The Trump ship has struck the iceberg. For those of us who celebrate this fact, know this: This ship won’t sink unless we vote. That is so important. If you already have decided to vote for the most experienced, better qualified candidate for president, remember the others on the ballot.

For nearly eight years, Republicans in Congress have worked diligently, not to govern, not to serve the rest of us, but to do everything in their power to prevent the president from accomplishing anything positive. If someone were to ask me what is the greatest threat to America today, I would reluctantly have to say that it is the Republican party. What  are the goals of Republicans in public office? We could easily compile a list of priorities that include: making it easy for rich to get richer and poor to stay poor, taxing the middle class to provide private education for the privileged class, creating obstacles to voting for those likely to vote for Democrats, refusing to raise the minimum wage so ordinary people can afford to live an ordinarily successful life, eliminating regulations that  protect our health and our environment, and more. Lots more. Shame on them.

That’s just the beginning. Mainly, Republicans have worked to stop the president from doing good. At every turn. Health care glares as the prime example. If he tries to help Americans gain insurance to cover their medical expenses, their efforts to block him have been relentless. Along the way, they have questioned his patriotism, his faith, his legal legitimacy to hold office.

Make no mistake, there is plenty of dysfunction in Washington, and so we all are crying for change. Some people believe that electing a racist, sexist schoolyard bully is the answer to our ills. Never. I want, and I believe so many of us prefer a level-headed president with experience and wisdom to lead us out of this, and we all know who that is. If we truly want to end the dysfunction, it’s important to remember who is responsible for it and to hold them accountable. Don’t blame the wrong party. We  know who’s responsible for the mess.

Vote all the way down the ballot and replace them.

Today’s word: regime. It means a form of government or system of management. There is no such thing as a weather regime or exercise regime. Some of us commonly mistake this word for regimen, which means a prescribed course of medical treatment, way of life, or a diet for the promotion or restoration of health.