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2 of the 9 members of the Supreme Court have — nearly a quarter — faced credible allegations of sexual misconduct. Their reaction to those allegations suggests they cannot be trusted to be impartial in hearing cases relating to assault.
A third member of the Supreme Court is there because Republicans manipulated the size of the court in an unprecedented power grab.
The current Supreme Court is not legitimate and cannot be trusted to do its job in an impartial manner.
It must be reformed.
The current Supreme Court is not legitimate and cannot be trusted to do its job in an impartial manner.
It must be reformed.
This is painful for me to say; to the extent that I grew up revering any institution, it was the Supreme Court. (Here's a drawing a friend left in my high school yearbook.)
But the court is broken. And if we let it, it will do irreparable harm to America. It must be reformed.
But the court is broken. And if we let it, it will do irreparable harm to America. It must be reformed.
"Reforming" the Court does not depending on the nobility of its members to right the ship. It does not mean waiting for resignations and hoping they coincide with a White House & Senate who care about democracy.
It means actively changing the damn thing before it's too late.
It means actively changing the damn thing before it's too late.
If there's a Democratic president & Congress in 2021, they can pass a law -- a simple law, a constitutional amendment is unnecessary -- adding seats to the court. Then they appoint 4 new justices to offset the GOP's power grab.
There are other reforms, perhaps.
There are other reforms, perhaps.
Court reform should be part of the Democratic presidential debates. Without it, the next President's accomplishments will likely be killed by a partisan court.
The delay that could cause for climate solutions, for example, could be insurmountable.
The delay that could cause for climate solutions, for example, could be insurmountable.
There is no "win the election and return to normal."
"Normal" is a disaster. "Normal" got us here. "Normal" will get people killed. "Normal" is doom.
Enjoy your weekend.
"Normal" is a disaster. "Normal" got us here. "Normal" will get people killed. "Normal" is doom.
Enjoy your weekend.
PS: I'm too filled with rage and fear about the urgent need for court reform to give the New York Times the thrashing it deserves, but @danpfeiffer and @jonlovett have you covered on that front:
It wasn't "poorly-phrased," you feckless thimblewits. It was a spectacularly offensive *sentiment;* it wouldn't have been better had you changed "thrust" to "waved" or "fun" to "gag."
PPS: In case any of you are wondering what I'm like in person ... Exactly this:
The norm of a 9-member court is dead. It was destroyed by Mitch McConnell and the Republicans. Norms are not norms if only one side follows them.
The question now is not whether we preserve norms — we cannot; they’re dead.
The question is whether we surrender or fight.
The question now is not whether we preserve norms — we cannot; they’re dead.
The question is whether we surrender or fight.
Two previous tweets.
You deleted *two* previous tweets, because you somehow managed to be offensive while trying to explain the first offensive tweet.
You deleted *two* previous tweets, because you somehow managed to be offensive while trying to explain the first offensive tweet.
If you’re wondering why we are just learning now about new evidence Kavanaugh committed sexual assault, it’s because Susan Collins and Cory Gardner wanted the pre-confirmation investigation to be a sham, and so it was. This isn’t hindsight. I said it then.
The Kavanaugh investigation was a sham from day one because Susan Collins, Cory Gardner, Jeff Flake, and Lindsey Graham wanted it to be a sham and this was completely obvious at the time.
This is the worst devil’s advocacy I’ve ever seen.
Two quick facts in response to a bunch of replies:
1) Adding seats to the Supreme Court does not require a constitutional amendment. The constitution does not set the size of the court.
2) Term limits for federal judges *would* require an amendment.
1) Adding seats to the Supreme Court does not require a constitutional amendment. The constitution does not set the size of the court.
2) Term limits for federal judges *would* require an amendment.
——>
The GOP *did* manipulate the size of the court in 2016-17 in a power grab; my reaction is that norms are not norms if only one side follows them, and that allowing that power grab to stand is not the preservation of norms, it is surrender to norm-breakers.
The FBI wasn’t permitted to investigate because supposedly moderate Senate Republicans like Susan Collins, Cory Gardner and Joni Ernst, who had the power to force a real investigation, preferred a cover-up.
I think about this tweet from 2 weeks before Kavanaugh was nominated *all the time.*
All the way back in 2016/17 when they announced the seat previously held by Scalia would remain empty and the court capped at 8 members as long as a Democrat was president, then added a 9th member when a Republican was in office.
You saw it, you just chose not to understand it.
You saw it, you just chose not to understand it.
--->
Given everything we know about the activist Republican Supreme Court and the narrow window for climate action, climate solutions have to include court reform or they may never get off the ground.
Everything is connected.
Everything is connected.
This is not how you would react if you gave a damn about the truth. This is how you would react if you successfully constrained the investigation in the first place because you don’t give a damn about the truth.
This is like OJ promising to find the real killer.
Mitch McConnell & the GOP manipulated the size of the Supreme Court in an unprecedented power grab so it would do things like killing climate laws (see: beta.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/… )
Now he’s afraid Democrats will add seats to the court because he knows that would undo his theft.
Now he’s afraid Democrats will add seats to the court because he knows that would undo his theft.
How long are Democrats going to let Mitch McConnell bully them?
