For those of us whose pipe dreams include that of holding political office or merely working in the federal government, there’s a sure-fire way of getting selected to occupy one of the cubicles in the legendary West Wing.
All you’ve got do is fill out the application for the 2025 Presidential Transition Project, which, if selected, paves the way for your becoming part of an effective conservative Administration’s Presidential Personnel Database. From there, it’s anybody’s guess how far and fast you might advance in what will emerge as a conservative plank of an Administration that could only be imagined.
While you may start off opening the mail, you could become that person who will lead a national farm bureau that will require that all Americans consume three pounds of animal protein per week. In that spirit, other departments of the new conservative party will also be able to dictate almost every aspect of human behavior. For instance, if you want to purchase a new car it must be one powered by oil or some other extracted stuff that Democrats say will continue to ruin our environment.
The new American Right denies Climate Change and believes that using oil and coal whenever possible is admirably patriotic and will, ultimately, prove the bible-thumping right wing hypocrites right. They also have other preposterous beliefs involving guns, vaccines, voters’ rights, and Mattel’s introduction of Hamas Barbie—a doll which cowers under a state-ordered black Burqa.
All of this, plus plenty more, comes from an organization called Project 2025. Its mission statement is as follows: “The actions of liberal politicians in Washington have created a desperate need and unique opportunity for conservatives to start undoing the damage the Left has wrought and build a better country for all Americans in 2025.
“It is not enough for conservatives to win elections. If we are going to rescue the country from the grip of the radical Left, we need both a governing agenda and the right people in place, ready to carry this agenda out on day one of the next conservative administration.”
But wait! There’s more! Namely there’s a publication called Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise, published by the Heritage Foundation, an organization that endeavors to put a coat and tie on a Proud Boy or Jim Jordan.
“This book is an invitation…to come to Washington or support those who can. Our goal is to assemble an army of aligned, vetted, trained, and prepared conservatives to go to work on Day One to deconstruct the Administrative State.”
Well, that is certainly a refreshing suggestion, despite its ringing reminder of the people and events of January 6th.
The founders of this multi-tiered organization are Paul Dans, a dead-ringer for Goober and former chief of staff at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) during the Trump administration. He serves as the director of the 2025 Presidential Transition Project. Spencer Chretien, who looks like a shelf stocker at his parents’ IGA, is a former special assistant to the president and associate director of Presidential Personnel. He serves as associate director of the project.
On the surface, Project 2025 appears to be a simple pyramid scheme. Either that or it’s a Ponzi scheme that is attempting to pick the pockets of non-MAGA Republicans.
It’s all rather humorous until further research reveals the following: “Project 2025 is a plan to reshape the Executive Branch of the U.S. federal government in the event of a Republican victory in the 2024 United States presidential election.”
It gets even worse: “Established in 2022, the project seeks to recruit thousands to come to Washington, D.C., to replace existing employees to restructure the Executive Branch of the federal government and to further the agenda and policies of Donald Trump. The plan would perform a quick takeover of the entire U.S. federal government under a maximalist version of the unitary executive theory – a theory proposing the president of the United States have absolute power of the executive branch – upon inauguration.”
What I read in all of that is that this ultra-conservative organization wants a modern-day Hitler to lead an American Third Reich.
Needless to say, Project 2025 stands firmly against anything that isn’t desperately conservative. It is opposed to clean energy, any and everything that is reflected by the LGBTQ+ community, and, of course, anything that might appear to be anti-gun.
In short, Project 2025 has been characterized as a plan to install Trump as a dictator, warning that Trump could prosecute and imprison enemies or overthrow American democracy altogether.
We live in increasingly dangerous times that should be met with our vigilant opposition to those very things that threaten our democracy.
Halloween isn’t nearly as scary as Project 2025. Boo!
Photo illustration by Courtney A. Liska
INSALATA RUSSA – RUSSIAN SALAD
This is a wonderful salad for any season. Feel free to add vegetables to your liking. This recipe makes 6-8 servings.
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup frozen peas
4 oz. fresh green beans
2 carrots
2 medium potatoes
2 Tbs. capers
salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
2-3 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
1 can of tuna, well drained (optional)
Trim and wash the green beans. Fill a large saucepan two-thirds with water. Bring water to a boil, add salt and the string beans, carrots and potatoes. Cook 5-8 mins over high heat, test beans and carrots and remove when tender but still firm. Set them to drain and cool in a colander. Cook potatoes an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Remove from water and let all vegetables cool a bit. Meanwhile in a separate saucepan heat water and cook peas until tender. Drain and cool.
Dice the potatoes, carrots and string beans. Place diced vegetables in a large bowl. Add half of the capers and all of the peas. Add the tuna (optional). Season with salt and pepper. Add the oil and vinegar; mix carefully until blended. Taste salad for seasonings.
Gently mix in 1/2 cup of mayonnaise. Keep adding more mayonnaise until all of the vegetables are well covered in mayonnaise..
Cover and refrigerate the vegetables several hours or overnight. To serve you can turn the salad over onto a platter, it should keep the shape of the bowl or you can leave it in the bowl. Garnish with the remaining capers and slices of hard-cooked eggs. Serve slightly chilled and enjoy!