Blinking with insurrection in our faces (again)

The hastily-passed SB63 bill awaiting Governor Brian Kemp's signature will then be met by litigation; at least that's what the American Civil Liberties' Union (ACLU) says. That tracks; because the bill almost directly target protest (and thus, free speech). In other legislative action, the state's mid-year budget came with additional infrastructure spending. No, not the kind that improves quality of life - just more lanes and pay-to-cruise express lanes.

That doubling-down on what's not working for metro and state residents, transit-wise is sort of timely, given the World Cup's pending presence downtown in 2026. Naturally, those "economic boost" BSers are breathlessly telling us how this sporting event is going to transform the city. Ya know, the way the Super Bowls have(n't) and the way the 1996 Olympics did(n't really). So, maybe Atlanta should take another stab at an Olympics' bid to finally get the mass transit/rail needed?

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments today, and the indications are most, if not all, of the bench seem to be inclined to think the 14th Amendment, Section 3, may not apply to the presidency. Okay, maybe, but it's sort of nuance and semantics, no? At worst, perhaps the framers of that amendment never dreamed of a scenario where a sitting president would incite an insurrection. Or, maybe they did and we're arguing over intent the way we nitpick the 2nd amendment. Either way, we're at a moment in American history where committing to doing what's right for a better future of this nation seems too daunting for those empowered to do so. Twice before - our independence era, and Reconstruction giving way to 'Jim Crow,' we've blinked instead of being steadfast.

Tucker and Vlad even spoke a bit about Trump's legal concerns, with Putin mocking American "democracy." The thing is, he's not wrong that our country has no moral authority to pitch "democracy" to the rest of the world when we don't embrace it here.

One last thought re: immigration reform. This isn't the only time Democrats have come to the bargaining table with reforms, only for the GOP to reject. MSNBC's Steve Benen cited several recent misses by Republicans.