Pelosi asking Trump to postpone his State of the Union is her latest power play in this shutdown...

[DonViejo]

Analysis Pelosi asking Trump to postpone his State of the Union is her latest power play in this shutdown impasse

By Colby Itkowitz
January 16 at 11:22 AM

-snip-

It seems Trump and the White House may have misjudged how Pelosi and the Democrats would respond to their line-in-the-sand refusal to reopen the government without an additional $5.7 billion in border wall funding. Rather than cave to that demand, Pelosi has brought bill after bill to the floor to reopen some or all of the government and put it on the Senate Republicans to act.

Trump also failed in an effort to sow discord in the House Democratic caucus. He thought he could go around Pelosi and invite some rank-and-file House Democrats who won in Trump districts to the White House for a shutdown chat. Pelosi says she gave them her blessing to go (reportedly saying, “They can see what we’ve been dealing with. And they’ll want to make a citizen’s arrest.”) The Democrats rejected Trump’s offer.

Peter Beinart, a professor of journalism and political science at the City University of New York, wrote in the Atlantic Wednesday that Pelosi’s end game in all of this is “the emasculation of the president.” While there may be room to compromise, Pelosi knows that doing so at this point threatens to divide the Democrats who right now are a united front.

By holding strong and forcing Trump to continue pressing for an idea that is wildly popular with his base, but increasing less so with the public at large, Pelosi is counting on Trump eventually caving to public pressure, Beinart writes.

Pelosi has shown throughout this entire shutdown debacle that she holds the cards. And she knows exactly when to play them.

full article
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/01/16/pelosi-asking-trump-postpone-his-state-union-is-her-latest-power-play-this-shutdown-impasse/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.b65c63a38e5b

[dalton99a]

1. It is her right to deny him a venue to attack Democrats.

The Speaker controls the House

[Juneboarder]

2. I love Pelosi more and more each day!!

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

3. Good for her

Constitutionally to fulfill his SOTU obligation he just needs a letter to Congress.

It wasn't till the advent of electronic media that we had addresses to Congress.

[RussBLib]

4. brilliant

just write it down and send it over, asshole