Nail-biting senate race

By Alex P. Vidal

“Popularity should be no scale for the election of politicians. If it would depend on popularity, Donald Duck and The Muppets would take seats in senate.”—Orson Welles

I STAYED up late evening on November 8 until past midnight to chronicle the nerve-tingling senate race in the 2022 US midterm elections where the Republicans and Democrats battled neck-and-neck for the magic 51 seats.

As of 11:55 o’clock in the evening, the senate race was like a pendulum swinging from one direction to another; both camps were at 46 apiece when I decided to pause and write this story. Fifty one senators were needed to control the Upper Chamber.

Never mind the House of Representatives. The Republicans were on the road to score a smashing dominance as expected.

The Democrats had only 146 against the Republicans’ 179 as of 12 midnight. Two hundred and eighteen congresspeople were needed to control the Lower House. Big names fell in both the Senate and House races, but this is part of the game.

By the time this article appears in public, we may have known whether the Democrats were able to secure the Senate or yielded both the House and the Senate. Interesting.

It is important for the Democrats to save the Senate now that they have been shellacked in the House of Representatives (final results to be known anytime).

-o0o-

President Joe Biden would need the Senate, which is governed by the Constitution, a set of standing rules, precedents established in the course of the legislative process, and special rules of procedure adopted by statute for particular types of legislation.

These rules determine how bills and resolutions are moved towards passage, the structure of Senate committees, how debate proceeds on the chamber floor, and how members cast votes. At least the President will have a balancing “ally” in the legislature now that he lost the House.

Also, President Biden would need the Senate in case he encounters a problem with the loyal supporters of former President Donald Trump who are now in power when he runs for reelection in 2024.

The United States Constitution gives each house of Congress the power to be the judge of the “elections, returns, and qualifications of its own members” (Article I, section 5).

Since 1789 the Senate has carefully guarded this prerogative and has developed its own procedures for judging the qualifications of its members and settling contested elections.

With the speed of technology that helps dispense accurate and quick data, more results are expected to be known by the time this article comes out.

-o0o-

US chess mater Marlon Bernardino, who also dabbles in sportswriting, informed us that eight Filipino participants in the J and P 10-Ball Cup 2022 tournament have reached the round of 32.

He reported that Kyla Herrera, Dave Rogel, Kame Gomez and RS Manglicmot continued their unbeaten romp through the double elimination rounds to advance in the knockout stages November 7 night at the House Manila Pool Bar & Lounge, basement 1 of Holiday Inn Express, Resorts World Manila in Pasay City.

He added that Herrera, 18, a first year college student of Gardner College started the day with a 6-5 decision win over Raymund Salugao followed by 6-3 thrashing of architect Eric Salud and 6-4 dismantling of Jeffrey Garcia.

He said Makati City’s Rogel, 37, purchasing manager at Ebdor Construction Inc., on the other hand, subdued Larry Lim, Jelo Oliveros and Von Cabrera in a similar 6-4 triumph, in order.

Gomez, meanwhile, nipped Dominic Ong, 6-2, Prince Dela Pena ,6-4, and Rowel Casem ,6-4, respectively while Manglicmot crushed KT Nieva, 6-3 , Michael Cua, 6-4 , and Christian Bajaro ,6-2.

Other cue artists make it to the knock out phase via back door in this weeklong event supported by sportsman/businessman Aristeo “Putch” Puyat of Puyat Sports, Ryotaro Horiuchi of Navigator Japan, James Lu of Dubshop, Esteban Robles of Alfa and Mr. Hasnat of Knight Shot UAE are Cua, Bajaro, Cesar Felix and Larry Lim.

Winner will fly to Japan in an all-expense trip to compete in the Japan Tournament in this Games and Amusements Board (GAB) sanctioned tournament that offers a total pot prize of P150,000 to the winners according to DMC Entertainment and Production management top honcho Jesse Gonzales Cambosa Sr., who is also the director of the Billiards Sports Confederation of the Philippines (BSCP) under the leadership of Aristeo “Putch” Puyat. Tournament Director was Allan Soliman assisted by Charles Tanasas.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)