Republican strategist Rick Wilson wrote a book titled “Everything Trump Touches Dies” which has a Twitter hashtag of its own that needs no explanation.

I’m reminded of this as I watched “America’s mayor” Rudy Giuliani beclown himself on CNN last night. Chris Cuomo pressed Giuliani on the mounting list of indictments, guilty pleas and convictions to which he responded “I never said nobody on the campaign ever colluded with Russia. I said the President didn’t.”

The once proud, by general consensus mayor of our country for his handling of the 9/11 aftermath now has his reputation in tatters because he hitched his wagon to Trump train. He’s gone the way of Trump University, Trump steaks, Trump airlines, Trump vodka, and Trump casinos.

And that’s just a partial list of the failed businesses.

When you compile the list of human resources whose reputations have taken a nosedive you have to include Jeff Sessions, Michael Flynn, Reince Priebus, Sean Spicer, Rex Tillerson, John Kelly, H.R. McMaster, Don McGhan, Emmet Flood, Ty Cobb, Ronny Jackson, Nikki Haley, Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Chris Christie. These people all had notable reputations (at least in some circles), but have since paid a steep price for attaching their wagon to Team Trump.

Let’s not forget the sad souls that didn’t have a decent reputation to begin with — who just went from low to lower: Lindsey Graham, Trey Gowdy, Ted Cruz, Devin Nunes, Anthony Scaramucci, Michael Cohen, KellyAnne Conway, Sean Hannity, Rick Gates, Paul Manafort, Orin Hatch, Stephen Miller, Tom Price, George Papadapolous, Omarisa Manigault, Roy Moore, Sam Nunberg and Roger Stone. Do I dare? Yes I do. I’m going to add Melania “I don’t really care do you?” Trump to the list. You want to talk about Melania and reputation? Okay, let’s do that.

I can think of only one Trump appointee who successfully avoided getting his reputation shattered – James Mattis. But since he resigned in protest, you must conclude along with Rick Wilson that #ETTD.

Furloughed workers are getting on board with Wilson’s assessment too.

I’ve come to the conclusion that a lot of people are big talk until an issue affects them personally. Case in point, the 2019 GOP shutdown.

Because of this belief, I was pleased to see pictures of two hour TSA lines at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airport.

Armchair Trump supporters can wait in line while unpaid federal workers begrudgingly scan their bags in between taking sick days.

Isn’t this shutdown great? You know what fixes it? Skin in the game.

The air traffic controllers actually have the power to end the shutdown in less than 48 hours with a strike. Can you imagine the scrambling that would exist in Washington during a complete shutdown of air traffic?

How presumptuous of the federal government to assume workers will report to work for no pay.

The CNN republican stooge strategist baton has officially been passed from Jeffrey Lord and Jason Miller to Stephen Moore and Steve Cortes. Robert Reich takes Moore to school a couple of times a week and establishment republican strategist Ana Navarro found the perfect response to Cortes by filing her nails on air.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks truth to power. She’s 28. It’s resonating with young voters. This is long overdue.

Bernie can say the same words but it doesn’t ring as true with the voters we need to turn out. Same with Elizabeth Warren. Same with Joe Biden.

This probably sounds like age discrimination and you’d be right about that. It is. There’s just no denying the fact that it’s time to pass the baton to a younger, more representative/diverse group of leaders. It’s their future. My parents’ generation had its turn which is why we need these octogenarians to fade off into the sunset.

OAC is too young to lead the party but she can be extremely effective as its messenger until perhaps one day her time comes.

My New Years resolution is to make sure the republican party dies.

I look down the list of hopefuls for 2020 and I can only envision 4 dems who would survive a brutal general election. They are Kamala Harris, Adam Schiff, Sherrod Brown and Amy Klobuchar.

Warren is someone who I can agree on 99% policy issues but I just don’t think she’s tough enough. We need a fighter. I’ve seen Warren at the stump taking some pretty tough talk, but I think there are tougher candidates who won’t get painted with the Massachusetts liberals anchor a la Mike Dukakis. I don’t see how she shakes that label to win a general.

Harris on the other hand is a former prosecutor who, as we’ve seen during congressional hearings, doesn’t take shit off of anyone. And she’s calm, cool and collected while doing it.

Schiff would be the guy if we’re going for a super smart straight shooter.

Brown has a likability factor to him that I think would resonate.

Klobuchar is also smart and tough.

I intentionally left off Beto O’Rourke and Joe Kennedy. I just don’t think the country wants to revisit Kennedy no matter how good his ideas may be. O’Rourke is as inspirational a speaker I’ve seen… up there with Obama, but he’s still a long shot. Maybe someone will put him on the ticket as VP in an attempt to win the south.

Biden is the apparent front runner but honestly I think he and Bernie are just too old. The country is ready for a youth movement.

To that end, I like Harris/Schiff, Harris/Brown, Harris/Klobuchar or as a lonshot, Harris/O’Rourke.

And I also like Elizabeth Warren… as the senior senator from Massachusetts.