SPLITS WITHIN THE GOP – AT 10:34 A.M. ET:   They are serious.  They are resulting in great anger and threats, and can cost the party the control of Congress.  From The Politico: 

Republicans are confronting a growing revolt from their top donors, who are cutting off the party in protest over its inability to get anything done.

Tensions reached a boiling point at a recent dinner at the home of Los Angeles billionaire Robert Day. In full view of around two dozen guests, Thomas Wachtell, a retired oil and gas investor and party contributor, delivered an urgent message to the night’s headliner, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell: Just do something.

Wachtell, who has given tens of thousands of dollars over the years to Senate Republicans, recalled that McConnell responded defensively. Passing legislation takes time, the Republican leader responded, and President Donald Trump didn’t seem to understand how long it required.

“Anybody who was there knew that I was not happy. And I don’t think anybody was happy. How could you be?” said Wachtell, who has previously given over $2,000 to McConnell but recently stopped donating to Senate GOP causes. “You’re never going to get a more sympathetic Republican than I am. But I’m sick and tired of nothing happening.”

With the GOP’s agenda at a virtual standstill on Capitol Hill, the party is contending with a hard reality. Some of the party's most elite and influential donors, who spent the past eight years plowing cash into the party’s coffers in hopes of accomplishing a sweeping conservative agenda and undoing Barack Obama’s legislative accomplishments, are closing their wallets.

The backlash is threatening to deprive Republicans of resources just as they're gearing up for the 2018 midterms.

COMMENT:  We're hearing this every day.  We wonder if the GOP can even survive as a viable political party if it doesn't achieve anything legislatively in Washington this year or early next.  The Republicans are in the best position they've had in almost a century...and nothing is getting done.

Also, we hear that the absolutely required tax-reform bill is already in trouble, facing objections from individual Republican members of the Senate.  If tax reform fails, the Republicans have no argument to make to the voting public.

I've long believed that President Trump's dream is to start his own political party.  He may get the chance.

October 6, 2017