congress – Life on the Wicked Stage: Act 3

Time To Put More Wood Behind The Arrows

No time for quivering

You could feel a large collective exhale across the USA this week following the midterm election results, signaling that there’s still some life left in the old republic. It was such a rush I’m surprised the leaves still hanging on the trees remain attached. The sound we all heard was out of a medieval war movie when archers loose their arrows. We continue to live in historic moments and there’s no question this was one of them. One that felt good, after so many that haven’t. It’s also one that needs backing up because the job is far from done.

Strange happenings nX DMeJ_Od4 unsplash. A sculpture of two large arrows shot into the ground along Route 66 in Flagstaff, Arizona

Those rushing winds will indeed blow in a new U.S. Congress, crucial changes in state legislatures, and a few courts across the country. I was impressed by a statistic that may be true (I’m not completely sure — but I want to believe it) that enough governors races changed the map so that beginning next year 75% of the American population will live in states with a Democratic governor at the helm. I’m even more pleased that so many are women.

That bodes well for the future. But only if take care of today and continue to fight and back up the election results with enough muscle to make it truly meaningful. As the saying goes we need to put more wood behind the arrow if we want to really strike home.

After folks breathing began to calm, there was a collective gasp at the end of the week when the old man in what’s left of the White House appointed the architect of so much cruelty and the walking definition of inhumanity, Stephen Miller, as chief of staff. I sincerely hope no one was surprised at the move. I further sincerely hope no one is going to be surprised by the damage Miller is about to inflict.

What remains of the White House is a cage full of wounded animals, backed up against walls filled with faux gold filigree, ready to strike back. What still remains of a country that leveled the playing field with their votes is the question of how much we are willing to back those votes up in response to whatever is going to come down the pike. The first test was the election. We’re about to be tested further. Again, this should come as no surprise. But needs to be met with resolve.

My prediction is that in the end, appointing Miller is one of the moves that will accelerate the end of this terrible turn of history, but not without much damage being done before it’s over. And not without stiff opposition. We have the majority at the moment, but we are still the opposition.

I’m hoping that those pissed off enough to vote the way they did get even more so once Miller’s marauding begins. We need to get to that tomorrow that Tuesday’s results hint at but don’t guarantee.

As to the squabbles currently going on in Congress over who will lead the new majority opposition, I hope that debate only intensifies in the next few weeks. The people said enough is enough and it would be naive to think they voted for something rather than against something worse.

The only license the vote results yielded is one that opens a door to change across the board. The leaders we need have to match the fervor of those who spoke with their votes. If it were up to me, I’d replace Schumer and Jeffries with those not tainted with the timidness of the past. If you ask me the time to make those type of changes is now. The bad guys on all fronts are off-kilter, the Miller move is indicative of that. Time to take advantage of the chaos.

Every vote in this election was an arrow loosed. The vast and overwhelming majority struck home. We’ll need more wood for more arrows in the days ahead. That was always going to be the case. Now is no time for quivering.

(Image from Strange Happenings on Unsplash)

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The USA Stands Up and Survives A Near Death Experience

Relieved, encouraged, but still wary

I didn’t sleep well Monday night. Actually I haven’t slept well the previous few nights. I was very anxious heading into the mid-term elections here in the U.S. That anxiety actually led to me getting sick to my stomach Monday morning. Certainly, if you have a pulse you know why I was anxious.

A news banner announcing a blue wave of Democrats taking the U.S. Senate and U.S House of Representatives to rebuke Donald Trump

Last night, following an unmistakable electoral rebuke of all things MAGA, I didn’t sleep well either. Not from anxiety, but from trying to come down from the series of highs and rushes throughout the night as it appeared enough Americans in enough places stood up and voted to stop the bleeding that was quickly draining the life out of this country and the republic that governs it. Ben Franklin would be proud.

Across the country in races for the House of Representatives, the Senate, governors’ mansions, and state houses, Democrats did what we’re supposed to do and took back control. They said enough. Enough of the madness. Enough of the corruption. Enough of the abuse. Enough of the dividing line between the haves and the growing number of have-nots.

The big story will be the Democrats taking control of both chambers of Congress. Perhaps as it should be, because that’s where the headline battles in the last two years of the Trump administration will be fought. And it will be a fight. There are no veto-proof super majorities in either party. Basking in the glow of a stupendous victory is one thing, trudging through the hard work to deliver results will see that glow quickly fade. It’s a a very temporary currency.

The governors’ races are just as important as are the various state house races, because like it or not, those power centers will have as much influence as what goes on in the U.S. Capitol and in the elections to come. In fact, those victories may influence more in Washington than those that are bringing so many new and, more importantly, younger members to serve there.

And make no mistake, there’s a wounded, somewhat caged beast still desecrating the White House or what remains of it. It would take a complete reversal of character for him not to strike back hard and with all the cruelty he can summon. To be frank I’m worried more about his subdued, seemingly humbled reactions so far than I would be if he continued punching back the way we’ve sadly grown accustomed to.

The other story that I hope gets focus in the rushing aftermath of so much happening is the strike back at big money (largely tech) players and the political mechanics who tried to gerrymander their way into hanging on to power. These victories didn’t erase the disgrace and disaster of Citizens United, but they provide some hope that its illicit and fictional foundations don’t hold up as much as some think they should.

There’s a fight ahead. A big one. Actually, many big ones. If there’s one thing we’ve learned it’s that the small frame of these two-year election cycles can provide enough room for all sorts of chaos, agony, and destruction. The Democrats have an enormous challenge ahead. Anger swept many of them in. That anger will not subside when the hangover of victory eases. The young voters that have now brought many of them to power want to see not just action, but retribution. I sincerely hope those now burdened with governing and cleaning up the mess we’re in can find the balance for both. Because both are needed.

Am I happy. Yes. Ecstatic. I don’t know many of the winning candidates well, but to my eye it seems like decency won last night. Decency matters. Or it should.

I’m also humbled by all those who stood up, were measured and were not found wanting when it counted. I’ve lived through more turbulent history in the last decade plus than I have for the six decades that came before. I don’t think the turbulence is over by any stretch of the imagination. The one thing I learned in those seemingly, but not actually less trying times, when progress seemed to be steadily made, is that it can all be undone more quickly than it can be built. My fervent hope is that those who stood up remain standing, keeping the pressure up so this historic victory and more than deserved rebuke and near-thing resurrection will pay off.

Perhaps I’ll take a nap today.

Add Satire to the List of the Dead

The Grim Reaper is hiring

The list of the things killed by this soul-less adminstration and it’s bloodthirsty allies keeps growing.

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In the wake of the Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel silencing, satire now joins Congress, The Rule of Law, Irony, Facts, The Constitution, Academic Institutions, Law firms, Religion, the Media, corporate titans, health care, women’s rights…the list just keeps growing.

At this rate the graveyards are filling up and the Grim Reaper will be the only one hiring soon enough.

Eventually they will run out of targets. You could argue that the way they are turning on each other over the Epstein files and a few other things they are fast approaching that point.

I just wish that pace of cannibalism would speed up.

Crashing and Burning

Time to get on with the inevitable.

Let me state clearly here at the beginning of this post, I do not want to see anyone in any capacity hurt by the looming government shutdown. Repeating, I do not want to see anyone in any capacity hurt by the looming government shutdown.

That stated and repeated, let me offer the following. Regardless of any action taken on a government shutdown people are going to get hurt.

Assume this circus/charade/shit show over a government shutdown wasn’t occurring. That responsible adults (assuming a lot I know) would be working to transition our government from one administration to another in an orderly fashion. We know, based on campaign promises and post-victory statements that large numbers of people are going to be harmed and hurt once the new administration is sworn in come January 20th. You can’t repeat often enough that cruelty is the point. There is going to be pain. Let those so desperate to cause it, feel some of it themselves.

So, with that as a given, and with the continued interference from Elon Musk, an unelected drugged up man child of an oligarch who has desires on running not just the US, but the world, I say let these damn Republican sniveling cowards shut down the country. Take Musk’s urging and keep it shut until January 20th and possibly beyond. Should make for a swell inauguration party.

At some point no matter how smoothly any transition may or may not go, the system is going to crash and there’s going to be damage none of us can calculate. Why not get on with it?

Sure you can play the game of which administration’s watch it might happen on, but give me a break. There’s no effective action coming from the outgoing administration or Congress to correct the actions of what feels like a transition already out of control and almost completed. Sure, Biden, at the moment still wearing the crown bestowed on him by the Supreme Court, could declare a state of emergency and make some bold moves. But we all know that’s not going to happen.

Call the bluffs. Blow out the bluster. Bust it all. Then let’s see what happens when the pieces need to get picked up come January.

One way or the other sacrifices are going to need to be made. Lame social media calls for resistance and not surrendering in advance are going to feel more like nursery rhymes than rallying cries. What we had is gone. It’s not coming back. You kid yourself if you think otherwise. Democrats stepping in to save some semblance of what was are only going to weaken any position they currently don’t really have at the moment. At least not until they come up with their own madman oligarch.

When an arsonist has to put out the fire he started to try and save himself, things look a lot differently.

You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome. I can also be found on social media under my name as above.

Why The Dems Need to Keep the Gavel in Mike Johnson’s Hand

The Dems need to help Mike Johnson hang onto his gavel

Politics has never been bean bag. But it’s also never been this stupid. Mike Johnson, the aw-shucks reluctant Speaker of the House is making a play for bills that should have passed the House of Representatives long ago. Because his predecessor caved to the crazies in his caucus and allowed any House member to file a motion to vacate the chair, Johnson is once again up against the wall, being threatened by some of his own members if he does.

Johnson-gavel-768x512 2.

This morning another Republcian vowed to support the Mouth from the South’s motion to vacate, upping the stakes a bit and certainly increasing the entertainment value, dubious as it is. Once you’ve watched The Three Stooges in reruns over and over again, the shtick more than fades.

Too many on the Democratic side of things lust to see Johnson toppled and the Republicans falter, hoping to regain the majority. while the former GOP continues swimming in a cesspool of their own making. Set aside that the bills in question are necessary for larger reasons. They are and need to pass.

The Democrats should have the votes with enough semi-sane Republicans to help pass the legislation and also allow Johnson to retain his Speakership, should he decide he’s got the moxie to move. I’m not sure which side will have to hold its nose more tightly to make that move, but take a deep breath, grab those nostrils, squeeze and do the smart thing.

Why should the Dems save Johnson’s skin? It’s simple. With this Congress and the ever narrowing and narrow-minded Republican majority in the House, not much is going to happen legislatively prior to the Labor Day recess. Moving legislation after that is practically an impossibility, even more so this year. Those who keep hoping for the Dem’s to quickly regain the gavel need to cool their jets and get smart.

Kindergarten political science calculations should tell anyone paying attention that going into the November elections with this House remaining under Republican control should make it easier for the Dems to regain the majoirty after the election by continuing to campaign against an easily recognizable ineffectual Republican majority full of looney tunes characters not legislators.

That’s not a sure thing, because it does indeed depend on the election. But it’s a better bet than if the Dem’s were suddenly placed in control in the run-up to the election, having to accept the responsibility for governing when there won’t be a chance in hell of getting anything done in the meantime. It also has a chance to diminish the power of the crazies a bit. It won’t stop the yelling and screaming, but it will continue to help magnify the stupidity which seems to know no bounds.

You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome.