Senator Paula Simons

Independent senator from Alberta. Host of Alberta Unbound. I live on Treaty Six Territory.

Public Key

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NIP-05 Address

Paulatics_at_mstdn.ca@mostr.pub

Profile Code

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Author Public Key

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Last Notes

2024-09-17 20:09:33

Good news - Health Canada has just announced its approval of the new Moderna Covid vaccine, which targets the KP.2 variant. https://covid-vaccine.canada.ca/ #Covid19 #Covid #vaccine #Canada #HealthCanada #kp2 #Spikevax

2024-08-26 02:09:07

Aha! My Mastodon odometer finally ticked over today to 3.8 K. (Which, we all know, really means 3,750. But I’ll embrace the Masto Math.) It’s been a long slow build, especially of late. But I thank all 3,750 of you for following along. I’ll try to make my feed worth the follow. And if you’d like to invite a friend to our oh-so-exclusive party, please let them know they’ll be welcome to the conversation. Cheers! Your friendly neighbourhood Senator.

2024-08-01 22:54:57

What a disaster. What a waste. The idea of tearing down one of the most beautiful public buildings in Edmonton, built as a legacy for all Albertans, sickens and enrages me. I have fought to same the old RAM for a decade. Are we prepared to give up now? https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/former-ram-converted-to-green-space

2024-08-01 01:08:45

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@npub1uw8…88kr Thank you so much for taking the time to meet in person with my staffer today. Shawn gave me a briefing this afternoon - now I have even more questions.

2024-07-31 12:42:21

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@npub1uw8…88kr (Shawn tells me he didn’t pack a suit - so don’t worry about dressing up. And he is a delightful human. Also? Your goats are adorable.).

2024-07-25 16:55:52

I posted on my Senate FB page about the Jasper fire - and some people posted comments suggesting the fire had been started by space lasers. Because any crazy (and not incidentally anti-Semitic) conspiracy theory is more plausible to climate change deniers than the hard truth. After a mild dry winter with little snow, after two weeks of a blazing July heat wave, the park went up like tinder. It’s not because of distant energy weapons. The cause is far more prosaic. And we can’t keep ignoring it.

2024-07-25 03:20:30

Jasper is so beautiful, a special paradise. Of course, we’ve seen terrible, devastating fires before - Slave Lake, Fort McMurray, Fox Lake. But for all of us who’ve fallen under the spell Jasper’s magic, this feels like such a body blow. I don’t pray. But my thoughts are with all the firefighters and emergency responders risking their own safety to save the town we love. #Jasper #Alberta #wildfires

2024-07-23 04:57:29

Grim news for Jasper. Hoping for the best for one of my favourite places. https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/evacuation-order-issued-for-jasper-alberta-fire-expected-to-reach-town-within-hours-province-1.6973844 #wildfires #Jasper #Alberta

2024-06-25 01:24:46

How do real sports fans stand it? My nerves are already shot! #LetsGoOilers #Edmonton #yeg #StanleyCup #Oilers

2024-06-12 23:33:03

A lovely column by three of my Senate colleagues, on the retirement of a fourth. And a reminder that the independent Senate - which has broad popular support - cannot endure unless the many empty seats are filled with independents. Alberta has two loooong standing vacancies. I can only hope they’ll be filled soon. https://vancouversun.com/opinion/op-ed/opinion-salute-to-a-retiring-b-c-senator-and-a-call-for-applications-to-fill-her-oversized-shoes #SenateofCanada #cdnpoli #BritishColumbia #BC

2024-06-05 15:44:05

Thursday morning, our Senate Agriculture and Forestry Committee will release our major report on soil health and preservation. It’s called Critical Ground, and I hope it will be a call to action on many fronts. To whet your appetite - my preview column, written for Alberta Views. https://albertaviews.ca/the-real-dirt-land/ #SenateofCanada #cdnpoli #AGFO #Alberta #abpoli #Canada

2024-06-04 11:45:07

Don’t believe the Chicken Little rhetoric. The sky is not falling. The independent Senate experiment has been a true success. And if/when the government changes, we will continue to do our non partisan duty. Here’s my oped from today’s National Post. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/paula-simons-the-senate-has-no-authority-to-block-legislation-it-merely-dislikes #SenateofCanada #cdnpoli #Canada #SenCa #NationalPost

2024-04-24 17:55:46

I was downtown first thing this morning for a breakfast meeting. Met these two hosers, who were already getting a jump on tonight’s tailgate party! #Oilers #Edmonton #yeg #yegdt #LetsGoOilers #IceDistrict #StanleyCup #SCTV
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2024-03-24 14:13:09

I am delighted to say that late last week, our North Saskatchewan was finally designated a Canadian Heritage River. The designation marks the end of a remarkable years-long campaign by Smoky Lake County, and county planner Kyle Schole. Thank you and congratulations! (My column from 2021 with the whole back story: https://albertaviews.ca/rediscovering-a-river/) #Alberta #Edmonton #yeg #cdnpoli #NorthSaskatchewan #SmokyLake #CanadianHeritageRiver

2024-03-19 22:36:08

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And we have just received word from the Governor General’s office that C-57 has received Assent! #SenateofCanada #Canada #Ukraine

2024-03-19 21:46:18

Breaking news from the Senate. After all kinds of stalling tactic from the Conservatives, we just passed Bill C-57, the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement, 73-14. All four AB Senators, Scott Tannas, @npub12fn…v6eu and @npub1v4j…79wc voted in favour of the deal. (All Conservative senators voted against.) This deal isn't a magic solution to Ukraine's military woe, but will be an important tool in rebuilding the nation's economy. #SenateofCanada #Canada #Ukraine #BillC57 #C57 #cdnpoli #Alberta #FreeTrade

2024-03-19 18:52:50

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@npub1mmf…eknq Thanks for sharing this.

2024-03-19 16:09:56

As promised - here’s the latest Alberta Unbound - featuring Jason Markusoff of CBC Calgary, Danielle Paradis of APTN, and Jonny Wakefield of the Edmonton Journal/Sun, discussing the state of journalism in Alberta, and Canada. https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/alberta-unbound/id1511810939?i=1000649719900 #AlbertaUnbound #CBC #APTN #EdmontonJournal #yeg #Edmonton #yyc #Calgary #Alberta #C18 #BillC18 #journalism #Facebook #Twitter #Mastodon

2024-03-11 17:44:30

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@npub1mmf…eknq @npub1cr2…q039 @npub1eha…w3qc @npub176y…fj2k No update. One of my colleagues raised the issue recently in Senate QP, but I think the mills are still grinding slowly!

2024-02-23 22:37:18

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@npub1gsk…754x I think this is an important first step. Coming up with a comprehensive pharmacare program isn't simple - especially when health care is a matter of provincial jurisdiction. Ditto dental care. So I think they are starting with small bites...

2024-02-23 21:43:59

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If any country should have free insulin, it should surely be Canada! (Also gratifying to see other diabetes meds and gear would be covered.) Free birth control? Including long lasting reliable methods like IUDs? Game changing for so many women and families.

2024-02-23 21:13:48

This is amazing news - for reproductive choice, bodily autonomy AND management of one of the most common serious chronic health problems, diabetes. https://www.cp24.com/news/ndp-liberals-strike-deal-to-cover-cost-of-diabetes-medicines-birth-control-1.6781059 #Canada #cdnpoli #birthcontrol #diabetes

2024-02-23 16:17:45

Today, Alberta’s brilliant Corb Lund dropped his new album, El Viejo, named in tribute of Ian Tyson. Here’s my conversation with Corb about Alberta identity, telling the stories of the West, and his fight to save the eastern slopes of the Rockies. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3McuSdH4S3OXPOlj6oE7mX?si=1fIdD0znS3ipCJwhnfZFuA #AlbertaUnbound #CorbLund #ElViejo #Alberta #abpoli #Canada #SenateofCanada

2024-02-21 23:15:30

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@npub1sac…apc0 Reading their texts is what broke me. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13108753/Nex-Benedicts-final-texts-family-revealed-Non-binary-bullying-restroom-died-head-trauma.html

2024-02-21 22:51:50

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@npub1mmf…eknq I've never met him. Only been in the same room with him once - and it was a big room. However, I've never found shin kicking a terribly helpful form of persuasion!

2024-02-21 22:47:17

I can't get the beautiful face of this child out of my mind. I wish I could make Danielle Smith and Pierre Poilievre read this story. I wish I thought that it would make a difference if they did. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/nex-benedict-dead-oklahoma-b2499332.html #Nex #NexBenedict #TransRightsareHumanRights #ProtectTransKids #Oklahoma #Alberta #Canada #abpoli #cdnpoli

2024-02-19 04:18:21

Interested in the future of journalism in Alberta? Join us Wednesday night, when I moderate a panel discussion with three smart Alberta journalists - Jason Markusoff, Danielle Paradis and Jonny Wakefield - about where we go from here. https://epl.bibliocommons.com/events/65c50aa8db82ef1325eacee3?fbclid=IwAR2TerTb9DAS3kyp_NIki7UPAFTdek8aGbggvxNn6W3IDI1R3RwdvJZB6LQ_aem_ATpgEyjFLBTmrYFHqx87AwOPL5-DfR0t5V_HrKe11b2SCFht-COatgJsQnFtiorKrsI

2024-02-13 01:53:57

Canada's cities & towns are "creatures" of the provinces - a dependence that often leaves municipalities struggling to do their jobs with available funding. In December, the Senate concluded an inquiry into municipal/federal relations, which I had myself instigated. We'll be publishing a report of those proceedings later this spring. But as a complement to our work in the Chamber, I wanted to convene a series of round-table conversations about key challenge facing our municipalities.....

2024-02-06 12:15:47

Weeks ago, I was invited to attend a reception in Ottawa for Premier Danielle Smith, which took place Monday evening. I had originally RSVP’d yes. Instead, last night I made a decision to stand in solidarity with the trans rights protesters outside the event. As a representative of Albertans and Edmontonians, that’s where I felt I should be. #Ottawa #yow #Edmonton #Alberta #TransRightsAreHumanRights #cdnpoli
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2024-02-05 02:33:23

If you missed the two Edmonton rallies this weekend, here’s another event planned for next Sunday: a choral concert at Robertson-Wesley United Church designed to turn into a march to Churchill Square. https://facebook.com/events/s/sing-with-love-concert-communa/1145204376892033/ #Edmonton #yeg #Yegdt #ableg #abpoli #TransRightsAreHumanRights #Alberta

2024-02-01 15:40:00

Also - today might be a fine day to (re)listen to my Alberta Unbound conversation with Edmonton trans activist Marni Panas, recorded last spring. https://www.podbean.com/ei/pb-xqaib-13cab5f?wlapp=1 #TransRightsAreHumanRights #ableg #abpoli #Alberta #Edmonton #yeg

2024-02-01 15:35:35

I’ll have more today about the ugly politics of demonizing trans teens after Premier Smith’s press conference. Till then, please do read my latest column for Alberta Views on this very subject. And remember that Albertans have a right and a duty to speak out in defence of human rights. https://albertaviews.ca/stripping-away-rights/ #TransRightsAreHumanRights #Alberta #ableg #abpoli #Canada

2024-01-30 15:50:06

So disappointed the Trudeau government has stated that it will again delay the extension of medical aid in dying to people suffering from intractable and intolerable psychiatric conditions. The government says it will wait another 3 years to respect the amendment passed by the Senate. By which time, we may have a rather different government in power. Here is a link to the speech I gave on February 9, 2021, explaining why #MAID is a Charter right. https://youtu.be/xR4vdo6M_TY?si=yuq39AWTk_CbVIHr #cdnpoli #SenateofCanada

2024-01-27 15:35:15

This month, I sat down for a long chat with Sean Speer of The Hub, to talk about the future - and the past - of journalism in Canada. Here’s our conversation. https://thehub.ca/2024-01-23/those-newsrooms-are-not-coming-back-paula-simons-on-canadian-news-media/ #Edmonton #yeg #Alberta #Canada #cdnpoli #SenateofCanada #BillC18 #C18 #Google #Meta #OnlineNewsAct #journalism #Facebook #TRCM

2024-01-26 16:19:23

Thank you to everyone who has been sharing my job posting for a policy analyst in my Ottawa Senate office. Here is the LinkedIn ad you can also share, if that’s easier. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/paula-simons-b87145203_activity-7156484545934946305-Yh1x?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios #SenateofCanada #SenCa #Ottawa #yow #cdnpoli #Alberta

2024-01-25 21:47:18

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If you might be interested in joining my Senate office - or know someone you think might fit, you can send me a message here, or if you'd prefer, you can send a resume my director of parliamentary affairs, at Katelin.Cummings@sen.parl.gc.ca We might be hiring for either a parliamentary research assistant or a parliamentary affairs advisor - title, responsibility and pay commensurate with skills and experience. #SenateofCanada #yow #Ottawa #SenCa #cdnpoli #Alberta #Canada

2024-01-25 21:42:00

Interested in joining the Senate - but not quite august enough to be a Senator? I'm saying goodbye to a very talented staffer, who's leaving #yow to be closer to family. I'm looking for a quick-witted candidate who is willing to live in Ottawa area, who (ideally) knows something about communications law/policy or information/privacy/digital tech policy, and is able to put up/keep up with me. Ability to speak French an nice asset. Some knowledge of Alberta a bonus feature. #SenateofCanada

2024-01-24 18:46:49

In the wake of Covid-19 and the decline of old guard media, the deluge of disinformation about health and science has escalated wildly. On Alberta Unbound this month, I confront the crisis of medical disinformation and loss of public trust with #UAlberta health law professor & popular science journalist Tim Caulfield.. https://open.spotify.com/episode/7eNP4xHWXYlv71Pu7ZQ8Rc?si=QD6-bO7lRSqXuB-MSHda6A #AlbertaUnbound #Alberta #COVID #Ableg #abpoli #Canada #Vaccines #SenateofCanada

2024-01-16 19:07:30

have such respect for Rachel Notley. Smart, tough, fair, pragmatic, even in the face of the greatest challenges and the most unhinged personal attacks. When she was premier and I was a political columnist critiquing her government and its missteps, I was always impressed with her integrity and professionalism. As a new Senator, I witnessed first hand the fierce way she fought for Alberta in Ottawa. Filling her big (albeit literally tiny) shoes will not be easy. #RachelNotley #Alberta #ableg

2024-01-14 01:47:41

Did they seriously just send out a terrifying emergency alert to tell us that it’s cold? (I think most of us had figured that out.) #Edmonton #yeg #yegwx

2024-01-03 17:34:33

My latest column for Alberta Views - on the misuse of the notwithstanding clause, the current anti trans witch hunt, and the role we ALL play in defending minority rights. https://albertaviews.ca/stripping-away-rights/ #Alberta #abpoli #ableg #saskatchewan #Moe #ScottMoe #saskpoli #trans #notwithstandingclause #Canada #CharterOfRightsAndFreedoms #cdnpoli #Bill21 #Vriend #lgbtq #Quebec #islamaphobia #eugenics #antisemitism

2024-01-03 02:45:19

Senators have the right - and responsibility - to visit federal penitentiaries and prisons. First thing this morning, I drove out to the Edmonton Institution in northeast Edmonton to learn more about conditions and protocols there. #Edmonton #yeg #EdmontonMax #SenateofCanada #prison #Alberta #Canada
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2023-12-30 15:29:23

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I left 65 k followers behind on Twitter. After a year on Mastodon, I’ve accumulated 3.5 k. In truth, I’d hoped to attract a few more - but at least I am pretty sure that vast majority of you are real, and not bots or trolls! Thank you for your questions, your quips, your corrections, and your real time travel advice. I’ve appreciated your kind words, your thoughtful criticisms, and your advice about induction stoves. (We did buy one, in the end, btw. And so far, we love it.)

2023-12-30 15:22:55

On January 1st, 2023, I quit Twitter, cold turkey. It was my New Year’s Resolution, and one of the rare ones that I kept! I have literally never looked back, and I think my year has been the better for it. Thank you to everyone on Mastodon for making this online community a much happier space. There is much I still miss about Twitter - but the Twitter I miss is gone. Here’s my column from this time last year - which proved sadly prophetic, alas. https://albertaviews.ca/goodbye-to-twitter/

2023-12-15 19:00:36

An end-of-session update: This week, I gave notice in the Senate that I intend to move that both Canada’s Chief Actuary and the Parliamentary Budget Officer conduct their own inquiries into the impact of Alberta’s proposed withdrawal from the CPP on Canadians. https://sencanada.ca/en/senators/simons-paula/interventions/626560/19#hID #ableg #abpoli #cdnpoli #SenateofCanada #CPP #APP

2023-12-01 11:25:44

At the Ottawa airport this morning. It’s morning rush time, but there was only one security thingy open. I asked a friendly but very busy senior CATSA staffer why that was. He told me they have such staff shortages, they only had enough people today to run one security station. (I fear things will only get more complicated as Covid-induced sick days rise and the Christmas travel rush begins in earnest.) #yow #Ottawa #CATSA #airtravel

2023-11-16 17:33:35

Thanks to Ryan Jespersen for having me on today to talk about the fall of X, the future of Mastodon, the fate of Bill C-18, the problems with an Alberta Pension Plan, the troubling rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia sparked by the tragedies in Israel and Gaza, AND the #yegquest Henday chicken hunt. https://www.youtube.com/live/ysQ1k2gseCg?si=RbtcaLph6ckmh_3f #Mastodon #C18 #CPP #AlbertaPensionPlan #yeg #Edmonton #Alberta #SenateofCanada #cdnpoli #abpoli #ableg #LRT

2023-11-12 16:33:15

Good morning, Edmonton! In honour of Diwali, the opening of the Valley Line South, and my own 1st anniversary on Mastodon, I invite you to join me on a #yegquest! Henday the free range #yegchick has left a half dozen clues along the length of Valley Line, connecting the #yegdt with Mill Woods. Figure out where Henday has been, take a photo in the same place, and post it here with the #yegquest hashtag. #yeg #Edmonton #Mastoversary #ValleyLine

2023-11-01 20:44:09

Some days, it's not easy being an independent senator - especially when the government pulls the rug out from under you. Here's my speech on why I voted to amend Bill C-234, narrowing a private members bill that would have granted a carbon tax exemption to farmers for their use of natural gas and propane...and why I'm second guessing myself, after the government announced a separate carbon tax exemption for homeowners, small businesses and farmers in Atlantic Canada. https://youtu.be/M3OHBTqw1Pk?si=IaFOf9QmyHbkAv0Q

2023-10-18 21:22:47

Today is the 94th anniversary of Persons Day - when the Privy Council in London ruled Canadian women were person - in rights and privileges as well as pains and penalties. In 2020, I made this video essay about the complicated, painful, powerful legacy of the Famous 5, the magnificent, deeply flawed women who made equal rights in Canada reality. https://youtu.be/a_HhQP3HoxU?si=cuwZy_u5jA6243os #PersonsCase #PersonsDay #FamousFive #SenateofCanada #Vriend #abpoli #Edmonton #yeg #Alberta #Canada #eugenics #lgbtq

2023-10-18 12:55:32

Trans rights are human rights. My speech (Rant? Cri de couer?) on the moral panic behind our current wave of transphobia, on the misuse of the notwithstanding clause to bully literal children, and on the disturbing ties between transphobia and antisemitism. https://youtu.be/EJBzs-iY-hI?si=u9LAYVQo-wSUkdM4 #SenateofCanada #Canada #cdnpoli #transphobia #transrights #notwithstandingclause #SenCa #abpoli

2023-09-29 19:30:44

Can Alberta really claim 53% of the CPP? Would setting up an Alberta pension plan really save workers and employers billions? All your questions answered, in this freshly updated episode of #AlbertaUnbound. To say “must listen” is a cliché. But in this case, it’s true. https://spotify.link/f1zPgb3OuDb #CPP #APP #CanadaPensionPlan #Alberta #ableg #abpoli #cdnpoli #Canada #UniversityofCalgary

2023-09-20 18:56:27

Last week, I had lunch with a political acquaintance, who told me right-wing parties in this country are using transphobia as a wedge issue - going into mosques and gurdwaras and temples, to "warn" parents there that trans activists are going to exploit and seduce their children. I wasn't sure whether to believe that. And then I saw how very many young Muslim women with children were part of the anti-trans protest in Ottawa today. The wedge seems to be working, alas. #TransRightsAreHumanRights

2023-08-21 17:14:00

One of my wonderful sisters-in-law, who is with the ATA, spent the whole weekend, working with my other sister-in-law, to set up an apartment for evacuee teachers fleeing the #NWTfires. I am helping them out where I can, buying groceries, lending spare dishes and bedding, providing some books and DVDs. It is inspiring to see so many people stepping up in this difficult time, in large ways and small. #Edmonton #yeg #NWT #ATA

2023-07-07 01:29:30

When COVID hit in 2020, my neighbours decided to host a free jazz concert on their front lawn. Three years on, it’s become a beloved neighbourhood tradition. #Westmount #GroatEstates #Edmonton #yeg #LittleBirds #YardbirdSuite #DogsofMastodon
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2023-07-03 12:53:29

Happy #Mondog from Miss Issa! And Happy Statutory Holiday in Lieu of Canada Day to all who celebrate. #DogsofMastodon #Edmonton
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2023-06-19 00:36:48

Excited to let you know a new episode of Alberta Unbound will drop tomorrow. This one is about the impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act on Alberta, and features guests Gary Mar, Nathan Ip, Teresa Woo-Paw and Linda Tzang, speaking about the centenary of this racist law. It will be our last episode of the season - but we’ll be back with new episodes in the fall. Corb Lund, Andrew Phung and Jason Kenney have all agreed to come on the show next season. #AlbertaUnbound #Alberta #SenateofCanada #Canada

2023-05-29 12:48:19

My nephew turned 18 this month - just in time to be able to vote in Alberta’s provincial election. Delighted to say that he was very excited to cast his first ballot. Hoping lots of younger Albertans are similarly inspired to make their votes and voices count today. #abvote #abvotes #Alberta

2023-05-15 14:11:50

As Alberta goes into another week of high temperatures and wildfires, I am grateful to be part of a strong, united confederation, where the federal government steps up to help a province in crisis. In a time of simmering secessionist sentiments, let’s take a moment to thank our fellow Canadians & our armed forces, for their assistance in this emergency. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canadian-military-deployed-help-fight-alberta-wildfires-2023-05-11/ #abpoli #cdnpoli #Alberta #wildfires

2023-04-19 03:57:39

Say, I have a Senatorial AITA query. Today, I got an email from a lobby group whose goals I support, asking me to give a statement in the Senate in support of their cause. So far, so normal. But then they sent me the speech they wanted me to read. As if I would ever read the words of any lobby groups, verbatim, in the Senate, as my own! So I confess, I sent back a RATHER snippy note. But am I just being naive? Do other pols do such things?? #[0] #[1] #[2]

2023-04-19 03:53:20

Late night in the Senate. Looks like we’re sitting till midnight tonight. (Yawn…) #[0] #[1] #[2]