Where We Go From Here

I'm finding that January has put me off to a very weird and complicated start. I'm unfocussed with my job and a bit unhappy with some of the actions I'm seeing occur; I've been (and my family has been) ill for most of the month; my sister-in-law's (which made her my brother's as well) cat died at the unbelievable age of twenty-one, which I know is really hurting them; and I'm still not happy with what's going on with the government of my country. Of course there's absolutely no link between the funk I'm experiencing and the front pages but I'm seeing a disconnect on a national level and it's apparent that the country is out of touch with itself.
This week has unveiled the Senate hearings for Supreme Court-nominated Samuel Alito to speak his heart and mind to show his capablities as a Justice. What we've seen is the Democrats attempt to grasp at straws in their attempts of a character assassination and a nominee who is being so deliberately vague in order to not be pinned to his words in the future that I'm not sure that half of what Alito is saying can be believed even by himself. I would like to see the Senate panel ask the nominee to explain his judicial philosophies so that the public understands how a man has come to believe in a conservative jurisprudential mindset. I'd like to have heard that from "liberal" judges as well, not whether Alito's going to overturn Roe v. Wade (like there aren't eight other judges sitting on the bench?). As much of the hearings have been political grandstanding, the Senators are narrow mindedly keeping a terribly myopic view of their questioning of Alito and are failing to get to the heart of this judge's legal soul. Why does he interpret the Constitution, the law, common law, stare decisis as he does? Instead of talking, shut up and let the man speak; if he trips over himself then allow him to defend and protect himself but stop with the poor attempts at painting him into a corner that he justifiably does not need to escape from.
All the while, why haven't the Democrats (or the mainstream press, for that matter) continued to hone in on the Abramoff scandal? This is truly the big "payola" scandal of Congress and I am not naive enough to think that this has been the first and only time rubbing elbows has generated influence in Washington. However, any layman's first look at the political machine created by Jack, Tom DeLay and their ilk shows that this is truly an unprecedented attack on the American democratic system. I hope that people like George Will will finally shut up thinking that money (or as we call it in our home country "F**KING BRIBERY" is free speech. That argument is about as ridiculous as the Supreme Court's interpreting corporations as individuals needing protection under the 14th Amendment. As I continue to digress, campaign or political donations should be legal; I have and continue to support the causes I believe in. However, when people in high places who have direct and personal connections with the causes they donate, they have all too often the opportunity to dictate the direction of political winds. Political insider trading is how it appears and it needs to halt immediately. I don't care if every last Congressperson gets kicked out of Congress and an entire batch of green representatives run the ship; I'm sick and tired of seeing stalwart "honest" representatives run this place. We live in a second gilded age but unfortunately we don't have a Mark Twain when we need one.

On a much, much lighter note, I'll be picking up tickets to see McCoy Tyner at the end of the month and the Derek Trucks Band in both San Francisco and Sacramento in February. Two monster musicians that never fail to inspire and awe me.