Saturday, June 29, 2013

Gail Collins, "Expect the Unexpected": Let's Put the Theory to the Test

You want something unexpected? Don't go searching for it in Gail Collins's column.

In her latest New York Times op-ed entitled "Expect the Unexpected" (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/29/opinion/collins-expect-the-unexpected.html?_r=0), Gail Collins, as might be expected, refers us to approval by the Senate yesterday of the immigration reform bill and defeat in Texas of an anti-abortion bill. Collins - excuse me as I stifle a yawn - writes:

"Every once in a while, something happens that challenges your entire view of the order of the universe. For instance, this week the U.S. Senate actually passed something. Meanwhile, in Texas, liberal Democrats and the abortion rights movement won a huge political victory.

. . . .

Americans have conflicted attitudes toward this issue, but one thing that’s consistently clear is that they don’t want a wholesale abortion ban."

Yada yada yada.

The immigration reform bill? As observed by Jonathan Tobin in Commentary:

"Though the yes votes, comprising more than two-thirds of the Senate, represented an impressive bipartisan coalition the prospects of passage in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives are slim if not entirely non-existent. The ability of anti-reform forces to rally much of the GOP grass roots to oppose the reform proposal as “amnesty” or a fraudulent attempt to bolster border security has entirely intimidated the House leadership and much of the party. Though some supporters of the idea, such as Rep. Paul Ryan, are vowing to bring forward a version of reform that might conceivably be meshed with the Senate bill in a conference, passage of any compromise that might conceivably satisfy either party seems unlikely."


Re Texas, I am pro-choice, but I am far more concerned by the NSA's attack on civil liberties than by the 11-hour filibuster in Austin.

Okay, you're still looking for something unexpected? Let's try something new!



Cheesecake in the JG Caesarea blog? Pandering? No way! This is my daughter, Barr, who is trying to advance her modeling career. Having provided you with Arnold's picture yesterday (see: http://jgcaesarea.blogspot.co.il/2013/06/david-brooks-nation-of-mutts.html), doesn't Barr deserve equal time?

3 comments:

  1. Yes, your daughter is beautiful. But....
    don't you have sons? And how about some meouw, meouw picture. Your neighbors cats (or any cats) will do.

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    Replies
    1. Two sons: One who wants to be Mr. Fitness, and one who requires a crowbar to get him away from his computer.

      Cats? I'm allergic. Sorry.

      Jeffrey

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  2. JG: does Barr have any Circassian ancestry?

    As for Gail? Do not mess with Texas.

    For me, being pro-choice gets more difficult with this sudden surge on late term 'choice'.
    This should NOT be the issue that keeps determining America's political landscape, but it is.

    and, Tobin is not the best analyst of what the GOP should do, on anything (no matter where the borders are drawn). They have yet to figure out how to stop the Dems from endless distractions that Dems claim keep them from pivoting to jobs and the economy, which the Dems have no idea what to do except to manufacture more distractions. Next up? Climate change.

    K2K

    ReplyDelete