Required reading from around the web of the best, most interesting, or most though provoking things we’ve read:
Wong & Brufke: Trump sides with conservatives on shutdown messaging
“President Trump’s surprise move to threaten a government shutdown if Congress fails to fund his border wall shows he is embracing the hardline messaging of the House Freedom Caucus and not the more careful approach of GOP leaders ahead of the midterms.
[…] Trump’s tough shutdown talk this week highlights the messaging divide between Republican leaders and conservatives in Congress as House members hit the campaign trail for the month of August. […] . . . it’s an unexpected midterms messaging strategy that’s not exactly supported by McConnell and Ryan, who are trying to downplay talk of what would be the third shutdown of 2018.”
The Latest: McConnell Dismisses Talk of Government Shutdown
“Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he has no plans to shut down the government over President Donald Trump’s push for border wall funds.”
Weichert: The Congressional GOP Is Suicidal
“The Republican Party establishment is giving President Donald Trump the shaft. Heading into this summer. I warned that Congressional Republicans were incapable of implementing a truly transformative legislative agenda that would support the America First principles that Donald Trump campaigned on during the 2016 campaign. It seems that I am, unfortunately, right. […] Recently, Rachel Bovard, a fellow former Congressional staffer like myself,wrote this little disturbing (though highly predictable) tidbit: Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has told his conference that Republican policy riders, even those traditionally included in appropriations bills every year, including those supported by President Trump, are ‘poison pills’ that cannot be considered for fear they will blow up the spending process by diminishing support from Democrats.”