Merrick Garland...Consensus Candidate Or Sacrificial Lamb? - video

As corporate-leaning as Judge Merrick Garland is, it's difficult for me to believe he would agree to a SCOTUS nomination from President Obama without assurances from his GOP friends in the Republican Senate of a certain appointment even if he must wait until the lame duck session after the November elections.

But one thing is for certain...that Thom Hartmann knows more about the situation than I do so here's Thom's take:

Once again with his nomination of a conservative judge for the vacancy on the Supreme Court, the natal Saturn (conservatism) of Barack Obama in the planet's own sign of Capricorn (sign of government, law, and business) is showing along with another political calculation of the (Saturnian) long game persuasion! Treat the SCOTUS nomination "with seriousness and care," says the president, with both 'seriousness' and 'care' being words of sober Saturn.

Lame Duck Congress: Sun Scor-Moon Pisc 11.15.10

Looking at a chart for November 15, 2010 10:00 am est Capitol Building Washington DC we see 1Cap57 rising with NN 3Cap36 and Pluto 3Cap45 in tow; Hour of Mars 13Sag19; Mercury 9Sag48 out-of-bounds and conjunct Fixed Star Antares (obsessed with success); it's a First Quarter (crisis in action) phase; there are no planetary patterns (T-Squares, Grand Trines, etc.)

Mercury OOBs may represent the new representatives and the change (Mercury) of members from the Nov 2 midterm elections since Mercury isn't in-sync with the other actors (planets) yet.

If I had to sum up in two words this horoscope and Lame Duck Session 2010 they'd be emotion and power. Sun 23Sco08 conjoins Fixed Star Agena (honors, high status, a good organizer, sensuality, scandal, gossip, sarcasm, cleverness, success with the masses - A. Louis, Horary Plain & Simple); Moon 14Pis08 conjoins Fixed Star Achernar (empathy, humanity, patience, success, religion, philosophy, but also 'crisis at the end of the river' which may relate to flooding or other Neptunian crises such as debt and fraud.)

At Midheaven, the Goal Point of the chart, are two Fixed Stars: Spica (potential for brilliance) and Arcturus (a different approach); we know the November 2 midterms will shoosh into Congress new political players but whether brilliance will shine forth from the infusion remains to be seen: a 9th house Saturn 13Lib05 parallels another Fixed Star that's not so lovely: Zuben Eschemali (negative social reform.)

'Negative social reform' is what this populist/common-gooder American would have to call the Saturnian austerity cuts being handed down from highly paid politicians who enabled the banking industry to steal trillions of dollars from the US economy and private pension funds, some of which US banks sent to foreign bankers and investors. Congress and Wall Street were indebted to foreign entities and we-the-people paid. It seems our current 'deficit hawks' suffer from a bad case of amnesia.

But aren't we nice to help out the banksters and fraudsters so intent upon our ruination?

Venus (valuations; smaller amounts of money; relationships; attraction) 27Lib52 is about to cross Nov 15's Mc and is still retrograde until November 18, 2010 (Venus' station direct degree = 27Lib40, so she's readying to flip-flop now. Does Venus represent Nancy Pelosi?)

Well, I realize that the Lame Duck Congress may not open for business precisely at 10:00 am on Monday - maybe the members will sleep in - thus, the horoscope I'm using here is symbolic. Still, the Sun Scor-Moon Pisc blend remains in effect on Monday and may yield some clues to the atmosphere - not just of the day - but of Lame Duck Session 2010 itself.

The Water-Water blend of Sun Scor-Moon Pisc indicates a dedication to hard work, emotional intensity, the able use of shrewd strategies and subterfuge, and a deep sense of commitment to a larger vision. This is the 'Jekyll and Hyde' combo torn between passion and compassion...Dracula vs The Good Samaritan.

With Scor-Pisc, there's a love of the mysterious or mysticism (perfect for that Masonic Temple we call the Capitol Building but I understand that the creepy crypt once in the cellar under the rotunda is now history) with a talent for seeing through the deeper motives of others; lack of objectivity may be problematic; love, drugs (including alcohol), and other addictions are potentials with this combination which has an ability to capture people's imaginations and 'come back fighting'.

Images for Integration: Madame Curie works for the Red Cross whilst dedicating herself to the mysteries of radioactivity...Long John Silver, with ruthless charm, becomes a successful entrepreneur. (Sun Sign-Moon Sign, Charles and Suzi Harvey.)

Radioactivity conjures images of nukes and plutonium, of course, and 'Red Cross' points to the Rosicrucians who are part of the bossy 'one world government' brigade; silver and gold are an old argument and obsession in Washington.

Now, if you're wondering what famous folk share the Sun Scor-Moon Pisc blend natally, here's a brief list: Hillary Clinton, Grace Kelly, Martin Scorsese, Bela Lugosi, astronomer Charles Kowal (discoverer of Chiron), and Robert Louis Stevenson and Marie Curie, as hinted in the Images above.

~:~

It's noon and the cruise ship Splendor has just docked: welcome back, everyone!

Sen. Inhofe on TARP: critics were right

Conservative senator, Jim Inhofe, has sent a letter to his colleagues on the Hill concerning plans to call for a lame duck congressional debate on the $350 billion remaining from Paulson's blank check.

Unhappy with the Bailout czar's change of objectives and the possible squandering of the money so far, Inhofe may be on to something - a heist of massive proportions which he and his Hill colleagues authorized. (As if they didn't know!)

Inhofe was one of the unprevailing No votes, however, so perhaps his idea that the remaining funds not be added to the deficit will fly with his cohorts-in-crime. What a pleasant change that would be.

Or perhaps this is only their usual Political Theater, Dahlink...matinee at 2 pm.

Inhofe mentions in his letter that on Friday, Nov 14, Hank Paulson stated during a CNBC interview that, "the financial markets have stabilized."

One may assume this means that, extreme volatility aside, markets are no longer in danger of complete collapse, thanks to his handing banking and Wall Street pals the dough. Sounds more like a bribe to me, but what do blogging gnats know?

Well, some blogging gnats know enough to have a peek at astrology charts, especially when senators provide exact times and dates:

Friday, November 14, 2008, 2:00 pm, using Capitol Building...Hank Paulson's natal South Node is conjunct transiting Midheaven which indicates career issues involving separation and neurotic or past behaviors...both in Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter, planet of gurus and Republicans.

He's at the pinnacle of the world, blank check and all, so what about Paulson could be a problem?, I asked myself.

Could it be his natal Venus-Jupiter opposition? Solar Fire software gives this for Venus opposite Jupiter:

You are a social climber who grapples with extravagance, wastefulness, and a child-like expectancy that someone will come to your rescue. The lesson is moderation.

That the president and Congress listened to Paulson's plea and did come to his, Goldman Sachs, and Wall Street's rescue is known but if Congress is serious about taking back some of the excessive bailout money now benefiting his banking friends, Paulson may become highly miffed considering his natal Mars-Venus square (easily irritated with others), and his Mars-Chiron square (short fuse.)

Plus, transiting Uranus, which is rising in the Nov 14 2:00 pm chart (thus bringing the Saturn-Uranus opposition with it) is in a square aspect to natal Uranus, a time when disruptive circumstances occur and generations clash as one blames the other.

Saturn-Uranus = Mc: breaking away from the old; recognition of one's thrust for individuality or loss of self to the grip of controls.

Uh-oh!

My suspicion is that Paulson's statement was meant to soothe financial markets but also to attempt to avoid controls which Congress might wish to place upon him as he spreads wealth (to his banking friends or to whomever he's gifting with taxpayer money. One thing we know - it isn't us.)

Jupiter, Mr. Moneybags:

November 14's Jupiter 19Cap06 in 11th house, opposes Paulson's natal Mars-Saturn conjunction in Cancer...

Mars-Saturn = Jupiter: complete concentration on a particular goal; ability to destroy or eliminate something thoroughly; weighing all matters and making a pronouncement.

Well, he did. "Financial markets have stabilized," he pronounced.

Whether Paulson has thoroughly destroyed or eliminated anything, I leave up to you to decide, lone reader, as Congress' lame duck session practices its quackery all the week long.