We begin today’s roundup with Paul Waldman at The Week and his analysis of the president’s apparently light work schedule, filled with “executive time”:
"This is more work than in my previous life. I thought it would be easier," he told an interviewer in April.
Well thank goodness he's found a way to lighten the load. And I mean that: Trump's "Executive Time" is a gift for all of us.
It's clear that Trump is much more interested in watching TV and tweeting than in slogging his way through intelligence briefings or economic reports. You only have to watch him speak for a few minutes to see that he can't stay focused on any one topic for more than a moment, which is just one of the reasons he's so attracted to cable news. And he often sounds like he'd be more comfortable sitting on the couch at Fox & Friends than at his desk in the Oval Office.
At USA Today, Jill Lawrence says there’s no reason Democrats shouldn’t “play hardball” in 2018:
There’s no need for Democrats to overthink 2018. It’s very simple: At every decision point, they should ask themselves WWRD — What Would Republicans Do? — and then do it.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is sounding like a born-again believer in compromise, but only out of necessity. His challenges include a tiny 51-49 majority and ominous signs for the upcoming midterm elections. No wonder he said in welcoming two new Democratic senators last week, “I look forward to working with them in the months ahead to make bipartisan progress and to find common ground on behalf of the American people.”
Where was that man during the Obama administration?