I am especially struck by your reference to John Kyl. I campaigned heavily for Pat Toomey in his bid to unseat Arlan Specter, and one of the things I would tell people was that, if Specter did not return to the senate, chairmanship of the judiciary committee would mostly likely go to Kyl. Most of the people with whom I spoke here in PA were not familiar with Kyl, so I attempted to acquaint them with him, and praised his experience, abilities, and integrity. I now feel terribly betrayed, so cannot even imagine how his Arizona constituents must feel.
Your last paragraph echoes Lincoln's lament:
At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it? Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant to step the ocean and crush us at a blow? Never! ... At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us it must spring up amongst us; it cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time, or die by suicide.
Best to you and yours in these trying times ...
~ joanie
bttt