Ham-fisted grab for power

It's no secret that Donald Trump isn't the biggest fan of democracy. He's got a long track record of wannabe strongman actions. You know, totally normal things like throwing a military parade for his birthday and inciting a mob to storm the Capitol and attempt to overturn the results of a fair election.

And he continues to do everything he can to turn our democracy into an autocracy.

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has backed plans from Texas Governor Greg Abbott to redraw the state's Congressional maps, despite the fact that maps are usually only redrawn after the Census. Make no mistake, this is as blatant as they come in terms of ham-fisted grabs for power.

Republicans are not even bothering to pretend this is about anything else. They believe they are entitled to power, regardless of what voters think. They want to lock themselves into a permanent majority.

These actions make it abundantly clear where their priorities lie. Instead of working to get much-needed relief to Texans after a horrific storm, Abbott and Trump are scheming ways for Republicans to consolidate power. This is beyond the usual tricks Republicans employ to skirt the rules and gain an advantage.

Republicans are throwing out the rules entirely to turn America into a one-party state.

Business as usual is just no longer an option with these attacks on our democracy. Democrats need to fight harder and adapt to the changing playing field. I sure as hell know we won't go down without a fight.

Yours in the fight,

Jim McGovern