I know, I know, the phone is ringing in my pocket and, yes, I know who is calling. I will call back.

Of course, it was Ms. Pigette, the lovely personality holding up a mailbox on Route 27, on the way to Edgecomb/Wiscasset. I think she must have filched an iPhone, then conned me into buying her a solar charger so she could keep in touch with her adoring public. Right?

There it rings again. Hello, my dear. How do you like the beginning of summer?

"Never mind, you old dog," she said. "I am in touch with lots of local political folks, and even some from away. And they are all confused,” she said.

How so? I replied. Are they worried about high gas prices caused by Trump's latest war? How about AI and data centers? What about the $1 billion White House ballroom, or the idea of a $250 bank note featuring the image of none other than himself? “No,” she said. "Although a $3 bill with his image could become a valued collector's item. 

It looks like some Congressional Republicans are thinking, just thinking, of violating Politics Rule One: Taking some action that might cost them their precious political jobs. What gives?” she said.

FYI: Rule One: A politician's main job is to get elected. Anything that gets in the way is to be opposed or avoided.

For the next 10 minutes or so, she rattled on, claiming Congress went home rather than vote for POTUS' proposed $1,776 (get it?) billion deal to reward the J-6 insurrectionists jailed, convicted and pardoned after attacking the Capitol, beating up cops, and chasing Senators, Congressmen and staffers out of the halls of Congress. And, get this one, it would also give Trump (and his kin) a real Get-out-of-jail -free-card from the IRS, whose auditors have been investigating their tax returns for years.

One GOP senator called the settlement stupid on stilts.

It all began when some IRS dude leaked POTUS tax returns to the press. In January, the prez filed a fat suit against the IRS seeking $10 billion from a DOJ fund designed to compensate those wronged by the government. Now, as Commander-In-Chief, he is the guy in charge of both the IRS and the DOJ, so he filed a suit asking himself to pay himself. Get it?

Then, just before the case went before a judge, the prez dropped the suit and agreed to a $1,776 billion out-of-court settlement to compensate those prosecuted by the Biden DOJ for their efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who was Trump's personal lawyer and now quarterbacks the DOJ, said the fund provides a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress.

Republican John Thune, the Senate Majority Leader, said that he was not a big fan of the fund and questioned its purpose. Other GOP senators agreed, so they all met behind closed doors to give Blanche a chance to explain the settlement.

The meeting did not go very well. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said the secret pow-wow produced fireworks on an epic level. A lot of senators were just plain PO'd. GOP senators, who lost recent primary elections after Trump backed their opponents, led the charge.

“Look,” said Ms. P. "Are things turning around against The Donald? Are Congressional Repubs growing a, well, a backbone?”

Late last week, a federal judge put the brakes on the fat out-of-court settlement after 35 retired federal judges asked her to reopen the case because it was based on a fraudulent assurance to the court.

“Fraud,” said Ms. P. “Seeking to throw a secret, fraudulent curve ball past a federal district court judge is a real no-no. I would not want to be the DOJ lawyer explaining that move. That person had better wear asbestos underwear.

Then Ms. P. asked the $64 question. “Will this bonkers settlement, and the Senate's distaste for it, be enough to trigger a GOP revolt against the White House?”

Nobody knows, I answered. But there are enough GOP senators honked off at the prez after he cost them their seats. Several are retiring, and others, like Susan Collins, face tough reelection races. Some Republicans might, and I repeat, just might, think about joining with the other side to stick it to him. And, more to the point, they have nothing to lose.

My best guess? Will it happen? Who knows? This is not politics as usual.

Hang on gang. It is one for the history books.