Thursday enables a look at the week that was and enables speculation regarding what is about to take place. That would be an evocation of the nuclear option in the US Senate and the possible division of the country beyond anything we have yet seen in this new century. As press time drew near the Democratic filibuster was a certainty and the nuclear option of going to a straight GOP-favoring simple majority was equally likely.
That means Friday will be taken up with recrimination in the form of debate and an eventual confirmation of the far-right judge, Neil Gorsuch.
Flynn-Prince swap
This week also has seen the virtual eclipse of Michael Flynn as a person of interest in the Russia investigation and the emergence of Erik Prince in his place. Prince is a founder of the notorious Blackwater and brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, The story was about an early January meeting with a Russian close to Putin and Prince in the Seychelles, the Indian Ocean. They discussed a trade involving sanctions and Russia easing its support for Iran and Syria.
If the story had legs by Thursday they were largely invisible. That may be because the meeting seems to have been normal, even if secret, and well as after the election.
Abuse watch
It was a week from hell for Bill O'Reilly with first 21 defections among advertisers. Then the number doubled. On Thursday it is anyone's guess whether O'Reilly will still be broadcasting the Factor on FOX. The moral is that sexual abuse, whether settled, alleged or engaged in, is a spreading basis for bringing down the rich and the powerful.
Breitbart boy
Stephen Bannon has been removed from the National Security Council and the overreaction on all sides is deafening. When Trump shows him the door of the White House and says, "Goodbye, alt-right bully," we can believe the move made as much difference as everyone said it did.
Russia ploy?
Susan Rice seemed like Donald Trump's pinata, to hear him bending the ear of the NY Times at a Wednesday press event. It is hard to see her candid admission that, yes we do look at intelligence reports and yes we see the names of Trump associates, morphing into a full-fledged charge of Obama spying on Donald, This is either childishness or serious Russia evasion at work.
Georgia
Jon Ossoff is a 30-year-old Georgia Democrat with a $4 million war chest from Democrats all over the US so he can win an open primary in Newt Gingrich's old district north of Atlanta. Grassroots Democrats are angry at Trump and will try to show it at the ballot box later this month.