Happy Friday!

Well - there are consequences for posting early - after all those mean things I said about John McCain yesterday, he goes out and does the right thing - the Obamacare repeal bill fails, thanks to his vote. I don't quite know why he didn't just vote no a couple days ago, and spare us al this farce - I can't imagine he thought the bill would get better in that time; it's a puzzler. Though I suspect the chance to spend another day in front of the cameras might have had something to do with it. Still - he can grandstand all he wants (he's a politician; that's that they do) as long as he votes right, and he did do that. This is a big one - a bill that would consign tens of thousands of people to death, many more to suffering and bankruptcy and anxiety and even more dependence on their employers than ever - for a tax cut for the rich. There are differences of opinion about how to run the country, and there are laws that are obviously evil and self-destructuve. we've been in the era when almost everything the Republicans actually do is the latter - it will get worse, until Republicans start breaking with their leadership. If they do, the worst aspects of the GOP might quickly crumble - we could go back to arguing about defense budgets and marginal tax rates and Obamacare vs Medicare for all - battles we can afford to lose.

And - a couple words on the Democrats, who for once, never wavered in their commitment to killing this bill; and to Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, who have also been against it for a while, and voted against it consistently. Amusing to watch Trump try to bully Murkowski yesterday, and have her remind him where the money comes from - having congressmen and senators trying to govern again might be an unexpected compensation for having Trump as president. Still - good to see.

And now? Maybe some music to usher in this weekend? I am off to Vermont for a day or so, off to Bernie country, bearing gifts from the land of Susan Collins (lobstahs!) Playing around with soccer drafts - which probably confused me about times and dates, since I was looking at it a couple days ago and seeing GMT time and dates. Those crazy English and their crazy time schemes! Anyway - song, a song?

Gloria Gaynor seems relevant this morning: