Acknowledging the Pivot
Thune's Masterstroke Beyond the Smashmouth Sequence Ah, the Smashmouth Sequence-that razor-sharp blueprint laid out October 27, envisioning a brutal, four-day gauntlet of Senate votes designed to hammer Democrats into submission one filibuster at a time. It was a thing of tactical beauty on paper: Tuesday (October 28): SNAP emergency funding Wednesday (October 29): Troop pay Thursday (October 30): FAA safety net Friday (October 31): Clean CR knockout Each step calibrated to peel off 7–15 Democratic defectors, turning the shutdown’s pain points-hunger for 42 million, empty military wallets, grounded flights-into unrelenting headlines that screamed "Dems vs. America." As the column framed it:…