The Horror, The Horror (Of Trump's Cabinet Picks)

These are troubling times, dear readers, and I fear we are about to be deeply screwed.

Much like he is for his buddy Vladi Putin, the thing-who-will-be-president is proving to be a useful idiot for the far-right Republican wingnuts.  With Steve Bannon in his ear, his Cabinet picks so far are a conservative's wet dream of inexperienced ideologues, loyalists, and patronage.

The horrifying nominees to date:

Jeff Sessions for Attorney General -- Pinhead Alabama Senator.  A racist, anti-immigrant, mean old SOB so prejudiced he could not win confirmation as a federal judge.  At dinner, will he put the napkin on his lap or cut eye-holes in it and wear it on his face?

Tom Price for Secretary of Health & Human Services -- Tea Bag Georgia Representative.  Former doctor and major hater of ObamaCare.  As Health Secretary, his only purpose will be to strip 20 million Americans of their health care.  How unhealthy, how inhumane, how cruel.

Steve Mnuchin for Treasury Secretary -- Slimy ex-Goldman Sachs partner and hedge fund guru who personally profited from the housing meltdown.  Now a Hollywood mover-and-shaker.  "Let's do lunch and talk about how the Great Recession was great -- for me!"

Betsy DeVos for Education Secretary -- Billionaire donor, Amway wife, tan mom, and Calvinist religious nut.  Opponent of public education, and strong proponent of for-profit Christian charter schools.  Her husband Richard believes creationism should be taught in our schools.  Very educational.

Wilbur Ross for Commerce Secretary -- Fossilized billionaire and vulture capitalist.  Specialty is buying struggling companies for a song, ruthlessly downsizing and outsourcing, then selling the remnants for a profit.  Now that's what I call commerce!

Elaine Chao for Transportation Secretary -- Well, she does have some governmental experience.  On the other hand, she's friggin' Mitch McConnell's wife, for cryin' out loud!  Mrs. Cecil.  Uh, yup.  And she's Asian too.  Look!  Diversity!




Unless a few Republican Senators grow a spine, all these backward-yearning nominees are assured of confirmation.  In 2013, frustrated by years of Republican obstruction of all of Obama's nominations to the federal judiciary, Democratic leader Harry Reid went for the "nuclear option" and passed a new Senate rule to allow judges (non-SCOTUS) and Cabinet appointments to be confirmed with a simple majority instead of the previous three-fifths majority.

That was understandable and OK, but what goes around comes around, and now -- the Senate is 52 R - 48 D -- there's no way to stop these deplorables unless three or more Republican Senators find their long-lost conscience and vote against these abominations.  (Chao is OK, but the rest are most definitely not.)

Any suggestions on how to cope with this madness, please let me know.  Please.
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