Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

Hell hath no fury like a farmer bankrupted.

There are more Russians standing up to Putin than Republicans.

American history and black history cannot be separated.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

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

Republicans: “Abortion is murder but you can take a bus to get one.” Easy peasy.

Fight them, without becoming them!

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

Petty moves from a petty man.

The line between political reporting and fan fiction continues to blur.

Weird. Rome has an American Pope and America has a Russian President.

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

People identifying as christian while ignoring christ and his teachings is a strange thing indeed.

“Alexa, change the president.”

Dear media: perhaps we ought to let Donald Trump speak for himself!

When I was faster i was always behind.

Rupert, come get your orange boy, you petrified old dinosaur turd.

How stupid are these people?

Of course you can have champagne before noon. That’s why orange juice was invented.

They were going to turn on one another at some point. It was inevitable.

You are here: Home / Supreme Court / Supreme Court Corruption / This Makes Me Happy!

This Makes Me Happy!

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None of this would have been possible with WITHOUT (!) the leadership of Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse.

Or without the most excellent and relentless investigative reporting by ProPublica!

The fourth estate at work. Even if it’s not happening in the mainstream media, it is happening.  Hallelujah!

⭐️

⭐️

⭐️

Open thread!

Reader Interactions

74Comments

  1. 1.

    JAFD

    Frist !

    Methinxs the ‘with’ in first sentence should be ‘without’.

    Celebrated Halloween by getting Covid booster in one arm. RSV in other, grocery shopping and dragging cart a half-mile home.  Having a cuppa now.  Then will have nap.  Back in touch when next awake will be.

  8. 8.

    Gin & Tonic

    Highlighting my political acumen, I met Whitehouse many years ago in the living room of a local Democratic activist (RI is like that) and asked him a couple of questions. I was not impressed.

  9. 9.

    trollhattan

    A clear sign McCarthy to Johnson is a downgrade at least for California. This effin’ guy.

    From the Hoopa Valley Tribe:

    Within hours of taking up the gavel, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Michael Johnson, brought it down on a bill that would gut California’s fisheries and wipe out a thirty-year old program to repair environmental damage caused by the massive Central Valley Project.

    Buried in the 100-page bill are eight lines written by Representative David Valadao (R-CA-22) and co-sponsored by eleven other California Republicans, including Speaker Johnson’s predecessor, Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-20). They order the Secretary of the Interior to “deem complete the fish, wildlife, and habitat mitigation and restoration actions” required by the 1992 Central Valley Project Improvement Act (PL-102-575 Title XXXIV) signed into law by President George H.W. Bush.

    “This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to lie to the Nation,” said Hoopa Valley Tribal Chairman Joe Davis. “Our fishery isn’t restored; it hangs in the balance. Sponsors of this legislation know that.” This year’s harvest allocation of Klamath-Trinity River fall chinook salmon was 374 fish for nearly 3,600 HVT members; and at least one species, coho salmon, is listed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).

    “The Central Valley Project devastated the Trinity River fishery that has been important to the survival of our people since time immemorial. said Vice Chairman Everett Colegrove.“These lawmakers — and the Central Valley agri-business corporations that support them — would leave us a few hundred fish annually; that cannot possibly support the Hupa people,” said Hupa Fisheries Director Michael Orcutt.

    “This bill is a moral outrage. It betrays laws and policies established to protect the Hupa people and the well-being of all Californians,” said Hoopa Valley Tribal Council Member Isaac Bussell.

    “On October 3, the Biden Administration told Congress that the President would veto this legislation if it reached his desk,” said Hoopa Valley Tribal Council Member Daniel Jordan.

    “We take the President at his word; and we will work with California Senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler, and our Congressman, Jared Huffman (D-CA-2) to strike this untrue language from the legislation and ensure that our fishery is restored,” said Chairman Davis.

  13. 13.

    HumboldtBlue

    @trollhattan: ​ 

    That’s a big fucking deal, that shit won’t pass the house (my guess, I have no clue what Valadao is thinking, he’s vulnerable) and certainly won’t get through the senate.

  16. 16.

    trollhattan

    @HumboldtBlue: Valadao should know better, McCarthy too.

    They have other expen$ive water projects they’re jonsing for and this seems like an own goal in pursuing those, but it could be as simple as the new bastard punishing California for being California.

  17. 17.

    West of the Rockies

    @RedDirtGirl:

    My wife and I got jabbed last Friday.  I felt okay but off and low energy on Saturday.   By Sunday I was mostly alright.   My wife felt terrible for about two and a half days.

    Good luck!

  23. 23.

    Balconesfault

    Speaking of jabs, has everyone seen the recent headlines that the vaccinations may be valuable in reducing chances of future alzheimer’s?

  24. 24.

    New Deal democrat

    @Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony:

    I hope they don’t defy the subpoenas

    There is no downside to defying Congressional subpoenas, so long as the cases get slow-walked through the Judiciary, which is why it is becoming increasingly common.

    Just *once* Congress needs to use its own power to hold a witness in contempt, and directly imprison them until either compliance or the end of Congress’s term. Then there will be no more defiance.

  29. 29.

    jonas

    @trollhattan: Man, Republicans sure hate fish and fishermen. This is basically a huge F-you not only to native California tribes that rely on the salmon fishery, but the entire California commercial and sport fishing industry. Imagine — an entire fishery, once one of the greatest in the world, basically wiped out so some rich bastards in Bakersfield can grow their precious pistachios.

  30. 30.

    Hoodie

    This is really necessary work. .  Relatedly, had a recent conversation with a friend who is a state appellate judge.  I asked him about how his fellow judges felt about the revelations about Thomas and Alito.  After he indicated they were embarrassing, I asked him whether he worried if this might lead to increased erosion in judicial ethics.  He said he didn’t because other judges are covered by ethics codes.  However, you have to wonder if that is a bit of whistling past the graveyard because (1) Thomas and Alito broke reporting requirements with no consequences as of yet,  (2) the lower ranks of the judiciary are being filled by candidates from the same machine that produced Thomas and Alito and (3) other judges may start wondering “where’s mine?” and succumb to temptation.

  31. 31.

    RedDirtGirl

    @West of the Rockies: I was going to do it last Friday, so as not to risk missing work, but I had things I couldn’t miss on Saturday. And a work colleague did his mid-week and missed a day of work, so I figured good for the gander, good for the goose.
    And I may be fine.

  32. 32.

    RedDirtGirl

    I’d love to see a link to the complaining Sen. Whitehouse is referring to in the second tweet. Love me some billionaire tears.

  33. 33.

    Balconesfault

    @Hoodie:He said he didn’t because other judges are covered by ethics codes.  

    Clearly those all applied to Kavanaugh prior to his Supreme Court appointment.

    Anyone who believes that this special treatment of certain stove piped candidates doesn’t start until they actually get on the Supreme Court bench is definitely in some form of denial.

  34. 34.

    HumboldtBlue

    @WaterGirl: ​ 

    He’s a Humboldt native, born in Arcata. Made his money in finance, the shady side of mortgages and reverse mortgages and such and got very wealthy. He’s a right-wing asshole who supports every odious issue and person on the right, and is a major benefactor of the Pacific Legal Foundation among others.

    He started a daily right-wing newspaper in Eureka back in 2005 or so in order to compete with the legacy paper, the Times-Standard, and got his ass kicked. His paper didn’t last three years.

    He’s a small man in every way, an angry little troll who left Humboldt after the community, other than the right wing dipshits, told him to fuck off, and he headed to Louisiana.

    He’s a major money man for the GOP and openly bragged about it when I spoke with him, which was often when I worked at the right wing radio station, and in general is everything we despise about a man.

    Mean, greedy, hateful and an all around asshole.

  39. 39.

    Jeffro

    What’s that Michael Jordan quote again?  “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”?

    I’m glad that Senator Whitehouse & Co are taking their shot.  Many folks are on to what these far-right clowns have been up to; it’s time to let the whole country hear about it!

  40. 40.

    Jeffro

    @Balconesfault: YES, I saw that too!

    We already knew we were right to keep up with our vaccinations; it’s nice to know there may be additional beneficial side effects!

    Verily, the hand of the FSM doth work wonders

  41. 41.

    Kayla Rudbek

    Excellent news for Halloween night! I hope that they are all made to sing like canaries.

    On a personal note, I had my second shingles vaccine yesterday and I am still feeling tired and achy. A perfect day to turn on the fireplace space heater and see how much knitting on the blanket I can do before the trick and treaters start arriving. I t finally feels like fall here in Virginia.

  42. 42.

    Other MJS

    In an earlier thread, rikyrah called for a front-pager to take on Project 2025 (the fascist rolodex). Until then, I think Wikipedia describes it rather well. Project 2025 is (emphasis mine)

    a plan to reshape the Executive Branch of the U.S. federal government in the event of a Republican victory in the 2024 United States presidential election. Established in 2022, the project seeks to recruit thousands to come to Washington, D.C., to replace existing employees to restructure the Executive Branch of the federal government as to further the agenda and policies of Donald Trump. The plan would perform a quick takeover of the entire U.S. federal government under a maximalist version of the unitary executive theory – a theory proposing the president of the United States have absolute power of the executive branch – upon inauguration.

    I respect what MisterDancer wrote, and perhaps a deeper dive is not really necessary, but I think this is a particularly stark reflection of the Trumpists’ vision.

  43. 43.

    trollhattan

    @jonas:

    Truth. And the Valley is plastered with signage bitching about Dems stealing “their” water.

    I like salmon a lot more than I like almonds.

  46. 46.

    trollhattan

    @Geminid:

    U.C. Davis to the rescue.

    Almonds: https://ucmanagedrought.ucdavis.edu/Agriculture/Crop_Irrigation_Strategies/Almonds/

    Olives: https://ucmanagedrought.ucdavis.edu/Agriculture/Crop_Irrigation_Strategies/Olives/#:~:text=smaller%20fruit%20sizes.-,Since%20olive%20is%20extremely%20responsive%20to%20irrigation%20in%20terms%20of,orchard%20productivity%20and%20economic%20sustainability.

    Shorter UCD: olives use less irrigation water than almonds but still need irrigation, especially grown for olive oil.

    Olive trees are more drought-tolerant and an orchard will survive a drought better than almonds.

  47. 47.

    Raoul Paste

    Here’s what makes me happy:  a headline at Ross story that says “House Ethics panel announces it has a mountain of evidence against George Santos”

  48. 48.

    Geminid

    @trollhattan: I remember reading this Spring that drought in the Mediterranean had reduced the olive crop in Spain and Italy considerably. Jordan apparently did ok because their olive trees were more drought tolerant.

    Turkiye banned export of olive oil in bulk in order to keep domestic prices low. That led one observer to assert that even in a good year, Italy exports more olive oil labeled “Product of Italy” than it actually produces in total. Maybe they rebottle Turkish, Tunisian and Algerian oil.

  49. 49.

    Dan B

    @Geminid: Olive trees are dying of drought in Spain so no irrigation in California is not likely to work.  They probably need much less water than almonds which are essentially cherries

    Or as Trollhatten at 46 wrote.

  50. 50.

    trollhattan

    @Geminid: Have read a lot about counterfeit olive oil, even from the big producers, who put a little olive oil into cheap vegetable oils and sell the blend as “extra virgin.” Bet the droughts you cite add to the practice.

  51. 51.

    wjca

    @Geminid: I wonder if olive trees will grow without irrigation where they’re growing all those almonds.

    What will grow there without irrigation is . . . grass.  (The kind cows and sheep eat.)

  55. 55.

    Geminid

     

     

    @Dan B: If farmers could make an olive crop pay with say, half as much irrigation, maybe tbey could sell half their water rights.

  57. 57.

    Alison Rose

    Okay, this made me laugh. The “You are here” above the post title reads as:

    Home / Supreme Court / Supreme Court Corruption / This Makes Me Happy!

    Was this post ghost-written by Harlan Crow??? :P

  58. 58.

    Villago Delenda Est

    I want them to put Crow and Leo on a spit and slow roast them for the benefit of the cameras. These corrupt neo-feudalists need to be fully exposed for the reactionary scum they are.

  61. 61.

    mrmoshpotato

    My legs shouldn’t feel like January after walking to and from the store!

    Chicago’s Halloween dressed up as winter this year!

  62. 62.

    Trivia Man

    @raven: I was shocked to learn Rhode Island  changed their name. It is no longer the state with the longest name. Now… Massachusetts

  66. 66.

    Ealbert

    Since it seems that we cannot make the Supreme Court follow an ethics code, and since they don’t feel a need to police themselves, the only solution I can see is to make it illegal to give ANYTHING to Supreme Court Justices. It wouldn’t be illegal for the justices to receive the gift, instead, we would charge the giver. Similar to the way they charge the person assisting a woman to get an abortion – because like those ignorant women, we can’t expect the justices to realize what they are doing is wrong.

  69. 69.

    RedDirtGirl

    @WaterGirl: I did find a quote from two of them on the website Mockpaperscissors

    “It’s clear this is nothing more than a stunt aimed at undermining a sitting Supreme Court Justice for ideological and political purposes,” Crow’s office said.

    Leo struck a defiant tone in a statement Monday night, saying he would not “bow to the vile and disgusting liberal McCarthyism that seeks to destroy the Supreme Court simply because it follows the Constitution rather than their political agenda.”

  71. 71.

    Parfigliano

    @Ealbert: With draconian penalties say mandatory 10 years to 25.  Also an enforcement mechanism whereby any person can bring the charge and upon conviction that person gets an amount equal to the gift to be paid by the defendant.

  74. 74.

    Stuart in Austin

    @Balconesfault: Be deeply skeptical of claims about a reduced incidence of Alzheimers. The drug companies have spent billions chasing a treatment and the best results they have achieved produce a barely detectable slowing of the rate of decline while actively harming 40% of the patients being treated. It seems clear that Alzheimers develops over quite a long time span and we simply don’t have a long enough history to say that a vaccine we’ve been administering for a couple of years has any influence on overall risk.

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