117 Comments
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Bonnie MacEvoy's avatar

I hope someone somewhere is keeping track of all these little loopholes and lack of guardrails and clarity in our system that allow Trump to skirt the intent and protection of various statues. Then whenever sensible congress people come to office, they can rapidly get to work with a package to protect our government and country from another slide into such abuse.

patricia's avatar

starting with the electoral college

teresafbrooks's avatar

The John Lewis Voting Rights Act - passage of it should be a top priority.

And there must be a move to overturn the immunity decision. How that is best done, I do not know.

progwoman's avatar

Unfortunately, the electoral college is no little loophole, which isn't to say it shouldn't be dissolved.

patricia's avatar

yes, very undemocratic that just a few states determine who is president of us all !

David J. Sharp's avatar

Good point—even SCOTUS chooses to “rule” anonymously … on rules not substance.

Betsy J. Miller's avatar

I hoped that with all my (now broken) heart throughout Trump 2016-2020. Apparently no one was, or, no one in power was, or no one who had the power believed it was worth the work because we'd never be where we are now.

Bonnie MacEvoy's avatar

That's why I worry. Somehow before we know it, the midterms happen and the majority is lost. Day one of the next democratic majority must be active, if it is not too late.

celeste k.'s avatar

I know there are those who are keeping track. I bet Joyce is one of them. I work ardently at getting newly eligible people to register to vote, as well as anyone else who isn't already. And I encourage they all read factual info to understand the stakes, and the consequences of not paying attention. The importance of the midterms and changing the majority to protect this democracy and everyone's civil rights (as well as countless other reasons) can't be overstated.

Carol Gamm's avatar

Not just the Supreme Court that is taking America apart, bit by bit.

Ron Bravenec's avatar

Recent Trump-appointed judges.

Claire's avatar

Roberts has spent (misspent) his entire legal career on creating the “unitary executive” by ignoring the equal branches of his own judiciary and the legislative. Talk about unAmerican activities!

Al A.'s avatar

It's difficult to understand why conservatives who purport to favor limited government enthusiastically applaud unchecked presidential power.

David Betts's avatar

Years ago the conservative mind was analyzed by psychologists who found a prevalence of a "strict father" preferred mindset in conservatives. Trump embodies that preference. He "runs the world." And he is running it in the direction conservatives believe in. It's a two for two win.

When we eventually have a progressive president it will be a one to one tie and they will not be so enthusiastic about unchecked presidential powers.

JK's avatar

Yep, they (Trumpists) hate the Nanny state, but they sure love the Daddy Does Best state.

David Betts's avatar

You gave me a TV flashback:

Father Knows Best

1954 ‧ Sitcom ‧ 6 seasons

ROBIN SCROFANI's avatar

But that is “limited government” - limited to a few people with all the power.

SPW's avatar

They want limited to the Executive branch only.

DM's avatar

We need full throated Supreme Court reform. That has to be a major priority for Democrats. They have been far too timid so far regarding this issue, ending the filibuster, adopting a strong anticorruption platform. Going back to the normalcy of the Biden administration is just not enough.

Dana Bennett's avatar

THIS is horrific!!! OMG!

LeslieN's avatar

The Supreme Farce needs to have those robes stripped from them now. They think they are as unconstrained as the Traitor to whom they gave absolute power over We The People. The shadow docket shouldn't be allowed: total transparency should be demanded by those of us whose lives are being impacted by these 6 people. And scrap these lifetime appointments. Four of these justices lied to get on the bench; and believe themselves to be untouchable. Sorry folks, but you are not elevated above the rest of humanity. You are no better than the rest of us, and frankly, you are a whole lot worse than the rest of us. Resist & reform this irrelevant relic of a so-called "supreme" court.

Beth Sousa's avatar

I think we actually need the emergency docket, but it too needs guardrails. This tool of SCOTUS has gradually become "the shadow docket" because it is used more and more frequently when it should not. Not to mention the court needs to be expanded by a few seats and Justices' terms limited.

Sioux Fleming's avatar

Democracy being nibbled to death by ducks. At first it’s only irritating so we don’t notice. I know we’re long past not noticing but this one will likely slip under the corporate media radar because it’s harder to explain, especially if the way it was phrased applies only to agencies with executive rather than legislative and judicial function.

Betsy J. Miller's avatar

"Nibbling" was 2016-2020. This is "bashed with sledgehammers from all sides."

Sioux Fleming's avatar

I was thinking more in the context of being hit with dozens of things every day, some of them more complicated to explain so they don’t make good sound bites. This one isn’t that complicated but the added issues of this applying to agencies who have an executive function rather than legislative and that many lower information voters may not really know what the NLRB does if they aren’t themselves in a union makes this a bit opaque.

Acting Duke of Serutan's avatar

King Donold wins another one. So much for separation of powers.

Maureen Dorsey's avatar

While many correctly view trump as a plague on our society, he is merely the vassal. This move toward autocratic rule-----prettily dressed up in the innocuous descriptor 'unitary executive'--- is the end game of the Federalist Society. So, even with trump ensconced in a skilled nursing facility or a mausoleum, the US is on the path of less democracy. A lot of voters are in favor of this because the fundamentalists have been politically awakened and they like them an authoritarian regime.

Here's hoping that when progressives regain power that they flex that power in ways that reverse this current regime's mess.

John Sherwood's avatar

So much for the civil service.

Senior cynic's avatar

Many people keep using the term unprecedented to describe the nearly unlimited powers various courts are giving Trump. Sadly, they are no longer unprecedented but are becoming precedent.

James Quinn's avatar

Once again, judges are attempting to use some aspect of the general case to avoid dealing with the specifics of Trump’s autocratic depredations. I always heard that in dealing with lawbreaking, motivation has to be a part of the puzzle, but as in Trump v USA, the judges enabling Trump regularly ignore what he’s trying to do by making the demonstrably false assumption that his agenda is something other than entirely self-serving.

Dave Kirkpatrick's avatar

I cried when I woke up after the election in 2016 when tRUmp won. It’s only gotten worse every day tRUmp is alive, in power, or influencing the ignorant.

patricia's avatar

I was in shock...took me 3 days to cry

Ann R's avatar

If this keeps up the folks running the government, as Dementia Don plays on his phone, will take over completely! Horrifying!

Dr. Karen Stafford's avatar

Is it possible, should the gods of democracy grant us wins in 2026, that a Supreme Court justice be removed?

Susan Stone's avatar

Try several. Besides Thomas and Alito, Gorsuch is really bad. He is on the court to get revenge for how his mother was treated when she did something that was not legal. Don't remember exactly what the problem was, but I know that's why Gorsuch is on the court.

Lin's avatar

His mother Anne Burford, was EPA Administrator under Reagan. 1. She was forced to resign after following Reagan's orders to play favorites and let a company off the hook, and her son didn't think it was right. And 2. The Chevron case began under her watch, and Justice Gorsuch did not recuse himself and overruled the prior Chevron decision.

Susan Stone's avatar

Thank you, Lin. I appreciate being reminded of the details.

John Hofer's avatar

The theory of the Unitary Executive is an attack upon administrative law. And what is worrisome here is that administrative law allows access for everyday Americans to challenge government judgements, not requiring thousands of dollars of attorney fees.

During the Civil Rights struggles in the 1960s, many civil rights violations, especially regarding violation of rules of the Dept. of Agriculture, got justice for minority farmers.

The theory of the Unitary Executive is an attempt to weaken People Power, putting everyday citizens in their proper place: with bent knee before an omnipotent president.

The Roberts' court is failing this country.

Peter Burnett's avatar

Yes, Sir, but... such polite understatement.