Another day of Trump drowning in the backlash from the conspiracy he created, calling his critics “stupid” and “PAST supporters,” for continuing to call him out on his hypocrisy. Today’s piece of the controversy was punctuated by his Justice Department firing Maureen Comey, former FBI Director James Comey’s daughter and prosecutor in the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell cases, as well as the recent case against Sean “Diddy” Combs. No reason was given for her firing.

While ongoing scandal remains above the fold of most major city newspapers, Congress is teeing up for a vote to rescind $9 billion of appropriations that the president now wants canceled against the best instincts of many Republicans. It includes the defunding of PBS and NPR and a reduction of funds for PEPFAR, foreign aid used to combat HIV/AIDS. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has raised an important point to the Republican majority: there is no reason for Democrats to hammer out bipartisan budget bills – or vote for anything at all proposed by Republicans – if, once passed, there can simply be a vote to rescind the funding.

This vote is putting more than public broadcasting in danger. Appropriations bills being hammered out in various committees are in danger of going nowhere. That’s a heads up to the American public to prepare for a government shutdown. That may be a gauntlet Democratic voters would like to see party leaders throw down. At least that would be a “scandal” of importance to us all.