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Former president George W. Bush is promoting his new book, a collection of his paintings of military men and women, the proceeds of which will go to help veterans groups. That alone highlights one dramatic contrast between Bush and President Trump the former has actually done good works for others. Bushs recent remarks on the Today show caught the attention of political watchers. Only in the era of Trump could Bush seem to be criticizing Trump when he says, I consider the media to be indispensable to democracy. We need an independent media to hold people like me to account.

In the wake of CPAC, the GOP can no longer claim to be the party of Ronald Reagan. But neither can it claim to reflect values embodied by Bush 43, and that is a horrible thing for the party and the country.

For starters, Bush actually understood and subscribed to the Founders view that power should be limited.Power can be very addictive and it can be corrosive and its important for the media to call to account people who abuse power, whether it be here or elsewhere, he said.

Moreover, in the wake of 9/11, his determination not to demonize Muslims generally stands in stark contrast to Trumps xenophobia and anti-Muslim rhetoric. I think its very important for all of us to recognize one of our great strengths is for people to be able to worship the way they want to or to not worship at all. A bedrock of our freedom is the right to worship freely, he told Matt Lauer. And if that wasnt clear enough, in response to a question on the Muslim travel ban, he said, I am for an immigration policy thats welcoming and upholds the law.

That of course reminds us that a conservative, law-and-order president was pro-immigration reform and pro-legal immigration specifically because he was/is a conservative (who believes in free markets, understands what makes the economy grow) and in favor of law and order (which necessitates we end the underground economy, make certain they pay taxes, etc.).

Speaking to People magazine, Bush was clear about his views on race and his fellow Americans more generally. I dont like the racism and I dont like the name-calling and I dont like the people feeling alienated, he said. The story continued: The couple list some of the centers work that stands in contrast to Trumps isolationism: immigration ceremonies, womens reproductive-health programs in Africa, and leadership training for Muslim women that the Bush Center brings to Texas from the Middle East. And of course in office Bush routinely defended human rights, religious freedom and the U.S. role in setting an example for the rest of the world. It would not have occurred to him to claim the United States. was being taken advantage of by our allies or shouldnt provide humanitarian and other forms of aid for other countries.

We shouldnt damn Bush 43 with faint praise by saying he is more humble, compassionate, empathetic, generous and civil than Trump, but it also bears remembering that in his defense of democratic norms, U.S. world leadership, nondiscrimination. legal immigration and anti-poverty initiatives his policy views were more rational and mindful of American values than are those of the current Oval Office resident. Moreover, the GOP under Bush, whatever its faults and shortcomings, was surely preferable to the Party of Trump.

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Republicans should miss George W. Bush - Washington Post (blog)

Back in Washington, however, members aren't expected to get much relief. Not only do they have a daunting to-do list, President Donald Trump's joint congressional address Tuesday is sure to color their efforts, if not disrupt their work entirely.

Senators return to their arduous task of confirming Trump's Cabinet, as Democrats remain committed to using everything in their procedural toolkit to slow progress.

Nonetheless, Republicans are expected to confirm Wilbur Ross as commerce secretary, as well as move forward on a trio of other nominations -- Ryan Zinke at the Interior Department, Ben Carson at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Rick Perry's at the Energy Department.

Republicans need 50 senators to support their repeal package (they can pass it with Vice President Mike Pence as a tie breaker), but that means they can only afford to lose two lawmakers.

Last week, Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski told her state legislature in an address that she wouldn't support a plan that repealed Medicaid expansion available through Obamacare nor would she support defunding Planned Parenthood as part of repeal. That could be problematic if the final version of Obamacare repeal looks anything like a leaked draft released last week.

Alabama Republican Rep. Mo Brooks conceded last week in a local radio interview that the town halls were so powerful they might stop repeal in its tracks.

The town hall pressure came in the form of organized chants of "do your job" or even "ACA," as well as more thoughtful, but challenging questions from individual voters.

One such constituent asked Tennessee Republican Rep. Diane Black a detailed policy question before citing her Christian faith as her reason for supporting Obamacare.

"The healthy people pull up the sick people right?" the woman said. "As a Christian, my whole philosophy in life is pull up the less fortunate. The individual mandate, that's what it does."

At a town hall in Kentucky, a woman confronted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell about the high numbers of people on food stamps in Kentucky, the lack of coal jobs and the lack of health insurance.

"If you can answer any of that, I'll sit down and shut up like Elizabeth Warren," the woman said, referencing McConnell's recent use of Senate procedure to stop the Massachusetts Democrat from speaking on the Senate floor.

Overshadowing everything, however, is still Trump.

After a rocky start, Trump is expected to focus his joint congressional address on policy goals, including health care and tax and regulatory reforms, as well as increased military spending. But even though Republicans finally have an ally in the White House to enact their party's agenda, Trump has proven he can be as much a hindrance as a help.

"In many respects, this administration is in disarray, and they've got a lot of work to do," Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain told an audience in Munich last week.

Trump's tone and the content of his Tuesday night speech will ultimately set Republicans' agenda for the near future, and could dictate whether they will be forced to answer new concerns from constituents or focus on their own long-standing wish list.

Trump's propensity to get distracted by personal grievances and his administration's sloppy roll out of its immigration executive order -- now stalled in the courts -- have put Hill Republicans on defense rather than offense.

And right before the recess, senators were briefed by FBI Director James Comey on the ongoing investigation into possible Trump's campaign ties to Russia.

Democrats, meanwhile, remain committed to playing defense on the Affordable Care Act and further investigating Trump's ties to Russia. In an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi argued that Trump's former campaign ally and now Attorney General Jeff Sessions needs to recuse himself from overseeing any investigation into Trump's campaign's ties to Russia.

Pelosi also argued that Republicans "don''t have the votes" to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act despite their rhetoric.

"They don't have a replacement. What they have put forth and outlined will cost more to consumers. It will cover fewer people. It will give tax breaks to the wealthiest people," Pelosi said on ABC.

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Republicans set to move on their agenda after a rough week off - CNN

California Republicans were in a festivemood at their weekend convention in Sacramento.

They toasted their airy new downtown headquarters withviews of the Capitol and decorated with pictures of Ronald Reagan and other memorabilia from the partys storied history in the state. They reelected leadership that had turned a practically bankrupt party into one that raised $19 million last year. And they celebrated having helped elect a Republican president for the first time in more than a decade.

Isnt it nice to win? Rep. Devin Nunes of Tulare asked hundreds of delegates and guests during a dinner speech Saturday night.

But for all the cheer, the state GOP still faces a hard reality.It hasnot elected a statewide politician in more than a decade, itsnumbers are dwindling, Democrats have a supermajority in both houses of the Legislature and, after three consecutive election cycles where Republicans ceded the top posts in government to Democrats, it hasno major prospects to run for governor or Senate next year.

Here in California, the state GOP has hit rock-bottom, said Jon Fleischman, aconservative blogger andthe state partys former executive director. But as delegates huddled across from the state Capitol, where we have no influence,the atmosphere was almost festive because of President Trump and how much he has riled up the left.

One of the most celebratory events was a reunion of Trump supporters on Saturday afternoon. Trump lost badlyto Democrat Hillary Clinton in California, but he had an active base of tens of thousands of volunteers here who called voters in battleground states. Republicans were hopeful these people, many of whom were new to politics, would turn their energy to California elections.

Our job is to build a structure that wins elections and wins elections right here, said Tim Clark, Trumps California campaign manager who is now serving as a liaison between the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services. Weve done our job nationally. Now we have to focus on our state in 2018.

Throughout the weekend, Republicans focused on an argumentsimilar to one thatpropelled Trump to victory in unlikely states such as Wisconsin and Michigan: While Democrats have insistedthey have made life better for their constituents, ordinary Americans are still struggling.

On Sunday,Assembly GOP leader Chad Mayes highlighted a series of videos with the tagline California deserves better. Featuring a female narrator skewering Democrats for talking about their achievements,the videos focus on the ongoingproblems of poverty, crumbling infrastructure and high housing costs.

Attendees also heard from Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista and conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, who were critical of Trump at times during the presidential campaign but praised some of his acts since taking office.

But notably absent from the conventionwasany major Republicancandidate laying the groundwork for a gubernatorial or Senate run in 2018.

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, whom many GOP activists would like to see mount a run, slipped into the convention quietly and briefly on Friday. Pressed by reporters, he denied once again that heplans to runfor governor.

California Minutemen founder and former Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, who mounted an unsuccessful gubernatorial bid in 2014, said he was considering running again. He blasted the party leadership for not stopping the Democrats from achieving a supermajority in both houses of the Legislature.

Updates from Sacramento

The California GOP, everybody who is in leadership should be fired. They should resign in shame because in the year of Trump they lost, he said. They lost their only purpose for existing, which was to resist the supermajority, or prevent the supermajority of Democrats in the state, and they lost seats. Its unbelievable that that could possibly happen in such a sweep of the country.

The Republican Party establishment helped knock Donnelly out in the primary in 2014because of his controversial statements and views, but then did nothingto help the partys eventual nominee, Neel Kashkari, who faced impossible odds against incumbent Gov. Jerry Brown.

In 2016, with low name recognition and sparse party support, Republican candidates were shut out of the U.S. Senate race, and two Democrats facedoff for the first open Senate seat in more than two decades.

It was the first time since the enactment of the states top two primary in which the top two vote-getters move on to the general election regardless of partythat a Republican failed to make the cut.Thatcould happen again in 2018, though elected officials were hopeful that the party had learned its lesson last year.

The Republican Party last election, for whatever reason, didnt want to engage, said Assemblyman Rocky Chavez (R-Oceanside), who briefly ran in 2016 for the seat vacated bySen. Barbara Boxerupon herretirement. But I think we have learned from the non-engagement. We will not do that again.We will have somebody.

Party Chairman Jim Brulte, reelected by anear-unanimous voice vote Sunday morning, said that since he took over the party in 2013, he has worked to strengthen itsgrassroots organization and tostock local city councils and school boards with quality GOP candidates, part of a strategy for a statewide GOP rebound.

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California's Republican Party is buoyed by Trump, but struggles for relevance at home - Los Angeles Times

Ledyard King, USA TODAY Published 4:11 p.m. ET Feb. 26, 2017 | Updated 18 hours ago

Donald Trump speaks Sept. 9, 2016, during a rally in Pensacola.(Photo: AP FILE PHOTO)

WASHINGTON The anger spilling out of town halls across Florida and other protests against GOP members of Congress might give Democrats hope that they can marshal that unrest into success at the ballot box in 2018.

Until you consider this:

Testy crowd greets U.S. Rep. Brian Mast in Fort Pierce | Videos, photos

Linda Fogg, a life-long Republican from Sumter County who opposes Trump, helped mobilize dissenters packing Websters town halls last week. Because Websters district is so red, Fogg said it will require GOP voters like her to pressure him and other GOP lawmakers to stand up to Trump or face their own demise.

The only ones who are going to be able to turn this around are the Republicans, she said. We have to do this. Its not going to happen on the other side.

Dont be surprised if GOP Sen. Marco Rubio isnt the most enthusiastic advocate for Rick Scott if the Republican governor tries to unseat Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson next year.

For starters, Scott opted not to endorse home state candidate Rubio (or former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush for that matter) in last years presidential primary, choosing instead to get behind Donald Trump.

Then, when Rubio announced in June hed run for re-election to the Senate, Scott declined to endorse Rubio in his primary race against businessman Carlos Beruff, whom the governor described as a good friend.

Gov. Rick Scott discusses his future, aspects of Donald Trump's presidency

And theres also this: Rubio and Nelson have gone to bat for each other despite their political differences.

When Scott came to Washington last summer to push for Zika funding, he accused Nelson of abandoning his constituents by voting against a controversial Zika bill. Rubio on the Senate floor defended Nelson as an important ally in the push for Zika funding.

A few days earlier, Nelson undercut Democratic attacks characterizing Rubio as an impediment to Zika funding. When Rubios Senate challenger Patrick Murphy hammered the GOP incumbent for not doing more to pass President Obamas $1.9 billion Zika bill, Nelson reminded opponents Rubio was the first Republican to back the plan.

Nelson often has kind words for Rubio, saying their partnership is key to achieving the states priorities.

He has always been a gentleman with me, Nelson said recently. My relationship is very good. And that is important for Florida that the two senators get along. And therefore I will not make any negative comments about him if I had em.

Al Cardenas, a former chairman of the Florida GOP, said he expects Rubio will weigh several factors in deciding when and whether to endorse Scott if he runs for the Senate: his relationship with Nelson; the state of the race; the importance of a Florida victory to keep the Senate in GOP hands; and the level of pressure his Senate colleagues are applying on him to endorse Scott.

Ultimately, Scott may not be that interested in Rubios blessing considering how he became governor on an anti-establishment platform.

I dont think he loses sleep over who supports him and who doesnt, especially now that Donald Trump won without any (establishment) support, Cardenas said of the governor. Gov. Scott won without the endorsement of the party brethren. If theres one thing that both (he and Trump) proved, its that they can go directly to the voters and plead their case.

Florida Republicans remain smitten with Donald Trump.

A new survey by the Associated Industries of Florida of GOP voters finds that 81 percent approve of his performance as president including 56 percent who strongly give him a thumbs up.

The poll by the conservative business group that often tracks political sentiment in the Sunshine State surveyed 800 voters who had voted in at least one of the last three non-presidential Republican primaries.

Thats in line with national polls that show Trump faring exceedingly well among his conservative followers, even as the vast majority of Democrats and a large number of independents rate him poorly. Only 14 percent of Florida Republicans gave him a poor rating.

Even with an endless, round-the-clock bombardment of negative coverage in the main stream media, the base remains unfazed in their approval of the president, according to the analysis from the GOP-leaning trade group. These numbers shouldnt come as a surprise because A) these are primary voting Republicans and B) the president is only doing what he told the voters he would do.

Thats good news for Scott if he decides to take on Nelson next year. Scott would already be the favorite to win the GOP nomination in the Senate race and his close ties to Trump would probably make him a lock for to win the primary.

Scott himself does very well in the AIF survey with 81 percent also approving his job performance though the 41 percent giving him strong approval means he doesnt quite enjoy the same level of enthusiasm from the base that Trump has.

Rubio doesnt do too badly either, with 69 percent approving of his performance, though only 25 percent strongly applauded him.

Other high-profile Florida Republicans are still trying to connect with conservatives.

Bondi, once seen as a sure bet to leave the Sunshine State and work for Trump, doesnt even get asked about a slot in the White House anymore.

No Rick Scott, but Trump mulling other Floridians for administration

Asked repeatedly by reporters a couple of weeks ago about a move to Washington, Floridas attorney general repeatedly insisted she was not taking a job under the administration of President Trump.

So when Bondi held an event honoring Floridas police officer of the year in Tallahassee Wednesday, reporters didnt even bother to ask her about a job with Trump.

Thats not to say it absolutely wont happen.

It was only last month that speculation burned about an impending gig in the West Wing, perhaps as a special counsel in charge of issues shes passionate about, such as efforts to stop prescription drug abuse. Around the same time, then-Trump transition team spokesman Sean Spicer described her as someone who has a very valued opinion in the president-elect's world right now.

And Trump, who has been facing Democratic opposition in filling out his cabinet, still has plenty of jobs to fill.

Contributing: Arek Sarkissian, The Naples Daily News

Contact Ledyard King at lking@gannett.com; Twitter: @ledgeking

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Safe districts may protect Republicans from voter anger - TCPalm

Trumps own advisers have been deeply divided over the proposal. | Getty Images

Republicans need President Donald Trump to get tax reform back on track.

Lawmakers widely agree on the need for a major tax-code cleanup, but they are tied in knots over how. The main proposal, by House Speaker Paul Ryan, has taken a beating from many of the partys erstwhile allies in the business community, not to mention a growing number of Republicans.

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But its unclear what the critics could support in its place, with lawmakers offering a host of competing proposals.

Thats creating a big void that Trump, now working on a new tax-reform plan of his own, can fill by resuscitating Ryans so-called border adjustment plan or perhaps with an entirely new vision for the tax code.

Im waiting to see whats coming out of the White House because, at the end of the day, the most powerful voice is going to be the presidents, said Rep. Mike Kelly, a Republican member of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee.

Republicans have yearned for presidential leadership after trying for years, unsuccessfully, to launch reform from Capitol Hill when President Obama was more interested in other issues.

If youre going to get tax reform done, the president has to lead, said Rep. Jim Renacci, another Republican tax writer.

Trump is set to address Congress on Tuesday, where hes expected to lay out his legislative agenda, and the administration says its tax plan will be ready within weeks.

The most immediate, and difficult, question facing Trump is whether to throw his weight behind Ryans border adjustment plan, which would essentially tax imports but not exports. It would be hugely embarrassing if his proposal were discarded at virtually the outset of lawmakers tax-reform debate.

But it faces considerable obstacles in the Senate, where the No. 2 Republican John Cornyn, Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch and other influential Republicans have major concerns with the proposal. Sen. Lindsey Graham has said the plan wouldnt get 10 votes from his colleagues.

Trumps own advisers have been deeply divided over the proposal.

The president raised eyebrows when he told Reuters the border adjustment plan could create a lot more jobs, while stopping short of outright endorsing the plan. His press secretary Sean Spicer subsequently told reporters the proposal benefits our economy, it helps the American workers, it grows more jobs, it grows the manufacturing base.

Ryan, who has been quietly lobbying the administration on the proposal, quickly trumpeted Trumps remarks in a blast to reporters.

Advocates like Ryan warn the entire tax-reform effort will implode without the border adjustment plan, because lawmakers have no other obvious way to raise the $1 trillion it would generate to finance tax cuts, and certainly no alternative that wont create its own enemies. They also want the president's bully pulpit including perhaps his Twitter account to overcome organized opposition to the plan from retailers, apparel companies and other big importers.

Business leaders are likewise pulling Trump in both directions, with the heads of Dow Chemical, Caterpillar, Boeing and other border-adjustment supporters meeting with him this week. Their conversation with him followed Trumps meeting last week with the heads of the Gap, Best Buy, Walgreens and other retailers pushing him to kill the proposal.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the administration is working behind the scenes with Republicans in both chambers to develop a consensus plan.

Were working very closely with Paul Ryan and were working very closely with Senate leadership and were going to have a combined plan, he told Fox Business News. When we go to pass this, were going to have a plan that we all agree with.

Asked about the border adjustment proposal, Mnuchin said: These are complicated issues, pointing to the plans uncertain effects on the U.S. dollar.

We are taking this all into account, and I can assure you when we come out with the plan, we will have very carefully thought through all of these issues.

Speaking Friday at a conference for conservative activists, Trump said: We are going to massively lower taxes on the middle class, reduce taxes on American business and make our tax code more simple and much more fair for everyone.

But Trump has hardly been a consistent leader on taxes.

During his presidential campaign, he repeatedly rewrote his own tax-reform proposal, sometimes taking multiple positions on various tax issues leaving Republicans in Congress to wonder what hed be willing to really fight for.

Whats more, Trump is still working with a skeleton crew on the issue. Neither Mnuchin nor economic adviser Gary Cohn are considered tax experts, and many key tax positions at Treasury including assistant secretary for tax policy and deputy assistant secretary for international tax affairs remain unfilled.

Thats raised questions among tax watchers about how detailed his plan will be or how much it will differ from his previous proposals.

There are other challenges.

Though the border-adjustment issue has dominated the tax reform debate in Washington, its only the beginning of the controversy. The House plan is chockablock with contentious ideas, including dumping a century-old tax break for corporate borrowing and plans to expand the standard deduction which the housing and charitable sectors fear will hurt their bottom lines by making the mortgage interest and charitable deductions less attractive.

Republicans are unlikely to get much support from Democrats, thanks to the GOPs plans to slash taxes on the rich, which means they will have little room for error, particularly in the Senate.

And their bid to repeal Obamacare has gotten bogged down, eating up precious time and political capital, while other must-do items like raising the debt limit and reauthorizing a childrens health program loom. Meanwhile, other administration controversies threaten to push tax-reform aside even more.

Many assume Republicans fallback plan is to simply cut taxes, a far easier task politically than tax reform. Any overhaul will necessarily create winners and losers, while there are only winners when it comes to tax cuts. Both George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan muscled big tax cuts through Congress in their first year in office.

In an op-ed today, a former campaign adviser urged Trump to focus on simply cutting taxes.

Whats needed is a net tax cut for business, wrote Stephen Moore. Lawmakers shouldnt get bogged down on the issue of how to pay for it.

The difference this time is the debt is far higher, with the CBO predicting the government will be running trillion-dollar deficits for the foreseeable future beginning in six years.

That will not only raise the hackles of deficit hawks. If Republicans cut taxes without doing much to clean up the code, that will leave less revenue available for any future overhaul which could force them to choose between their love of tax cuts and their desire for tax reform.

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Divided Republicans look to Trump to lead on tax reform - Politico