I can't prove Speaker Paul Ryan's intent, but as a intellectually honest, keen observer, the goal of the Swamp (AKA the Establishment, Dems and Repubs) is clear: destroy the Trump presidency and grow government.

Ryan will file a brief with Supreme Court to try to block Obama’s immigration policies. Why? Because Trump is now threatening to cancel DACA, which he correctly condemned as unconstitutional (which it is) when he was a candidate. So, for FIVE YEARS this dictatorial power grab has been in place and the Republicans are only now challenging it? All that this cynical ploy lacks is a long string of show-votes sent to Obama for certain veto like the Republicans did with Obamacare.

This is NOT a "Do Nothing" Congress, it is an "Undermine the President and Maintain An Immense, Overbearing Government That We Control" Congress.

Reality: The Democrats are out-of-the-closet Socialists and Communists, so far from Truman and JFK that those men would be considered "conservatives," by the modern party (think Jim Webb. That is clear.

What about the GOP?

You loyal Republicans need to smell coffee. It's frightening, but you need to do it. You've been assuming that the Republican politicians who say they believe what you do will actually work for what they promise you. How's that working out for you? They cast occasional good votes, yes, but the aggregate is a lie and you know it. Obamacare? The border wall? Tax cuts? Stopping national money funding Planned Parenthood and Public Radio/TV? Stopping Common Core and the insidious (and growing) control on education by the NEA and other neo-Marxist organizations?
   "We're only one half of one third of the government. Give us the Senate and..."
   "We're only one branch of government. Give us the White House and..."
   "The Democrats can filibuster everything we want to do in the Senate. Give us 60 votes and..."
Lies and misdirection. Those who control the GOP are corrupt liars. They are there to cement their control (as the majority or not) and feather their nests.

What can you do?

1. Vote against liars, even if they are the "lessor of two evils." Both the bullet and the "lessor" poison will kill the Republic just the same. Show the GOP the lies won't fly.
2. Stop donating to your political and party and send your money only to the candidates you actually want in office.
3. Browbeat your NC General Assembly representatives to push and vote for the Convention of States.
4. Write short, polite, to-the-point notes to the President and your U.S. Senators and Representative in D.C.
5. If you're a Moore County Republican, ask your county and state party officials what the goal is. "Are we simply here to elect and re-elect R's?" If they give you some variant of the "lessor of two evils" mantra, call them out. Ask them why they aren't finding and running people who will actually push your party's platform.

In his speech in Riyadh today, President Trump didn't shy away from using terms like "Islamic terrorism," or from including Hamas in a list of "terrorist groups." He forcefully called on the leaders of the many Muslim nations assembled (including Asian nations) to "DRIVE OUT!" terrorists from their countries.

Rather than express anger at his direct approach, the assembled leaders and dictators then gave speech after speech (still ongoing as of this writing), in full support of all he said. In the opening greeting of their speeches, any addressed the U.S. President before  the Saudi king. He is clearly the figure at this summit.

Also of note was the focus on Iran. The Saudi King opened the session. Although it was a like listening to Obama (lots of BS), he did include a harsh condemnation of the Iranian government in his comment. President Trump did the same.

So the American swerve into Obama kowtowing subservience is definitely over. Now let's see what develops.

After reading Daniel Horowitz's piece The merits of Trump’s Syria strike aside, we need to bring back Congress’ power over declaring war, do you have thoughts on the idea?

What are you thoughts? From the story:

TELL TILLIS THAT CONSERVATIVES DO HAVE A MANDATE FOR CHANGE ON THE IMMIGRATION ISSUE

Thom Tillis emailed to me that the voters didn't give Republicans a mandate for change.  I very strongly disagree!

Email Tillis on his House website (92% effective) or call 202-224-6342 (84% effective, but higher if you are personal and passionate).

One of Trump's strongest selling points was "Build the Border Wall."  Now this wimp Tillis is spouting to the Charlotte Observer and the Wall Street Journal and the Senate and his constituents that the election was a mandate to cast aside their petty partisan differences in order to deliver solutions that benefit the nation!

The benefit to the nation is border enforcement and visa enforcement — keeping out drug traffickers, terrorists,and yes, people who have it economically tough in their country and think they deserve, they have the right, to come to the USA.  A country that cannot protect its borders does not deserve to be called a country.

Tillis' emphasis is on securing 60 votes to get an immigration bill passed.  However, there are Democrats who are up for re-election in 2018 whose districts favored Trump.  Rather than fighting for what is best for America, and convincing Democrats to join him, Tillis is groveling in the sand.

Tillis says everyone wants their position on one end of the spectrum or the other.  I think Border Security is smack dab in the middle, an absolute no-brainer.  All Americans DESERVE border security.

Tillis said that "All [Americans] said was to produce results."  I strongly disagree.  I believe that it is better to NOT create a law than to create a BAD law.

The first steps under Tillis' proposal would tighten border security and deport any illegal immigrants engaged in criminal activities while also providing some temporary legal status for people brought to the country illegally at a young age by their parents.  WAIT!  Isn't the second part of that Obama's illegal DACA program (Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals)?   Isn't the United States already supposed to be enforcing its borders?  Isn't the United States already supposed to be deporting illegal aliens, especially those engaged in criminal activities.  This is not bipartisanship.  This is caving to Obama's illegal executive action.

EMAIL or CALL Sen. Thom Tillis and tell him the Republicans do have a mandate to protect our borders and enforce our visa and immigration laws.

For additional information:
Tillis' remarks on the Senate floor
​Wall Street Journal article Tillis Lays Groundwork for Broad Immigration Overhaul
Charlotte Observer article – Senator Tillis: Voters didn't give Republicans a mandate

Effectiveness ratings are from the Congress Foundation

Peggy

Tillis is not a friend of Americans seeking jobs.  Tillis is not a friend of the U.S.A. trying to pay down its trillion dollar national debt

Please read the below Charlotte Observer article.

"You will never satisfy the far extremes on the left and the right," Tillis, R-N.C., told Fox News. His aim, he said, is "to get something to the president's design that he will sign."

Tillis acts as if enforcing the immigration laws, building barriers to illegal immigration, and a system to track visa overstays would be far right actions.

Tillis acts as if President Trump would not sign a bill that doesn't include relief for illegal aliens.  Hello, we no longer have Obama as President.

According to the CH, he told The Wall Street Journal that "his plan would aim to tighten border security and toughen enforcement of immigration laws - goals often cited by Republicans - while providing some kind of protective legal status for the roughly 111 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally, a Democratic priority."

Clearly, Reagan tried to do that.  The relief for illegals was actually put into action.

Now it is time to put border security into action.

​Peggy

​What an immigrant looks like is irrelevant to their benefit/threat to the US. The significant factors are:
1. What they can contribute to the betterment of the US ("diversity" isn't a contribution).
2. What they believe (their philosophies, morals, ethics)
3. Their motivation for coming here
4. The rate of immigration

If they are coming to do harm, to leech or are diseased, they are a direct threat and must be kept out. If they don't speak English, have non-Judeo-Christian philosophies, come from cultures with radically different customs, are illiterate, are physically or mentally incapacitated, etc., they present a longer-term threat IF they come at such a rate that they cannot be assimilated. Ice chips dropped into a pan of boiling pasta can be assimilated without notice, but if introduced at too high a rate they will cool the water and ruin the pasta.

Immigration to the US is not a right. America's will must set the rules—not the UN or anyone else—or the great, constitutional republic will become just another mire.