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>> KEEPING GOVERNMENT OPENNESS
OF BASIC FUNCTION THAT SHOULD BE
A NO-BRAINER AND IT REPUBLICANS
STRUGGLED TO FIND THE SUPPORT
THEY NEED.
>> THE PRESIDENT DOESN’T WANT A
SHUTDOWN AND IF ONE HAPPENS, I
THINK YOU’LL HAVE ONE PLACE TO
LOOK AND THAT’S TO THE
DEMOCRATS.
>> IF, GOD FORBID, THERE IS A
SHUTDOWN, IT WILL FALL ON THE
MAJORITY LEADER’S SHOULDERS AND
THE PRESIDENT.
>> Bret: THE BACK AND FORTH,
AS THEY SHUT DOWN LOOMS.
WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF JOHN
KELLY SAYS HE BELIEVES, THE
ADMINISTRATION BELIEVES, THEY
HAVE THE VOTES TO KEEP THE
GOVERNMENT OPEN.
LET’S BRING IN THE PANEL.
STEVE HAYES, EDITOR IN CHIEF OF
"THE WEEKLY STANDARD."
MOLLIE HEMINGWAY, SENIOR EDITOR
AT "THE FEDERALIST" AND MICHAEL
CROWLEY, SENIOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS
CORRESPONDENT FOR POLITICO.
LET’S START WITH THE
BACK-AND-FORTH OVER FUNDING DACA
AND THE EXPO NATIONS.
>> I THOUGHT JOHN KELLY WAS
PRETTY CLEARLY SIGNALING THAT
THE WHITE HOUSE IS READY TO MAKE
A DEAL.
MIGHT NOT BE A DEAL THEY CAN
MAKE THIS WEEK BUT HE INNOCENTS
CONFIRMED
"THE WASHINGTON POST"’S ACCOUNT.
HE SAID THERE WOULDN’T BE A WALL
THAT STRETCHES ACROSS THE ENTIRE
BORDER, THERE MIGHT BE A VIRTUAL
WALL AND HE CONFIRMED THAT HE
TOLD THE CONGRESSIONAL HISPANIC
CAUCUS TODAY THAT MEXICO WON’T
PAY FOR THE WALL.
TAKE A SECOND AND THINK IF THE
PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED
DONALD TRUMP’S YEAR AND HALF AGO
KNEW THAT THREE DAYS BEFORE THE
ONE HERE ANNIVERSARY OF HIS
INAUGURATION THAT’S WHAT THE
CHIEF OF STAFF WOULD’VE COME ON
YOUR SHOW TO SAY, I THINK WOULD
BE BRACING.
SEEMS TO ME HE WANTS TO SEND A
SIGNAL, SEND A MESSAGE THAT THE
PRESIDENT IS READY TO DEAL.
>> Bret: SEEMS SENATOR GRAHAM
HAS LOST A LITTLE BIT OF FAVOR
IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> BRINGING FORTH A BILL THAT
FAILED TO IN ANY WAY COME CLOSE
TO DOING WHAT IT NEEDED TO DO
PROBABLY WASN’T SENATOR GRAHAM’S
BEST MOVE.
DONALD TRUMP WAS SAYING A YEAR
AGO THAT THE WALL WOULDN’T BE
THE ENTIRE EXTENT OF THE BORDER.
THAT WAS IN
"THE NEW YORK TIMES."
HE HAS KIND OF CONTINUOUSLY SAID
THIS.
IT’S NOT LIKE IT WAS NEWS BROKEN
TONIGHT.
HE DOES HAVE -- THIS IS A MOMENT
WHEN A LOT NEEDS TO BE
ACCOMPLISHED.
WE NEED TO MOVE TOWARD MORE
MERIT-BASED IMMIGRATION.
THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH RANDOM
VISA LOTTERIES, CHAIN MIGRATION,
THERE’S A COMPLETE LACK OF
BORDER SECURITY AND ENFORCEMENT.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO
HAPPEN IN DONALD TRUMP A SIGNAL
HE’S COMPLETELY WILLING TO WORK
ON A DACA FIX AND ALSO THAT
THESE THINGS NEED TO HAPPEN.
SEEMS LIKE THE REAL QUESTION IS
NOT WHETHER DONALD TRUMP IS
WILLING TO NEGOTIATE BUT WHETHER
DEMOCRATS ARE ACTUALLY
INTERESTED IN NEGOTIATIONS.
THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT CAN KIND
OF KEEP THEIR BASE VERY EXCITED
AND KEEP THEM VOTING.
THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE THE
INCENTIVE TO COME TO A FIX AS
MUCH AS THEY SAY THEY DO.
>> I WAS STRUCK BY KELLY’S USE
OF THE WORD FLEXIBILITY.
THIS WAS A PICTURE OF A
WHITE HOUSE THAT ONCE ADIL AND
KELLY WAS SAYING THIS IS A
PRESIDENT WHO IS FLEXIBLE,
LEARNING ON THE JOB, EVOLVED.
HE CITED THE PRESIDENT’S
POSITION ON AFGHANISTAN AFTER
TRUMP AT TIMES THAT SAID WE
SHOULD LEAVE AFGHANISTAN.
>> Bret: THAT DID HAPPEN.
>> WHEN HE GAVE THE SPEECH, IT
WAS ONE OF THE MORE SIGNIFICANT
MOMENTS IN HIS PUBLIC RHETORIC
AT LEAST WORRIES THAT LOOKS
DIFFERENT FROM BEHIND THE DESK.
I THOUGHT KELLY WAS SIGNIFICANT,
TRYING TO SIGNAL THE SENSE OF
FLEXIBILITY.
I DO THINK REPUBLICANS ARE IN A
BIND.
THEY CONTROL THE HOUSE, SENATE
AND THE WHITE HOUSE AND ALTHOUGH
WE’VE HEARD REPUBLICANS SAYING
WE ARE GOING TO PIN IT ON
DEMOCRATS AND DEMOCRATS ARE TO
BLAME, IT’S A TOUGH ARGUMENT TO
MAKE WITH THE PUBLIC THAT
DOESN’T FOLLOW THE INS AND OUTS
OF GOVERNMENT VERY CLOSELY BUT
THEY KNOW WILL CONTROL THE
CONGRESS AND THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> Bret: I WANT TO PLAY THE
SOUND BITE FROM MAC THORNBERRY
AND SENATOR BLUMENTHAL ABOUT THE
MILITARY.
>> EVERY DAY UNDER THESE STOPGAP
MEASURES DOES DAMAGE TO THE
MILITARY.
>> IF WE COULD VOTE ON THE
MERITS OF THIS ISSUE, THE
MILITARY WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF
AND THEN WE COULD GO TO BEAT THE
OTHER ISSUE BUT UNFORTUNATELY
THE MILITARY IS BEING HELD
HOSTAGE TO THESE OTHER POLITICAL
ISSUES.
>> I WILL VOTE AGAINST
SHORT-TERM SPENDING BILL.
IT HOLDS HOSTAGE NOT ONLY THE
DREAMERS BUT ALSO DEFENSE
SPENDING.
>> Bret: KELLY ACKNOWLEDGED
THAT THIS IS NOT THE WAY THEY
WANT TO GO AND THEY WOULD LIKE
TO SEE FUNDING FOR THE MILITARY.
IT SEEMS LIKE THEY ARE BACKED UP
AGAINST THE CORNER.
>> THIS IS A HORRIBLE WAY TO RUN
FUNDING FOR THE MILITARY.
IT AFFECTS READINESS AND
LONG-TERM PLANNING AND EVERY
ASPECT OF THE U.S. MILITARY AND
HOW IT CONDUCTS ITS AFFAIRS.
YOU HAVE A GROUP OF HAWKS IN THE
REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE IN THE