‘A Gift to Nancy’

Playbook: “As of last night, there seemed to be a hint of a recognition that the White House had to accept a short-term deal. But the mood has turned sour over there today, according to people we’ve spoken to. Stay tuned for some sense about whether they can take a stopgap to February.”

“This is a gift to Nancy Pelosi, some Republicans and Democrats are arguing. She gets to stand up to President Trump on the border wall again in February, after she’s set up her caucus. Sure, it might get in the way of a spending caps deal, but the politics are generally good for Pelosi.”

Said one conservative House Republican: “If we are going to lose, acknowledge it and do a CR for the rest of the fiscal year so that Nancy has no tool to leverage in February.”