Both Sides Now and Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On

Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say "I love you" right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I've looked at life that way

But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I've changed
Well something's lost, but something's gained
In living every day

I've looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all

Marco Rubio showed all of us what being an American is about, yesterday, much to my surprise and delight.  He demonstrated that the job of Congress is to do what is morally right.  He led the way by showing his colleagues what it means to not be a 'rubber stamp'.  His questioning of nominee for Secretary of State, rex tillerson, was sharp, to the point and there were no holds barred.  A large portion of Rubio's questions, for tillerson, centered on Russia.  As His time for questioning was coming to an end, the exchange between the two men was as follows:
Rubio: “Let me ask you this: Is Vladimir Putin a war criminal?”

tillerson: “I would not use that term,” (it was reported in The New Yorker that tillerson was "scowling")

I also read that "Rubio was not happy with that answer.",  in a Washington Post article.

Rubio: "Let me describe a situation in Aleppo and perhaps that will help you reach that conclusion," he said, going on to detail how Russia has targeted schools and markets in war-torn Syria, "resulting in the death of thousands of civilians. It should not be hard to say that Vladimir Putin is a war criminal, and I find it discouraging your inability to cite that, which I think is globally accepted."

Rubio had time for one more question and asked tillerson if he believed that Putin was responsible for "the murder of countless political opponents."

According the Washington post, "tillerson hedged on that too. He said he'd "want to have more information" before he assigned blame. "People who speak up for freedom in regimes that are oppressive are often a threat," he allowed." (if this regime is oppressive, then why in hell is this ass so chummy with them?)

Bravo Senator Marco Rubio!!

Cory Booker also showed the metal of a true American, of a truly moral and brave person.  Senator Booker feels so strongly that jeff sessions is not fit to be the Attorney general that he became the the first Senator in U.S. history to testify against a fellow Senator who has been nominated for a cabinet position in the administrative branch.  Booker spoke kindly about sessions as a person, noting that he and "jeff" had worked together on various projects and that he liked him, but he went on to make the following statements:

"Sen. Sessions has not demonstrated a commitment to a central requisite of the job: to aggressively pursue the congressional mandate of civil rights, equal rights, and justice for all of our citizens. In fact, at numerous times in his career, he has demonstrated a hostility towards these convictions and has worked to frustrate attempts to advance these ideals."

"I believe, like perhaps all of my colleagues in the Senate, that in the choice between standing with Senate norms or standing up for what my conscience tells me is best for our country, I will always choose conscience and country,"

"The next attorney general must bring hope and healing to this country, and this demands a more courageous empathy than Sen. Sessions' record demonstrates."

"If one is to be attorney general, they must be willing to continue the hallowed tradition in our country of fighting for justice for all, for equal justice, for civil rights."

Thank You for your bravery Senator Cory Booker!!

In the case of Senator Marco Rubio, I'm positive that if he and I were to meet and talk, we would disagree on many fronts, but we obviously agree with being moral, decent people and that decency is worth 'fighting' for.  His actions and words at tillerson's hearing have given me a new found respect for Rubio.

I have always had respect for Senator Cory Booker , but his brave actions regarding breaking a long standing Senate tradition, increases my respect in an un-quantifiable degree.

Again, thank you to both Senator Rubio and Senator Booker!

Well, I said come on over baby
We got chicken in the barn
Come on over baby
Really got the bull by the horn
We ain't fakin'
Whole lotta shakin' goin' on

Well, I said shake baby, shake it
I said shake baby, shake it
I said shake it baby, shake it
I said shake it baby, shake it
Come on over
Whole lotta shakin' goin' on