Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, August 30, 2021

The crises that brought down presidents! COVID was the prime excuse to hate Trump in his last year. It has now become the second reason to hate Biden and the reason California’s governor faces recall. Biden mainly faces the challenge of Afghanistan. A member of Trump’s former staff reminds us all.

This is the trouble with trusting politics. Republican voters trusted election polls, until rules were broken, then ignored. Democrat voters trusted the conclusion of Congress to choose Biden; now they have another Democrat in the White House to make people sick of Democrats. The cycle just keeps on.

We are looking at a Republican majority in the midterm election, as usual. Then, a possible Republican supermajority in the next general election, in which Trump will likely run and more likely win. Republicans managed a way to hold the Supreme Court through that time, which is suspicious.

No matter how good and benevolent, power corrupts and none should trust a supermajority within mankind. Fortunately, Trump isn’t seen as the immortal messiah his supporters once thought he was. Democrat voters already learned that lesson with Obama. Now, Republican voters have too.

Trump

Analysis: Kayleigh McEnany is gaslighting America // CNN

Pandemic

Biden in the ‘loneliest job,’ a presidency driven by crisis // AP

How Gavin Newsom went from landslide victory to fighting for his political survival // MSN News

NATO Focus

Biden pays respects to US troops killed in Afghanistan // AP

Pentagon deploys special Hellfire missile to strike ISIS-K in Afghanistan // Task & Purpose

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Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, March 22, 2021

Democrats push forward as if a 50-50 Senate proves a national mandate. In some sense it does. Even with suspicion of a stolen election, Republican voters allowed that by winning arguments rather than winning friends. But, as the well-earned Democratic agenda moves forward, Roe v Wade does too.

Arkansas just passed a law directly challenging Roe v Wade and with a a 6-3 Republican-appointed Supreme Court, an overturn is not unlikely.

While courts take what they take, Democrats are setting up danger in the Senate. Removing the filibuster won’t even give Democrats two years to work before a routine mid-term flip in 2022. With the unresolved suspicions of election stealing, the “incumbent” rules won’t apply the same either. We are set for a Republican takeover in 2024, without a filibuster-curbed Senate, made possible by Democrats, who were give power by unsympathetic Republicans, and only stoppable by a third party. Whether we see that third party before or after 2024 has yet to be seen. We just don’t know how many people have woken up to the nation’s deeper problems.

Law

Arkansas governor says he signed near-total abortion ban so Supreme Court can decide if it’s a ‘direct challenge’ to Roe // CNN

Congress

When LBJ and Hubert Humphrey Teamed Up to Break a Talking Filibuster // Politico

Mitch McConnell warns Democrats that overhauling filibuster rules will lead to ‘completely scorched earth Senate’ // CNN

State & Local

Michigan restaurant owner in jail for defying virus orders // ABC News America

NATO Focus

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Conducts Passing Exercise with Turkish Navy // US Navy

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Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, December 23, 2019

Trump's popularity is soaring. The impeachment this week helped the popular president even more—well, if an "impeachment" that the House speaker chooses not to transfer to the Senate is an actual impeachment. In the words of Sen. Mitch McConnell, the House doesn't demonstrate much leverage by not, "sending us something we do not want." Not sending the Senate something the Senate does not want has made Trump even more "popularer".

Whether Democratic or Republican, everyone should think the House is an embarrassment to the country. Even Putin thinks the House is laughable. Smart Democratic voters won't want their politicians barking up trees, starting fights that help the other team. But, there is a danger—power corrupts and supermajority corrupts "superly". Democrats are handing the nation a supermajority Republican party by 2022, when the third round of Senate elections for Trump's tenure take place. That is when our freedom will be at more risk than it has ever been; when good people no longer have accountability they are no longer good.

Fortunately, while many Democratic voters don't value the Constitution that started the trend of ending slavery for the first time in human history, at least they know the power of gridlock. Democrats like checks and balances when they don't have power. That might be enough to save freedom.

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