New NY 23rd

Because you believe just as I do …–Ben Carson

A political mailing came addressed to me today from Ben Carson. Carson kindly included a picture of himself. Carson assured me that we share each others views. He included a Newsmax article by Sandy Fitzgerald dated May 4, 2015 giving 12 reasons for supporting his candidacy which are summarized here. How many of them do readers agree are good reasons to favor Carson?

1. He’s a newcomer: Carson has never run for a public office …
2. He’s not politically correct: He often speaks out against the evil of political correctness …
3. He’s for a flat tax: Carson has often spoken in favor of a flat tax to replace the nation’s current tax structure, including citing the Bible in his arguments. …
4. He is a fierce Obamacare foe: As a world class surgeon, Carson says health insurance companies should be turned into utilities with profit limits, and has even brought controversy by equating the Affordable Care Act with “slavery.”
5. He’s a free-market advocate: He points to the deregulation of Wall Street in the 1990s as the root cause of the financial crisis.
6. He’s for individualism and independence: Even though his family relied on food stamps while he was young, he says President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society era started the steady fall of the country’s individualism and independence.
7. He’s got guts: Carson’s launch can be traced back to February 2013, when he delivered his fiery speech at the National Prayer Breakfast challenging President Barack Obama on health care, taxes, spending, and the country’s direction — all with the president and first lady sitting just a few feet away.
8. He’s got a real rags to riches story: With the support and prodding of his mother, he rose from poor grades, a single-parent home, and poverty to attend Yale University and medical school at the University of Michigan.
9. He’s a bonafide genius: He became the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center …
10. He’s used to the corporate world: Carson has served on corporate boards including Kellogg Co. and Costco Wholesale Corp. …
11. He backs social conservatism: Carson is a staunch social conservative who opposes abortion rights and same-sex marriage, views he attributes to his personal faith as a practicing Christian.
12. He’s a loyal husband and family man: Carson, who has three sons, is rarely without his wife, Candy, by his side. …

There are many issues not addressed in Carson’s letter. I found nothing about education, protecting the environment, the Federal budget, or foreign policy. Like JFK, he calls for sacrifice; like Jimmy Carter, he suggests that his Christian faith is an important qualification.

I found No. 5 above rather confusing. If Carson is a free market advocate, why would he think deregulation would lead to financial crisis? There is little information in Carson’s letter about economics other than this: “We must spur job growth by lowering and simplifying taxes on both businesses and individuals.”

Carson’s fascinating letter is a list of loosely connected vignettes; whoever composed it evidently has no use for paragraphs.

http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/ben-carson-good-president-reasons/2015/05/04/id/642490/

On his January political postcard, mailed at public expense, Tom makes the following claims of accomplishment

• Rami bill passed and funded.
• Temporary tax loopholes made permanent
• “No Child Left Behind” replaced with “Every Student Succeeds Act.”
• Supports making entry more difficult for refugees.
• Opposes Iran Nuclear Agreement, supports more military spending.
• Touts his “Energy Plan” and racetrack repaving.

Tom used the verb fight (fight, fighting, fought) four times on a 8 by 12 postcard. He also claims to have strengthened, defended, and opposed this and that. The word jobs occurs three times in connection with the “Energy Plan,” RAMI,  and extending tax loopholes. The idea that any of these have or could create jobs is tenuous.

Surprisingly, there is no mention of repealing Obamacare or defunding Planned Parenthood. Nor is their mention of income inequality, climate change, clean air and water, fracking, firearm violence, poverty, immigration reform, making higher education affordable, justice for veterans, or opposing intolerance and prejudice.

Note: Tom claims that it cost less than the cost of a stamp to mail his postcard. That may be true, but is irrelevant. Whatever the cost, we the people, not Tom, pay for it.

This entry was posted in 2016, Congress, Constituents, Defense, Economics, Education, Environmental, Gun Violence, Health Care, Immigration, Political, Taxes, Terrorism, Veterans, War and tagged franked political mailings, Obamacare, Planned Parenthood. Bookmark the permalink.

In November 2015, Rep. Tom Reed sent out the “2015 Official U.S. Government Survey”. The survey stated that “your responses are necessary to help guide federal policy.”

The NewNY23rd analyzed the questions in an article and found that some questions 1) were vague 2) many were loaded with biases 3)  had limited choices.  I asked “Does he really want our opinions? Or, does he want the data from this survey to justify what he is doing in Washington? Some newspapers also looked closely at the questions and called them “slanted” and “misleading”.

In February I realized that I had not seen any results of the 2015 U.S. Official Survey and since our taxes paid for their printing and mailing, I thought that we should know what our fellow constituents had said that would “help guide federal policy”. I contacted Rep. Reed’s office, was told to email a certain member of Rep. Reed’s staff, and was given her email address. After two email requests, and insurances that I would receive it from Rep. Reed himself at a Town Hall meeting, I received an email stating “We still have a few responses coming in and the data is being compiled.” It took six weeks, but I did receive some of the information I requested:

The total number of mailers was 102,882. They had 20,782 surveys returned, which was a 20.2% return rate.

The top four issues identified by the returnees were 1) Job creation 2) Second amendment rights 3) Education reform and 4) Trade Policy

(I have had  comments wondering about the real results–the numbers for each response. All I received after 6 weeks was what I printed above. I communicated with Alison Hunt ([email protected]), and Brandy Brown ([email protected]) and Rep. Reed’s Washington Office by phone ((202) 225-3161). I believe we might get more information if more people asked for it. I’m sure they would be happy to help.)

Jobs. The survey had one question dealing with jobs.

#21. Do you believe Congress should can do more to promote American manufacturing and better paying jobs?

[ ] Yes        [ ] No      [ ] Unsure

Would any person answering this survey think that Congress should NOT do more to promote  “American manufacturing and higher paying jobs”? I think not. This question was written to remind us that more and higher paying jobs should remain the focus of the government. What it is really reminding us that the GOP has failed to find bipartisan ways to bring prosperity back to the NY 23rd. The CEOs and Stockholders are doing well, but not those who are laboring to produce the goods.

Second amendment rights. Reed’s bread and butter issue in the 2014 campaign. He hopes it is still a hot button issue in November.

#16 Do you support the 2nd Amendment?

[ ] Yes        [ ] No      [ ] Unsure

Like the jobs question, who doesn’t support the 2nd Amendment? A Federal Court, and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals,  have both ruled that the NYS SAFE Act is constitutional. Both Courts city the Second Amendment in their decision.

The United States Supreme Court has refused to act on an Illinois suburb Assault weapons ban within its boundary, which makes the ban legal. That is similar to what New York State did in the SAFE Act.

Since this was identified as the second most important issue in the NY 23rd, Rep. Reed  can (and will) assure his supporters that he protect our second amendment rights.

Education reform. Common Core?

#14. Should primary and secondary education fall under local control or should it be controlled by the federal government?

[ ] Responsibility of the states and localities

[ ] Responsibility of the federal government

[ ] Unsure

This is the only question on the survey that directly brings up education. I’m certain the first choice got the high number of responses. Parents are worried. They are frustrated that they can not keep up with the changing standards in NYS schools. Teachers and administrators are worried and frustrated, too. Children are our priority. This question falls right into the GOP’s big government/small government playbook. It will play well in his congressional campaign.

Trade policy. This is the only question in the survey that relates to trade.

4. Do you believe the President’s proposed trans-pacific partnership trade agreement will be good for upstate New York?

[ ] Yes        [ ] No      [ ] Unsure

TPP is complicated, technical, and long–there are 30 chapters, four annexes, and 56 related documents. Discussions on the properties began in January 2008, and there were 19 negation sessions. Needless to say that the general public may have a ‘gut’ feeling about if it will be good for upstate New York.

Reed, during many Town Hall meetings, discussed his “Make it here, sell it there” philosophy. He pointed out that TPP would open 90% of the world population to upstate businesses.

Please realize that:

Reed was the only Member of Congress from Western New York to support the TPP and its fast tracking. [Buffalo News, 2/19/15]

Reed Voted To Implement The Colombia Trade Agreement. [CQ Floor Votes, 10/12/11; USA Today, 10/13/11; HR 3078, Vote #781, 10/12/11]

Reed Voted To Implement The Panama Trade Agreement. [CQ Floor Votes, 10/12/11; USA Today, 10/13/11; HR 3079, Vote #782, 10/12/11]

Reed Voted To Implement The South Korea Trade Agreement. [CQ Floor Votes, 10/12/11; USA Today, 10/13/11; CQ Floor Votes, 10/12/11; HR 3080, Vote #783, 10/12/11]

John Plumb, Reed’s opponent for Congress, released his feelings opposing  TPP in early October. Five weeks later, Rep. Reed surprised many when he explained the reasons he opposes it in a Press Release.  His “Make it here, sell it there” catch-phrase wasn’t mentioned.

Look at the issues that were in Reed’s survey that weren’t in our top four concerns:

• Obamacare—Will Reed not stop trying to repeal, reform, and replace the Affordable Care Act? And what about the Supreme Court’s unconstitutional King v Burwell decision?
• Immigration—Will Reed tell Donald Trump not to build the Wall?
• Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid—Will Reed stop trying to save them by defunding them?
• Defense of Property Rights Act—I guess not enough of his fellow Mineral Rights Owners Club buddies responded to the survey to male it a priority.
• Energy Independence–Maybe the lower gas prices changes our priorities
• A Nuclear Iran—Yipes, how could we have forgotten about that worst deal ever?
• Our country’s deficit— I guess enough constituents are seeing through the myth that  our grandchildren are going to be saddled paying off the debt.?
• America’s Right Track/Wrong Track Direction—What would the answers to this question really tell  Reed? Donald Trump’s whole campaign is based that our government is on the “Wrong Track”, and you know who is a co-chair of Trump’s Leadership  Team.

The title of the survey that we took was “2015 Official U.S. Government Survey”. What does “official” mean in this context? I get many pieces of junk mail with “Official” on the envelope weekly.

If the purpose of the survey was to “to help guide federal policy”, why would they need  to know your gender, your race, your age, and how you typically get your news–which were all questions near the end of the survey? That information would be used more in a campaign to gather support than to guide policy.  What you tell a 60+ Hispanic female would be different than what you say to a 30-39 year old white male. Sounds political.

The on-line version of the survey will not accept your responses unless you provide your name, address, and email address. It is not difficult to figure out why, especially for those of us who have been barred from commenting on his Facebook pages.

This survey has nothing to do with guiding federal policy, and everything about getting information for his political ads for November.

BTW, the title of the on-line version of this survey is “Do you approve or disapprove of Congressman Tom Reed’s work as your representative?” A bit different from the one we got in the mail. You know, the 102,882 copies we paid for with our tax dollars.

The following is a press release from John Plumb for Congress committee and the map was paid of by the Friends of John Plumb.

Photo: Dunkirk Observer Today http://www.observertoday.com

JAMESTOWN, NY- Commander John Plumb, a 4th generation Western New Yorker and Navy Veteran running for Congress in NY-23, today released a map pf locations he has been asked to go in service to our country while in the Navy, the Navy Reserve, and at the Pentagon.

Congressman Tom Reed has repeatedly tried to score cheap political points by attempting to distort Commander Plumb’s years of service to our country. Today’s unprecedented act by Commander Plumb is to show Congressman Tom Reed what selfless service to our nation actually looks like – and that it requires a commitment to going where you are asked, whether it be the Arctic Circle, the Middle East, or even Washington, DC.

“For over twenty-two years I have had the privilege to serve shoulder to shoulder with the best and bravest men and women in the world, all around the world. As any member of the military or their family will tell you, when the orders come down, you don’t question it – you go and complete the mission and protect our country at home or abroad. It’s in our blood, it’s who we are, and I won’t ever run away from that,” said Commander Plumb.

“I can take Congressman Reed’s cheap politically motivated attacks – I would expect nothing less from a Washington Politician – but I will not stand for his continued attacks on the men and women of our armed forces and their families, who always answer the call and go where they’re ordered to serve and sacrifice so people here at home can be safe from harm.” assed Plumb.

If Congressman Reed is so out of touch with regular people that he doesn’t understand military  men and women makes sacrifices for our country and our nation’s safety, then Congressman Reed is unfit to represent New York, our families, our service members and our veterans.”

Clicking on the map will enlarge it, then clicking on it again will enlarge it further

This entry was posted in 2016, Congress, Constituents, Defense, Reed’s Views, Veterans and tagged /;’, anti-Veterans, cheap political attacks, Locations Plumb has served, Plumb’s commitment, Plumb’s military service, Reed is out of touch, Reed is unfit to represent, Washington Politics. Bookmark the permalink.

Magna Carta: King John  recognized the rights or noblemen and ordinary Englishmen. It established the principle that no one, including the king or a lawmaker, is above the law. 

One might … conjecture that there is a limiting situation of some sort, a “boundary” with all convergent series on one side, all divergent series on the other side–at least as far as series with monotonic coefficients are concerned. This notion of “boundary” is of course quite vague. The point … is this: No matter how we make this notion precise, the conjecture is false.–“Principles of Mathematical Analysis,” Walter Rudin, 1964

The unfortunate government shutdown is further proof that the extremes on both sides of the aisle continue to focus on their own self interests and not the needs of the American people. I am deeply disappointed these extremists, who are refusing to compromise, have prevailed.–Rep. Tom Reed, Jan 20, 2018, facebook

Is there a “golden mean” between extremes in politics?

Is there a point between extremes that somehow defines what is right and reasonable in political discourse. Tom Reed seems to believe there is, and that his political views and the compromise position of the “problem solvers” defines it. However:

• There is no continuum of political belief.
• Left and right, conservative and liberal, are not well defined.
• Compromise between contrary interests doesn’t necessarily reflect wisdom nor result in justice.

Was the Magna Carta, by which King John ceded power to the barons liberal or conservative? I think liberal–it started a progressive trend away from absolute monarchy. On the other hand, at least initially, it recognized the existing balance of power between the monarch and the barons–the ruling class. Was it liberal in that it recognized change or conservative in that it presumed to codify the status quo?

What about the Constitution? Overall it seems liberal: it established a republic rather than a monarchy, which some favored. It was much more conservative in its original form than it is today. The amendment process, which facilitates change without revolution,  is a very liberal notion. Are the First, Fourth, Fifth and Ninth Amendments liberal and the Second and Tenth conservative? Perhaps that depends on how they are interpreted by the courts.

Consider the recent tax bill; is it liberal or conservative?

• Is it liberal to favor tax cuts for workers regardless of how distributed or funded?
• Is it conservative to increase deficit spending?
• Is it conservative to support change in favor of the rich?
• Is it conservative to predict cutting tax rates will increase revenue?

In my opinion, this “reform” is neither liberal or conservative but reckless and opportunistic.

No matter how we try to make the notion precise, there is no halfway between right and wrong.

In New York, the Affordable Care Act accounted for about $3.7 billion a year for increased Medicaid coverage. A repeal of the act could affect 2.7 million New York residents, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.– FLT article by Steve Buchiere

A report on Tom Reed’s proposals for welfare reform appeared in The Finger Lakes Times in an article by Steve Buchiere. As usual, Reed’s proposals are not so much reform as efforts to limit access, reduce benefits, and save money. The article mentions these proposals:

• Hands-Up Act
• Affordable Care Act
• Patient Freedom Act

Reed says the Hands-Up Act  is designed to give states  flexibility in administering programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). He  says the legislation is an effort to “make sure more money gets to those who need it and reduces government overhead.

Steve Buchiere writes:

Reed touched on progress of repealing the Affordable Care Act and what Republicans are doing to ensure a replacement is in place to ensure that everyone who wants healthcare coverage has access.

“Has access” is far different than universal coverage which is essential to affordable cost.

Steve Buchiere writes that Reed

…touched on possible support for the Patient Freedom Act, which would allow states to keep the components of the Affordable Care Act if they so choose — with federal support — or receive a similar amount of federal money for participants to use to purchase health insurance.

Everyone needs health care. I see no reason that benefits should vary from state to state or any reason to think that cash-starved states would be better able to administer health care programs than the Federal Government. I see proposals to turn the problem over to the states as a cop-out which has been tried without much success many times in the past.

© William Hungerford – January 26, 1017

http://www.fltimes.com/news/reed-to-reintroduce-welfare-program-reform/article_137a6788-e307-11e6-9854-dfafbed19741.html

https://reed.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reed-cares-poor

• Dozens of high-level Trump Administration officials still working with temporary security clearances after one year.
• Trump campaign still under investigation for collusion and obstruction with no end in sight.
• Secrets made public for political purposes against the advice of intelligence agencies.
• Trump appointees Sessions, Rosenstein, and others demeaned by President Trump.
• President Trump won’t read briefings; insists on oral reports.
• President Trump reportedly acts on information from TV news he favors.
• President Trump stoops to trading insults with the North Korean dictator.
• President Trump demands appointees put loyalty before duty.
• President Trump still tweeting recklessly.
• President Trump accuses Democrats of disloyalty for not applauding his remarks.
• Trump Administration cites “alternative facts.”
• Wars in Levant, Afghanistan recklessly reinvigorated.
• Department of Justice attacking state laws, sanctuary cities.
• ICE officers dragging people out of their homes for deportation.
• President Trump’s public lies reportedly over a thousand in the first year.
• Little or no action to prevent future Russian interference in our elections.
• FBI attacked by the Trump Administration for partisan bias.
• President Trump involved in sex scandal.
• Ignoring emoluments clause, President Trump and family shamelessly profiting from public office.
• President Trump failed to release tax return as promised.
• Republicans pass budget busting tax cuts.
• Republicans back budget busting budget.
• President Trump still insisting on something he can call a wall.
• Doomsday clock moved closer to midnight.

Readers, please add more astounding facts to the list.

This entry was posted in Trump. Bookmark the permalink.

The following article was written and submitted by Lee Marcus of Steuben County.

Somebody is going to have to explain it to me. I don’t understand the desire. Why does a man seek power in government and then use that power to take down his neighbors? Our congressman, Tom Reed, just voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with a plan so flawed, it is punitive. Reed’s party mocked President Obama’s insurance plan because it took 2000 typewritten pages to describe all the things it covered, all the regulations it imposed on companies that make money by denying us health care when we need it. Those companies had so many tricks up their sleeves, yes, it took gallons of ink to set out in writing some rules about how human beings should treat each other, especially those who have power, how they should treat those who do not.

Republicans are proud because their health “care” plan took only a few pages to describe, probably only a few hours to concoct. What it says is, your state can allow insurance companies to go back to charging higher premiums if you have what they call a “pre-existing condition.” It would be only for the first year they insure you, but it can cost you many thousands more than you’re paying under the Affordable Care Act. Can’t afford that? Good. Then they won’t have to cover you at all; you just live with your illness or die, who cares? Apparently not the guy you sent to congress to represent you. (His family business is debt collection. For health care companies.)

Here’s what Reed said:

“…a great victory for the American people. We are finally on the path to fixing our broke and broken health care system. The AHCA upholds protections for pre-existing conditions and the expansion of Medicaid, which help our most vulnerable populations. The bill will also provide much needed property tax relief for New Yorkers who are unfairly forced to foot the bill for Medicaid. We care about giving people the freedom and flexibility to make their own health decisions…”

Everything about that statement is false or misleading. The ACA is not broke or broken, except where Republicans refused to allow their states to participate in the exchanges. The AHCA clearly does not protect people with pre-existing conditions. It does cut Medicaid by putting an arbitrary limit on the amount going to the states instead of matching funds based on need. And the remark about “giving people the freedom and flexibility to make their own health decisions” is downright laughable. For one thing, the AHCA defunds Planned Parenthood, the one provider Republicans deplore precisely because it does allow people to make their own reproductive health care decisions. Beyond that, how much “freedom and flexibility” do you have if you can’t afford insurance at all? I guess you’re free to forage in the woods for some cure you found on the internet.

My advice—don’t even think about changing jobs EVER, because here are just some of the pre-existing conditions for which you could be priced out of the market, according to the Kaiser Foundation:

• lupus
• alcohol abuse/drug abuse
• mental disorders such as bipolar disorder or an eating disorder
• Alzheimer’s/dementia
• multiple sclerosis
• rheumatoid arthritis
• fibromyalgia and other inflammatory joint disease
• muscular dystrophy
• CANCER
• obesity
• cerebral palsy
• organ transplant
• congestive heart failure
• paraplegia
• coronary artery/HEART DISEASE
• bypass surgery
• paralysis
• Crohn’s disease/ulcerative colitis
• Parkinson’s disease
• COPD/emphysema
• pending surgery or hospitalization
• DIABETES mellitus
• pneumocystis PNEUMONIA
• epilepsy
• PREGNANCY
• hemophilia
• sleep apnea
• hepatitis C
• stroke
• kidney disease
• renal failure

Kaiser lists other conditions that could make it harder to purchase health insurance:

• acne
• allergies
• anxiety
• asthma
• basal cell carcinoma
• depression
• ear infections
• fractures
• high cholesterol
• hypertension
• incontinence
• joint injuries
• kidney stones
• menstrual irregularities
• migraine headaches
• being overweight
• restless leg syndrome
• tonsillitis
• urinary tract infections
• varicose veins
• vertigo.

Funny, you don’t see erectile dysfunction on the list, do you? Surprised? Do you see any problem with allowing insurance companies to price pregnant women out of the market? Name another country in the world that doesn’t provide health care for pregnancy and birth. I guess that’s American exceptionalism. You can thank Congressman Reed and his Republican colleagues for bringing such shame and misery on America.

The “House Permanent Select Committee on Aging” was a permanent select committee of the House from 1974 to 1992. Now there are proposals for a new committee.

H.Res.583, “Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to establish a Permanent Select Committee on Aging,” was introduced by Rep. Cicillini (D-RI) on August 10, 2021. It currently has 46 cosponsors, all Democrats. “This resolution establishes a House Permanent Select Committee on Aging.” (CRS Summary) Four of the cosponsors are from New York.

Rep. Tenney (R-NY) introduced a competing resolution on April 26, 2022: H.Res. 1064. “There is hereby established in the House of Representatives the Select Committee on Older Americans.” H.Res. 1064 has one cosponsor.

Two Resolutions

From the text of the Democrat’s Resolution H.Res.583:

There is established a Permanent Select Committee on Aging which shall not have legislative jurisdiction but which shall have jurisdiction—

“(1) to conduct a continuing comprehensive study and review of the problems of the older American, including but not limited to income maintenance, poverty, housing, health (including medical research), welfare, employment, education, recreation, and long-term care;

“(2) to study the use of all practicable means and methods of encouraging the fevelopment of public and private programs and policies which will assist the older American in taking a full part in national life and which will encourage the utilization of the knowledge, skills, special aptitudes, and abilities of older Americans to contribute to a better quality of life for all Americans;

“(3) to develop policies that would encourage the coordination of both governmental and private programs designed to deal with problems of aging; and

“(4) to review any recommendations made by the President or by the White House Conference on aging relation to programs or policies affecting older Americans.”

From Rep. Tenney’s summary of the Republican resolution:

• The House Resolution establishes a temporary, bipartisan Select Committee on Older Americans made up of six members from each party to serve as a forum for inquiry into the unique economic, health, housing, and social issues facing older Americans. The Select Committee is charged with specifically looking into the challenges facing older Americans arising from the COVID–19 pandemic.

• Further, the Select Committee will conduct hearings, collaborate with Congressional committees, and entities of the legislative and executive branches of the federal government to raise awareness and promote initiatives and recommendations to the U.S. House of Representatives.

• The Select Committee will produce interim reports every 120 days starting after the appointment of its members. Finally, the Select Committee will submit a final report to the House no later than 2 years after the appointment of its members, detailing the findings, policies, and recommendations. The Select Committee will be terminated on the day the final report is submitted.

Rep. Cicillini’s resolution has yet to be approved by the Rules Committee for a vote; Rep. Tenney’s resolution is unlikely to be approved. If Rep. Tenney were serious about aging, she might have cosponsored Rep. Cicillini’s resolution.

Cecily.  I keep a diary in order to enter the wonderful secrets of my life.  If I didn’t write them down, I should probably forget all about them.

Miss Prism.  Memory, my dear Cecily, is the diary that we all carry about with us.

Cecily.  Yes, but it usually chronicles the things that have never happened, and couldn’t possibly have happened.

Another:

Algernon.  But was our engagement ever broken off?

Cecily.  Of course it was.  On the 22nd of last March.  You can see the entry if you like. [Shows diary.]  ‘To-day I broke off my engagement with Ernest.  I feel it is better to do so.  The weather still continues charming.’

Finally this:

Cecily.  [Rather shy and confidingly.]  Dearest Gwendolen, there is no reason why I should make a secret of it to you.  Our little county newspaper is sure to chronicle the fact next week.  Mr. Ernest Worthing and I are engaged to be married.

Gwendolen.  [Quite politely, rising.]  My darling Cecily, I think there must be some slight error.  Mr. Ernest Worthing is engaged to me.  The announcement will appear in the Morning Post on Saturday at the latest.

Cecily.  [Very politely, rising.]  I am afraid you must be under some misconception.  Ernest proposed to me exactly ten minutes ago.  [Shows diary.]

Gwendolen.  [Examines diary through her lorgnettte carefully.]  It is certainly very curious, for he asked me to be his wife yesterday afternoon at 5.30.  If you would care to verify the incident, pray do so.  [Produces diary of her own.]  I never travel without my diary.  One should always have something sensational to read in the train.  I am so sorry, dear Cecily, if it is any disappointment to you, but I am afraid I have the prior claim.

The Kavanaugh confirmation hearings have gone entirely off-track. The question ought to be whether the candidate is a respectable, competent, fair-minded person without a partisan agenda, rather than if and when he acted as a sexual predator. The Senate should make that determination without reference to the candidate’s diary.

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/844/844-h/844-h.htm