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How Do You Put 2017 Into Words? Debbie Dingell’s ‘Dingell Jingle,’ Of Course

Trump’s tweets and the House floor schedule make the holiday tradition

Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., ends the jingle with a push for bipartisanship. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)
Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., ends the jingle with a push for bipartisanship. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

The traditional ‘Dingell Jingle’ has been released and it’s full of jabs against Republican leadership. The author, Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., told HOH that her husband, former Rep. John Dingell, contributed to this year’s poem.

The jingle opens with a line about Congress still being in town to vote this week. It quickly turns to President Donald Trump’s tweets, which Mr. Dingell very clearly dislikes.

Medicaid, CHIP and DACA are included as items the congresswoman thinks should be areas of common ground.

She closes with a push for bipartisanship and camaraderie during the ‘chilling’ Trump presidency. 

Watch: Office Space – Rep. Debbie Dingell

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The congresswoman set her jingle to the tune of “Winter Wonderland” but subbed in the lyric “winter blunderland” four times.

“Blunderland” refers to a fantasy or parody used in the 1903 political parody of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” which jabbed at British politicians such as Joseph Chamberlain and Henry Campbell-Bannerman.

[Nuts About Nutcrackers]

The jingle tradition began when Mr. Dingell was in Congress and has continued with the congresswoman.

The 2017 jingle:

  • House phones ring
  • Are you listening
  • Folks are mad
  • But Ryan’s insisting
  • Another tax fight!
  • No funding bill in sight
  • Walking in a winter blunderland
  • Gone away is Obama
  • Here to stay is constant drama
  • We try to stay strong
  • As Trump tweets along
  • Walking in a winter blunderland
  • In the darkness they can pass a tax plan
  • And pretend that workers will be fine
  • We say work together, they say no man!
  • We don’t need your vote while we’re in town
  • Later on, they’ll conspire
  • To cut programs we require
  • Who needs Medicaid
  • When donors get paid
  • Walking in a winter blunderland
  • In the Congress we will keep on fighting
  • Maybe we can find some common ground
  • How ’bout funding CHIP and fixing DACA
  • Before we take those jet planes out of town
  • Trump’s first year, it’s been chilling
  • The New Year’s near, ain’t it thrilling
  • It’ll be a new day, 2018’s not far away
  • Walking in a winter blunderland
  • Different views, let’s pursue
  • No matter if red or blue
  • Let’s keep taking a stand
  • Let’s work hand-in-hand
  • Till we’re back walking in a winter wonderland
  • Walking in a winter wonderland

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