If Trump Would Stand Up to the Right Wing He Could Notch Some Political Success

With rare exceptions, Donald Trump has refused to reach out to opposition lawmakers and voters to build a governing coalition that would bolster his prospects for passing his prime proposals.He has paid a political price, exacerbating the existing partisan atmosphere, diminishing his own standing and forcing his congressional Republican allies to rely totally on their own, sometimes divided troops in a way that has proved challenging.Though partisan tension continues to be high, as evidenced by last week's flap over Trump's words to the wife of a dead American hero, the president now has several chances to enlist support beyond his political base.One is to support firmly and consistently the bipartisan plan to stabilize the health care system, a proposal he has both encouraged and questioned. A second would be to resist efforts to undermine legislation to give permanent status to the "Dreamers," the young illegal residents whose families brought them to the United States as small children.  Continue reading...