Trump Times Entry 176 – Bigly Budget Win

Bigly Budget Win

May 3, 2017

The Democrats are so mean to the Donald. Just ask him – he’ll tweet about it all night long. Just yesterday, they helped pass a budget (a Republican budget) that makes our snowflake Trump look bad and, as we know, the Donald gotta good.

Yeah, the latest, six-month budget wasn’t a big win for the Donald. He got no money for his wall, Planned Parenthood funding was increased and his domestic spending cut demands were ignored. The Donald’s pissed about that whole “check and balance” thing, not to mention the Senate filibuster rule (when it’s used against him, that it). He thinks it’s time to change the rules, now that he’s in charge.

Fortunately, for the moment, Republicans fear chanting voters more than a Tweeting Trump. Probably because over the last few weeks citizens have taken the opportunity to remind them that voters do the hiring and firing – not the Donald. I suspect hearing “Your last term!” chanted at town hall meetings may have gained their attention. (Though some particularly spineless reps, like Paul Ryan, have solved that little problem by not holding town halls. A few have even taken to hiding from their constituents altogether – lurking in the shadows, like the cowards they are.)

Showing off their typical lack of strategic thinking, the Democrats have been celebratory. Let’ see, they control NOTHING: House – minority, Senate – minority, Supreme Court – minority, President – Republican. This is no time for a victory lap about not getting run-over on a temporary budget bill! Plus, there’s no satisfaction in pissing Trump off when he’s already pissed off. Come on, the guy has only two moods: chocolate-cake happy and tiny-hand-hovering-over-the-big-red-button angry.

Democrats, stop celebrating near victory (BTW, the rest of us call that a loss) and nail the asshat; then pile on all you want. We’ll understand. Lock him up and we’ll be impressed. Win a few elections and we’ll stop assuming you’re irrelevant. Do something! You didn’t win the budget battle, your voters did – by scaring the Republicans. So, get over yourselves!

Oh my, I seemed to have joined the Donald in yelling at the Democrats. And I understand the attraction – it feels good to criticize someone other than Trump for a change. I mean, for the last one-hundred-seventy-six days, since our Russian enhanced election, it’s been Trump this, the Donald that. You’d think he were the only problem in Washington.

The republic knows better. While the Republicans cooperated this time around, remember they will gladly get on-board the Trump train the moment they think we’re not watching. Trump is an easy, bright orange, target – congress prefers the dark and deserves equal attention.

In Peace and Justice,
osv

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Trump Times Entry 129 – The Decoy Budget

The Decoy Budget

March 17, 2017

All righty then, just when we thought Trump and his merry band of tricksters couldn’t sink any lower, they prove us wrong. On the tail end of a week riddled with Russian intrigue, healthcare slight-of-hand and bearing false witness the production team that brought us not one, but two, unconstitutional population control orders has dreamed up a budget. And it’s everything we expected and more.

Before I proceed, I feel it important to note: the president does not get to set the budget. Congress handles the money. Period. The Donald gets to make a budget request, but Congress does not have to honor his requests and they don’t need his permission to spend our money. Congress holds the purse strings. (I wonder if anyone has been brave enough to tell Trump about this, additional, constitutional inconvenience.)

Hence, Trump’s budget is really more of a wish list – kind of a glimpse into the vision Trump has for our fair land. And, after one-hundred-twenty-nine days of post-election mystery we appreciate the Donald finally sharing.

Trump’s fantasy budget increases military spending by $54 billion, burns up $2.6 billion more on a wall down-payment and tosses in an additional $314 million for more immigration enforcement. So, that’s like $57 billion in new spending – give or take.

To offset some of the the cost of all that firepower the budget eliminates programs like Community Services Block Grants, Habitat for Humanity, Corporation for Public Broadcasting and National Endowment for the Arts – to name a few. The budget also slashes funding to EPA, NASA, oceanic and atmospheric research and nurse training programs.

Of particular interest is the $6 billion cut from the National Institute of Health budget. I guess after Trump-care gets enacted we won’t need health related research anymore, another Trump win-win. (I am, indeed, tired of all the winning.)

So, war toys are in this budget season, but social welfare programs and scientific research are out. Got it. I wonder what he plans to do with all that military hardware. Hmm…

The republic doesn’t understand the Donald’s desire to play soldier. Back when he was invited to serve with the rest of us, he just hid behind deferments.

In Peace and Justice,
osv