I see. So Biden could chuck in four democrat justices ASAP and swing the balance.
This sounds like a GOP move, but it does seem the right move.
It is extremely controversial. Biden has been rather tepid about the idea, and I do not believe that he has the political clout to make it happen regardless (without all 50 Democratic Senators on board, it’s a non-starter). It may also be the only thing that can save America at this point…
8 Likes
So you’d have to get it through the house first. The same house who seem intent on tying up just about every other thing? That sucks.
No, you would not have to get it through the house. Extra nominations would still go straight to the Senate, but the Senate is divided 50/50, and I think that more than just the usual Manchin and Sinema would be unwilling to go along with it. It’s one of those risky Pandora’s Box type situations where people would start asking things like, “Why not 50 justices?” It could potentially happen if the Democrats somehow pick up a few more seats on the Senate in the midterms this year, but even then, it’s going to be an uphill battle and a wedge issue for the GQP to use in 2024.
ETA: I think you may have the House and Senate mixed up. The Senate is the one where Mitch McConnel is famously stalling and holding up anything and everything that the Democrats try to do.
11 Likes
Sorry, I mixed up the house with the senate.
Our UK politics are not quite as confusing, although they are equally awful.
I get the Pandora’s Box thing, that did cross my mind.
3 Likes
I didn’t fully understand the mid-terms, but that has made it clearer. Fingers crossed.
3 Likes
Well then, I bet it’s easy to explain how it was legal for the Queen to “prorogue” Parliament but illegal for the PM to ask her to do it that one time 
7 Likes
Okay, good point, they are just as confusing.
9 Likes
I believe the prorogation was altogether illegal, but the queen is above the law and the pm is not.
There, I tried.
8 Likes
Is that why you call it a “hat trick?” 
3 Likes
I believe that is exactly where the phrase comes from.
2 Likes
See, that’s even better, that’s great 
That’s like how the only way we know what rules apply to the Supreme Court is we have to ask the Supreme Court, in a lawsuit, and then they’ll tell us
11 Likes
Good, innit?
we’re all fecked.
5 Likes
Honestly, this ruling taken alone isn’t that noteworthy. It’s based on the law that says you can’t sue civil servants for performing their duties, even if they did something wrong in the performance of said duties. Which I don’t agree with, but whatever, it’s been on the book for decades (1972 I think). Not like this is brand new.
However, when coupled with the entirely invented legal opinion of “Qualified Immunity” which prevents law enforcement officials from being criminally punished for violating the law, it sets up a system where a sub-set of the population is entirely separated from any consequences of their actions. They can thus ignore all parts of the Constitution they so choose, and as we see here, will do so.
Yes, indeed… we’re all fecked.
14 Likes
Yeah, bad cases make bad law. Oh, and fascist judges.
3 Likes
Narc got hit. Boo fucking hoo.
Now nobody is safe. Well done, America.
12 Likes
Lots of “fly-over” state area is outside of a 100 mile radius of an airport that accepts international flights.
@anon85524460: I’ve lived in Washtenaw County for 25 years and have never seen CBP anywhere except the border in Detroit and Port Huron. I’ve seen ICE, ATF and FBI, but not CBP.
9 Likes
It’s been done.
ALL of Michigan, Florida, New Jersey, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and almost all of New York, Vermont, Maryland, and Massachusetts, are in this zone.
7 Likes
The article linked here has a map of the border zone.
5 Likes
