A. I am appalled by the power of the American presidency as now constituted. Trump can undermine the U.S. government with “executive orders” and the like and so ignore the Congress. He doesn’t have to go the Congress for funding because he had a large discretionary fund and can move money from one budget line to another to suit his purposes. I must agree with George Will that Congress has over the years turned over an awesome amount of its power and its duties to the President. Then along comes Trump with his absolutist take on the presidency. He reminds me of the Stuart kings of England who ended up dissolving Parliament so they could rule as they pleased by their divine right.

Moscow Mitch is a mere obstructionist, but a very powerful one. How did the majority leader in the Senate accumulate so much power to block the popular will? How is he the arbiter of what will and will not be considered by the Senate? I think that there is a jungle of unconstitutional tradition at work in the Senate that empowes people like Mitch McConnell and it must be trimmed back.  

B. A large portion of Trump’s base is the group that adores their fetishized firearms and so are mindless defenders of “gun rights.” Of course, they are drawn to Trump because his manners, language, and sensibilities are so much like theirs, but more than that, I think, because he is owned by the NRA and can be counted on, as we are seeing, not to do anything that anyone might think is a threat to the gun rights with which we have been endowed by their Creator.

Trump won’t talk about guns, but is focused on “mental health.” He had better be careful, because a focus on the mental health of gun owners might be even more threatening than gun control.