"Sometimes we in our discourse today ... use labels as a way to not engage with other people, to treat and divide us and them. And as a judge, I don't think that is a fair or appropriate or useful way to engage in discourse." - Hon. Neil M. Gorsuch

Judge Neil Gorsuch is in the middle of his confirmation hearings to become the next associate justice of the Supreme Court. He will spend two total days being grilled by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee in a hearings process that will actually last the better part of the week.

PUERTO RICO BEAT THE NETHERLANDS 4-3 IN 11 INNINGS LAST NIGHT AT DODGER STADIUM, and will play the winner of tonight’s USA/Japan game tomorrow evening in the Ravine, still haunted by ghosts of displaced Hispanic families.

The contest last night was brilliantly played by both sides, as have so many of these games of the WBC, and whoever wins Wednesday night, whether USA, Puerto Rico, or Japan, will be true world champions.

Earlier this year, Maine senators called on the state Supreme Court to give an advisory opinion on the constitutionality of ranked choice voting as it was passed by voters in November 2016 for state and federal elections. A responsive brief has now been filed by Marshall J. Tinkle in favor of the ranked choice voting ballot initiative.

The perception in Washington is that if one side is for something, the other side will stand against it. From health care to immigration reform to job creation and more, the partisan establishments on both sides of the aisle could not appear further apart.

Yet if there is one issue that the political elite in Washington can agree on it is the expansion of the surveillance state, even at the risk of Americans' privacy. Democrats and Republicans have jointly taken several actions in modern history that have expanded the size and scope of the "Deep State."

Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a trade agreement between mostly Asia-Pacific countries. The original countries included the United States, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Canada, Peru, Australia, Brunei, Chile Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and possibly Korea in the future.

America exited this agreement with an executive order issued by President Trump on January 23, 2017, just two days after he entered office.

The inclusion in this trade pact would have affected about 40 percent of America's imports and exports.

Portland, ME – March 21, 2017 – Mainers for Open Elections, a state organization working for open elections at all levels, and Open Primaries, a national leader on election reform, released a new survey that shines a light on the disconnect between Maine voters and the current political system. The survey identifies broad support for reforming the state’s primary elections.

On Friday, WikiLeaks tweeted out a statement from Julian Assange criticizing companies that have not responded to an offer to help with vulnerabilities the CIA is potentially exploiting. While companies like Mozilla have responded, Assange says Google and others have not because of their dealings with the federal government.

https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/842929984054398980

It has now been over 400 days since the late Justice Antonin Scalia passed away and a potential replacement is finally getting a hearing before the Senate. On Monday, March 20, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to begin confirmation hearings for Judge Neil Gorsuch at 11 a.m. EDT.

Gorsuch testify Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Monday will consist of opening statements from committee members and Gorsuch, and outside witnesses are scheduled to testify before the committee on Thursday.

In round one yesterday of March Madness, the premier spectacle of American sports, 32 teams went to the free throw line 634 times and converted 438 of their charitable gifts (you are not reading this anywhere else).

Sixty-nine percent ain't that good; but it ain't the bad, either.

But you are reading this because winning teams from the free throw line outshot their opponents in 12 of yesterday's 16 games.

In several games the difference was critical to the game's denouement.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper vetoed HB 100 Thursday, March 16, a bill that would make elections for superior and district court judges partisan. Cooper also says the bill makes it harder for independent judicial candidates to get on the ballot.