Originally published at: Blue State Dems Are Having an Overdue Reckoning With Their Own Power - TPM – Talking Points Memo
This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis. When Texas Republicans announced plans for a mid-decade gerrymander to net them at least five more U.S. House seats, it set off a chain reaction. Texas Democrats left the state to break quorum. Democratic governors began discussing countermeasures. And former Attorney General…
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Excellent essay.
Show me the way!
Create an ALEC for the American people, not to tear down our country like American Legislative Exchange Committee (ALEC) has.
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Bring federalism to the Federalist Society.
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The link in the article has a “research” heading offering a white paper that provides additional guidance regarding actions to take, how to coordinate, and how to position the message to Americans that want to save their country from fascism.
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Republicans have clearly exposed themselves as a power only party. They gave up on policy to improve the country long ago.
There is a real vacuum there. Filling it will definitely improve the chances of Democrats taking back power across the nation and the US government.
And, when they get it back, their motto should be to never ever trust Republicans at anything again. Republicans have fully exposed their id and the Democrats need to fully appreciate what that is and what it means.
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A military force dedicated to dealing with “civil unrest?”
Really?
Who’s agreed to pay for this creation on what rationale?
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Okay, just sayin’ … but “a clear, values-driven demonstration of public interest governance” is the kind of verbiage that turns people off.Say WHAT??? And the fact that you need to then define it: “leaders fighting visibly and unapologetically for us and for democracy” kind of says, why didn’t you say that in the first place? Instead of trying to wave around your higher education?
But keep trying, Dems … you will learn these lessons and get better with practice.
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If by “people” you are referring to voters – I don’t think Goldstein was suggesting this as a campaign slogan.
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Blue states flexing their powers would be in the long tradition of American dis-union. Been reading Break It Up by Richard Kreitner, a history of the fundamental conflict between federal and state power that dates back to before the revolution. We’ve never resolved this basic dispute, and now it’s time to force the issue. If it breaks up the union, so be it.
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I would think carefully about the suggested use of Interstate Compacts and, more specifically, giving the Roberts’ Court any opportunity to revisit the the Compact Clause (Article I, Section 10, Clause 3) and *Virginia v. Tennessee, 148 U.S. 503 (1893) holding that Congressional approval of interstate compacts is “only” required when they increase the power of one or more states.
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This situation could end up in a significant conflict around the issue of states rights, with the GOP taking the opposite from its historical pretense of being for states. There doesn’t seem to be any “up side” to blue states holding back on this, particularly given their disproportionate power potential if they choose to exercise it in a smart, coordinated way.
Regardless of the tactics used by blue states, the Roberts court will ultimately engage in its usual hypocrisy and verbal summersaults, and will “do what its gunna do” to give the GOP a win. It will be interesting if there is a way to make the price too high for even them to do so.
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Great essay, highlighting powers that are available and that rely on liberals’ and progressives’ ability to organize themselves.
Really nice to read something that identifies concrete ways to do something other than hand-wave about “standing up” or “resisting” or a million other vague directives that the administration can completely ignore.
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I am wondering why the EU just doesn’t admit Ukraine, making Putin really think twice about what he’s trying to achieve there. Also Trump has threatened to annex Canada and GOP lawmakers have suggested annexing at least the three most conservative provinces. I propose that Canada should consider the other way around: Canada should annex our blue states . e.g., CA, OR and WA, (AL is more mixed but it would make geographical sense) then the upper Midwestern states of MN, WI, IL, and possibly MI. Then ME, MA, CT, RI, NY, NJ and possibly MD. Ohio would object so it would be left out. Make a nice Nouveau Canada in Blue, while satisfying Trump’s complaint that the border is just too straight. There would also be two countries with more uniform ideals this way
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Just saying, people who pick that fight at least need to be aware they are picking a fight and picking their moment to pick the fight.
Because by “picking a fight,” I mean starting a full-blown constitutional federalism crisis the likes of which we haven’t see since the 1960’s. Or possibly since the 1860’s.
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I like the acronym
VDIG
Why?
Indeed!
Progressives could use the progressive version of ALEC, the centralized drafter of policy and draft legislation that later gets rolled out across RED state America. Does such a group exist, or should it be created?
Scotty, emergency power - push all the buttons, pull all the levers!