The other big today story is that last night Chief Justice John Roberts released the annual report on the federal judiciary.
Roberts is in a touchy position right now. As the head of the Supreme Court, he is responsible for the health and well-being of the entire judicial system, and he cannot be unaware of the disdain Americans have conceived for Chief Justices who used the court to achieve unpopular political decisions. Roger Taney, for example (whose name is pronounced “Tawney,” for unfathomable reasons), led the court in the years before the Civil War, and has been consigned to the dustbin of history for his role in deciding the 1857 Dred Scott decision in such a way that it gave elite slaveholders control of the newly acquired American West while both denying the humanity of African Americans and the rights of poor white men. Chief Justice Melville Fuller, who presided over a slew of horrid decisions at the turn of the last century, including the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision that rubberstamped “separate but equal” justifying segregation, was such an embarrassment that virtually no one even remembers him: we call his court the “Lochner Era court” rather than the “Melville Fuller court.”
Roberts was appointed by Republican President George W. Bush and presided over Shelby County v. Holder (2013), which gutted the Voting Rights Act, as well as Citizens United v Federal Election Commission (2010), which said that the government cannot restrict the amount of money corporations can invest in political speech. He is a firm believer in a small federal government and the power of corporations, but he is also an intelligent man who cares about his legacy.
Roberts will preside over the upcoming Senate impeachment trial of President Trump, and he has already exchanged words with Trump over the independence of the judiciary: Trump has tried throughout his administration to sow distrust of judges appointed by Democrats, while Roberts has countered that judges must be impartial.
So Roberts’s introduction to the annual report was not idle. He began by attacking the use of propaganda and mob rule and went on to defend the independence of the judiciary. He went out of his way to praise Judge Merrick Garland-- although not by name--, President Barack Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court whom Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, in an unprecedented attack on the presidency, refused to consider.
But most interesting to me in his report was that when Roberts talked at great length about the role of the courts to educate Americans about the rule of law, his primary example was the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision outlawing segregation. That case is pivotal in American history not only because of its role in desegregation, but because it sparked an outpouring of scholarship suggesting that society changes not because of social trends or economic or politics, but because of court decisions. In the wake of Brown v. Board, the great historian C. Vann Woodward argued that segregation itself came only after Jim Crow laws, and that popular acceptance of civil rights would come only after legal desegregation.
Roberts seemed to me to be saying that the job of reclaiming democracy and the rule of law belonged to the courts now—a major declaration at a time when Trump has a number of court cases pending, as well, of course, as his impeachment trial. I absolutely could be reading too much into Roberts’s declaration, but it seemed to me significant.
What exactly Roberts means by the rule of law, though, remains to be seen.
Heather should be a little careful thinking Robert's can be some sort of friend of democracy and the rule of law.
Roberts has had a heavy hand ripping these apart with his Court's 5-4 party line votes in 3 significant cases involving citizen rights:
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
Shelby County v. Holder
Rucho v. Common Cause
2 of the 3 cases are the Court overriding existing law to cede obscene power to the federal govt and the wealthy. And allowing the several states to use racism to take away voting rights
The 3rd case is the 5 republican Justices allowing the states to use race as a weapon to draw election district maps.
These 3 cases are pivotal in overriding congress and granting unchecked power to the white and wealthy.
Lastly, Robert's has very little power to have any material impact on an impeachment trial. Senate rules give that power to 51 senators.
I am not making any statement regarding these cases, but just going to comment that you mention these were party line votes. So does that mean that both sides put party over law, or is party line only a negative connotation when conservatives vote together?
If Roberts was the devil he would have ruled against Obamacare.
These cases are all about consolidating more power for republicans, similar to rigging the rules for which elections are managed. They are by their nature heavily political.
I can not recall a 5-4 party line vote where Democrats used the Court to change the existing laws in their favor. Can you?
What’s the over under on the amount of time before a Team Trump Treason Tower is collapsed and it what country? Sure am glad I don’t have to go home to one of those.
that would be an interesting development. he would go to war for sure if that happened.
Difficult to do if noone claims responsibility
One of the reasons trump has a decent chance at reelection is the libertarians are staying with him.
If trump continues to escalate with Iran I believe he will lose that support. And alot of it comes from swing states.
What’s the over under on the amount of time before a Team Trump Treason Tower is collapsed and it what country? Sure am glad I don’t have to go home to one of those.
that would be an interesting development. he would go to war for sure if that happened.
Difficult to do if noone claims responsibility
One of the reasons trump has a decent chance at reelection is the libertarians are staying with him.
If trump continues to escalate with Iran I believe he will lose that support. And alot of it comes from swing states.
i think you are giving libertarians a little too much credit with sticking to their own platform. the current ones are waaay more okay with trump's policies than they would have been 10 years ago.
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.- Hemingway
What’s the over under on the amount of time before a Team Trump Treason Tower is collapsed and it what country? Sure am glad I don’t have to go home to one of those.
Interested in a line to make a bet on a terrorist event for the destruction of another high rise building where countless of innocent lives will be lost??? And another is interested in this line??? This is a very sad comment, but not surprising one bit....
What’s the over under on the amount of time before a Team Trump Treason Tower is collapsed and it what country? Sure am glad I don’t have to go home to one of those.
Interested in a line to make a bet on a terrorist event for the destruction of another high rise building where countless of innocent lives will be lost??? And another is interested in this line??? This is a very sad comment, but not surprising one bit....
Iran has already stated they will retaliate! In your opinion how & where do you think the attacks will happen?
What’s the over under on the amount of time before a Team Trump Treason Tower is collapsed and it what country? Sure am glad I don’t have to go home to one of those.
Interested in a line to make a bet on a terrorist event for the destruction of another high rise building where countless of innocent lives will be lost??? And another is interested in this line??? This is a very sad comment, but not surprising one bit....
Iran has already stated they will retaliate! In your opinion how & where do you think the attacks will happen?
You want my opinion?? ....I’ll give you my opinion on this shameful comment ....there is something very wrong with a person who is interested in a betting line on where the next terrorist event will happen on a building that has the President of the United States of America’s name on it. I lost a family member on 9/11, so I will just leave it at that. God Bless America
What’s the over under on the amount of time before a Team Trump Treason Tower is collapsed and it what country? Sure am glad I don’t have to go home to one of those.
Interested in a line to make a bet on a terrorist event for the destruction of another high rise building where countless of innocent lives will be lost??? And another is interested in this line??? This is a very sad comment, but not surprising one bit....
Iran has already stated they will retaliate! In your opinion how & where do you think the attacks will happen?
You want my opinion?? ....I’ll give you my opinion on this shameful comment ....there is something very wrong with a person who is interested in a betting line on where the next terrorist event will happen on a building that has the President of the United States of America’s name on it. I lost a family member on 9/11, so I will just leave it at that. God Bless America
What’s the over under on the amount of time before a Team Trump Treason Tower is collapsed and it what country? Sure am glad I don’t have to go home to one of those.
Interested in a line to make a bet on a terrorist event for the destruction of another high rise building where countless of innocent lives will be lost??? And another is interested in this line??? This is a very sad comment, but not surprising one bit....
Iran has already stated they will retaliate! In your opinion how & where do you think the attacks will happen?
You want my opinion?? ....I’ll give you my opinion on this shameful comment ....there is something very wrong with a person who is interested in a betting line on where the next terrorist event will happen on a building that has the President of the United States of America’s name on it. I lost a family member on 9/11, so I will just leave it at that. God Bless America
My opinion is I oppose shameful ignoramuses who unilaterally act in ways of high odds of retaliation, thereby abusing their positions of power and endangering the population they swore to protect. Don't blame those of us who are trying to determine just how outrageously stupid and reckless this act, it's your own arrogance and ignorance preventing you from seeing that retaliation is highly likely, and your guy is responsible for opening that door.
I'm sorry for your loss - I'm also sorry for the countless amount of lives that were lost predicated on lies associating Iraq with that day.
'05 - TO, '06 - TO 1, '08 - NYC 1 & 2, '09 - TO, Chi 1 & 2, '10 - Buffalo, NYC 1 & 2, '11 - TO 1 & 2, Hamilton, '13 - Buffalo, Brooklyn 1 & 2, '15 - Global Citizen, '16 - TO 1 & 2, Chi 2
EV
Toronto Film Festival 9/11/2007, '08 - Toronto 1 & 2, '09 - Albany 1, '11 - Chicago 1
What’s the over under on the amount of time before a Team Trump Treason Tower is collapsed and it what country? Sure am glad I don’t have to go home to one of those.
Interested in a line to make a bet on a terrorist event for the destruction of another high rise building where countless of innocent lives will be lost??? And another is interested in this line??? This is a very sad comment, but not surprising one bit....
Iran has already stated they will retaliate! In your opinion how & where do you think the attacks will happen?
You want my opinion?? ....I’ll give you my opinion on this shameful comment ....there is something very wrong with a person who is interested in a betting line on where the next terrorist event will happen on a building that has the President of the United States of America’s name on it. I lost a family member on 9/11, so I will just leave it at that. God Bless America
There is no God
WI 6/27/98 WI 10/8/00 MO 10/11/00 IL 4/23/03 MN 6/26/06 MN 6/27/06 WI 6/30/06 IL 8/5/07 IL 8/21/08 (EV) IL 8/22/08 (EV) IL 8/23/09 IL 8/24/09 IN 5/7/10 IL 6/28/11 (EV) IL 6/29/11 (EV) WI 9/3/11 WI 9/4/11 IL 7/19/13 NE 10/09/14 IL 10/17/14 MN 10/19/14 FL 4/11/16 IL 8/20/16 IL 8/22/16 IL 08/18/18 IL 08/20/18 IT 07/05/2020AT 07/07/2020
What’s the over under on the amount of time before a Team Trump Treason Tower is collapsed and it what country? Sure am glad I don’t have to go home to one of those.
Interested in a line to make a bet on a terrorist event for the destruction of another high rise building where countless of innocent lives will be lost??? And another is interested in this line??? This is a very sad comment, but not surprising one bit....
Iran has already stated they will retaliate! In your opinion how & where do you think the attacks will happen?
You want my opinion?? ....I’ll give you my opinion on this shameful comment ....there is something very wrong with a person who is interested in a betting line on where the next terrorist event will happen on a building that has the President of the United States of America’s name on it. I lost a family member on 9/11, so I will just leave it at that. God Bless America
There is no God
Well that’s your problem that you may have to answer to someday, but looking for a line to bet for the next terrorist event to happen on a building that has Trumps name on it that will be full of innocent people is wrong, even for this forum.
What’s the over under on the amount of time before a Team Trump Treason Tower is collapsed and it what country? Sure am glad I don’t have to go home to one of those.
Interested in a line to make a bet on a terrorist event for the destruction of another high rise building where countless of innocent lives will be lost??? And another is interested in this line??? This is a very sad comment, but not surprising one bit....
Iran has already stated they will retaliate! In your opinion how & where do you think the attacks will happen?
You want my opinion?? ....I’ll give you my opinion on this shameful comment ....there is something very wrong with a person who is interested in a betting line on where the next terrorist event will happen on a building that has the President of the United States of America’s name on it. I lost a family member on 9/11, so I will just leave it at that. God Bless America
What’s the over under on the amount of time before a Team Trump Treason Tower is collapsed and it what country? Sure am glad I don’t have to go home to one of those.
Interested in a line to make a bet on a terrorist event for the destruction of another high rise building where countless of innocent lives will be lost??? And another is interested in this line??? This is a very sad comment, but not surprising one bit....
Iran has already stated they will retaliate! In your opinion how & where do you think the attacks will happen?
You want my opinion?? ....I’ll give you my opinion on this shameful comment ....there is something very wrong with a person who is interested in a betting line on where the next terrorist event will happen on a building that has the President of the United States of America’s name on it. I lost a family member on 9/11, so I will just leave it at that. God Bless America
There is no God
Well that’s your problem that you may have to answer to someday, but looking for a line to bet for the next terrorist event to happen on a building that has Trumps name on it that will be full of innocent people is wrong, even for this forum.
Happy to see you reevaluating your conservative credentials. Because that's basically what Trump did when he fired off at the Iranian general. Trump in the GOP put at Target on Trump's buildings, on innocent American civilians, and unnecessarily escalated to a conflict just to distract from his own money laundering and criminal activities. Stochastic terrorism at it's finest.
Is this when Republicans loot, destroy, and set things on fire, or is that just a Democratic thing??
Post edited by CM189191 on
WI 6/27/98 WI 10/8/00 MO 10/11/00 IL 4/23/03 MN 6/26/06 MN 6/27/06 WI 6/30/06 IL 8/5/07 IL 8/21/08 (EV) IL 8/22/08 (EV) IL 8/23/09 IL 8/24/09 IN 5/7/10 IL 6/28/11 (EV) IL 6/29/11 (EV) WI 9/3/11 WI 9/4/11 IL 7/19/13 NE 10/09/14 IL 10/17/14 MN 10/19/14 FL 4/11/16 IL 8/20/16 IL 8/22/16 IL 08/18/18 IL 08/20/18 IT 07/05/2020AT 07/07/2020
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
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The Juggler
Behind that bush over there. Posts: 47,298
What’s the over under on the amount of time before a Team Trump Treason Tower is collapsed and it what country? Sure am glad I don’t have to go home to one of those.
Interested in a line to make a bet on a terrorist event for the destruction of another high rise building where countless of innocent lives will be lost??? And another is interested in this line??? This is a very sad comment, but not surprising one bit....
Iran has already stated they will retaliate! In your opinion how & where do you think the attacks will happen?
You want my opinion?? ....I’ll give you my opinion on this shameful comment ....there is something very wrong with a person who is interested in a betting line on where the next terrorist event will happen on a building that has the President of the United States of America’s name on it. I lost a family member on 9/11, so I will just leave it at that. God Bless America
There is no God
Well that’s your problem that you may have to answer to someday, but looking for a line to bet for the next terrorist event to happen on a building that has Trumps name on it that will be full of innocent people is wrong, even for this forum.
Trump says he has 52 targets lined up "some at very high level and important to Iran and the Iranian culture." He's not looking for a line to bet. He sets the line and then untold amounts of innocent people will be killed. That's just wrong, even for this forum. But...you don't care.
Linda, you are a hypocrite of highest proportions. God bless your family.
supposedly Iran didnt stamp passports of Al Qaida members.
Pence tweet would suggests these Al Qaida shits were escorted through the country.
This is not a new revelation. Both Bush and Obama admins knew this.
WI 6/27/98 WI 10/8/00 MO 10/11/00 IL 4/23/03 MN 6/26/06 MN 6/27/06 WI 6/30/06 IL 8/5/07 IL 8/21/08 (EV) IL 8/22/08 (EV) IL 8/23/09 IL 8/24/09 IN 5/7/10 IL 6/28/11 (EV) IL 6/29/11 (EV) WI 9/3/11 WI 9/4/11 IL 7/19/13 NE 10/09/14 IL 10/17/14 MN 10/19/14 FL 4/11/16 IL 8/20/16 IL 8/22/16 IL 08/18/18 IL 08/20/18 IT 07/05/2020AT 07/07/2020
What’s the over under on the amount of time before a Team Trump Treason Tower is collapsed and it what country? Sure am glad I don’t have to go home to one of those.
Interested in a line to make a bet on a terrorist event for the destruction of another high rise building where countless of innocent lives will be lost??? And another is interested in this line??? This is a very sad comment, but not surprising one bit....
Iran has already stated they will retaliate! In your opinion how & where do you think the attacks will happen?
You want my opinion?? ....I’ll give you my opinion on this shameful comment ....there is something very wrong with a person who is interested in a betting line on where the next terrorist event will happen on a building that has the President of the United States of America’s name on it. I lost a family member on 9/11, so I will just leave it at that. God Bless America
There is no God
Of course there is and she is not amused
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mickeyrat
up my ass, like Chadwick was up his Posts: 35,802
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
What’s the over under on the amount of time before a Team Trump Treason Tower is collapsed and it what country? Sure am glad I don’t have to go home to one of those.
Interested in a line to make a bet on a terrorist event for the destruction of another high rise building where countless of innocent lives will be lost??? And another is interested in this line??? This is a very sad comment, but not surprising one bit....
Iran has already stated they will retaliate! In your opinion how & where do you think the attacks will happen?
You want my opinion?? ....I’ll give you my opinion on this shameful comment ....there is something very wrong with a person who is interested in a betting line on where the next terrorist event will happen on a building that has the President of the United States of America’s name on it. I lost a family member on 9/11, so I will just leave it at that. God Bless America
lol damn you can’t even answer the ? , let me ask another one how many American soldiers body bags are you ok with sacrificing ? There’s no doubt that this will happen it’s just when & where ..
What’s the over under on the amount of time before a Team Trump Treason Tower is collapsed and it what country? Sure am glad I don’t have to go home to one of those.
Interested in a line to make a bet on a terrorist event for the destruction of another high rise building where countless of innocent lives will be lost??? And another is interested in this line??? This is a very sad comment, but not surprising one bit....
Well, at least I’m not interested in the evangelical myth of a war between fire and brimstone and Israel and the saved ascending to heaven and all the non-believers writhing in hell on earth. What’s the line on that?
What’s the over under on the amount of time before a Team Trump Treason Tower is collapsed and it what country? Sure am glad I don’t have to go home to one of those.
Interested in a line to make a bet on a terrorist event for the destruction of another high rise building where countless of innocent lives will be lost??? And another is interested in this line??? This is a very sad comment, but not surprising one bit....
Iran has already stated they will retaliate! In your opinion how & where do you think the attacks will happen?
You want my opinion?? ....I’ll give you my opinion on this shameful comment ....there is something very wrong with a person who is interested in a betting line on where the next terrorist event will happen on a building that has the President of the United States of America’s name on it. I lost a family member on 9/11, so I will just leave it at that. God Bless America
There is no God
Well that’s your problem that you may have to answer to someday, but looking for a line to bet for the next terrorist event to happen on a building that has Trumps name on it that will be full of innocent people is wrong, even for this forum.
Trump says he has 52 targets lined up "some at very high level and important to Iran and the Iranian culture." He's not looking for a line to bet. He sets the line and then untold amounts of innocent people will be killed. That's just wrong, even for this forum. But...you don't care.
Linda, you are a hypocrite of highest proportions. God bless your family.
Thank you for the blessing’s for my family, it’s nice to see there are some God fearing people on here....I can do without the personal name calling, but that’s par for the course for people who support Trump team treasonist in these parts.
Comments
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
These cases are all about consolidating more power for republicans, similar to rigging the rules for which elections are managed. They are by their nature heavily political.
I can not recall a 5-4 party line vote where Democrats used the Court to change the existing laws in their favor. Can you?
Difficult to do if noone claims responsibility
One of the reasons trump has a decent chance at reelection is the libertarians are staying with him.
If trump continues to escalate with Iran I believe he will lose that support. And alot of it comes from swing states.
But he loves everything and anything Republican. To the core.
Which is probably besides the point because all big trial decisions will be decided by majority vote, not Roberts.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Prague Krakow Berlin 2018. Berlin 2022
EV, Taormina 1+2 2017.
I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
Don's getting mad reckless and brayzeeee.
Opinions aren't facts.
I'm sorry for your loss - I'm also sorry for the countless amount of lives that were lost predicated on lies associating Iraq with that day.
EV
Toronto Film Festival 9/11/2007, '08 - Toronto 1 & 2, '09 - Albany 1, '11 - Chicago 1
remove and pardon (or prosecute I don't give a fuck). he has to go.
Happy to see you reevaluating your conservative credentials. Because that's basically what Trump did when he fired off at the Iranian general. Trump in the GOP put at Target on Trump's buildings, on innocent American civilians, and unnecessarily escalated to a conflict just to distract from his own money laundering and criminal activities. Stochastic terrorism at it's finest.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Linda, you are a hypocrite of highest proportions. God bless your family.
This is not a new revelation. Both Bush and Obama admins knew this.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
how many American soldiers body bags are you ok with sacrificing ? There’s no doubt that this will happen it’s just when & where ..
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
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