No one should accept Manchin’s or Sinema’s reasons for not voting to cut out exceptions to the filibuster. Their reasons are insulting to any thinking person’s intelligence.
What can be more important than the right to vote and to have your vote fairly counted? Maybe it is a tie, but at least equally important is human life. There is no doubt that countless women will die because of the reversal of Roe v. Wade. Many more will become very sick.
Many will suffer severe financial setbacks which will in turn affect the health of countless others. It is shocking that anyone can think that the disadvantages of changing the filibuster rules outweigh the advantages of doing so.
I do not know what pressures can be put on Manchin and Sinema, but they are killing our democracy and they are killing human beings. Their actions are unforgivable, as are all the actions of the Republicans who are turning a blind eye to what is going on.
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16;000 flights were delayed over the holiday weekend. Over 1500 flights were cancelled. Why were these flights even scheduled?
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President Biden is asking gasoline stations to bring down their prices. He is wasting his breathe. We have become a totally greedy society. Few if any merchants are going to charge less than the market will bear. The way to stop gouging is to stop buying, but we are all too selfish to bring down the prices by only driving when absolutely necessary.
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The headline I am looking at as I write this says,“Outrage In Akron”. Really? An unarmed man was shot over 60 times by police. An argument can be made that it is not just our court system is broken. Our law enforcement system is broken as well.
The lawlessness increases each day. The Rule of Law has disappeared. Our Country is becoming less safe with each passing day.
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The Supreme Court Justices do not like the fact that their homes are being picketed. Boo hoo! I hope they lose in the Maryland courts and the case gets up to the Supreme Court. Maybe the whole Court has to recuse itself. Of course this is all tongue in cheek, but still, I have not a scintilla of sympathy for these Justices. Their decisions will make millions miserable or worse. Let them have as much discomfort as possible. I hope the Maryland courts take a year to decide the issue.
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The Justice Department should consider giving immunity to Giuliani and/or Meadows in order to get to Trump. I am convinced Trump Is guilty of multiple crimes and should be imprisoned. No one should be above the law. Remember, it was Republicans who finally did in Nixon.
Trump must be prosecuted. If he is not, whatever respect is left for our judicial system will be gone if it is not already.
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Another mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois. I admit I am embarrassed by one thought that went through my mind -- why could not this have happened in Texas, Oklahoma or Alabama?
I loved the way Governor Pritzker handled things. Big difference between Uvalde and Highland Park About the same difference as between Paris and and village in an undeveloped country in the jungle.
Apropos of the July 4th holiday, where the theme was always “red, white and blue, yip, yip hooray”, we have now become a Country of red or blue, and although I know there are bad people in blue states and good people in red states, and although I wish there were not, literally a tragedy every day, I find myself hoping that the tragedy directly effects someone who has if not rooted for our personal freedoms to disappear, is too otherwise engaged to do anything about it.
Until the ultra conservatives actually feel the pain first hand, the things that made America great and the envy of most of the world will continue to disappear. They might as well move the Statue of Liberty to the Rock of Gibraltar, because the ultra right is making a mockery of the principles for which it stands.
I was watching the Marlin game, another great 10th inning win. For the first time in my life, during the 7th inning stretch, they sang “America”. Not only did I not stand up as I used to do, I left the room to do something else.
Too many people just don’t get it, and if there ever comes a time when they do, it will be too late. There are learned historians telling us that some of our losses are irretrievable. I do not know, and these experts do not know for sure either, but one has to take their opinions seriously.
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Did anyone, be honest now, ever think our biggest enemy would be the Supreme Court of the United States? We have had some rogue Justices, but I would have bet a lot of money that we would never be in our present situation.
What is so frustrating is we have no place to appeal except the ballot box if we can get voters to look for it, find it, vote and have their vote counted and confirmed. Just think how damn smart McConnell and his bench people were. They loaded the federal judiciary with ultra right wing conservatives while the rest of us just stood there holding you know what.
We let Governors convince their legislatures to pass outrageous laws not thinking about the ripple effect and thinking, “This is just an isolated occurrence". Then we woke up one day and discovered we were surrounded by an enemy willing to take our country back multiple decades, virtually to the dark ages.
I really hope the Marlins keep playing well. Personally, I still have some really fun things to look forward to, including a long deluxe cruise, and many trips to Florence, and, of course, I have my Wife, family and great friends (albeit a dwindling group of friends). I know I am better off than 99.9% of the people in the world, and have already had a great life I will continue to do my best to keep going. I have to get personal because, if I start thinking globally, I will need a cyanide pill.
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Hank Goldberg died. I think he was a great sportscaster and a smart gambler.
I also learned yesterday that Dee Atkinson died. During 56 years plus of practicing law, I have kept several of my clients as friends. As I got to represent really successful clients, I learned that part of their success was due to having enormously capable people to assist them. One of those clients, may he Rest In Peace, was Steve Berrard. His assistant was Dee and working with Steve over several decades, I worked with Dee both on Steve’s matters but on many for Dee and her family. We had a mutual admiration for each other, and we stayed in touch even though she moved to Texas.
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As I write this, July 4th is not over. On this holiday, I look to watch two of my favorite movies. So far, only one, “The American President,” was on. I just love that movie. I think it is the best movie Michael Douglas ever made, and Annette Benning never looked better or did a better job.
I guess I outlived my other favorite, “Yankee Doodle Dandy”. Cagney’s portrayal of George M. Cohan is, in my view, one of the all time greatest in movie musicals ranking with multiple great performances by Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. There are many others, of course, but watch just these and you can complete most four-year undergraduate degrees in the history of musical film.
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Lunch today with Lori and Geoff. Baseball game tonight with daughter Beth.
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Go Ukraine and vote as if your life depends upon it.
Can you share where to procure a cyanide pill? I'd like to keep one on hand.