Lying Down to Pant in a Dark Room

My beloved Labrador retriever used to sulk off and pant in our darkened bedroom when he was out-of-sorts and feeling abused.

There’s ample reason for chastened Democrats to feel out-of-sorts and abused in the current political situation. Like my Labrador, they have chosen to sulk off and pant when the country and their (majority) supporters need them most. I can forgive my dog and rub him behind the ears to make him feel better and get a quivering wag from his tail, but I feel more like kicking the Democratic leadership (?) in their recalcitrant butts.

Week one and two in the Trump administration has offended so many constituencies worldwide as to be nearly beyond count. The worst Cabinet in living memory is before the Senate at one stage or another, several of them already confirmed.

John Kelly has been confirmed as United States secretary of Homeland Security. Possibly okay, because Homeland Security hasn’t yet been able to find its own ass, no matter who ran it. James (Mad Dog) Mattis is the new secretary of Defense with but a single vote against him. The Democrats were apparently curled up in the Senate cloakroom, tails trembling and heads between their paws.

Governor Nikki Haley made it as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, although she has no foreign policy experience and shockingly committed herself to ‘taking names’ of nations not towing the American line. Dems were still looking dolefully up from between their paws. Elaine Chao was a shoo-in for secretary of Transportation, experienced and able. A relieved pant-pant escapes from the darkened cloakroom.

And so we come to Rex Tillerson, Exxon CEO and Trump’s nominee for secretary of State, confirmed by the Senate on a 56-43 vote. No growls about his (and Trump’s) business interests in Russia, but he ‘faced scrutiny’ from Democrats before they trailed back into the darkness, dragging their feet and whimpering. No problem with the Exxon partnership with the Russians to drill in the Arctic Ocean. No ‘difficulties’ over Exxon’s decades long denial of climate change and/or their stated intention to drill, drill, drill until either the oil or the planet is depleted. Scrutiny rather than principle ruled the day.

There is increasing speculation that Republicans, fearful of their diminishing opportunities in the 2018 mid-term elections, may begin to turn against their president. With the entire Democratic Congress panting in a dark room, that may be what finally arrives to undo this deplorable presidency. Can you imagine?

Republicans were able to lock out and lock down most of the Obama initiative even when they were in the minority in both houses of the Congress. Ugly as that may have been, they were clever and alert, standing on all fours with their teeth barred. No slinking off by that crowd. With the three most controversial and dangerous (to the nation) confirmations yet to come—Treasury, Environmental Protection and Justice, not to mention a Supreme Court nominee—where do you want to lay your bets, folks?

And these sissies actually won the popular vote.

“Down boy. Back to your dark room to lick your wounds.”