Senator Robert Byrd died last night at age 92. He was the longest serving elected US senator, who came to the House in 1952 and was elected to the Senate in 1958. Of course Byrd’s last dying act was to get this health care bill passed, and he was taxed by the Republicans by numerous votes “or else” at all hours of the day and night to keep the bill alive. He was hospitalized yesterday for a “serious condition” but apparently they were more than serious. Byrd was one of the lions of the Senate who along with Ted Kennedy stood up and opposed the War in Iraq in 2003 saying it was unconstitutional, and in this, of course, he was absolutely right. Byrd got my attention in 1991 when he cane out against the Clarence Thomas nomination. I was in kind of a place where I didn’t know which side to believe. I didn’t particularly trust either Anita Hill or Charence Thomas. I will only say that Thomas had an “unlikable, hostile” quality every time he spoke in public and of course he is the one person who never participates in questions in oral argument. I tend to be of the school where “If the person isn’t asking any questions, it’s probably because they don’t understand any of it”. Of course Larry Elder reminded us all that Byrd used to be in the K K K. To this I will say to Larry that “It’s not where you’ve been but where you are headed that counts”. Where are the Republicans headed. They aren’t like progressives who believe in facing the future bravely and head on. Rather – their slogan appears to be “The only thing we have to offer is fear itself”. Their prime tactict these days seems to be “raw, unreasoning fear, that paralyzes needed action” to quote FDR. Without Byrd and Kennedy now all we have on the political landscape are Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachman, and Glen Beck. Chris Matthews had some contest or challenge to any republican senator to come on his show and oppose Rush Limbaugh head on. So far he hasn’t had any takers. If a republican congressman dares to oppose Rush Limbaugh on anything, such as this “shakedown of BP” line we’ve been hearing, they go for a couple of days and then break down with a sniveling apology to Rush. Rush Limbaugh honestly believes that the twenty billion fund of British Petroleum is a “shake down”. He’s also saying that “Mark my words, it’s going to end up being another Obama bail out” I’m not entirely sure what he means by that. Sarah Paylan has chimed in with all those who say the 20 Billion BP fund is “unconstitutional” and Bill Press was debating a woman who declared that the fund was secured under extortion and pressure. And Bill Press had to keep correcting her to say that British Petroleum said going in that they had to clean up the whole spill. The law states plainly that oil offenders have to entirely finance the clean up of oil spills. The Republicans back when I was a teenager like the famous Sallenger – Murphy debate of September 1964 Murphy said “I would like to go back to the America of fifty years ago” and Sallenger responded “I was not alive fifty years ago, but from what I know- - “ and listed a number of reasons why he would not want to go back to 1914. Today Republicans want to go back to the same period only now that is one hundred years ago. Who would dream that one of the primary political parties wants to go back a hundred years ago? And even at that they would be ad odds with “Progressive” Ex President Theadore Roosevelt. Of course another modern lightning rod is the General Stanley Mc Crystal firing. They were saying on the Stephanie Miller show this morning that “Perhaps it’s a beneficial thing for Mc Crystal to get himself fired. It might have been deliberate. Because he knew the whole campaign of this war was doomed to failure and what better way to get himself off the hook in advance is to leave, so you won’t be the general who is blamed for it when it takes place”. That’s an interesting thought.

The Supreme Court said that States and Cities don't have the power to limit gun ownership. I strongly disagree with this decision as an infringement on local rights. There was also a ruling involving patents that came down. Elena Kagen this week is having her senate hearing for Supreme Court justice, and I will be tuning into that in a while.

Some of you may wonder how my no cigarettes campaign is coming. Well I doubt highly that it will succeed. Still there are so many health indications I should quit including that cough I had for weeks, and the fact that an uncle of mine died of throat canter a year and a half ago. And then there is you know who’s remark of “You just don’t look healthy”. I’m continuing with all the medical quackery to see if it works. I don’t know why I shouldn’t be the picture of health with all the vitamin C I’ve taken taken. I think that nurse knocked ten pounds off my weight when she took it. I don’t lose weight like that in a matter of weeks since my last weighing.