Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Today’s GOP: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. let’s win this.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

Infrastructure week. at last.

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

T R E 4 5 O N

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

They’re not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

I’m pretty sure there’s only one Jack Smith.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

This fight is for everything.

You are here: Home / Politics / Activist Judges! / Trench Lawfare Open Thread: Of Course Kavanaugh’s A Pig-Fellator, and We Should Also Make The GOP Deny It

Trench Lawfare Open Thread: Of Course Kavanaugh’s A Pig-Fellator, and We Should Also Make The GOP Deny It

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182Comments

  3. 3.

    feebog

    I like the idea of all 49 Democrat Senators meeting with Judge Kavanaugh. Very lengthy interviews. Follow up interviews. Tons of written questions.

  4. 4.

    Jerzy Russian

    Wasn’t Orrin Hatch the senator who had to have an aid whisper in his ear to tell him what to say during a hearing? If so, I respectfully ask that aid to tell the senator to go fuck himself.

  6. 6.

    Yarrow

    I suspect if this nomination is scuttled it’ll be before a vote,

    Trump will go ballistic if his nominee fails to get a vote.

  7. 7.

    prostratedragon

    So glad Justice Ginsburg signalled an unwillingness to go along with a stunt like this. And I wonder who really was floating the idea out there.

  14. 14.

    Yarrow

    @Yutsano: But this would be only if this nomination doesn’t make it to a vote for some reason. Trump would be furious and, since he followed the Federalist list and it failed, I can easily see him nominating someone he likes, someone he thinks is loyal to him.

  15. 15.

    trollhattan

    @boatboy_srq:
    I don’t get the “put ducklings in a blender” and “chased down Mexican day laborers in his Merc at the Home Depot parking lot” vibe from Kavanaugh.

  16. 16.

    Corner Stone

    Dana Houle @DanaHoule

    Only good thing that could come from this dirty deal w Kennedy is if the other three manipulated & used “finalists” began regularly ruling against the Trump administration.

    Never, ever happen. They all feel pretty sure either Thomas or RGB (or both) will leave the court during Trump’s tenure. They are young and can wait to be slotted in again next time around.

  17. 17.

    piratedan

    “Senator Hatch, we have Judge Garland still on hold for over three years on line 2……”

    today’s GOP, the party of hypocrites…

  18. 18.

    TenguPhule

    @trollhattan:

    I don’t get the “put ducklings in a blender” and “chased down Mexican day laborers in his Merc at the Home Depot parking lot” vibe from Kavanaugh.

    I get the feeling he texts his junk a lot.

  22. 22.

    Thoughtful David

    The only solution to this is, the next time Democrats get control of government, is to expand the Supreme Court by 4, to 13, and put in four 25-year-old non-Catholic Latinas with immigrant parents and immigrant relatives and sensibilities like Ms. Ocasio Cortez.
    That would make things better.

  23. 23.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @Yarrow:
    And? What’s the problem with that? Maybe he’ll stroke out from the rage.

  24. 24.

    TS (the original)

    There is no level below which the GOP and their orange frump will not fall. I truly wish I had not lived to see this takeover of the US by unbridled streams of hatred.

  28. 28.

    Mary G

    @Yarrow: Trump actually got the Federalists to add Kavanaugh to their list, along with three fillers, last fall. He’s been scheming this for months.

  29. 29.

    PST

    The Onion is for sale according to a news bulletin that just popped up on my screen. Shall we go in together and make a bid? It would make a fine addition to the Balloon Juice empire.

  30. 30.

    James E Powell

    The headline of this post shows a lack of the civility that the Village insists all Democrats must follow. And just for that, they will continue to be hateful bigots, just to show us how things really stand.

    What are the odds that the GOP senators just take the nomination to a vote with no hearing? They will explain that Democrats are just obstructionists who ask a lot of impertinent & uncivil questions & they’re never going to vote for him anyway because they hate Jesus, America, and Our Troops. There will be NYT & WaPo OpEds to back them up on this.

    Every day I expect things to be worse than the day before.

  32. 32.

    Major Major Major Major

    @Amir Khalid: it arguably ended the Lochner era and salvaged the New Deal, and didn’t exactly dampen his re-election chances.

  33. 33.

    germy

    So the whole "deliberation" process was just for the spectacle of it…? I wonder if the other 3 final contenders for SCOTUS knew Trump had already picked Kavanaugh and was just using them as props in his reality TV presidency? https://t.co/igEHQK2Shr
    — Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) July 10, 2018

  35. 35.

    japa21

    @Amir Khalid: Because he tried it unilaterally and even the Dems in Congress refused to go along. But Congress can expand it by statute. Of course, then when the GOP is back in power they can expand it again, or reduce it and decide which current justices have to leave.

  38. 38.

    MagdaInBlack

    Pulled this off Rawstory….Blitzer and Azar

    “If this policy been in the works for more than a year, gearing up. Why can’t you meet the federal deadline?” Blitzer asked, as he grilled Azar on the immigration policy.

    Azar said he never expected to.

    “Two weeks ago the court said put them back with parents in ICE custody within a two week period. On average it takes us 58 days for a normal placement of a child to out place them to a safe environment. Here in the United States. So, placing them back into ICE’s custody with an individual purporting to be a parent was never an expectation.”

    NEVER an expectation.

  40. 40.

    Major Major Major Major

    @TenguPhule: I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that merely accomplishing several important things wasn’t a good enough reason to try something again.

  42. 42.

    Tilda Swintons Bald Cap

    @NormOrnstein
    I want to repeat a statistic I use in every talk: by 2040 or so, 70 percent of Americans will live in 15 states. Meaning 30 percent will choose 70 senators. And the 30% will be older, whiter, more rural, more male than the 70 percent. Unsettling to say the least

  43. 43.

    david

    @Amir Khalid: Nothing magical about the number 9. When the SC was formed, it had only 6. GOP pledged to keep it to 8 if Hillary won. If a Dem ever wins both houses and WH again, they can choose to change the number of seats.

  45. 45.

    Platonailedit

    Lifetime judges.

    Hey, it sounded like a great idea at that time, ok?

    /the ‘founding fathers’

  46. 46.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Because, and ONLY because it’s a designated Open Thread:

    I have a vague recollection that someone here had some experience with a parotidectomy, either first-hand or a loved one. This was years ago, and I have no way of identifying the jackal in question. But if it was you, please let me know. I’ll check back in an hour or so. Thanks!

  47. 47.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @Thoughtful David:
    We also need to expand the number of seats in the House to actually represent the population. If any small state Dems complain, ask them if they want the Repukes to win forever.

  50. 50.

    Major Major Major Major

    @TenguPhule: if your definition of a political maneuver ‘working’ doesn’t include “achieving long-desired goals” then I don’t think we can have a sensible discussion about political maneuvers.

  52. 52.

    Amir Khalid

    When I come across, a story like this, I remember what happened the first few times I applied for a US visa. Even though I was going to be a guest of a big blue tech company, and supporting documentation made it clear that I was a journalist on assignment, I was given a visa with a code that said I was travelling to the US for religious reasons. Once an immigration agent questioned my odd visa classification, and I had to argue with him to be let in. This was during Bill Clinton’s presidency. Had it happened during Trump’s, there might have been a less happy outcome.

  53. 53.

    Mary G

    The White House sent out quotes from 34 people praising Kavanaugh. Breakdown by gender.
    1. Man
    2. Man
    3. Man
    4. Man
    5. Man
    6. Man
    7. Man
    8. Man
    9. Man
    10. Man
    11. Man
    12. Man
    13. Man
    14. Man
    15. Man
    16. Man
    17. Man
    18. Man
    19. Man
    20. Man
    21. Man
    22. Man
    23. Man
    24. Man
    25. Man
    — Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) July 10, 2018

    26. Man
    27. Man
    28. Man
    29. Man
    30. Man
    31. Man
    32. Man
    33. Man
    34. Manhttps://t.co/6WZ12JyvtR
    — Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) July 10, 2018

    WaPo posted an opinion of Kavanaugh from a lady who’s a neighbor and co-parishioner of Kavanaugh about what a great dad he is. I commented “Hitler loved his dogs,” which is totally unlike me, but I am so angry today.

  55. 55.

    TenguPhule

    @Major Major Major Major: My reading of the court packing attempt was that it blew up in FDR’s face and although he won re-election, the court packing did not help him in that. You are free to disagree and point out how and where I’m wrong.

  56. 56.

    sukabi

    @MagdaInBlack: saw that earlier…they need to be asked “what exactly was your expectation, if returning them to their parents wasn’t in your plans?”

  57. 57.

    chris

    Well, as long as the pig enjoyed it…

    While we’re on the subject of judges, I saw this tweet today. going by the comments this is another bad thing in the continuing shitstorm.

    BREAKING: @realDonaldTrump @WhiteHouse releases Executive Order to end competitive selection process for Administrative Law Judges, making them political appointees who can be fired at will.— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) 10 July 2018

  59. 59.

    TenguPhule

    @sukabi: The plan was to make a quick profit from human suffering and then play the “we must look forward, not back” card.

  60. 60.

    James Lindley

    For forty years, the only requirement for Republican judicial nominees is a capability to commit perjury by commission or omission with a snarl, a smile, or a smirk.

  62. 62.

    Amir Khalid

    @Thoughtful David:
    Right now, Trump and the Republican party are better situated to pack the Supreme Court. If Democrats try it and fail, they might decide to pack the Court with their preferred justices, and that would really not be good.

  63. 63.

    efgoldman

    this argument could be used vs anyone who might be moveable, like Collins, Murkowski, or Capito
    – Dana Houle

    Generally I like and agree with Dana, but there is no fucking way Suzy Q Collins votes against, unless McTurtle pulls it because he knows he doesn’t have tbe votes.

    Dem Sens ought to question the nominee very closely about his work for Rape Apologist Starr, chasing the Clenis

  65. 65.

    Baud

    @Amir Khalid: We wouldn’t try it unless we control the government after 2020. After that, we’d have to control at least one House of Congress or the Presidency to keep the GOP from doing it.

  71. 71.

    piratedan

    and if the fix was in for the last six months, you have to hand it to the GOP to let the cat out of the bag 6 hours after its announced. If they could keep it under wraps while the deal was being cut, now its alright for the shareholders to know that they “bought” the golden parachute for the Conservatives in regards to control of the Supreme Court.

    beginning to think we have the wrong folks in these detention camps…. instead we should be placing these assholes there and then let them submit to DNA testing at their own expense to get their guns and money back.

  74. 74.

    Mike in NC

    @Mary G: If anybody here watches the sitcom “Superstore”, this fellow Kavanaugh looks a bit like the prissy, goofball store manager.

  75. 75.

    TenguPhule

    @piratedan:

    and then let them submit to DNA testing at their own expense to get their guns and money back.

    Wait, we’re supposed to give those back to them?! That wasn’t part of the plan!

  79. 79.

    TenguPhule

    Donald J. Trump
    ✔
    @realDonaldTrump
    The European Union makes it impossible for our farmers and workers and companies to do business in Europe (U.S. has a $151 Billion trade deficit), and then they want us to happily defend them through NATO, and nicely pay for it. Just doesn’t work!

    8:52 AM – Jul 10, 2018

    I’m sure this bodes well for the Alliance. //

  81. 81.

    Gvg

    @TenguPhule: the goal wasn’t to pack the court. The goal was to save the new deal. After the Court struck down several important laws, the FDR came up with the idea of expanding the court. He did not succeed in packing the court, however, the court changed it’s views and quit striking down FDR’s plans, which I think you wil agree, were important to our surviving the depression. So, he did “succeed” and I would speculate that if the court had continued to prevent efforts to survive the depression, Congress would have probably changed it’s mind about court packing. Either that, or different Congressmen would have been elected.

  86. 86.

    TenguPhule

    @Gvg:

    He did not succeed in packing the court, however, the court changed it’s views and quit striking down FDR’s plans, which I think you wil agree, were important to our surviving the depression. So, he did “succeed” and I would speculate that if the court had continued to prevent efforts to survive the depression, Congress would have probably changed it’s mind about court packing.

    My understanding is that the common belief is that political pressure from the court packing proposal was credited in part to convincing one crucial judge to switch positions. However, there is debate about it given that the judge appeared to have made that pivot prior to the attempt to add more justices to the court. FDR managed in part to change the court simply because he was in office long enough to see multiple openings as justices left.

    And it seems to me that FDR blew a lot of political capital in the attempt and damaged his popularity, though not to the extent that it ever threatened his releelection chances.

  87. 87.

    opiejeanne

    @Mary G: At least one of the genealogy sites has volunteered to do the DNA testing for them for free. i think it was 23 and Me but I’m not sure.

  88. 88.

    chris

    @TenguPhule: More lies. Daniel Dale is such a trooper!

    This is false. Per the Trump administration: "The EU countries, together, would rank 1st as an export market for the United States in 2016"; the EU was the fifth-largest market for US agricultural exports in 2017, at $11.5 billion, and fourth-largest in 2016, at $11.6 billion. pic.twitter.com/FcSo1X8PdJ— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) 10 July 2018

  89. 89.

    Mike in NC

    @TenguPhule: I predict a significant drawdown of our military presence in Europe. Maybe 50% to spite the anti-Trumpian Eurotrash (as they must say on Fox & Friends). Caligula demands to be loved in ALL countries.

  90. 90.

    grubert

    How about just taking away the Supreme Courts power of Judicial Review? It’s not in the Constitution, and they just sort of grabbed it in the late 18th century and Congress let them.

    Letting the Supreme Court decide on the Constitutionality of bills is clearly not working well.

  91. 91.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    @Mike in NC: I think a lot of our military facilities in Europe are staging areas for other places. It seems to me whenever you hear about a US service member being badly hurt, they’re evacuated to Germany, for instance. I don’t think we’re defending France. I could be wrong. This is so not my area.

  92. 92.

    chris

    @JPL: The thousand year yecch!

    I had to look up ALJ. After that I had the same thought, that this would blow up in their faces when power changes hands. But with the shitgibbon it’s always GIMME NOW NOW NOW!!!

  93. 93.

    TenguPhule

    Pfizer chief executive Ian Read said late Tuesday that his company would delay increasing the prices on dozens of drug products after Trump publicly berated the firm one day earlier.

    The company, in a statement, said the price increases would effectively be postponed at least until the beginning of 2019 in order “to give Trump an opportunity to work on his blueprint to strengthen the healthcare system and provide more access to patients.”

    Translation: Pfizer is going to wait till Trump is distracted by the next shiny object, then raise prices across the board.

  96. 96.

    Brachiator

    @TenguPhule:

    The European Union makes it impossible for our farmers and workers and companies to do business in Europe (U.S. has a $151 Billion trade deficit), and then they want us to happily defend them through NATO, and nicely pay for it. Just doesn’t work!

    Oh, Trump, Trump, Trump. Always trying to force a choice. “Give me my wall and I will support DACA.”

    So, what does he really want here, zero tariffs or the end of NATO.

    Trump ultimately seems to be slouching towards a weird nativist isolationism, with separate trade deals with the countries he likes.

    European leaders have to make some hard choices. Trump doesn’t seem to care about past friendships and traditional alliances. And can he be trusted to keep secrets from Putin?

    Even though it would obviously be difficult, might it be better for the Western democracies to disengage from Trump’s America?

  98. 98.

    TenguPhule

    @Brachiator:

    Even though it would obviously be difficult, might it be better for the Western democracies to disengage from Trump’s America?

    I demand they invade and occupy us. The EU Marshall plan for the USA.

  99. 99.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Justice Kennedy had been in negotiations with the Trump team for months over Kennedy’s replacement. Once Kennedy received assurances that it would be Kavanaugh (his former law clerk) Kennedy felt comfortable retiring

    Jesus God. This is just corrupt AF.

  100. 100.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @TenguPhule:

    The fate of American democracy is at stake. If we have the opportunity, we should take it and pack the court. Damn what the Republicans and the VSP media say. Insurgent politics.

  101. 101.

    zhena gogolia

    @Mary G:

    I rip out Trump’s picture when it appears on the front page of my NYT. This morning I was ripping out the picture, which included Kavanaugh’s little daughters, and I was screaming, “If you should some day want an abortion, little missy, don’t worry, Daddy will arrange it sure enough!” I don’t like what I’ve become.

  102. 102.

    What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?

    I would find it extremely gratifying if the Democrats could drag this out for a few months by weaponizing the Star Report against Kavanaugh. I’m sure he’s got something really seedy in his past…they all seem to these days.

  103. 103.

    debbie

    @TenguPhule:

    Has Trump ever acknowledged how those same NATO allies fought and died alongside Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan? Has anyone ever even asked him?

  105. 105.

    TenguPhule

    @debbie:

    Has Trump ever acknowledged how those same NATO allies fought and died alongside Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan? Has anyone ever even asked him?

    No.

  106. 106.

    chris

    @JPL:

    My concern is that it that doesn’t change hands.

    Yeah, I’m not quite there yet but I’m getting closer. After Chait’s article the other day I’ve been chanting, MAGA! Mueller Ain’t Going Away.

  107. 107.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @JPL:

    My concern is that it that doesn’t change hands.

    22nd amendment, GOP Congress overreaching, incoming backlash as a result.

    Does that cover it?

  109. 109.

    TenguPhule

    @What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?:

    I would find it extremely gratifying if the Democrats could drag this out for a few months by weaponizing the Star Report against Kavanaugh.

    Apparently just asking for all of his paperwork could potentially eat up at least 4 months or more alone.

  113. 113.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @TenguPhule:
    You presume correctly. I think it will become increasingly clear to Democratic politicians, especially if more like AOC rise through the ranks, that extreme measures will need to be taken, such as packing the Supreme Court. Thank the GOP for creating this brave new world, starting 40 years ago.

  115. 115.

    TenguPhule

    @? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?:

    I think it will become increasingly clear to Democratic politicians, especially if more like AOC rise through the ranks, that extreme measures will need to be taken, such as packing the Supreme Court.

    I have learned it is never wise to presume a politician already knows something we think they should.

  117. 117.

    danielx

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    One of the many instances which have reduced me to sputtering incoherent rage.

    These vile, corrupt bastards. EVERY FUCKING THING THEY DO is designed and planned to keep rich white males in charge for a few more decades while they work on eliminating the universal franchise.

  118. 118.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    I was listening to the Hayes show and he went through the list of R-Critters coming to Jordan’s defense. It’s the usual nitwits, Scales and McCarthy. Has anyone asked Rob Portman or the terribly, terribly principled John Kasich what they think of this history at THE Ohio State University? and one member of their Congressional delegation?

  119. 119.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @TenguPhule:
    IOW, they will need to be told, and this will work it’s way up the chain via grassroots organizing and activism

  120. 120.

    TenguPhule

    Pence said Tuesday that while he would personally like to see the Supreme Court one day overturn its landmark 1973 ruling legalizing abortion, neither he nor Trump has discussed the issue with Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Brett M. Kavanaugh.

    Asked by CNN’s Dana Bash whether he wants to see Roe v. Wade overturned, Pence replied, “I do, but I haven’t been nominated for the Supreme Court.”

    Via Wapo.

    Fuck Pence in his lying mouth with a rusty chainsaw.

    Fuck Civility.

  121. 121.

    danielx

    @TenguPhule:

    Always assuming McConnell doesn’t throw Senate rules completely out the window, which he is fully capable of doing if he thinks the stakes are high enough. He’s done it more than once already.

  123. 123.

    Gin & Tonic

    So Senators Mike Lee and Rand Paul (surprise, surprise) do not support NATO. Tonight the Senate voted on a resolution expressing their support for NATO. It went 97-2, I’m assuming McCain not voting. Lee and Paul were the two “nays.”

  126. 126.

    efgoldman

    @grubert:

    How about just taking away the Supreme Courts power of Judicial Review?

    And you get pony, and you get a pony…..

  128. 128.

    B.B.A.

    @PST: It turns out Univision’s long history of importing telenovelas and game shows from Latin America taught them diddly-poo about how to run blogs and satire websites. Who’d a thunk it. Congrats to the private equity douchebags who own Univision and eternal Likud tool Haim Saban for coming up with this idiotic merger.

  129. 129.

    TenguPhule

    A federal judge in Alexandria has ordered Paul Manafort moved to that city’s jail to prepare for his upcoming trial on bank and tax fraud charges. But Manafort is fighting the move, saying he wants to stay at a jail 100 miles away in Virginia’s Northern Neck.

    Manafort, who served as Trump’s campaign chairman for several months, last week asked for his July 25 trial in Alexandria federal court to be delayed until this fall, saying his incarceration at Northern Neck Regional Jail has made it too difficult to prepare. He also wanted the trial moved to Roanoke.

    Now the defense says moving Manafort to Alexandria would be more challenging then leaving him where he is.

    “In light of Mr. Manafort’s continuing detention and after further reflection, issues of distance and inconvenience must yield to concerns about his safety and, more importantly, the challenges he will face in adjusting to a new place of confinement and the changing circumstances of detention two weeks before trial,” his defense attorneys wrote. “With these considerations in mind, Mr. Manafort respectfully asks the Court to permit him to remain in his current place of detention.”

    Looks like someone’s afraid of catching a terminal case of suicide.

  133. 133.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    When Kagan was nominated, Rs demanded that all her emails as an exec branch employee be given to Congress, maybe even made public. I know neither McConnell nor the Villagers give a shit about precedent or consistency, but I hope the Dems and allied groups are already making demands, writing letters and filing FOIA requests for Kavanagh’s emails from his time as Bush’s staff secretary

  134. 134.

    Brachiator

    @TenguPhule:

    I demand they invade and occupy us. The EU Marshall plan for the USA.,

    That might work, too.

    But it sure looks like the European allies are going to have to ignore everything that Trump says on this European trip.

  136. 136.

    Sm*t Cl*de

    @sukabi:

    they need to be asked “what exactly was your expectation, if returning them to their parents wasn’t in your plans?”

    “Selling them to nice Republican families”.

  137. 137.

    Mai Naem mobile

    Can the Democrats waste some time trying to impeach Kennedy? I only say this to waste some time.

  140. 140.

    Kay

    COLUMBUS – President Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. Supreme Court is being hailed as a conservative voice for the bench, but he once donated to an Ohio Democrat.
    Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, 53, donated $250 to now-governor candidate Richard Cordray’s unsuccessful bid for state attorney general in 1998 and $1,000 to Cordray’s failed bid for U.S. Senate in 2000.
    Cordray lost the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate to former Gov. Dick Celeste’s brother, Ted. Ted then lost to Republican Mike DeWine, whom Cordray is challenging for governor in November.
    Cordray and Kavanaugh both worked at the law firm, Kirkland & Ellis, in Washington D.C. Both also clerked for retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, though not at the same time.

    I hold a grudge and have a HUGE chip on my shoulder so this is a dilemma :)

    Not really. Cordray’s campaign is going well so far and I want a Democratic governor so this skeleton in his closet will just have to be forgiven.

  142. 142.

    Amir Khalid

    @grubert:
    Someone has to have the power to review laws, otherwise there’d be no way to remove bad laws other than repeal by Congress. If you take the power away from the courts, who do you give it to?

  148. 148.

    Gravenstone

    @What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?: It took over a year to get the smarmy little fucker confirmed for his current position. So I say we drag this farce out well into 2020 if at all possible. Sounds like there’s plenty of data to go mining through over that time.

  154. 154.

    J R in WV

    Sen. Orrin Hatch: “Seems strange that every time a Supreme Court nominee comes from the Republicans, there’s every reason in the world not to confirm that nominee in the eyes of the current Democrats.”

    And the good, though age-demented, Senator Hatch has forgotten that the Republicans refused not only to confirm President Obama’s nomination, but to even hold hearings, interviews, meet with, or even vote for Judge Garland.

    Wouldn’t even talk to him~!!!

    Stole President Obama’s 3rd supreme court nomination from him, to give it to semi-president Trumpelstiltkins of Russia!

    Thanks, Senator Hatch, for working with President Obama to fulfill your constitutional duties!!!! You chicken-hearted bigot monster!!!

  157. 157.

    chris

    More about Administrative Law Judges and the shitgibbon’s EO from the WAPO. Under the radar of most people but this sounds really ugly.

    Though it’s unlikely to be covered as such, this is v probably the biggest news today. https://t.co/54LdDyLjEJ— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) 10 July 2018

    Southpaw is a lawyer, other lawyers weigh in to the thread. This is your dictatorship, America, cherish it.

  161. 161.

    J R in WV

    @Mary G:

    OK, more awfulness:

    NEW: Government told immigrants they have to pay for DNA tests to be reunited with kids, shelter says https://t.co/Qdl8A6FJ5P— Justin Miller (@justinjm1) July 11, 2018

    This appears to be debatable based up reading the whole long-ass Daily Beast story. Some may do that, some may not, a bowl of spaghetti rather than cut and dried beef. But totally believable !!

  163. 163.

    burnspbesq

    @chris:

    It’s a real problem. It allows agency heads to pick people without regard to qualifications. Worst case, it’s a return to the spoils system.

  164. 164.

    B.B.A.

    @Calouste: No other country has life tenure on its supreme court. But that’s something those holy infallible slave-raping Founders foisted on us, and to question it would be tantamount to apostasy in our civic religion. Why not just burn the flag, commie?

  165. 165.

    Another Scott

    @Brachiator: Of course, the $150B number is wrong and intentionally misleading.

    USTR.gov:

    U.S. goods and services trade with the EU totaled nearly $1.1 trillion in 2016. Exports totaled $501 billion; Imports totaled $592 billion. The U.S. goods and services trade deficit with the EU was $92 billion in 2016.

    The United States had $686 billion in total (two ways) goods trade with the European Union during 2016, its largest Goods trade partner. Goods exports totaled $270 billion; Goods imports totaled $416 billion. The U.S. goods trade deficit with the EU was $147 billion in 2016.

    Trade in services with the EU (exports and imports) totaled an estimated $407 billion in 2016. Services exports were $231 billion; Services imports were $176 billion. The U.S. services trade surplus with the EU was $55 billion in 2016.

    According to the Department of Commerce, U.S. exports of Goods and Services to the EU supported an estimated 2.6 million in jobs in 2015 (latest data available) (1.2 million supported by goods exports and 1.4 million supported by services).

    Donnie always ignores the US surplus in Services.

    Yeah, the US running a large trade deficit for decades is actually not a good thing, as Dean Baker occasionally reminds us. But Donnie isn’t actually trying to fix that problem, he – as Mary Louise Kelly noted on ATC today (!!) – is trying to break things:

    KELLY: One last question before I let you go, which is – I wanted to allow you to respond to another fear that’s being openly discussed, which is that, big picture, President Trump is out to wreck the liberal world order, wreck alliances like NATO, like the EU and replace those with bilateral agreements and with a isolationist America, an “America First” foreign policy. I mean, you’re on the front lines of U.S. foreign policy. Do you see that?

    [NATO Ambassador Kay Bailey] HUTCHISON: Well, I think the president has said “America First” is not America only. I think we are much stronger in NATO speaking with 29 voices and the backup of 29 who will say, we are going to stand up against Russia, against malign influence, against attempts to divide us. And I think that is a much stronger position than a country like Russia who has no allies. But look at our alliances. We have allies who are strong and capable. We need them to step up and put that together in the alliance, and that’s what I think the president is trying to do.

    Yeah, sure Donnie is, Kay, sure he is… :-/

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  166. 166.

    Mandalay

    @Mai Naem mobile:

    Can the Democrats waste some time trying to impeach Kennedy?

    Did anyone ever determine that it was pure coincidence that Kennedy Sr. announced his retirement less than 24 hours before it was revealed that Kennedy Jr. had been dishing out gazillions of $$$ in loans to Trump for years?

    I’m not claiming there is any link, but it would be highly irresponsible not to speculate.

  168. 168.

    chris

    @burnspbesq:

    It allows agency heads to pick people without regard to qualifications. Worst case, it’s a return to the spoils system.

    And they will rule as instructed by their appointer. What could go wrong?

  169. 169.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @chris: Sorry I didn’t post the sarc tags. Once upon a time, I was an ALJ. Thanks for bringing up bad memories But as long as you are at it, take a shot at my mom – she has F-C ancestry.

  170. 170.

    chris

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    she has F-C ancestry.

    Document that, it might help if you have to run for the border.//

    I didn’t know what an ALJ was until today. It strikes me that the repubs can lose a house in November and just crack on because one of “their” judges, at all levels now, will say it’s OK. Happy to be wrong of course.

  171. 171.

    B.B.A.

    @chris: Il Douche said we don’t need judges or courts. I think in context he meant we don’t need immigration judges (who are ALJs) to decide who to deport, just deport everyone ICE picks up (which is itself absolutely pants-on-head bat fuck insane). But he could have just meant shut down all the courts. It’s hard to tell with him.

  172. 172.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @chris: I don’t know how your government works. I suggest that you might not know how ours does. I am not trying to to be rude, our shit is weird.

  174. 174.

    chris

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    our shit is weird.

    Ya think? You should see it from here!

    (I took civics and and American history in grade 10. In Boston. But obviously I’m missing something. Back to google.)

  176. 176.

    Procopius

    I do not believe for one moment that Manchin will vote against Kavanaugh. If he does I will say a prayer of thanksgiving to the god I don’t believe in and donate ฿1,000 to my local temple (Buddhist).

  177. 177.

    Procopius

    @TenguPhule: He didn’t get his packed court, but he did get a court sympathetic to human beings and the New Deal. The packed court wasn’t his goal, anyway. Changing the court’s ideology was.

  178. 178.

    burnspbesq

    I’m bemused by the stories about Kavanaugh facing trouble on the right. One story at The Hill even went so far as to suggest that Paul and Cotton might vote no.

    Sure. And the Mets will win the NL East.

  179. 179.

    Zinsky

    Democrats should walk out of the Senate chambers and refuse to vote on anything until Merrick Garland receives a vote. Shut the whole government down. That’s what the GOP would do. This Supreme Court seat was stolen and the American people need to be forcefully reminded of that.

  181. 181.

    stan

    @david: Nothing magical about the number 9. When the SC was formed, it had only 6. GOP pledged to keep it to 8 if Hillary won. If a Dem ever wins both houses and WH again, they can choose to change the number of seats.

    Well….yes and no. The number fluctuated a bit before the civil war but has been nine since the 1869 Judiciary Act.

    So, although the Constitution doesn’t specify their number, there’s a pretty long-standing norm that it’s nine.

    Plenty of longstanding norms have been broken recently. So, I honestly am undecided on this one. if the dems “pack” the court with a few more justices, we have to expect it to happen again….which will tend to destroy what’s left of the court’s legitimacy. On the other hand, I feel like SCOTUS has basically had no legitimacy at all since Bush v Gore. So maybe ending the pretense is needed…..

  182. 182.

    stan

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: I think a lot of our military facilities in Europe are staging areas for other places. It seems to me whenever you hear about a US service member being badly hurt, they’re evacuated to Germany, for instance. I don’t think we’re defending France. I could be wrong. This is so not my area.

    No. Our European bases are for defending Europe, and because they’ve been there a long time and are very, very well-established, they get used for other stuff besides.

    We (NATO) are absolutely all defending each other without question until trump came along. France is a member of NATO.

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