2/24/23

 Friday, February 24, 2023

Ukraine Yahrzeit

In bed at 10:42, up at 5:43, thinking of Putin, Russia, and Ukraine.  7℉ outside with a NW wind at 10 mph producing a wind chill of -7.  Winds up to 14 mph today, gusts up to 24 mph, and wind chills between -8 and +14℉.  The high temp of 20℉.  Sunrise at 5:35, sunset at 5:34, 10+58.

This is a painting/collage I did sometime after the invasion of Ukraine by Putin and his Russian myrmidons.  Symbols of high explosives on the blue field of a Ukrainian flag and on the gold field.  Symbol of wheat on the lower right referencing Ukraine's significance a a "breadbasket" for the world, and of St. Basil's Cathedral in the center, a reference to the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in supporting the invasion.  I went into a pretty deep funk after the invasion, reminded of our own invasion of Iraq and of Vietnam on pretenses - 'protecting our freedoms,' protecting Democracy,' never 'protecting Capitalism, access to needed raw materials, access to markets.'  Now for an entire year, Putin kills, destroys, displaces millions in the name of 'fighting Nazism.'  We had His Eminence Cardinal Spellman, the corporate moguls, and the neocons; Putin has his Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the oligarchs, and his myth of the mystical unity of Russia and Ukraine.    Kenneth Rexroth, Thou Shalt Not Kill:  . . . And all the birds of the deep sea rise up / Over the luxury liners and scream, /“You killed him! You killed him  /In your God damned Brooks Brothers suit, / You son of a bitch.”

Rep. Bryan Steil defends Speaker Kevin McCarthy's decision to hand over Jan. 6 footage to Fox host Tucker Carlson  This story in this morning's JSOnline reminds me of Bryan Steil's father, George Steil, who was a frequent visitor at the Marquette Law School when I was there.  He was a bar association leader of some sort and another of the many Republicans who were always welcome at the law school - Jerris Leonard comes to mind.  I'm trying to remember a Democrat who was a welcome visitor but come up with no name.  It must have been a miracle that I was appointed to the faculty in those days considering my politics.  “I support Speaker McCarthy’s decision to increase transparency for the American people,” said Steil, leader of the House Administration Committee, which oversees Capitol security. “This majority is focused on accountability, transparency and restoring the People’s trust.”   Carlson, a far-right political commentator known for pushing fringe theories, earlier this week announced his team had been given what he believes is “unfettered” access to 44,000 hours of Capitol surveillance footage from the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He told viewers Monday his team would spend the week reviewing the footage before releasing its findings."  And we can be sure those 'findings' will be 'fair and balanced.'

More Cross-examination of Alex Murdaugh.  Cool as a cucumber, slick.  I'm persuaded he is a sociopath and guilty.

The Fairchild Commission.  I noticed a TV ad about Dan Kelly run by an independent outfit supporting Janet Protasiewicz in the Wisconsin supreme court race.  It condemned Kelly for representing a couple of defendants accused of raping young girls.  It's a dirty ad because it doesn't accuse Kelly of any wrongdoing; it simply condemns him for serving as counsel for persons accused of crimes.  I've also been seeing TV ads on behalf of Protasiewicz making it quite clear how she will vote when the Wisconsin abortion statute case makes its way to the supreme court, i.e., she promises a result in a case certain to come before her.  She also guarantees that Kelly will vote the other way.  These ads (and there will probably be worse to come) illustrate the impossibility or unworkability of rules designed to constrain campaign rhetoric in judicial races in states with an elected judiciary.  The Protasiewicz ad about Kelly representing perosns entitled to legal representation in a criminal case is a smear.  Ads like these smear all lawyers who represent any person accused of a terible crime and discourage all lawyers from taking on the representation of controversial defendants.  Protasiewicz's ad promising to uphold abortion rights turns the judicial race into a one-issue political campaign.  The ad is not misleading and in fact accurately lets voters know what to expect from her and from her opponent on ONE issue: the validity of Wisconsin's 1849 statute crimializing all abortions.  Ads like these encourage judicial candidates to find a "hot" poliical issue and to build a campaign around that issue by promising a desired outcome, regardless of the personal qualities of the candidates or their general suitability for judicial office.  I remember working as a member and Reserarch Reporter for the Fairchild  Commission starting in 1999.  We were tasked with coming up with rules governing political and campaign activities for judges and judicial candidates.  We knew then that the biggest problem would be 'independent expensitures,' actors not subject to supreme court rules.  Elected judiciaries have built-in problems; so do appointed judiciaries.  Pick your poison.  I took a quick look at the long law review I wrote about the work of the Commission.  I was surprised how impressive it was.  As I recall the article was distributed to every judge in the state while the supreme court was considering adoption of the proposed rules and I spoke at a number of public 'hearings' about the proposed rules.  It was 20 years ago and seems like 120.