Category: Politics and Government

Maybe Sesame Street Has An Answer

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How Best to Understand This Administration

Remember Sesame Street And The Alphabet?

You may remember that Sesame Street has offered sessions that focus on one letter of the alphabet, with examples of how that letter could be used to spell words. Given the constant mess and communications kerfuffle that is the Trump administration, maybe the Sesame Street approach of one focus at a time might help.

So, ladies and gentlemen, let us consider The Letter C – a letter with TONS of applications for this administration. We will look at a few of them today.

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Reduce Government Size and Increase Efficiency?

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We Have An Excellent Example of How To Do That – If That Is Really The Goal

The Trump/Musk “Reform” Model

By now, most people seem to have figured out that the current administration’s goal for the government has little to do with government efficiency or effectiveness but is solely focused on downsizing as an end unto itself. Still, there are folks who continue to support the effort because they really do want a more efficient government, and they hope the DOGE rampage will at least help make it happen. Good luck with that hope.

 Revisiting The Purpose Of All This Effort

 So,

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Two “Teams” To Get America Right

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One for Action, One for Resources. Both to Help America

Shades of 1992

Anyone remember 1992? A small state governor named Bill Clinton surprised a lot of people that year. Having won a bruising primaries battle, he became the Democratic Presidential nominee, and he won. A lot of factors were at work in that election, but one cornerstone was that Clinton set himself up as a “New Democrat,” focusing on centrist politics connected with Democratic values, inclusiveness, and good governance. The theme scratched an itch in America and the man won.

He was surely helped by the fact that George Bush was not that great a campaigner and Ross Perot picked up a lot of votes.

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6 Steps the Democrats Need to Execute (And 3 For You)

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A Good Date to Begin All This?  Yesterday

Where Things Stand Today

One of the common frustrations I hear (and share) is that the Democrats generally have been slow in countering the Trump administration and in communicating with America. To be sure, they have few options or levers in Washington, but it is a fair criticism that the movement to make things better has been slow and disconnected. Anyone who bothered to read Plan 2025 is not surprised at the steps and pace of the Trump administration. We knew pretty much what was coming and that a very rapid full court press was a key to their strategy.

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A Special Edition for Agents of Reason

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The news is filled everyday with thousands more firings of government employees. The process clearly has zero connections to efficiency or effectiveness. There is no analysis underlying any of this – just a race to see how many people they can fire before sanity reasserts itself. Today a federal judge said all this was illegal and directed these people be brought back to work. Time will tell what happens next.

But in the meantime, let’s take a moment and look beyond a failed process, beyond the impact on government and our country. Let’s look at one person’s story about what it is like to be caught in this meat grinder disguised as policy.

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A Little Reading Might Help

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Recommended Reading to Help Understand, Resist, Rebuild

First, A Little Detour

Before we begin our main discussion, I wanted to share a separate thought with you. Many of us will remember that a lot of people enjoy playing the game of determining what is someone’s “spirit animal.” I sort of gave that up when I told people I thought theirs might be a sloth or a skunk, and they did not take it well. But over the past few days, I think we can agree on Trump’s spirit animal. I think it is the common house cat.

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WHAT YOU GET WHEN ONE ISSUE GROUPS PUT UNQUALIFIED PEOPLE IN CHARGE

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The Musk Mess Is Epically Destructive – And Completely Predictable

The Musk & Company Cuts

People are, at different paces and levels of attention, are beginning to figure out that the chainsaw cuts in government generated by DOGE are about as ineffective – and stupid – as one could imagine. Even people who really would like to see large government cuts are slowly but surely figuring out none of this works as it is being done.

A couple of framing thoughts to keep in mind.

First, the idea of looking for opportunities to increase government efficiency and to save costs is never a bad idea.

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There Is A Champagne Shortage

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No, Not Here. In Moscow and Beijing

“I Can’t Believe Our Good Luck”

That must be the phrase being repeated daily in the capitals of Russia and China. In just the first couple of weeks, the Republican administration has gone to a European security conference and first offered up everything the Russians could hope for out of Ukraine, with nothing demanded in turn. Our new not ready for prime time Defense Secretary was a one man disaster at the conference. He was clueless as to what the situation demanded. So much for American leadership.

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In Case You Missed It

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Cruelty Is Not A Byproduct – It’s The Point

Government by Trump

As has been noted widely, there is a lot of chaos and confusion around government a la Trump. That is not surprising. We saw that last time and expected even more of all that on this round. Part of that is Trump’s nature – he thrives on conflict, anger, resentment, and confusion. Part of that is strategy – keeping people confused and feeling overwhelmed gives team Trump more maneuvering room to get done what they hope to accomplish.

Two other pillars of this bunch are cruelty and destruction.

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Odds and Ends

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Notes on Assorted Topics- Mostly Politics, But Not All

The Gutting Of Government is Well Underway

As expected, the taking of hatchets to government is under way at full throttle. As one would expect from a Trump initiative, it is being done with zero thought to impacts or smooth execution. Just ripping things and people apart. It is worth noting that this is being done for several reasons, and those reasons tell you who is driving the processes and why.

There are the Plan 2025 people, led by the nominated Director of OMB,

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