Impeachment came and went, with key Republicans musing that Donald Trump had "learned his lesson" and would be a good boy. The rest of us scoffed and sat back to watch.
We barely had time to put our feet up. It is becoming more apparent that Republicans - at least a few of them - are instead learning their lessons. It's been interesting to see them edge to the side of exerting some smidgen of oversight on this chaotic president.
On Thursday, the Senate passed a bipartisan resolution - with eight Republican votes, including that of Tennessee's Lamar Alexander - to limit President Trump's power to order military action against Iran without first seeking Congress's permission.
It's a rebuke of Trump's resistance to involving the legislative branch in war powers decisions, and the eight GOPers signing on are double the number of Republicans who made a similar vote with Democrats in June on an amendment to the annual defense bill requiring Trump to approach Congress before taking military action against Iran, except in cases of clear self-defense or imminent attack.
What else changed - other than Trump's vindictive, post-impeachment behavior? Answer: The strike last month that killed top Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani and raised widespread concern of a wider war without any congressional involvement. Trump disingenuously claimed there was an "imminent" threat.
(MORE: With impeachment over, critics see Trump 'retribution tour')
But Republicans actually began to cover their backsides as soon as Trump was acquitted, and the president woke up feeling like vengeful king.
* You'll recall that when the GOP-controlled Senate covered its ears and declined to call John Bolton, excerpts from the former national security adviser's soon-to-be-published book showed up in The New York Times.
* Then when Trump verbally attacked Bolton, former chief of staff John Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general, said he believed Bolton.
* This week, Kelly unloaded on Trump for his humiliating treatment of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who testified during the impeachment inquiry that the president acted improperly. Kelly also jabbed at Trump for pardoning of accused war criminals - something another Pentagon luminary, former Navy Secretary Richard Spencer, earlier had resigned over.
(MORE: Trump slams ex-adviser who defended key impeachment witness)
* And when Trump tweeted that his old friend Roger Stone was being treated unfairly (you know, those deep state prosecutors recommended that a federal judge sentence Stone to seven to nine years on seven federal charges in connection with the Russia probe), Attorney General Bill Barr took to TV to chasten the president that his tweets and intervention make it impossible for him to do his job. Of course, that was after Barr directed top DOJ officials to intervene to lower the original sentencing recommendation.
"I'm not going to be bullied or influenced by anybody ... whether it's Congress, newspaper editorial boards or the president," Barr told ABC News. "I cannot do my job here at the department with a constant background commentary that undercuts me."
Now, make no mistake. Barr was working several angles against the other here - all of them clearly designed to protect Trump's backside, but especially his own.
Our take is that the president couldn't remember his part in the pantomime long enough not to tweet too soon - bringing extra media attention to matter. After all, rats work best in the dark.
* On Friday morning, we got the icing on the cake. "[P]eople familiar with the matter" told The New York Times that Barr "has assigned an outside prosecutor to scrutinize" the case against another Trump ally - former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. "People" who won't go quietly, no doubt.
You remember Flynn. In December 2017, he pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI in connection with the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller struck the deal with Flynn in an effort to win his cooperation in the probe. Flynn has now asked to withdraw that guilty plea.
(MORE: U.S. attorney helping review Flynn case is ex-FBI agent)
Barr's new Flynn review, according to Times sources, "is highly unusual and could trigger more accusations of political interference by top Justice Department officials into the work of career prosecutors."
As for the Senate's bipartisan war powers resolution, the House must take it up before it can be sent to Trump's desk, where it stands a good chance of veto - something neither chamber of Congress has the votes to override, lawmakers say.
But Senate sponsor Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, says that doesn't mean Trump won't pay attention to the message that is slowly taking shape.
"We've been talking to our constituents, we've been listening to them, and we know what they think about another war in the Middle East right now," he said.
That may apply to other things as well.
Kaine continued: "[Trump's] got an election that he's focused on and he wants to win ... He could well veto [the war powers measure] and then adjust behavior."
If we blink and let him, Trump will make himself king by eroding the law and our Constitution.
Unless more good people refuse to remain quiet.
Let's get the popcorn and put our feet up again to watch. Then be quick to jump up and take action.