Former President Donald Trump's United States of America

[Admiral Beez]

She's still a corporatist.

Perhaps, but I see no reason why Trump can’t nominate her now and the Senate can vote to affirm before the election. If the people want to hold Trump and the GOP in the Senate to account for their hypocrisy re. refusing to consider Obama’s appointment, well that’s what the election is for. But legally, Trump and the Senate are in the right to proceed.

 

[afransen]

They are legally entitled to. But the voters should punish the GOP for their made up precedent of not considering Merrick Garland. And the Dems should feel no compunction about violating norms as the GOP are willing to do. In Dems take Senate and presidency, it is open season on the court. Give it one deeply unpopular ruling (at least among Dems and independents) and they will have sufficient cover to 'rebalance' the court.

Ideally, they lay bare how untenable the court is as a partisan institution.

 

[Admiral Beez]

They are legally entitled to.

That’s it, full stop. The rest is for the voters to decide if they like what Trump and Congress do.

My guess is the Dems take the WH, keep the House, but the GOP keeps the Senate.

 

[Richard White]

My guess is the Dems take the WH, keep the House, but the GOP keeps the Senate.

I want to see the Dems win a majority in the Senate just to wipe that smug smirk off Mitch McConnells face

 

[afransen]

That’s it, full stop. The rest is for the voters to decide if they like what Trump and Congress do.

My guess is the Dems take the WH, keep the House, but the GOP keeps the Senate.

Dems are also legally entitled to do what they can to drag it out of delay it until after the election.

 

[Northern Light]

Another update piece on Pt. Roberts Washington, the isolated US enclave within Canada.

Apparently it has lost about 25% of its permanent population (From 1,200 to 900) and most of its retail businesses.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/point-roberts-covid-1.5740806

 

[TheKingEast]

Monday news cycle should be interesting. Will give everyone a clear picture why Trump kept delaying showing his tax returns. You just knew it was a secret he didn't want to leak out.

 

[afransen]

Another update piece on Pt. Roberts Washington, the isolated US enclave within Canada.

Apparently it has lost about 25% of its permanent population (From 1,200 to 900) and most of its retail businesses.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/point-roberts-covid-1.5740806

Yeah, at some point people are going to bail, given the amount of hassle involved in living there.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I want to see the Dems win a majority in the Senate just to wipe that smug smirk off Mitch McConnells face

They’ll have at best two years to do it, since the Senate will swing right in 2022. That’s what happened with Obama, the Dems had all three seats of government and couldn’t get organized.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Dems are also legally entitled to do what they can to drag it out of delay it until after the election.

Which is nothing, AFAIK. It’s a funny thing that the closer the election the less legitimacy the President seems to have to make legally permitted decisions. Had RBG died in 2017 no one would be saying Trump should wait, but somehow now he should? Trump wasn’t around when Mitch made his silly game of delaying Obama’s pick, and Mitch’s voters can punish him for that hypocrisy if they wish, but that’s got nothing to do with Trump. You’re President until you’re not, it’s not a diminishing power gauge.

 

[afransen]

Every GOP Senator should be punished for Mitch's hypocrisy because they support him. I think most of the ire is being directed towards the GOP senate not Trump on this.

And just like with Obama, the president can nominate justices all he likes, the precedent here is that the Senate should not consider appointments close to the election.

PS, I think one thing that could delay confirmation is if the House were to initiate impeachment proceedings against William Barr.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Every GOP Senator should be punished for Mitch's hypocrisy because they support him.... the precedent here is that the Senate should not consider appointments close to the election.

Mitch’s delay with Obama’s judicial appointment did not set precedent. Precedent is a legal term, where decisions made previously legally bind future decisions, that does not apply here. What we‘re instead looking at is inconsistency and hypocrisy - both political occurrences as old as governance has existed.

Trump and the GOP Senate are empowered by the Constitution to appoint judges to SCOTUS. That’s it, nothing else matters. If Americans don’t like it, they can vote accordingly. But, I suspect many Americans will like it, and the Senate will remain firmly GOP. We’ll see after tomorrow’s debate if Trump has a shot of winning.

 

[afransen]

Norms come from precedent. Agreed that nothing legally prevents the GOP controlled Senate from considering and confirming ACB. But the hypocrisy of it weakens the ability to GOP to appeal to norms when they lose control. Just like there is nothing legally limiting SCOTUS nine justices. President Biden and a Dem controlled Senate could bring the total to fifteen.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Norms come from precedent. Agreed that nothing legally prevents the GOP controlled Senate from considering and confirming ACB. But the hypocrisy of it weakens the ability to GOP to appeal to norms when they lose control. Just like there is nothing legally limiting SCOTUS nine justices. President Biden and a Dem controlled Senate could bring the total to fifteen.

The Dems are their worst enemy. If they hadn’t voted away the filibuster they could stay a chance of impacting this appointment.

 

[afransen]

The Dems did not remove the filibuster on SCOTUS appointments. That was the GOP. The Dems removed the filibuster for lower court and cabinet official confirmations.