So, while many of us wonder not if, but when, President Strangelove will order a nuke strike of Syria or Iran or North Korea or Chicago (ya know, to solve all the gun violence therein) the GOP run senate invoked their nuclear option today.  Less lethal than a real nuke, it does do considerable damage to our already battered, tattered, and bruised democracy.

The nuclear option was invoked so that SCOTUS nominee Neil Gorsuch can be confirmed by a simple majority vote in the senate rather than the historical, and never before tinkered with,  requirement of 60 yes votes by the 100 members of the “upper chamber” of congress. This is yet another blatantly nefarious strategy by the GOP, which has been essentially their modus operandi for a loooong time. Somehow, they keep getting away with even the most in-your-face frauds, farces and in some cases outright thievery.

Unless enough people living in states having one or both of their senate members of the GOP cry foul, and threaten their jobs if they allow this desperate ploy to become final, well, then the SCOTUS will be back to its 5-4 ultra right ways. It would take three republican senators to listen to their angry constituents to negate this nuking of the traditional advise and consent component of Supreme Court candidate’s worthiness to don a black robe until–should they choose–death do they part. Like Antonin Scalia’s death last year.

Then, President Obama, as was his constitutional right and duty, named Merritt Garland (considered a moderate) as his nominee to replace Scalia (a VERY right-wing jurist). But then, as was the senate’s constitutional duty to permit the “advise and consent” process, the hearings, and ultimately a vote (magic number needed to confirm being 60) to take place, the GOP controlled senate simply refused to fulfill that duty.

Okay, now…

…that means the republicans literally stole the potential confirmation of Garland, gambling that just maybe the November, 2016 election would put their guy in the White House. And, of course, that happened. And, through voter suppression (see Palast, Greg) and ever-more likely election interference by Russian hackers (investigations percolating as I write this) favoring Strangelove, it would appear that the election was stolen from Hillary Clinton (she of the 2.8 million vote surplus over our sexual-assaulter-in-chief). Those Russian hackers (it has been shown: go look it up, but not on Fox News or Breitbart, oaky?) actually targeted Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania with REALLY, REALLY FAKE NEWS denigrating Mrs.Clinton (including that she had ordered the murders of certain people ((!!!)),  Those three states eeked out an electoral college advantage for her opponent.

Well, believe what you want. I am certain we now live in a Kleptocracy.  And we may have to learn to live among the Kleptocrats for possibly years and years. Like I said, no matter the arrogance and disregard for fair play, let alone our constitution, the republicans seem never to be reuked, let alone officially charged for their crimes. Many are accountable for this. In some cases, to find the guilty, one need just look in the mirror.

We get the government we deserve.

But here’s hoping this nuke job by the GOP today can be stopped. I doubt it. Sadly, the GOP, since Dr.Stranglove became President, apparently can only get what it wants by stealing.

How about it, we the people? A citizen’s arrest?