Orange Manbaby

The Kremlin propaganda Trump repeats
finds paltry purchase in his party's ranks.
Control those rubles bought now seems complete
beyond the fondest dreams of Wall Street banks.
Machinery McConnell'd built so strong
has been co-opted by the KGB.
Agenda Mitch can now perceive are wrong
advance without the turtle's by-your-leave.
Americans who don't watch FauxNews know
Ukrainians are waging the West's war.
Against the ancient grasping ursine foe,
they'll have no part of empire anymore.
Those files of Kompromat, so deep and wide
keep Putin's poodle fawning at his side.

succession

McConnell took Mike Johnson by the nose,
and led him through the ways one can obstruct
our legislation like a knotted hose.
His party's over; our republic's fucked.
The rancor of Buchanan's feckless term
still festers in Kentucky's bluegrass heart.
Old lessons half a nation failed to learn
still rending our electorate apart.
Abe Lincoln's legacy has breathed its last
his party's now the one poised to secede.
Confederates enamored of the past
have cast their lot with corporations' greed.
When Cheneys won't break bread with MAGA pigs,
the GOP's past-due to join the Whigs.

Couple of Joes

Joe Manchin stopped Joe Biden's program cold
reflecting how his biggest donors feel.
Two Joes stood up, but one of them looks bold;
the other's way too quick to cut a deal.
For Biden, compromise is statecraft's soul;
no bedrock undergirds him that won't bend.
But Manchin's adamant; he stands for Coal.
His vote's not one on which we can depend.
To flip the Senate would have taken more;
a 50/50 split breaks for the rich.
While Biden haggles with this small-town whore,
our fair republic's heading for the ditch.
As midterms loom, McConnell's feeling good;
he's bought a Manchin in prime neighborhood.

unprincipled

Joe Manchin holds his president in thrall
and he--in turn's--enthralled to Old King Coal.
'Til Biden's "time for boldness" grows some balls
The other Joe's the Joe who's in control.
Obama'd brought him on to soothe the nerves
of mandarins afraid that CHANGE might come
Content with one more empty show of verve;
as long as all his plans would die, undone.
McConnell's useful fool's content to block
all progress 'til the midterms roll around.
Presuming that just running out the clock
will stash such pipe-dreams six feet in the ground.
For decades, Manchin's threatened he might switch
but still, he's loath to be McConnell's bitch.

bickering

As long as Trump's on stage, McConnell's stuck
the party's not obedient to him.
But Marjorie Greene doesn't give a fuck
she has no principle beyond Trump's whim.
The WallStreetJournal sees it's a dead-end
they can't keep Trump and take back Congress, too.
The gibberish the paper can't defend
betrayed no vision what we ought to do.
Democracy presumes that--as adults--
We'd weigh the public good above our own.
That's challenged hard when demagogues and cults
Pretend to know what's best, and they alone.
No platform, and no Healthplan left behind
lends guidance to a party with no mind.

death throes

McConnell hoped to take the mob in hand
surrendering ring-leaders to the court.
But cultist aren't easy to command;
their leash is long, and turtle-arms are short.

The Milton Friedman faction's now at war
within a party that's become a cult.
The sort of bile they dared not spew before
when some of them presented as adult,

Has made a star of Marjorie T. Greene.
The blondest to insist Trump didn't lose,
she blames an international machine
involving lasers, ballot-fraud, and Jews.
As long as leadership gives such kooks gigs
The GOP's on track to join the Whigs.

undoing

A president unfit to do the job
empowers those too dumb to disagree.
Instead of experts, he recruits a mob
to overthrow our own society.
The bank reforms bequeathed by FDR
eroded under Reagan, Clinton, Bush...
until we're on the brink of Civil War

as circus freaks attempt a beergut putsch.
McConnell means to rule what may remain
among the wreckage Trump's sedition wrought.
While most--like Whigs--are circling the drain
a remnant can still hope they won't get caught.
The ancient curse may have foreseen Trump's crimes;
We're doomed to live in interesting times.

Sedition

Impeachment time! McConnell's all upset
Republicans may have to take a stand.
This time, the voting public won't forget;
of all their ilk, Murkowski's the best man.
Their oaths of office bound them to defend
the constitution from all enemies.
Push comes to shove, here at the shitshow's end.
Just Cruz and Hawley take it on their knees.

Twin enemies of the Enlightenment
grasp power any sleazy way they can.
This week, they're overthrowing government

because such choices don't belong to Man.
This vulgar gangster they had hoped to use
now makes them squirm, as they're obliged to choose.

Two-party/no choice

Joe Biden trusts the one-D voter map
that he inherited from Hillary.
Predictably, the correlation's crap
when one proceeds from such a fallacy.
Progressive policies win big in polls
But neither major party wants to hear
Joe's Wall Street donors know they're in control
Between these two old men, there's naught they fear.

And now, it seems the Senate may stay Red
there's nothing that they're going to enact.
Joe's program--if he had one--is born dead.
That's not a loss, but not a "win" in fact.
Trump's gone; that's cause to celebrate!
Now, climate dies while Joe procrastinates.

derailed

Ruth Bader Ginsburg bent the moral arc
towards Justice while she nursed a wisp of breath.
She's gone, and leaves us pathless in the Dark;
Truth's torch lies fallen with Her servants death.
What prairie-fire that brand may yet ignite
is hidden from us in McConnell's gloom.
A nation famished for a glint of light
fears our republic's shambling towards its doom.

Her bench sits empty while McConnell schemes
to seat a judge subservient to men.

An evil turtle's ultimate pipe-dream--
to disenfranchise half the vote, again.
Tripartite government's third leg's too short

until a balanced jurist joins the court.

quorum

McConnell needs a quorum to confirm
a Justice to Ruth Ginsburg's still-warm seat.
A month from now begins his lameduck term
if Democrats can compass his defeat.

A three-seat margin can evaporate
already, two have told us they'll abstain.
As Trump keeps trying to inoculate
more senators, that edge swirls down the drain.
Each day, another minion calls in sick
this virus doesn't care that they're so rich.
Self-quarantine means he can't turn this trick;
the numbers don't look good for Putin's bitch.
Trump's tantrums, petulence, and childish wrath
mean nothing to the epidemic math.

Calvin ball

The wind stays fixed, but Mitch McConnell tacks
abruptly setting course for some new land.
Old oaths he'd sworn are blithely taken back;
one marvels this invertebrate can stand.
His law professors wish he'd rot in Hell;
he gives their whole profession ill repute.
But Mitch disdains them, safe within his shell
while arguing both sides in the dispute.

He now accuses us of "dirty tricks"

for holding him to what he'd said before.
Today, he cares which Party makes the picks;

there's no set rule-book in his tribal war.

The court of nine that's served since Lincoln's day

because of Mitch, may go the Dodo's way.

omens

Our future sports a cyanotic hue
as Covid strikes another thousand dead.
November's wave's far off, but it's deep Blue
No State--except Wyoming's--"safely Red".

McConnell wreaks such mischief as he can,

confirming lifetime judges to the court.
Yet doom's impending for the Turtle-man;
his Yertle-tower's tall, but time grows short.
Such crises come with opportunity;
change isn't probable when life is swell.
Inertia serves the Few with property
until Society has gone to Hell.
Joe's way too fond of bankers for my taste
this crisis is a dreadful thing--to waste.

big test

Two bills Pelosi sent up from the House
adjure the Senate to deliberate.
Two sparks McConnell fiercely wants to douse
before the Light of Truth can propagate.
But--in impeachment--Justice would preside
John Roberts takes the seat from the VP.
By oath, he mustn't favor any side
entrusted with the High Court's legacy.
"Two thirds" is still a daunting hill to climb;
Trump's faction keeps their thumbs firm in their ears.
If once we were to prosecute his crimes
some might vote more on ethics than on fears.
Imperfect vessels of our highest trust
could yet prove our republic's been a bust.

Parties are a bug, not a feature

What Hamilton most feared has come to pass;
one faction holds the Senate in our times
defending tribally it's arrant ass
ignoring evidence of his high crimes.
No public spirit motivates their ranks;
Each votes as Mitch McConnell says they ought.
Unswerving minions to Big Oil and Banks,
their honor has been weighed and--cheaply--bought.
Four dozen voices; scarce a single brain,
Murkowski stands alone, expressing doubt
whose interests got served in the Ukraine.
For which she's urged to "shut up" and "get out".
Appeal to Heaven's still our last resort
if Congress can't comport as fits a court.

uncharted

Impeachment mechanisms are right there;
the House indicts, the Senate tries the case.
Already, Hamilton smelled factions' snare;
allegiances could shrink to just one's "base".
"Ambition must be made to counter-act..."
James Madison refused to give up hope.
Tripartite government could work in fact
(unless we'd vest high office in a dope).
But still, some failures couldn't be foreseen.
A Congress so deficient in its pride--
subservient to White House's machine
--could fail to take the sov'reign People's side.
The Framers sketched no  roadmap for this mess;
the seat McConnell stole leaves no redress.

inflection

Sam Donaldson remembers Nixon well
abusing power for his private ends.
This year, he welcomes Trumpty to this Hell
where we'll find that he doesn't have two friends.
Just Mitch McConnell--staunch guard at his rear--
still promising to quash Pelosi's bills,
stands firm while others slink away in fear
(although he pulls his head into his shell).
Pelosi's counting votes and bides her time;
she won't lob Mitch a slow-pitch he can hit.
Before the Senate's voting on Trump's crime
McConnell's allies might be wise to quit.
A nation's nightmare, played out to the crowd--
'though slow to start--is getting very loud.

loyalist

Pompeo tolerates his boss' lies
in violation of his WestPoint oath.
No moral compass they won't compromise
impinges on the bliss of one, or both.
McConnell holds the Constitution cheap;
he's hitched his cart to Trump's and won't let go.
Accustomed to swear oaths he'll never keep
as long as nothing stops the flow of dough.
No abolitionist could have foreseen
their party'd shed all principle to turn
into this parody of greed obscene
uncaring if our whole republic'd burn.
The Checks and Balances so finely wrought
must fail when all our servants have been bought.

moving forward

Americans can't trust this president
to serve our constitution as one should.
Forever chasing an emolument,
all policy's corrupted for Trump's good.
The demagogue our Founding Fathers feared
might raid our treasury to sway the polls.
But this banality that's now appeared
would threaten life on Earth exacting tolls.
'Though pure democracy's still out of reach,
we've failsafe mechanisms to invoke.
Now madame Speaker's moving to impeach,
McConnell may concede that it's no joke.
A year from now, we'll try GoodGovernance.
But for the nonce, I'd settle for mere Pence.

Loose Lips II

Joe Biden took the senate floor to speak
with perfect faith he'd find something to say.
Without a breath, he'd blather on all week
and too much content just gets in the way.
But video preserves his ev'ry word
to echo awkwardly across the years
a vapid argument he knew absurd
would throw a wrench into Obama's gears.
McConnell took the "Biden Rule" to heart
and swore no nomination will advance;
a confirmation doomed to never start
however perfect,  never got a chance.
Mitch seized Joe's precedent and deemed it firm
to grant Obama 3/5 of a term