RUSH: I mentioned earlier Mitch McConnell has canceled the August recess. He’s gonna keep the Senate in town. Now, when this happened, there was some applause. “All right,” they said. “Mitch is finally getting serious here. Mitch is gonna make sure that some of these Trump nominees end up being confirmed.” I think there is some of that. But I think there’s something else going on, and to kind of sent a broad umbrella over things… You know, yesterday I made mention of the fact — and a lot of other people are noticing, too — that the Republican Congress seems to be in standing-by mode. They’re just standing around watching a lot of this.
After tax reform, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of involvement with the Trump agenda. And I think it’s an accurate understanding of things. I think even now the Washington establishment is still — Republican members, too — not all that invested in the Trump administration succeeding. Trump is still the outsider. In fact, Pat Buchanan has a great piece today at the American Conservative about the fact that Trump has pretty much destroyed the old Republican Party. When Trump leaves office (whenever that is), what, then, is the opposition? Is it the Trump/GOP? Because the GOP, as you and I’ve known it, they’re not even on the stage right now.
They’re bit players. Do you remember me one time warning you, reminding you that legislation is actually not written on Capitol Hill, that it’s written on K Street? If you want to know who the real foundation of the Washington establishment that we talk about is — the ruling class — it’s the lobbyists. It is K Street, the network of people of great wealth and influence who are the ones who actually make things happen and make sure certain things don’t happen.
They’re not elected. But K Street and lobbying is how people of moderate means come to Washington, get elected, and end up leaving very wealthy or leave for jobs later where they will get very wealthy. They write most of the legislation, and it is them that members of Congress and the Senate answer to — the Chamber of Commerce is an example — rather than voters. And I think Mitch, keeping him in session has more to do with that.
Hang on a minute.