cycling for justice

Dear Senator Portman,

This morning I participated in a Greater Cincinnati STEM Collaborative event that took place at the University of Cincinnati. Today was the culmination of the last few months' efforts where the 7th and 8th grade students from several schools in the area participate in a STEM-motived activity to learn about principles of physics in conjunction with learning how to assemble and maintain bicycles.

So today at the celebration of the culmination of the last few months' activities, I had the pleasure to interact with local teenagers from all over the Cincinnati area. What I was particularly pleased about was to see all of these kids, black, white, Asian, Christian, Muslims, and all manner of ethnicity and religion all interacting together and enjoying the moment and enjoying each other.

This reminded me that the decision from Brown vs. Board of Education was published nearly 62 years ago, not long before you were born, in fact.  What a difference that decision has made for the progress of our nation. It is important and relevant and significant decisions like Brown vs. Board of Education that allow our nation and our society to grow stronger.

This coming Tuesday, May 17th, marks the 62nd anniversary of that decision.

What a disgrace it will be if another significant case is brought before the Supreme Court, and a moment to take another significant improvement in human rights or economic justice doesn't happen because our Court is understaffed or deadlocked in a split decision. And the reason for that missing element is due to a small group of US Senators who won't take a vote on the President's nominee, for small-minded political reasons.

Interestingly, one of the law clerks in the Supreme Court at the time, researching for one of the Justices, wrote this phrase :

" ... in the long run it is the majority who will determine what the constitutional rights of the minorities are."

How prescient is that phrase today. The Republican US Senators, who happen to hold the majority in the Senate, are deciding what are the constitutional rights of the rest of the nation ... the right to have a Supreme Court candidate, duly nominated by the President, voted on by the Senate for confirmation.

Please read Article II, Sec 2 of the Constitution, and recall the oath to which you pledged in January of this year, and assess whether you can deny today's generation of students and future scientists the right to have a fully capable and fully staffed US Supreme Court to protect and promote their rights .... and then please #doyourjob, or do the honorable thing : resign.

Sincerely,

P.S. : This, and several of my previous letters to you, can now be viewed on-line at www.do-your-job-rob.blogspot.com. Feel free to check it out, if you want to leave any comments there.

quid pro no quo

Dear Senator Portman,

So, this is interesting, from your press release of last week :

	Portman, Brown Request Applications for U.S. District Judgeship Vacancy in Ohios Southern District Washington, D.C. — U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today began accepting applications to fill the vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
	...
	“We wish Judge Frost well in his retirement, and thank him for his years of public service,” said Portman. “The commission will weigh the best candidates and give Ohioans an opportunity to have input on the selection.”
	...
	The President of the United States nominates U.S. District Court Judges based on recommendations from U.S. Senators. Nominees must then be confirmed by the full U.S. Senate. U.S. District Courts are general trial courts which hear both civil and criminal cases.

So, if I understand this correctly, you are preparing to submit a recommendation to the President and request the President to then nominate that candidate for confirmation by the US Senate ?  This is the same US Senate who cannot find the time to act on the current nomination to the US Supreme Court ?  This is the same US Senate, for whom more than 50% want to promote the idea that we need to complete another election cycle so that we have an opportunity for "the American people to weigh in"

This must be the new motto of the Republican Senators :

“in nonsense is strength” ― Kurt Vonnegut, Breakfast of Champion

Or, if not strength, at least solidarity.

Let's limit the damage of the nonsense that has overtaken the Republican leadership in the US Senate .... please just re-read Article II, Sec 2 of the Constitution, and recall the oath to which you pledged in January of this year, and assess whether you can actually surpass the absurdity of your current quid pro no quo activity .... and then please #doyourjob, or do the honorable thing : resign.

Sincerely,

P.S. : This, and several of my previous letters to you, can now be viewed on-line at www.do-your-job-rob.blogspot.com. Feel free to check it out, if you want to leave any comments there.

idée fixe

Dear Senator Portman,

So, I wanted to thank you for responding to my last several e-mails with the e-mail that you sent to me on 03-May. One thing struck me as I read it, however, and that is that you seem to be stuck on a few ideas, and that those ideas are, quite honestly, factually wrong. Which I have pointed out to you in my last several communications to you.

Which brought to mind two quotes from great writers that I thought you might enjoy.

Here is the first :

“Facts are lonely things” ― Don DeLillo, Libra

And I thought to myself :

and nowhere are facts (and logic) more lonely than in our nation's capital, among our leaders, choosing to denude themselves of facts in some sort of tribal bonding process, chest-beating obstination, played out at our nation's expense. 

And, of course, perhaps since you have freed yourself of the burden to act and speak in accordance with factual information or logic, how important it must be to latch firmly, with death grip, onto any next idea proffered by leadership, and hold to that idea as though it is the last idea. Since facts are not the basis of next steps, what is the path ? Since logic is no longer the navigator in decision making, what is the path ? The path is to follow Senator McConnell and the flotsam that he has provided to navigate in this new nonsense world, is to hold fast to indefensible ideas like "next year will be less partisan than this year, so that is a better time to take a decision" and "I historically only buy milk every fourth Tuesday, and even though I unfortunately spilled a little on Thursday this week, I guess I just won't have any milk until the end of next month".

"There is the condition which the modern French psychologists have called the 'idée fixe', which may be trifling in character, and accompanied by complete sanity in every other way. A man might form such an idée fixe... and under its influence be capable of any fantastic outrage." - Arthur Conan Doyle, The return of Sherlock Holmes

Let's limit the damage of the fantastic outrage that has overtaken the Republican leadership in the US Senate .... please just re-read Article II, Sec 2 of the Constitution, and recall the oath to which you pledged in January of this year, and assess whether you can withstand the loneliness of taking a position which is supported by facts and logic .... and then please #doyourjob, or do the honorable thing : resign.

Sincerely,

P.S. : This, and several of my previous letters to you, can now be viewed on-line at www.do-your-job-rob.blogspot.com. Feel free to check it out, if you want to leave any comments there.

Starship Icarus

Dear Senator Portman,

Really, what where you thinking ?

You were thinking that a strong, electable leader would emerge from the Republican field race, and would then be elected as next President of the United States, and then you could control who would become the next addition to the Supreme Court.

Well, we see how this is playing out.

Only two possible outcomes seem possible at this point :

1. Most likely scenario : Hillary Clinton (or much less likely Bernie Sanders) will be elected the next President of the United States. If she has an opportunity to nominate someone to replace Justice Scalia, she has no motivation to select a reasonably moderate candidate, because she will have four years to fill that position or,
2. Least Likely Scenario : Donald Trump could be elected as next President. Who knows what he will do. But, he will not likely take any input from current Republican leaders in selecting his nominee, should Justice Scalia's position still be vacant.

Genius.

Your (or perhaps Senator McConnell's) misplaced hubris is going to result in a next appointment to the Supreme Court that is more extreme than the current nominee of President Obama. How's that for hubris once again providing us a teachable moment about that which is and is not within our control ?

The ancient gods of Greece and Rome are enjoying the moment. I hope that you are as well.

“But who names a starship the Icarus? What kind of man possess that much hubris, that he dares it to fall?”

― Amie Kaufman, These Broken Stars

So, as your Republican starship races towards self-immolation later this fall  .... please re-read Article II, Sec 2 of the Constitution, and recall the oath to which you pledged in January of this year, to assess whether your strategy to control the next appointment to the Supreme Court is still headed in the direction that you intended .... and then please #doyourjob, or do the honorable thing : resign.
 

Sincerely,

P.S. : This, and several of my previous letters to you, can now be viewed on-line at www.do-your-job-rob.blogspot.com. Feel free to check it out, if you want to leave any comments there.

The irony of your support for Israel ... just in time !

Dear Senator Portman,

Thank you for recent e-mail newsletter detailing the energy and passion with which you are serving the citizens of Ohio.

I especially liked the article about Supporting Israel, in which you demonstrate your ability to join bipartisan support ... for the timeliest of issues

On Monday, Portman (R-OH) joined a bipartisan group of Senators led by U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) urging the Administration to quickly conclude a strengthened Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide Israel with the resources it needs to defend itself. 

The current MOU expires in 2018.

“Israel is our closest ally in arguably the most strategically significant region in the world.” said Portman. “And whether from terrorist groups like ISIS, the destabilizing behavior of an emboldened Iran, or from chaos in Syria, Israel faces increasingly grave threats to its security. As the Middle East continues to descend into violence and chaos, American support of this oasis of freedom and democracy is especially critical.” 

Well, I get it that we need to support our allies, so thanks for that.

But here is the part I don't get : do you appreciate the irony in the fact that you are telling our current President that you won't respect your current constitutional duty to vote on his nominee for the Supreme Court, and yet you are urging the President to act urgently to update the MOU with Israel .... which expires in 2018 ! That's brilliant. I hope the President returns your phone call on this.

In the meantime .... please re-read Article II, Sec 2 of the Constitution, and recall the oath to which you pledged in January of this year, to assess whether your request to the President to act quickly on an agreement that expires two years from now while you roadblock progress on a current and constitutionally defined need of this country is based on good judgement and respectful of the responsibilities that you have to the citizens of Ohio ... and then please #doyourjob, or do the honorable thing : resign.

Sincerely,

Responding to your message (from the Senator), received 02-May-2016

Dear,

Thank you for contacting me regarding the current vacancy on the United States Supreme Court. I appreciate you taking the time to contact me on this important issue.

As you may know, on April 14, 2016 I met with Supreme Court nominee Judge Merrick Garland. We had a very cordial meeting, and I enjoyed the opportunity to meet with him. As I have said previously, however, I believe the American people should have a voice in this debate.  This is a lifetime appointment that could reshape the Supreme Court for a generation, and I believe the best thing for the country is to trust the American people to weigh in. Instead of having a nomination fight in this partisan election year environment, I believe awaiting the result of the election will give the nominee more legitimacy and better preserve the Court's credibility as an institution.

It is common practice for the Senate to stop acting on lifetime appointments during the last year of a presidential term, and it's been nearly 80 years since any president was permitted to immediately fill a vacancy that arose in a presidential election year. I have supported some of President Obama's federal court nominees and opposed others, based on their qualifications. Whether the next president is a Republican or Democrat, I will judge any nominee on the merits, as I always have.

I also wanted to share with you my recent op-ed on the best way to replace Justice Scalia on the Supreme Court. The full op-ed can be found here.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. For more information, you can visit my website at www.portman.senate.gov. Please keep in touch.

Sincerely,
Rob Portman
U.S. Senator

Rob-pelgänger ?

Dear Senator Portman,

Thank you for recent e-mail newsletter detailing the energy and passion with which you are serving the citizens of Ohio.

I did receive two e-mails, however, and I was confused about which one came from the real Senator Portman. Can you clarify for me if you are the author of either the first or the second newslettter that I received ?

Extracts from the two different communications are here below.

So, which is it (A) or (B) or (all of the above) ??

(A) On Monday, Portman released the following statement on Tax Day and the introduction of new legislation to better protect taxpayer rights:

“Tax Day this year marks another year where American workers, families, and businesses have been saddled with a complicated, out-of-date tax code.  It serves as a reminder that one of the most pressing issues before Congress is pro-growth tax reform that simplifies our tax code, promotes job creation, and makes America more competitive.  What’s more, many Americans have lost trust in an IRS that has recently targeted conservative groups and failed to be good stewards of taxpayers’ money and our tax laws.     

“In December, I was pleased that President Obama signed into law three common-sense bills that I authored and introduced last tax day, but there is still more work to do.  That is why I am introducing new legislation today that gives taxpayers the ability to appeal to the IRS Office of Appeals and ensures that the IRS can’t farm out audits of private taxpayer information to outside law firms.” 

The Coalition for Effective & Efficient Tax Administration (CEETA), a group that comprises 14 trade associations and taxpayer groups, praised the bill, saying:

“As Americans across the country face their tax filing deadline today, they should take comfort in knowing that Senator Rob Portman once again introduced legislation that will protect their rights against IRS overreach and inappropriate examination practices. The Coalition for Effective & Efficient Tax Administration (CEETA) hails Sen.Portman’s efforts to protect taxpayer rights across a broad spectrum of aggressive IRS audit practices.”

(B) On Monday, Portman released the following statement on National Animal Crackers Day along with the introduction of new legislation to better protect Senators' right-to-not-work privileges :

"Animal Crackers Day this year marks another year where American taxpayers are saddled with unfounded expectations that their elected officials in Congress will execute their Constitutional duties. It serves as a reminder that one of the most pressing issues before the Senate is an anti-partisan operating reform that simplifies our Supreme Court nomination process, promotes completion of constitutionally-mandated responsibilities, and makes the Senate more efficient and accountable.  What’s more, many Americans have lost trust in a Senate that has recently resorted to partisan inactivity and failed to be good stewards of taxpayers’ money and our Constitutional mandates. 

“In March, I was disappointed that President Obama nominated a well-respected judge for appointment to the Supreme Court, consistent with his Article II, Section 2 responsibilities, after I had repeatedly exhorted to him not to do so, so there is still more resistance and stone-walling to do.  That is why I am doing nothing today that gives taxpayers the ability to believe that their elected officials are striving to reduce partisanship in Congress and ensures that the 114th Congress will continue the recent trends and will be the most partisan Congress in US history, and will not fulfill even their most fundamental of Constitutionally mandated responsibilities.” 

The Coalition for an Ineffective & Inefficient Congress (CIIC), a group that comprises 3 Republican Senators and several programmed robots, praised the inactivity, saying:

“As Americans across the country fulfill their expected job duties or face the consequences, they should take comfort in knowing that Senator Rob Portman once again stood down from his responsibilities. The CIIC hails Sen. Portman’s efforts to protect the rights of Senators in the face of a broad spectrum of aggressive disgruntled citizens.”

Please re-read Article II, Sec 2 of the Constitution, and recall the oath to which you pledged in January of this year, to assess whether your current position is based on good judgement and respectful of the responsibilities that you have to the citizens of Ohio ... and then please #doyourjob, or do the honorable thing : resign.

Sincerely,