"This has nothing to do with not going to the convention to send a message to the president, nothing of the sort. This has to do with maximizing the time you spend connecting with your constituents..."Even if that were true, the appearance of trying to distance themselves from Obama is bad enough to provide an incentive to sacrifice a bit of time connecting with constituents in order to demonstrate support. So, obviously, Van Hollen is bullshitting.
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I'm using the word "bullshit" more now. I hope it doesn't distress you, but ever since Jonathan Turley went all "civility bullshit" on me for saying "spare me the bullshit" to him and I started reading the excellent 72-page book "On Bullshit," I've been feeling like saying it more.
From page 16 of Harry G. Frankfurt's slim tome:
In the old days, craftsmen did not cut corners. They worked carefully, and they took care with every aspect of their work. Every part of the product was considered, and each was designed and made to be exactly as it should be. These craftsmen did not relax their thoughtful self-discipline even with respect to features of their work that would ordinarily not be visible. Although no one would notice if those features were not quite right, the craftsmen would be bothered by their consciences. So nothing was swept under the rug. Or, one might perhaps also say, there was no bullshit.I'm re-distracted back to the Supreme Court case. I wonder how good the judicial craftsmanship will be. Will there be bullshit?
Wittgenstein once said that the following bit of verse by Longfellow could serve him as a motto:In the elder days of art
Builders wrought with greatest care
Each minute and unseen part,
For the Gods are everywhere.
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