Article snippet: White House officials and congressional Republicans are seeking to blame the partial government shutdown on House Speaker-designate MORE (D-Calif.), as the standoff over funding for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border appears likely to extend into the new year. Acting White House chief of staff MORE in an Oval Office meeting with Democrats. “She cannot be seen by her party as being weak on negotiating with Donald Trump,” Mulvaney said on Fox News Friday, suggesting that if Pelosi bargained with Trump, it could cost her votes from liberals. The White House is also seeking to portray a split between Pelosi and Sen. MORE (N.Y.), who leads Democrats in the Senate. “The vice president and I met with Leader Schumer last Saturday, the last time we sat down face-to-face, and my gut was that he was really interested in doing a deal and coming to some sort of compromise,” Mulvaney said. “But the more we’re hearing this week is that it’s Nancy Pelosi who’s preventing that from happening.” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders made similar comments Friday on CBS News. “Nancy Pelosi is only looking to protect her speakership and not protect our borders,” she said. “And that’s why she’s unwilling to negotiate with us and unwilling to make any type of a deal.” Casting Pelosi as the problem in the debate comes straight out of a GOP playbook that Republicans tried to use to protect their majority in the House. During the midterm campaign, the GOP tied Democratic candidates ac... Link to the full article to read more