Well, it looks like Biden is going to get to appoint at least one (and very likely only one) Supreme Court justice. Stephen Breyer announced he will retire, and Biden has already vowed to replace him with a Black woman, which I think makes sense politically (Black women overwhelmingly vote Democrat) and from a representational standpoint. Whomever he selects will be the first Black female justice, a first that's long overdue. This is a case in which it is appropriate and fair, in my opinion, to explicitly consider somebody's race and gender when filling a job vacancy.
Who precisely will it be? I've heard some names bandied about, but the only one I remember off-hand is Ketanji Brown Jackson. But even if I could remember some other names, it's not like I could provide any meaningful insight or analysis on them. I'm not, like, a jurisprudence buff or what have you.
My only wish with this whole thing is that Breyer would have retired at this time last year. Then everything could have been signed, sealed, and delivered by now. As it is, we all have to hold our collective breath and hope nothing happens to a Democratic senator over the next six months. With a 50-50 chamber, losing just one vote could be an utter disaster. If all Dems are in lockstep, as they should be, it's possible a few Republicans will also vote to confirm (Murkowski, Collins, maybe even Romney), but would they cast a potentially deciding vote? I don't know. I doubt it. At the very least, they would effectively have veto power over any selection.
And we better not hear shit out of Joe Manchin. It he can't fall in line with the president on a Supreme Court pick, he might as well just switch parties, because he's effectively a Republican at that point, anyway. I know that he's frustrated liberal Democrats with his opposition to BBB and unwillingness to change the filibuster rules to allow voting rights legislation to the floor, but one must keep in mind, he represents a state Trump carried by 40 frickin' points. The fact that there is a Democrat who can win West Virginia at all is something of a minor miracle. If he's not there, it's a guaranteed Republican seat. It's not like you can primary him with the next AOC.
I think the track Dems need to follow with him is one of reluctant acceptance and cooperation. He's not going to deliver everything, or even half, of what you want (and he's going to be annoying about it in the process). But without him, there is no infrastructure bill, and this Supreme Court nomination is a whole lot stickier. If all we get from him are these two things, that's still a big win, all other things equal. Kyrsten Sinema... she's a different story. Other Democrats can win in Arizona (if only narrowly). I won't argue if you say she needs to go.
In other news, S is away on work for the week, so I've been single-dadding it. It hasn't been too bad. It's quite easy on school days, honestly. I have to get them out of the house in the morning, but I normal do that, anyway, so it's just the evening that's extra work. They stay at aftercare until about 5:30, and then by the time I get them home and fed, and they get their homework done, it's iPad time (if only so that I can watch Jeopardy! in peace -- don't know if you follow it, but the second longest run ever just ended), and then it's just a half-hour or so until they have to start getting ready for bed.
They are usually pretty good with me about doing their homework and going to bed on time. It's all about finding the right bribe. This week it's been video games. I bought Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Collection for Nintendo Switch, and it has Street Fighter II on it, one of my favorite games from my childhood. The game play and controls are the exact same as I remember them. It's hard to do special moves because the Switch joysticks are more sensitive than the old Super Nintendo cross-pads, but it's still really fun. It's crazy that I still have the muscle memory to be able to play a game well that I hadn't played in almost 30 years. I can usually school either of the kids no matter what characters we are using, but they beat me just enough to make it interesting. Also, they are evenly matched against one another, which is good. It's not as enjoyable, and it can lead to real fights, if one person is getting beat up on the entire time.
Alright, that's all I got for now. I have to get my half-hour on the treadmill in (still a decent way from my 4 mile goal, but I'm making progress; I'm at about 3.66 now, and more importantly, no injuries yet), and then I have to pick them up.
Until next time...
Update: I ran before I actually posted this entry, and now I'm up to 3.81. Cue the Chariots of Fire theme.
[I remember as a kid I loved this song for some reason, so I begged my mom to rent the movie for me, which she did, and then I was utterly bored within the first ten minutes.]
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