs fight, right?  "How many ears must one man have before he can hear people cry?"  To hear Trump tell the tale, he saved "thousands of jobs from going overseas!"  As President, he sent a clear message that "America comes First."  Just ask Westinghouse in Indiana....  Ford in Detroit....  and, that Keystone pipeline job that just MUST use American steel, right?
   * Two weeks ago, Westinghouse announced that it was moving 600 jobs to Monterrey, Mexico from Indiana.  Whoops!

   * The pipeline projects are still using steel piping from China.  Whoops!

   * And, in June, the Ford Motor Company announced "we will export vehicles from China to the US for the first time, starting in 2019."  In late June The Ford Motor Company announced that it would move production of the Ford Focus from the US to China, instead of Mexico.  Ford said that the reason is that wages are lower in China than in the US or Mexico and that they already manufacture the Focus in China for the local market.  Whoops! 

Great job, Donald.....

Maybe the trouble is the global trade agreements.  So, Trump bails on the Pacific Partnership and announces that he wants to re-negotiate NAFTA.  In addition, he announces that he wants to levy new high tariffs on Canadian lumber and on other countries and products.  In fact, on June 26th a meeting of 20 top officials, including the Vice President, met with Trump to discuss instituting import tariffs - some as much as 20% - on foreign-made products and the impact that a trade war might have on foreign policy, economic policy, and the American economy.  One official present estimated that the sentiment in the room was some 22 against and 3 in favor of adopting severe tariffs on a proposed list of imports.  One of those three was the President himself! America First proponents Wilbur Ross, Steve Bannon, and Steve Miller argued the case for new tariff walls against selected imports.  VP Pence and Jared Kushner were silent.  75% of those present were adamantly opposed, arguing that it was bad economics and bad global politics.  In fact, Trump was told at one point, that almost his entire Cabinet thought that it was a bad idea.  They strenuously argued that it would hurt the US economy and also impact a substantial number of our allies including Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Japan, and others.  Further, any number of impacted industries - like the auto makers - would likely seek court intervention and injunctions to prevent any tariff on imported steel.  Perhaps, that explains the Ford announcement of their move to China.  Guess where the steel would come from then..... "The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind....".