One night some years back, my wife and I were at a Thai restaurant on Ventura Blvd. We had just finished a long drive back to town and simply wanted a quick bite before getting home. We didn’t know we had a front row seat for a dinner theater. Or at least that’s what I became convinced we were witnessing. No way was it real.

A couple was seated at a table a few feet away. For a full 25 minutes, the woman berated the man. She didn’t raise her voice. She didn’t express any anger. She didn’t pause while eating. Most amazingly, she did not take a breath. Instead, she offered a 25 minute monologue of everything big and small wrong with the guy, his family, the restaurant — delivered at a pace that would have left an auctioneer tongue-tied. An auctioneer for Marquis de Sade. 

Her monologue was so obnoxious, so nonstop, so imaginatively touching on so many areas of failure and soooo brilliant, I was truly convinced we were witnessing a masterful piece of performance art. A virtuoso. Rain Man meets Joan Rivers. Were it on YouTube it’d be viral. Meryl Streep would lay down her acting crown at this woman’s feet. I didn’t know whether to scream to the man, “Run for your life!” or yell “Encore! Encore!”

As I remember, the man paid the check, and wordlessly headed towards the door, with the woman trailing behind. On her face a quizzical look, “What’s his problem?” 

I was reminded of that woman listening to Nancy Pelosi Wednesday and again Thursday blasting away at President Trump. He’s engaged in a criminal cover-up. He’s killing children at the border. He’s so off his rocker his family needs to do an intervention. 

Yeah, Trump walked out of yesterday’s meeting. And on Nancy’s face is written:

“What, he doesn’t want to negotiate an infrastructure deal right now? What’s his problem?”

The Problem

The problem is enough is enough.

The problem is the Democrats are not serious about governance. Pelosi’s caucus is not willing to negotiate. Heck, to many, even meeting with Trump is a betrayal. (Remember how the House Black Caucus would not even accept an invitation to come over to the White House for a welcome visit?) Giving Trump a “victory” on anything is the equivalent of signing over territory to Hitler. 

It’s Impeach Trump or Bust. What Hillary’s Machine, Obama’s Black Ops, the Media’s 24/7 negative barrage and Mueller’s Report couldn’t do, the House Democrats must try to do. Must. Must. Must. And Pelosi has to play along. And the President is done playing. 

Pelosi’s stuck. Fact of the matter is, Nancy Pelosi is an old dealmaker. Trump’s an old dealmaker. If the Never Trumpers in her caucus and base weren’t so determined to destroy Trump to the detriment of the country, Pelosi and Trump could spend a weekend at Mar-a-Lago, have immigration and infrastructure wrapped up and still have enough time for Nancy to spend two days soaking at the spa. 

In fact, get Nancy relaxed enough and she’d confess Trump is more pleasant to negotiate with and deal with than Obama was. 

But Pelosi knows that despite her promises last year on the campaign trail, those controlling her party now want Impeachment and only Impeachment. (Or worse. Remember “Where’s John Wilkes Booth when you need him?”) All Pelosi can do is try to spin it as Trump’s doing. He’s goading the house into impeachment, she says. “Crying out.” It’ll be Trump’s fault if there’s an impeachment effort. Blame the victim. 

Tell me, Nancy, what is it that Trump could hand over (AGAIN) that would stop the calls for impeachment? What could he do? Mueller already proved (AGAIN) there was no Russia collusion. And even Mueller’s Trump-hating, rules breaking, witness intimidating prosecutors couldn’t make an obstruction case. 

They want the fight. So Pelosi steps out with her “cover-up” line. So Trump takes off his jacket, says “Hold my Trump Water.” Or as they say here in Texas, “Come and Take It.” 

And the Left can’t handle it. They know they lose. They can’t beat him straight up in 2020. And an impeachment effort not only fails, but guarantees the GOP takes over the House. But they say they simply cannot help themselves. The alternative, working together, is just impossible. 

Consider the Two Arguments This Morning

The Left is so befuddled, it’s presenting two contradictory arguments at the same time about Wednesday’s meeting.

1. Trump was in a rage. He lost it. He’s so out-of-control. The Democrats got under his skin and so in a fit he cancelled the meeting.
2. Trump had this planned. He calculated this bit of theater for show. 

They can’t even decide if he’s a master manipulator or out of his mind. 

Intervention

Nancy’s going with out of his mind … at least for the moment. 

On Thursday, she again repeated that she is “praying” for the President. (I imagine God is thinking, “I can barely hear you over the screams of the innocent babies you insist your nation kill on a whim.” But I digress.)

Then this Left hook: “I wish that his family or his administration or his staff would have an intervention for the good of the country.” 

Yes. They need to sit down and tell him to completely obliterate the rights of the Executive Branch now and forever.

He needs to further expose these same family and staff members to perjury charges from a Congress hellbent on prosecuting them, bankrupting them and generally making life miserable for each and every one for the crime of working or loving Trump.

He needs to expose every company he may have an investment in so those businesses can be ruined by Soros-sponsored boycotts.

He needs to sit down and negotiate with people who have no interest in negotiating or giving him any sort of “victory.”

He needs to simply accept the organized efforts by Democrats to sabotage his presidency by hook or crook.

He needs an intervention because clearly someone who won’t do the above is a few scoops short of a banana split.

I mean, just like Brett Kavanaugh didn’t show a “judicial temperament” after being accused of being a serial gang rapist and danger to small girls, Trump is simply certifiable for standing up for himself. 

The Real Business

This afternoon Trump responded to Pelosi as you would suspect: Ripping Pelosi right back and declaring himself “an extremely stable genius.” Of course, that will be the fodder for the politicians, pundits and comedians. (But I repeat myself.) 

But it’s what Trump did earlier in the day that in more somber times would have carried the day. 

Far more important than playing games with Capitol Hill, Trump was paying respect to those on our most sacred hills. The hills overlooking our Nation’s Capital. The hills populated with heroes who put their country ahead of their lives, and far ahead of politics.

Honored to be at @ArlingtonNatl today & take part in #FlagsIn to remember our fallen heroes. God Bless our military, their families & God Bless our great Nation! @USArmyOldGuard pic.twitter.com/lJ3lu2KfJG

— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) May 23, 2019

I pray Nancy Pelosi’s family or staff have an intervention this Memorial Day Weekend to remind her what really counts. 

 

Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream, and co-author with @JZmirak of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl. And if you aren’t already, please follow The Stream at @Streamdotorg.