Our daughter, Bryn, asked me if I was working on a blog after the midterm election, and added “Didn’t I want to gloat?” Quite frankly I did want to goat. I am incredibly happy that the Democratic Party triumphed so thoroughly on November 3rd. Every day Americans, including preachers, teachers, and doctors have been elected to address the needs of our nation.

The Democrats regained the House and the Senate and have full and uncontested control of the legislative branch of government. As part of that control, I am hoping we will see the graft, grift, and corruption of this administration fully investigated and exposed. If they can prove malfeasance and illegal behavior, those people, up to and including the President, should be prosecuted and punished.

Did you see James Talarico’s victory speech Tuesday evening, or perhaps I should say his victory sermon? If you didn’t you really should watch it. Talarico is telling us that it is not a time simply for retribution. Our country has repudiated hate, bigotry, and pettiness and has chosen inclusion, diversity & civility

The average American can no longer afford a middle class life; they can not afford to buy their own home or pay for childcare or college. The rich have been given free rein and tax breaks, while the poor cannot get the medical care they need; and even more egregious, they can not feed their children. Senator-elect Talarico reminds us that we need to love our neighbors and look to caring for the poor, ministering the sick and homeless, and welcoming the refugee.

The New Democrat majority must concentrate quickly on addressing the pressing needs of our country.

They may not succeed in enacting all of the legislation that is necessary, especially with Trump wielding his veto pen, but they have to set forth an agenda of what needs to be done and tell the American public that they are working for them and not the rich and powerful.

Access to medical care is broken in this country; even the middle class can not afford it. Is the answer strengthening Obama Care, or do we need to promise and deliver Universal Health Coverage. Whichever, something has to be done and now.

Climate change and global warming are a threat to our very existence. We can no longer be enthrall to the oil & gas industry, subsidizing them so the world to burn more carbon & pollute our air and water and sicken our people. Green, renewable energy is the only rational option. This administration, with the cooperation of the American automobile industry has ensured the death of car manufacturing in this country. Electric cars are the future, and the Chinese are in control of that future.

In just a few short years, Trump has almost completely alienated America from the rest of the world. We need to heal the breach with our friends and allies. We need to repudiate support for all oligarchs. Stop pampering Putin, and become the friend that Ukraine needs and deserves. They are fighting for our democracy and they must be helped and supported in that endeavor.

Our tax system has been completely hijacked; the rich no longer have to pay taxes, especially if they cozy up to Trump. Our national debt is beginning to consume us, and deficit spending, especially for the military is out of control. At the very least we need to end the war in Iran, and we certainly don’t need to increase the DOD budget by 50%.

Tariffs are ruining our farmers. They must be repealed.

For years, the Republicans have given the rich one tax break after another, threatening our social safety net and growing the national debt. This cannot go on. We are a rich and prosperous country, but the oligarchs and their monopoly are destroying our economy. An equitable tax system will encourage fairness and opportunity. Rescuing Medicare and Social Security is far more important than showing the world how “macho” we are. (Which we are clearly not.)

America is the great country it is because we welcomed immigrants. ICE is a national disgrace. They need to be unmasked, disarmed, and held in check. Protect our borders, but let hard working and law abiding immigrants, documented or undocumented, go about their daily lives contributing to our society and economy.

I wrote those words over the last of couple of days. I believe that there’s so much more that can and should be done, but yesterday, days after the worst of election defeats signaled a repudiation of all that is MAGA, Trump has named Stephen Miller, a self-confessed white supremacist, to be his chief of staff. It is clear that Trump is not looking to work with the New Democrat majority for the betterment of our society. He is choosing to double down on his failed agenda, sowing even more chaos and discord. It is all about Trump and his ego, not about American and the needs of its people.

I had hoped for America that this election would auger a turn to the light, but now it looks like that the discord and madness will continue & intensify. Unfortunately compromise now seems to be off the table, and an out of touch, uncontrolled executive is hell bent on completely destroying our American democracy. Like Bette Davis, America is in for a bumpy ride.