Feeling afraid?
Feeling anxious?
Feeling overwhelmed?
Those feelings are understandable after week one of Trump Regime Mach-Two. That’s how they want you to feel. They flood the zone with shit to cause apprehension and alarm in their opponents. It’s still working. The Insult Comedian is usually improvising: flooding the zone with shit is a constant. It’s the only thing they do well.
I haven’t been as plugged in as usual since the inauguration. The bizarre New Orleans blizzard had me pondering matters closer to home. In some ways, it was a welcome distraction from the blizzard of bluster and bullshit emanating from the District of Columbia.
As worried as I am by the flurry of executive orders and firings, I’m also concerned about my allies. My social media feeds are full of folks freaking out with hot takes stacked up like pancakes at a diner; preferably a Greek one. It’s how our enemies want us to react. Outage is the proper response, not fear.
Repeat after me: This is still a Fifty-Fifty nation.
Hit it, Frank:
That was George Duke on the roller rink style organ. He was last seen in these parts performing with Chaka Khan. I mention her to brighten your morning. Who among us wouldn’t rather think of Chaka Khan than JD Vance or Dirty Hands Hegseth? After Vice President Couch Fucker’s tie-breaking vote to confirm Hegseth, they’re bound together forever. In a word: Gross.
Team Trump acting as if they’d won in a landslide is a classic GOP tactic. It’s what Nixon did in 1969 even though Dems controlled both houses of Congress and he won the popular vote by only 500K. He knew that there were future party switchers among Southern members, so he reckoned that he had the votes anyway.
Team W acted likewise in 2001. It was even more egregious because he’d lost the popular vote by 500K and was elected by SCOTUS. The Supremes are still singing from the Republican hymn book. Their opinions during the 2024 election cycle helped fuel Trump’s return to office. George W Bush may think the Kaiser of Chaos is weird, but he provided the justices and the template for Team Trump’s early actions.
This sort of political immodesty is one of the few things Democrats should steal from the GOP playbook. That and communication strategy in reverse. We need to flood the zone with the truth. Will it break through the static emitting from our Republican controlled capitol? Beats the hell outta me but it’s worth a try. The fate of our democracy depends on it.
A side effect of the so-called “shock and awe” early days of Trump Regime Mach-Two is fatigue. People are already sick of this shit, but they need to remain engaged, the only way to do so is to focus on the big picture, not the details. The details will drive you mad in both meanings of the word.
All I have to offer is cold comfort. Shit is going to get worse before it gets better. A reminder that executive orders can be rescinded by the next sane president and stalled by litigation. I’m more concerned about the firings and pardons. Team Trump sees the Proud Boys as their very own storm troopers, which would make Enrique Tarrio MAGA’s answer to Ernst Rohm.
The featured image comes from the post-World War II film classic The Third Man. It’s part of my continuing campaign to keep Trump’s ugly mug off our home page.
The Third Man’s thrilling final chase scene took place in the sewers of Vienna. In the end, Orson Welles as Harry Lime was caught like the proverbial rat in a trap. One could even say he was flushed. Floating away with turds and other effluvia is the fate President Pennywise and his MAGA movement deserve. They are so full of fecal coliform that their eyes are brown.
The last word goes to The Band: