This Week's Episode

It seems like there must have been an episode of The Office that paralleled the last two weeks in the White House.  If there isn't, that's too bad as this kind of dramedy would play great on a sitcom. Press Secretary Sean Spicer, mad about his new boss, quit in a huff. That new boss, the Mooch (perfect douchebag character name), drunk dialed Ryan Lizza, a reporter for The New Yorker, and unloaded an f-bomb laced assessment of his peers in the White House. Trump's Chief of Staff Reince Priebus "resigned" after that phone call in apparent confirmation of Anthony Scaramucci's take on his effectiveness and was left sitting alone on the tarmac after following his dismissal. To wrap things up, Trump took a few more pot shots at his own Attorney General. Cut to commercial and it's a hilarious episode so far. Of course, it's way less funny since this episode takes place in the real White House where a real, more malevolent version of Michael Scott sits maniacally tweeting within reach of the nuclear football.

The disarray in the administration was the subplot to the main storyline this week which was Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's attempt to cheat the American public out of healthcare. Fortunately, those efforts failed in the eleventh hour when the pure evil being peddled in the so called skinny repeal bill was cut down by three of the Republican's own who simply could not pallate legislative murder.

Arizona Senator John McCain received praise for the "courage" of his no vote. McCain has much to atone for over the last twenty years, most notably inflicting Sarah Palin on the world, but McCain deserves respect for his vote, one of two actions in recent memory on which he's earned it (the other is here). Courage, however, is a word that best applies to Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, the other two Republicans that broke ranks with evil. Collins had the courage to stand against the ACHA from the get go. She wasn't moved by threats or pork barrel bribes. Murkowski's courage to vote no could prove more costly for the Senator and her constituents. Trump has already made it known he may punish Murkowski and the residents of her home state of Alaska for the vote by pulling federal support of energy related projects. In typical misogynistic fashion, Trump has yet to level such threats against McCain.

The angry man baby President will likely do anything in his power to exact a toll for the Trumpcare failure and turn a blind eye to the collateral damage. The low brow mouth, breathing level at which Trump operates doesn't allow him to understand compromise or consider opposing points of view. Retaliation is the strategy he uses to get his way. Trump is driven by a binary definition of win/lose. This drive is so misguided it manifests itself at all levels of his life. Trump is so petty that he has to have one more scoop of ice cream than those around him in order to chalk up a win. Deliberately collapsing the insurance exchanges in an effort to sabotage Obamacare is a decision no different, and no less important to him, than a scoop of ice cream.

After a loss, Trump typically retreats to his comfort zone where he seeks adoration in front of a friendly crowd. Friday was no different when he appeared in front of a gathering of law enforcement officers on Long Island. Trump swaggered around like a frat boy senior holding court over the underclassmen. During his remarks he encouraged police not to worry about injuring suspects during arrests. The fact any President would make these remarks is astonishing, let alone at a time when police shootings of suspects and bystanders is at a critical level.

Trump is a disgrace and a deplorable by any measure. Sadly, the fight against the economic disparity and the intolerance he embraces will continue. The healthcare outcome was either a bright spot or bullet dodged depending on one's optimism but the moment will be short lived as Donald Trump stumbles into the next episode of his sad metaphorical sitcom. Unfortunately, we cannot change the channel and have to wait three more years for the show to be cancelled.