2017 Jan 5^th

We hear that the new administration will cancel what they call Obamacare (The Affordable Care Act) on “day one.” What ever happened to saying you were going to do something, immediately, or as soon as we can, or on the first day? Does no one in the new administration plan to do anything on “day two.” The substitute plan the Trumpites propose won’t be ready for some time. In other words they haven’t agreed on a substitute plan yet. When asked what people will do for insurance between the promised immediate cancellation of the ACA and this nebulous substitute plan, Republicans assure everyone that nothing will change.  Say what? You are cancelling the ACA; you don’t yet have a replacement, but nothing will change. Sounds like Abbott and Costello are at it again!

Kellyanne Conway always provides some interesting comments. Not long ago Kellyanne said she wanted no part of a job in the Trump White House. She gave us the usual reasons, she had children with whom she needed to spend time. There were four pre-teens and a husband to think of and a White House job would be just too time consuming, so no thank you. Well then The Donald placed his siren call and Kellyanne came running. Maybe she figured hubby could look after the kids; not likely, because George Conway, an attorney, is on the short list to be solicitor general. At least they’ll have plenty of cash for D.C. posh schools and for after school baby sitters.

Trump is known for his thin skin; if he can construe a remark as insulting then he will be insulting right back at the remark’s originator. This is not a smart characteristic for a politician to have, but 70-year-old Trump has it and he will probably keep it. This tendency to revenge might be shared by son-in-law, Jared Kushner.  One of Trump’s earliest supporters was New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Christie shared the early stage with Trump…and then he was gone. Christie had recommended many people for various jobs in the Trump administration; not one of his suggestions was accepted. This was in spite of a drumbeat about Trump’s loyalty to his friends. Jared Kushner’s father had a legal issue with Christie when Christie was a prosecutor. Kushner Senior, a real estate tycoon, boke a number of laws and Christies put him in jail for a year. Now it’s payback time. The final nail in the coffin lid is the hiring by Trump of Bill Stepien as political advisor. Christie fired Stepien because Christie found him untrustworthy. Christie is a belligerent type “A” and you can bet Christie will find some way soon to stick it back to The Donald.

Trump has also had a go-round with Senator Schumer. This was a classic example of the Trump mentality…or lack of it. Schumer said that perhaps he could work with Trump on some issues; Trump responded immediately by saying he liked Schumer better than either Senator McConnell of Speaker of the House Ryan. That is an amazingly stupid comment from a President-elect who will have to work with both McConnell and Ryan, important leaders of his party. Not to worry; Schumer said something complimentary about the ACA and Trump immediately began calling him a “clown.”

This will be an interesting year.