GOP doesn’t care about a “cloud of illegitimacy.” They’re fine with the naked exercise of power. Only thing that will check them is is THEY THEMSELVES believe they’ll be indicted, tried, and convicted. Might never happen.
The problem is, how do we get the significance of this out and widely disseminated?
The Goopers won’t care about legitimacy – Gorsuch is already at the least a significant grey area. But we need to make sure our folks make this loud and clear.
Scary stuff. This is the horror that keeps me awake nights.
I just have a constant knot in my stomach about this and as a progressive living in a red state, a feeling of utter helplessness. I have been monetarily contributing as much as I can, but just don’t know what else to do.
The simplest argument Dems should embrace is that a President under criminal investigation should not pick the Supreme Court justice. Gorsuch should also be recused on such matters. The two weak links for Dems are Heitkamp and Manchin. The Dem argument that Schumer has constructed is engineered to win their approval to block consideration until after the election. While I don’t think that’s a bad strategy for him to take, I think others like Durbin need to be arguing more forcefully on this point. Dems need a hard stance and soft stance to provide multiple approaches to make it difficult for the media and GOP to attack.
The real problem are the people who don’t vote. Elections matter. Make sure to vote, otherwise you get outcomes exactly like this.
This is an important line of thought, though I’m surprised it took Josh until 3:00 in the morning to realize it. (Isn’t worry about the Mueller investigation the point that most of us immediately jumped to?) But I will say that the appointment of one new SC justice shouldn’t change everything. After all, it was only a few days ago that pretty much everyone claimed that the idea that Trump could pardon himself would be laughed out of court. A new Trumpster on the court couldn’t change that, even if he voted in favor of it.
Obviously, the concern with these most recent SC rulings is that the conservative majority is thoroughly corrupt and overtly pro-Trump. But since Kennedy was with the majority on all those rulings, he must be considered thoroughly corrupt too and willing to vote in the same way as his Trumpster replacement will. So this new pick doesn’t really change anything–at least as far as this issue is concerned.
I’m not saying there is nothing to worry about. But I am saying that the reasoning for this position is a bit suspect and seems to be motivated to some degree by a sense of panic. That’s never good. I definitely think that the Dems should insist that a new vote wait for the Mueller report to be complete (and also if it finds that Trump did collude that Gorsuch should be removed from his seat). But we do need to keep our heads here.
He is definitely right about Trump under investigation. However I am pessimistic about success of any argument advanced by Democrats. Republicans are in majority and will use naked power as before to achieve their goal. Media will support Republicans. Trump probe will be never completed, and he will be exonerated. Most progressive laws will be reversed. And as long the economy is good Trump will remain in office.Progress could be made on local and state levels for eventual push back on federal level.
There was a time, back in the early ACA challenges, that Roberts seemed concerned about his legacy. I hope he still is.
I take not only no pleasure but deep sadness in saying I don’t have confidence our Democratic lawmakers are, for the large part, up to the challenge. I would be completely demoralized from watching this past 1 1/2 years if it weren’t for the vibrant signs of civic engagement and the coming together of so many different activist groups.
And yeah, I know, Democrats aren’t in power. I’m not talking about them not being able to pass legislation, I’m talking about their inability to step up and adequately inform and warn the public. The seeming inability of most to try something novel to break through.
And before this gets misread by some who want to guard the party from radicals or whatever it is they think they’re doing…
An example of a Democratic lawmaker I believe is stepping up is Ted Lieu. He knew from day 1 he needed to radically change his approach. He used his strength of humor to get noticed. All I’m asking for is signs they are acting in accordance with the threat and can fight.
Pelosi and Schumer taking time out to be scolds regarding calls to protest is not helpful when we are on the cusp of mass civil disobedience possibly (even likely) being the only thing keeping us from falling into an autocracy.
I agree, this is our present climate.
But you’ve left out the possibility and responsibility of Democrats to fight harder on the public stage, to break through the media. We can call on them to fulfill this responsibility. Between that and civic engagement I’m still optimistic.