I’m not laughing. his influence alone on his rabid followers is causing a lot of damage to our Democratic institutions on his way out, and trump and his administration is also actively doing everything they can to fuck things up while they still have time.
Between “the dam vaccines” and this, it’s clear that The Biggest Loser is so wound up this morning that he can’t spell correctly;
Now it turns out that the Democrats want the Pack the Court with 26 Justices. This would be terrible, and must be stopped. Even Justice RBG was strongly opposed!
RBG was, of course, confirmed by a vote of 96 to 3, because there was once a time when at least some Republicans were willing to put country before party.
RGB also wanted to wait until after the election to fill her seat.
Urine may not be the tastiest thing in the world, but it’s not poison. Poison costs extra, and after you pay for it, you will get it in two weeks.
People keep bringing this up, and I agree that the GOP set the standard that an appointment shouldn’t happen close to an election, but there is no reason that her wishes should be in any way controlling in the process.
And if she was that concerned about her replacement, she should have retired when Obama could name a replacement. Although rat-fucker McConnell would have messed with that just like he did with Garland.
I agree, but it’s relevant in the context of Individual-1 arguing from a basis of “what RBG wanted”.
He’s a a swaggering, overbearing, tin-plated dictator with delusions of godhood… and he is soft.
Which is why she didn’t. If she had taken your advice, Trump would have walked into office with 2 SCOTUS seats open, not just one.
I’m sorry to have to say this, but this is delusional. His base is fully behind him, and this is what is making all those Republican congress critters support the Texas suit. Sure, lots of people who might have once been afraid are now laughing at him, but his support on the issue of the election is not, apparently, wavering at all.
That is exactly what I was getting at.
Fair point about his base, but I don’t listen to them at all. On my Twitter feed, where I would see hand-wringing from the reality-based community, now I mostly see scorn and jokes.
In Obama’s first term, there was a Democratic senate majority that would’ve confirmed a replacement easily. In hindsight she should have stepped down then.
Fully misstates the situation. A filibuster-proof majority of 60 Senators was required at that time.
The facts, as outlined by Jennifer Granholm:
President Obama was sworn in on January 20, 2009 with just 58 Senators to support his agenda.
He should have had 59, but Republicans contested Al Franken’s election in Minnesota and he didn’t get seated for seven months.
The President’s cause was helped in April when Pennsylvania’s Republican Senator Arlen Specter switched parties.
That gave the President 59 votes — still a vote shy of the super majority.
But one month later, Democratic Senator Byrd of West Virginia was hospitalized and was basically out of commission.
So while the President’s number on paper was 59 Senators — he was really working with just 58 Senators.
Then in July, Minnesota Senator Al Franken was finally sworn in, giving President Obama the magic 60 — but only in theory, because Senator Byrd was still out.
In August, Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts died and the number went back down to 59 again until Paul Kirk temporarily filled Kennedy’s seat in September.
Any pretense of a supermajority ended on February 4, 2010 when Republican Scott Brown was sworn into the seat Senator Kennedy once held.Do you see a two-year supermajority?
I didn’t think so.
So sometime prior to February 4, 2010, RBG would have needed to foresee that 1) Obama would never again have the 60 Senate votes needed to confirm a new SC Justice; 2) McConnell would stonewall any nominee put forward by Obama, for years if necessary, one he became majority leader; 3) McConnell would later ignore the rule requiring 60 votes for a SC Justice; 4) that Donald Trump had any chance of “winning” the 2016 election; and 5) that she would die before Democrats had a majority again in the Senate. Only #5 was foreseeable.
Moreover, if McConnell prevails in Georgia and still maintains his bare majority, what difference would it have made for RBG?
Stop spreading gross misinformation.
I really wish you hadn’t said that. My grandmother used to say “Don’t spit in the face of Fate”.
Consider my ignorance fought. I hadn’t realized the timing of the filibuster change and the intricacies of the changing size of the Dem majority. Still Obama managed to get Sotomayor and Kagan through, so there was certainly a time in which he could have done one more. And I did say in hindsight, which of course RBG didn’t have back then. That’s what makes it hindsight.
So, thanks for the correction. Could have done without the disproportionate scolding, though…
Welcome back. I’ve missed our library as well. I have computer access at home, but they have BOOKS to browse at the library.
I’ll apologize for coming in heavy. It’s a meme that is a source of immense irritation to me, because the falsehood has been so widely spread – yet is readily debunked. Its purpose is to make it seem like Obama was some kind of idiot who wasn’t fully aware of his options and the appointment just got away from him and RBG.
I disagree that Obama “could have done one more.” He was able to get them through until McConnell decided to cash in his chips and allow no more. He had the power to do it and he did it.
I expect McConnell waited to spring his ugly obstructionist surprise until Garland because the balance on the court wasn’t much in jeopardy until then. Frankly, no one could have – or indeed, should have been expected to – anticipate McConnell’s dirty move. I’ve long maintained it was that moment when Democrats/liberals/progressives/independents should have stood up, poured into the streets and made their displeasure known far and wide. But we didn’t.
Anyway, thanks for not being dickish, and again, I’m sorry I was.
Three hours ago Trump tweeted “If the Supreme Court shows great Wisdom and Courage, the American People will win perhaps the most important case in history, and our Electoral Process will be respected again!”
I just now tweeted back “Congratulations!! You were absolutely right!!”
Yep, the latest stupidity was dismissed for “lack of standing”.
Go, Supremes!