Rpi, you ID'd my conundrum like an ICE agent with "VP Pence's agenda to destroy government is more typical of conservatives to disguise it vis a vis Bannons approach to be transparent about it." And I agree with your assessments: Bannon's disdain is out front, Pence is a smooth liar and devious, and Priebus is simply incompetent. Trump has all of these traits, all the time, and all at once. People forget that Priebus has no government experience - he's been a party functionary his whole life. And I think this is all reflected in the administration's efforts to do everything solely through the GOP.

The budget deal is the first bipartisan action this term, and that's because trump had nothing to do with it. In the future, this is the only pattern that will work.

A well reasoned argument is like a diamond: impervious to corruption and crystal clear - and infinitely rarer.

Here, as elsewhere, people are outraged at what feels like a rigged game -- an economy that won't respond, a democracy that won't listen, and a financial sector that holds all the cards. - Robert Reich