Scorched Earth . . .

“If we do not defend ourselves none will defend us; if we yield we will be more and more pressed as we recede; and if we submit we will be trampled under foot. I hold concession or compromise to be fatal. If we concede an inch, concession would follow compromise, until our ranks would be […]

Coming Soon . . .

U.S. Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, who both encouraged the mob that assaulted the Capitol January 6 during the Electoral Vote Count, have followed up by using this week’s Senate hearings to question the aggressiveness and legality of the FBI’s investigation of the assault, including metadata collection that may involve their own communications leading […]

Kill Switch . . .

With an ambitious legislative agenda, and thin majorities in both houses of Congress, the Biden administration is just beginning to face the full force of organized Republican obstructionism. A new book, “Kill Switch”, by Adam Jentleson, relates the history of the filibuster and other procedural arcana that he believes is at the heart of the […]

Digital Quicksand . . .

This is a really good op-ed that provides highlights of a survey of professional opinions regarding the impact of internet communications technology on our society and politics. Opinions range from the view that the impact of the internet is no different from that of radio or television; to “technopessimism”, the view that 2020 represents only […]

And Good Luck . . .

“Good Night, and Good Luck” is a 2005 film directed by George Clooney about the experience of Edward R. Murrow (David Straithern) at CBS News during the McCarthy era. The movie is fact-based; the title is the regular signoff Murrow used at the end of his weekly interview program “See It Now”. It is filmed […]

Good Night . . .

The rise of disinformation spread through the internet, and its malignant effect on our politics, got me thinking about past generations of technological advances in communication, that of radio in the 1920’s-30’s; and then television a generation later in the 1950’s-60’s. This brought to mind the experiences of the famous radio and television broadcaster Edward […]

Who Vindicates Mitch? . . .

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s speech on the Senate floor, condemning Trump as responsible for the January 6th mob attack on the Capitol, is below, followed by his op-ed which was published in the Wall Street Journal yesterday. If Trump, in McConnell’s words, is not shielded from responsibility for his dereliction of duty January 6th, […]

Wish Upon a Star . . .

In one of his many outbursts of utterly phony outrage at an irrefutable prosecution point, Trump impeachment defense counsel Bruce Castor, waving his arms, looked around frantically, and exclaimed “Jiminy Crickets!”. Ever the researcher, I made an effort to determine the meaning of this lawyerly proclamation. Jiminy Cricket is a fictional character created by Italian […]

Cry, The Beloved Country . . .

The Senate minister opened Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial with a prayer, asking for God’s guidance as “truth strives against falsehood, as good strives against evil”. The assembled Senators then faced the flag, and, hands across hearts, recited the Pledge of Allegiance – “to the flag, and to the Republic, for which it stands . […]

Staring at Pitches . . .

It was apparent going in to the recent election that Donald Trump was going to hang his hat on late counting of mail-in and urban ballots as evidence of election fraud, then litigate and manipulate the counting and validation of the vote at every step. In case anyone thought the recent election represented a re-normalization […]