{"id":25626,"date":"2016-12-26T12:29:13","date_gmt":"2016-12-26T20:29:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=25626"},"modified":"2016-12-26T12:29:13","modified_gmt":"2016-12-26T20:29:13","slug":"open-thread-12262016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2016\/12\/26\/open-thread-12262016\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Thread – 12\/26\/2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wendy arrived yesterday at 2:00 PM.  In only four hours, we de-stunk the stinky TomCat, did our normal housekeeping chores, did the dreaded task and had Christmas dinner.  She brought fruit salad and fudge to go with the ham, Brussels sprouts Hollandaise, stuffing, and garlic bread that I made.  We had raspberry pudding cake for dessert.  She gave me a Broncos T-shirt and a beautiful quilt that she made herself.  I gave her an opal  necklace.  She doesn’t know it yet, but I also got her a Samantha Bee Thundercunt T-shirt, but it won’t be delivered until tomorrow.  The only downside is that a washer malfunctioned and ate four pairs of my briefs.  I was so pooped that I fell asleep during my Broncos game.  Because it’s a dead day for news, and because I’m tired, this is today’s only article.<\/font><\/p>\n

Jig Zone Puzzle<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

Today’s took me 4:08 (average 5:53).  To do it, click here<\/a>.  How did you do?<\/font><\/p>\n

Religious Agony<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

\"1225Broncos10-Chiefs33\"<\/font><\/p>\n

Short Takes<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

From NY Times<\/a>: <\/font>Soon after his inauguration next month, President-elect Donald Trump will nominate someone to the Supreme Court, which has been hamstrung by a vacancy since the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February. There will be public debates about the nominee\u2019s credentials, past record, judicial philosophy and temperament. There will be Senate hearings and a vote.<\/p>\n

No matter how it plays out, Americans must remember one thing above all: The person who gets confirmed will sit in a stolen seat.<\/p>\n

It was stolen from Barack Obama, a twice-elected president who fulfilled his constitutional duty more than nine months ago by nominating Merrick Garland<\/a>, a highly qualified and widely respected federal appellate judge.<\/p>\n

It was stolen by top Senate Republicans, who broke with longstanding tradition and refused to consider<\/a> any nominee Mr. Obama might send them, because they wanted to preserve the court\u2019s conservative majority. The main perpetrators of the theft were Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, and Charles Grassley, chairman of the Judiciary Committee. But virtually all Republican senators were accomplices; only two<\/a> supported holding hearings.<\/p>\n

What Republicans did for nine months, Democrats must do for four years, using every parliamentary dirty trick in the book. RESIST<\/strong>!!<\/font><\/p>\n

From Washington Post<\/a>: <\/font>Donald Trump is set to inherit an uncommon number of vacancies in the federal courts in addition to the open Supreme Court seat, giving the president-elect a monumental opportunity to reshape the judiciary after taking office.<\/p>\n

The estimated 103 judicial vacancies that President Obama is expected to hand over to Trump in the Jan. 20 transition of power is nearly double the 54 openings Obama found eight years ago following George W. Bush\u2019s presidency.<\/p>\n

Confirmation of Obama\u2019s judicial nominees slowed to a crawl after Republicans took control of the Senate in 2015. Obama White House officials blame Senate Republicans for what they characterize as an unprecedented level of obstruction in blocking the Democratic president\u2019s court picks.<\/p>\n

What Republicans did for two years, Democrats must do for four years, using every parliamentary dirty trick in the book. RESIST<\/strong>!!<\/font><\/p>\n

From YouTube<\/a> (White House Channel<\/a>): <\/font>Weekly Address: Merry Christmas from the President and the First Lady <\/p>\n