Why isn’t the shutdown over already?

In December, President Trump canceled his scheduled Florida Christmas vacation to stay in the capitol while Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats went home to their families. When Democrats returned, the President brought them to the White House to negotiate. Pelosi famously refused “even a dollar”. Then the President addressed the nation from the oval office, explained in detail why he feels there is a crisis, and pleaded for compromise. Democrats rebutted his speech before even knowing what the President had said. Trump asked for a follow-up meeting, but Democrats left DC again, leaving only a skeleton crew technically keeping the House “in session”. Bob Menendez and 30 others went to sunny San Juan, while Elizabeth Warren ran for president in Iowa and New Hampshire. Finally, on Saturday, Trump offered a three-year DACA extension and many other compromises in exchange for the wall funding. Democrats flatly refused to budge.

Trump sure is unreasonable, isn’t he? He’s the only person standing in the way of getting the government back working, isn’t he? He’s the only one standing in the way of relief for the DACA kids, the federal workers, and the SNAP recipients, isn’t he? The Democrats can’t do a thing to solve the situation, can they? How long will Americans sit by and watch blind hatred and recalcitrance hold the federal government hostage?

R. Patrick Henry, Jr., East Longmeadow