and Stephen Miller. It's a twofer.

Mitch could end the shakedown-shutdown in a single day. The media is giving him a pass.

Moscow Mitch is too slimey -- he retreats into his shell when the M$M comes around.

If the shutdown begins to hurt their chances for re-election, then they will change.

With peaceful (but loud) protesters following him everyone in public loudly chanting (whether at dinner, the airport, going to get the mail, etc.). 24x7 until he capitulates.

or encourage him to act.

Trump doesn't have the brains, authority, or ability to keep the shutdown going, and if it weren't for good ol' boy Mitch, it would be over already no matter what Pindick the Bugfucker wanted.

One might note that Speaker and President are specifically mentioned in the Constitution, but Senate Majority Leader is something made up by Senate rules and the turtle does not get his authority from law, but from acquiescence to those rules.

Certainly. Unless he feels some real pain, he'll have no incentive to do the right thing.

But WILL put a bill on the floor that the House (and possible Senate) won't approve.

yes yes yes

But I agree that the next step should be to redefine the argument to make McConnell the focus of the obstructionism.

By focusing on McConnell's refusa lthe story becomes centered on the process, rather than the personality.

When Americans are given the opportunity to see who should be held accountable for this failure they will bring the pressure to bear.

Let's say that McConnell allows a vote in the Senate on some or all of bills the House has passed this year to reopen the government. The bills would then go to Trump who could either sign them, do nothing, or veto them. If Trump signs them the shutdown is over. If he does nothing they become law in ten days and the shutdown ends. If he vetoes them the House and Senate can override the veto but it take a 2/3 majority in both chambers. That's 67 votes in the Senate and 292 in the House.

Now much has been made about the Senate passing the CR in December by unanimous decision or nearly unanimous decision. Well that was by a voice vote so I would not expect it would be so easy to override Trump's veto. My guess is that an override would fail in both chambers.

So the bottom line is that it's really in Trump's court. Until he drops his stupid demand for a wall the government is going to remain shutdown. Yes, McConnell could bring the House bills to the floor where they would probably pass. That would but enormous pressure on Trump to either sign them or let them become law. But predicting what Trump would do is about impossible.