US Politics: Paradise Lost

[Bonnot OG]

https://www.propublica.org/article/an-atomwaffen-member-sketched-a-map-to-take-the-neo-nazis-down-what-path-officials-took-is-a-mystery
An Atomwaffen Member Sketched a Map to Take the Neo-Nazis Down. What Path Officials Took Is a Mystery.

And this group had members go on to kill 3 more people after this, even with a member, who just killed two people to stop them from carrying out what ever they had planned, telling them what this group wanted to do. 

The FBI doesn't care about this shit. 

[Morpheus]

Chief Justice Roberts actually rebuked Trump when he attacked “Obama judges” ruling against him. Trump, as usual, is crying into twitter.

[Tywin et al.]

2018:

 

 

[DanteGabriel]

5 minutes ago, Triskele said:

Add this to the list upthread.  Attacking the judiciary.  And as has been pointed out by a few folks Trump is probably getting really annoyed at the courts since they have been messing with his world a bit.  We are in a truly scary place. 

And he's been steadily packing courts with Federalist Society myrmidons like Kavanaugh. Eventually the courts won't save us either.

[Kalbear]

Roberts saying that has got to be one of the best "I am shocked to see gambling going on in this establishment" things ever. 

[Kalbear]

Just now, Triskele said:

I absolutely tend to agree with this, but this little spat with Roberts I am slightly hopeful that there will be at least a handful of these folks that won't bow to Trump 100% of the time.  There's something about the role of judge that while it doesn't save you from being partisan or ideological it does tell you you're the decider.  Don't get me wrong, I'm just hoping for a handful of folks like this.  What's happening to the courts under Trump is a disaster overall.  

Roberts is pissed simply because Trump said the thing he was supposed to say quietly out loud. 

[DanteGabriel]

10 minutes ago, Triskele said:

I absolutely tend to agree with this, but this little spat with Roberts I am slightly hopeful that there will be at least a handful of these folks that won't bow to Trump 100% of the time.  There's something about the role of judge that while it doesn't save you from being partisan or ideological it does tell you you're the decider.  Don't get me wrong, I'm just hoping for a handful of folks like this.  What's happening to the courts under Trump is a disaster overall.  

ETA:  Yes to Roberts' statement seeming naive, but it's one of those things where he might be well-aware and this is just a public statement.  

Roberts wants to protect the reputation of the judiciary and the Supreme Court. He's all about decorum. So he'll make milquetoast public comments about an obviously deranged President's stupidest assertions, but he's still a guy who thought Southern states were past the disenfranchising minorities thing and didn't need federal supervision any more. Governors Brian Kemp and Ron DeSantis are especially pleased.

[Ormond]

There is a big difference between calling someone a "liberal" judge or a "right wing" judge and calling them an "Obama" judge or a "Trump" judge.

Judges like everyone else are going to have ideological positions, and Presidents are going to appoint judges who they believe share their positions.

But to call someone an "Obama judge" is to imply that he or she is just a puppet who will always rule in whatever way makes the person who appointed them happy. That is the definition of not believing in the independence of the judiciary. 

I certainly hope you all don't think judges who generally agree with the "liberal" side and were appointed by Obama should be referred to as "Obama judges." 

[Larry of the Lawn]

11 minutes ago, Ormond said:

There is a big difference between calling someone a "liberal" judge or a "right wing" judge and calling them an "Obama" judge or a "Trump" judge.

Judges like everyone else are going to have ideological positions, and Presidents are going to appoint judges who they believe share their positions.

But to call someone an "Obama judge" is to imply that he or she is just a puppet who will always rule in whatever way makes the person who appointed them happy. That is the definition of not believing in the independence of the judiciary. 

I certainly hope you all don't think judges who generally agree with the "liberal" side and were appointed by Obama should be referred to as "Obama judges." 

I don't think Gorsuch is a 'Trump judge', but I absolutelu think Kavanaugh is.  I think there was a line crossed here - we had a SC nominee with a very political background who when questioned by the Senate, explained that he considered himself to be the victim of a Democrat plot to keep him off the court.  

Beyond that, and the dubious qualifications of many of Trump's appointees to lower courts, I completely agree [with your point]

[Tywin et al.]

45 minutes ago, DanteGabriel said:

Roberts wants to protect the reputation of the judiciary and the Supreme Court. He's all about decorum. So he'll make milquetoast public comments about an obviously deranged President's stupidest assertions, but he's still a guy who thought Southern states were past the disenfranchising minorities thing and didn't need federal supervision any more. Governors Brian Kemp and Ron DeSantis are especially pleased.

To be fair, Roberts does strike me as the type of conservative who had a bit of a come to Jesus moment after Trump got elected and with everything that's been happening ever since. He's still very conservative, but I think he's the type that finally sees some conservative blind spots. 

[Tywin et al.]

Also, Trump clapped back at Roberts in a hilariously ignorant way. He literally told the top judge in the country to "look at the numbers" regarding 9th circuit court cases. 

That's most hilarious thing I've heard since hearing that @Jace, Basilissa just missed her flight and got an airplane door slammed in her face moments ago. 

[DanteGabriel]

29 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

To be fair, Roberts does strike me as the type of conservative who had a bit of a come to Jesus moment after Trump got elected and with everything that's been happening ever since. He's still very conservative, but I think he's the type that finally sees some conservative blind spots. 

That's a reasonable take, and I give him credit for being the 5th vote to protect the ACA. But he's still working for the Empire, not the Rebellion.

[ThinkerX]

Reminder:

 

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/buried-feds-to-release-major-climate-report-day-after-thanksgiving/ar-BBPXKp8?li=BBnbcA1&ocid=msnclassic

 

The federal government will release a major climate change report – Volume II of the National Climate Assessment – on Black Friday, typically one of the slowest news days of the year.

 

“It’s an absolute disgrace to bury the truth about climate impacts in a year that saw hundreds of Americans die during devastating climate-fueled megafires, hurricanes, floods, and algal blooms," said National Wildlife Federation president Collin O’Mara in a statement.

Volume II is expected to detail a range of current and future climate change impacts and again warn that the Earth is warming, humans are the cause, and the already serious impacts – such as the current California wildfires – are only going to get worse, Climate Central said. 

 

[karaddin]

20 hours ago, Kalbear said:

Also, I like this idea - Pelosi should win speakership - and then retire. It'll allow her to guide the next leaders and prepare them for the goahead without her fighting them at a point when no one should be fighting. And it's doing it not when things suck (like they did for Ryan), but when things are actually somewhat decent.

She clearly has a mountain of experience and expertise in playing the game and I think you're right - mentoring some of the young blood coming into the party is one of the biggest things she could do to help if the democracy stays on its unsteady feet. Hopefully the young blood are also looking to learn from her. They don't have to agree on all policy positions to accept they're on the same large coalition and need to work together even as they try raise their own agenda to the top.

 

3 hours ago, larrytheimp said:

I don't think Gorsuch is a 'Trump judge', but I absolutelu think Kavanaugh is.  I think there was a line crossed here - we had a SC nominee with a very political background who when questioned by the Senate, explained that he considered himself to be the victim of a Democrat plot to keep him off the court.  

Beyond that, and the dubious qualifications of many of Trump's appointees to lower courts, I completely agree [with your point]

This was exactly the point I was going to make, those two make an excellent case study in the difference.

[Kalbear]

2 hours ago, Triskele said:

 

There will be some case where Kavanaugh will vote against Trump.  Trump will rage.  He'll probably tweet about Kavanaugh being an alcoholic or something, etc...then even BK, who let me be clear is a douche, will realize (if he doesn't already) that Trump is no one's friend.  If he were an ice cream flavor, he'd be pralines and dick.  

 

I dont believe that Kavanaugh will ever rule against Trump in anything, ever. 

[ThinkerX]

2 hours ago, Kalbear said:

I dont believe that Kavanaugh will ever rule against Trump in anything, ever. 

Trump does have the habit of turning on even his closest allies.  Comey and Sessions were once favorites of his.

[Horza]

They weren't lifetime appointees, however.

[SweetPea]

5 hours ago, ThinkerX said:

Reminder:

 

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/buried-feds-to-release-major-climate-report-day-after-thanksgiving/ar-BBPXKp8?li=BBnbcA1&ocid=msnclassic

 

 

 

Not surprising, given Trump's absolute lack of understanding of climate change:

 

[ThinkerX]

1 hour ago, Horza said:

They weren't lifetime appointees, however.

 

I have a suspicion - nothing more - that Kavenaugh's appointment in particular may not be 'lifetime.'  He comes across as too unstable.

 

Likewise, the whole notion of SC judges appointed for life may be revisited as a sort of 'Trump legacy.'   

[Gone and Quite Forgotten]

Anybody catch GRRM on Colbert last night?