The president seems to be having much mirth this holiday season, as he raises the buccaneer ensign and throws many into turmoil with a move that can only be termed a brilliant tactic. Whether it’s good policy is an entirely other question.

We speak of a possible presidential veto or pocket veto (by refusing to sign the bill, thus starting the whole process over) of the virus stimulus bill and it’s $600 payout to Americans. The president wants it raised to $2000 to Americans and has been joined in this call by Pelosi, Schumer, AOC, etc. They are all aiming at one guy: Mitch McConnell.

Republicans repeatedly refused to say what amount the President wanted for direct checks. At last, the President has agreed to $2,000 — Democrats are ready to bring this to the Floor this week by unanimous consent. Let’s do it! https://t.co/Th4sztrpLV

— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) December 23, 2020

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Senate Majority Leader McConnell had it all worked out after laborious negotiations with the Democrat House. Both parties reached a compromise, at least the leadership did, to combine the stimulus and omnibus spending bill (that keeps the government operating) into one bill. But that omnibus legislation has ridiculous spending giveaways to foreign nations and payouts to the usual domestic suspects. The president noticed this and saw his chance. He could play Santa, play populist, play the good guy before Christmas, surprisingly tactically ally with the hard left, and actually legitimately object to a bill riddled with absurd pork and foreign boondoggles.

Trump gets to do all that just to rain on McConnell’s parade because McConnell dared to acknowledge the reality of the upcoming Biden administration. Best of all for Trump and his die hard election never enders, and granted, those of us who like a good political show, is watching the president revert to outsider pirate mode, raking the ships of the DC establishment with rhetorical broadsides and pulling off daring and unexpected gambits.

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Is McConnell right? Yup. Does Trump know it. Yep. Is this the best deal the Republicans will get? Yes. Shouldn’t it give the president pause that socialists love his new figure? Yepper. Is $600 a much more responsible figure than $2000? Uh huh. Are both Trump and McConnell just giving us back our own money and paying for it by saddling our kids and grandkids with more crushing debt? Totally. But in this season of bitter ender gamesmanship and topsy turvy alliances it doesn’t matter. Trump didn’t like the rules of the game so he kicked over the table and McConnell is scrambling to rearrange the pieces. Trump must love the fun and the drama. And the country? Perhaps not so much.