Weekend Newsbites: Sat. & Sun., July 14 & 15, 2012

Or... in Harriman... or... wherever!

Barker's Newsbites: Friday, July 13, 2012

People will never cease to surprise - and disappoint - me.

I just removed a former friend from my contacts list and deleted his blog from my favorites list.

Why?

Not because we disagree on policy. No. I was forced to ditch him when it became clear to me that he is a hypocrite. 

Fakes... phoneys... hypocrites... I simply can't abide them.

Say what you will about me and my faults (and I know I have plenty of 'em), but with me you see what you get and you get what you see. I'm intellectually and ethically consistent. What a wonderful world it would be if most others were.

It's one thing to lack knowledge...

It's one thing to be too lazy to do the research and reading necessary to know what you're talking about...

It's one thing not to be all that bright... after all, IQ is IQ...

But to ignore facts and reason? To lay false charges? To switch on a dime one's supposed principles...?

No. People like that simply aren't worth dealing with. 

Nevertheless... today is a sad day for me.

Barker's Newsbites: Thursday, July 12, 2012

There's a lively discussion heating up over at my friend Chip Murray's blog - Shutupnsing.

Check out Chip's post titled "Hayworth for Congress... or (legally imposed) Guillotine".

(And then check out the comments...)

Indeed... browse Chip's blog. Check out the comment threads. There's a lot of good "back and forth" to be found in Chip's posts' comment sections!

Barker's Newsbites: Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Well, folks... back to work!

(Well... blogging at least; though I do have a run tonight...)

(Also... my best intentions are to make it to the gym today...)

(*GRIN*)

I tell ya, folks... post-holiday return to drudgery is tough...

Canada BESIDES the Wedding

Folks... you know my "requirements" when it comes to travel. 

Usually when visiting Toronto we'd stay with Drunkin' Irish Relatives Kevin and Ann Loughnane.

Kevin and Ann have a large home in Mississauga, Ontario, the half-million-plus population suburb of Toronto. Plenty of room for guests... and best of all... a heated, free-form, in-the-ground pool with deep end and diving board!

Therefore... rather than stay in a hotel, inn, B&B, or lodge we'd stay at at "Chateau Loughnane."

(*WINK*)

This time, however, because of the wedding, staying at "Chateau Loughnane" wasn't an option. Therefore...

The Westin Prince

Originally I had planned to stay at the Fairmont Royal York right in town, but even though I started looking at rates and availability back in May, the Fairmont didn't have availability for all four nights so they were out... and of the other area hotels which met our requirements, the Westin won out.

Upon arrival, as usual, I was upgraded. The young lady at the front desk was kind enough to give us a 20th floor (right under the penthouse level)  corner room with commanding views of other "downtown" Mississauga and the Toronto skyline. We even had a small little faux balcony!

Nice room. Top quality bedding. Double-headed shower. Robes. 42-inch LCD flat screen TV. Fridge.

It was the hotel pool which hooked me, though! Large, in-ground heated pool... quality pool chairs and loungers... beautiful landscaping... well-equipped fitness center... separate jacuzzi and sauna... tennis courts... basketball and shuffleboard... walking trails... and the home of one of Toronto's finest Sunday brunches - which we took advantage of while there!

Two small annoyances: 1) $11 per night for parking; 2) The pool was a bit chilly... 78-degrees... but refreshing. Most adults seemed to share my desire for a warmer setting, but the kids didn't seem to mind and the Canadian guests seemed to view the temp setting as "normal."

As for the location... you couldn't beat it for our itinerary! From our hotel it was a 10-15 minute drive to center city Toronto and also to the church and reception hall. A bit further afield from Ann and Kevin's... maybe 25 minutes... but aside from Thursday's family gathering we had no need to actually go to Ann and Kevin's!

Let's see... highlights of our trip...

OK, when last we chatted (prior to my posting the actual "wedding review") it was last Wednesday - July 4th - and I was off to pick up Drunkin' Irish Relatives Oli & Oli (father and son) who were arriving into EWR.

Well... thanks to the incompetents at United Airlines and at EWR, even though Oli & Oli got in five minutes early (1:45 p.m.) I didn't actually pick them up till after 3:00 p.m. Why? Nope... not customs. 

UNITED GAVE THE WRONG DAMN TERMINAL INFO...!!!

Yep. They were supposed to arrive into Terminal C. Not only did the website report this, but I double-checked via phone to United customer service.

Where did they land? Terminal B.

To add to the problem, their phones didn't work here (just as ours didn't work in Canada) and so while at one point they did indeed borrow someone's cell phone to tell me they had cleared customs and were waiting outside for me, in response to my query "are you on the top level, terminal C," they responded, "yes, top level, terminal three..." (Thing is... between accents and cell phone reception... they thought I was saying "three" and I thought they were saying "C." Thing is, they were saying "three" not as in Terminals 1-2-3 = Terminal A-B-C... but instead they were reading the door number they were standing by at level 3 of Terminal B.

Anyway... after this cock-up it was straight to dad's (Mike's - my father-in-law's) in Pearl River for a 4th of July BBQ. (Burgers... dogs... sausage... chicken... BEER...) I had picked up the food earlier and dropped it off and I did the cooking as well. Cathy and Mike dropped by. Eileen & Family were supposed to be there, but they got delayed and with the DIRs jet-lagged and us planning to be on the road the next morning by 5:00 a.m. we ended up heading out before Eileen, Craig, and the kids arrived. (We did however leave them half a watermelon and cherries!)

(*WINK*)

Noreen wasn't feeling well so she didn't make it either. (Oh, well... I tried!)

So... we got home fine... Oli & Oli were in bed by 9:00 p.m. and Mary and I hit the sack soon after.

Mary was up at 4:00 a.m. on Thursday... after that the relatives... after them... moi.

Showered... shaved... dressed... the car packed... on the road just a couple minutes after 5:00 a.m.

Gas in New York by me when we left was hovering around $3.60 gal. Right at around the halfway point (Waterloo, NY) I saw a sign reading "Regular $3.37 gal." and  figured this was the place for me! Filled up and gazing down the road saw the Magee Diner packed with cars - executive decision... time for breakfast!

Let me tell you, folks... that Magee Diner... the real deal! If you're ever - and I mean ever - near exit 41 off Rt. 90 (New York State Thruway) stop in here for a bite! Indeed, we liked it so much that we stopped here again for dinner on our way back home on Monday! Two words: Sausage Benedict! Two more: Pot Roast!

Seriously... HUGE portions... sincerely friendly service... great food... and a cute place! (And all at upstate New York prices...!!!)

Anyway... back on the road... stopped at the duty-free where Oli & Oli picked up some beer... over the border with minimal delay (cute Canadian customs chick!)... and we were at Ann and Kevin's sometime around 1:30 p.m.

When we arrived, some of the DIRs were already there but most weren't. The plan was to all meet up back at Casa Loughnane for an evening family party, so after an hour or so of drinks and snacking we dumped a bunch of the DIRs at their hotel and then we were off to find ours, check in, get settled, take a swim, and then head back to Mississauga.

That evening... a loud, boisterous, family free-for-all! Lots of good food, beer, whiskey... (I was drinking Paddy's)... and of course me in the pool with... er... the rest of the kids.

(*WINK*)

Friday? Slept in! Sunned. Swam. Read. Hit the jacuzzi. In other words... relaxed.

Early afternoon - off to Toronto proper in search of food and drink! Found it at the Granite Brewery!

Good food... friendly service... three cask conditioned ales... we were happy campers!

After a good 90 minutes there it was time for our next pub. (As you know, eating and drinking makes me hungry and thirsty!)

(*HUGE FRIGGIN' GRIN*)

Next... Bar Volo.

Folks... this is a serious beer lovers bar. Cask conditioned ales... daily rotating barrels... huge, eclectic selection of bottled and canned beers... and best of all, a friendly and knowledgeable staff willing to steer you to exactly what you're looking for! After starting off with a cask conditioned IPA I was soon exploring their selection of bottled sour beers! What a wonderful, wonderful place... and a great crowd! We met some folks and spent a good hour chatting with 'em! Oh... and btw... we even snagged one of the leather couches so as to have comfortable seating the whole time we were there!

After Bar Volo we decided to go back to the hotel to take a late afternoon/early evening dip in the pool prior to going out for diner.

Friday night's dinner destination... The David Duncan House.

For whatever reason, their own website is not functioning properly and so I've linked to the TripAdvisor page - to which I've submitted a full review. 

A Grand Dame independent steakhouse recommended by Ann (who knows my tastes well), Mary and I enjoyed an excellent meal in high baroque style featuring Chateaubriand for two finished table-side. While neither the soup nor salad knocked my socks off, both were "fine," and for $170 Cn. (including tip) we were quite pleased with the dining experience. (Cocktails and dessert were both excellent and frankly underpriced in terms of what I'd assume the traffic would bear.)

Oh... and by the way... Duncan House is literally right "behind" the Westin Prince! We could have walked there! A nice ending to a very pleasant day!

Saturday... we've covered that.

Sunday... slept in till 11:00 a.m.! 

Showered... shaved... down the elevator 20 floors to our brunch destination - The Westin Prince's own Season's restaurant.

At $44 per person (plus tax... plus alcoholic beverages...) a bit pricey. For $44 a person you'd expect at least bottomless "champagne"  and mimosas... perhaps even ever-flowing bloody mary's (or at least one complementary cocktail per guest)... but then again... there was lobster roll mix stuffed lobster tails (as opposed to actual lobster tails) on the buffet as well as oysters, shrimp, smoked fish, imported cheeses, all the various salads, breads, muffins and such you'd expect... a made-to-order omelet station... carving station... numerous hot and cold breakfast items... a large selection of hot chaffing dishes featuring various meat dishes, fish dishes, veggies, pastas, potatoes, rice... and then of course a simply outstanding dessert selection...

OK. Pricey... but not a rip-off. My suggestion? Either lower the price to $35 per person or else make it a champagne brunch with at least one free "adult beverage" thrown in.

(The convenience factor... priceless!)

After brunch... back into bathing suits... first a bit of reading in the shade sitting in one of "my" beloved Adirondack chairs set on a little hill overlooking the tennis courts and pool... then down to the pool area proper for a dip, more reading, another dip, a jacuzzi... and a shower before heading back up to the room.

Where to eat... where to eat. By 7:00 p.m. I was getting a bit hungry once more. We asked the hotel concierge for some recommendations and were advised to check out the neighboring (just a few miles away) Don Mills Centre where shopping and dining meet!

Since the concierge had given us a few recommendations there, we decided to stroll around and check out menus and ambiance. After a bit of strolling around we ended up making our first stop at... where else... Bier Markt.

EXCELLENT!

Hey... what can I tell ya... pretty, friendly hostess and waitress and something like 100 beers in bottle and 24 tap beers! (Oh... and outdoor patio perfect for people watching!)

After a few drinks there we were both starving and it was time to decide to whether to eat there at Bier Markt or branch out to one of the recommended restaurants. We compromised! We decided we'd eat at one of the other restaurant but return to the Bier Markt after dinner!

So... for dinner... Glow.

Check out their website! Cool place! And again... we were able to secure outdoor patio seating which offered us great "people watching." (Oh... and keeping with the morning's "lobster" theme - as an appetizer I had Glow's lobster mac & cheese! Outstanding!) 

Mary had one of the specials - goulash - and I had a "wagyu" burger with blue cheese. (Gotta admit... regardless of the "stretch" involved in advertising Canadian beef - even if private farm raised - as "wagyu" - my burger was indeed delicious!) Again... a "hit." A fine meal - a cheerful setting!

After dinner... back to Bier Markt for "dessert" - a nice Swedish cider for me... decaf coffee for Mary.

Back to the hotel... a little TV... last night on the 20th floor with the curtains open and the lights of the city all around us...

(*SIGH*)

Next morning up... down to the jacuzzi... an apple for breakfast... pack up... out of the room by noon and on the road after checking on which border crossing is least crowded...

We ended up taking the "outer" crossing - the "Rainbow Bridge" (Erie) crossing rather than the more congested "Peace Bridge" - but this meant stopping for $17.85 of very expensive ($1.24 liter) gas just to get us across safely with no worries. (It turned out that I probably could have been safe had I only thrown in five bucks, but had there been some sort of border crossing delay...) 

(*SHRUG*)

Prior to crossing the border we hit the duty-free.

Bill shoots! Bill scores! Picked up Carl's 50th birthday gift - I'm guessing it would have cost me near double in the States! Picked up Rob's 49th birthday gift; also got a good deal on that! Picked up a couple bottles for me and a bottle of wine for Mary and a bottle of wine for our friend Colleen who insists upon buying souvenirs for us when she travels...

(*LOPSIDED GRIN*)

Oh...! Before I forget! As we were heading down Rt. 90 - right before exit 49 - we saw one of those highway signs indicating what's off the exit, and low and behold... the sign indicated that if we got off at Exit 49 we'd be able to visit Kutter's Cheese Factory store... the retail outlet of the folks who make Yancy's Fancy Cheeses!

As you can imagine... we exited the highway!

As you can imagine... we bought cheese!

On the way home we stopped again at Megee's... as previously mentioned. We took our cheese inside with us to keep it cool. (Indeed, I even shared a few buffalo hot cheese curds with our waitress and a fellow customer!)

After a fine meal and a final fill-up at the low-priced Exxon station at Exit 41 we drove straight home without making another stop.

Arrived home... 10:10 p.m. 

All in all, another great trip!

Back from Canada

Well, Rory and Cecelia's wedding was quite a party!

Oh, yes... God bless the Drunkin' Irish Relatives... and the Drunkin' Chinese relatives-in-law as well!

(Cecelia's maiden name is Yip...)

As you all know, foreigners can be a bit strange...

(*HUGE FRIGGIN' GRIN*)

...case in point being that the actual church wedding was held at 11:30 a.m. (finished up around 1:00 p.m.) while the reception wasn't scheduled till 5:30 p.m.!

(*CHUCKLE*) (*SHRUG*)

Well... no bother... after the blessed event (the actual wedding ceremony... not the open bar) it was off to the Rose and Crown Pub for a wee bit of "tea and sandwiches." (And by that I mean pints of beer and finger sandwiches.)

(*GRIN*)

We only stayed for 45 minutes or so. It was hot as hell and since we had the time, it was back to the hotel for a swim and a change into our "party" clothes. 

(More on the hotel, later...)

Anyway...

WHAT A FRIGGIN' WEDDING...!!!

We're talking 5:30 p.m. till 1:30 a.m. with open bar and a drinking crowd!

The reception was held at the Grand Luxe  on Bayview Avenue in Toronto and you knew what kind of party it was gonna be the moment you stepped through the main entrance to be handed a "signature" cocktail under the watchful gaze of two of Toronto's finest! (Yep... still not sure why we had uniformed, armed police officers "guarding" us... but they were nice enough blokes!)

So, anyway, as I was saying, they had these kinda reddish, fruity little "tropical" cocktails waiting for the guests as we arrived, plus, a full open bar, passed hors d'oeuvrers, and serving stations with both sushi and other Asian food as well as standard Anglo offerings.

They also did something a bit different; during the cocktail hour guests lined up to have professional photos taken with the bride and groom. A real nice idea!

By 6:30 p.m. or so it was time to occupy the main ballroom. Beautiful set-up! Very classy...

The bridge, groom, and wedding party were at a dais set in the middle of the room with the bar directly across from them and the huge dance floor in between.

Funny enough... our table... and specifically my chair... was the closest to the bar!

Let me tell you something... beyond the open bar... beyond the excellent food... beyond a fairly competent DJ who "humored" us old folks with a fair number of "oldies"... this wedding had offered something fairly unique: Entertainment!

Yep... after the mandatory grand entrance of the wedding party, et al., it was "Enter the Dragon." (Or more accurately, "Enter the Lions!") Yep... apparently it's a Chinese tradition to have the "lions" come in (along with a supporting case of costumed drummers) to do a bit of dancing and spread good luck around the room! 

But, oh... no... that wasn't the end of it! In answer to the Yip's lions, next up were the Lougnane's Irish step dancers!

(The wedding was professionally videotaped, so once it's available I'll swap out the "stock" videos and add the actual videos! In the meantime... you get the idea!) 

Last bit of entertainment... a special appearance by Jason the Argonaut!

Yep...you guys know "The Fireman" from Jets games? Fireman Ed? Well, apparently Rory is an Argonauts superfan!

Anyway, while we were all hoping for the cheerleading squad...

(*GRIN*)

...having "Jason" drop by was fun!

Oh... something else the Canadians do! You know how at amusement parks they often have a photographer who has all sorts of hats and even uniforms and other props for "staging" individual, couple, and group "fun" photos? Well, they had one of 'em at the wedding! Yep... pick out a hat... pick out a whole costume if you're of a mind... and off ya go! Another nice touch...! Something different!

Now... as previously touched upon, I did like the DJ - overall that is. Now I don't know if this is a Canadian thing or whether it was simple the crowd, but even though there was music from the moment we entered the ballroom, Mary and I (and one other couple - and older couple - who danced one dance) were the only ones dancing for the first few hours of the post-cocktail hour reception!

You know me... (and Mary)... we simply don't care... but it was a bit odd.

Let's see... first course... salad... second course... pasta... third course... the entree - capon and steak, served with vegetables - and only after all of this (with the entertainment in between) did they get around to the traditional "father & daughter" dance, "mother and son" dance, and bridge and groom's "first dance." 

Me? I like to dance from beginning to end. I mean... it seems somewhat of a waste to be spending all that money on a DJ and not have the crowd movin' and groovin' all night... but, hey... if the trade-off is gonna be an eight hour open bar...

(*ANOTHER HUGE FRIGGIN' GRIN*)

...I supposed I can live with the Canadian customs!

(*WINK*)

Anyway... after the "official" opening of the dance floor, that was the signal for both families - and the friends and associates - to boogie-boogie-boogie!

What can I say, folks... Rory's dad Kevin was out of control... in a good way...  and... so were a good number of my fellow guests! Indeed, If I broke the 80th percentile in terms of rowdiness I'd be surprised!

There were break-dancers... there were wrestling matches... (all in good fun!)... at one point a flying Rory (cross my heart!) leaped into my arms to "surprise" me on the dance floor...

(*CHUCKLE*)

...all in all one hell of a party!

(Oh... and after 11:00 p.m. - another hot/cold buffet along with cake and pastry station!)

Being the mature, responsible adult I am...

Stop laughing, you bastards!

...I ceased drinking at around 12:30 p.m. (since I had to drive "Hank" back to the Westin), and with all the dancing (and eating!) I'd been doing I wasn't "impaired" in any case. That said... I must have closed in on twenty or so gin & tonics - with a couple of those "tropical" signature cocktails and the odd shot thrown in. Kevin and Ann and the Yips certainly got their money's worth with me and the rest of the crowd partying there that night!

Anyway... as to the rest of the vacation (the highlights, anyway)... stay tuned...

Happy 4th of July 2012... Two-Hundred and Thirty-Six Years of...

Well... we were doing great until the Progressive Era (which is actually a contradiction in terms), but it's been downhill since Woodrow Wilson.

Oh, sure... thanks to us "the democracies" won WW-1 and less than 30 years later, following the close of WW-2, America was the mightiest nation on earth... first a superpower... then (for awhile at least) "the hyperpower"... and now... once again "just" a superpower - a "superpower" that borrows approximately 43-cents of every dollar it spends on an ever-growing, freedom-sucking welfare state dedicated to "income redistribution."

Oh... and after 11 years we're still fighting in Afghanistan (no such thing as a "win" nowadays) and yesterday we groveled to Pakistan...

Today? Iran is test firing long range missiles and a quick glance at the Drudge Report shows that oil is shooting up in futures trading in response.

But, hey... it's Independence Day! At least we're not subjects of the Queen!

Our Founders would be so ashamed...

Can we turn things around? I doubt it. There's not enough of "us." And frankly... far too many on "my team" are enthusiastic but ill-equipped to challenge the status quo.

Yes... I'm a "Tea Partier."

Hell... I was a "Tea Partier" for Ross Perot back in '92!

Ronald Reagan? I loved him. He was "my" President. He was my daughter's President. For eight years Ronald Reagan made me proud - every day - to be an American.

Ronny's gone.

After Reagan... that lying piece of trash George Herbert Walker Bush. Next... that degenerate Clinton. (Who nowadays - compared to our choices for "leadership" - doesn't look half bad!) Then... George W. Bush.

How'd the Bush years work out for us, folks? Did our freedoms grow or shrink? Did our dollar rise or fall? 

Yes... yes... Gore would have no doubt been worse! John Kerry? Scary! But this is my point: The American political system now gives us a choice between "bad" and "worse." Has it always been so? Well... not to the extent we've now fallen to.

The Oligarchs are sucking America dry. If you don't understand this than you're either too stupid to waste my time on, or, you need to read my blog more often!

Anyway... there were no newsbites yesterday. There may or may not be newsbites today. (If so, they'll be posted in this posting's comment space.)

The beloved DIRs (Drunkin' Irish Relatives) are flying in today and I'll be picking 'em up at the airport later this afternoon and come 5:00 a.m. tomorrow morning we'll all be off to Toronto for a family wedding.

I'll "chat" with you guys on Tuesday, July 10th!

Have a good long weekend... and... God bless America.

Barker's Newsbites: Monday, July 2, 2012

Still in a piss poor mood, but...

(*SIGH*)

...let's see if I can find a few newsbites to post within the comments section.

Weekend Newsbites: Sat. & Sun., June 30 & July 1, 2012

I realize I've been posting mostly "stand alones" over the last few days, but between work and social commitments and my focus on "Roberts v. U.S. Constitution" I've been lax with newsbiting.

(*WINK*)

So... let me try and get a few newsbites posted before heading out to a friend's BBQ later today.

Some Good News re: This Past Week's Supreme Court Rulings

According to Rasmussen:

Public opinion of the Supreme Court has grown more negative since the highly publicized ruling on the president’s health care law was released.

A growing number now believe that the high court is too liberal and that justices pursue their own agenda rather than acting impartially.

A week ago, 36% said the court was doing a good or an excellent job. That’s down to 33% today.

But putting the emphasis on the negative... this means that a third of the American People are clueless.

(*SHRUG*)

However, the big change is a rise in negative perceptions. Today, 28% say the Supreme Court is doing a poor job. That’s up 11 points over the past week.

Again... flip side... this means that almost three quarters of Americans surveyed either don't believe that the Court routinely trashes the Constitution, or... worse... they simply don't believe that politicized Court rulings demonstrate "doing a poor job."

(*SIGH*)

The new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey, conducted on Friday and Saturday following the court ruling, finds that 56% believe justices pursue their own political agenda rather than generally remain impartial. That’s up five points from a week ago.

And yet... no rioting in the streets.

(*SAD HALF-SMILE*)

No flurry of calls, emails, letters, and personal visits by constiuents to demand that their members of the House, U.S. Senators, and state governors force the Supreme Court to rule according to the Constitution and not against it.

(*SHRUG*)

Just half as many - 27% - believe the justices remain impartial.

Again... a quarter of the population is clueless.

Oh... and let's face it... large segments of those surveyed who gave the "right" answer did so not because they understand the issues at play in the way I do, but, rather, they simply offer a "conservative knee-jerk response" as the flip-side to the "liberal knee-jerk response."

(*SIGH*)

Thirty-seven percent (37%) now believe the Supreme Court is too liberal, while 22% think it's too conservative. A week ago, public opinion was much more evenly divided:  32% said it was too liberal and 25% said too conservative.

See, folks... this reinforces my previous point. Anyone who looks at this through a partisan lens misses the point. It's not that we cheer or damn a "liberal" ruling vs. a "conservative" ruling, it's that the Constitution and the Rule of Law demands CONSTITUTIONAL rulings - no matter how the chips fall ideologically!

Here's the tragedy, my friends: Most Americans view either the "liberal" justices or the "conservative" justices as their heroes (or villains) when actually the forces aligned against each other are the Constitutionists vs. the anti-Constitutionists.

Yes... by and large the Constitutionists are "conservative" and the anti-Constitutionists "liberal" - or, rather, "Left" - but the only question Americans should be concerned with is whether a justice rules according to the Constitution or... well... in opposition to it.

As first noted in polling conducted Wednesday and Thursday, there has been a sizable partisan shift in perceptions of the high court. A week ago, Republicans were generally positive about the court. Forty-two percent (42%) of GOP voters gave the justices good or excellent marks, while 14% said poor. Now, the numbers are strongly negative — 20% say good or excellent and 43% say poor. Among Democrats, the numbers went from mixed to very positive. A week ago, 35% of those in the president’s party gave the high court positive reviews and 22% offered a negative assessment. Now, 50% are positive and only 11% give the high court negative marks.

As for those not affiliated with either major party, the positives remained unchanged at 31%.

Folks... all this is evidence supporting my previous commentary.

How can America remain a Constitutional Republic when "The Rule of Law" is largely looked upon through a partisan lens as opposed to a fair, accurate, and sincere analysis of what the Constitution actually demands? (Answer: American can't remain a Constitutional Republic; American is no longer a Constitutional Republic.)

However, among unaffiliated voters, the number rating the court's performance as poor doubled from 14% a week ago to 30% today.

Well... (*HALF-SMILE*)... that's good news, at least!

Among Political Class voters, positive ratings for the Supreme Court soared to 55%, compared to 27% a week ago.

(*SIGH*)

Which... unfortunately... demonstrates why America is in truth no longer a Constitutional Republic under the Rule of Law.