President Felipe Calderón lost his first battle with the new PRI-controlled Congress last week -- and the legislative body hadn't even convened yet. Yes. It's going to be a looooooong legislative session.
The Cámara de Diputados officially got to work this week, so on Tuesday downtown traffic was jammed with the corresponding "new Congress" protests, before the chamber at San Lázaro, before the municipal government palace, the National Palace, and at the intersection of Madero and Eje Central. There, the perpetually protesting 400 Pueblos finally put their clothes back on. But, apparently seeking a new gimmick, each dancing demonstrator is now wearing a Barack Obama mask.
Today, the president delivers his government's informe before allies and invited guests at the Palacio -- heavily, heavily guarded by EMPs and soldiers, of course.
Government buildings in the Centro and those surrounding the Zócalo are already being draped for the upcoming (and always tense) Independence Day celebrations, which means garish, over-the-top (and costly?) patriotic decorations bearing down on you from just about everywhere. As prospects for the future get grimmer and weirder, the partying, I guess, will just get harder and harder.