Wanting more, Trump threatened to veto the $900 billion relief and stimulus bill, which McConnell was never crazy about because he wanted less. (The Washington Post)Still, by making an issue of the $2,000 checks, Trump called his own party’s bluff. To maintain their Senate majority, Republicans need to hold the two seats at stake in next Tuesday’s Georgia runoff. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler were no friends of a big economic relief package, and Perdue said he opposed stimulus checks on at least three different occasions. But late Wednesday afternoon, McConnell pronounced that there was “no realistic path” for the $2,000 checks “to quickly pass the Senate.”What can we learn from this episode?

Source: Washington Post December 30, 2020 22:44 UTC