I have been busy working on my mother's estate and getting ready to file her income taxes for last year. Add teaching and physio and a few other things, life has been busy. Now I have to arrange a visit to the dentist because I broke a tooth on Friday. On the other hand, it is always a joy to come home to my three furbabes.
Short Takes
NY Times — Judge Neil M. Gorsuch was confirmed by the Senate on Friday to become the 113th justice of the Supreme Court, capping a political brawl that lasted for more than a year and tested constitutional norms inside the Capitol’s fraying upper chamber.
The moment was a triumph for President Trump, whose campaign appeal to reluctant Republicans last year rested in large part on his pledge to appoint another committed conservative to succeed Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February 2016. However rocky the first months of his administration may have been, Mr. Trump now has a lasting legacy: Judge Gorsuch, 49, could serve on the court for 30 years or more.
“As a deep believer in the rule of law, Judge Gorsuch will serve the American people with distinction as he continues to faithfully and vigorously defend our Constitution,” the president said.
The final tally was 54-45 in favor of confirmation.
The confirmation was also a vindication of the bare-knuckled strategy of Senate Republicans, who refused even to consider President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court pick, Judge Merrick B. Garland, saying the choice of the next justice should belong to the next president.
Click through for the rest of the article. Well, I think we all knew that Gorsuch would be confirmed if McConnell used the nuclear option and changed the Senate tradition of 60 votes for confirmation to SCOTUS to a simple majority. McConnell did, and Gorsuch was. When the appointment is for life, in this case for at least 30 years, there should be a requirement for 60 votes to confirm.
Otherwords.org — Well in keeping with the above article, here is Khalil Bendib's take.
Cartoon removed pending clarification.
Strange fruit on the tree of liberty.
There will interesting times ahead with Gorsuch on the bench.
Otherwords.org — If you didn't guess already, I am a fan of Khalil Bendib's work. A picture is worth a thousand words, or maybe more. With the failure of Drumpf's healthcare bill recently, he is beginning to tally up quite a list of failures. Stay tuned for more!
Cartoon removed pending clarification.
Our "deal-maker" president isn't nearly as good as getting things done as he proclaimed.
And of course, before the healthcare failure, there was not one, but two attempts at banning Muslims from specific countries. The first ban was quashed by Washington state US District Judge James Robart. Of course, not to be outdone by a judge whom Drumpf castigated, Drumpf brought forward a second ban and it was shot down in spectacular fashion by Hawaii's US District Judge Derrick Watson. Drumpf just tweaked the original ban and it was sent to the trash heap. One can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig!
Cartoon removed pending clarification.
You know what they say about putting lipstick on a pig.
YouTube — And now a few words from John Oliver.
John does have a way with words.
My Universe
6 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 09 April 2017”
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WRT your "Strange Fruit of the Liberty Tree" cartoon (paraphrased from something I saw)
America Now Ruled by an Occupying Force
We now have a Supreme Court Justice picked by a President who lost our national election by THREE MILLION votes
That justice was approved by a Senate in which sparsely populated states have more weighted votes from cattle and hogs than states with people; and supported by a House in which districts are so rigged by GOP Gerrymandering as to be virtual life-time appointments.
This is NOT a government “Of the people, by the people and for the people.”
It's an occupying force
… And I sure hope that cat at the end of the YT video who was covered with little chicks had just eaten … a big meal!
Hi TomCat,
Watcjing the epic videos of cats and kittens gave me a valued reprive from the horrefic events of last week. Needless to say, I didn't view the John Oliver videos. Maybe next week. I hope you are doing better…peace.
Excuse me, Squash. I've got TomCat on the brain…peace.
There are many covers of the song, but this is the mother of them all. She always said it was very difficult for her, and I think one could see that even with the video muted. Apparently Khalil has been thinking of it lately. So have I. I was also thinking of Guernica not too long before the Syrian Tomahawk attack.
Thanks for posting, Lynn, especially when you've been so busy lately. Sorry to hear about your tooth, I hope it isn't painful and just annoying.
NYT: Goresuch appointment made headlines here too, but I can assure you that it was NOT spoken of as "a triumph for President Trump". A legacy, yes, but not one anyone would like to see his name attached to. It was pointed out often enough that while Republicans have the majority in House and Senate they needed to change the rules of the game while it was being played, because Goresuch met with such opposition. "Banana Republic" was mentioned.
Well, we'll have to wait and see if Goresuch will become a decisive factor in SCOTUS, but I'm afraid we won't have to wait long. Has the Muslim…uhmmm travel ban been appealed yet?
Otherwords: The pen is mightier than the sword, and Khalil Bendib's pencil is even mightier than the pen.
John Oliver #1: John, in his inimitable way, has pointed out what others like Sam Bee and Keith Olbermann have also pointed out: Devin Nunes is the epitome of a conflict of interest by being a member of Drumpf's team under investigation and by working for not-the-popular-vote president Drumpf while he should be impartial as chairman of the Committee. I believe he has recused himself from the Intelligence Committee now, but that is not enough. His role as chairman should be under investigation and he should go.
John Oliver #2: If I got the timeline correct, UK's PM, Theresa May, visited Drumpf and tried to become BFF, because of the looming Brexit problems, and then Drumpf kicks her in the gut by claiming British GCHQ has spied on him on Obama;s behalf. Wonder what he'll say about Chinese intelligence services after he had China's president Xi Jinping for a drink in Mar-a-lago. And, mind you, it's all deflection. Keep your eyes on what Drumpf and his administration is really doing when nobody's paying attention, like bombing Syria without knowledge or assent by Congress…
And then My Universe turns the world right again… Thanks, Lynn.
Very good stuff! Yes, we are, indeed, governed by an occupying force, excellent point No Name!
Thank you, Joanne, as I was about to point to Lady Day as the author of that horridly moving piece.
I have not known of Bendib's work until now, but am not surprised to find it in your range of experience! Wonderful! This bit of his work reminds me of the famous Herb Block, woho became famous as Herblock, and won several puitzer prizes for editorial cartoonong. He was the originator of the term "McCarthyism," I just learned, thanks again to you, as I checked for the spelling of his name.