(Jinny Thomas, Martha-Ann Alito and Loren Merchan were in the news recently. Jinny is married to Supreme Court
Justice Clarence Thomas, Martha-Ann to Samuel Alito on the Court and Loren is the daughter of the Judge who is trying
a former President for an inappropriate book-keeping error that might have been fraudulent if it had not happened 18 years
ago. All have been accused of inappropriate partisan conduct on both sides of the spectrum. They are not on trial.
Their spouses or father are).

Positions of familial intimacy are not subject to confirmation by the Senate. All are under attack for their positions on politics, flags or fundraising. The implication that the views or legal activities of the family should have a direct bearing on legal opinions is fairly new. The point appears to be influencing SCOTUS by removing some spouses or releasing a former from trial. The last could influence an election while the SCOTUS spouses could be harnessed to eject their partners from life-time appointments to the Court. That would free that body to make legislation that could not be passed by those elected to Congress to do so. It is unusual, since we have never been introduced to family members in any legal proceedings before.

But that shows you the dimensions of the change. Yesterday was a good close out a busy week as Congress attempts to clear the decks for the Memorial Day recess. They are threatening to come back, which fills us with apprehension, since their return to town will mark a dramatic increase in the volume and intensity of the partisan rhetoric that accompanies the Endless Campaign.

We try to follow the messaging to see who is saying what to influence public opinion about other things never quite explained. We got a nice note from our Congressman, Rep. Don Beyer who responded to an inquiry from the Socotra House Writer’s Section. Don used to be a fairly reliable automobile dealer here in Blue Arlington, so naturally we trust him. But his letter left us more confused than when we sent him a note asking for clarification on a vote he had cast a few weeks ago.

(Above is the nice note from Congressman Don Beyer, the car-dealer who was elected to
represent our little chuck of Blue Virginia in the House of Representatives. We had been looking
at the “unanimous” vote by his faction in the House to allocate Congressional district sizes and
members of the Electoral College based on total population size determined by the US Census
Department. Our concern had been that it did not use the category of “citizens,” rather than the
illegal arrivals who happen to be standing around at the corner).

As a side note, we have no problem with immigrants voting. We would just prefer they demonstrate their commitment to democracy by fulfilling their obligation to do so legally. Since they are not here in that status, you can understand our unease.

That official correspondence arrived in the mess of digits that described the nearly incomprehensible display by members on the floor of the House. It was a wild exchange between Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Jasmine Crockett at the House Oversight Committee hearing. It happened Thursday night to become news yesterday, complete with hysterical video clips and allegations that there had been drinking on the House floor, or at least immediately before.

(Squad Member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez- “AOC,” Jasmine Crockette and Marjory Taylor Greene (MTG)
exchange views in the House of Representative. Mr. Jerry Springer could not attend. Senator Fetterman, right, contributed an observation. Photos screen-shot from available low-resolution media).

An article of controversy in that exchange was the shade- or length- of someone’s eyelashes. These were- presumably the artificial kind, and thus subject to discussion by our elected Representatives at our expense. At some volume, we add, for which the expense was not noted.

Senator John Fetterman, whose recovery from a stroke has also been in the news. His comment was pithy and succinct. He had called the display of emotion as being reminiscent of the antics displayed on the Jerry Springer Show. He then apologized to Mr. Springer for the disparagement.

Considering some of the other videos we have seen recently of intimate acts performed on a desk on the Senate side, it seems a new standard has been set for official conduct on that side of the Potomac.

The controversy is partly due to the massive change in the way our government works. Senator Fetterman started his term in the Senior Deliberative Body in baggy sweats that hung from his massive 6’8” frame.

Here is the nice note we received from our Congressman responding to an inquiry about his vote on the Census bill. It looked damned official. We assume what he says is true, although it does not agree with the press reporting about the Bill on which he cast his ballot.

We have agreed not to attempt understanding the modern antics of media and messaging. In going through some of the wreckage of the bits of news intended to move our thoughts, we found some drawing from one of the fathers of the Old Salts. They were from another time of relative innocence in a machine devoted to conflict. He had drawn them for the Pensacola, FL Naval Air Station newspaper during the epic struggle of World War Two. They seem to mimic daily concerns of people in crisis completely unlike ours. Here they are:

We have no opinion about them and have agreed with Management not to think for a while until this all this future still settles itself out. That should be an interesting process, you know? We think the old drawings sum up our reaction to our future pretty well.

Copyright 2024 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com