'Twas the Night Before New Years'

‘Twas the night before New Years’, two thousand and twenty

The year past had brought us news items a-plenty.

What could we say about twenty-nineteen

Except, "Gee, what a wild one the last year has been."

The Democrats started the new year in power,

Having reclaimed the House. It was Pelosi’s hour.

Caressing her gavel, she vowed at each turn

To oppose the Republicans, and her heart burned

With desire for impeachment, though she claimed it must be

Bipartisan; then along came AOC.

Apparently owning the party’s left base,

She persuaded the Speaker to move with no case.

“Impeach!” cried the left wing, “Accuse him of treason!

If that doesn’t work, let's just make up a reason!

He’s mean; we don’t like him; he’s orange – that hair!

Impeach ‘cause winning in ’16 he did dare!”

So the Intel Committee, chaired by Adam Schiff

Held their secret hearings, secured in a SCIF.

No transcripts released; we the people weren’t able

To learn what was happening at that SCIF table.

Schiff, meanwhile, leaked out the bits that looked damning

To a media ready to take up the shamming.

When finally hearings were held in plain sight,

Schiff tried to paint the Prez in a bad light.

But in spite of made-up rules that favored the Dems,

Their hearings failed to reveal any new gems

That would bolster their case to impeach and remove,

Let alone give them any high crimes they could prove.

So, the best they could do was “Abuse and Obstruction

Of Congress,” who just seemed hell-bent on destruction

Of due process, fairness, and our Constitution –

How sad that our legislative institution

Could stoop to such lows, in a desperate quest

From their opposition, all power to wrest.

This is how partisan we have become;

Just thinking about it makes moderates glum.

Now, on to the Senate – but wait, Nancy balked!

As in a most strange turn, of fairness she talked.

But she has no leverage left, as we see;

In the Senate, the Dems aren’t the majority.

Meantime hints of new Articles started to rise,

Leaving voters to wonder, “What’s up with these guys?

Do they not think we see that they’re grasping at straws?

That their case for impeachment is so full of flaws?”

So while all of this nonsense is being conducted,

No new legislation is being constructed.

The Dems gained in ’16 on talk of health care,

But since, all their promises have gone nowhere.

Their primary field started with more than 20

Candidates vying to spend people's money,

But one by one, out of the race they did fall

(In the end, if we're lucky, there'll be none at all).

One of the hopefuls was Eric Swalwell,

But it seemed just a week before his campaign fell.
These days he's supporting his pal Adam Schiff
In another gambit doomed to fall off a cliff.

Next out was Beto - "Hell, yes," he once vowed,
But he couldn't keep pace with the rest of the crowd
In spite of his stunts and his gesticulations.
Guess it takes more than skateboarding to lead a nation.

DiBlasio followed soon after O'Rourke,
But he isn't even liked back in New York.
Harris was next, hoist with her own petard,
Though she, in denial, played the gender card.

So who will it be? Bernie? Spartacus? Liz?
Bloomberg or Steyer? Or Yang, the math whiz?
Or will it be Klobuchar, or Mayor Pete?
Or can Joe Biden help the Dems stave off defeat?

Whoever winds up at the top of the pile,
When they debate Donald Trump, don't touch that dial!
For whoever the winner from this crowded bunch is,
Will need to be able to take verbal punches.

Meanwhile, new trade deals are now getting done,

Thus the stock market’s been on a heck of a run.

A new budget deal was agreed to by all,

Including some funding for Trump’s border wall.

(Why fund the wall if you’re going to impeach?

Are you not confident in your plot’s reach?

Are you protecting your red-state comrades

From election results that will likely be bad?)

The numbers show strength in the economy,

So it's unlikely that a recession we'll see,

At least 'til November, then it just depends

On voters, and how the election night ends.

So - what to expect? What will this new year bring?

To be sure, a lot more partisan bickering.

More posturing from both the left and the right;

Relief from our divide is nowhere in sight.

But where does that start? Well, with you and with me.

Can we re-learn to respectfully disagree?

To accept other views without intolerance?

Or must we maintain such a divisive stance?

I hope that we can, but if we cannot,

Our differences still needn’t leave us distraught.

We’ve survived political divides before,

So I’m sure that we’re able to survive one more.

Just remember: we have more that keeps us united

Than those things that may serve to make us divided.

So let me express to all folks, red or blue

A happy and prosperous New Year to you!