Failure? Trump is beating Democrats left and right – San Francisco Chronicle
Democrats are handing President Trump a big fat F for his six months in office, but in this case the F may stand for frustration.
No matter what you think of Trumps policies or personality, he has beaten Democrats on every angle.
The stock market is up. Unemployment is down.
And Trump has gotten nearly every nominee he wanted, including Neil Gorsuch on the Supreme Court, which was absolutely critical to fulfilling the Republican agenda.
Even his inability to repeal Obamacare has turned into a backhanded win for Trump, if for no other reason than that its freed him from having to come up with a workable alternative, which he clearly does not have.
Like it or not, hes doing what his supporters wanted him to do: make a lot of noise, hit the brakes on the Democratic agenda and keep them entertained.
And you have to admit, for all its embarrassments, Trumps made-for-TV White House is certainly entertaining.
What a cast of characters: the sinister and elusive Steve Bannon, the ditzy Kellyanne Conway, the just-bounced Sean Spicer and now Baby Don Trump Jr.
Add in the stone-faced special prosecutor (Robert Mueller), the hapless attorney general (Jeff Sessions) and a couple of Russian spy types, and you have an Austin Powers movie.
But perhaps Trumps biggest accomplishment is that, after six months, hes still in office. And that may be the Democrats biggest frustration of all.
The Affordable Care Act is safe for the moment, in part because of all the heat coming from voters in Trump country.
Jerry Moran, the Republican senator from Kansas, held a town hall instead of parading on the Fourth of July. He got such an earful that when he returned to Washington, he told the Republican leadership that he wouldnt take a bullet for the team.
Now, just maybe, repeal and replace will turn into repair and with it, re-election.
Gov. Jerry Browns cap-and-trade victory was as narrow as they come, but he did manage to get votes from both sides of the aisle.
Even Republicans such as former Govs. Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Secretary of State George Shultz called for extending the program, giving plenty of cover for Republican legislators to objectively appraise the program. Thats really the way a democracy should work.
San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim celebrated her 40th birthday at interior designer Ken Fulks Magic Factory over on Seventh Street. Man, that place is fabulous. The first two floors are his offices, and the third floor is a venue that he rents out for parties.
The guests at Kims bash included young, up-and-coming politicos from all around the country who came down for the evening from the Napa Valley, where they were attending a think tank conference.
Boy, was she working the room. And with good reason: Every one of them was a potential endorser and fundraiser host back home.
Kim hasnt decided what shell do next on the political merry-go-round, but she definitely has her eye on a brass ring.
If youre looking for some down-home fun, stop by Hazels Southern Bar and Kitchen on Market Street, in the heart of the Twitter Zone. It was started by a young guy, Jamie Boatner, who drew on his moms recipes.
The buffalo wings were my pick, and they did not disappoint. But what caught my attention were the two billiard tables in the middle of the dining area, for shooting pool between bites.
Movie time: War for the Planet of the Apes: Believe it or not, this is a must-see. Its timely and relevant. But be warned, there is nothing comical about this movie.
A free safety pin awaits you at the Marsh Cafe on Valencia Street, where my friend Will Durst is presiding Tuesday nights. He is pointed in his hilarious observations about todays political scene and the Trump administration, closing with a new symbol of the resistance movement: a safety pin on your lapel.
Get yours in the Mish. Its free.
Speaking of free, Marcia Lamb of the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival tells me that if you stop by the South of Market park Saturday at 1 p.m., you can hear Paula West for free.
The Internet, however, confirms my prediction of last week that the price to catch her will be going up. In fact, for her next commercial appearance, in April at SFJazz, the price is double what it was Sunday night at the Hotel Nikko.
Im told the next show is almost sold out.
Warning: It looks like the Municipal Transportation Agency will start tearing up Geary Boulevard to make room for new bus lanes, just as its doing along Van Ness Avenue.
The irony here is that some of us can still remember when the center of Geary had streetcar tracks all the way to what was then Playland-at-the-Beach and the roller-skating rink.
You suppose theres any chance the MTA and Rec and Park could team up to bring all that back?
O.J. Simpsons reappearance in the news reminds me of my brother James take on the trial of the century:
The district attorney tried to frame the guilty guy and failed.
Want to sound off? Email: wbrown@sfchronicle.com
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Failure? Trump is beating Democrats left and right - San Francisco Chronicle
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