Professor Reich: i'd like to know if this travesty of a ruling is granted, will SCOTUS grant immunity to biden if he assassinates trump whilst biden is still in office? or does it only apply to rethuglican mob bosses?
Yes, it seems they and Trump fail to recognize that Biden, not Trump, is currently president, and any global rule they might impose applies to Biden. I wish one of the justices had asked Trump's attorney something along the lines of "If, in the upcoming 2024 election, Biden pressures leaders of states that Trump won to certify and send Biden electors to Congress, and then pressures Vice President Harris to count them as legitimate, is that an official action for which he is immune?"
President Bush was asked if he was going to go after the Clintons. He said “No” because if he did we would be no different than any other third world country.
Apparently, Bush was remiss in not saying, “The Clintons and I disagree about public policy, but they have committed no crimes. That’s why they don’t deserve my ‘going after’ them.”
It took years to get Al Capone. It took decades before Bernie Madoff was caught. The length of time a criminal gets away with a crime is not the standard of someone is guilty or not
Fine. When and if he's caught, we can do something about it. You people think trump is being persecuted even though that have solid evidence otherwise, yet you're quick to condemn someone on the other side with NO evidence. What do you think that makes you?
Al Capone was an organized Mafiosa capo, and Bernie Madoff only got indicted because he did the unthinkable, he stole from the rich. The Clintons are not, and never have been criminals, no matter how many lies you read about it. I feel very sorry for you. I wish you peace for your tortured soul, and hope you can find someone that loves you and can explain how you have been programmed to hate.
The reality is, as the constitution demands, it wasn't up to Bush "to go after the Clintons, just as it's not up to President Biden to "go after Trump." It's the responsibility of the President to "See that the laws are faithfully executed" by appointing an Attorney General who will enforce the laws "without fear or favor." Clinton was spared by a Special Counsel when he gave up his law license for five years. Bush/Cheney were spared because President Obama wanted "to look forward instead of back." (A bit absurd when you think about enforcing our laws - and, of course, it SHOULD have been up to Obama's AG to determine whether authorizing TORTURE should have been prosecuted.) I would submit, the only reason Merrick Garland "went after" Trump was due to the Select January 6th Committee and based on the Supreme Court's dithering the two federal prosecutions Trump is facing may end up as nothing more than "blots" on our history. But, it's NOT up to the president to "go after anyone" when it comes to domestic law enforcement.
If a USA elected President starts going after "anyone"in the political arena, he would be consider a dictator and this country would be cosider to be another "russia or North Korea or any of the Latin American countries" and that's is exactly what tRump wants to convert this country into! tRump called all the third world countries 'SHITHOLES" and he wants to turn USA in one!
Considering it is Biden who is going after his political rival, that is as close to a dictatorship as you can get without poisoning them. Make Putin proud.
If a President is allowed immunity, could President Biden dismiss the Supreme Court? Or at least certain members? What if he thanked them for their service and retired them? Could he appoint new people?
Great question! The reality is if the Court approves "absolute immunity" for the president, it makes the court irrelevant. He would no longer be subject to their role in the constitutional "checks and balances" principal. Of course, he would no longer be subject to the whims of Congress either. Another interesting question - could Congress still impeach him? Yikes!!!
“Justice Alito responded by saying that prosecutors could convince a grand jury to “indict a ham sandwich.” Grand juries have long been criticized by some lawyers and judges as little more than a rubber stamp for prosecutors.
In the hearing, the justice also asked whether former President Franklin D. Roosevelt could be indicted for the U.S. government’s internment of thousands of Japanese-Americans in camps during World War II.” What is unreasonable about this line of thought? Will this comment be edited because it is not in ideological alignment with the narrative? ( ie: censored in almost Nazi like deleterious efficiency?)
What about the 2000 election when Bush and his brother Jeb, governor of Florida, stole that presidential election from Al Gore! With the blessing of SCOTUS giving a state the power to choose a president! So what changed since then? Religious conservatives in our highest court... 👎👎
You mean after 52 recounts and Al Gore still did not have enough votes to win, the Supreme Court said enough is enough, we will not wait until you “discover” enough votes to win. Btw it was proven that there was never enough votes for Al Gore to win.
You are right. The post seems even more odd where is showed up in the list. I was trying to say that if Trump wants to change our government to a dictatorship, then I hope Biden does it first.
You apparently believe in corruption with an alleged criminal named Biden, worse than teump worse than willis and bragg combined check the truth and open your eyes
Again, Julia, please provide some proof. If you have some, you might want to get it to your republican leadership since they, with all their vast resources, can't find any.
Trump's picks that made their way onto the highest court in the land became little more than worms nestled comfortably in the heart of a Granny Smith. Just another "Greene" thing gone wrong.
Eileen--NO! The crime of rape is an inhuman act, the members of SCOTUS no matter how blind, aren't in the same category as the crime of rape. What are you thinking?
Again, I don’t understand your reference. Women have been persecuted, stoned, seen as unclean, rejected by their families, killed because they were not virgins even if it was due to rape. Using virginity has a long history of gross discrimination against women. I just don’t see why you would use this as a reference?
Linda--It was just something to grab onto that would make people think. The subject dealt with the loss of innocence, it fit. I have no problem with the term, I see no reason for you to disagree.
steve--To most people the Supreme Court had an image, one built upon trust and integrity. To many that view of innocence has been lost because of Trump's appointees.
Sandra--This site has no need for any form of literary police. What is said here is offered in an honest manner trying to find answers to some very pressing problems. Why people find it necessary to ridicule other's efforts, is beyond me. Small minds seem to be all around us.
I'm sorry you felt ridiculed. Yes, literary police have their place. I also make mistakes, but I know it's just a kind reminder when I get corrected. Please laugh, Donald.
No doubt most of your comments haven’t been edited or repeatedly deleted! ( can I get my $50 back?) The “thought police “ run rampant on the good professor’s site… Watch this be deleted…
Are you implying that a woman who loses her virginity is a bad thing? There are many milestones to becoming a woman such as when you get your period for the first time or when you have sex for the first time which for most women are empowering and positive.
Eileen--I would never do that, it's just that her innocence has been damaged. Once gone it can never be regained. Why the flack about a women's assentation into womanhood. It's a beautiful thing.
Donald, you are innocent, and I absolve you of sin. However, the concept of virginity has always been used as a form of social control in a male-dominated world. A woman who refuses or is unable to submit to this social hierarchy become a sinner, a whore.
Victor--What was I at 21, a man who had never had a relationship with anyone.? Think of the giant Sequoias in that patch of virgin timber out West, or all those poor olives that will never make extra virgin olive oil. The word has many uses.
Paula--I was a virgin until I was 21, because my father advised me to never go to bed with a woman I wouldn't want to marry. --Does that count. It's just a word, why give it more relevance than it deserves.
Midwest ; That's why they "got rid of" the 14th amendment. Section 3. They know they could have been removed for their betrayal of their oaths to uphold the Constitution!
of course they will. they don't wannabe "epsteined". verb, meaning to be extorted or blackmailed for recorded illegal sexual activities. see, synonym, compromat (soviet union)
I believe this is why the Supreme Court is 'slow walking' their decision; it gives 'future' President Trump immunity while offering nothing of the kind to President Biden.
Chris--A practice that led to the public demise of a "once " respected institution. So far, that's only one of the three whose lost their way. Who's next.
Question--Is Trump really that stupid that he can't control his own mouth or is there a hidden agenda where Donnie Boy is daring the judge to throw him in jail for contempt of court? All this legal maneuvering is a waste of time orchestrated by a man who sees this country as a piece of fruit, ripe for the picking. Trump is at an age when he should be eating prunes, not throwing them.
Justice Alito: maybe Mussolini was right after all. As to Mike Johnson, we know what Republicans are up to because they accuse the Democrats of doing it. Democrats have not summoned the National Guard, but Republicans really, really want them to do it, so that later they claim it as precedent and justification for doing it themselves.
Irene--There is a slight chance that beneath those lengthy robs the justices adorn themselves in, people with minds still exist. History is watching them, what would you do.----- Me to.
Their claim that the sole legal tool to hold a president accountable is impeachment is just as ludicrous, especially in light of the impeachment processes we have seen since Bill Clinton — whether started for serious or frivolous reasons, whether supported with sufficient evidence to convict or not, impeachment has sadly been relegated to a “political” act, far less a legal proceeding. And that is what Republicans have done to it … Now, they would do the same to the rule of law.
This is what they WANT, so they can put themselves and Oligarchs into power, and never let go the reins … They’re TELLING us what they want in their Project 2025, Donald TOLD us what he wanted when he praised dictators and said he wished his power were as complete as theirs {most recently telling us how well Victor Orban controls his government with no “controversy,” because Orban’s word is law}.
They are TELLING us they want Putin-level power and control over the top reaches of our government.
American voters need to realize that fact about the Republican agenda when they vote this year.
WE on the Left claim this as a seminal election because the very quality of our democracy AS a democracy is on the line
THEY on the Right claim it is seminal because they say Liberal policies are bad and they want to hold the line against them.
OUR claim is, they want to undo democracy at its core.
THEIR claim is, Liberalism is bad, so they should be able to cement their permanent control against it.
Am I wrong? Do American voters see where this leads?
Impeachment as a remedy is an unrealistic concept, even when the Trump lawyer tried to claim a President can only be prosecuted for a crime after an impeachment and conviction in the Senate. As we all now know, a successful impeachment is only possible when the House and the Senate are in the hands of the opposing party. Articles of impeachment will not even be brought, if the President and the House are of the same party. So impeachment as a remedy is unlikely, giving the President free reign if he is unopposed. As with Trump, the House changed hands at the midterm to allow impeachment to go forward, but the Senate did not.
When I heard the exchanges by SCOTUS when the ridiculous claim of immunity was presented my faith that the rule of law would prevail floated away. What will we do if this criminal skates again?
"Liberalism" was given its name by a Spanish political party, one generation after the American Revolution. They wanted to imitate the U.S. Constitution and called themselves the "Liberales." "Liberalism," is the last bastion of the Old Regime; it's "Let Them Eat Cake (if that's what makes them happy)." Liberalism is the last offering of the royal families, bestowed so they won't literally lose their heads (like Charles I in 1649). Liberalism is the foundational ideology of the U.S. Constitution. If you hate liberalism, then you are a traitor.
The bedrock of the word is openness to thought and inclusion. Giving ideas a chance. Not necessarily agreeing, but giving a fair hearing. And being inclusive.
Sure, trump won't abide by any laws that he does not like or that doesn't benefit him. That is a given. If the orange dictator Wanna be doesn't like a Supreme Court decision, or if he doesn't like a congressional law -- or any law for that matter --it doesn't exist. He will have absolute control and totalitary authority. He will be more than a king, more than a der fuhrer -- He will be a god. Mark my word his likeliness will be chiseled in Mount Rushmore. As he has said he always wanted this.
I think SCOTUS is trying to wait. If Biden wins, they'll say no because they don't want just any president to have such sweeping power. If trump wins, they'll say yes because the obviously right-leaning, partisan group does want their guy to have such sweeping powers. They know he will make sure they don't have to follow any pesky ethics rules.
That’s the most insidious part! Their hatred blinds them to the fact that absolute power corrupts absolutely and will come for them and their rights eventually.
Yes, Trump does not walk on water and, Chief Justice Roberts Court needs to stop acting as if he does. Of all the contradictory and absurd claims made by trump the SCOTUS should have left it stand with the lower appeals court. In a democracy, we are a nation of laws not of men. As a wannabe dangerous dictator trump woud like to reverse that law, let's hold the SCOTUS feet to the fire to not muddy the waters and do the right thing. And Democrats, six months and counting, we must not take anything for granted and must continue to do all we can to inform and persuade voters to our side.
The left agenda is anything against the fascism that the cult of Orange Hitler is against. The right opposes fairness, ethics, integrity, honesty, humanity, equality, and control of ones own body. The cult of Orange is for greed, hate and the handing over of the US and Western Europe to Putin and his puppet Orange Hitler. Yes, it's amazing how evil the cult of Orange Hitler is.
Really where has Trump exterminated 6 million Jews? These comparisons to Hitler are just childish. Control over one’s own body? Where was that since 2020? Oh, it is control as long as they can kill a baby, got it
He’s not Hitler but following his playbook. He doesn’t have to do all of Hitler’s offenses to be clearly on the same path. He’s already planning camps. And only those ignorant of biology think abortion is killing a baby. Those who inhibit a woman having difficulty delivering getting help resulting in death of the baby are baby murderers. What’s childish is being an ignorant cult member following a rapist, racist, con artist fraud, dictator wannabe, Putin owned phony.
Get ready to be “thought policed” off this site… That’s what happened to me when one’s comments aren’t in “alignment” with prevailing liberal narrative… Can I get my $50 back if I keep getting banned?
WOW! The court isn't supposed to do the bidding of anybody, especially a president! Courts follow the LAW not men! We've never had a democratic president go in front of SCOTUS and ask them to do anything!! if you can find a time that happened, I'd love to hear about it!
Every president in history has gone before SC to get something they want done that was stoped by the opposite party. FDR was notorious for it. He threatened to pack the court if they did not go along with his detaining Japanese
Yes they could bring cases for the Supreme Court to argue, they don't go to the Supreme Court and tell them what to do! That's the difference between thump and a real President!
They are counting on being able to delay their decision until after Trump becomes President = Dictator, after which there will no longer be any Democratic presidents. Of course, that means that relative power of the judiciary will decline, but why should Thomas or Alito care? They're ready to retire & after installing a fascist dictatorship, their work is done.
All those years of studying the law, only to dump it? Dictators don’t need laws. It was clear to me when Gorsuch spoke in this case yesterday that he seemed unqualified to be sitting there. Ali to seems as if he’s gone mad and lost his grip on reality. The Supremes have become larger than the law and want to do away with Democracy because it gives a glimpse of a brighter future for many. Sick and sad.
…. Perhaps figuring they will gerrymander and scheme so there are no more Democratic presidents — at least not for a very long time. Donald has not only said he wants untrammeled power, he has also alluded to wanting to stay in office longer than two terms. When they tell you who they are, believe them.
Yes but they weren't under the kind of stress he is and they probably had better diets. Remember his younger brother died at 70 or 71 and of course Mary Trump's father died in his forties if I'm not mistaken. Of course he could make it but I prefer to think he won't.
Every time Dems do something I say the same thing. Now we have a man insane Republican Candidate that will do all the (what Dems call illegal when Republicans do it) illegal things that Dems pulled when in the majority. When the left went after Trump with not one but 2 impeachments I said wait until a Republican congress gets in. When they got rid of super majority for judges, I said wait until Republicans get into power. Yep and then the left whined that it was not fair for Republicans to pull the same stunt they did.
At the very least Biden could shot Trump Fire The Supreme Court Crooked Justices, put Mega Terrorist on Death row and when all that done He can let Mitch McConnell finish decomposing on Rikers island prison
Weeeellll, he could do that if they ruled such immunity BEFORE the next election.
But they are only going to give full immunity to their own choice for president — not to Biden … they can continue to horse around and delay, so Biden has no such ruling to fall back on. They’re a bunch of crooks willing to twist logic and reality into teeny-tiny corkscrews, but they’re not stupid … Just monstrously venal.
I completely understand and agree. But if Biden is reelected, which of course we hope he is, then what are they going to do? They can't hold off forever.
Apparently from their time line immunity is already in place, if they’re giving him immunity in 2016 on for all his crimes than Biden now at this time can claim immunity and break the rule of law to what suits him. So even though it is the obvious and redundant delay delay game, Joe could call their stupidity and act on it , actually he could even have said ( before Comer the Clown got his ass handed to him) he himself can’t be impeached . Haha I wish it could happen but Joe Biden is too honorable,smart has actual good ole integrity. It is all so terrifying you have to have dreams and humor to get thru all of this.
My hypothetical to the Justices would be, If a President murdered two Justices because they did not come to his birtday party and caused him to be embarrassed, then had two other Justices assassinated because they ruled against a case he wanted to give him more political power would that President be immune from prosecution on both acts? The murder is personal, the assassination is offical. Just wondering what the scotus discussion would have been.
The court likely intends to drag this out by making a distinction between immunity for official actions & for personal actions & sending it to the lower courts to decide which actions by the president are official & which are personal, so they don't have to make a decision until after it is determined who won the election. If it's Biden, no presidential immunity. If Trump, immunity for official acts.
While still officially president, Trump's actions were contrary to his official duties, so you could even call it anti-official or anti-presidential, certainly antidemocratic, anti-constitutional & seditious.
Yes, perfectly constitutional, right? Most people would see it as an act treason and cowardice. That's when the National Guard would be summoned, and a More Perfect Union might be forged by the armed forces.
Biden cannot leave office until the law and rulings are complete - which might be next Spring. That's okay! All of the things that Trump has promised can be done by Biden. He might want to dissolve the Supreme Court sooner than later. Replace all of the civil servants with Democrats and Independents. It's only fair!
GrrlScientist - yes! this is exactly what i've been posting repeatedly. If scotus gives him immunity, the only reasonable chance of saving our democracy, and indeed, the moral choice for biden is to arrest and to throw into solitary EVERY insurrectionist. no habeas corpus, no phone call, no lawyer. this would include the 6 corrupt supremes, ginny thomas, dejoy at the post office (he tried to prevent vote by mail), the members of congress who aided and abetted the insurrection, bannon, barr, stone, all the repugnant attorney genera;ls who have aided and abetted, etc. then tell all the states that lost maggot insurrectionist congresspersons that they can hold a special elections to replace their jailed reps. yes, i know this is fantasy, but we live in extreme times. again, if scotus does give trump what he wants, we have no other recourse to save democracy.
Paula , you're correct. biden would have to direct police agencies or marshall's services to make the arrests. but remember, it would be illegal, and that's one of the points of doing it. to show the idiots on the supreme court that they can't have it both ways. i would suggest to biden in any case to get rid of garland and put someone less timid in. also, garland's a republican last i heard.
I would hope that Biden uses the immunity that they will grant Trump, to arrest Trump and throw him and the Congressional traitors in Jail, but he won't, he he doesn't have the stomach.
BREAKING NEWS: Several weeks ago I mentioned that the Secret Service should guard the VP closely, since if something were to happen to the president while there's no VP, succession falls to the Speaker of the House: https://youtu.be/CUcF3x1HDkw?si=pqYVMy-3ffG0YY5q
I thought everyone should be aware. Verification follow-up welcome if not desirable. Just sayin'.
This is been my question from the beginning. Can he can Biden just put Trump in prison on death row I find it so few of Republican arguments stand up if the victims and oppressors parties are switched. Can Biden send troops to Florida or Texas and just do what he likes to make changes there? What is a democracy if the president is above the law?
I fully expect SCOTUS to hold off ruling until after the election, grant immunity if Tovarich MAGgot wins, to be effective after inauguration, and deny it if Biden wins. (Couldn't give Biden total immunity while they're boy is out of office, right ‽)
That is a question I have been asking. Are they that stupid. If given that kind of power, he could simply disband SCOTUS! And then make his own laws and have the orange asshole executed.
I am ashamed to acknowledge that even in the absence of a SCOTUS decision on the subject many people would find me guilty of even thinking of acting upon such a thought.
I had thought that there was no way even THIS SCOTUS would entertain the idea of elevating the office of the president to king status. I had thought that that had to be a bridge too far. It simply HAD to be…
Some of their previous cases showed the beliefs of some of these judges. They do think they are supreme, and they and their fellow supremes (authoritarians) should be above all. So this does not surprise me.
And maybe Thomas won’t get his special billionaire treatment anymore since it won’t be necessary. That would be interesting to see if Crow is really such a good friend or just bribing Thomas.
If trump becomes president, the SC will be at risk of abandonment (Kochs want to get rid of our Constitution, trump wants to be a fascist dictator) or all the liberals being replaced by MAGAs and the whole SC being used as a farce much like they are attempting now. It may be used to appear to the dimwit MAGAs that there is justice in the US.
Yep, Thomas & Alito are. ACB is still young, & maybe that's why she seems not so inclined to grant presidential immunity, hoping to maintain a speck of influence. Boofer Kavanaugh is just too compromised & is probably being blackmailed to vote for immunity/impunity for Trump.
"But then Alito had the chutzpah to claim that if a president thought he might be prosecuted for whatever he did to cling to office — including inciting a riot at the U.S. Capitol — he would likely keep clinging by any means possible. "
I guess he was looking at Netanyahu--as well as giving Trump a suggestion as to what to do if he gets a next time.
Meanwhile, Johnson is looking for another Kent State.
It looks like a rerun of Vietnam. It brings to mind Marx who said history repeats itself. The first time as tragedy. The second time as farce. With Maga Mke, Moscow Marj, Pedo Ga*tz and execrable Paul Gosar in the mix it sure looks like a farce.
Beyond Kent state ; It will make Kent state look like a boy scout picnic. But Johnson wants an excuse to call the guard, and there we go into martial law?
Maureen : using that logic, tRump would be justified using nukes against any enemies, if they were a threat to him, personally. After all : he said " We have nukes; Why not use them !?".
Kris 10 : one of the reasons that we can't "learn from our past mistakes" is that we are so often in so much of a hurry that we don't take the time to look at things long enough to see clearly. Hitting ourselves is rarely helpful!
Kris 10 ; Slap Trump in the face! If you read my intent you would realize that I was pointing out that HE said that. I'm not suggesting that we use nukes at all ; it's sarcasm!
Yes, I was in college during Kent State and I have very deep concerns about what is happening on the campuses with Police and possibly national guard intervention.
I wish Biden would stand up to all of this and prevent another Kent State !
He made a live speech that peaceful protests are legal And very American but it's unpeaceful protests at 3 AM or when you deface buildings that have been there for hundreds of years that it becomes illegal.. so he did make a statement on it that guy's dance been card pretty full since 2021 ...but he did make a live statement about it. and it's not right what they're doing to those schools of course it goes both ways the administrations are blowing it at all those ivy leage schools!! SHAMEFUL!
19-yr-old National Guardsmen already exhausted from their previous post. Inexperienced commanders who have never recovered from that day. Planted transient protesters doing what they were paid to do. A corrupt Governor. So many choices.
Or we should not be having any problems we live in freaking America we are so lucky here we have it so easy here the idea that we bitch it all is disgusting. ✌️💙
Yes, I had thought that the Supreme Court would want to protect their own claim to legitimacy by ruling pursuant to common sense in this case. However, they are showing themselves to be too patrician to do that.
This means that reforming the Supreme Court, requiring ethical standards, providing a "reality test” to Supreme Court opinion, and separating the Judicial Branch of government from the Executive has to become a high priority for Chuck Schumer-- to get a Senate bill passed so that when it stalls in the House this issue can be forefront in the election. The Senate Bill should create the position of the “Grand Foreman of the American Juries,” the first position elected directly by the people to run the Judicial Branch, with the power to send opinions back to the Supreme Court to rewrite to conform to precedent and provable facts, and leaving the Attorney General to the position of advising the President. The law should specifically outlaw executive interference, thereby restoring law and order after the partisan medaling to preventing a slide to dictatorship.
One of the first things the Grand Forman should do would be to send the Dred Scott and the Citizen’s United decisions back to the Supreme Court, and thus eliminate the absolute obsurdity that exists of Supreme Court Rulings that gave to corporations the civil rights they took away from Blacks.
The impending death of the rule of law in the United States began with Mitch McConnell’s blocking President Obama‘s right to appoint Supreme Court justices. In doing so, McConnell, who is purchased by capitalist interests, has opened the door for the extreme right wing anti-justice justices who now dominate our not so “Supreme Court.” Where this leads is not a pretty outcome. Some are pointing to April 25, 2024 as the day justice died in the United States. Unfortunately, that may be true. Given the points that Trump’s lawyers were arguing, there would be no consequences for Donald Trump, ordering the assassination of currently sitting Joe President Joe Biden before the election even occurs.
I know that this is a terrible thing to say, but we must not diminish the seriousness of the situation we now face with a Supreme Court
utilizing nonsensical arguments to potentially give Presidents such complete immunity.
Funny the Trump supporters say this if the Dems get in. So all of you can use the scare tactics but that only feeds the wild animals with more red meat
Since I wrote my first post three hours ago I am witnessing a lot of fear and anger on this substack. Anger properly harnessed to do positive actions is a good thing so long as it is motivating us to engage in good actions such as supporting the demonstrators. If we are too old to endure the tear gas and brutality of the police (it will get worse) then act as support staff. Bring food, water and damp cloths to assist those who are and will be on the font lines of their expression of free speech.
Remember the anti-war protests? Now they are back and the youth need our support and guidance. Stop the bombs but also tamp down any anti-semitism you may witness. These demonstrations are primarily pro-Palestinian rights and only a minority of them are anti-semitic. (I’m Jewish myself.) The anti-Semitic label comes from Fox News type sources and there are likely MAGA operatives who are infiltrating the demonstrations. The demonstrators need to see elders in the crowd supporting them. We may be witnessing the beginnings of a popular rebellion against injustice and if so, NOW IS THE TIME TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE. When I return home from my current business trip I plan to jump into my camper and go to the nearest hotspot and lend some support. I’ve been through this, I have breathed in my share of tear gas in the 70’s and I assisted to facilitate workshops on radical non-violence in the fall of 1970 at Kent State at the invitation of the student government. (The students were suffering from what we now call PTSD) It is time to put our own words and feelings into action. LETS DO THIS THING!
Yes the “From the River to the Sea” chants is what confused me. I mean when Hitler called for the extermination of the Jews he was not really serious. So neither is Hamas. They just say they want to exterminate the Jews their really not serious.
I agree! And substack has slowly grown more " teeth" compared to when I first came over from "the hostile takeover of Twitter" ... guess it's up to us to make good impressions more appealing! ✌️💙
It’s a Corrupt Supreme Court don’t ascribe corrupt politicians the honor of being stupid or ignorant .
They are open to any kind of bribe or hidden legal renunciation ( spouse get great job ) vacations with new rich friends that influence the output of the court decision. Each decision should be accompanied by a list of renumeration each justice has received in the last five years…. That way we the citizens will know what going on .
Yes - should be front page news - how many payoffs or as they call them “ gifts” they’ve received and those that should have been taxed including Ginni Thomas payments. If the SCOTUS doesn’t need to pay income tax of their monies - I don’t want to pay taxes on my monies either.
Funny how anytime the court goes the way leftist want it too it is a good court every time they lose it is a bad court. Looks like just simple partisan politics not someone who wants the law to be upgraded
Don't even imply Biden would think of such a thing. But if any non-Republican did, the Supreme Court would have no problem prosecuting them under some "Originalism" theory.
He would not do that, but imagine he tried to do simehing like Trump says he did, for example he could order the NSA to hack into voting machines and make sure he wins, and also gets a Democratic majority in house and senate. In such a circumstance he wouldn't be impeached and couldn't be prosecuted for vote fraud. That's why the ruling will be to send the case back to the lower courts for some sort of review, delaying Justice until after the election.
Thr republicans have been auditing & investigating Biden from the day he won the election trying to find something illeagal to impeach him on and they still can't! BUT they keep on doing it, using up precious time looking for crimes! It is ridiculas! And Biden doesn't say a word about it just keeps doing his job! He's been pres 4 years already I think the "dictator" would have shown by now!
It's public knowledge... Google it if u don't believe me! Honestly I think it's shameful there isn't more outcry about it. At least for all the TIME & MONEY ( OUR tax dollars) being wasted on these investigations! At least wait till a crime is committed!! Right?!
I am old enough that I immediately read Mike Johnson’s comment about the National Guard at Columbia University as a threat to reenact Kent State. I appreciated Secretary and Professor Reich’s articles in recent days explaining the difference between anti-semitism and anger about the human rights violations presently occurring in Gaza a as a result of actions by Israel. As a different substack I can’t now recall explained, it’s not black and white, it’s called nuance. Hamas committed a terrorist act. That doesn’t excuse the disproportionate response by Israel on a population that isn’t Hamas and doesn’t control Hamas. And it doesn’t excuse the backlash we are seeing against largely peaceful protests on US college campuses.
I temember it like it was yesterday. Sometimes, the curtain is pulled back, and we get a glimpse of what is really corrupt in our government system. That was 'under' the Republicans. Again. Like the assassination of the Kennedys ,and Martin Luther King, and Malcom X, and Benjamin Linder. And on and on. Here we see the Supreme Court radicals installed by "Presidents" who lost the popular vote. With their 'masks' of honor removed for all to see. Using word salad and theory gobbledygook, while remaining obtuse. the three 'minorities' all women and some women of color at that! :( are the only ones looking at the facts and Donald J. TRump, the ringleader of the coup attempt and attack.). How can they legally remove the 14th amendment, section 3? This is a 'mistrial'! They have disqualified themselves! Congress should be purged of all election deniers and accessories/supporters in the Jan 6 attack! Period! This group of 6 radicals have no "standing"!
I realize that the racist ones often do not like Jews. I did amend it to say all women and some are women of color. There are those who have a very narrow vision of who is OK. Sadly, there are those who hate Jews.
NYT Breaking News: Mike Johnson Representative from the great state of Louisiana, home to the statewide open carry and , un licensed guns, travels to NYC to warn of the dangers of peaceful protests.
Unless Joe Biden takes the initiative and invokes or enforces the powers of his office as the Commander in Chief. Don't look now, Joe ; the thugs don't like your union boosting, or the workers. Insurrection Act anti Sedition act. Get some good advisors together. See what you can do! Be dark Brandon!! We need him now!
No, Maybe those serving will see that obeying insurrectionists is not their job! They have loved ones and friends here! At least some have been paying attention and are voters! This travesty will be squashed!
Chaos and corruption. George Santos' running again for office? Maybe thatcwas just a cruel reminder from 'the entiltled' to upset US. They could be laughing out the other sides of their faces some day for this! Just making thec14th amendment go away, " like it never even existed" just because they can" I hope there are enough defectors who refuse to be a party to a coup against their own country and families!.
Of course the court is hedging toward Trump. Alito and Thomas in particular are corrupt. Roberts is a wimp. The Trump appointees feel obligated to support him because in no other time in our history would these three end up on the bench. They are, in essence, Trumps only "victory", and full credit for that goes to McConnell. Trump is nothing, and getting further diminished daily in his court trial. It likely won't change his popularity since most who vote for him believe a hoax. (I was going to say myth, but sometimes a myth makes sense.)
Roberts is a wimp in sheep’s clothing. He’s responsible for Citizens United money is speech and for gutting the voting rights act - after all there isn’t racism anymore.
I mean rioting and lawlessness like you’ve never seen - just because they couldn’t say a president is not immune from criminal prosecution- I’m sure not going to sit by and watch Trump start shootings people at random .
Shock! Quoting my comment on Joyce Vance's Substack as to whether they will grant Trump limited immunity. Same to Heather Cox Richardson, who quoted Mark Elias.
Limited immunity. I'm not sure whether this was argued at t he DC level so by rights should have been waived. As Robert Hubbell is saying: "The hearing itself was a supreme outrage. While the reactionary majority may not adopt the most extreme version of Trump’s defense, they need not do so to grant Trump a victory. Indeed, they have already granted Trump most of what he asked for: a lengthy delay." Ian Millheiser says Republican justices, engaged in dizzying feats of reverse logic. https://www.vox.com/scotus/24140309/supreme-court-donald-trump-immunity-jack-smith
Someone mentioned "scope and course" of employment. IMHO there are probably mixed questions of law and fact. Could be a jury question. This is the kind of stuff that comes up in civil law and workers' comp all the time. "Personal" matters like trying to subvert the will of the people.
Consider the concepts of frolic and detour. Generally, a “detour” constitutes a minor departure from an employee's duties but is still considered acting within the scope of employment, whereas a “frolic” would be a major departure from the scope of employment undertaken for that employee's own benefit. I think Trump blew it by failing to address it at the DC level.
All we can do is vote them out. We have the capacity to sweep. Potentially 13 million unregistered people trend heavily Democratic. FT6 uses data mining to identify them. 60% of unregistered voters have never been asked to register and are eager to hear from us.
They the Supream Court should put their decisions up for bid in a public auction to open up the process of Supream court to direct public input and scrutiny…
Let even the poor people have a chance to buy a favorable from the Supream Court instead of the secretive hidden current process of making Supream Court Rulings…
That's what upset me so much that I had to quit listening. ZERO DEFINITION OF TERMS. Do we have to understand the motives of a rogue leader so we know that when he unleashes hell on his people, he doesn't have to go to jail? The SCOTUS is pointless. And they are the only actors who cannot be voted out.
Congress should not vote on this, as they are disabled by their status as traitors. If tfg is a dictator he could attempt to pre-empt any votes, even by Congress. There will not be a government, rule of law, or anything resembling Democracy, decency or sanity left! 🤔 . there should be action BEFORE the election! The coup is happening Now. with this "Supreme Court ruling that is impending. Their intent of evil is apparent! The only other remedy is to delay the election until Donald J Trump clears his name! Maybe by the twelfth of never!?
We're essentially there. If Trump is re-elected, the American experiment is over. George Mason is said to have gone to Thomas Madison - then only 35 years old - and said he was concerned that the new office of President had essentially the same power and function as that of King Gorge III. "Don't worry," was the reply, "a bad President can always be impeached by the House of Representatives." How well did that work out?
It seems to me that the system has always relied on some kind of filtering system: that bad people dont get promoted to power because they have poor character traits and/or poor competence. This filter i think has broken. Infact, Trump’s supporters are systematicslly lovebombed by a stance that is too sweet, for them, to be true. Behind the lovebombing, as always, there are catestrophic weaknesses and tendencies that will later become clearer.
Blame right wing members of the Supreme Court, but we'd be wasting our time. The real problem is the "billionaire donor-ruling class" who own at least two of them outright, as well as countless Federal judges and politicians. They don't want a representative democracy, when a friendly King would allow them to continue using the USA for their personal piggy bank. Economic slavery of We The People may soon become a fact if we don't OVERWHELMINGLY VOTE THESE RIGHT WING BASTARDS OUT! And help somebody else vote!
Respectfully, beg to differ; All Americans have definitely Not been complicit. We have been out-spent by the rich, out maneuvered by politicians who are skilled in obfuscation and vagueness (with a smile), betrayed by those with the power to pull all the levers on policy and law, and the largest bloc of the currently unsatisfied and disenfranchised have been robbed by the Wall Street cabal to the point where what used to be the "middle class" is decimated. Since the '80's, the anti-union, pro deregulation, "greed is good" faction has had the backing of right wingers in government, and the liberal arts have been relegated to near obscurity in the rush to deitize the almighty dollar. Just not for the working class. No wonder the authoritarian, nearly fascist push by the trumps and their supporters has proliferated. And the financial power of the Federalist Society and their agents and imitators cannot be overemphasized. Our (and I'm speaking for the majority; the former 'middle class', will have one more chance to save our democracy, this coming November the 5th. After that, if all doesn't go well, the cynics will have the floor.
Thank you professor, this is a ruse at best, and more fantastical corruption by judicial scoundrels at worst. Although, would we expect anything different from Alito and Thomas; two of the most corrupt jurists to ever inhabit the Supreme Court?
After all, it’s not like taking million dollar vacations (Winnebago anyone) from billionaire friends, with business before the court is illegal? Well, it is in every court of the land; just not the Supreme Court.
And it’s not like Thomas’s wife, who was part of the insurrection for which both Meadows and Guiliani (two people Thomas’s wife had been conspiring with to overturn the election) were charged with felonies, should have to recluse himself; unless he was a judge on any other court in the land.
What strikes me as ludicrous is how the “originalists” on the court are twisting and contorting themselves into judicial knots trying to appease Trump and give him a partial win.
Isn’t the SC suppose to rule narrowly; on the constitution specific to the case at hand? It sounds like they went off on tangents, with nonsensical hypothetical’s throughout the day, and intend to not just decide if Trump has immunity against any criminal indictments relating to J6th, but they intend to create a new “right” for this president!
The four stooges don’t deserve to be on this court. Under normal circumstances, not one of them would ever be considered for the high court, or any court at all.
They’d be better suited starting their own Law Firm:
“Thomas, Kraven-off, NoSuch, and A-loser LLP!”
Regardless of this ruling, we need term limits on this court; ethical rules, and an expansion of at least four more justices, picked by democrats.
Left of their own devices, republicans will never miss an opportunity to disappoint, and will continue to send America on a path of destruction; the courts being their cudgel. It’s in their DNA!…:)
Can't we get them removed? How about a contract on their heads?? Maybe MBS is looking for a job! Old turtle face McConnell is on his last legs (refusing to die, alas!), but he IS on his last breaths! God, what an SOB he is! Who could replace that old buzzard?? Once he's outta there, won't Congress finally start to settle down some?? Who's there now that would
take his place as BASTARD EXTRAORDINAIRE? (I am NOT in a nice mood-- sorry! Couldn't believe the crap I was hearing this morning on live coverage of SC!)
Sadly, you are right. I suppose the horrible Jim Jordan might replace him, except that his own cronies in Congress did not want him as Speaker. (Serves him right!) I don't know how much more of the United States of Corruption I can take anymore. After listening to Justin Trudeau for an hour on "Freakonomics Radio" this weekend, Canada sounds really good right now!
It does, and my husband and I would go there if you know who wins except that we don't think we would qualify for residency. If you're part of the work force it's easier but we're too old. I know Canada has its problems but they're nothing compared to ours. It's amazing how different the two countries are.
"You know who" meaning Voldemort II (Trollop Trump)?
Yes, I just heard their residency requirements the other day and they are stringent, BUT he said on the program that they took in 460,000 immigrant workers and are expecting 500,000 this year, and that for Canada, that is not too many. Maybe you and your husband could buy a camper and go around working on agriculture projects. You have to have a skill that they need, a trade or occupation, but probably they would accept your past employment achievements. I would like for my brother to go there instead of Portugal where they are thinking of heading. He is a life-long engineer, thinking about retiring, and Canada needs people to build all kinds of housing! He could easily become a contractor and dig right in for them. They are not looking for fancy housing developments, just adequate, affordable housing. See where I am going with this? I do believe you have to have some kind of degree to offer them, whether university or in the trades. Yes, I agree with you about the difference in our countries. I know they've an unfortunate history over past treatment of indigenous peoples, but at least they haven't been starting wars with other nations forever, like the U S. has!
Thank you, Klare. I appreciate your support. I don't think you meant physical work, right? Because we're too old for that. My husband is English, so if we go anywhere the logical place is the UK. They're a mess too but obviously not as bad as here. Something had better improve quickly, though, or we're all going to be in a lot of trouble.
Don't worry, Klare. All of us are struggling to keep our anger from spilling out before people we like and respect. I have to try every day to make sure that I am not offending God by the things I say, and it's getting harder and harder.
I think we should just let it spill out, all over the place. What good does it do the United States of America if people keep silent? What if Paul Revere had remained silent? What if the revolutionaries in Boston Harbor had not spilled all that tea out everywhere? 🤔 The Republicans would certainly be VERY HAPPY if the MAJORITY just keeps silent! Then they'll have us right where they want us! Right where Trump wants us! No thanks . . . not me! I shall not bow down to that slovenly excuse for a human being, nor to the "there is nothing supreme about them" court! I don't think God is listening . . . I haven't seen any signs of that yet! Maybe Juan Marchan is one of his angels 😇 . . . could be!
I understand, but what is the saying (and who said it?) about "good men keeping quiet"? I think we all must protest lon-n-ng and LOUDLY about getting Trump off the world stage ASAP! Why law enforcement and the SC haven't joined forces by now to do just that is beyond all rationale and reasoning. Do people by now NOT EVEN REALIZE that BASED ON THE EVIDENCE COME TO LIGHT THESE PAST FEW DAYS IN THE HUSH MONEY OBSTRUCTION CASE in NY that Trump was ACTUALLY AN ILLEGITIMATE PRESIDENT??? When Senator Gary Hart was running for president and got caught by photographers coming out of his D.C. townhouse in the early morning hours with a woman not his wife, his run was over . . . just -- like -- that!! Yet Trump was paying Pecker to keep his 1.5 year-long affair with the Playboy woman out of the news, as well as the Stormy Daniels episode. Trump should NEVER have gotten to be President the first time around, and now he's trying to make it out that "Biden" and everybody and their brother are trying to keep him from campaigning now??? (OF COURSE WE ARE!) Trump NEVER gives it a rest, and therefore, neither should we!!!! That alone should be the SC's stance on Trump running at all. That and the 14th, Sec. 3!! There is NO EXCUSE for them to first of all delay hearing this immunity matter, and secondly not rule on it till June, for the 14th solidly let's them off the hook, Trump wrath be damned! They should have refused to hear it at all . . . it's an open-and-shut matter!!! Infuriating!!!!!!!
Professor Reich: i'd like to know if this travesty of a ruling is granted, will SCOTUS grant immunity to biden if he assassinates trump whilst biden is still in office? or does it only apply to rethuglican mob bosses?
asking for a friend.
Yes, it seems they and Trump fail to recognize that Biden, not Trump, is currently president, and any global rule they might impose applies to Biden. I wish one of the justices had asked Trump's attorney something along the lines of "If, in the upcoming 2024 election, Biden pressures leaders of states that Trump won to certify and send Biden electors to Congress, and then pressures Vice President Harris to count them as legitimate, is that an official action for which he is immune?"
President Bush was asked if he was going to go after the Clintons. He said “No” because if he did we would be no different than any other third world country.
Apparently, Bush was remiss in not saying, “The Clintons and I disagree about public policy, but they have committed no crimes. That’s why they don’t deserve my ‘going after’ them.”
Ya stealing government property is not a crime anymore
I could use $2 billion. Think I'll go steal a couple of Top Secret documents and sell them to the Saudis. It's apparently legal now.
Or we could sell them to China like Biden’s kid did on behalf of the “Big Guy”
What, stealing the "W" keys off keyboards in the White House?
If that was the only childish thing they did it would be enough but no there was other things that the Clintons stole
NOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Apparently not: Louis De Joy removed and destroyed a bunch of sorting machines during the 2020 election, allegedly to "save money".
Yeah, Right!
Why hasn’t that POS been fired? You know he’s going to do worse things this year!
Yes, or "on what grounds? they have comitted no crime." We know because we have been investigating them for thirty years and found nothing.
It took years to get Al Capone. It took decades before Bernie Madoff was caught. The length of time a criminal gets away with a crime is not the standard of someone is guilty or not
Fine. When and if he's caught, we can do something about it. You people think trump is being persecuted even though that have solid evidence otherwise, yet you're quick to condemn someone on the other side with NO evidence. What do you think that makes you?
Al Capone was an organized Mafiosa capo, and Bernie Madoff only got indicted because he did the unthinkable, he stole from the rich. The Clintons are not, and never have been criminals, no matter how many lies you read about it. I feel very sorry for you. I wish you peace for your tortured soul, and hope you can find someone that loves you and can explain how you have been programmed to hate.
The reality is, as the constitution demands, it wasn't up to Bush "to go after the Clintons, just as it's not up to President Biden to "go after Trump." It's the responsibility of the President to "See that the laws are faithfully executed" by appointing an Attorney General who will enforce the laws "without fear or favor." Clinton was spared by a Special Counsel when he gave up his law license for five years. Bush/Cheney were spared because President Obama wanted "to look forward instead of back." (A bit absurd when you think about enforcing our laws - and, of course, it SHOULD have been up to Obama's AG to determine whether authorizing TORTURE should have been prosecuted.) I would submit, the only reason Merrick Garland "went after" Trump was due to the Select January 6th Committee and based on the Supreme Court's dithering the two federal prosecutions Trump is facing may end up as nothing more than "blots" on our history. But, it's NOT up to the president to "go after anyone" when it comes to domestic law enforcement.
If a USA elected President starts going after "anyone"in the political arena, he would be consider a dictator and this country would be cosider to be another "russia or North Korea or any of the Latin American countries" and that's is exactly what tRump wants to convert this country into! tRump called all the third world countries 'SHITHOLES" and he wants to turn USA in one!
Considering it is Biden who is going after his political rival, that is as close to a dictatorship as you can get without poisoning them. Make Putin proud.
Grand juries consisting of everyday Americans have indicted Drumpf. Buzz off, Vlad.
If a President is allowed immunity, could President Biden dismiss the Supreme Court? Or at least certain members? What if he thanked them for their service and retired them? Could he appoint new people?
Great question! The reality is if the Court approves "absolute immunity" for the president, it makes the court irrelevant. He would no longer be subject to their role in the constitutional "checks and balances" principal. Of course, he would no longer be subject to the whims of Congress either. Another interesting question - could Congress still impeach him? Yikes!!!
“Justice Alito responded by saying that prosecutors could convince a grand jury to “indict a ham sandwich.” Grand juries have long been criticized by some lawyers and judges as little more than a rubber stamp for prosecutors.
In the hearing, the justice also asked whether former President Franklin D. Roosevelt could be indicted for the U.S. government’s internment of thousands of Japanese-Americans in camps during World War II.” What is unreasonable about this line of thought? Will this comment be edited because it is not in ideological alignment with the narrative? ( ie: censored in almost Nazi like deleterious efficiency?)
What bothers me the most—setting aside the astonishing levels of hypocrisy and arrogance
from the conservative justices, is that none of
them seem concerned about what might happen
in the future.
Trump has always operated as if the law doesn’t apply to him as near as I can tell. But the reason there are laws in the first place is because of
people like him. The old adage that if you give
certain people an inch, they’ll take a mile
definitely applies to Trump. I don’t care how
much immunity the justices give him—I guarantee
he’ll behave as if he has 100% immunity.
Even more concerning is that these justices don’t
seem to realize they won’t have jobs if Trump is elected. If they give Trump even an inch of immunity,
he’ll shred the Constitution, the Rule of Law, all statutes, and the law will be whatever he says it is.
Who needs Justices?
What about the 2000 election when Bush and his brother Jeb, governor of Florida, stole that presidential election from Al Gore! With the blessing of SCOTUS giving a state the power to choose a president! So what changed since then? Religious conservatives in our highest court... 👎👎
You mean after 52 recounts and Al Gore still did not have enough votes to win, the Supreme Court said enough is enough, we will not wait until you “discover” enough votes to win. Btw it was proven that there was never enough votes for Al Gore to win.
I'm not a Bush fan, but he made a good point. Since Trump's Presidency, we have been more like a third world country than like a true democracy.
Cheers to Dictator Biden. Biden loyalists unite! Time to root out corruption.
Everything is relative, but your viewpoint appears to give leave you with a highly distorted opinion of the universe.
You are right. The post seems even more odd where is showed up in the list. I was trying to say that if Trump wants to change our government to a dictatorship, then I hope Biden does it first.
Seal Team Six will Meet
The conman Monday 9 am
At The courthouse. Finish him right smart like. ✅🤡
We're trying. That's why we don't want trump to win. The most corrupt administration in our history was from the trump administration.
You apparently believe in corruption with an alleged criminal named Biden, worse than teump worse than willis and bragg combined check the truth and open your eyes
Again, Julia, please provide some proof. If you have some, you might want to get it to your republican leadership since they, with all their vast resources, can't find any.
Where are you finding the truth? And what other option do you have? It's either the alleged criminal Biden, and an actual criminal Trump.
Considering what they are debating happened while he was in office, it is why it matters.
EVERYBODY seems to have forgotten he is already President! That's a good sign that Biden would never be a dictator don't you think?
Exactly!!!
The Supreme Court is like a virgin whose lost her virginity.
Donald Hodgins
Donald’s Substack
just now
Trump's picks that made their way onto the highest court in the land became little more than worms nestled comfortably in the heart of a Granny Smith. Just another "Greene" thing gone wrong.
I would laugh but I don't want to insult worms.
😊
I wish I could laugh at that …
Pat-- Don't worry, I did enough of that for the both of us.
Keep it up, Donald.
I would argue the Supreme Court is like a man who continues to rape, and never is held accountable for it.
Eileen--NO! The crime of rape is an inhuman act, the members of SCOTUS no matter how blind, aren't in the same category as the crime of rape. What are you thinking?
No, the supreme court is now like the rapist, doing what it can to escape justice.
Ted--I agree, but it is like an entity that has lost its innocence.
and became an old whore?
There are at least two old grifters, who fit that description, there were more, but Scalia died, on a gifted trip no less.
Donald, WTF does virginity have to do with anything?
Linda--If I was a prognosticator I would be telling people to duck.
Again, I don’t understand your reference. Women have been persecuted, stoned, seen as unclean, rejected by their families, killed because they were not virgins even if it was due to rape. Using virginity has a long history of gross discrimination against women. I just don’t see why you would use this as a reference?
Linda--It was just something to grab onto that would make people think. The subject dealt with the loss of innocence, it fit. I have no problem with the term, I see no reason for you to disagree.
The Surpeme Court has had a long and at times tawdry history. Never a virgin.
steve--To most people the Supreme Court had an image, one built upon trust and integrity. To many that view of innocence has been lost because of Trump's appointees.
true, but, lost illusion. At least to some extent.
steve--Life's an illusion.
More like a cheap subservient whore with an inferiority complex.
Scott
You are giving whores a bad name with that comparison.
Only the cheap ones, like the Supreme Court.
Scott- exactly.
Kath--Thank you for understanding.
It's virgin "who's" lost . . .
???
Sandra--This site has no need for any form of literary police. What is said here is offered in an honest manner trying to find answers to some very pressing problems. Why people find it necessary to ridicule other's efforts, is beyond me. Small minds seem to be all around us.
I'm sorry you felt ridiculed. Yes, literary police have their place. I also make mistakes, but I know it's just a kind reminder when I get corrected. Please laugh, Donald.
No doubt most of your comments haven’t been edited or repeatedly deleted! ( can I get my $50 back?) The “thought police “ run rampant on the good professor’s site… Watch this be deleted…
Are you implying that a woman who loses her virginity is a bad thing? There are many milestones to becoming a woman such as when you get your period for the first time or when you have sex for the first time which for most women are empowering and positive.
Eileen--I would never do that, it's just that her innocence has been damaged. Once gone it can never be regained. Why the flack about a women's assentation into womanhood. It's a beautiful thing.
The analogy didn't make sense to me.
Eileen--Don't feel bad, you weren't alone.
Donald, you are innocent, and I absolve you of sin. However, the concept of virginity has always been used as a form of social control in a male-dominated world. A woman who refuses or is unable to submit to this social hierarchy become a sinner, a whore.
Victor--What was I at 21, a man who had never had a relationship with anyone.? Think of the giant Sequoias in that patch of virgin timber out West, or all those poor olives that will never make extra virgin olive oil. The word has many uses.
Why is a virgin necessarily a woman?
Paula--I was a virgin until I was 21, because my father advised me to never go to bed with a woman I wouldn't want to marry. --Does that count. It's just a word, why give it more relevance than it deserves.
We have Supreme Court justices that are co-conspirators to making this country a monarchy or dictatorship.
And unfortunately, it seems to be the majority of them.
Midwest ; That's why they "got rid of" the 14th amendment. Section 3. They know they could have been removed for their betrayal of their oaths to uphold the Constitution!
It certainly seems that way. Will they dare to rule that way?
of course they will. they don't wannabe "epsteined". verb, meaning to be extorted or blackmailed for recorded illegal sexual activities. see, synonym, compromat (soviet union)
Then we won’t need a Supreme Court.
They are so arrogant , they fail to realize that obvious point.
H. B.--The metamorphosis is about complete; the birth of a modern-day dictator is at hand. Congratulations Donnie Boy, you're a self-made man.
I believe this is why the Supreme Court is 'slow walking' their decision; it gives 'future' President Trump immunity while offering nothing of the kind to President Biden.
Chris--A practice that led to the public demise of a "once " respected institution. So far, that's only one of the three whose lost their way. Who's next.
No. He had a lot of help from Putin, Xi, Kim, Moscow Mitch, SCOTUS, Kevin McCarthy, and all the rest of the magas.
You got it!
Question--Is Trump really that stupid that he can't control his own mouth or is there a hidden agenda where Donnie Boy is daring the judge to throw him in jail for contempt of court? All this legal maneuvering is a waste of time orchestrated by a man who sees this country as a piece of fruit, ripe for the picking. Trump is at an age when he should be eating prunes, not throwing them.
Trump ate prunes and that gave rise to his movement.
Both, I think.
Hoping, praying you are wrong😥 and the SCOTUS majority upholds the oath they swore to adhere to when they first posed proudly in their robes!!
History is not encouraging.
Justice Alito: maybe Mussolini was right after all. As to Mike Johnson, we know what Republicans are up to because they accuse the Democrats of doing it. Democrats have not summoned the National Guard, but Republicans really, really want them to do it, so that later they claim it as precedent and justification for doing it themselves.
Irene--There is a slight chance that beneath those lengthy robs the justices adorn themselves in, people with minds still exist. History is watching them, what would you do.----- Me to.
Their claim that the sole legal tool to hold a president accountable is impeachment is just as ludicrous, especially in light of the impeachment processes we have seen since Bill Clinton — whether started for serious or frivolous reasons, whether supported with sufficient evidence to convict or not, impeachment has sadly been relegated to a “political” act, far less a legal proceeding. And that is what Republicans have done to it … Now, they would do the same to the rule of law.
This is what they WANT, so they can put themselves and Oligarchs into power, and never let go the reins … They’re TELLING us what they want in their Project 2025, Donald TOLD us what he wanted when he praised dictators and said he wished his power were as complete as theirs {most recently telling us how well Victor Orban controls his government with no “controversy,” because Orban’s word is law}.
They are TELLING us they want Putin-level power and control over the top reaches of our government.
American voters need to realize that fact about the Republican agenda when they vote this year.
WE on the Left claim this as a seminal election because the very quality of our democracy AS a democracy is on the line
THEY on the Right claim it is seminal because they say Liberal policies are bad and they want to hold the line against them.
OUR claim is, they want to undo democracy at its core.
THEIR claim is, Liberalism is bad, so they should be able to cement their permanent control against it.
Am I wrong? Do American voters see where this leads?
Biden has the right message: you don't need a dictator to bring back jobs to America, and you should beware of White supremacists trying to divide us.
Impeachment as a remedy is an unrealistic concept, even when the Trump lawyer tried to claim a President can only be prosecuted for a crime after an impeachment and conviction in the Senate. As we all now know, a successful impeachment is only possible when the House and the Senate are in the hands of the opposing party. Articles of impeachment will not even be brought, if the President and the House are of the same party. So impeachment as a remedy is unlikely, giving the President free reign if he is unopposed. As with Trump, the House changed hands at the midterm to allow impeachment to go forward, but the Senate did not.
A citizen and government officer is subject to all the laws of the country. No?
This is how it’s devolved, yew.
P G O’B
They do not see where this is going.
When I heard the exchanges by SCOTUS when the ridiculous claim of immunity was presented my faith that the rule of law would prevail floated away. What will we do if this criminal skates again?
I hope sane minds prevail. We’re in a scary time
"Liberalism" was given its name by a Spanish political party, one generation after the American Revolution. They wanted to imitate the U.S. Constitution and called themselves the "Liberales." "Liberalism," is the last bastion of the Old Regime; it's "Let Them Eat Cake (if that's what makes them happy)." Liberalism is the last offering of the royal families, bestowed so they won't literally lose their heads (like Charles I in 1649). Liberalism is the foundational ideology of the U.S. Constitution. If you hate liberalism, then you are a traitor.
The bedrock of the word is openness to thought and inclusion. Giving ideas a chance. Not necessarily agreeing, but giving a fair hearing. And being inclusive.
Whatever else it means, that’s what it means.
Hence you redefine what liberalism means. It's "wokism" now.
You are right.
Sure, trump won't abide by any laws that he does not like or that doesn't benefit him. That is a given. If the orange dictator Wanna be doesn't like a Supreme Court decision, or if he doesn't like a congressional law -- or any law for that matter --it doesn't exist. He will have absolute control and totalitary authority. He will be more than a king, more than a der fuhrer -- He will be a god. Mark my word his likeliness will be chiseled in Mount Rushmore. As he has said he always wanted this.
They do see that... and LIKE it. That's the problem.
If they give Trump any immunity he doesn’t already have, the Supreme Court itself will be superfluous.
I think SCOTUS is trying to wait. If Biden wins, they'll say no because they don't want just any president to have such sweeping power. If trump wins, they'll say yes because the obviously right-leaning, partisan group does want their guy to have such sweeping powers. They know he will make sure they don't have to follow any pesky ethics rules.
At least until they're in this year's "lesser" group.
That’s the most insidious part! Their hatred blinds them to the fact that absolute power corrupts absolutely and will come for them and their rights eventually.
Yes, Trump does not walk on water and, Chief Justice Roberts Court needs to stop acting as if he does. Of all the contradictory and absurd claims made by trump the SCOTUS should have left it stand with the lower appeals court. In a democracy, we are a nation of laws not of men. As a wannabe dangerous dictator trump woud like to reverse that law, let's hold the SCOTUS feet to the fire to not muddy the waters and do the right thing. And Democrats, six months and counting, we must not take anything for granted and must continue to do all we can to inform and persuade voters to our side.
Funny how when SCOTUS does the bidding of the left then SCOTUS is just fine. But have it go against the left agenda and they are all wrong. Amazing
The left agenda is anything against the fascism that the cult of Orange Hitler is against. The right opposes fairness, ethics, integrity, honesty, humanity, equality, and control of ones own body. The cult of Orange is for greed, hate and the handing over of the US and Western Europe to Putin and his puppet Orange Hitler. Yes, it's amazing how evil the cult of Orange Hitler is.
Really where has Trump exterminated 6 million Jews? These comparisons to Hitler are just childish. Control over one’s own body? Where was that since 2020? Oh, it is control as long as they can kill a baby, got it
He’s not Hitler but following his playbook. He doesn’t have to do all of Hitler’s offenses to be clearly on the same path. He’s already planning camps. And only those ignorant of biology think abortion is killing a baby. Those who inhibit a woman having difficulty delivering getting help resulting in death of the baby are baby murderers. What’s childish is being an ignorant cult member following a rapist, racist, con artist fraud, dictator wannabe, Putin owned phony.
Pretty sure you made that up! But just the fact that Trump said he'd be a dictator makes him sound like Hitler.
Get ready to be “thought policed” off this site… That’s what happened to me when one’s comments aren’t in “alignment” with prevailing liberal narrative… Can I get my $50 back if I keep getting banned?
🎯✌️💙
WOW! The court isn't supposed to do the bidding of anybody, especially a president! Courts follow the LAW not men! We've never had a democratic president go in front of SCOTUS and ask them to do anything!! if you can find a time that happened, I'd love to hear about it!
Every president in history has gone before SC to get something they want done that was stoped by the opposite party. FDR was notorious for it. He threatened to pack the court if they did not go along with his detaining Japanese
Yes they could bring cases for the Supreme Court to argue, they don't go to the Supreme Court and tell them what to do! That's the difference between thump and a real President!
Supposedly they’re counting on only GOP presidents using the insane immunity argument, figuring Democratic ones never will 🤦♀️
They are counting on being able to delay their decision until after Trump becomes President = Dictator, after which there will no longer be any Democratic presidents. Of course, that means that relative power of the judiciary will decline, but why should Thomas or Alito care? They're ready to retire & after installing a fascist dictatorship, their work is done.
Wow, I’d have thought that was off-the-wall thinking just a scant few years ago.
Today, it rings true. That is one f-ing miserable reality.
Seems to be the case 😢 And the worst part is, looks like they may get away with it
All those years of studying the law, only to dump it? Dictators don’t need laws. It was clear to me when Gorsuch spoke in this case yesterday that he seemed unqualified to be sitting there. Ali to seems as if he’s gone mad and lost his grip on reality. The Supremes have become larger than the law and want to do away with Democracy because it gives a glimpse of a brighter future for many. Sick and sad.
And they will be wealthy for their role.
…. Perhaps figuring they will gerrymander and scheme so there are no more Democratic presidents — at least not for a very long time. Donald has not only said he wants untrammeled power, he has also alluded to wanting to stay in office longer than two terms. When they tell you who they are, believe them.
He won't live that long.
Sadly, his mad father lived to be in his early 90's, but he was long gone, mentally, his mother only made 88 in comparison.
Yes but they weren't under the kind of stress he is and they probably had better diets. Remember his younger brother died at 70 or 71 and of course Mary Trump's father died in his forties if I'm not mistaken. Of course he could make it but I prefer to think he won't.
True, his brother was a severe alcoholic due to paternal abuse, no doubt. But I hope you are right.
Every time Dems do something I say the same thing. Now we have a man insane Republican Candidate that will do all the (what Dems call illegal when Republicans do it) illegal things that Dems pulled when in the majority. When the left went after Trump with not one but 2 impeachments I said wait until a Republican congress gets in. When they got rid of super majority for judges, I said wait until Republicans get into power. Yep and then the left whined that it was not fair for Republicans to pull the same stunt they did.
At the very least Biden could shot Trump Fire The Supreme Court Crooked Justices, put Mega Terrorist on Death row and when all that done He can let Mitch McConnell finish decomposing on Rikers island prison
Weeeellll, he could do that if they ruled such immunity BEFORE the next election.
But they are only going to give full immunity to their own choice for president — not to Biden … they can continue to horse around and delay, so Biden has no such ruling to fall back on. They’re a bunch of crooks willing to twist logic and reality into teeny-tiny corkscrews, but they’re not stupid … Just monstrously venal.
But what if immunity wins and Biden is reelected? Just imagine that.
I don’t want some kind of over-broad immunity to carry the day for anybody - I kind of like the rule of law.
But, that’s just my point … I don’t think they will rule until they are sure Biden won’t get the benefit of it.
I could be wrong, but …
I completely understand and agree. But if Biden is reelected, which of course we hope he is, then what are they going to do? They can't hold off forever.
I know. It’s kind of nuts, isn’t it? This is what we get when integrity goes out the window, apparently.
Egad.
Apparently from their time line immunity is already in place, if they’re giving him immunity in 2016 on for all his crimes than Biden now at this time can claim immunity and break the rule of law to what suits him. So even though it is the obvious and redundant delay delay game, Joe could call their stupidity and act on it , actually he could even have said ( before Comer the Clown got his ass handed to him) he himself can’t be impeached . Haha I wish it could happen but Joe Biden is too honorable,smart has actual good ole integrity. It is all so terrifying you have to have dreams and humor to get thru all of this.
Mmmmm, but no one has yet CONFIRMED that immunity is in place. It has not been declared.
Joe can’t jump that gun.
🤣🤣 Love the decomposing image.
Heehee me too
My hypothetical to the Justices would be, If a President murdered two Justices because they did not come to his birtday party and caused him to be embarrassed, then had two other Justices assassinated because they ruled against a case he wanted to give him more political power would that President be immune from prosecution on both acts? The murder is personal, the assassination is offical. Just wondering what the scotus discussion would have been.
They would check it with the Federalist Society.
🎯
The court likely intends to drag this out by making a distinction between immunity for official actions & for personal actions & sending it to the lower courts to decide which actions by the president are official & which are personal, so they don't have to make a decision until after it is determined who won the election. If it's Biden, no presidential immunity. If Trump, immunity for official acts.
As I said above, on January 6th Trump was acting as a candidate, not president. That's personal.
While still officially president, Trump's actions were contrary to his official duties, so you could even call it anti-official or anti-presidential, certainly antidemocratic, anti-constitutional & seditious.
Yes. Attempting to block the certification of results was absolutely not a presidential duty, nor was inciting and failing to stop an insurrection.
Still President ‘till Biden formally inaugurated…
Yes, perfectly constitutional, right? Most people would see it as an act treason and cowardice. That's when the National Guard would be summoned, and a More Perfect Union might be forged by the armed forces.
Biden cannot leave office until the law and rulings are complete - which might be next Spring. That's okay! All of the things that Trump has promised can be done by Biden. He might want to dissolve the Supreme Court sooner than later. Replace all of the civil servants with Democrats and Independents. It's only fair!
GrrlScientist - yes! this is exactly what i've been posting repeatedly. If scotus gives him immunity, the only reasonable chance of saving our democracy, and indeed, the moral choice for biden is to arrest and to throw into solitary EVERY insurrectionist. no habeas corpus, no phone call, no lawyer. this would include the 6 corrupt supremes, ginny thomas, dejoy at the post office (he tried to prevent vote by mail), the members of congress who aided and abetted the insurrection, bannon, barr, stone, all the repugnant attorney genera;ls who have aided and abetted, etc. then tell all the states that lost maggot insurrectionist congresspersons that they can hold a special elections to replace their jailed reps. yes, i know this is fantasy, but we live in extreme times. again, if scotus does give trump what he wants, we have no other recourse to save democracy.
I don't think the president can arrest anyone. Isn't that the attorney general?
Paula , you're correct. biden would have to direct police agencies or marshall's services to make the arrests. but remember, it would be illegal, and that's one of the points of doing it. to show the idiots on the supreme court that they can't have it both ways. i would suggest to biden in any case to get rid of garland and put someone less timid in. also, garland's a republican last i heard.
I would hope that Biden uses the immunity that they will grant Trump, to arrest Trump and throw him and the Congressional traitors in Jail, but he won't, he he doesn't have the stomach.
BREAKING NEWS: Several weeks ago I mentioned that the Secret Service should guard the VP closely, since if something were to happen to the president while there's no VP, succession falls to the Speaker of the House: https://youtu.be/CUcF3x1HDkw?si=pqYVMy-3ffG0YY5q
I thought everyone should be aware. Verification follow-up welcome if not desirable. Just sayin'.
This is been my question from the beginning. Can he can Biden just put Trump in prison on death row I find it so few of Republican arguments stand up if the victims and oppressors parties are switched. Can Biden send troops to Florida or Texas and just do what he likes to make changes there? What is a democracy if the president is above the law?
I fully expect SCOTUS to hold off ruling until after the election, grant immunity if Tovarich MAGgot wins, to be effective after inauguration, and deny it if Biden wins. (Couldn't give Biden total immunity while they're boy is out of office, right ‽)
That's what Jimmy Kimmel.
Obviously, this travesty of a potential ruling only applies to Republican mob bosses, fascists and would be despots....
He has a
Call into
Seal team 6🫣🍿
That is a question I have been asking. Are they that stupid. If given that kind of power, he could simply disband SCOTUS! And then make his own laws and have the orange asshole executed.
I am ashamed to acknowledge that even in the absence of a SCOTUS decision on the subject many people would find me guilty of even thinking of acting upon such a thought.
Trump is a cancer.
I had thought that there was no way even THIS SCOTUS would entertain the idea of elevating the office of the president to king status. I had thought that that had to be a bridge too far. It simply HAD to be…
Silly, silly me.
I was of the same belief. I feel like we’ve all tumbled down the rabbit hole and have joined the Mad Hatter’s tea party! 😢
Some of their previous cases showed the beliefs of some of these judges. They do think they are supreme, and they and their fellow supremes (authoritarians) should be above all. So this does not surprise me.
The irony is that if they make Trump or any other president immune, they lose their supremacy.
And maybe Thomas won’t get his special billionaire treatment anymore since it won’t be necessary. That would be interesting to see if Crow is really such a good friend or just bribing Thomas.
If trump becomes president, the SC will be at risk of abandonment (Kochs want to get rid of our Constitution, trump wants to be a fascist dictator) or all the liberals being replaced by MAGAs and the whole SC being used as a farce much like they are attempting now. It may be used to appear to the dimwit MAGAs that there is justice in the US.
Exactly.
They don't care: they're at retirement age.
Yep, Thomas & Alito are. ACB is still young, & maybe that's why she seems not so inclined to grant presidential immunity, hoping to maintain a speck of influence. Boofer Kavanaugh is just too compromised & is probably being blackmailed to vote for immunity/impunity for Trump.
They would make him the "Booger King", (although he prefers Rat Macs!)!
"But then Alito had the chutzpah to claim that if a president thought he might be prosecuted for whatever he did to cling to office — including inciting a riot at the U.S. Capitol — he would likely keep clinging by any means possible. "
I guess he was looking at Netanyahu--as well as giving Trump a suggestion as to what to do if he gets a next time.
Meanwhile, Johnson is looking for another Kent State.
It looks like a rerun of Vietnam. It brings to mind Marx who said history repeats itself. The first time as tragedy. The second time as farce. With Maga Mke, Moscow Marj, Pedo Ga*tz and execrable Paul Gosar in the mix it sure looks like a farce.
Beyond Kent state ; It will make Kent state look like a boy scout picnic. But Johnson wants an excuse to call the guard, and there we go into martial law?
Maureen : using that logic, tRump would be justified using nukes against any enemies, if they were a threat to him, personally. After all : he said " We have nukes; Why not use them !?".
OMG!!! 😱
Ditto!!
That's what I worry about.
Slap yourself in the face .... right this second!! NO NUKES! Why can't we ever learn from our past mistakes???
Kris 10 : one of the reasons that we can't "learn from our past mistakes" is that we are so often in so much of a hurry that we don't take the time to look at things long enough to see clearly. Hitting ourselves is rarely helpful!
I would have to say that I quite agree with you!! 💯 %
Kris 10 ; Slap Trump in the face! If you read my intent you would realize that I was pointing out that HE said that. I'm not suggesting that we use nukes at all ; it's sarcasm!
it's very hard to "read" sarcasm... my apologies! ✌️💙
Yes, I was in college during Kent State and I have very deep concerns about what is happening on the campuses with Police and possibly national guard intervention.
I wish Biden would stand up to all of this and prevent another Kent State !
He made a live speech that peaceful protests are legal And very American but it's unpeaceful protests at 3 AM or when you deface buildings that have been there for hundreds of years that it becomes illegal.. so he did make a statement on it that guy's dance been card pretty full since 2021 ...but he did make a live statement about it. and it's not right what they're doing to those schools of course it goes both ways the administrations are blowing it at all those ivy leage schools!! SHAMEFUL!
....I am speaking about President Biden....
Ditto
Maureen : Kent state On steroids.
Do you even know what led up to the Kent State debacle??
Republican aggression. Also. Scared national guardsmen.
19-yr-old National Guardsmen already exhausted from their previous post. Inexperienced commanders who have never recovered from that day. Planted transient protesters doing what they were paid to do. A corrupt Governor. So many choices.
"Planted"? "Paid"? by whom? Proof?
Or just left-wing nut jobs thinking that rules did not apply to them
Brad Luckey : that has been the Republican purview so far.
uh, that comment goes BOTH ways! For sure!! Remember republican's think they don't have to show up for FEDERAL SUBPOENAS!! c'mon!!🤨
What short memories Dems have, or do you not remember that Obama’s people also refused to show up for federal subpoenas?
Or we could have a NYU problem. Demanding that people leave and not cause a problem, ya that would be horrible
Or we should not be having any problems we live in freaking America we are so lucky here we have it so easy here the idea that we bitch it all is disgusting. ✌️💙
I’m not a rocket scientist but it’s obvious to me that the SCOTUS is delaying this decision until after the election!
Of course.
Yes, I had thought that the Supreme Court would want to protect their own claim to legitimacy by ruling pursuant to common sense in this case. However, they are showing themselves to be too patrician to do that.
This means that reforming the Supreme Court, requiring ethical standards, providing a "reality test” to Supreme Court opinion, and separating the Judicial Branch of government from the Executive has to become a high priority for Chuck Schumer-- to get a Senate bill passed so that when it stalls in the House this issue can be forefront in the election. The Senate Bill should create the position of the “Grand Foreman of the American Juries,” the first position elected directly by the people to run the Judicial Branch, with the power to send opinions back to the Supreme Court to rewrite to conform to precedent and provable facts, and leaving the Attorney General to the position of advising the President. The law should specifically outlaw executive interference, thereby restoring law and order after the partisan medaling to preventing a slide to dictatorship.
One of the first things the Grand Forman should do would be to send the Dred Scott and the Citizen’s United decisions back to the Supreme Court, and thus eliminate the absolute obsurdity that exists of Supreme Court Rulings that gave to corporations the civil rights they took away from Blacks.
Oh I like this!
and now the rest of US! This court us sooo out of order it will catch up to each of them.
Keeping Clarence on the bench for cases involving his own WIFE was my first clue! This SCOTUS scares me!
The impending death of the rule of law in the United States began with Mitch McConnell’s blocking President Obama‘s right to appoint Supreme Court justices. In doing so, McConnell, who is purchased by capitalist interests, has opened the door for the extreme right wing anti-justice justices who now dominate our not so “Supreme Court.” Where this leads is not a pretty outcome. Some are pointing to April 25, 2024 as the day justice died in the United States. Unfortunately, that may be true. Given the points that Trump’s lawyers were arguing, there would be no consequences for Donald Trump, ordering the assassination of currently sitting Joe President Joe Biden before the election even occurs.
I know that this is a terrible thing to say, but we must not diminish the seriousness of the situation we now face with a Supreme Court
utilizing nonsensical arguments to potentially give Presidents such complete immunity.
Republican roadmap, "Project 2025", explicitly makes the president above the law.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_2025
Either get out the vote now, today, or let Republicans implement their fascist government. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/21/magazine/heritage-foundation-kevin-roberts.html
Register Democrats
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Funny the Trump supporters say this if the Dems get in. So all of you can use the scare tactics but that only feeds the wild animals with more red meat
Well democrats have already been in the WH for almost 4 years... have you felt that they are acting like dictators??
Since I wrote my first post three hours ago I am witnessing a lot of fear and anger on this substack. Anger properly harnessed to do positive actions is a good thing so long as it is motivating us to engage in good actions such as supporting the demonstrators. If we are too old to endure the tear gas and brutality of the police (it will get worse) then act as support staff. Bring food, water and damp cloths to assist those who are and will be on the font lines of their expression of free speech.
Remember the anti-war protests? Now they are back and the youth need our support and guidance. Stop the bombs but also tamp down any anti-semitism you may witness. These demonstrations are primarily pro-Palestinian rights and only a minority of them are anti-semitic. (I’m Jewish myself.) The anti-Semitic label comes from Fox News type sources and there are likely MAGA operatives who are infiltrating the demonstrations. The demonstrators need to see elders in the crowd supporting them. We may be witnessing the beginnings of a popular rebellion against injustice and if so, NOW IS THE TIME TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE. When I return home from my current business trip I plan to jump into my camper and go to the nearest hotspot and lend some support. I’ve been through this, I have breathed in my share of tear gas in the 70’s and I assisted to facilitate workshops on radical non-violence in the fall of 1970 at Kent State at the invitation of the student government. (The students were suffering from what we now call PTSD) It is time to put our own words and feelings into action. LETS DO THIS THING!
Yes the “From the River to the Sea” chants is what confused me. I mean when Hitler called for the extermination of the Jews he was not really serious. So neither is Hamas. They just say they want to exterminate the Jews their really not serious.
I agree! And substack has slowly grown more " teeth" compared to when I first came over from "the hostile takeover of Twitter" ... guess it's up to us to make good impressions more appealing! ✌️💙
This court is thunderdumb
It’s a Corrupt Supreme Court don’t ascribe corrupt politicians the honor of being stupid or ignorant .
They are open to any kind of bribe or hidden legal renunciation ( spouse get great job ) vacations with new rich friends that influence the output of the court decision. Each decision should be accompanied by a list of renumeration each justice has received in the last five years…. That way we the citizens will know what going on .
I DREAD ANOTHER DRED SCOTT DECISION …
Yes - should be front page news - how many payoffs or as they call them “ gifts” they’ve received and those that should have been taxed including Ginni Thomas payments. If the SCOTUS doesn’t need to pay income tax of their monies - I don’t want to pay taxes on my monies either.
🎯
Funny how anytime the court goes the way leftist want it too it is a good court every time they lose it is a bad court. Looks like just simple partisan politics not someone who wants the law to be upgraded
Man, YOU can be such a DOWNER.🙄
But, absolute power Corrupts absolutely! (Unless you are so obscenely rich you get a free pass..).
GREAT WORD!! 👍👍
They could also be giving Biden permission to assassinate trump.
Don't even imply Biden would think of such a thing. But if any non-Republican did, the Supreme Court would have no problem prosecuting them under some "Originalism" theory.
He would not do that, but imagine he tried to do simehing like Trump says he did, for example he could order the NSA to hack into voting machines and make sure he wins, and also gets a Democratic majority in house and senate. In such a circumstance he wouldn't be impeached and couldn't be prosecuted for vote fraud. That's why the ruling will be to send the case back to the lower courts for some sort of review, delaying Justice until after the election.
But a case involving President Biden would be handled differently, I'm sure.
Thr republicans have been auditing & investigating Biden from the day he won the election trying to find something illeagal to impeach him on and they still can't! BUT they keep on doing it, using up precious time looking for crimes! It is ridiculas! And Biden doesn't say a word about it just keeps doing his job! He's been pres 4 years already I think the "dictator" would have shown by now!
Kris10; They should not be paid!
Midwest, I would observe that is highly unlikely!
It's public knowledge... Google it if u don't believe me! Honestly I think it's shameful there isn't more outcry about it. At least for all the TIME & MONEY ( OUR tax dollars) being wasted on these investigations! At least wait till a crime is committed!! Right?!
Please look it up!
But would he? Would President Biden do such a thing?
No.
But if trump was president, I do believe trump might.
🎯
Sure looks ,and is Bad!
I am old enough that I immediately read Mike Johnson’s comment about the National Guard at Columbia University as a threat to reenact Kent State. I appreciated Secretary and Professor Reich’s articles in recent days explaining the difference between anti-semitism and anger about the human rights violations presently occurring in Gaza a as a result of actions by Israel. As a different substack I can’t now recall explained, it’s not black and white, it’s called nuance. Hamas committed a terrorist act. That doesn’t excuse the disproportionate response by Israel on a population that isn’t Hamas and doesn’t control Hamas. And it doesn’t excuse the backlash we are seeing against largely peaceful protests on US college campuses.
Crosby, Stills,Nash and Young. “Four Dead in Ohio”
I temember it like it was yesterday. Sometimes, the curtain is pulled back, and we get a glimpse of what is really corrupt in our government system. That was 'under' the Republicans. Again. Like the assassination of the Kennedys ,and Martin Luther King, and Malcom X, and Benjamin Linder. And on and on. Here we see the Supreme Court radicals installed by "Presidents" who lost the popular vote. With their 'masks' of honor removed for all to see. Using word salad and theory gobbledygook, while remaining obtuse. the three 'minorities' all women and some women of color at that! :( are the only ones looking at the facts and Donald J. TRump, the ringleader of the coup attempt and attack.). How can they legally remove the 14th amendment, section 3? This is a 'mistrial'! They have disqualified themselves! Congress should be purged of all election deniers and accessories/supporters in the Jan 6 attack! Period! This group of 6 radicals have no "standing"!
Amy Coney Barrett sounds like she might be a swing vote.
They would still have 5. Not sure how her swing vote would affect things.Her vote added to the liberal 3 would not change things. Would it?
Laurie, Kagan is Jewish but she's not a woman of color.
I realize that the racist ones often do not like Jews. I did amend it to say all women and some are women of color. There are those who have a very narrow vision of who is OK. Sadly, there are those who hate Jews.
I don't understand why Mike Johnson even went there. Doesn't he have more important things to do?
Well, given how few bills have made it to the house floor, probably not.
Probably to kickstart Armageddon like a good little Dominionist.
I hadn't thought of that.
We have to vote. Every single person we can get to the polls. Otherwise, this democracy is lost.
Get Out The Vote.
One-third of the electorate did not vote in 2020.
Register Democrats.
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
NYT Breaking News: Mike Johnson Representative from the great state of Louisiana, home to the statewide open carry and , un licensed guns, travels to NYC to warn of the dangers of peaceful protests.
Crosby, Stills,Nash and Young. “Four Dead in Ohio”
Nat.Guard will become the henchmen for the former...
Unless Joe Biden takes the initiative and invokes or enforces the powers of his office as the Commander in Chief. Don't look now, Joe ; the thugs don't like your union boosting, or the workers. Insurrection Act anti Sedition act. Get some good advisors together. See what you can do! Be dark Brandon!! We need him now!
DARK BRANDON... kinda like that!!!
I can see him saying that as he slowly removes his sunglasses.
No, Maybe those serving will see that obeying insurrectionists is not their job! They have loved ones and friends here! At least some have been paying attention and are voters! This travesty will be squashed!
4mer will have all his toadies in place!
If yer all in, then cha-ching cha-ching, IF NOT, WHAM BAM!!!
And complaining about "chaos" when we have just lived through what feels like endless chaos in the House of Representatives..... ahem.
Chaos and corruption. George Santos' running again for office? Maybe thatcwas just a cruel reminder from 'the entiltled' to upset US. They could be laughing out the other sides of their faces some day for this! Just making thec14th amendment go away, " like it never even existed" just because they can" I hope there are enough defectors who refuse to be a party to a coup against their own country and families!.
He wants to practice before the election.
Of course the court is hedging toward Trump. Alito and Thomas in particular are corrupt. Roberts is a wimp. The Trump appointees feel obligated to support him because in no other time in our history would these three end up on the bench. They are, in essence, Trumps only "victory", and full credit for that goes to McConnell. Trump is nothing, and getting further diminished daily in his court trial. It likely won't change his popularity since most who vote for him believe a hoax. (I was going to say myth, but sometimes a myth makes sense.)
Roberts is a wimp in sheep’s clothing. He’s responsible for Citizens United money is speech and for gutting the voting rights act - after all there isn’t racism anymore.
I know now why McConnell wants to be gone before the election!
Love this comment, especially "full credit for that goes to McConnell. Trump is nothing."
Gorsuch's questioning revealed him to be a patsy who can't see the forest for the trees. The right wing (save Barrett) are modern-day Pharisees.
Add Sadducees and you have it. I don't think (overall) they are very religious, just self-righteous.
Hedging is a mild word
What will these same justices say when the country becomes chaos under Trump ?
It already was and I don't recall them saying a thing.
I mean rioting and lawlessness like you’ve never seen - just because they couldn’t say a president is not immune from criminal prosecution- I’m sure not going to sit by and watch Trump start shootings people at random .
Shock! Quoting my comment on Joyce Vance's Substack as to whether they will grant Trump limited immunity. Same to Heather Cox Richardson, who quoted Mark Elias.
Limited immunity. I'm not sure whether this was argued at t he DC level so by rights should have been waived. As Robert Hubbell is saying: "The hearing itself was a supreme outrage. While the reactionary majority may not adopt the most extreme version of Trump’s defense, they need not do so to grant Trump a victory. Indeed, they have already granted Trump most of what he asked for: a lengthy delay." Ian Millheiser says Republican justices, engaged in dizzying feats of reverse logic. https://www.vox.com/scotus/24140309/supreme-court-donald-trump-immunity-jack-smith
Someone mentioned "scope and course" of employment. IMHO there are probably mixed questions of law and fact. Could be a jury question. This is the kind of stuff that comes up in civil law and workers' comp all the time. "Personal" matters like trying to subvert the will of the people.
Consider the concepts of frolic and detour. Generally, a “detour” constitutes a minor departure from an employee's duties but is still considered acting within the scope of employment, whereas a “frolic” would be a major departure from the scope of employment undertaken for that employee's own benefit. I think Trump blew it by failing to address it at the DC level.
But anything goes at SCOTUS.
All we can do is vote them out. We have the capacity to sweep. Potentially 13 million unregistered people trend heavily Democratic. FT6 uses data mining to identify them. 60% of unregistered voters have never been asked to register and are eager to hear from us.
. https://www.fieldteam6.org/actions
We all need to pitch in to get these unregistered voters registered! Writing letters/post cards, making calls and canvassing - let’s get to work!
EXACTLY.
If every Democrat volunteers to Register Democrats, we win.
https://www.fieldteam6.org/actions
They the Supream Court should put their decisions up for bid in a public auction to open up the process of Supream court to direct public input and scrutiny…
Let even the poor people have a chance to buy a favorable from the Supream Court instead of the secretive hidden current process of making Supream Court Rulings…
That's what upset me so much that I had to quit listening. ZERO DEFINITION OF TERMS. Do we have to understand the motives of a rogue leader so we know that when he unleashes hell on his people, he doesn't have to go to jail? The SCOTUS is pointless. And they are the only actors who cannot be voted out.
Can they be impeached? And by who? The House? If so, should be first order of business if the Dems win the house
Yes, but unfortunately the process is the same as for presidents, which means we need a lot of Democrats in both houses.
If only, Midwest!
The disqualified republican members of
Congress should not vote on this, as they are disabled by their status as traitors. If tfg is a dictator he could attempt to pre-empt any votes, even by Congress. There will not be a government, rule of law, or anything resembling Democracy, decency or sanity left! 🤔 . there should be action BEFORE the election! The coup is happening Now. with this "Supreme Court ruling that is impending. Their intent of evil is apparent! The only other remedy is to delay the election until Donald J Trump clears his name! Maybe by the twelfth of never!?
I hope so……
I've already signed a dozen petitions to impeach Clarence Thomas, so I'm sure you're right. I hope that it could happen!
I was just listening to the SC case and Amy Coney Barrett brought up that the SC judges can be impeached. So, yes, they can be.
How convenient to the court stacking moneyed tyrants, on the "right"!
Today was appalling on several levels. You captured my concerns and fears perfectly, Robert. Thank you.
WAPO Breaking New: SCOTUS confirms Queen of Hearts' extra judicial beheadings well within her official duties and therefore immune from prosecution.
Ms Kirk:
Bless you! I am so heartened to learn that at least a few people have read and remember Lewis Carroll and his greatest contribution to literature.
Thank you.
\Vince S
So how many steps away from doctatorship does this put america, if the case is delayable till post election?
We're essentially there. If Trump is re-elected, the American experiment is over. George Mason is said to have gone to Thomas Madison - then only 35 years old - and said he was concerned that the new office of President had essentially the same power and function as that of King Gorge III. "Don't worry," was the reply, "a bad President can always be impeached by the House of Representatives." How well did that work out?
Perhaps would have if our House truly represented the people, as they should. Seems to be a foundational problem that needs to be fixed.
It seems to me that the system has always relied on some kind of filtering system: that bad people dont get promoted to power because they have poor character traits and/or poor competence. This filter i think has broken. Infact, Trump’s supporters are systematicslly lovebombed by a stance that is too sweet, for them, to be true. Behind the lovebombing, as always, there are catestrophic weaknesses and tendencies that will later become clearer.
About one.
Either Democrats win the next election, or Republicans dismantle democracy.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/21/magazine/heritage-foundation-kevin-roberts.html
Register Democrats.
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Blame right wing members of the Supreme Court, but we'd be wasting our time. The real problem is the "billionaire donor-ruling class" who own at least two of them outright, as well as countless Federal judges and politicians. They don't want a representative democracy, when a friendly King would allow them to continue using the USA for their personal piggy bank. Economic slavery of We The People may soon become a fact if we don't OVERWHELMINGLY VOTE THESE RIGHT WING BASTARDS OUT! And help somebody else vote!
Respectfully, beg to differ; All Americans have definitely Not been complicit. We have been out-spent by the rich, out maneuvered by politicians who are skilled in obfuscation and vagueness (with a smile), betrayed by those with the power to pull all the levers on policy and law, and the largest bloc of the currently unsatisfied and disenfranchised have been robbed by the Wall Street cabal to the point where what used to be the "middle class" is decimated. Since the '80's, the anti-union, pro deregulation, "greed is good" faction has had the backing of right wingers in government, and the liberal arts have been relegated to near obscurity in the rush to deitize the almighty dollar. Just not for the working class. No wonder the authoritarian, nearly fascist push by the trumps and their supporters has proliferated. And the financial power of the Federalist Society and their agents and imitators cannot be overemphasized. Our (and I'm speaking for the majority; the former 'middle class', will have one more chance to save our democracy, this coming November the 5th. After that, if all doesn't go well, the cynics will have the floor.
Time for some positive optimism. VOTE! Quash the cynics.
Biden should invoke the insurrection Act! We have an ongoing coup, supported by the Supreme Court!
Thank you professor, this is a ruse at best, and more fantastical corruption by judicial scoundrels at worst. Although, would we expect anything different from Alito and Thomas; two of the most corrupt jurists to ever inhabit the Supreme Court?
After all, it’s not like taking million dollar vacations (Winnebago anyone) from billionaire friends, with business before the court is illegal? Well, it is in every court of the land; just not the Supreme Court.
And it’s not like Thomas’s wife, who was part of the insurrection for which both Meadows and Guiliani (two people Thomas’s wife had been conspiring with to overturn the election) were charged with felonies, should have to recluse himself; unless he was a judge on any other court in the land.
What strikes me as ludicrous is how the “originalists” on the court are twisting and contorting themselves into judicial knots trying to appease Trump and give him a partial win.
Isn’t the SC suppose to rule narrowly; on the constitution specific to the case at hand? It sounds like they went off on tangents, with nonsensical hypothetical’s throughout the day, and intend to not just decide if Trump has immunity against any criminal indictments relating to J6th, but they intend to create a new “right” for this president!
The four stooges don’t deserve to be on this court. Under normal circumstances, not one of them would ever be considered for the high court, or any court at all.
They’d be better suited starting their own Law Firm:
“Thomas, Kraven-off, NoSuch, and A-loser LLP!”
Regardless of this ruling, we need term limits on this court; ethical rules, and an expansion of at least four more justices, picked by democrats.
Left of their own devices, republicans will never miss an opportunity to disappoint, and will continue to send America on a path of destruction; the courts being their cudgel. It’s in their DNA!…:)
Can't we get them removed? How about a contract on their heads?? Maybe MBS is looking for a job! Old turtle face McConnell is on his last legs (refusing to die, alas!), but he IS on his last breaths! God, what an SOB he is! Who could replace that old buzzard?? Once he's outta there, won't Congress finally start to settle down some?? Who's there now that would
take his place as BASTARD EXTRAORDINAIRE? (I am NOT in a nice mood-- sorry! Couldn't believe the crap I was hearing this morning on live coverage of SC!)
Unfortunately there are a lot of senators who are even worse. I don't think I need to provide names.
Sadly, you are right. I suppose the horrible Jim Jordan might replace him, except that his own cronies in Congress did not want him as Speaker. (Serves him right!) I don't know how much more of the United States of Corruption I can take anymore. After listening to Justin Trudeau for an hour on "Freakonomics Radio" this weekend, Canada sounds really good right now!
It does, and my husband and I would go there if you know who wins except that we don't think we would qualify for residency. If you're part of the work force it's easier but we're too old. I know Canada has its problems but they're nothing compared to ours. It's amazing how different the two countries are.
"You know who" meaning Voldemort II (Trollop Trump)?
Yes, I just heard their residency requirements the other day and they are stringent, BUT he said on the program that they took in 460,000 immigrant workers and are expecting 500,000 this year, and that for Canada, that is not too many. Maybe you and your husband could buy a camper and go around working on agriculture projects. You have to have a skill that they need, a trade or occupation, but probably they would accept your past employment achievements. I would like for my brother to go there instead of Portugal where they are thinking of heading. He is a life-long engineer, thinking about retiring, and Canada needs people to build all kinds of housing! He could easily become a contractor and dig right in for them. They are not looking for fancy housing developments, just adequate, affordable housing. See where I am going with this? I do believe you have to have some kind of degree to offer them, whether university or in the trades. Yes, I agree with you about the difference in our countries. I know they've an unfortunate history over past treatment of indigenous peoples, but at least they haven't been starting wars with other nations forever, like the U S. has!
Thank you, Klare. I appreciate your support. I don't think you meant physical work, right? Because we're too old for that. My husband is English, so if we go anywhere the logical place is the UK. They're a mess too but obviously not as bad as here. Something had better improve quickly, though, or we're all going to be in a lot of trouble.
Don't worry, Klare. All of us are struggling to keep our anger from spilling out before people we like and respect. I have to try every day to make sure that I am not offending God by the things I say, and it's getting harder and harder.
I think we should just let it spill out, all over the place. What good does it do the United States of America if people keep silent? What if Paul Revere had remained silent? What if the revolutionaries in Boston Harbor had not spilled all that tea out everywhere? 🤔 The Republicans would certainly be VERY HAPPY if the MAJORITY just keeps silent! Then they'll have us right where they want us! Right where Trump wants us! No thanks . . . not me! I shall not bow down to that slovenly excuse for a human being, nor to the "there is nothing supreme about them" court! I don't think God is listening . . . I haven't seen any signs of that yet! Maybe Juan Marchan is one of his angels 😇 . . . could be!
Of course you're right. I am a long way from quiet. I
I understand, but what is the saying (and who said it?) about "good men keeping quiet"? I think we all must protest lon-n-ng and LOUDLY about getting Trump off the world stage ASAP! Why law enforcement and the SC haven't joined forces by now to do just that is beyond all rationale and reasoning. Do people by now NOT EVEN REALIZE that BASED ON THE EVIDENCE COME TO LIGHT THESE PAST FEW DAYS IN THE HUSH MONEY OBSTRUCTION CASE in NY that Trump was ACTUALLY AN ILLEGITIMATE PRESIDENT??? When Senator Gary Hart was running for president and got caught by photographers coming out of his D.C. townhouse in the early morning hours with a woman not his wife, his run was over . . . just -- like -- that!! Yet Trump was paying Pecker to keep his 1.5 year-long affair with the Playboy woman out of the news, as well as the Stormy Daniels episode. Trump should NEVER have gotten to be President the first time around, and now he's trying to make it out that "Biden" and everybody and their brother are trying to keep him from campaigning now??? (OF COURSE WE ARE!) Trump NEVER gives it a rest, and therefore, neither should we!!!! That alone should be the SC's stance on Trump running at all. That and the 14th, Sec. 3!! There is NO EXCUSE for them to first of all delay hearing this immunity matter, and secondly not rule on it till June, for the 14th solidly let's them off the hook, Trump wrath be damned! They should have refused to hear it at all . . . it's an open-and-shut matter!!! Infuriating!!!!!!!
Psychologists say it is better to let loose with a few good cuss words than to kill someone. VERY cathartic!
HaHaHa! Maybe I'll go try that now!