Ryan's Hope

"But you have two more chances with the budget and the tax code fix. You screw these two up, you won't have to worry about the President trying to fire you, the voters will."

Relax kids - I am not going to address some ditsy soap opera. That is, unless you consider what is happening on Capitol Hill a soap opera. No, I am going to address Paul Ryan - and maybe even Mitch McConnell. Those two guys are the trail bosses for the "gang who can't shoot straight" (that would be the Republicans).

Back in the day when Obama was President, and we had the House run by our newly minted Speaker (Paul Ryan), Obama would drive circles around the House. Why? All the House Republicans did was bluster. Rather than acting like the real power in Washington (that is, if you still believe that rusty dusty Constitution), they let Obama act like a King rather than a President.

This week, we saw our new President, take a page from the Obama playbook. After he was sworn in on that winter day last January, he gave the Republicans the "right of first refusal". In other words, it was President Trump's preference to work with the Republicans over the Democrats. Should be a piece of cake, right? The Republicans owned every power position in Washington. Then came the long awaited ObamaCare fix.

After the second time it failed to launch, this former CEO looked over this collection of Republican "posers" and had one thought in mind. Oh, if could only fire them. Just like back in the good old days when he was running Trump Incorporated. But he couldn't fire them. He did not have the power. So, if he can't work with them, he will work around him. And that is exactly what he did when he called in his former Democratic adversaries, now his partners on the debt ceiling deal.

A hint to Speaker Ryan and Leader McConnell. Batten down the hatches boys, and get ready for more of the same. You are not dealing with "Mr. Slick" here like when Obama was in charge - you are dealing with a true wild card. Expect the unexpected. If you don't play ball with the President, he will find other players - even if their uniforms are blue.

Now Mr. Speaker, I will address the real Ryan's Hope. And that would be how to keep the House viable in the scheme of things. How to go from a door mat to the front door. But to do so sir, you must first learn how to operate under your charter. You and your House colleagues have immense powers. However, instead of acting like Superman, you insist on acting like Clark Kent.

Take heart Mr. Speaker. All is not yet lost. The Commander in Chief could come to love you once again. Like most CEO's, he is not concerned about what you did yesterday, but what can to do for him today. Get an "ass kicking, lights out" tax reform bill (one which Mitch can get through the Senate also) passed and on the President's desk. Get a REAL budget passed (one which Mitch can get through the Senate also) passed and on the President's desk. And do this within the next 15 working days.

This should only be a one strike ball game Ryan, but it is not. Failure to launch an ObamaCare fix should have disqualified you from everything else. But you have two more chances with the budget and the tax code fix. You screw those two up, you won't have to worry about the President trying to fire you, the voters will.