We all knew already that these were their respective positions but watching the two clips below side by side brings the absurdity of the three-week “negotiation” into focus. What is Congress even negotiating? Neither Trump nor Pelosi bothers mentioning the DREAM Act either, the one thing that might increase chances of a compromise from flat zero to a fraction of one percent. There are more than two weeks left in this sham process and the stalemate is already firm, with both sides going on record in front of cameras about their red lines to ensure that they can’t change their minds.

Why did Trump and Lindsey Graham even want a three-week negotiating period? If this is destined to end in a declaration of national emergency, and it is, POTUS might as well have bitten the bullet last week. Re-open the government, declare the emergency, and let’s move on. As it is, both he and Pelosi are now stuck seeing this nonsense all the way through to the February 15th deadline so as not to be accused by the other of “refusing to compromise” or whatever by withdrawing from the process early.

There’s no hope. Right?

Pelosi said she’d back Normandy fencing used to finish approximately 700 miles authorized by the 2006 Secure Fence Act. A 2017 government report determined about 50 miles of that authorized fencing are incomplete, although Republicans have put forward higher estimates. Pelosi said only 30 miles are incomplete.

Normandy fencing includes movable barriers that allow vehicles to pass through and the barriers are low enough to climb over. Pelosi said that’s as far as she’ll go on a barrier.

“If the president wants to call that a wall, he can call it a wall,” Pelosi said. “Are there places where enhanced fencing, Normandy fencing, will work? Let them have that discussion.”

Follow the link for a photo. You don’t even need to “climb” over Normandy fencing. You can basically step over it. Good enough for Trump to call it a win?

Ah well. Even if they can’t make a deal, at least he has an excuse to tweet stuff like this for the next two weeks:

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1090967053689937921

I never thought I’d say this but the State of the Union on Tuesday night will be must-see television. Exit question: What does he mean by “becoming”? With the exception of crime, they’re already there.