Dear John and Ted,

I know you won’t actually read this entire letter (if at all) so I’ll put the demand to each of you up front:

GET OFF YOU ASS AND DO YOUR GODDAM JOB.

Let’s be perfectly clear: Donald Trump promised the American people that he would build a “big beautiful wall” along the entire US/Mexico border and that Mexico would pay for it. First, the notion of a 5th century solution to a 21st century problem is idiotic on the face, and everyone, except for mindless sycophants, knew that.  Second, the promise that Mexico would pay for this farce was bullshit, and everyone, except for the same mindless sycophants, knew that, too.  If each you had just a moment of frank honesty, each of you would concede that even the concept of Trump’s wall is stupid.

Now that we’ve established the idiocy of this notion, let’s talk about the greater idiocy of shutting down the federal government for politics.  ALLOWING the president to do it is worse, and each of you are complicit.  Let’s be more specific – the fact that 800,000 federal employees are not being paid is outrageous.  Requiring almost HALF of those employees to continue working without pay is unimaginable by normal people.  The fact that each of you have defended this negligence and criminality is also unimaginable.

The risk to the US economy is clear to anyone who understands basic arithmetic; every day this catastrophe is allowed to continue, billions of dollars get flushed down the toilet.  Unseen, though, is the risk to millions of Americans caused by this shutdown.  The federal air traffic system is at great threat;  air traffic controllers, who are working unpaid in a high stress job also now have unpaid overtime forced on them due to high absence rate, presumably because many controllers are having to work other jobs to put food on the table. It’s only a matter of time when one of these overworked and overstressed controllers makes a mistake; the results of that mistake can be catastrophic.  Like controllers, TSA agents are working without pay.  The front line of our security system is weakened by overwork and the stress of not getting paid.  The Coast Guard, who has responsibility for protecting our ocean fronts and maritime shipping, is unpaid.  The FBI is now seriously hamstrung in protecting us from terrorists to other criminals because of this shutdown. It goes on and on, and the fact that you are allowing this kind of flagrant risk taking is unconscionable.

Ignoring fact that Trump is singularly unqualified from holding any public office, much less the presidency, YOUR  job is to protect the Constitution, our country, and our state from him.  Let me remind each of you about the oath that you took when you assumed your positions:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

“…I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic…”  Sorry, guys, you are failing miserably at keeping this part of the oath.  You are both neglecting your jobs for politics.  I can only assume that keeping power for yourselves and your party is more important than protecting Texans, and indeed all Americans.  Ted, Michael Bennet certainly put you in your place after you stood in the Senate yesterday and lied (again) about who’s at fault here.  Just like during your shutdown in 2013, you are again lying to the American people about this shutdown.  John, you regularly peddle absolute bullshit with the weight of a college professor as you neglect your job.  One of your most despicable lies fed the Benghazi “investigation” which ultimately found nothing.  To prostitute yourselves to this president is shameful, and I think, deep down, both of you know that.

The train wreck simply has to stop. NOW.  Trump lost the battle over his wall before he ever started it because it was based on a lie.  Rudy Giuliani has destroyed his reputation because of his lying for the president.  Each of you are destroying what’s left of your integrity by lying for this president, and by neglecting your responsibility to act as a check on the executive branch.  You can fix that, though, and you can do it today.  All you have to do is stand up on your hind feet and do your goddam job.

Open the government.  Period.  A single page resolution would do that.  But that is not enough; it’s time to outlaw the use of debt ceiling brinksmanship and government shutdowns as political bludgeons to extract concessions from the other side.  There’s no reason for it, and it must be stopped. NOW.

Enough of this nonsense is enough.  Stop helping Trump take hostages.  Stop demagoguing immigrants and Democrats.  Stop letting your own cynical politics dominate your presence in Washington.  It’s your job.  Do it.

In probably one of the most shocking examples of absolute tone deafness (since Donald Trump last opened his yap), billionaire and bottom fisherman Wilbur Ross put on full display the problem within the current infestation of the White House – complete and abject lack of understanding or empathy towards American workers, especially those who happen to be on the federal payroll.

Today, in a jaw dropping moment, Ross, who’s made his money Hoovering up distressed companies and firing people for profit, remarked on CNBC that he didn’t understand why federal employees who’ve been furloughed are going to food banks and homeless shelters.  He said they should just be able to go get a loan since it is “essentially a government guaranteed loan”.  To add insult to injury, Ross dismissed the crisis, saying that “it’s only 800,000 people who only make up .3% of GDP.”  He completely ignores the multiplier effect of those people having no money to spend and the huge risks they’re taking in everything from air transportation to food safety.  What an ass.  Here it is, but you’ll have to hold your nose to listen.

Do you know who Lara Trump is? That’s Eric’s wife. She’s married to the Alfredo of the Trump Crime Family, which is some social circles is … oh hell, it’s laughable in any damn social circle.

So, Lara reaches out the federal workers who have jobs but no paycheck.  She tells them to quit damn whining.

“We get that this is unfair to you, but this is so much bigger than any one person. It is a little bit of pain, but it’s going to be for the future of our country and their children and their grandchildren and generations after that will thank them for their sacrifice right now.”

Yeah, a woman in a pair of $4,000 shoes telling a Coast Guard wife that having no food, rent, diapers, or money to fill her gas tank that she is making a “small sacrifice,” probably won’t work.  It’ll probably just piss them off.

Honey, Honey, Honey, this is not bigger than one person.  It is exactly the size of one person. And although that person is small and petty, the sacrifice others are making is huge. So, shuddup, you patronizing privileged punk.

Trump found a rhyme.

We have to listen to a rhyme worthy of Humpty Dumpty for two damn years?  I don’t even wanna hear it a second time.

I swear if my Republican neighbor across the street says that to me, I’m gonna remind him that most of the crime in America right now is in the White House.

My reply to Trump? Shuddup and put America back to work.

And …

As demographics move against Republicans, they have become more and more desperate to cling to power by changing rules, moving the goal posts, and just outright cheating.  Beginning around 2002, lead by Tom DeLay, they raised gerrymandering to an art form, making it almost impossible for Dems to win in thousands of state and federal districts around the country.  Voter suppression with dog whistle “voter ID” bills around the country has kept untold numbers of perfectly qualified voters from voting.  Every election, they come up with some fake crisis to drive their mouthbreathing base to the polls.  In between, to keep everyone on edge, they’ve started using debt limit showdowns and now government shutdowns to get what they want.  Let’s be clear – by threatening the nation’s credit and millions of federal workers, Republicans are hostage-taking, plain and simple.  Trump, the trashy reality television star, is rashly using the latest shutdown as a bludgeon as this preferred alternative to actually legislating and governing.  This winner take all mentality that has infected Republicans is tearing the country apart, making life miserable for millions, and costing the economy billions all over his 5th century solution to a 21st century problem.  The Dems know that they simply can’t cave on this issue, because then Trump would use the tactic every single time he didn’t get what he wanted from the legislative branch.  Republicans in the Senate are in lock step behind Trump, cynically wrecking the lives of millions of Americans while their dear leader plays games.  It’s cruel.  And stupid.

Enter Mark Warner, US Senator from Virginia.  He’s called bullshit on the shutdown by introducing the Stop the STUPIDITY act, which stands for:

S-hutdowns
T-ransferring
U-nnecessary
P-ain
I-nflicting
D-amage
I-n
T-he (coming)
Y-ears

The bill is designed to take this particular hostage-taking tool away from Republicans.  It’s common sense and simple.  It provides for continued funding of the government at current levels if a new appropriation bill fails to pass, adjusted for inflation.  It also ceases funding for the legislative and executive branches until a funding bill is passed.  I like the idea of this bill a lot.  Let’s inflict pain directly on those causing the problem, not innocent government workers and military who are serving their country.  I know the chance of it passing this Senate is low, but when something terrible happens due to the shutdown, and it eventually will, there could be enough pressure on Repubs to grow spines and stand up on their hind legs.

To not pass a bill like this certainly is STUPID.