Weekly Comments Archive
Archived Issue
Sunday, March 21, 2021
ISSUE #1055
Farmers, food, filibusters and a flailing governor

This is National Ag Week. You might not have noticed, but our farmers and ranchers (and almost everyone else in agriculture) have been working steady for the past 51 weeks.

When you sit down for supper, you’ve got hundreds of choices. If you’re like the Colorado Governor and Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ, you might feast on beans, asparagus and spinach. Most of us, though, prefer steak, ham or a chicken leg to go with our vegetables. And finish it off with cherry pie or chocolate cake. (See Will’s quotes below)

Senators are arguing over the filibuster rules. Democrats say they want to force a Senator to keep talking for hours and days instead of just announcing “filibuster” and sit back down. But really, what they want is to eliminate the rule that requires 60 votes to pass most bills. The Democrats have a slim 51-vote majority, if they can keep Sen. Manchin, D-WV, in line. If they get the filibuster eliminated, they will try to slip a sentence in there to make it revert back to the 60-vote margin rule if Republicans ever get back in control. (two more quotes)

Governor Cuomo in New York keeps piling up accusations from women. I think it’s eight. By the time you read this it might be nine or ten. That’s bad enough.  But complaints by families of 15,000 who died of Covid in nursing homes should not be ignored.

Cuomo bragged and bagged an Emmy while sending hundreds of Covid patients from hospitals into nursing homes, infecting healthy old folks. Kinda reminds us of “Nero fiddled while Rome burned.” But nobody accused Nero of lighting the fire. (last quote)

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“We always have good things to eat at my sister’s in Chelsea (Okla). Beans, kinder soupy navy beans cooked with plenty of real fat meat… then fried ham. Ham gravy is just about the last word in gravy… Beans, cornbread, country ham, and gravy, and then just raw onions.” WA #449, Aug. 2, 1931

“There is not a better day in the world to be spent than with a lot of wise old cowmen around barbecued beef, black coffee and beans.”  DT #2430, May 17, 1934

“The Senate is a body of men… they will talk for two weeks and there is no way stopping them. I suggested a plan one time to shorten the Senate debate.  Every time a Senator tells all he knows, make him sit down. Some of them wouldn’t be able to answer roll call. They are a pretty tough bunch of hyenas, those Senators, but they are likable rascals.” Radio, April 27, 1930

“They filibustered all last night. We pay for wisdom and we get wind.” DT #574, May 29, 1928

“Today they are voting in New York State on whether to keep a Governor two years or four. I think a good, honest Governor should get four years and the others life.” DT #405, Nov. 8, 1927

X

    Contact Randall Reeder