Subject: Re: Trump: I Would Encourage Russia...
It looks like the weak Senate leadership will allow cloture on the so-called clean funding bill (Ukraine, Israel, Red Sea, but NO border security). When that gets over to the House, I hope they staple HR2 to it and send it right back. If there ever was a time to treat the southern border with at least equal urgency as foreign interests, that time is now. Dig in your heels, house republicans, and deliver the deal you promised, Ukraine funding in exchange for border security. Real security, not the watered-down, self-cancelling version that couldn't even make it out of the Senate.

Tying the two together is a Senate idea, not the House. Spending Bills start in the House by the Constitution, but now - both places. If you tack on HR2, there's no chance of passing. So I take it you like to go nowhere? That's where your border bill will be. Your choice. The time to treat it with equal urgency has passed - so the border goes nowhere - that choice was thrust upon you so Trump could use it for his campaign.

Russia worship has been an often used liberal construct but never has been reflective of conservative reality. To keep using it is becoming just plain lame.

WAPO: In the same poll, YouGov asked respondents whether they thought that Putin and Biden were strong leaders. Overall, Americans were twice as likely to say that Putin was a very or somewhat strong leader as they were to say the same of Biden. Among Democrats, both Putin and Biden were seen equivalently. Republicans were 10 times as likely to describe Putin as strong as they were Biden.

But favorability was lower.