I'm a retired attorney who has done some work in Constitutional Law, and I completely agree with you Mr. Ornstein. With each passing day and the next outrageous lie and act by this demagogue - WITH HIS PARTY'S APPROVAL- I feel like I'm sleepwalking in 1930's Germany. German conservatives then prevailed upon President von Hindenberg to appoint Hitler Chancellor, thinking they could control him and take advantage of his popularity. We know how that ended.
I never thought that one of the Country's two political parties would be taken over by such evil men. I don't use the word "evil" lightly, in fact I've never used it in reference to any American political leader - until now. Political leaders who cowardly sit in a corner nodding approval to an evil power-drunk wannabe-autocrat, tacitly enabling his illicit consolidation of power, are to my mind evil. Hitler rose to power because many of those who knew better and in a position to do something, decided to cower from the bully - until it was too late. History will be very unkind to cowards like Mitch McConnell, John Thune, and Mike Johnson.
Many on the right think making reference to Hitler and National Socialism is alarmist and exaggerated. But consider: if you teleported Trump back to 1930's Germany, and gave him all of the power that Hitler was able to consolidate, would he take it? I think the answer is obvious. He'd probably proceed to cancel elections because of "insurrections" happening in blue cities, he'd need just one Pam Bondi to tell him that the Constitutional prohibition against a third term didn't apply to him because of "exceptional circumstances," he'd think he was absolutely, vitally needed to combat "communists" and "liberals," and he'd stifle legitimate political dissent and use the power of his office to cow his critics. I think Trump is an evil man.
And Trump now has his “Brown Shirts” , ICE , his personal army of armed thugs. All he needs is a Reichstag fire, so he’s ginning up his own national emergency by inciting resistance in the streets.
Drogan1, I have had exactly the same nightmares as you. What I see is Trump replaying the Fuehrher's game plan. I ask myself how the American electorate be so blind or so dumb? Apparently. We are content with a autocracy or dictatorship.
It was shocking watching Bondi refusing to answer any questions about Epstein, the Tom Homan bribery sting, the weaponized DOJ indictments of Comey and Letitia James, and pretty much everything else. The utter refusal of the GOP's Grassley to at least require her to be civil and even partially answer any questions was telling.
Even GOP senators not up for reelection until '28 or '30 are cravenly obeying Trump's every whim. It's disgusting.
The two keys are side by side. It's a legitimate and reasonable error. Besides, we knew what you meant. All of that gaudy kitsch is repulsive - like the resident.
Gee, I couldn’t help but notice that my Senator, Chuck Grassley (first elected to the Senate in 1980), is not listed among the stalwart patriotic members of the GOP that you mentioned.
I wonder if Simpson, Domenici, McCain or any of the other dedicated Senators in your essay recognized back then how little substance Grassley embodied, and the depths to which he would eventually sink in dishonoring the Senate.
Mr. Ornstein, you have had a distinguished and honorable career, like some of those you name. My daughter worked as an intern in the Senate Office of Pete Domenici, as she got her first exposure to public life over three decades ago. Those times are over. Is it so hard for more people to see that government and governance have collapsed? All three branches of government are in dire straits. The Executive now consists of agents and enforcers of a would-be strongman who pursues vengeance and a mindless agenda driven by resentments and inability to understand any policy area, over-riding the law and court decisions. He and his family and cronies make money hand over fist in activities (e.g. crypto coins) which would strike normal people as corrupt if they paid attention. The foreign policy of the United States, its trading partnerships and military alliances, its reputation as a democracy and upholder of a global order based on human rights, are all in tatters. Congress is dominated by the president's party, a cult of slavish opportunists. The Supreme Court majority seems to be in the pockets of the president and major donors with whom it aligns in practically every case - riding roughshod over normal principles, precedents, and respect for democracy and the preservation of the Republic. What hope is there in the current system? Least of all for those who are not privileged, powerful, and wealthy or well-connected...even forgetting about the millions of children who die in Africa or other poor countries with USAID murdered in the light of day.
Integrity is the foundation of trust, credibility, and principled action. In any institution, including the U.S. Senate, integrity means putting the greater good and the institution’s mission above personal gain, short-term partisan wins, or fear of political retribution.
When senators prioritize party messaging, electoral security, or obstructionist tactics over their duties, integrity erodes. The consequences are clear: gridlock, a weakened ability to address pressing national issues, and public cynicism about governance. Without integrity, the Senate stops being a deliberative body—it becomes a theater for performance politics.
An excellent piece of writing. Since when has 'advise and consent' been perverted to 'aid and abet'? This is apparently what we are seeing. You mentioned one word, honor. Where is it? Congress dishonors their constituents by not doing the peoples' business. They do not rein in an out-of-control Executive with the powers of checks and balances ascribed to them. They have abrogated constitutionally ordered duties to the President. This is not why we elected them.
We keep repeating history and the stories of men and women who support the overthrow of democracy because they are racist or fundamentalist in their religious beliefs. We speak of politicians who are willing to support a dictator, because he is willing to hate what they do, and regardless of the consequences, they relish in their victory.
Yet, we never comment on those within the established religions who remain silent during this insurrection, because they, too, hate and fear as politicians do. But we accept their silence, one would assume, because we never think of them. Those who are in the churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples hold their power to address evil in the name of their God, yet care nothing for the destruction of human life around them.
We remained silent when the Democrats took over after 8 years of the Bush administration, testing the waters with torture and more, for the ultimate Heritage manifesto, and had absolutely no planned agenda ready to implement. No plan to address those who used torture, aping the German Fascists! We also remained silent when Obama and the Democrats controlled the three branches of government, and never raised the minimum wage or even ended the filibuster.
Now we have a sitting Dictator, who controls what once may have been a Congress, and a SCOTUS that agrees with supporting that Dictator. Now we are realizing that all of the very things that we remained silent toward, and all of the lack of concern for what was becoming obvious during the Bush years, have become our reality. Even now, there are things we could be doing, like calling out the religious leaders or hiring people to write on Republican and conservative sites, as an alternative to the media reports on Trump. To counter the lies!
But we continue talking about history. Sharing our perceived pain and using it as a band-aid for our suffering. The truth is that we are at war, a Civil War, and we have not yet accepted that truth. We still believe that if we just keep talking among ourselves, there will still be a mid-term election. Do we actually believe that Trump, the Republicans, and the SCOTUS will allow the possibility of defeat next year?
Progressive Christians ARE speaking out, in pulpit and in rallies and in newspaper editorials and religious publications. Unfortunately, the Christian Nationalists command the airspace and progressive Christians are largely ignored.
Yes, I guess you are correct. Even the new Pope is commenting. However, as you note, the media is owned by MAGA . That said, like comments regarding politicians, there are still ways to address this coup. I am aware of at least 2 Cardinals in the Catholic Church who have supported Trump. And we know how the Jewish community and Israel support him. They have congregations that could be openly speaking out against them. There could also be protests by not going to a mass or synagogue service, by protesting outside. There are ways, but we have no leaders who are promoting the types of actions needed to fight this war! The question we all need to ask ourselves is, do we care, and if we do, then we need to talk the talk, and then walk it too!
I have to chuckle. I'm an atheist ex-Catholic who needs zero help understanding right from wrong, and in doing so, accept my obligation to tip the scales to the side of right. If we all did our part as humans, all would be well.
I'm optimistic that the Repugnican'ts won't control the Congress and White House forever. And I hope that when the day comes, the Democratic majority will acct in unison to fix these problems instead of breaking up into factions and thereby become their own worst enemy.
100% agree with you Norm, but frankly, if the Dems would get off of their duffs, stop living in the past, and get tough, and I mean tough, Congress would have to change. The behavior of Bondi was absolutely outrageous and should be constituted as being illegal for her Cabinet position. She answers to the people, i.e. Congress, and yet, was snarky, insulting, uncooperative, and attacking. And the Repubs just sit there with no partisan support???? And they wouldn't be if the Dems were showing some strength and resolve. They simply are not. Meetings are not it. Memos are not it. Pleasant conversation and trying to resolve issues hasn't worked for a very long time. It's time, and well passed time, for the Dems to start getting organized (Maga has), attacking their inner core of organization, gathering evidence of their illegal actions, supporting community and state law enforcement and other groups that are trying to fight this tyranny, and fully prepare for next year's election. If they do not change their way of thinking and realize what the other side is doing and what they are very capable of doing, we are lost.
Fully with you there. The way to win is to do a 180. Rebrand through actions and attitude. I'm not talking being combative, but insisting on the law and decorum. Yes, decorum. We the people deserve a civil government that presents an example to society. There's no reason both parties can't be forceful without being assholes.
"There is not a single Republican in the Senate now who could fill the shoes of a Lugar, McCain, Simpson, Snowe, Baker, Kassebaum, or Domenici." Amen! The entire Congress, now controlled by the Republicans, are abdicating their duty to their constituents to instead fall in line for whatever the Wannabe King Trump desires. The "clown car" derision is wholey apt and justified, and their protestations are falling on deaf ears of many disgruntled and disgusted Americans. VOTE THE TRUMP LOYALISTS OUT TO SAVE OUR COUNTRY!
I missed & want to see/hear Mon Oct 13 “Coffee With The Contrarians” - help please, I can’t find it. I’m a paid subscriber so should have “after” access. Thanks ……
Thank you for your frank comments, Norm Ornstein. What a shame that our Senators no longer work honorably and seriously for us or advise the president as necessary. Though I have not always agreed with Sen. John Cornyn of TX I had respected him and hoped he had our best interest in mind for his elected position. I no longer believe that and was disgusted with the lies in the letter sent from his office as a reply to my request that he not vote for the OBBB.
I'm a retired attorney who has done some work in Constitutional Law, and I completely agree with you Mr. Ornstein. With each passing day and the next outrageous lie and act by this demagogue - WITH HIS PARTY'S APPROVAL- I feel like I'm sleepwalking in 1930's Germany. German conservatives then prevailed upon President von Hindenberg to appoint Hitler Chancellor, thinking they could control him and take advantage of his popularity. We know how that ended.
I never thought that one of the Country's two political parties would be taken over by such evil men. I don't use the word "evil" lightly, in fact I've never used it in reference to any American political leader - until now. Political leaders who cowardly sit in a corner nodding approval to an evil power-drunk wannabe-autocrat, tacitly enabling his illicit consolidation of power, are to my mind evil. Hitler rose to power because many of those who knew better and in a position to do something, decided to cower from the bully - until it was too late. History will be very unkind to cowards like Mitch McConnell, John Thune, and Mike Johnson.
Many on the right think making reference to Hitler and National Socialism is alarmist and exaggerated. But consider: if you teleported Trump back to 1930's Germany, and gave him all of the power that Hitler was able to consolidate, would he take it? I think the answer is obvious. He'd probably proceed to cancel elections because of "insurrections" happening in blue cities, he'd need just one Pam Bondi to tell him that the Constitutional prohibition against a third term didn't apply to him because of "exceptional circumstances," he'd think he was absolutely, vitally needed to combat "communists" and "liberals," and he'd stifle legitimate political dissent and use the power of his office to cow his critics. I think Trump is an evil man.
And Trump now has his “Brown Shirts” , ICE , his personal army of armed thugs. All he needs is a Reichstag fire, so he’s ginning up his own national emergency by inciting resistance in the streets.
I think he believed (hoped) the Charlie Kirk's assassination would be Trump Reichstag Fire.
Thank you!
Drogan1, I have had exactly the same nightmares as you. What I see is Trump replaying the Fuehrher's game plan. I ask myself how the American electorate be so blind or so dumb? Apparently. We are content with a autocracy or dictatorship.
Looking at all that golf in the oval office makes me want to throw up.
As to fascist senators, I'm amazed any of them have children, what with no balls.....
It was shocking watching Bondi refusing to answer any questions about Epstein, the Tom Homan bribery sting, the weaponized DOJ indictments of Comey and Letitia James, and pretty much everything else. The utter refusal of the GOP's Grassley to at least require her to be civil and even partially answer any questions was telling.
Even GOP senators not up for reelection until '28 or '30 are cravenly obeying Trump's every whim. It's disgusting.
Nothing anyone in the fascist party does shocks me anymore. Especially not fake B(l)ondi.
She was FL AG 2011-2019; and sat on all the Epstein files during that time. No wonder she's stonewalling their release.
Sorry, GOLD - not golf. Getting sloppy in my old age.
The two keys are side by side. It's a legitimate and reasonable error. Besides, we knew what you meant. All of that gaudy kitsch is repulsive - like the resident.
I just assumed there was more golf memorabilia than gilt :)
...and zero care for their futures.
Very good point, especially since they call themselves the "pro-life" party.
Gee, I couldn’t help but notice that my Senator, Chuck Grassley (first elected to the Senate in 1980), is not listed among the stalwart patriotic members of the GOP that you mentioned.
I wonder if Simpson, Domenici, McCain or any of the other dedicated Senators in your essay recognized back then how little substance Grassley embodied, and the depths to which he would eventually sink in dishonoring the Senate.
Mr. Ornstein, you have had a distinguished and honorable career, like some of those you name. My daughter worked as an intern in the Senate Office of Pete Domenici, as she got her first exposure to public life over three decades ago. Those times are over. Is it so hard for more people to see that government and governance have collapsed? All three branches of government are in dire straits. The Executive now consists of agents and enforcers of a would-be strongman who pursues vengeance and a mindless agenda driven by resentments and inability to understand any policy area, over-riding the law and court decisions. He and his family and cronies make money hand over fist in activities (e.g. crypto coins) which would strike normal people as corrupt if they paid attention. The foreign policy of the United States, its trading partnerships and military alliances, its reputation as a democracy and upholder of a global order based on human rights, are all in tatters. Congress is dominated by the president's party, a cult of slavish opportunists. The Supreme Court majority seems to be in the pockets of the president and major donors with whom it aligns in practically every case - riding roughshod over normal principles, precedents, and respect for democracy and the preservation of the Republic. What hope is there in the current system? Least of all for those who are not privileged, powerful, and wealthy or well-connected...even forgetting about the millions of children who die in Africa or other poor countries with USAID murdered in the light of day.
Integrity is the foundation of trust, credibility, and principled action. In any institution, including the U.S. Senate, integrity means putting the greater good and the institution’s mission above personal gain, short-term partisan wins, or fear of political retribution.
When senators prioritize party messaging, electoral security, or obstructionist tactics over their duties, integrity erodes. The consequences are clear: gridlock, a weakened ability to address pressing national issues, and public cynicism about governance. Without integrity, the Senate stops being a deliberative body—it becomes a theater for performance politics.
An excellent piece of writing. Since when has 'advise and consent' been perverted to 'aid and abet'? This is apparently what we are seeing. You mentioned one word, honor. Where is it? Congress dishonors their constituents by not doing the peoples' business. They do not rein in an out-of-control Executive with the powers of checks and balances ascribed to them. They have abrogated constitutionally ordered duties to the President. This is not why we elected them.
We keep repeating history and the stories of men and women who support the overthrow of democracy because they are racist or fundamentalist in their religious beliefs. We speak of politicians who are willing to support a dictator, because he is willing to hate what they do, and regardless of the consequences, they relish in their victory.
Yet, we never comment on those within the established religions who remain silent during this insurrection, because they, too, hate and fear as politicians do. But we accept their silence, one would assume, because we never think of them. Those who are in the churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples hold their power to address evil in the name of their God, yet care nothing for the destruction of human life around them.
We remained silent when the Democrats took over after 8 years of the Bush administration, testing the waters with torture and more, for the ultimate Heritage manifesto, and had absolutely no planned agenda ready to implement. No plan to address those who used torture, aping the German Fascists! We also remained silent when Obama and the Democrats controlled the three branches of government, and never raised the minimum wage or even ended the filibuster.
Now we have a sitting Dictator, who controls what once may have been a Congress, and a SCOTUS that agrees with supporting that Dictator. Now we are realizing that all of the very things that we remained silent toward, and all of the lack of concern for what was becoming obvious during the Bush years, have become our reality. Even now, there are things we could be doing, like calling out the religious leaders or hiring people to write on Republican and conservative sites, as an alternative to the media reports on Trump. To counter the lies!
But we continue talking about history. Sharing our perceived pain and using it as a band-aid for our suffering. The truth is that we are at war, a Civil War, and we have not yet accepted that truth. We still believe that if we just keep talking among ourselves, there will still be a mid-term election. Do we actually believe that Trump, the Republicans, and the SCOTUS will allow the possibility of defeat next year?
Yes. We do. See you October 18th.
Believing it is possible is essential to making it possible!
Progressive Christians ARE speaking out, in pulpit and in rallies and in newspaper editorials and religious publications. Unfortunately, the Christian Nationalists command the airspace and progressive Christians are largely ignored.
Yes, I guess you are correct. Even the new Pope is commenting. However, as you note, the media is owned by MAGA . That said, like comments regarding politicians, there are still ways to address this coup. I am aware of at least 2 Cardinals in the Catholic Church who have supported Trump. And we know how the Jewish community and Israel support him. They have congregations that could be openly speaking out against them. There could also be protests by not going to a mass or synagogue service, by protesting outside. There are ways, but we have no leaders who are promoting the types of actions needed to fight this war! The question we all need to ask ourselves is, do we care, and if we do, then we need to talk the talk, and then walk it too!
I have to chuckle. I'm an atheist ex-Catholic who needs zero help understanding right from wrong, and in doing so, accept my obligation to tip the scales to the side of right. If we all did our part as humans, all would be well.
I'm optimistic that the Repugnican'ts won't control the Congress and White House forever. And I hope that when the day comes, the Democratic majority will acct in unison to fix these problems instead of breaking up into factions and thereby become their own worst enemy.
100% agree with you Norm, but frankly, if the Dems would get off of their duffs, stop living in the past, and get tough, and I mean tough, Congress would have to change. The behavior of Bondi was absolutely outrageous and should be constituted as being illegal for her Cabinet position. She answers to the people, i.e. Congress, and yet, was snarky, insulting, uncooperative, and attacking. And the Repubs just sit there with no partisan support???? And they wouldn't be if the Dems were showing some strength and resolve. They simply are not. Meetings are not it. Memos are not it. Pleasant conversation and trying to resolve issues hasn't worked for a very long time. It's time, and well passed time, for the Dems to start getting organized (Maga has), attacking their inner core of organization, gathering evidence of their illegal actions, supporting community and state law enforcement and other groups that are trying to fight this tyranny, and fully prepare for next year's election. If they do not change their way of thinking and realize what the other side is doing and what they are very capable of doing, we are lost.
Fully with you there. The way to win is to do a 180. Rebrand through actions and attitude. I'm not talking being combative, but insisting on the law and decorum. Yes, decorum. We the people deserve a civil government that presents an example to society. There's no reason both parties can't be forceful without being assholes.
Alabama has the worst 2 senators up there. Tommy Tuberville is an idiot and Katie Britt was bought out by Richard Shelby.
"There is not a single Republican in the Senate now who could fill the shoes of a Lugar, McCain, Simpson, Snowe, Baker, Kassebaum, or Domenici." Amen! The entire Congress, now controlled by the Republicans, are abdicating their duty to their constituents to instead fall in line for whatever the Wannabe King Trump desires. The "clown car" derision is wholey apt and justified, and their protestations are falling on deaf ears of many disgruntled and disgusted Americans. VOTE THE TRUMP LOYALISTS OUT TO SAVE OUR COUNTRY!
I missed & want to see/hear Mon Oct 13 “Coffee With The Contrarians” - help please, I can’t find it. I’m a paid subscriber so should have “after” access. Thanks ……
Thank you for your frank comments, Norm Ornstein. What a shame that our Senators no longer work honorably and seriously for us or advise the president as necessary. Though I have not always agreed with Sen. John Cornyn of TX I had respected him and hoped he had our best interest in mind for his elected position. I no longer believe that and was disgusted with the lies in the letter sent from his office as a reply to my request that he not vote for the OBBB.