\MO'-RON : a very stupid person; a person affected with mild mental retardation; adj. "moronic."

 

Miriam Webster:  MORON: (noun): a very stupid person.  

Secretary Tillerson, former head of Exxon, is certainly not a "moron."  You can see in the cartoon above that he has mastered speaking in "code" to those who possess the de-coder ring! However, what he is doing in the administration of the dumbest ass that has ever occupied the office, is indeed a mystery.  Tillerson should know better.  But, then again, so should Mattis, Kelly, McMaster and others.  OK... so, we do have some examples of the "Romper Room" occupants - "Spicey" Spicer, the "Mooch", Sarah (know-nothing) Huckabee, and, our favorite Kelly Ann (alt. facts) Conway.  Foot-in-mouth family members - including Ivanka, Donald Junior who publicly spilled the Russian meeting beans, Eric (I don't know nothin'), and son-in-law Jared (another real estate bankruptcy in the family future?) Kushner - have all added to the high risk of being in close proximity to the Trump cabal. Perhaps the Russians added some special additive to the White House water supply that results in the dulling of the senses and enfeebles those who partake of the Trump kool-aid. 

Republican Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), partner to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, described the Trump White House as an "adult day care center," essentially inferring that Trump is long gone into LaLa land.  After being attacked in yet another twitter assault by our petulant President, Senator Corker commented that "someone obviously missed their shift this morning."

Although one might get a chuckle from this exchange, the consequences are far more serious and, in fact, dangerous.  Corker warned that the President's odd and unpredictable behaviors, threats, and tweets, could "put us on a path to World War III." Obviously, those who see the danger certainly are not laughing. Some might say that these tirades make Trump the "most dangerous man in Washington!"  And, with his access to the nuclear codes and his finger on the atomic button, in a real sense, he is. Others, however, are counting on Mattis, Kelly, McMaster and a few others to make sure that Trump's worst destructive tendencies are "controlled" - by force - if it comes to that.

Meanwhile, others see someone else as the "most dangerous" person on Capitol Hill.  Rick Perry?  He is in charge of the nuclear stockpile after all.... Kushner who keeps meeting with Russians?  Jeff Sessions who dismantles gay, bisexual, and transgender rights, not to mention voting rights?  Scott Pruit at EPA unleashing climate disaster, or Ryan Zinke at Interior selling off national monuments and treasures? Or, is it Budget Director Mick Mulvaney and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin who have crafted a disastrous budget and tax plan that would wreak havoc on the working men and women of America and further burden the middle class while benefiting the wealthiest people and companies in the US? OK... so, the budget increases military spending by $72 Billion....  and, although we have more military assets in place - manpower and munitions (including nuclear weapons), planes, and naval vessels than the next 6 nations added together - lets assume that we actually need additional assets.  I should note here that the Department of Defense budget DOES NOT INCLUDE a number of substantial outlays that are military in nature.  In fact, half of all military spending isn't in that budget element.  This includes $3 TRILLION for the Iraq war, military operations in some 90 countries around the globe, the $1 TRILLION nuclear weapons upgrade in the DOT budget, $90 Billion for the Veterans Administration, and the &180 Billion for the CIA, NSA, and Homeland Security funding.  Together, these resources come to more than $1.3 TRILLION ANNUALLY! 

And, if those outlays were made from additional resources, increased revenue, growth in GDP, increased tax collections on wealth or "surplus" cash-on-hand, that would be one thing.  For many, however, even if the deficit was increased, military spending increases could be justified.  But, thanks to Mulvaney and Mnuchin (the MMM twins - "Money Means Military"),  the plan is to not only increase the deficit but to also gut dozens of programs that presently are the mainstay supports of middle class and working families. The plan cuts $5 Billion in non-defense program spending. And, on top of all that, the House panel (Homeland Security Committee) just passed a border security bill that dedicates $15 BILLION for the promised southern border wall and related port improvements, adding 5000 Border Control and Customs agents as well. As with other spending provisions of the Ryan House Budget Bill, this one does not identify a new and/or separate revenue source to fund the effort.

What the MMM budget bill does contain are massive reductions to programs that are designed to assist those of moderate or modest means while permitting the deficit to grow to new and higher levels. These reductions are planned over the 10-year horizon of the budget plan and would severely impact or completely gut many activities and/or program elements The cuts include reductions to Medicare of $473 Billion; Medicaid cut by $950 Billion; $150 Billion in cuts to the SNAP Program - formally Food Stamps; PELL grants for education cut by $100 Billion and student loans reduced by $120 Billion; Affordable Housing resources reduced by $37 Billion; the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program cut out; and reductions to Head Start of $3 Billion. Cuts are included for school meals, SSI, the Child Tax Credit, rental assistance, and job training.  Child care, foster care, adoption assistance, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) are also on the chopping block. 

The House vote was 219-206 with 18 Republicans voting against the measure.  Speaker Ryan smiled at all of the program blood that covered the House floor.... along with the smashed dreams of the children of immigrants, the working poor, and the middle class.  These - and more - are being sacrificed on the altars of wealth.  Overall, low-income discretionary programs would be cut a stunning a WHOPPING 55% after adjusting for inflation, over the 10-year period. And, the national resources devoted to assisting low and middle-income families would fall off dramatically. According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, these programs currently spend approximately 2.1% of GDP - close to the 40 year average of 2.0% - on programs that assist qualified poor and middle class families.  Under the Ryan House Budget Plan, this multi-generational investment in people will fall to a new historic low of 1.0 % of GDP by 2027 - the lowest percentage since 1966, when many of these programs - like student grants and loans - didn't exist!  

Past major bipartisan budget reform plans took a more balanced approach. In 2010, the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (the Bowles-Simpson Commission) accomplished significant deficit reduction by both increasing revenues and reducing expenditures. The plan avoided cuts in programs for low-income people altogether.  Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, co-chairs of the Commission, committed to a simple principle - deficit reduction should not increase poverty or inequality.  Sadly, the Ryan House Budget would do just that - massive benefits for the wealthy and substantial losses for the poor and the middle class - increasing poverty AND inequality as well. Who would do that?  Only a MORON would steer that course, especially since he pledged never, ever, to do something so destructive and mean-spirited to those who have the greatest need.  You might just have to go back in history... to, say ... 1920 to find the answer... or, is it just prophecy?