FROM EIR DAILY ALERT

Democratic ‘Defections’ on Border Wall Expose Dem Leadership

Feb. 4, 2019 (EIRNS)—Conservative media are today making headlines over a one-word reply by Michigan Democrat Dan Kildee, made in response to Maria Bartiromo, host of the Fox News “Sunday Morning Futures” program, as she began to grill him about the current standoff over the Border Wall, in the context of the “Trump vs the world” script.

Departing from the script, however, Kildee agreed with Bartiromo (and President Donald Trump) that walls are a necessary part of border security, for example in urban areas. Thus put off-balance, host Bartiromo could only repeat back what Kildee had just told her:

“So are you saying that you would be poised to agree to a deal with your colleagues on the right to put money forth that goes toward technology, toward more border agents, toward drone technology, whatever that might be, as well as a physical barrier in certain areas where it makes sense? Is that what you’re saying?”

Kildee’s one-word response, heard around the globe: “Sure.”

Furthermore, Kildee continued,

“I know that any compromise that comes out of that process, if there is one, will contain elements that I wouldn’t like, but that in the big picture, that’s what our government really is all about, coming to some kind of compromise, knowing that what seems like really hard and fast positions taken by people going into those negotiations, have to be compromised; have to somehow arrive at—we have to arrive at some common ground.

“And I wish that people on this whole issue would stop hyperventilating and just get down to the business of trying to find some middle ground.”

Rep. Dan Kildee is part of the House leadership, being Chief Deputy Whip of the Democratic majority. He sits on both the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and the Budget Committee.

Earlier, on Jan. 23, while the Federal government shutdown was still ongoing, Minnesota Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson and Alaska Republican Rep. Don Young had begun circulating a letter addressed to President Trump and Speaker Pelosi, calling for an end to the conflict among their colleagues.

The day before, Collin Peterson—15-term Democratic Congressman and chair of the Agriculture Committee—told a local radio station that Congress should “give Trump the money,” to build a wall. “Why are we fighting over this?” Peterson asked. “We’re going to build that wall anyway, at some time.”

Neither of these Democrats comes from a district that Clinton lost in 2016, or is in any way threatened with losing his position. Their actions fully expose the useless “crisis management” approach to governing of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and her partner in crime, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.