Don't Get Excited or Mad

. There was a harness race on before, and there was a horse named Don’t Get Excited. This reminded me of Don’t Get Mad, who was not included in the early Belmont field projectons that I saw. He’s another horse who could get really overbet - the fans love to bet those deep closers in the race. In fact, if he’s entered, he could be very close to being second choice, assuming Alex and Giacomo both run. I have no idea how to handicap mile and a half races by the way. In fact, I’m not that effective much over 9 furlongs; in that way, I guess I’m like most race horses bred in this country. The Belmont is way beyond my ability too, and only once or twice have I ever gotten it right.

A group of senators have reached a compromise by which the Democrats will retain the right to filibuster the president’s judicial nominees in “extreme circumstances,” a phrase that no doubt will be as subject to interpretation as past performance lines. In return, the Democrats agreed to a vote on 3 of the nominees, and they’re not good - Janice Rogers Brown, William Pryor and Priscilla Owen. But if Senator Frist had prevailed, and he does not seem happy about the accord (and his extreme backers certainly aren’t - just wait to see the venom with which they go after the Republicans who participated in the deal), the president could have appointed the Lone Star Park stewards to the Supreme Court if he wanted to. Although, if they were on the court in 2000, having reviewed all the videotape from various angles and in slow motion, they certainly would have given Florida to Gore. And if Gore was president, it’s my contention that the country would not be at war, the deficit would not be out of control, and Point Given would have won the Triple Crown in 2001.