About that meeting

Inside a contentious meeting in the Situation Room at the White House on Wednesday, the usually reserved Vice President Pence leveled a sharp accusation at Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer: He never bothered to respond to an offer to reopen the government that Pence made days earlier.

Schumer was prepared with a response. Turning to President Trump, the New York Democrat reminded him that he said this week he wouldn’t accept less than the $5.6 billion in wall funding that was approved by House Republicans late last year — far more than the $2.5 billion Pence was proposing.

“Didn’t you, Mr. President?” Schumer pressed.

  WaPo

Nice one, Chuck. But here's the best part:

The president, with his arms folded, smiled and nodded, according to two people familiar with the meeting.

If Pence doesn't come out swinging for a 2020 challenge, I think we can chalk it up to him being a big ball of fluff.

In Trump, congressional Democrats and Republicans have found a principal who often changes his mind on a whim, whose messages to Capitol Hill can be mixed and who undercuts his own vice president and advisers in high-stakes negotiations with little hesitation.

But despite Trump’s unpredictability, lawmakers are wary of negotiating with any of his aides because they believe only Trump speaks for Trump — a lesson that has been reinforced in recent weeks.

I don't think "despite" is the right word there. I think it's more appropriately "because of."

Republican senators had come away from a mid-December lunch with Pence believing that Trump would sign a short-term government funding bill without the amount of wall money the president had demanded and soon passed a bill to avert a government shutdown. Then Trump said he opposed the legislation.

And without a consistent message from the president, Trump’s aides sometimes also offer conflicting versions of what he will accept.

This could provide some really good betting games.

The Wednesday briefing with congressional leaders began with Trump complaining about nominees being held up in the Senate [...] before he turned it over to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, who was piped in by video from California.

The goal of the White House, which was facing accusations it wasn’t doing enough to end the shutdown, was to force Democrats to listen to a lengthy presentation on how bad, from the administration’s view, the situation was at the border, according to a senior administration official.

Nielsen began reciting administration talking points before she was quickly interrupted by Pelosi and Schumer, who accused her of misconstruing facts and overstating a “crisis,” White House officials said.

“We came to negotiate,” Pelosi said.

They may not have said, "We've heard it all before."

Doesn't sound like Chuck and Nancy are going to soften any. There's supposed to be another meeting today.

There was loud crosstalk between the participants in Wednesday’s meeting. Schumer repeatedly asked the president why he wouldn’t sign a bill keeping much of the government open while conversations continued on the wall. “We would look foolish,” Trump told Schumer.

All you people deciding whether to eat or pay rent will appreciate that at least you're keeping Trump from looking foolish. No. I kid. That is an impossible task.

Pelosi said several times there would be no money for Trump’s border wall.

Pence, who is often quiet and deferential to Trump in meetings, spoke frequently, according to Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), who was in the Situation Room. So did Mulvaney, the president’s acting chief of staff. Both Pelosi and Schumer dislike Mulvaney, according to people familiar with their opinion of the former House member from South Carolina, and his comments didn’t help the negotiations move forward.

Mulvaney, who has also served as the administration’s budget chief, complained that the funding legislation in the Democratic proposal would provide more in foreign aid than the White House requested, according to Durbin. The Democrats in the room told Mulvaney that part of the bill was written by Sen. Lindsey O. Graham and he should talk to the South Carolina Republican about his concerns.

Looks like we're off to a good start.

But it wasn't all a Mexican standoff, if you'll pardon my use of the phrase.

Durbin said he discussed security challenges at the border and pointed out that only 17 percent of vehicles at ports of entry get scanned for narcotics — even though that’s how the vast majority of illicit drugs enter the United States.

“Well all of a sudden, the president says, ‘well, let’s put more money in there!’ And everyone says, ‘let’s put more money in there!’” Durbin recalled Thursday.

[...]

Trump also proclaimed that he is an expert on drones during the briefing, baffling lawmakers, Durbin said. At one point, Trump told Pelosi she should support a wall because she was a “good Catholic,” according to people familiar with the exchange.

Cuckoo.

The president also went off on seemingly unrelated topics, encouraging Schumer to read a letter sent to him by Kim Jong Un, as first reported by CNN, and then pulled it from his pocket, according to a person familiar with the meeting.

Cuckoo.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

UPDATE 2:30 pm: