Dept. of briefly surfacing

[kaffy_r]

Mr. Booker Goes to Washington

There are a bunch of small irritations in my life currently - still no laptop, for instance. There are things so bad in this country - people, companies, law firms, newspapers, FFS,  obeying in advance - that we're working on getting the hell out of Dodge.. Things are so bad around the world that ... I'm not even going to complete that sentence. 

But sometimes ... sometimes ... something good happens. Right now, Democratic Senator Cory Booker is holding out on the Senate floor. He is doing a filibuster the old-fashioned way. He hopes to go through the night and into tomorrow. He's doing it, he says, to disrupt business as usual, because "our country is in crisis." I can't do a proper link, but it's on C-Span. 

Go watch it. Here's a really long link to C-Span's website. https://www.c-span.org/clip/us-senate/sen-cory-booker-d-nj-starts-speaking-in-senate-for-as-long-as-i-am-physically-able/5158775. I don't know if you'll be able to watch it, but go hunt it down on news sites. 

In Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Jimmy Stewart's Smith filibustered for the purposes of good. It was just a movie. Cory Booker isn't in a movie. 

God bless him.

Comments

[sovay]

Right now, Democratic Senator Cory Booker is holding out on the Senate floor. He is doing a filibuster the old-fashioned way. He hopes to go through the night and into tomorrow. He's doing it, he says, to disrupt business as usual, because "our country is in crisis."

I too thought of Jefferson Smith and I do not expect it to precipitate a crisis in the Claude Rains equivalent, but I am still wishing him strength and well.

[kaffy_r]

He eventually beat Thurmond, and went past 25 hours, which I love. He's a quixotic type, sort of loveably weird, but I always side-eyed him a little. There's far less side-eye in my view of him today. You're absolutely right about this not precipitating any major quantitative change - but I think maybe there's a qualitative change that will be hard to ignore. I may be too optimistic, but that's better than despair.

[sovay]

but I think maybe there's a qualitative change that will be hard to ignore. I may be too optimistic, but that's better than despair.

I think it mattered to do.

[gerisullivan]

Here's to good trouble.

By pure happenstance, I was listening to the filibuster when I read your post a couple of hours ago. A bit after that, I accidentally closed the window and just started watching again.

I'm watching via YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2utlMxAwtE It's a few minutes before 5am on the east coast, and 13,800+ are watching the stream. Good. I also like the pertinence of Senator Booker's comments, and that they will appear in the Congressional Record.

[kaffy_r]

I watched about three, possibly four, of his later hours, and I was struck by his passion, and his ability to put that passion forward in an articulate way. Passion and being articulate don't always live in the same politician. I think that's important.

And yes! I'd forgotten that this will appear in the Congressional Record; cool!

[lokifan]

Good for him.

[kaffy_r]

Indeed!

[ljgeoff]

My son Luke is engaged to a Canadian, and they've decided to live in the UP because family. They'll be talking to an immigration lawyer this week. My question is, how hard would it be for Luke to get dual citizenship in Canada? He's a carpenter apprentice right now. And he knows how to make mead. No college. He'll be married to a Canadian. Any idea what will Canada be looking at?

[kaffy_r]

I'm definitely not the person to ask for specific information. I do know that Canada has what it calls a streamlined permanent residency program for people with certain skills deemed important to the country. I don't know what those skills are, but that's probably something the immigration attorney might look at. Luke's skill might be on that list. I would assume that Luke's fiancé could sponsor him, just as I plan to sponsor Bob. canada.gov might be helpful.

[ljgeoff]

Thank you!

[kaffy_r]

I spotted this today, and I figured I'd send the link, since it makes note of a proposed new program he says he'll put into place if the Liberals win the upcoming election; Canada will need more skilled trades workers, he says. I'm not sure the link will work for long, so I'll hunt for more information.