It is wonderfully refreshing to see and hear Dr Fauci in the White House briefing room, and to hear "what the evidence - what the science is, and know that's it, (that we're hearing) the science speak. It is somewhat of a liberating feeling" for Dr Fauci and all of us too.

"We're in a national emergency, and it's time we treated it like one -- together, with a national plan, as the United States of America."    
-- President Biden as he signed executive orders and other directives aimed at the pandemic.

"The US economy is in a national emergency. We have to act like we're in a national emergency. We cannot, will not let people go hungry."    
-- President Biden as he signed a pair of executive orders to offer stopgap economic relief during the pandemic.

The Senate is stalled by McConnell, Schumer stand-off over filibuster. McConnell is not about to relinquish any more power than he has to to Schumer in a 50-50 Senate.
 

Poll: 8% of Americans support the attack and looting at our Capitol on January 6th.

Hank Aaron
February 1934 - January 2021

"Hank Aaron never forgot how America treated him. We shouldn't either.  
It didn't matter how many home runs he hit. He endured endless racism inside and outside the ballpark."

per the Republicans: Trump could not be tried for impeachment while he was in office,    
and he certainly can't be tried now that he's out of office.

"Give the man a break!" exclaimed Nikki Haley.  
She has dragged Trumpism to rock bottom, and casts Trump as the victim of the insurrection he incited.

It's not about winning, it's about justice and accountability.

A week in, we have no doubt about President Biden's focus:
getting the pandemic behind us.    
At the first of what will be regular briefings of his COVID-19 response team, the message was clear:      
Science and scientists will lead the response.

Andy Slavitt, a senior advisor to the response team, assured Americans eager to get vaccinated, that the COVID team is addressing the infrastructure to make vaccines readily available with urgency and purpose. So far they've been hitting the president's early commitment to administer 100 million shots in 100 days, but Slavitt made clear that the president views that number as the floor, not the ceiling.

Jeffrey Zients, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said nothing has been ruled out. "This is a national emergency. We will not always know the answers to your questions. When we don't, we'll tell you. We will update you on our progress and will be open about setbacks along the way." He promised, "We will be honest, transparent, and straightforward with the American people."

A vote for Biden was a vote for public health and life.    
The COVID-19 Reponse Team has been liberated to answer our questions and tell us the truth.

After the Inauguration an old man approached the White House. He spoke to the U.S. Marine standing guard and said, "I would like to meet President Trump." The Marine looked at the man and said, "Sir, Mr Trump is no longer the president, he no longer resides here." The old man nodded and walked away.

He came back the next day and interacted with the same Marine. Same request, same reply. The next day he returned a third time and it all played out again. 

Again on the fourth day, the old man approached, he spoke to the same U.S. Marine, and said again, "I would like to meet President Trump." The Marine, somewhat frustrated, said, "Sir, this is the fourth day in a row you've been here asking to meet Trump. Each time I've told you he's no longer the president and no longer resides here. Do you understand?" The old man looked at the Marine, nodded and said, "Yes, I understand what you're telling me, I just love hearing it."

Wendell Berry, a brilliant writer and keen observer of human beings penned these words:
"We have lived our lives by the assumption that what was good for us would be good for the world. We have been wrong. We must change our lives so that it will be possible to live by the contrary assumption, that what is good for the world will be good for us. And that requires that we make the effort to know the world and learn what is good for it."

Stuck?    
There comes a time when we realize we neither have the capacity nor the desire to keep up with everything that's happening in the world...  
the need to "dig in" can leave us feeling uncomfortable - apathetic, overwhelmed, despairing, resigned...
When the push of discomfort is accompanied by the pull of hope we can get up and stay informed as we make our way into the future.

We live in terrifying times. There is rightfully fear of extremist, conspiracy driven, vindictive players.  
If we give in to Pollyannish hope, oblivious to what's happening around us, by default we give up our right to the truth, and to democracy.
Experience shows us that cowardice trumps courage. 

The anti-cancel culture is canceling members of their own party.

Bravo to Liz Cheney!  
She's a woman of principle and character.

Are you watching the GOAT vs the Kid?

Sadly, this time around there are no GOATs in the Republican Party.    
Every vote to convict is a confession and admission of too many concessions to Trump and his mendacity.

There is no day without controversy.

"Wherever Republicans are going, Arizona seems to be getting there first."

Let's hope the Senate impeachment trial mobilizes public sentiment.

"What we already know does constitute the gravest violation of his oath of office by any president in the history of the country, and this is not something that we can simply look past or pretend didn't happen or try to move on. We've got to make sure this never happens again."      
-- Liz Cheney

The corpus of Republican Senators (who tell us they are textualists), most of them attorneys, cried over a poem about sailing, and abdicated their revered role as U.S. Senators. The Republican Party has lost its connection to Constititional government.

"Nebraska, you're gonna hear, is quite a judicial thinking place."    
-- Bruce Castor, Trump Impeachment Defense Attorney, 02/09/2021

The murderous mob which assembled to storm the Capitol to stop the steal on January 6th, on the hunt to kill the vice president and our legislators are fellow Americans.

Donald Trump lit the match to insurrection.

How do we turn a blind eye to that reality?

What kind of country do we want to live in?