[Politico] THE GOP’S LOYALTY TEST — It’s not just Democrats who may be going toe-to-toe with the president over the emergency declaration. Senate Republicans on Thursday were blindsided by Trump’s executive action plans, which they had privately and publicly urged the president not to use. Their big concern is that a future Democratic president could use executive action to enact gun control or climate change measures.

–> Do not be fooled by GOP resistance to Donald’s declaration of emergency. It’s not an issue of violating the spirit of Constitutional integrity; it’s what the democrats could do when Donald leaves. Gun control? Climate Change? Maybe even taxing wealth? God forbid.

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[538] 37.5 million views

An edited video of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez discussing campaign finance in a hearing with ethics experts has become the most viewed political video in the history of Twitter, with 37.5 million views. The video was posted by the left-leaning group NowThis. That’s the record as long as you don’t count the video of President Trump attacking a person with a CNN logo for a head — that video has 39.1 million views. [The Guardian]

–> Nothing more than news of the day. Ain’t cultural change fun?

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–> Howard Schultz, ex CEO of Starbucks Coffee is trying to run for President as an independent. He is wealthy enough to run on his own without much help from billionaire backers. His impact on the 2020 election may well be that of spoiler for both Democrats and Republicans. Howard reminds mariner of Ralph Nader who ran for President in 2000 as an independent candidate representing the Green Party. Most democratic leaders and pundits credit Ralph’s 2.74 % as just enough to give W. Bush the win over Al Gore.

The underlying reality is that Howard is not part of the New Bunch phenomenon nor can he claim to be buddies with the Reaganites. His campaign is based on his claim to be a centrist. This is similar to the offer Hillary Clinton made in her campaign: Vote for reasonableness – vote for the Establishment. For all intents and purposes she won the election but even in 2016 the electorate was in the mood to move on to a new government. Unfortunately, the Russians wanted Donald.

The pressure to refurbish the US Federal Republic is greater now. Donald’s competence and wonderful personality have helped shift the electorate away from Reagan capitalism toward left leaning solutions. The Democratic Party as a whole has absorbed this energy and elected a bunch of young, multiracial, multi-religious representatives who have shared in the political wave. Howard is not part of this movement and his centrist argument will – especially in 2020 – defeat the movement of both the recalcitrant GOP capitalists and the adventuresome socialists. And, like Nader, he will not win the election. The result will be a continued battle between far right and far left – unless Donald is still around which presents a whole different set of issues.

It’s too bad hubris is a primary requirement to run for President. Howard needs to find another interest for his retirement.

Ancient Mariner