If Joe Lieberman actually wins the Democratic Primary — why the hell is the idiot even running? — that will show that the party, which has long appeared to be brain-dead anyway, is officially dead.

Hell, if he becomes the Democratic Party candidate for President, even I will vote Republican.

For god’s sake, can’t we get some real leaders?

The first case I ever argued in court was before Justice Stone. At the time — hard to believe it was more than a year ago now — I was intimidated not just because I was going to be arguing my first case, but because I was arguing it before a former Appellate Judge. Justice Stone was then working in the Superior Court after having retired from the District Court.

But Justice Stone made me comfortable. As we argued our case, he questioned me, but not roughly; it was clear he was trying to listen to what I had to say and was asking his questions in order to get more information and not to argue with me, or hassle me. Sometimes, frankly, judges I’ve seen — and I won’t name names here, but I’m sure they and others know who they are — are clearly biased. They couldn’t give a rat’s ass about following the law. Your client was arrested? Charged? He must be guilty. Every procedural, evidentiary, or other type of ruling from them will go against the defense. These types aren’t even judges and they’ll certainly never be “justices,” regardless of their titles; we call these guys “prosecutors in black robes.” Justice Stone did not demonstrate any of that.

The motion I argued that day involved a gang injunction. And although we ultimately lost the motion in that parts of it were upheld, it wasn’t a total loss. Justice Stone agreed with us that some parts of the injunction were unconstitutional and struck them down.

More than anything, though, it was a good experience for me. I’ll often think of how lucky I was to have the opportunity to argue before Justice Stone. That day, our client didn’t “get off,” but Justice Stone was fair in his application of the law, listened to me and his questions clearly indicated that he didn’t have his mind already made up — and made up against us, as seems so often to be the case in criminal defense.

As an attorney said this morning when we were talking, “Justices like him are the ones who give me hope for our system.”

The world has lost a good judge. The world has lost a good man. Sleep well, Justice Stone.

Batman: Any last riddles, Riddler?
Riddler: Yes….what keeps coming back no matter how many times you throw it away?
Batman: That’s easy. A boomerang.
Riddler: Yes. I….am a boomerang….and I’ll….be….back….(falls down, unconscious)

Only this time, I don’t think he will.

We’ll miss you, Mr. Gorshin.

Just saw him — again — the other day in some crazy “back-to-school” movie I’ve seen half-a-dozen times and still have never seen it beginning-to-end, nor do I know the name of it! Hmmm…I’m sorry, Rod. I shoulda giv’n ya a little more respect!

You will be sorely missed.

You didn’t even have to be an American.

Ronald Reagan was put to rest today with a funeral that was as large and as splendid as was the man himself.

I will confess to you here and now that I was not the greatest fan of his policies. In spite of that, I find it impossible to watch the funeral without shedding a tear, without missing the man.

Brian Mulroney today said,

Ronald Reagan will not have to worry about Erin because they remember him well and affectionately there. Indeed they do: from Erin to Estonia, from Maryland to Madagascar from Montreal to Monterey. Ronald Reagan does not enter history tentatively — he does so with certainty and panache.

Mulroney quoted the French President, Francois Mitterand, who said,

“Il a vraiment la notion de l’Etat.” Rough translation: “He really has a sense of the State about him.” The translation does not fully capture the profundity of the observation: what President Mitterrand meant was that there is a vast difference between the job of president and the role of president.

Ronald Reagan truly filled the role of President of the United States of America. How fitting it was then that, as the Reverend Michael Wenning put it,

We have come from sea to shining sea to this soil which he loved so much and where his body will remain.

Tonight, as I chanted the berakhot over the candles, wine and bread, my voice waivered a little. I felt, in my heart, that I was also saying a kaddish.

As I said, you did not have to honor the policies. I did not.

The man is another story.

I have not conferred with Bob on this, but I’ve no doubt he would join with me in saying the condolences of those of us who write for Unspun™ go to the family he has left behind.