The Candidates’ Debate

Mark Rubin

Going to the candidates’ debate, Laugh about it, shout about it, When you’ve got to choose
Every way you look at this you lose. (For the rest of the lyrics, with the melody and harmony, click here.)

I’m watching D Debate No. 9. Here’s my comment, 10 minutes in, to LB: Effing goddamn f****** circular firing squad. Now, 53 minutes in, nothing differs.

I want President Elizabeth Warren. She warms my heart, for she’s brilliant, with a huge heart and a deep, deep understanding about what ails those who struggle. Can she solve their problems? Probably not. (Quick aside: I got drawn into an interesting debate about the future of the legal profession. Bottom

Richard Nixon: Spinning

Richard Nixon

Don’t go near Richard Nixon’s grave anytime soon; too much kinetic energy!

President Nixon covered up crimes, and likely committed many for which he was never charged or convicted. A bad actor, for sure, but what happened at the U.S. Department of Justice on February 11, 2020, surely has him spinning on his axis.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys represent us in court. We employ 93 U.S. Attorneys, and they employ many ASUAs. On the criminal side, these men and women represent us very well. Attorneys who prosecute criminal cases want, in many instances, to work for the United States. Frankly, federal cases often involve more complex and more interesting cases. The pay is better, too,

San Francisco, Here I Come

Mark Rubin

I arrived as a corporeal being on September 14, 1957, at 10:35 p.m. I suspect I’m the avatar for Boomers, for 1957 represents, even now, the year in which the US experienced more live births. And, for reasons I won’t address here, a baby birthing bump occurs in September. (I want to link to Baby It’s Cold Outside, but I’m PC.)

My birthplace? Letterman Army Hospital, located at the Presidio of San Francisco. Truth be told, the hospital in which I was born was torn down about 10 years later. The replacement hospital no longer exists, and the dirt hosts the Letterman Digital Arts Center, the home of Industrial Light &

Decades, Redux

Mark Rubin

I give in! For me the 20^th century ended on 12/31/2000, and this decade ends in 364 days. Right is right, but what does and doesn’t matter matters too … and when the decade ends represents a non-issue.*

The Teens started early for me, on Friday, September 4, 2009. I was winding down for the afternoon, ready for the Labor Day weekend. Leaving my building—I owned it—I noted some water coming out of a pipe, into the parking lot. Bothered a bit and thinking about the hassles associated with finding a plumber on a Friday afternoon of a holiday weekend, I left.

By Tuesday morning, I understood the nature of the problem: a bad

Decades … and Fearful

Mark Rubin

Forgive me for sounding old and crochety, please, but this decade thing torks me off. When people count off, they start with one and end with ten, right? Never, not ever, does a group start with zero and end with nine … except when we discuss decades, centuries, or … even worse, a millennium.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) does nothing for me, but I understand the inconoclastic perspective. For me, decades began with -01, -11, -21, etc. They end with -10, -11, and -20. So, the decades’ reviews leave me cold, plain and simple.

Numerical frustration aside, I know I’m fighting an uphill battle. The last millennium ended on 12/31/1999. I know because I

Politics, Poetry, and Prose

Elizabeth Warren

Mario Cuomo, who governed the state of New York for 12 years (and shouted a lot less than his son Andrew, who runs the place now), told us candidates campaign using poetry, and winners govern with prose. Governor Cuomo was a smart fellow, and someone whose life always seemed just a wee bit ethereal.

The poetry / prose dichotomy comes to mind often for this political aficionado. I know, though, that the words don’t resonate for everyone. So, here’s the lexicon: Poetry in this context is aspirational, high-minded, and reaching for the stars; prose represents reality, dealing with whipping votes, trade-offs, and getting stuff done.

Of late, of course, we have Senator Elizabeth Warren

Impeachment circa 2019

President Donald Trump

Impeachment. It’s on our minds, and I have thoughts about the process and how it’s playing out.

Words matter. So, let’s remember, straightaway, that impeachment represents step one in the process of removing someone from office. That’s it and that’s all!

The Constitution governs our country. And it says, concerning impeachment: The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment. See, U.S. Constitution Article 1, Section 5. There’s more, of course, about the Senate’s role as the trial court. But, for now, we’re only dealing with impeachment.

The United States Code includes no statutes which address the impeachment process. Further, the process belongs