So on a wretchedly cold night here, I am sitting watching in dismay as the Patriots are getting destroyed in even more wretched weather up in Massachusetts. They are supposed to thrive in this weather -- not fumble the ball five times in less than twenty minutes. Ugly.
Update: Well thank God for having to play the full sixty minutes. It's a nice looking comeback at this point. Still a lot of time left, but at least it's not going to be a humiliating loss.
- I was struck once again by the reflexively negative mainstream media reaction to the Democrats having the temerity to thwart the abuse of the filibuster by the Republicans. It's become virtually a kind of self-parody -- they concede that the Republicans have engaged in unprecedented obdurate behavior, but any sort of tough response to that -- as during the debt ceiling fight -- is painted as equally, if not more, unreasonable. Republican extemism must be tolerated and Republican threats of retaliation must be seen as both reasonable and potent. Democrats, on the other hand, must be willing victims and never resort to punching the bully in the nose. That's so uncivil.
- This is incredibly disappointing behavior by Chuck Shumer. The idea that the standoff with Iran may be resolved peacefully and successfully should be a feather in the cap of both President Obama and Secretary Kerry. You would think that they could count on the loyalty of one of the top Democrats in the Senate to support their efforts. You'd also think loyalty to the U.S. would trump loyalty to another country. Yeah, I said that and I mean it. The misguided allegiance to Israel's right wing government by its dupes in the U.S. is really troubling.
- Who's missed John Derbyshire? He's back and better than ever.
Open thread.
