The Republicans have announced their publicity stunt proposal for Coronavirus relief, to the deserved derision of people on this site. We are not, however, the people who need to be convinced, and the bothsider media are certain to ask for responses from Democratic lawmakers. I suggest the following answer, to be repeated each and every time the question is asked.
“The leadership in the House and Senate will treat this and all other proposals with the same respectful consideration that was given to Democratic proposals in the republican dominated senate that recently concluded.”
Nothing else. Make the media ask Republicans why they should expect more comity than they granted. Make Republicans defend their actions for the past four years. Make them fume, squirm, and beg, and let them know what it feels like. And then, after they’ve had a while to marinate in this, we should open negotiations, and do it magnanimously, from a position of power. We must let them know that the negotiations must not be used as they did in President Obama’s first term, as a mere delaying and weakening tactic. If they are still unserious, we can go right back to ignoring them, while pointing out very loudly that they did not negotiate in good faith. This is the way to win, and have the public with us.