Money Shots

(Money Shots)

One of the more eminent historians of the Normandy Landings is Stephen E. Ambrose in his classic D-Day. In his conclusions concerning the so-called Atlantic Wall on which the Allies stormed ashore on June 6th, 1944 on five beaches, west to east were Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. As Ambrose described the outcome, the Atlantic Wall held the U.S. 4th Division at Utah for half an hour. It held the British Second Army and Canadian Corps at Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches for about an hour. It held the US 1st and 29th Divisions on Omaha Beach for half a day. According to the author, the Atlantic Wall has to be considered one of the worst failures in military history,


The landings at Omaha were the linchpin of the whole operation. Flanks might have been secured but if German opposition proved in-surmountable in the middle, at Omaha, and that portion of the invasion failed, it was possible that the Invasion could have collapsed. The linchpin for the Trump agenda is his tax reform, specifically making the 2017 Law permanent. Failure in that regard will translate in time to un-precedented tax increase and the death knell of any GOP Majority, House or Senate.


It is quickly emerging that the best friend of a Minority Democrat is a Majority Republican. Musk might still be at DOGE making nominal reductions in government spending, but the link with House Republicans cannot be forged unless the tax cuts as well as other items the President agenda. That being said, Elon Musk seems the only game in town whereas Republicans seem stalled in the House and ambivalent and Democrats are apoplectic over any spending cuts, if the goal of the exercise is to effect real spending cuts the USAID will only be the beginning.


What, however, are the realistic limits of DOGE's potential ?  And what could the framework be if House Republicans do craft a package, of expected, a one trillion dollar cut and making the Trump tax cuts permanent. That will be the bare minimum and if the GOP Conference is not able to coalesce in some fashion, get the Bill written and sent over to the Senate for the Reconciliation Conference, and to President Trump's desk for Signature.


One thing needs to be made clear. None of this would be possible without Trump. If Republicans can hold fast, pass the Trump plan and keep Democrats at arms' length, like at Omaha, the "success" of the operation, could be assured.

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