Why Senate Confirmation Hearings for Supreme Court Candidates is a Farce

(Photo of GOP senators who are putting on a performance for their base)

Don't think for a moment that the confirmation hearings going on for our next Supreme Court judge is a serious affair where the most qualified person is elevated to the highest court in the land.

It's a farce. And has been for years.

First, we already know Ketanji Brown Jackson (right) is going to get the appointment because the Democrats have the majority (barely) in the Senate.

It's just like when Trump's three appointments to the Supreme Court where "fast tracked" because the Republicans were a majority in the Senate, and they voted as a block.

No matter how you slice it, the Senate has taken over the once neutral court (some might argue it was never neutral) and molded it into a partisan battle ground where ideology is increasingly poisoning the once august body.

For example, every judge seated on the Supreme Court that was put there by the Republicans was groomed by the Federalist Society. For the record it's a conservative clearinghouse for GOP judges and politicians.

The result.

American's opinions of the Supreme Court have worsened in the last year. The high court's current approval rate of 40% is the lowest it's ever been. That's down from 49% last July.

It's apparent the American public no longer trusts the system. The blatant partisanship of the current conservative court majority has been on display for years.

Despite the fact that Americans oppose overturning Roe v. Wade the Supreme Court will be looking at the landmark decision this year, even though it's settled case law.

Republican dominated states have filed challenges to the law that have crawled through the lower courts and finally goaded the Supreme Court into taking some action on an established law. The outlook doesn't look good for a women's right to her own body.

Back to today.

The hearings are like watching an act from the theatre of the absurd. Especially the Republicans grandstanding where they try to push Jackson into an ideological corner.

To what end? That's simple. They're playing to the base and using the airtime to trot out all of their grievances from past hearings.

Again, it's all a farce.

Trumpies at Your Doorstep: New Voter Suppression Tactic is Illegal but They Keep Coming Anyway

The Roots of Voter Suppression in America

Imagine someone knocks on your front door as your eating dinner with your family. 

You get up and walk to the door open it... and there's a group of white men wearing sidearms and the leader asks you if you voted in the last election?

You wonder who these men are and what right do they have to ask about your personal business? One of them flashes a badge and claims he's asking you questions on behalf of your county election board.

Again, you wonder why this is happening now after several decades of voting? What do these men really want? A chill runs down your back. As a black man you know this group of armed white men could spell trouble for you and your family.

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The above scenario is playing out in Colorado right now.

A pro-Trump group has been going door-to-door in search of evidence to support voter fraud allegations that have already been debunked and rejected by courts.

The leader of the group - U.S. Election Integrity Plan (USEIP) - is Shawn Smith an ally of Steve Bannon and MyPillow boy Mike Lindell.

The group's real mission is voter intimidation because they send armed members into areas with large numbers of voters of color, questioning them about how they voted and taking photographs of their homes.

What these Trump minions are doing is illegal. They're violating the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, a post-Civil War law aimed at preventing white vigilantes from terrorizing Black people to stop them from voting.

Officials in Colorado warned the general public about the unofficial canvassing efforts and urged residents to report the members to local law enforcement and the Justice Department.

The state chapter of the NAACP, the League of Women Voters, and Mi Familia Vota filed a lawsuit against the group.

As the case drags through the courts the pro-Trump group's website says they are planning to expand to other states, including Arizona, Georgia and New Hampshire.

The group's training materials are already being used by conspiracy theorists in Utah who call themselves the Utah Voter Verification Project.

Members of the group, who refused to identify themselves, showed up at houses in Hurricane last December with personal voter information, according to Washington County officials who had been alerted by local residents.

Even though these Trump voter suppression groups are knowingly breaking the law they just keep popping up like toxic mushrooms.

The interesting thing is other Trump-supporters have tried similar door-to-door audits like the one by Cyber Ninjas, and they were forced to stop after the Justice Department warned them that they were violating federal laws against voter suppression.

Still another group - the New Mexico Audit Force - sent their members door-to-door recently. Much to my surprise, the House Oversight Committee announced a probe into the group's activities last week.

One last thing I just can't pass up. It appears USEIP has a volunteer vetting problem. 

A message on the group's website said leaders had learned (roundaboutly) that there were a "couple of people" in the group who had a criminal history of sexual misconduct.

The message apologized and said, "...it's unfortunate that we must check volunteers for pedophilic leanings."

I have one question. Has anyone notified QAnon yet?

What Keeps You Going Every Day?

"Your every day is an act in an eternal play.

You're every move choreographed.

Every word recorded.

Unseen Cameras follow you relentlessly. Silently. 

How you react to daily challenges determines what direction your day will take."

-From the Creative Chronicles of Dave Stancliff

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What keeps you going every day?

What gets you out of bed when you know it's a shitty world because bad things happen daily?

Some people's faith in God helps them bound out of bed with a smile and ready to face whatever challenges that lay ahead.

They are truly blessed.

In this era of a global pandemic, war between Russia and Ukraine, political polarization in America, severe global climate change realities, and democracies under assault here and abroad, human stress levels are off the hook.

Not everyone believes in God, however.

For those of us who don't believe in Allah, the Christian God, or Buddha, other options exist. Lone wolf types like myself, tend to believe in self-determination and the power to lead, rather than follow.

In moments of humor, I like to think there is a Superior Being (who looks like a Gary Larson cartoon version of an alien from another universe) playing puppet-master in a celestial soap opera.

My reality at 71 years-old, is pain the moment I awaken. Arthritis in both hands, knees, and other assorted bones greet me like old enemies ready to rumble at a moment's notice. 

The good news is the pain is a sign that I'm still alive. Lying in bed only makes it worse. So, I'm usually up long before the sun rises.

After drinking prodigious amounts of coffee and popping some Ibuprofen and Tylenol, I'm able to lumber about during the day.

It takes more than that, however. I plan little missions - from emptying the cat box to weeding the yard - to divert my attention from the harsh realities of the world around me.

Diversion is the key. As long as I'm occupied watching a Laker game (even though the team stinks this season) or writing for my two blogs, the day flows on without too many incidents.

Variety is the spice of life, so I try to think outside the box when it comes to my daily activities.

In the end there's no guarantee we'll be around for another day, so my best advice to you is enjoy each day like it's your last one. It could very well be.

The Conservative Push to Strip a Woman's Right to Her Own Body is Picking Up Steam

When is it okay to say, "It's my body so back off!"

According to the Republician party the rights to a woman's body are limited. Conservatives tell them when and what part of their body is independent, and what part is subject to their radicalized ideology.

When it comes to wearing safety face masks and taking the vaccine to fight the spread of COVID, conservatives scream "My body - my choice!"  

That same sentiment doesn't hold for abortions, however.

Suddenly a woman's body becomes a political football. Women are threatened with fines and jail time for doing what they think is best for their own body and mind.

Red states across the country have been passing more draconian anti-abortion laws meant to criminalize women, and anyone who helps them get an abortion.

Republician dominated states are getting bolder every day now that the Supreme Court has been taken over by right-wing jurists.

Just when you thought it was bad enough that these red states are penalizing anyone that helps a woman get an abortion, it gets worse.

States like Texas are offering a $10,000 bounty to anyone who turns a woman in for seeking an abortion. The bounty includes anyone who assisted the woman in any way.

That would include an Uber driver taking the woman to a location where she could get an abortion. Family and friends that aided a woman could be fined too.

For the record: the abortion bounty hunters will have fun collecting their money as there is no state department or fund for them to collect the loot from. Apparently, the lawmakers didn't think about that.

Still, it isn't enough for those rabid conservatives in Missouri who are now attempting to sue anyone who helps a Missouri resident have an abortion in another state!

That's right. Missouri lawmakers have taken the next step in suppression of a woman's rights by restricting them from getting an abortion in another state.

There's more. Anyone living in Missouri can sue anyone who helps a Missouri resident in another state to get an abortion. From the physician to whoever transfers her there can be fined.

This blunt attempt to regulate out-of-state conduct by one of their citizens has no clear precedent according to law scholars.

It's the first time an anti-abortion proposal of this kind has gone this far and if it succeeds there'll be a major escalation in the national conservative push to restrict the procedure.

This latest hypocritical attempt to strip a woman's rights to her body is the vanguard of a new round of action in state capitals where conservatives are rushing to enact legislation ahead of an anticipated Supreme Court ruling that sharply limits or overthrows Roe v. Wade.

The Missouri proposal could be voted on any time before the session ends in May.

Republican Revisionism About Ukraine Ignores Reality

Reality Check: Trump was impeached in 2020 for trying to bribe Ukrainian president Zelenskyy by withholding an arms shipment to his country until he dug up some dirt on then-presidential candidate Joe Biden.

In an alternate reality the GOP are now claiming that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was brought on by the Democrats impeaching Trump. 

The fact that pro-Russian Republicans in the House and Senate refuse to acknowledge what Trump did to Zelenskyy is proof of their duplicity.

The reality is Trump's ploy put Ukraine into a worse position against their totalitarian neighbor looking to expand its borders.

The resulting front-page scandal threw Zelenskyy into the middle of a political cage match. It certainly emboldened Putin who believed the West would fracture if he launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Trumps attacks against NATO's very existence encouraged Putin who must have decided the alliance was splintering and would not stand up to his aggression. 

That might have happened, but for the fact Joe Biden won the 2020 election and quickly united the shaky alliance into a firm wall of resistance against Putin's naked aggression.

Biden also re-assured the European Union that the U.S. was a good ally to have after Trump's animosity threatened to drive a wedge between Western democracies. 

The United States of America is by far the biggest contributor of military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine in the world under Biden's leadership.

Recently Biden called upon Congress to provide more aid for the embattled nation. Most - but not all - of the lawmakers supported the desperately needed assistance.

The exception was 31 Senate and 69 House Republicans who voted against giving military aid to Ukraine.

Congress couldn't even get a unanimous bipartisan vote to sign a resolution to support Ukraine. Three House Republicans voted against it.

It's apparent to me that we have an enemy within; the Trump part of the rapidly dissolving Republician party. Their ongoing coup attempt is fueled by dangerous lies designed to weaken our democracy.

The Republican hypocrites who continue to hamper relief efforts to an endangered democracy, and who continue to push the Big Lie need to be held accountable.

If there is any justice in the land when the Jan. 6 Committee turns over its findings (this summer) to the Department of Justice, the perpetrators of the insurrection will be tried in a criminal court and convicted as traitors.

Starting with the biggest criminal of them all... Trump.

Voters in November will also have the opportunity to oust any other traitors that may have eluded the DOJ.

The Confederacy Lost. It's Time Traitors Stopped Being Honored: 9 US Army Bases to Be Renamed

I think we can all agree history is written by conquerors. The winners of wars weave their narrative into their country's history.

Triumphant generals become national heroes and are publicly honored in different ways. From statutes to buildings their names destined to be carried on for future generations to admire.

Which brings us too today.

U.S. Army bases have a tradition of being named after famous generals.

However, something happened over the years (You guessed it - racism) and some military bases were named after traitorous generals.

In other words, Confederate generals from the Civil War were honored, instead of Union generals. The Lost Cause of the South was being honored in nine military bases. The irony was as thick as a brick.

That's changed.

The congressional commission overseeing the removal of Confederate names from military bases released a list of potential new names on Wednesday. 

The commission received over 34,000 recommendations during a public comment period to rename the nine Army bases.

That list has been narrowed down to 87 potential names. The commission, Army base leaders, and the local communities will send their recommendations to Congress by Oct.1.

The Pentagon will have until early 2024 to carry out the commission's suggestions.

It's never too late to right a wrong.

Reconnaissance or Tours? What's With GOP Lawmakers Guiding Right-Wingers to Capitol Walks?

You may recall those fateful days leading up to the failed coup attempt on Jan. 6 when Republican lawmakers gave tours of the Capitol to right-wing activists.

Those "tours" were more like reconnaissance missions and are being investigated by the Jan. 6 committee. As for the lawmakers involved, they have gone uncharged... thus far.

The investigation is ongoing.

There was no lack of targets for those tour groups leading up to the insurrection. Top on the list (with Mike Pence) was Nancy Pelosi's office. She actually had two offices.

The scary thing is the office she used the most was broken into and vandalized. The unregistered tours (none were entered in the White House guest records) had undoubtedly produced some information. 

What would the attackers have done had she been there? There were chants of "Kill Pelosi" and "Where is she?" It's a sobering thought.

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Related: House Democrats call on Justice Department to address 'insider threats' posed by candidates who believe election fraud claims

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Capitol tours are rare these days because of COVID restrictions. Two small public tours a week are allowed in a limited area on the Senate side.

Last week Capitol Hill police prepared for a so-called "Freedom Convoy," a group of right-wing activists, to descend upon the Capitol in big rig trucks to protest a litany of grievances.

The National Guard was put on high alert. No one wanted to see a repeat of Jan. 6. Needless to say, tensions were high.

It was in this atmosphere that a Republican senator from Kansas, Roger Marshall, decided it would be a good idea to give members of the Freedom Convoy a guided tour of the Capitol.

If not for a senior congressional aide who alerted the Department of Justice about the truckers' presence, this little tour would have gone unreported.

The aide - rightly so - was concerned that the protestors might have been planning an entry into the building. 

That convoy is still circling around a freeway in the Washington DC area because trucks are illegal on the city streets.

It appears that since Jan. 6 Republican lawmakers who gave tours and aided the insurrectionists with rhetoric and cash flows are not going to suffer any consequences for their traitorous behaviors.

Perhaps that's why Sen. Marshall was comfortable with guiding those right-wing truckers and hangers-on through the Capitol. He knew he would get away with it and it would also polish his crazy credentials.

Where's the Weed? I Thought Democrats Wanted Cannabis to be Legal

Two-thirds of American voter's support legalization — including half of Republican voters and 83 percent of Democrats. | Mark Wilson/Getty Images

I'm still waiting Chuck Schumer...

Remember when you gained control of Washington in 2020 and promised to end the federal prohibition on marijuana?

It's been 14 long months. I can be a patient guy, but I still have my limits. 

This is the 21st century and states, cities, and big corporations are making billions off of high-grade Skunk, but it's still considered illegal. Can someone explain that to me?

Every time I hear a rumor that marijuana is going to be legal and that politicians are ready to pull their heads out of their asses - nothing happens.

With utter disgust I read that the new government spending package released today continues to prohibit Washington, D.C. from establishing a cannabis marketplace.

Despite the fact that District voters overwhelmingly backed legalization more than seven years ago the provision was left on the cutting room floor.

The new spending bill also fails to protect state-regulated recreational cannabis markets, nor did it expand medical marijuana research or protect veterans who use cannabis.

I just don't get it. Those are issues that have widespread bipartisan backing. Why were they unceremoniously dropped?

I have another bone to pick with Mr. Schumer.

What the hell happened earlier this year when you led Democrats in removing language from the National Defense Authorization Act that would have made it easier for the industry to access banking services?

It doesn't make sense. That legislation twice cleared the House with huge majorities, including more than 100 Republicans. 

So. Where's the legal weed?

Rumors of legalization are still circulating in the halls of Congress. Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. Ron Wyden released draft legislation to decriminalize and regulate marijuana, but no formal bill has surfaced.

Schumer is whispering about introducing a legalization bill in April, but that ship has almost sailed with time running out before the end of the year.

If the Republicans seize Congress in November, any chance for legalization will wither and die a quiet death.

The Ides of March: On This Day in 1970

I was 19 years-old and in Vietnam on March 15th, 1970. (Photo right)

To sum up my experiences I used the music from back then while writing the following poem

 -1970 Diary - to capture what was going on in my young skull.

1970

“Let it be” – words of wisdom from The Beatles that spoke to me

I lusted for an “American Woman”

Crossed the Song Bay Bridge under fire listening to

“Bridge over Troubled Waters”

wishing young men back home

would “Walk a Mile in My Shoes”

and know about a grunt’s blues

too many villages on fire

“Somethings Burning” by a ghostly choir

Smoky Saigon opium dens wistfully playing

“House of the Rising Sun”

     Helicopters in the sky playing "That'll be the Day I Die."

1970

long range patrols in the night

“Travelin’ Band” playing in the USA

going into hostile territory every day

wondering what’s “Up around the Bend”

living in a hot humid climate

“In the Summertime” that seemed like it would never end

Taking “The Long and Winding Road,” in country

dreaming of “Lookin Out My Back Door” at home

trying not to “Spill the Wine” because I’ve seen

“Fire and Rain” and will never be the same again

Searching for Reason in a Savage Society

Definition of reason:

a) a statement offered in explanation or justification

b) a rational ground or motive

c) the thing that makes some facts intelligible

d) a sufficient ground of explanation or a logical defense

As a wit once said, "There's nothing common about common sense." The same holds true for reason. It comes in small quantities in our combative society.

A lot of people today have the attitude that reason is a form of weakness. Much like compromise.

"Ours not the reason why, ours but to do and die!" - Alfred Lord Tennyson

The best example of this attitude is Trump's cult followers. Like sheep they are content to follow their master by re-bleating everything he has to say.

In TrumpWorld, reason is a ruinous runaway to reality. Something loyal subjects would prefer to avoid. 

People are often driven by passion, but it's only those that use reason as a rein that become successful in life.

The line between reason and madness grows thinner during these days of internal chaos in America. 

It's reasonable to say our democracy has never faced a bigger threat than Trump's ongoing assault against it.

Marya Mannes once said, "The sign of an intelligent people is their ability to control their emotions by the application of reason."

Reason can come in one form or another. As the Dalai Lama preached, "The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual's own reason and critical analysis."

As Lord Byron argued, "Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves."

In our savage society it's hard to stay grounded and happy. I leave you with a quote from Wilkie Collins, "Peace rules the day where reason rules the mind."

Daylight Savings Time Started out As a Joke - It's Time for It to End

Historians will tell you that Benjamin Franklin had a sense of humor. 

Proof lies with the joke essay he wrote in 1784 that appeared in a letter to the editor of The Journal of Paris as "An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light."

In the essay he concluded that Parisians could save more money on candles by getting out of bed earlier in the morning and utilizing more natural light for longer.

It was meant more as a joke than a serious proposal, so nothing was done about it at the time.

The modern Daylight Savings Time was first officially enacted in Germany by Kaiser Wilhelm during the first world war as a fuel-saving measure.

It didn't take long before Europe and eventually the United States got on the bandwagon. Americans can thank President Woodrow Wilson for making it a reality in 1918.

Daylight Savings Time withered away after the war. The average American rejected it and it was officially dumped.

That wasn't the end of it, however.

The energy-saving measure was resurrected again in WW II by President Roosevelt who dubbed it "War Time" and that was that. On February 9, 1942, Daylight Savings Times was once again deemed the official standard.

It was a messy process that required each state to accept the new time standard. The American working class has groaned ever since.

It's time to move on. We're in the 21st century and have long since lost the need to artificially mess with our days. It's just a habit now that needs to be put to rest.

Guess what? Science is backing up the idea of getting rid of Daylight Savings Time. Scientists say our natural circadian rhythm moves in sync with the flow of the earth and thus the universe. The artificial standard messes with that.

By correcting our clocks we'll be back in sync with the flow of the day, which is a good thing according to the experts.

It's been proven the chaos of the small-time change - springing forward - causes a higher jump in heart attacks and workplace accidents due to the lack of sleep during this period.

I'm told some people are grateful for the "extra" hour of sleep in the fall. I've yet to meet one. 

I'd suggest bringing up the subject in Congress but that's akin to taking the subject to the round file to be latter hauled out to the trash heap.  

Unfortunately, it's still the law of the land so if you grudgingly forgot to push your clock forward last night it needs adjusting today... after taking a long nap!