coward

Paul Ryan's reputation's built on gas;
he's no grand strategist, to think deep thoughts.
The economics he pulls out his ass
comport with what the season's donors bought.
But now, he's quit, retired at forty-eight
invertebrate crawled back beneath his rock.
While others sweat to make this country great
he'll never have to punch another clock.
Without a spine, he never took a stand; 
however money spoke, he'd never balk.
His legacy's been written in dry sand;
no evidence he ever walked the walk.
Whatever hopes Wisconsin vest in him,
his finest effort's all saved for the gym.

rumblings

Paul Ryan hasn't 'ceded that he'll quit
but neither has he bothered to campaign.
He'd need a less exalted place to sit
as his majority swirls down the drain.
The Speaker's office, where the greats held court
will host a caucus hostile to his view.
The pendulum brings a whole new cohort;
as midterms paint the Legislature Blue.
The scandals that long smoldered, blaze to fire
no candidate survives the Trump's embrace.
Unprecedented numbers will retire;
a wave of Freshmen stands to sweep this race.
Pelosi dreams the gavel's once more hers
but no one (whom she hasn't bought) concurs.

ambition

Paul Ryan's scoping out his next campaign
too long, his ego has been chafing, pent
-up, wasted in the service of plain Jane
-sville. Donors want him to be president.
For such a leap, he'll find no precedence
House Speaker's plainly after the VP
Bob Mueller'd have to take out Trump and Pence
before succession fell to number three.
But lately,Trump's been stoking up that dream
offending allies crucial to this fight
unable to consolidate a team
his instinct's to divide, not to unite.
A nation's sickened by this latest turn
when all we really wanted was the Bern.

strange bedfellows

Paul Ryan blames the leakers, not the Press
despite Jeff Sessions baying for jihad
John Kelly gets to mop up Spicer's mess;
our journalists are sacred (next to God).
The Federalists knew we'd have to read
and argue through the issues of our day
to safeguard our republic from the greed
of those who'd rig the game through pay-to-play.
And now, Trump's ship's so plainly going down,
the Speaker wants some daylight 'tween the two
unhitching his career from this sad clown
before his gavel goes to someone new
opposing Trump makes opposites allies
as more Americans see through their lies

home to roost

Paul Ryan's base could split if Donald balks
but how to keep this jackass in the tent
if he's not nominee, the Donald walks
and Democrats can name a president
obstructionism got them in these straits
their voters want to throw the rascals out
less policies than scapegoats, lies, and hates
could cost them this election in a rout
his posture as the party's intellect
has put Paul Ryan in a sticky spot
the man the rabble seem bent to elect
has made the Speaker's seat abruptly hot
while party bosses play partisan games
our civic system's going down in flames