Angry? Feeling Betrayed? Here’s Why

Angry? Feeling Betrayed? Here’s Why.

 

 

Angry? Feeling Betrayed? Here’s Why.

 

By D.S. Mitchell

 

So, I’ve been doing my own research and right now my blood pressure, despite medication, is at least 40 points above normal. Damn fucking serious, my doctor tells me. So while the doctor adjusts my medication based on the nightly news, I have put together a list of Trump’s most despicable actions. I can only imagine the number of outrages I don’t know about; those hidden behind the curtain, those hidden behind a wall of corruption.

1.) During Round One the Mango Menace tore up Obama’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Better known as the “Iran Nuclear Deal”. Why? Because Obama was connected to it. No other reason than a black man had been its guiding force. The agreement provided for inspections and prevented Iran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon. Now in Round Two, Melon Head, under the spell of Israel’s Netanyahu and big Jewish donors in the U.S., launched major combat operations against Iran without formal, direct advance notification to Tehran. Trump’s War characterized by a surprise military campaign, aimed at destroying Iranian capabilities, rather than a declared, notified war. Now here we are;  and it looks like the Iranians are winning.

2. ) This one is a twofer for Trump. This is the second time he has withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement, ending U.S. participation in global climate efforts. Trump’s fossil fuel donors are jubilantly jumping up and down, while the environmentalists cry. However, as oil prices skyrocket, Europeans are buying EV’s and talking wind and solar power and even nuclear. Hopefully, we in the U.S. will take up a similar cry.

3.) Fed chaos has caused market volatility while Trump’s shifting economic policies are  an economic disaster. Trump’s wildly gyrating tariffs based on nothing other than how he felt when he woke up. His tariffs are a tax on the U.S. consumer and those policies have triggered inflation and chaos; and now that the courts have ordered repayment of tariff charges to  many big companies. When asked about it, Trump suggested he would “remember” the guys that wanted their money back; like he’s some ‘effin mob boss. A really ugly look for the United States of America.

4.) Trump and his sometimes buddy Elon Musk dismantled USAID and other U.S. “soft diplomacy” efforts. The battle was loud as food and medicine rotted and expired in warehouses around the world waiting to be delivered to those desperately in need. An estimated 600,000 to 732,000 died, most were children and those deaths were directly related to the withdrawal of  USAID. Apparently, the number of those who died mattered little or nothing to Trump and his allies. My God, that’s like wiping out every man, woman, and child in Denver, Colorado; without a single tear shed.

5.) Trump revoked federal recognition of transgender Americans by executive order and federal agencies have rushed around carrying out Trump’s orders. The common goal of all his  orders is to remove transgender and nonbinary people from public life by restricting access to accurate federal identity documents, threatening to withhold hospitals’ federal funding over gender-affirming care, and erasing trans history from federal websites and in schools. The Trump White House is using the federal government as a cudgel to make it harder for trans Americans to live openly — without fear of harassment and discrimination.

6.)Trump egged on by drug intoxicated Elon Musk joyfully halted the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program completely. EXCEPT, as I understand it, “for select white South Africans.” This while Secretary Hegseth is firing black officers with decades of service without reason or explanation. Everything this administration does has an anti-melanin component to it; and they are making no effort to conceal their love of white.

7.) After Trump denied any knowledge or understanding of what Project 2025 was during his 2024 campaign he suddenly embraced the project after the election. Project 2025 is a plan to restructure the U.S. government in the image of  a Christian Nationalists homeland where we all follow their narrow religious beliefs. In the introduction to the document the authors call for “deleting” LGBTQ+ equality, reproductive freedom, and removal of diversity, equity and inclusion language and intent from “every federal rule, agency regulation, contract, grant, regulation, and piece of legislation that exists.”

Project 2025 plan is to:

  • Eliminate the Department of Education
  • Fund private religious schools with taxpayer money
  • Delete LGBTQ+ rights
  • End marriage equality
  • Limit reproductive health care and in the process ban the most accessible forms of abortion
  • Create obstacles for racial justice through gerrymandering and the resulting loss of voting rights
  • Using religious freedom to discriminate

8.) Trump ended the Energy Star appliance-efficiency program and any other credit or tax benefits derived by the purchase of energy efficient products including  EVs.  Oh, I keep forgetting, grandpa thinks “global warming is a hoax.”

9.) Trump’s “Big beautiful bill” cut a trillion dollars from United States health care expenditures. An estimated 12 million people will lose health care coverage. Children’s Medicaid, nutrition, and vaccine programs have been devastated.

10.) Trump in demented tweets has threatened to abandon NATO commitments if allies don’t increase their military spending; while walking away from Ukraine forcing NATO Europe to ramp up money and resources for the Ukrainian defense. His saber rattling and threats to take over NATO countries such as Greenland by force if necessary is causing a wide rupture between us and our long time friends.

11.) With the scribble of his sharpie Trump attempted to revoke birthright citizenship via executive order. The Supreme Court is reviewing numerous law suits regarding the constitutionality of such presidential action.

12.) The Trumpster has used the Alien Enemies Act to justify mass migrant detentions. The public is sick of warehousing human beings for the profit of Trump allies and community after community is fighting back and they are winning and ICE detention warehouses are being shut down across the country.

13.) Trump looked at a couple pictures and appointed unqualified loyalists to high-ranking posts. The Trump cabinet is the richest cabinet in U.S. history with little experience at public service.

14.) Proposed turning Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East”-resettling Gazans “some place-anyplace” without a view.

15.) Trump has pushed for mass surveillance expansion focusing on protestors and immigrants and then have used that information to deport students.

I had intended to list 47 abhorrent, disgusting, revolting things that Trump has done since being elected  for his second term, and truly I am so angry I don’t know if I can get to 47 with out  having an ‘effin stroke. Because right now, I’m guessing my blood pressure is somewhere close to 170/100! As far as finishing this article I don’t think it will be this week. Hugs. Love you. Keep protesting, keep resisting.

 

 

Things That Make Me Cry


Things That Make Me Cry

Things That Make Me Cry

D. S. Mitchell

No Smiles

My regular monthly post, “Things That Make Me Smile” has been replaced this month with the “Things That Make Me Cry.” The egregious activities of dictator Trump have brought me to tears more than once this last 10 months. “Trump’s egregious infractions range from unfair to the unconstitutional to the unconscionable,” according to Ruben Navarrette. Its not just Trump, but his cronies in congress who are allowing Trump to bulldoze our government. Navarrette continues that Trump has “defaced, defiled, and destroyed the institutions and traditions that make America great.”

Spot On

Sadly, Navarrette is spot on, and that’s why I can’t stop crying. I am watching the death of our democracy, one executive order at a time. How about you? Is this president breaking your heart too? We are together in this thing. Grab my hand and let’s commit to do everything within our power to elect a blue House and a blue Senate. Stop the oligarchs. Stop the madness. Protest and demonstrate. Donate as much as you can, as often as you can. It takes a lot of money and a lot of noise to defeat the billionaire boy’s club.

Self-Interest Above All

Trump will go down in history as a morally corrupt conman, carnival barker, bigot, and 35 count convicted felon who only asked what the presidency could do for him, not what he could do for the presidency or the country.

15 Things That Trump Has Done That Made Me Cry 

No. 1: The bulldozing And Complete Destruction Of The Historic East Wing Of The White House: A woman on the tellie called it a “gut punch,” and I feel the same. When I saw the pictures of the demolished East Wing on the Rachael Maddow show it took my breath away. Literally. I was gasping for air, it ‘effin looked like we’d just been bombed. And I guess we were, but it was a domestic terrorist, and his name is  Donald Trump. No one asked the American people if they wanted a gaudy skid road carney show at the White House. How in the ‘eff is Trump getting away with this. Private donations? Ahhh….nothing about this is sounding okay.

No. 2: Trump’s Illegal Dumb-Ass Tariffs: Weaponizing trade policy by imposing punitively high tariffs on imports from more than 180 countries, even on an island inhabited only by penguins. Boy, DJT, you look so stupid and ignorant, you leave us in breathless shock. Trump has recklessly added more fucking taxes on the already overwhelmed  U.S. citizenry. Great messaging. Another gold toilet for Trump. I think George III was sent the message, “No Kings Here,” back in 1776, now it appears you, Mr. Trump need a history lesson. Making matters worse he’s paused the tariffs, schizophrenically changed the tariff rate multiple times to the same country, then for no reasonable rationale restarted them, before in some panicked moment paused them again.

No. 4: Intentional Suppression Of The Epstein Files: Trump has used the power of his lawless government to stop the release of the Epstein files and distract from that suppression in every imaginable way. Trump and the most infamous sex trafficker of the 20th century was according to Trump, “his best buddy” for over a decade. My mom always said, “you’ll be judged by those you associate with.”  So, using that old time truism, you are who you run with. Trump like former Prince Andrew was running around with a sex trafficker extraordinaire Jeffrey Epstein which says to me, he was participating in the abuses right along with dozens of other rich and powerful men. How many trips to Epstein Island, Donald? I say, release the files and let the American people judge how involved Trump was in Epstein’s crimes.

No. 5: Abandoning Ukraine: Who could forget that February meeting at the WH between Trump and Zelenskyy that ended in an ugly rant by Trump. Zelenskyy was invited back to the White House a week ago when Trump dangled the possibility of providing Ukraine with long range Tomahawk  missiles, giving Ukraine the ability to launch offensive attacks on Russia. After luring him to the WH with false promises Trump told Z just to give Putin the land and it would all be over. Unimaginable. Since when does a president of the United States humiliate and demonize an ally and hook their panties to a dictator.

No. 6: War Against Birthright Citizenship: Trump’s on going assault against the Constitution is on full display on this one. The 14th Amendment  spelled out by the Founding Fathers, states unequivocally if you are born in the United States you are entitled to full citizenship, by right of being born here, no questions asked.  Trump wants to turn 250 years of law on its head without going through the amendment process, just do it because Trump tells us to. The argument being that only children of citizens born here are entitled to US citizenship the-children of undocumented immigrants would not be given such privilege.

No. 7:  The Loss Of Due Process: Unleashing, without due process, a flurry of legally dubious deportations, not just of the undocumented but also green card holders, legal residents, AND even U.S. citizens. Blowing up boats in the open ocean without arrest or warning, based on some “belief” the targeted craft could be smuggling drugs is unbelievable. Here’s that pesky Constitution again, The 5th Amendment to the Constitution explicitly states “no person shall … be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law.”  Quite simply, due process guarantees that no one will be arbitrarily fined, arrested, deported or killed by the state-unless they are told the accusations against them, and then be allowed to contest those allegations before a judge (neutral 3rd party).The loss of due process is a scary prospect.

No. 8: Taking A Big Jet From Qatar: What the hell? Since when do we take used equipment, I’m talking about the the Boeing 747 Trump wants to use as Air Force One, that requires billions of dollars to refit? Just B.S. We’ve got airplane manufacturers here in the United States. How about building something that the government gets to keep, not one that Trump plans on using until his death when supposedly his estate will turn it over to the Trump Library. Some say that Qatar bankrolls Hamas terrorists, but oh, well, fearless leader wants it- so-of course the Congress said, “yes, sir, yes, sir, yes, sir.”

No. 9: Trump Demanding $230 Million Dollars From DOJ: Trump himself said it seemed ridiculous that he had the ability to okay the transfer of $230 million dollars from the DOJ to himself. Why would the DOJ pay this con man anything, I ask. Trump claims wrongful prosecution by Jack Smith and others. Oh, really. According to the emoluments clause Trump has no such ability. He cannot pay himself more than his salary. The corruption is so blatant and so in your face I a left speechless. Every day something new, and more corrupt. Take for instance the Trump family crypto scam.

No. 10: Cyrpto Contest Shenanigan’s: Back in May Trump offered to the highest paying customers of his personal cryptocurrency a dinner and tour of the WH by Trump himself. Sounded like Trump was selling access to himself and the White House for personal profit. Seems like a logical conclusion. Trump began selling his new tokens three days before his inauguration. The coin, which has zero intrinsic value, soared to $75 each, allowing  60 of the earliest buyers to profit over $10 million each before the $TRUMP coins plummeted in value. When Trump announced his contest in late April to award a “gala” dinner at his golf resort in Sterling, Virginia, to the top 220 Trump coin purchasers, based on how much they held on average from Jan. 17, 2024 through May 15, 2025. At that time the coin was a depressed $8 each. The top 25 coin holders would also be invited to a “VIP” reception with Trump before the dinner and then a tour the following day. The contest website originally had said a White House tour was part of the package, but subsequently changed the webpage to delete the White House reference. Sometimes when it looks like in your face corruption, it is. As part of the crypto corruption Trump just pardoned Changpeng Zhao, commonly called CZ, for admitted money laundering. Mr Zhao just happens to be in the crypto business with the Trump family. Nothing to see here folks, just move along.

No. 11: Trump Claims Immunity From Judicial Review: The Supreme Court under  John Robert’s is a sickening collection of outlaws and revisionists. Historically this court will be viewed as a shameful period for the law. It seems that this pathetic court has underwritten just about anything Trump dreams up. Recently the Mango Mussolini claimed there could be no judicial review of his administration’s actions. Trump stated the president didn’t have to answer to the federal courts, and even threatened sitting judges that strike down his policies as unlawful and need to be impeached and replaced with those that are blind MAGA supporters.

No. 12: The Weaponization Of The Department of Justice: The takeover of the DOJ and the FBI, by Donnie Dearest is becoming increasingly alarming. Daddy Trump is now directing who should be indicted and prosecuted. Revenge and retribution for anyone who stepped on the fat one’s swollen toes or someone who may have angered him, or got ahead of him at the buffet line is in danger of having their lives turned upside down. John Bolton, Leticia James, James Comey are just the beginning of a boatload of politically targeted prosecutions. Watch out Chris Wray, Miles Taylor, Chris Krebs, John Brennan, Chris Christie, Adam Schiff, and even special prosecutor, Jack Smith.

No. 13: Pardoning The January 6th Rioters:  Trump on his second Inauguration Day distinguished himself by pardoning nearly 1600 people who participated in the January 6th, 2020 riot. Many of these offenders beat up cops, damaged, defaced, or stole government property, and threatened the lives of legislators. Since the pardon at least a dozen of these folks have been rearrested for new crimes.  Recently, a 1/6 pardon recipient was subsequently arrested for threatening to kill Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic Leader of the House.

No. 14: Tax Cuts For Oligarchs, Insurance Cuts For Americans: On July 4, 2025, Trump signed “The Big Ugly Bill” leading to the largest cuts to health care into law. The entirely Republicans back reckless legislation cuts more than $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, destabilizing the health care system and making health care more expensive and harder to access for all Americans. The latest estimates from the nonpartisan, independent congressional Budget Office (CBO), Republicans’ health care cuts will terminate health insurance for roughly 15 million Americans. Some reports mistakenly suggest that Americans will not feel the harms of this legislation in the near term. Republicans are saying that select cuts could be stopped or delayed, while others are lying and saying there are no cuts to Medicaid. Month by month, hospitals are shutting down, clinics are closing, staff are being laid off, services are being cancelled, and families are paying more out of pocket, unable to access the care they need.

No. 15: Targeting Marginalized Groups: Trump and associates have instituted a campaign of anti-LGBTQ+ policies. Human rights groups note that Trump has stripped legal protections for transgender people and restricted access to gender affirming care. Trump has been openly hostile to the LGBTQ community and vehemently opposed the Equality Act, which would have ensured that existing civil rights protections cover sexual orientation and gender identity in the way that they already do for race, disability, veteran status, and more. The Dumpster also blocked basic job protections for LGBTQ people, insisting that employers should be free to fire workers for their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Department of Health and Human Services under the Trump administration also eliminated nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people established under the Affordable Care Act.

 

Another, I Saw It On The Internet #3

Another, I Saw It On The Internet #3

May be a doodle of heart and text that says 'Be careful who you hate. It could be someone you love.'

Another, I Saw It On The Internet #3

By D.S. Mitchell

 

Slime Pit

The internet is an unbelievable source of knowledge and social connection, but it is also the source of an incalculable amount of hate, anger, bigotry, ignorance, and downright bullshit. But every once in a while I see something that strikes at my heart and I want to share it. Today I saw the above image posted to the Josephine County Democrats on-line newsletter; I love it.

From My Heart

It is so easy to hate, so easy to blame others for our life-situation, but folks, believe me, hate does not build, it destroys. A culture based on anger, bigotry, and hate is destined for failure. Hate requires a lot of energy to keep the dynamic going. It is exhausting,. It consumes every bit of mental or emotional energy a person has, there is no energy left to create, to build, to grow. Limit the hate, expand the love.

Gay In America

GAY IN AMERICA

Trevor K. McNeil

Not Ashamed

Shame is one of the strongest human emotions. It has long been a key weapon used by the powerful, particularly those in religious authority. The Catholic Church was a prime offender. Popes even stooped so low as to peddle Papal Indulgences.   Papal Indulgences were basically ‘Get Out of Hell Free Cards’ for so-called infractions the church decided were “sinful.” Queer behavior was often targeted as “sinful” by religious leaders.

Targets Of Shame

Two of the biggest targets of shame through the eons have been women and members of the Queer community (or LGBTQ+ if you prefer). As with all unjust behavior comes opposition, injustice inflaming those who fight to bring about change. That push for change culminated recently when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that civil right’s law protect gay and transgender individuals, making it illegal to dismiss individuals from their employment for being homosexual.

Death Sentence

All has not been rosy for our dear friends of Dorothy. For a sickeningly long time, in even the alleged “land of the free”, it was illegal to be gay. Punishments ranging from torture and death to imprisonment, depending if it was the courts, or a posse who decided an individual were “deviant” as it was then called. Prison often being the best of the options available.

Kenneth Anger

A 2oth century warrior against gay discrimination was filmmaker Kenneth Anger. Anger is an open Luciferian (he has the word LUCIFER tattooed across his chest). He is a life-long contrarian with a near-suicidal need to thumb his nose at oppressive authority. The fact that Anger (still kickin’ at 93) is also gay is actually the least interesting, or controversial, thing about him.  He was used to being hated and knew his life was at risk for speaking out.  But still, Anger had no qualms and pulled no punches in terms of overtly gay imagery in his films, knowing full well he could be arrested or even killed.

They Said What Now?

In 1968 playwright Mart Crowley’s groundbreaking play The Boys In the Band premiered off Broadway. The play focused on a group LGBTQ+ males but every one of the characters is a fleshed out human being, going well beyond the stereotypes of the time. Some of those stereotypes enforced by law, such as the section of the Hays Film Code which dictated that all gay characters be villains and/or tragic. Crowley presented neither.  The Boys has long been credited with inspiring what would come just one year later.

I Predict A Riot

There is still some disagreement about when or how the modern LGBTQ+ Rights Movement started. After years of police intimidation in the summer 1969 the gay community fought back. On the morning of June 28th police raided the Stonewall Inn. Yet another in a sustained pattern of harassment against New York City’s sizable LGBTQ+ community. On that day, years of abuse came to a head and the Stonewall Inn occupants started fighting back. What was supposed to be a routine raid, at least from a police perspective, turned into a full-on, brick throwing riot.

White Night Riots

The Stonewall riot happened four years before San Francisco politician Harvey Milk became the first openly gay man elected to public office in 1973.  The election became a bitter-sweet victory when Milk was murdered by his colleague Dan White. White, a former police officer, claimed he was in a psychotic state from eating too many sweets. According to White he killed Mayor George Moscone and Harvey Milk while on a “sugar” high.  It would later become known as “The Twinkie Defense.” White was ultimately convicted of man-slaughter, sparking off what became known as the White Night Riots in 1978. White committed suicide in 1985.

The Value of Persistence

Things are moving in the right direction for  LGBTQ+ rights. Certainly miles ahead of where they used to be. Though it is important that we not get complacent. All my Queer brothers and sisters, along with our allies and friends, must keep an eye on things to ensure that the advancements made over the last few decades remain intact.

 

The Alphabet Soup of Sexual Identity

In My Opinion:

The Alphabet Soup of Sexual Identity

By Trevor K. McNeil

Too Far

It might be time to come up with a single word expression to replace the alphabet soup of letters & symbols currently in use

One of the most common subjects of mockery, especially on the right is the ever-expanding series of letter & symbols used to identify humans with non-standard sexual identity.

Times have changed as they tend to do. With that change comes discomfort and usually backlash. Look no further than the political corners of YouTube and Reddit for examples of this.   LGBTTQQIAAP has become a subject of mockery. Especially on the right. The the ever-expanding series of letters used to quickly identify humans who have non-standard sexual identity has lost its practicality. There are now up to as many as eleven letters in its longest form. It is becoming obvious that they have a point. Things have gone slightly off the rails in terms understandable and honorable attempts at representation. Though it is also fair to ask where this all started and how things got to this point.

A Good Idea At The Time

For many years the existence of non-heterosexual sexual identity was generally not acknowledged by mainstream society. This changed in the late 1960’s with events such as the Stonewall Riots in 1969 and the first performance of the openly gay play “The Boys in the Band” on Broadway a year earlier in 1968. In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses. The term “Gay Community” came into use as a non-derogatory way to refer in general to men and women who were not heterosexual.

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2018 Midterms A Democratic Blow Out

2018 Midterms A Democratic Blow Out

Trevor K. McNeil

 

No pressure. The clamor before the election was that the 2018 Midterm elections could be the most important Midterm vote in history. A lot of hype, that may end up being spot on. This, like most things these days, was all the president’s fault. Trump being correct, shocking I know, when he characterized the elections as, effectively, a referendum on him and his administration. He kept telling us that, over and over.

Accepting the challenge. We as a people accepted that challenge, registered a record number of new voters and fielded a strong team of candidates nationwide . We were ready and willing to tell Trump exactly what we think of him and his cabinet of swamp creatures. We were ready for, in fact anxious for, a return to divided government. The ballot box our chosen platform, the 2018 Midterms the first election in which we could flex our muscles.

Taking back the House. The 2018 Midterms elections have given the Democrats control of the House of Representatives for the first time since 2010. Stacking the house against Trump is now the best, legal, way to limit his powers. The people of the country made it clear that is what they expect. And the messy process of hobbling his actions has begun.

Big turn outs across the nation. The 2018 Midterm election turnout is estimated at 113,000,000. That would mean 48% of eligible voters participated. Staggering numbers for a Midterm election, nearly 85,000,000 more than in the 2014 Midterm. People tend to  vote because they are mad. Like I said Trump wanted it to be all about him and that’s exactly what happened.

You can breath again. To call the 2018 Midterms a “roller-coaster” ride is an understatement. Kind of like saying Benedict Arnold had slightly confused loyalties. We will likely be getting results every day for the next couple days, to possibly weeks. California final results may not be available for at least a month.

The courts are the end litigator. Lawsuits have begun in most of the contested states. Why would anyone, Rick Scott and Brian Kemp to mention two Republicans who are determined to sue their way to office want to stop counting ballots. Why would we vote, if they only intend to count some of the votes? Totally absurd. Nelson vs Scott in Florida, Sinema vs McSally in Arizona, Gillum vs DeSantis  in Florida and finally the most riveting, Abrams vs Kemp in Georgia. All nail biters. Some already moving to recount.

A blue dribble vs a blue wave. There is the bad news that the Republicans have held the senate. As 2018 Midterm vote count dribbles in to the history books we have gone from thinking the Republicans would see a big gain of up to 6 seats in the Senate; but now, nearly a week post Midterms, it looks like nothing more than an overall one seat Republican gain..

Gender and diversity the takeaways. The brightest news of the 2018 Midterm election is that a total of 100 women were elected, more than any other election in U.S. history. Notably, the first Native American openly gay woman, Sharice Davids, has been elected to Congress. This upcoming congress will be the most gender, ethnically and racially diverse group in Congressional history. Way to go voters. It is about time that our elected leaders are a reflection of what our society looks like, not a reflection of a dying power center; that of old, mostly, white men.

It takes awhile to get there. The 2018 Midterm election also saw the election of Jared Polis an openly LGBTQ person to represent Colorado in the House of Representatives. Finally making good on the path bravely carved out by Harvey Milk. Harvey Milk who was the first openly LGBTQ person to be elected to public office in 1970’s San Francisco, and he was killed for his efforts.

Percentages can be deceiving. The best news, of course, is that the Democrats took the House, and not by a small amount. The percentages might look close but percentage points count for a lot in elections, each one representing thousands of individual votes. What began looking like a mediocre “trickle” has over the last couple days ballooned into a possible gain of 38-40 seats. In addition to the House successes, the Democrats flipped multiple governor mansions and a staggering number of state legislatures. A mandate many would call it.

A big headache. The Democrats now with great 2018 Midterm success have the power to give the Trump administration a mind bending migraine. The power of the subpoena should make Trump and associates nervous. The American people have thrown up their hands and said, loudly no matter how dirty it gets, they are telling the Dems to clean up the Trump/GOP mess.

Sharpening pencils and registering voters. The 2018 Midterms are only the beginning. Many of the Resistors and the Indivisible folks are sharpening their pencils and are ready to continue their registration drive right up until the 2020 elections. The Senate and the Executive Branch are the targets of the Democrats next flip. If Trump thinks this is going to be a small bump in his presidency, I think he better buckle the proverbial seat belt because it looks like things are gonna get rough.

Looking ahead. We should, of course, celebrate this major victory. Hopefully the Dems can hobble the roaring beast of Trumpism. But, now we stumble into two months of lame duck politics. Matthew Whitaker’s appointment as temporary Attorney General of the United States is just a warning shot by Trump. What he does over the next couple months in this pre-Dem time is open to speculation. He could shoot that guy on Fifth Avenue by the time the new House is seated and what will they do about it?

Some unfortunate facts.Trump is still the president (damn and blast it). The great 2018 Midterm Democratic wins in the state houses around the country will help protect the 2020 election against voter suppression and gerrymandering. But this record-setting election is only the first step in a long journey to the next election. Two years are a long time in politics.  From now until 2020 we need to keep the pressure on this rogue and reckless president.