So the first couple of weeks of the Trump administration are going just exactly the way we expected. It has been an unmitigated disaster. In fact, it is even worse than anticipated, with the unelected billionaire, Elon Musk, getting what he paid for out of his campaign contributions, in having a role in the federal government related to its spending. Beyond that, the level of incompetence and corruption in those who Trump is naming for cabinet posts is unbelievably bad. He hates this country, and he's doing everything he can to destroy it.
Other than a few angry voices in the Senate, and a few here and there in the House, I'm not hearing or seeing anything from Democrats that is inspiring me to contribute, to get off my rear and volunteer, to go and protest, or to do much of anything. I get emails, still some from the Kamala Harris campaign, in the last couple of days with Ken Martin's name on them and from a few scattered candidates running for house seats in Florida, long shots to take back the house and put an early stop to the madness that has taken over Washington. But I'm obviously going to have to self-motivate, because what I see from those in the party in positions of leadership is self-protection and self-preservation, hiding behind the excuse that because we are not the majority, there is nothing that can be done.
The Republicans wrecked a lot of Democratic party plans when we were in the majority, and played their obstructionist role against Democrats who fizzled and crumpled under excuses. We are in this nightmare because of a series of events in which Democrats lost their nerve, or weren't competent enough to use the power they had to bring about necessary change. There was too much self-preservation mixed with status quo, old school politics, the result of which Roe was overturned, Trump was never brought to trial or convicted for sedition by inciting an insurrection, and we lost a razor thin Presidential election. That's what a Republican minority, smaller than our current one, did to us. So why is it that we can't find a way to do the same?
I am directing the monthly amounts I was giving during the Presidential campaign to David Hogg's "Leaders We Deserve" network, or at least, I'm giving something to them. Right now, that's one place I feel is worthwhile, and which may yield some results that I'm looking for. I am sending a monthly contribution to Jon Ossoff, to help him win re-election. But mostly I am waiting to try and find something worth the effort and the money, that will be aimed at stopping Trump in his tracks. We are still a Democracy and the power is still with we, the people. We have reached a threshold in our history where the conventional wisdom of, "Oh well, we lost, so let's just wait around until the mid-terms and see if we can make some changes then," no longer works. If we take that approach, there will not be a democracy by the time the mid-terms roll around.
A Little Personal Honesty
If there were any doubt that Trump was an existential threat to Democracy before he took office on January 20th, there's none now. That being said, I can't understand any reasoning by Democrats in Congress that would open the door to cast any favorable votes for any of his nominees. Sorry, that may not be status quo politics, but I'm done with that. If the man is an existential threat to Democracy, then that is what he is, and there isn't anyone he nominates who should be getting a single vote from any politician who really believes that. Those he nominates are also a threat.
I sent an email, outlining my position in a very firm, but nice way to my member of Congress, and checked the box indicating that I would like for her to reply. So far, five days later, which is after her own deadline, I had not received anything. I don't really know if she's a "play the game, status quo" kind of Democrat, or whether she's interested in bolder leadership, and worrying more about the country than the potential of losing her seat in a district where Harris got 70% of the vote. I hope she is the latter, or I will feel compelled to run against her myself, and I am, as I write this, making contacts to determine how to get started on this.
My Senators are also getting a similar screed. One of them is another status quo Democrat, Dick Durbin. I try hard to be respectful here, because the Senator is 80, and has a long and distinguished record of service, but I don't think the Senator's perspective on how Congress operates is up to date, and I don't see the aggressiveness that will be necessary in a vital spot on the Judiciary committee. I expect him, as I do Senator Duckworth, to vote down everything Trump at every opportunity in order to represent myself, and their constituents, fairly and objectively.
The fact that there is a shred of Democratic support for any nominee this President puts forth is baffling and confusing to me, after all of the strong, sharp rhetoric about Trump being an existential threat to democracy, and especially after he organized and carried out an insurrection against the government by organizing an attack on the Capitol on January 6th. No Democrat who lived through that experience should be compromising or giving way on anything, and the fact that this does seem to be happening is bitterly disappointing, disheartening and discouraging. If the leaders we've elected to positions of responsibility in government aren't willing to show some resolve, then we need to elect new leaders, or step up and take the reigns ourselves, something I am perfectly willing to do.
This Can and Must Be Stopped
I'm unconvinced that with the narrowest of margins in his favor in Congress, Trump, and his Heritage Foundation supporters, can't be stopped from implementing Project 2025. We let the opportunity to prosecute this through the courts and the DOJ slip through, wasting days and opportunities, refusing to take things in hand because doing so "might look political," though that could not in any way be as bad as the reality we now face. We can't waste our time with people who claim to be on our side who drag their feet and slow-walk things when fast action is the ticket to success.
Trump is old, physically frail and demented. In that there are plenty of advantages, if there's a willgness to take advantage of them. Put the pressure on, make him look bad, keep up relentless attacks and he'll make plenty of mistakes and it will take a toll on his stamina.
And the bottom line is that, while we mourn the death of the free press, where's the money lining up to buy a network that will promote the Democratic party and its narrative? We have some sharp people on our side, analysts like Rachel Bitecofer, who, on a segment of the David Pakman show, pointed out the realities of the election just a couple of weeks before it happened, and offered a solution to turn things in the direction of Harris and Walz, even at a late point. But she was ignored, and her prediction of what would happen if they didn't make the adjustments, basically a razor thin loss, came to pass.
I've been told that my expectations are too high. Well, so be it. They are still my expectations. They are consistent with what I observe and what I've been told. Trump is an existential threat to democracy and he must be stopped. They are right, whoever they are. Here I am, willing to help do something about it.
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