Republican efforts to ram through Donald Trump’s third US supreme court pick in the wake of the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg are firing up a fierce progressive backlash that some believe could actually trigger the most dramatic round of democracy reforms in America in a generation.
It is the President’s constitutional duty to nominate people for the Supreme Court. And the Senate’s to consider them.
This is “ram through”?
Democratic party leaders are coming under intense pressure to use the first 100 days of a Biden administration – were Trump defeated in November – to tackle some of the most glaring deficiencies in the world’s oldest constitutional democracy.
A vast array of reforms – from ending voter suppression and removing corporate money from elections, to rebalancing the US Senate and tackling the conservative stranglehold over the courts – are all up for grabs, though they are predicated on Biden winning the White House.
All of those look more like embedding progressive power rather than correcting deficits really.
“All of those look more like embedding progressive power rather than correcting deficits really.”
Because that’s exactly what they are….
There has been 29 nominations in the final year of a presidential term. Eisenhower appointed a judge while the Senate was in recess for the election and refused to return for confirmation hearings.
But still, let’s not let precedent get in the way of childish tantrums because Orange man Bad.
“Rebalancing the US Senate” – that involves scrapping the constitution. No wonder they want to take control of the Supreme Court!
The Democrats are already vastly outspending the Republicans on advertising according to the FT so the “ban corporate fundraising” is a smokescreen.
A vast array of reforms – from ending voter suppression
From enabling voter fraud
and removing corporate money from elections
Imagine how badly Hillary would have lost if she wasn’t able to outspend Trump 5:1
to rebalancing the US Senate
Adding Democrat senators without going through the pesky process of winning elections
tackling the conservative stranglehold over the courts
The stranglehold that prevents us from making shit up as we go along rather than ruling based on the written constitution
though they are predicated on Biden winning the White House.
When your plans for utopia rely on a diaper-wearing dementia patient being your ruler, your plans ain’t good.
I don’t have any proof of course, but I wouldn’t mind betting that a 6:3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court bench would more accurately reflect the (small c) conservative outlook of the American public than the ‘shouty’ majority liberals hold of about 300:1.
They’re arguing for following the Merrick Garland precedent that McConnell established. Seems reasonable to me.
A sinister-sounding bunch of reforms. I can only hope that our regular American visitors are correct about The Donald having it sewn up.
Matthew L, why is Trump bound by a decision of the Republican establishment which has always despised him?
Voter suppression? Even the dead can vote.
This is actually the “Biden rule”. And the rule is “when the President and the Senate Majority Leader are of _different_ parties …”
. . . the Merrick Garland precedent that McConnell established.
Do you mean the senate majority party declining to confirm the SC nominee of an opposition party president? Already established. Which shouldn’t be a surprise as it is entirely constitutional and democratically proper.
McConnell has operated successfully within the established rules. Therefore the Dems want to throw the rule book under the bus.
@ Mal Reynolds
You forgot “hair-sniffing”
If Biden was never invited to the island it’s probably because Epstein thought it would give the place a bad name
They’re arguing for following the Merrick Garland precedent that McConnell established. Seems reasonable to me.
Well, here’s Matthew L, our first candidate for Moron of the Day.
The precedent was set in 1992 by Senator Joe Biden, then chairman of the senate judiciary committee, when he told then-president George H.W. Bush that no Supreme Court nominee would be considered until after the Bush/Clinton election. It’s been known as the Biden Rule since 1992.
McConnell didn’t establish the precedent… He followed it by invoking the Biden Rule.
Twat.
No need to worry folks–Dennis has told us that the US elections cannot be stolen by Demorats –so that’s it.
I nominate someone for Moron of the Day and in minutes Ecks pops up.
Coincidence?
Ramble round the insults all you like Disease –but still waiting to hear why Trump is concerned about an election steal but an Eternal Ego like you knows it cant happen. 2 by 2 of each or some such bullshit. It seems both Trump and the Demorats failed to get your memo. Tut Tut.
To answer my own question… Evidently not.
So no actual answer then Dennis. Must be your Scots -German heritage. A Nazi and mean as mouseshite with it.
An under-medicated Ecks is terrible to behold.
” vast array of reforms – from ending voter suppression and removing corporate money from elections, to rebalancing the US Senate and tackling the conservative stranglehold over the courts – are all up for grabs, though they are predicated on Biden winning the White House.”
This is funny… Even considering the fact that these are pre-election “promises” ( which , of course, means chances of actual materialisation post=election will amount to “rice-paper gnat in hell”..)…
How much of this would mean the Dems would have to cut deep into their own flesh to make it actually happen?
Maybe Dennis has a better outlook on this, being US-ian, but to me it looks like the pot promising to remove some blackface, while accusing the kettle of applying the same..
How much of this would mean the Dems would have to cut deep into their own flesh to make it actually happen?
The first thing to note is that the Guardian is interviewing “activists”, not members of the Democratic Party establishment. These people speak for themselves, not for the party. I don’t think much of this progressive wish list has a chance of happening.
Remember, the only reason the Democratic Party rallied around Joe Biden was to fend off Bernie Sanders and the progressives. And when it is all said and done, what we will probably find is that there are fewer progressives out there than most people think. Never forget, Bernie and the Bernie Bros came to the fore against Hillary Clinton… It was the Hillary Effect: Democrats will vote for anyone other than Hillary Clinton if given the chance. Just as she managed to launch the previously unknown Barack Obama, she also managed to launch Bernie Sanders. The catch to this is a big one, though. Whereas Obama was a gifted campaigner – and tacked to the center – the progressives have campaigned poorly (hectoring, strident, etc.) and tacked even further left.
Biden has no chance of winning. The riots in Portland and NYC are ongoing. BLM is losing public support. Gun sales are through the roof and ammo can’t be found. Biden isn’t campaigning in person in battleground states and has no campaign ground game. Harris isn’t doing much campaigning either. Trump is hitting PA, OH, MI, WI, MN on a regular basis. He’s won the law and order battle, and Biden has lost it.
And people won’t be watching the debate tonight to hear Biden talk policy, they’ll be watching to see if he can get through the debate without displaying obvious signs of dementia. That’s not the path to victory.
“And people won’t be watching the debate tonight to hear Biden talk policy, they’ll be watching to see if he can get through the debate without displaying obvious signs of dementia.”
It will be like watching “Weekend at Bernie’s,” with Sniffin’ Joe being propped up on stage.
Dennis of Multiple Personalities, I’m afraid you underestimate the Dems’ evil. Hopefully, Trump will win by a large enough margin that the Dems’ cheating won’t matter. I expect the extent of their cheating to be large, up to 10% of the vote.
Dennis of Multiple Personalities, I’m afraid you underestimate the Dems’ evil. Hopefully, Trump will win by a large enough margin that the Dems’ cheating won’t matter. I expect the extent of their cheating to be large, up to 10% of the vote.
Don’t go Ecks on us.
Here’s why I don’t think it will happen. First of all, Donald Trump is a street fighting politician who has spent his life in New York City, where politics is a full contact sport. He is fully aware of what certain elements within the Democratic Party may attempt to do. What hasn’t been reported much (because Trump and the Republicans aren’t advertising it) is that the RNC has hired, trained and dispatched a large number of lawyers to those states that are expected to be close. They’ve been there for months now. They are working with state Republican party officials to monitor the activities of the Democratic party operatives in those states.
You don’t hear to much about what the Republicans are doing to counteract attempts at voter fraud because Trump and the RNC have chosen to keep much of that quiet. The fact that you don’t hear a dog barking doesn’t mean there isn’t a dog. The other thing to keep in mind is that building a bit of paranoia about voter fraud might just be another way Trump can activate the base and increase turnout. Finally, let’s not forget that the media is addicted to clickbait. Hysterical articles about rampant voter fraud will get more clicks than a nice, professional article detailing all of the measures being taken to prevent voter fraud.
And never, ever go full Ecks on anything.
I’m pretty much of the opinion that Trump is going to win bigly.
That the Demoncrats and deep state are scraping the barrel & throwing everything they can find at him, means that they must be truly, deeply worried, given that the polling has Biden in front (lol).
Every incumbent has a natural advantage against the challenger, but Covid & the riots have muddied the waters somewhat.
Biden however, has said some pretty weird things, is personally rather creepy, and is mired in a fog of corruption surrounding him and his son. Never mind the fact that he is quite possibly mental. The only reason he had got as far as he has is because;
1. He’s not Shrillary
2. He’s not Bernie
3. The media absolutely refuses to scrutinise his behaviour.
4. Every media outlet, celebutard, online forum and big business is firmly in the Democrats camp and is trying to strangle Trump and Trump supporters online presence.
I’m just wondering, when he does win, whether the left will all spontaneously combust. The fallout will be spectacular.
It seems to me the covid fuss would be an advantage to Trump. After all, any voter inclined towards Trump would be concerned about the economy.
They’d also know that the Dems feel that Trump’s failure to deal with covid by total incarceration is his biggest weakness.
In addition to the loss of their freedom, the economic results of this policy are obvious.