Why It Is Time to End the Filibuster

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Simply defined, a filibuster is a United States Senate procedural tactic used by the minority party to delay or block a vote on legislation by extending debate indefinitely. It forces a 60-vote threshold (cloture) to end debate and move to a final vote, effectively creating a supermajority requirement for most legislation.

Recently, much discussion has taken place over the necessity for continuing this older parliamentary maneuver in the US Senate.  Traditionally, the use of the filibuster has shown the Senate to be more deliberative on matters of importance, protecting the rights of the minority, and having specific rules on which to end a filibuster.

But, as witnessed by us recently with the shutdowns of the government by the Democrats in October, for forty-three days over the overall budget, and by the Democrats, again, in February for seventy-six days over funding for Homeland Security, and in both cases delaying salary and benefits to employees, it has been revealed to be a weapon against Americans. Yet Members of Congress and their staffs continued to be paid.

Now, once again, the Democrats in the Senate, led by Charles Schumer, have threatened to invoke the filibuster again in order to defeat the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, often referred to as the SAVE America Act, which has passed several times in the House of Representatives. This is a law in which is supported overwhelmingly by Americans, across all racial and political persuasions.

The Act is a major federal legislative proposal focused on tightening voter registration requirements for US federal elections.

Yet, less than FIFTY men and women refuse to support something that over seventy-five percent of American citizens want. This isn’t Democracy, which the Democrats claim to favor. Instead, it is the tyranny of the few in this country who would rather stand for illegals’ “rights” than for Americans.

This is actually abuse of power which dictators do all the time. Or is it really “abusive power”?

Senator Schumer has terrorized Democrats to fall in line with his petulant, controlling, Un-American mindset or they will be politically punished, especially should Democrats be elected into the majority in the Senate again. This is truly undemocratic to its core.

The American filibuster is 220 years old and was created in 1806, when the Senate removed the "previous question" motion (which allowed a simple majority to end debate), inadvertently creating the potential for indefinite stalling. But the abuse is nothing more than a tantrum by a minorty to get what it wants. Like a spoiled child.

It is time to end the filibuster. NOW!

Happy Birthday 1951

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The primary, traditional gemstone associated with a 75th birthday (often termed a "Diamond Jubilee" birthday) is the DIAMOND. Diamonds symbolize timelessness, longevity, and strength, making them the classic choice for this significant milestone, mirroring the 75th wedding anniversary.

Those of us born in 1951 are in the midst of celebrating this monumental occasion.

We have seen much change in American society, beginning with having a television in our home, to the Space Race, to the Moon landing (and all that technology which resulted). We saw computers as big as gymnasiums to the one we hold in our hand.

We witnessed the automobile  go from a two door coupe, to the T-Bird, the Corvette and the Mustang. We went from gas-guzzling Cadillacs and Lincolns, to the inefficient Celebrity and station wagons. We saw the change in our driving habits with SUVs and electric cars and trucks.

We saw phones go from the one on our kitchen wall, to the one we carry in our pocket. Our bank was one where we needed to visit to make a deposit, to one where we send an electronic/digital image to our account.

We went from waiting for days on line to see a first-run movie to ordering it on our TV or digital device. We have gone from spending hours on Saturday to buy a product or groceries, to ordering from the comfort of our home, even late at night, and have it delivered later in the day or the next day.

And we have seen so many other advances, which are too numerous to mention. We can only imagine what our children and grandchildren will witness as they achieve this sought after milestone.

Anyway, for those of us who.are sharing this amazing birthday, I wish each of us a Very Happy and Incredible Birthday and pray for another reasonably healthy year!

CBS Changing Its Late Night Programming

​Stephen Colbert recently revealed he sent a note of congratulations to Byron Allen after CBS announced that "The Late Show" will be replaced by the producer's show "Comics Unleashed."

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published May 6, the late-night host reacted to news that "Comics Unleashed," a comedy talk show created by Allen, will take over the 11:35PM time slot on CBS immediately after "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" ends later this month.

CBS is leasing the time slot to Allen, who noted to The Los Angeles Times last year the economics of "Comics Unleashed" are appealing to the network because he covers the production costs. "It's not cheaper," he told the Los Angeles Times. "It's zero." In April, Paramount TV Media chair George Cheeks told reporters CBS is still developing other late-night ideas, but the one-year deal with Allen allows the network "to go into immediate profitability in that slot," according to Variety. 

David Letterman was the first host of The Late Show, which began in August, 1993. He successfully hosted the show until May 20, 2015, when Colbert took over. 

Last July, it was revealed that Colbert’s contract would not be renewed after several years of declining ad revenue and upwards of $40MM in annual losses. Even in television, money talks and losses walk.

A lot of these losses are allegedly caused by the increasing evidence of TDS every night that Colbert displays. It is immediately evident in his declining nightly ratings. 

His departure was announced prior to the Skydance Media acquisition of Paramount/Viacom, CBS and all other related media properties. But it is believed the deal never would have been completed had his contract still was in play. And Shari Redstone agreed to that deal in order to realize an $8BB windfall.

Once again, money talks and losers walk.

The new owner of CBS, Paramount Skydance, is owned by the Ellison Family, chaired by David Ellison and has already begun cleaning the house of long-time woke ideologies, even in its news division. And Byron Allen is on a short leash, with a one year contract.

His contract covers both the 11:35 and 12:35 overnight time slots. In addition, CBS is using this year to create immediate profitability while developing other longer-term plans for late-night programming.

Meanwhile, Allen has a year to make CBS, and the rest of us, forget the disaster Stephen Colbert made with his unfunny lack of humor.

Ted Turner, Media Maven

​Almost forty-six years ago, CNN (Cable News Network) was founded by Ted Turner and launched on June 1, 1980, as the world's first 24-hour all-news television channel. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it revolutionized news broadcasting by offering continuous coverage, starting with around 1.7MM subscribers and growing into a global media staple.

And for years, the voice of CNN was legendary actor, James Earl Jones. He brought an unmistakeable sense of assuredness, with his deep, calm baritone voice as he announced, “This is CNN”, as the logo filled your TV screens.

Turner’s life work included founding Turner Broadcasting System, which housed cable channels TNT, TBS and Cartoon Network, as well as Turner Classic Movies. He also formerly owned the Atlanta Braves and other sports enterprises.

He was known for his brash, outspoken personality and thin mustache; also was a philanthropist, founding the United Nations Foundation; a bison rancher and conservationist; a yacht collector; and a political activist.

“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement. He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN,” Mark Thompson, chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, said in a statement Wednesday.

“Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand, and we will all take a moment today to recognize him and his impact on our lives and the world.”

Turner’s network proved itself during the Persian Gulf War in 1991, when it was the sole US network to broadcast a live, unedited feed from Baghdad as bombs illuminated the sky.

Its live coverage of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Chinese student protests in Tiananmen Square and the space shuttle Challenger explosion further solidified it as a dominant source of world news for Americans.

When Turner sold it in 1996, CNN began a long trek down to wokeness, ultimately becoming as disrespected as MS NOW and other left-leaning media enterprises. Even though the sale of CNN and other properties netted a $7.37BB windfall to him, he later said  it was a regret and the “worst day of my life .”

He had revealed just before his 80th birthday that he had Lewy Body Dementia, a neurological disorder that causes dementia and muscle failure, and was reportedly in a rehab center in early 2025 after a bout of pneumonia.

But, obviously, it finally got to him. He was 87.

Anti-Semitism Rears Its Ugliness Again

​It is Spring and renewal is in the air. Trees and flowers are reborn, plans are starting to be made for summer vacations, and soon enough, warmer weather will be felt, washing away the extreme cold of this past winter. 

Oh… and anti-semitism has made its presence known again on New York streets and campuses.

A hateful mob of keffiyeh-clad anti-Israel protesters flooded the streets near a historic Manhattan synagogue Tuesday night, clashing with cops as they repeatedly shouted “Israel should not exist.”

About one hundred agitators waving Palestinian flags and banging drums swarmed about a half-block from Park East Synagogue, chanting “Palestine will never die” and “Stop the sale of stolen land” during an event promoting real estate in Israel and the West Bank.

Police yelled “step back” as they shoved the unruly crowd onto the sidewalk, video shows, while counter-protesters rallied nearby.

And of course, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has remained silent  on this latest outbreak of anti-semitism, while a buffer zone bill, which prevents protests around religious buildings and institutions, went into effect in April.

But the brazen hatred of anti-semitic demonstrators is emboldened by the obvious anti-semitism of the New York Mayor. And his inaction in this type of protest activities makes the NYPD’s job more difficult, resulting in greater chance for injuries.

If one thinks this Mayor cares about the law,  you are sadly mistaken. His agenda to support pro-Palestine, anti-Israel activities is evident in his actions and his speech. This motivates the rampant anti-semitic fever to gain acceptance by Democrats, Letists and Socialists without regard to any rights for Jewish people and their supporters.

Until he and the DSA are forced to obey the law, this hatred will continue unabated, leading to more wanton violence and potential unnecessary death.

You can count on it.

Recognizing 2026 Is a Mets Disaster

​It has been just six weeks since the start of the 2026 season and the Mets are about to call it a season. This probably is one the earliest times in recent history that it was apparent even to loyal, long-suffering fans that this team has no real hope for a rebound.

The team has had its share of injuries, as some of the most essential players are down. And will be out for quite some time. 

They have won only four of their last ten games, and have won a total of twelve games of the thirty-four they have played. It truly does not bode well for even a .500 season.

Other than the upcoming Yankee series during the next homestand, the 40th anniversary of the 1986 World Series, the Mets Hall of Fame Inductees game and the Carlos Beltran Number retirement game, as it stands right now, the other promotional games are not much to spend a week’s pay to see this team while you enjoy a ten dollar hot dog and a twenty dollar beer. Is it?

I know some people who are already selling tickets to games in their season  packages, just so they don’t have to endure the pain of watching the Team That Stearns Destroyed in person. Instead, they can suffer this debacle from the comfort of their living rooms. And not feel guilty shutting it off.

Steve Cohen, who is a life-long fan like me, may need to rethink several things going forward. First, he needs to stop criticizing the fans on X. It doesn’t help his image at all. 

Then, he needs to re-evaluate what needs to be addressed as he prepares for next season, since getting a handle on that will give him a leg up to put a better team on the field. And third, he needs to get rid of the “boy wonder”, who still thinks like a small market executive, as he proves he knows very little about evaluating talent.

New York writers, who are generally very knowledgeable, have been too diplomatic by letting Stearns grin-fxxk his way for too long. He actually was seen smiling and laughing during the twelve-game losing streak.

Sadly, the “Cohen promise” of achieving a World Series championship within his first five years will not be realized this year. Or in the next two years, either.

Instead, knowledgeable fans already recognize it is time to blow it all up and  start the rebuilding now. And start it by getting a real general manager, not one so concerned with a fancy title.

And as always: Let’s Go Mets!

New York Tries to Move Closer to Complete Anarchy

Two of ths most notorious killers in both New York and American history could be released soon from life in prison should the woke mob, led by Governor Krazy Kat Hochul and her leftist ideologues in the New York State legislature,  manage to pass their legislation.

These two woke bills, called the Elder Parole Bill and the Fair and Timely Parole Bill, would separately give both Mark David Chapman, John Lennon's assassin, and David Berkowitz, the Son of Sam serial killer, multiple avenues to gain release  from further prison time. Each bill allows ALL prisoners, provided they meet the criteria, the opportunity to walk free.

So could Long Island Railroad massacre gunman Colin Ferguson, who killed six passengers and wounded nineteen in a 1993 shooting. And so many others who committed heinous crimes would be able to benefit from these ill-conceived ideas.

The Elder Parole bill would let violent criminals dodge theirk minimum sentences, regardless of how heinous their crimes, and be granted early parole hearings after they’ve turned fifty-five and served fifteen years of their sentences.

The Fair and Timely Parole bill would require the state parole board to release convicts regardless of the severity of their crimes unless they are a “current” danger to the public.

These amount to "Get Out Of Jail Free" bills, giving leftist ludges, attorneys and parole boards every "legal option" to manipulate the system and overrule the rights of victims and their families, whose sense of justice is now removed.

In addition, every two years, victims’ families would be dragged back to the parole board to fight against the release of their loved one’s killer. This forces them to cruelly revisit the pain they suffered, as if their loss only just occurred once again.

The legislation makes it much easier for jailbirds to be set free provided they’re model prisoners, no matter how bloodthirsty their crime.

Presumptive Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman said he vehemently opposes the bills and accused Hochul of pushing for the release of killers. You know he is not wrong; Krazy Kat has, for years, as every other liberal, Socialist  and Democrat, supported cashless bail, no arrest, and every other leftist ideal which takes away the protections of victims' rights in favor of the accused.

If either or both these bills were to pass, the rights of victims, their sense of justice, and the complete collapse of the criminal justice system would follow.

All to satisfy the leftists' goals to protect the rights of criminals, while sacrificing the protections society in general expects.