Ten Important Takeaways From Trump's Oval Office Speech

Donald Trump gave his first prime-time address in his Presidency - his first ever - to explain why he wants his southern-border wall and is willing to keep the government shut down to get it.  Many observers expected him to declare a national emergency. 

Here are ten takeaways - important facts, figures, and policy announcements - you need to know from this address:

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And I need to ask one simple question about the Democratic response:

Why did the Democrats get Herman and Lily Munster to deliver it? :-D

Okay, is there any other business? :-p

Headed For a Cliff

Just when Michael Flynn agreed to cooperate more with the special prosecutor's office investigating Trump, Trump goes haywire and pulls troops out of Syria before the job fighting ISIS is done and he may end up firing Robert Mueller before his job - and the calendar year 2018 - is done.  And now Defense Secretary James Mattis - the last person in the administration keeping Trump at bay and the one person who could have served in an O'Malley administration (and still could have done so in 2021 if not for having take n the job under Trump first) - is quitting over Trump's Syria decision.  Trump is so hell-bent on isolating the United States that I have to remind everyone what I once said about his wall - it can keep people in as well as keep people out.

Speaking of the wall, Trump has vowed to shut down the government over funding for said wall to the tune of five billion dollars.  Congressional Republicans are scrambling to stop a shutdown Trump says he is proud to be responsible for.  This could be politically disastrous for congressional Republicans and the White House, but who cares when all that matters to the GOP is to destroy the Democrats (before the Democrats have the pleasure of destroying themselves)?  Similarly, although Republican senators are increasingly calling out Trump for his foreign policy, who cares, when Trump can do whatever he wants on the world stage? 

America is about to go over the cliff.  We'll barely get through the rest of 2018, but I fear that no one will get out of 2019 alive, in which case talk about the 2020 presidential election will be moot. 

This is all giving me a headache . . ..