Category: Politics

One shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, I was told early in life. To that my forever mischievous brother John, would say so and so “is dead. That’s good.” Still, I will not speak badly of Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. The 79-year-old Reagan-era pick for the nation’s highest court died overnight Saturday at a ritzy ranch resort in Presidio County, Texas.

I will also not express my like for Scalia, the justice being the most conservatively active on the court. Saying he was active doesn’t particularly mean he was a judicial “activist,” although I would think the most honest and fair of political persuasions left and right would have to characterize “Nino” Scalia that way. The fact that his wife was an anti-abortion activist left Democrats proclaiming Scalia should recuse himself from any abortion-related cases the court would review. He didn’t recuse himself, of course.

Republicans didn’t wait until funeral directors embalmed the late justice before categorically stating that President Obama should not nominate a candidate to replace Scalia. Obama said he would nominate a candidate as is his Constitutional duty. The Senate’s own Website describes that process:

 “advice and consent – Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.“

That doesn’t mean the Senate has to approve the nomination, of course. The Republican candidates for president in a South Carolina debate Saturday night indicated they were all hell-bent in declaring no candidate for the Supreme Court who Obama recommended would be considered.

Of course, the cable news media all have focused on this political “drama.” This focus on the Republicans pledge to reject any presidential nominee for the high court until a new president is sworn in certainly seems like the failure to consider the possibility a Hillary Clinton, or God forbid, a Bernie Sanders presidency. Such obstruction is nothing new for the crop of congressional Republicans who try at every turn to thwart the Obama administration.

What is lost on the Republicans is that we are coming out of two terms of Obama in the presidency. While the prevailing wisdom may be that everyone hates Obama, that is realistically not the case. The national media loves a good soap opera so the focus is on, once again, the drama, of a butt-loaded GOP presidential race. Even more so is this the case since the rich pitch man cum “reality” television star Donald Trump is a front-runner.

What Republicans will not discuss is how Trump and this overcrowded field, now vastly complicated by the Scalia death and a looming presidential showdown, has the makings of a historic political realignment. I speak, as I have for quite a few years now, that the GOP could split into.

If a fight breaks out in the Republican National Convention this summer over platform and candidates — Trump as opposed to Cruz/Rubio or even Jeb! Bush — we could see a political split that the country has not seen in more than 160 years. That was the last time one of the two major parties permanently broke apart. Such history might also consider the “Dixiecrat,” party in 1948, though no permanent split took place over racial segregation.

The Republican Party would be stupid not to consider the voting public to be so outraged at the do-nothing Congress and right-wing agenda that Congress, at least the Senate, might return to Democratic hands along with a Democratic president.

Whatever happens happens. The death of Antonin Scalia could prove a more lasting impact on U.S. history than any of his opinions. That could be good or bad. One cannot guess how this all plays out.

If you have read or regularly read this blog you might notice that something looks different. Well, it is different. My friend Paul, who lives in Tokyo, has a blog called “Japan Racing Blog.” I have added it to the Blog Roll. He has really put some work into his site and I think it is taking shape really well. You might take a look at it. Maybe you like horse racing, or Japanese horse racing or maybe you didn’t even know there was horse racing in Japan. Or like me, didn’t even know there were horses in Japan. It made me wonder at first if the horses were little, like Shetland ponies. Shetlands can be really mean sons of bitches. I used to ride my uncle’s horse, Mr. Ed (no not THE Mr. Ed,) I think the old boy had a bit of brain damage. But Ed had a much sunnier disposition than Shetlands.

Okay, enough walking on the moon. You might notice the image for the header. It sort of resembles the moon, or at least that is what I think. It is actually a photo I took after walking to the top of Enchanted Rock, a big piece of granite, out in the Texas Hill Country. The photo was taken in 2004 with one of those disposable cameras. I didn’t have a digital camera or any kind of camera. I don’t think my cell phone even took photos.

New Hampshire

Speaking of granite, did you know New Hampshire is known as “The Granite State?” The state’s motto is “Live Free or Die,” and is on New Hampshire license plates. I know that the motto comes from Revolutionary War hero Gen. John Stark. However, I would imagine one would perspire expire if you fell off a large piece of granite like Enchanted Rock. Or if soldiers or other folks started throwing large pieces of granite at another person, it might also be fatal. Whereas that could be a possible outcome, one might imagine the state that borders Quebec, Canada, could just as easily change its motto to “Live Free AND Die.”

There was an election yesterday in New Hampshire. If you haven’t heard the results of that primary by now, then you probably shouldn’t be reading my blog.

SPOILER ALERT: The Democratic primary was won by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, I, Vermont, and the Republican primary victor was Donald J. Trump, a New York businessman and reality TV star. What is this country coming to, or from for that matter?

So why are the primary elections in the state ranked 46th in the U.S. population important? Well, if you consider these numbers you might just imagine. Since 1952, there were four Democratic N.H. primary winners who went on to become president. There were as well, eight Republican candidates who were eventually the nation’s chief executive. In other words, who the hell knows? You might imagine why the small state deserves such rabid media coverage? As it is the media reports every time a candidate farts before the N.H. primaries. Believe me, I don’t want to consider the presidential candidates farting, although, if they all farted, one on down the line from each other during the debates, it might just … stink.  The debates stink, as it is, without any flatulence.

On to Carolina boys and girls. Don’t eat any beans, especially before debates.