Unwelcome homecoming for Trump with low polls

When President Donald Trump returns home to America, he may well wish that he had stayed abroad as even these “goodwill” trips, that other presidents have taken, have not resulted in favorable ratings. In, fact a recent Gallup Poll revealed that he has a job approval rating of only 39 percent, not far from his average in the previous two weeks. Only 56 percent of those polled approve of his presidency.

While the tanked ratings have much to do with his agenda, one driven by campaign promises, except cutting Medicaid, which he said that he would not do, his legislative agenda, mostly in a budget proposal has been focused on wealth transfer from the low-income to the the working poor to the very wealthy. He has included himself as he purposes to drop a longheld tax plan that would allow him to pay even less taxes; which he bragged about during the campaign.

Add to that pile, a House vote that would approve of taking health care benefits from at least 24 million Americans, has not done his reputation much good, and as the trend grows to include such draconian cuts to traditional programs such as SNAP, previously known as food stamps, and children’s health programs, the sky above the White House grows darker.

Trump’s travel ban is also once again, stuck in appeals, despite modifications to it that deleted references that seemed to give preferential treatment to Christians, over Muslims, and those who held valid visas and green cards.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that “The Richmond, Virginia-based 4th Circuit is the first appeals court to rule on the revised travel ban unveiled in March. Trump’s administration had hoped it would avoid the legal problems that the first version from January encountered. A second appeals court, the 9th U.S. Circuit based in San Francisco, is also weighing the revised travel ban after a federal judge in Hawaii blocked it.”

As usual, the president’s late night tweets, and his unbridled tongue, have held his agenda hostage to the checks and balances provided by the Constitution. And while the Supreme Court would likely hear the case if asked, (as they most always do when a lower court strikes down a federal law or presidential directive), “a central question in the case before the 4th Circuit was whether courts should consider Trump’s public statements about wanting to bar Muslims from entering the country as evidence that the policy was primarily motivated by the religion.”

  

Hovering in the background is the investigation into the alleged communications both before his inauguration, and afterwards with the Russians, the most notorious being a closed door meeting with them, that was barred to the American press. Also, in that meeting Trump revealed classified information, according to a Washington Post blog, that was denied by the White House.

Then he revealed classified information from the British government in the aftermath of the Manchester bombing, resulting in a tart admonishment from their prime minister, Theresa May.

With accusations that the president obstructed justice by asking former FBI head, James Comey, to abandon the investigation of former National Security head Mike Flynn, in a meeting where he asked both Vice-President Pence, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, to leave, have prompted serious discussions about impeachment. But, most observers feel that with the GOP in power after a nearly decade long absence, that their consent is nil.

Presidential families have always held some oddities, from a perennially unemployed brother in law, to old school chums, like LeMoyne Billings, of JFK’s, and perpetual house guest, so that Mrs. Kennedy complained to the White House chief usher, “Oh, Mr. West, he’s been a house guest of mine ever since I’ve been married!”

But perhaps no president has had a son-in-law that has been subject to an FBI investigation, which has Jared Kushner, under investigation, for proposing to the Russians, before the election, last December, to use their secure line of communications, to the Russian Ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak, who, himself, was itchy about granting access, and risking the line’s security, to an American, reported The Washington Post.

The risk would have also been great for Kushner, and Trump, if discovered by our intelligence; but, Kushner, ever the neophyte, seems to not have known, or perhaps not even cared.

These pitfalls, some say landmines, that the Trump campaign team, and administration officials have stepped on, is precedent shattering, and the admixture of power and ignorance, from within, have exposed the country to greater hazards, than from without.

Chicagoans brace for more violence with warm weather

In his recent visit to Chicago, former president Barack Obama held a meeting at the South Shore Cultural Center, along with his wife Michelle, to discuss plans for his presidential library, and his vision for that space. Included in his remarks, were some unexpected, and even unbridled comments about problems facing the city.  Leading them, was the increasing violence that has pockmarked the city’s reputation. As Obama remarked, “if you ask a lot of people outside of Chicago about Chicago, what’s the first thing they talk about? They talk about the violence.”

So far the city has exceeded the 762 homicides from last year, with over 1,000 people shot, and it seems well on its way to pass its two decade record. With the approach of summer, Chicago is poised for further increases with increasingly warmer temperatures. The link between hot weather, and crime, supported by scientific evidence, already has some residents fearful.

This past weekend, the city saw 18 people shot as the mercury rose, and fall.

Severe heat increases crime, according to psychologist Lance Workman at the University of Glamorgan (UK) who has established a link between hot weather and the levels of serotonin – a brain chemical – that is released, with a side-effect that can heighten aggression.

“‘Violent crime and riots increase as temperatures rise,’ he emphasized, and ‘“The majority of riots in the USA occur when the temperature increases to between 27C and 32 C (81 to 90 Fahrenheit). When the temperature goes over 32C, however, riots level off and begin to fall because people become so hot they can't be bothered."

While police have effectively kept crime away from the downtown areas, the tourists, and the predominantly white North side, the near daily media coverage of blacks shooting other blacks (albeit low-income blacks) is a near daily occurrence, especially in some neighborhoods, such as Englewood. The increased violence has also exacerbated racial tensions in a city with a long history of racial segregation. And, it has  fueled suspicion towards blacks from white visitors, even middle class blacks, as they make their daily commute to work, or school.

That commute has also become fraught with tension, as Chicago’s public transportation system, especially the Red Line subway, has become rife with robberies, some even in broad daylight, and others, in early evenings, with roaming gangs stealing, often under gun point, wallets, purses, and cell phones. Chicago Transit Authority officials, say that video surveillance cameras can help apprehend perpetrators, but most get away.

A local community newspaper features a police blotter detailing the crimes, and most offenders are not apprehended. Activists, such as Eric Russell, have suggested the use of Guardian Angels style monitors, as well as dedicated text numbers for riders to report crimes, and audio announcements that the trains are being monitored. Yet, to appear (as in London) are plainclothes police, riding the trains.

Seemingly, most of the attention is given, by CTA, and Chicago police, to the homeless who sleep on the trains, often lacking the money to pay another, required, fare at each end of the Red line.

Last year there was a focus on cheaters who jumped the turnstile, as CTA officials felt that there was linkage between those that did so, and system violence. This year that seems to not be a tactic.

Adding to the racially charged atmosphere are the divisions from the 2016 elections, and the much publicized capture, and torture, of a young white male by four black teenagers, who yelled, “Fuck Trump,” and “Fuck white people, as they slashed his clothes, and other indignities. As a consequence the city is on edge, as headlines blare the latest violent sprees.

Sup. Eddie Johnson

Gangs and guns are prevalent in equal measure, and ways to prevent both have been on the forefront of police concern. There have been intervention methods, by police, used to track social media bragging, and provocation, to proposed legislation to thwart, or at least contain their violence, which can spill into the streets, killing innocent bystanders. Often the headlines are full of stories where toddlers, or school age children, become drive by casualties.

A recent case had two police officers shot as they ran a covert operation, but instead were shot by a gang member who may or may not have thought they were rival gang members. According to the Chicago Tribune, it was “unclear what the shooter knew that the unmarked, covert van carried officers or if he thought that they were rival gang members.”

The suspects were reputed to be members of the La Raza street gang, one of four Hispanic gangs believed to he responsible for about three dozen shootings tied to semi-automatic rifles,” in a West side neighborhood, according to reports.

Adding to the threats to quality of life in that Back of the Yards neighborhoods is an increasing use of rifles, “styled after AR-15s and AK-47s . . . a menacing new development in the gang fights,” and they also noted, “a menacing new development in the gang fights.”

As The Chicago Sun-Times reported: “Further antagonizing police challenges are carjackings, near downtown areas, and in some neighborhoods. Whether it’s a Bears wide receiver’s Maserati or the 2006 BMW heisted in an incident that led to a man being shot early Tuesday, carjackings are making headlines around downtown Chicago and on the West and North sides.

City crime statistics show their numbers have been on the rise: Vehicular hijackings in Chicago nearly doubled between 2015 and 2016 and are occurring with the same frequency this year.

Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the uptick “appears to be a pattern between Area Central and Area North involving juveniles and targeting higher-end vehicles.”

Efforts in March, of this year, by CPD superintendent, Eddie Johnson, to push a bill through the state legislature to curb guns was caught in the ongoing donnybrook between state Democrats and Republicans, who led by Gov. Bruce Rauner, opposed the bill, saying that it was too soft on crime.

Regional differences between city and suburb, but also downstate, in more rural areas, (where hunting is prevalent), have differing opinions regarding gun control, made the bill, which emerged from committee by one vote, dead on arrival in the Illinois Senate.

Drug usage has vastly increased in the surrounding suburbs with heroin, leading as the drug of choice, even among affluent families, and many lawmakers demurred, so as not to be soft on the offenders, or the dealers.

Mayor Emanuel

 “The proposal would increase the sentencing guidelines for judges deciding punishment for repeat gun felons. Instead of a range of three to 14 years, judges would hand out sentences in the range of seven to 14 years. If judges wanted to depart from that guideline, they would have to explain why,” reported the Chicago Tribune.

Race of course entered the picture, and while attempts to limit low level criminals from the jails, rehabilitations is still sought by many, including Sen. Patricia Van Pelt, who claimed, that “more arrests is just going to cost us more money.”

Sen. Don Harmon noted that,  “Almost 900 black and brown men were killed with guns last year. If there were 900 heroin overdoses in DuPage County, we'd be moving heaven and earth to deal with it, and we sit on our hands while kids are getting shot.”

Running along like an old-school television crawl, under the banner of crime prevention, is the tension between CPD and that of the black community, which earned national headlines with the shooting of an unarmed black teenager, named Laquan McDonald, created the tipping point between effective, and lawful, policing and what others have called deadly racial profiling.

The delayed release of police video, from the incident, ensnared Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and the State’s Attorney Office, whose previous head Anita Alvarez, seemed to be in a political blockage as Emanuel, allegedly had the tape held from public scrutiny, as he faced an unexpected challenge from former Cook County Board member, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia.

After that, and repeated revelations of police brutality, going back to the days of Cmdr. John Burge, who was convicted of torturing black prisoners, guilty, or innocent, the issue of police brutality reached a fever pitch.

With charges of racism, many called for Emanuel to resign, which he did not do, but did manage to win, albeit shaken, after a runoff election,a historic first for Chicago. Since then there has been a Department of Justice investigation, under the Obama administration, in its outgoing days, that had, then Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, issuing a scathing report, that included among other charges, pervasive racism.

Reaction form CPD and the Fraternal Order of Police, was wholly negative, and was labelled as a political untruth, or even “crap, and that police could not do their jobs, with increased regulations and policy changes, mandated reports, and videos.In fact, many police and their supporters trashing the findings.

Increased satisfaction led the Fraternal Order of Police to vote out Dean Angelo, as head, and put Kevin Graham, in his place. Graham, outspoken in his opposition to reform, and the DOJ report, had the Tribune reporting, “Graham has slammed the media for allegedly lying about police misconduct claims and applauded [Jeff] Sessions' move to review the federal government's reform agreements with local police agencies. He also said he disagreed with Emanuel and Supt. Eddie Johnson's pledges to continue pursuing reform.”

“Sessions recognizes that the police are generally doing a good job and must be allowed to continue to do so. We think this decision is a step in the right direction to restoring law and order and diminishing violent crime in the city,” he continued.

Jeff Sessions, the new US Attorney General has vowed that he will not use a consent decree to enforce the findings and police have gone into retrenchment mode against all suggestions, otherwise, for improvement.

Nearly five years ago, for my now defunct Examiner column, I spoke with Dr. Dennis Rosenbaum, professor of criminology, law and justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago, who has done research on anti-gang and anti-violence strategies in Chicago, and more than a dozen cities across the nation. He emphasized what he thinks is a key role for prevention: putting police in the community so that they get a feel for the community, and most importantly to know the residents, identify the repeat offenders, and “the people [that are supportive] of police efforts.”

This idea was compromised by a shortage of police, under the Richard M. Daley administration, with a “cost savings” formula for greater overtime, one that proved to be self-defeating. There has been increased recruiting, by Emanuel, but observers feel that it will take years before any positive effect can be seen by the new officers, due to lack of experience.

In a recent North Side meeting with the newly created Community Policing Advisory Panel, residents asked for “ a change in the “police culture”, and “greater accessibility.” Also, asked for were police from “every ethnic group,” with preference to working in their own neighborhoods.

Heard then, and previously, were “more foot patrols, bike patrols, and more personal contact. We want friendly police community interaction.”

Present at that meeting was Johnson, but who said little beyond, “the rest of the country is looking at Chicago right now.” One of those, looking, is President Trump who has frequently used the city as an example of what’s gone wrong with America’s largest cities.

Many academics and lawmakers have stated that the root causes of the violence in the black neighborhoods are economic disinvestment and opportunities for employment. Illinois has the highest black unemployment of the nation at 12.7 percent compared to 6.7 for Latinos and 5 percent for whites..

Add to that, an often fragmented family structure, without two parents. To counter that, Emanuel has established a mentoring program, that the city’s website calls “a bold and aggressive effort to invest $36 million in public and private funds over three years to expand mentoring programs to serve at risk youth across the city.”

Designed as a volunteer based program, he “has set aside the cash to bankroll an immediate expansion of Becoming A Man, the program with the best track record for results. Also known as BAM, Becoming A Man served 2,700 students in the last school year and has seen crimes fall and graduation rates soar among its participants.

Now, the program will add room for nearly 1,400 more students — a total of 4,080. That will help deliver on the mayor’s promise to provide a mentor to every one of the 7,200 eighth-, ninth- and tenth-grade boys in Chicago’s 20 most violent neighborhoods,” reported the Chicago-Sun Times.

A local columnist for the Chicago Tribune, said, “As long as we live isolated in our demographic, geographic bubbles, largely ignorant of each other, the city's troubles won't be fixed. Mentoring programs are one way to open the borders.”

Many of these efforts, be they economic efforts, or mentoring programs, will take time; a lot of time, and some effects may not be seen for more than a generation. Meanwhile, it may be a long hot summer.

Americans question Trump's sanity after closed meeting

Mr. Trump with Russian Minister Sergey Lavrov at White House

The latest saga of President Trump has tongues wagging even more, this time on more than a late night tweet, or failed legislation, or inaugural crowd size. This leak of classified material, to the Russians in a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Sergey Lavrov, revealed in a Washington Post blog has many in Washington, and beyond, wondering about the sanity of the 45th president of the United States, as he blithely reveals classified information, from our ally, Israel, that could be used by the Russians to jeopardize both countries, and their operatives.

That meeting alone was controversial,since it was closed to the American press, and photographers, in favor, of only the Russians, something that the doyenne of Washington, Andrea Mitchell, was so shocked by, she tweeted that the administration's actions were wholly unprecedented.

Even more amazing is further news, that American intelligence officers had warned their Israeli counterparts, not to tell Trump too much, for fear that he would leak it. To be fair, an American president has the latitude to reveal classified information, but with the counsel of his senior advisors. This was not done, as Thomas Bossert, the assistant for Homeland Security had to call both the CIA and the NSA for damage control.

At this juncture, it’s hard to defend Trump’s carelessness, as a “spur of the moment” thing as White House officials have declared the leak to be, especially since the Russians have sophisticated intelligence both on the ground, and electronically to patch together even the barest of information to pinpoint U.S. and allied intelligence.

Even more troublesome is the fact that it has been revealed that James Comey was asked by Trump to drop the investigation of ousted NSA leader, Michael Flynn, who has also been accused of collusion with the Russians, both before and after the election.

Serious breaches of trust and, even common sense, are causing many both inside and outside the beltway, to doubt the ability of Trump to lead, and impeachment is getting mainstream play outside of the more radical circles, proliferating on the internet.

If this is the beginning of the end, then the White House is on a downward spiral as many in the media have noted, as this nascent presidency is tilted like a sinking ship. And, righting it will take more than the usual Washington spin.

Fingering the “deep state” or now, leftist plots, are no longer holding water as it appears that Emperor Trump has no clothes. Even if the inconsistencies coming from the press room were themselves consistent, it would help. But, the backing and filling makes all of this behavior on the part of White House officials suspect.

Most troubling are the contacts with Russia that have dangerous consequences for the weakened but still embattled Russian president, Vladimir Putin, whose alleged meddling in the 2016 election have given credence to lingering Cold War suspicions. For a man that does not like to lose, and enjoys the spectacle of the United States government in disarray, and whose cooperation we need in coming to terms with Syria, and other world conflicts, the stakes are high.

When the defense comes from such people as General H.R. McMaster who was tasked, not once, but twice, by Trump, to come to his defense in appearances before the press, in the White House Rose Garden, labelling Trumps leak as “wholly appropriate” it’s far beyond an Ian Fleming novel, or as one wag has put it, “the bullets in this cold war are real.”  

McMaster said in turn, to reporters: “At no time were any intelligence sources or methods discussed, and no military operations were disclosed that were not already known publicly.”

The Russians, on the other hand, quite satisfyingly, have said that nothing of value was released, and Maria Zakharova, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, dismissed all of this. In her response to queries from presumably close associates, since they used her patronymic, said, "Guys, have you been reading American newspapers again?" she wrote on her Facebook page. "You shouldn't read them. You can put them to various uses, but you shouldn't read them. Lately it's become not only harmful, but dangerous too."

With someone at the head of the United States, who is behaving, as if sanity is being held at bay, then, most in the media, even diehard Republicans, are quitting Trumps sanity and its effect not only on the party, but the government, and not just from the so-called coastal elite.

There may be no love for Vice-President Pence by many liberals, but the question of insanity, partisanship aside, is not questioned, although his record on helping those on the lower income levels is dismal. Then again, Speaker Paul Ryan, has become so associated with wealth transfer, few would like to see him in the Oval office.

The good news, if any, is that former FBI chief Robert Mueller  has been selected by Deputy Attorney General, Rod. J. Rosenstein, as special counsel for the Russian investigation, and who, in the past, has won the respect of those on both sides of the aisle, will now be special counsel investigating, what the Chicago Tribune calls “potential coordination between Russia and the Trump team during the 2016 presidential election.”

As The New York Times reported Mueller can decide “whether to consult with or inform the Justice Department about his investigation. He is authorized to investigate “any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump,” according to Mr. Rosenstein’s order naming him to the post, as well as other matters that “may arise directly from the investigation.” He is empowered to press criminal charges, and he can request additional resources subject to the review of an assistant attorney general.”

Running parallel to the erratic behavior of the president is this ongoing back channelled love affair between Trump and Putin, one that may have had the potential of influencing the recent election. And, also through avenues unknown, since our press was not allowed into the meeting, thus giving more weight to the suspicion of what exactly is happening between the two governments, and raises the question: has Trump become become the stooge in this international drama, while the Kremlin looks on with bemusement?

Despite weak GDP, U.S. gained jobs in April

Despite feeble first quarter growth of 0.7 in economic growth, America’s slowest place in three years, and largely attributable to weak consumer spending, economists saw this seasonally adjusted figure, for the gross domestic product, in line with historical precedent. On Friday, however, that news, was balanced with the April Jobs Report showing the addition of 211,000 jobs, pushing, by economic standards, the country to full employment.

Exceeding the predicted 190,000, there were certain stars: retail which had previously been declining, now added 6,300 jobs; other leads were leisure and hospitality, that added 55,000, and health care that added 37,000.  As many have surmised these are lower paying jobs, than some would like, yet the increase is notable.

Equally shining was information technology that added 480,000, mostly full-time, but even more significantly  there was a decline from 8.9 percent to 8.6 percent decline in the the U-6 rate, a broader measure for those workers that are stuck in part-time jobs, but want full-time hours; and, this is the best figure seen since November 2007.

For those that were dismayed by the March report, (revised down by 19,000 jobs to 79,000) now seen as an aberration, April gave hope to even more improvements. “The bounce in jobs growth confirmed that the slowdown in March was a weather-related aberration”, said Tony Bedikian, head of global markets for Citizens Bank. "Businesses are certainly hiring and there's no sign that we see of any bump in the road in hiring trends," he told Business Insider.

What stood out for many was the 4.4% unemployment rate, the lowest since May 2007, even more of an indicator that the country is moving towards full-employment, a condition where most people who are looking for a job, find one.

The figures for retail, are ironically set against a unique scenario “as roughly 3,500 stores are expected to close over the next few months with retail giants like Macy's and JCPenney shuttering locations. Department stores, for example, shed 600 jobs even as the broader sector increased hiring,” noted the Insider.

Sobering the mostly good news is that wages took another dip over the last calendar year. As noted, “wage growth slowed last month, with average hourly earnings increasing by 2.5% year-on-year, down from 2.6%. This has been one blip on the horizon that has given most economists, and government officials, both a pause, and a cause of concern.

Close on the heels of that news is Labor-force participation which has seen its own rise and fall, this time from 63 percent to 62,9. In fact, the number of civilian workers over the age of 16, looking for work “has plunged since the recession.”

One significant reason, for that, is the large population of baby-boomers are nearing retirement age and are beginning to retire.

To no one’s surprise, all of this news suggests that the Feds will give another rate increase for June, with most predicting a quarter point bump, and in December many are predicting a 57.2 chance for another increase.

"The Federal Reserve, while not a religious entity, has indicated that its members have faith that the economy will return to a familiar, steady growth path after a lackluster start to the year," said Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at Bankrate.com in an interview with CNBC.

"The April jobs report helps them to keep their own brand of faith, meaning that the odds are good that the outlook remains for rising interest rates,” he summarized, giving faith to hope.

House narrowly votes to repeal Obamacare

President Trump and Paul Ryan

With the aid of a single vote on Thursday, House Republicans voted to repeal Obamacare, a move that has been in their crosshairs since the Affordable Care Act was created in 2010. While pictures of the smiling Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and President Donald Trump have hit the wire services, the vote is being hailed as a victory of party, but also as a referendum on the presidency of Barack Obama, America’s first black president, who became the default for anything, and everything, that could ever be wrong in the country.

The Obama haters, revealed their true feelings when they burst into song while the final vote was tallied, singing, ‘Nana na hey hey kiss him goodbye.” If governance is fueled by hate for the previous administration, whose leader was a racial minority, then the tenor of American political life has reached an alltime low. Underscoring how low that could be was Arizona Republican Martha McSally who shouted,“Let’s get this fucking thing done!”

The bill does face substantive, and expected changes when it goes to the Senate, where it will face closer scrutiny, especially on the financial side. Especially, problematic will be the loss of Medicaid as an open entitlement age based program, and its replacement with either federal dollars for each recipient, or a block grant to the states, a move that critics say will not be enough to provide coverage and increase premiums for low-income people.

A last minute maneuver by New Jersey Rep.Tom McArthur, designed to mollify hardocre House conservatives gives states, upon their discretionary choice, $8 million for  high risk pools to insure coverage for those with preexisting conditions and those with lower incomes. Critics also contend that in the past these pools gave inadequate coverage, and at much higher costs, and that states had to fill the gap. And, with many states still on the rebound from the Great Recession, additional monies may be hard to come from. In debt ridden Illinois, where a partisan stalemate has resulted with no budget, for nearly two years, the prospect is dim.

Significantly, for Trump, as his first near legislative victory appears, the removal of taxes on high income earners, drug companies, and others, leaves room for him to take the 3.8 percent tax from the ACA, (worth nearly trillions of dollars) to use for infrastructure improvement, a laudable goal, but which may come at the expense of 24 million people, without health coverage, unless there are changes, in a decade.

As I noted two weeks ago, “The White House also needs the money from the repeal to help fund the tax overhaul and the tax code revision. In a sharp reversal from earlier statements from Trump, Mick Mulvaney, his budget director, said that had the president saying he was going to do tax reform next, now says that has to wait. He said in an interview with Fox Business that if health care doesn’t happen “fast enough, I’ll start the taxes. But, the tax reform and the tax cuts are better if I can do health care first.”

The group that will benefit least from the proposed changes are older Americans who, with tax credits (worth $2,000 to $4,000) swapped for the Obama subsidies, by Ryan, face higher rates up to five times higher than their younger counterparts. $13,000 increase in annual premiums, reduction of coverage of pre-existing conditions -  which among the ages of 50 to 64 years-of-age, total 25 million, says the AARP Public Policy Institute.

They also note that there would be an expected decrease in Medicare would hamper preventive care and push the program to insolvency in four years. And, Medicaid would be cut by $800 billion over 10 years.

In a “gotcha” moment the bill also suspends any payments to Planned Parenthood, for a year, until they stop performing abortions, but does retain the provision for young people to retain coverage until the age of 26.

Notably, this revision of the March effort, drafted by Ryan, was passed the day before it received an analysis by the bipartisan Congressional Budget Office, a move that observers say was deliberate, since the prior version received a negative review.

Reaction from Democrats has been swift and immediate:“You vote for this bill, you’ll have walked the plank from moderate to radical,” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., warning Republicans that voters would punish them. “You will glow in the dark on this one.”

This is no empty rhetoric by Pelosi, as many rural and low-income whites who voted for Trump, largely depend on these very programs, and many Dems are noting that a backlash inevitable should the bill be passed into law. As Rep. Louise Slaughter (Dem-New York) noted that it was political suicide, and the like of which she had never seen, “in all my life like I’m seeing today.”

On the heels of victory and an 11 day recess,Republicans, jubilant with hyperbolic rhetoric had a field day; with some even saying they would “gut Obamacare and rescue the American people,” said Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga, reported the Chicago Sun Times.

He also stated that he came to Washington to get rid of such gut as Medicaid - which he bill expanded and that Obamacare had “hijacked the free market.”  Critics have pointed out that the GOP had seven years to work on the effort to fix the problems of the ACA but refused and instead told untruths to protect the hatred for Obama.

The take-away from this is that the the bill is not a health care bill, but a tax cut, pure and simple, and there was never any intention by the GOP to provide appropriate health care coverage. As The New Republic pointed out, “House Republicans have effected a massive transfer of wealth from the poor and middle class to the very wealthy—consistent with the only economic principle the GOP seems to believe in.”

While political predictions are not as easy to proved as partisanship, and gridlock, it’s easy to see that even if this bill does not pass, 2018 may provide Democrats the opportunity to take back the House, after Americans see that behind the false rhetoric, Ryan and Trump are not invested in the common good of the nation.

Writing for the Washington Post last October, Paul Waldman noted, in a succinct summary of what could have been done by Republicans to fix the holes in the ACA, “If they were being honest, they’d admit that their real goal is to get the government out of the business of offering or even guaranteeing coverage, and that they don’t really care how many people are uninsured.”