Tonight, the Senate confirmed Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States to take the seat of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The vote was 52 to 48, with no Democrats voting to confirm Barrett. One Republican, Senator Susan Collins of Maine, voted against the confirmation, saying it is too close to an election to fill the seat. Collins is in a tight reelection race against Democrat Sara Gideon, and since Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did not need Collins’s vote, she could vote no on procedural grounds and hope to push fewer voters to Gideon.
Re-balance the judiciary. Seventeen Supremes with a one-time-only-renewable ten year term. Reassign all federal justices except the Chief Justice after ten years. Expand appeals and circuits by a similar ratio. Pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Ban Citizens United contributions. Statehood for Puerto Rico and DC. Eliminate the Electoral College. We can do this.
We can do all of that but eliminating the Electoral College, which is in the Constitution - but repealing the cap on the size of the House of Representatives, so it expands to be once again proportional to population, would go a long way toward fixing the problems of the EC.
Going to sound like a broken record, but the National Popular Vote compact is an easier way to do this. Lots of info on this. If you all would like some links let me know.
I’m a 58 year old woman. Growing up in the seventies, embarking on my career in the eighties, I ran into life with the confidence that the previous generation of strong women had made my future path an exciting yellow brick road full of adventure and equality. Naïveté led to significant challenges with the old boy business society, but the underlying laws made over time were there for my well-being. They are the promise for our brilliant girls and young women of the future. I am heartbroken and angry that the system has the potential to regress.
The chance that the latest court iteration will agree to rollback the steps that the country has made to protect the environment in order to favor corporate interests? A total nightmare.
I’m also a health insurance professional. I’ve seen the beginnings of systemic improvements being made since the passage of the ACA. Is there room for improvement? Heck yeah, but the protections in place because of this legislation are literally life saving.
Ultimately, I believe that this use of the evangelical veil leads the way for total corporate control of the country.
I’m borrowing your story to share. I’m amazed that any woman would vote for Trump and believe that the generation behind ours (I’m 59) takes for granted the rights earned by our predecessors.
Everyone. Everyone. Everyone should read Gail Collins's excellent book, When Everything Changed. All of us women everyday are conducting activities that were illegal not too long ago. When I look at the young women now who can take these rights for granted, I am so grateful to live now.
I wouldn't denigrate the young. They are a force for change and they have been in the forefront of the battle for the environment, justice, and peace. There was also a generation who didn't appreciate the fact of the combustion engine, that there was a time when everyone walked or traveled in horse-drawn "vehicles." It's not a "fault", it is the result of a changing world. As an example, I don't know when I last deeply appreciated central heating. Praise the young. They are our future and they are cursed by the issues an older generation has failed to solve. And praise, praise to the women who fight for equality, health, and financial freedom.
I am not denigrating at all. I am so proud of these women---doing almost every possible job. I am proud that they do not have the same fights that we did.
I'm in my seventies and broke the glass ceiling at a very fine and ethical Fortune 100 tech company as an group engineering manager. But, so many corporations do not have ethics. I agree that this is all in the name of the rich getting richer. What we need is a Well-Being Index like Great Britain has where every policy and piece of legislation is measure on how it improves the well-being of all citizens. It should be more powerful than GNP. The irony of this corporate control is that they are destroying capitalism by hollowing out the middle class. No consumers; no capitalism.
Sheree, I’m 59 and you describe perfectly the joy with which I started my career as well. By age 26, I was the highest ranked woman in my company. 26. And making less money than my male colleagues. It was vastly eye opening and depressing.
I saw the GOP tweet in real time last night and was absolutely gobsmacked by the utterly childish pettiness and nastiness of it. If that is representative of the thinking of those people it’s no wonder we are in the mess we’re in.
In the darkest moments portrayed in the “Dark Side”, by Jane Mayer, it was Republicans with courage and devotion to law, like Comey and Jack Goldsmith that stopped the evil of torture and worse in the G. W. Bush administration. All types of citizens will rise up in the face of this attempted hijacking of the electoral process. One positive result of the Barrett fiasco is the spotlight on the intellectual illegitimacy of Originalism and Textualism.
Heather, You had previously mentioned that a probe into Kavanaugh’s financial issues may lead to his inability to remain on the Court? Could you please expand on that point? Thanks for your insight.😊
Paying down that much debt in a year seems highly unlikely in the absence of some sort of windfall. The questions raised in the Mother Jones article align with the reality that the path to a SCOTUS seat often takes years and frequently includes a seat on the DC Circuit or Fed Circuit along the way.
If a ballot is post-marked on or before election day but not received until a day or so after, how can that not be counted? Given the increased number of Americans voting by mail, should we not make an effort to aid in processing and counting these ballots especially considering the tampering with the USPS? What about people who are in line to vote in person. If the lines on election day are so long that not everyone in line can get into the building before the polls close, what happens? Should they be excluded?
I'm 74 and an election judge in Maryland. Our rules are clear that anyone in line at 8pm when polls close is permitted to vote no matter how long it takes. I think this is true pretty much across the board. Also, I worked yesterday, the first day of early voting here and we had a staggering turnout. Take heart. What I saw yesterday and many other indicators lead me to believe that Biden is going to win and win big. The spirit in the polling station felt like 2008.
Echoing what Richard says above — here in Maine, our Sec of State has strongly encouraged that a poll worker Bundle Up (it can be chilly here in Maine on a November evening!) and go stand at the back of the line (however long) at 8pm — anyone ahead of them is eligible to vote, no matter how long into the evening it takes!
Given that ballots postmarked on or before election day (by people who could be considered in a “virtual” line) can’t/won’t be counted!if received AFTER election day (Nov 3) then, by the same token, people in line on election day/night should not be able to cast their ballot after midnight. I think it is entirely possible that some lines will be so long that this could actually happen.
Considering these are the same people who see no discrepancy between holding Scalia's seat open almost a year to spite Obama, and rushing Barrett through at lightening speed, to aid Trump, I am not at all surprised. Does it suck? Yes. Do they feel the least little twinge of conscience? Hell, no. They don't DO conscience.
My uneducated opinion, Cathy: jw says (above) a poll worker should be stationed at the end of the line to wave off voters who come after the poll's closing time. It may well be it will take until after midnight to usher those voters through who were there before the poll's closing time. I think it is appropriate that they be allowed to vote. As to mail-in ballots, I think any ballots postmarked on election day but received later should be counted. I don't understand why that is so controversial; other than the question remains how many days after election day should the "counters" have to wait for a ballot to arrive.
I've been living in Japan for 50 years. My voting state is Massachusetts, where the Overseas Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and arrive by 5 p.m. on Nov. 13 to be counted.
Overseas ballots will be counted at a public meeting of the Board of Registrars no earlier than 5 p.m. on Nov. 13.
I don't believe so. I think it's been that number of days for quite a while. We did just have a lawsuit about whether each county could have multiple drop boxes for ballots, but it was eventually decided that, like Texas, there could be only one, at the county Board of Elections.
I totally agree about ballots postmarked no later than election day and support some limit on how long after election day to accept those ballots but otherwise, how is this controversial?
We live in Oregon and our ballots, beginning this year, do not even require postage. However, for the first time in 20 years, we carried our ballots to a drop box inside a building. I have had notice that my ballot is at the election office and accepted for counting. In Portland at least, extra security is around drop boxes. Republicans do not want people to vote and this is has been true since I was growing up in Indiana which is about 60 years ago.
My thot is WHY would there be long lines on Nov. 3, with mail in ballots and almost a month of Daily Early Voting? Of course, I don’t understand ppl in line before midnight at the post office on April 15 to get their damned Income Tax returns in. Maybe it’s just me, but as soon as I get all my W-2 & 1099, I get my taxes done by Feb and I voted as soon as I got my Mail In ballot on Oct 5. I just don’t understand why so many ppl wait til the last minute to do stuff.
Just like masks, voting on election day has been politicized. Trumpets take their direction from tRump, and coming out on election day is a show of "strength" (?) for him. Maybe we will get a snowstorm, a rainstorm or a Covid storm and they will have to stay home.
Rob, have you taken into account how some states (like Texas and Republican governor shenanigans) have cut down on places people in democratic districts can vote or drop off their ballots? At this point, you can't compare getting someone getting their taxes in to waiting to vote on election day. Also, many people cannot get time off - many of our underpaid essential workers, for instance - and would be the first to suffer from artificial limits on their hours (when the polling place closes) and where those polling places are. My father, privileged white male that he is, has the polling place come to his gated golf community so the residents and members can vote right on the grounds this year.
Yes Deborah, I have taken that into account even posted earlier “Hopefully, there is an overpowering Democrat win, despite all the voter suppression the Repugnants have instituted.” Still we are talking about the droves of ppl who will be there in line on Nov 3, as opposed to Oct 27 and so on. As for not getting time off, I guess I am spoiled by our Lib State of Floriduh (SARCASM) but our early voting places have been open all 7 days 7AM to 7PM and my Mail in was done 2 weeks ago.
I understand and applaud your resolve but not all of human nature is so disciplined. There is no reason not to accommodate a reasonable range of human behavior.
For taxes, since I usually owe, I do them by March & wait until early April to send the check. Just letting you know one reason that isn't procrastination.
Oh no, I am a Master Level procrastinator. I have writing projects 3 years old and I keep calendar notes on vacuuming my one room to make sure it gets done once a month. I'm just punctual paying bills, filing income tax and getting my vote in.
I don’t think we’ve even begun to see the shenanigans. SCOTUS just voted on PA being able to receive 3 days after, or however many it was, but they are planning on sending it again now that they have put their unethical new conservative in. I don’t think she was picked for any reason other than she is easily malleable and coerced. For all the women who have worked hard to get where they are she is a shameful example. Nothing you will ever want children to look up to.
You make an excellent analogy with being in line when the poll closes. Wish you had been making the argument to the Supreme Court, although little good any arguments are going to make with this politicized court.
The injustice of that decision, the obvious pandering to to the Trumpublicans in that decision, and the possible disenfranchisement of vulnerable Americans during a global and national crisis, is unconscionable. This is exactly why the Democrats will get a mandate to do whatever it takes to fix this if they win control of the White House and the Senate.
Do not despair. One aspect of the Trump-McConnell attack on this country, is psychological warfare to deprive the rest of us of the energy to fight back. Do not give in.
Yes! Here is what a writer friend of mine wrote about this:
Mike Lescarbeau sent this message this morning;
“Good NYT article this morning about the demotivating effect a conservative court might have on republican voters. For many, this was their finish line, and the only issue driving them to the polls.
I take solace in the fact that nobody believes we'll be putting women in jail for abortions, that gay rights will be reinforced by federal employment law if nothing else, and that limiting voting rights can only mitigate the growing impact of liberal and nonwhite sentiment for so long.
ACB's confirmation has been called White Women's 9/11, with some on the left arguing that losing RBG and the majority all at once is just too much to process for lifelong reproductive and gay rights advocates. I don't doubt it. But the Trumpsters love it when we wring our hands, so I say go ahead and let them try to get the toothpaste back in the tube. Let's see if America will stand for laws that make a young girl's medical procedure a prison offense, or any new ruling that tries to take away [any gay married couple’s] wedding certificate. The ensuing outrage would pretty much guarantee a Democratic majority in both the house and senate far into the future, and flip some purple states blue, too.”
I'm wondering if this was decided on the basis that the State had the right to run elections any way they see fit rather than as an issue about the right to vote and every vote counted. I think it is the former and will be the argument for many conservative decisions for the next few decades -- keep the federal government out of everything. To be a democracy I think States do need some oversight protecting our rights. And, there are many things that would make more sense managed on a national basis. United States is listed by the Economic Intelligence Unit, a UK based company, as a Flawed Democracy for 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index
At least since Bush v Gore, the court has been extremely hypocritical about states rights, considering them only when convenient for the result they want.
Did you listen to Senator Shelton Whitewater's speech at the Coney Barrett hearing. That was such a great speech and put together all the pieces of the corruption. For me, it was one of the most important speeches I've ever heard.
I hear you. It still feels convenient to rule in favor of state control when it means fewer votes counted, which at this time in history means fewer blue votes. Although, I just heard on the news that Louisiana is allowing colored to be counted that come in up to nine days after. There is a suit In that case. If SCOTUS rules in favor of state rights in that case as well, I will feel calmer.
That is what SHOULD be the law. We need a new VRA covering all the states that will include things like "postmarked before" and restoration of rights to felons for federal elections.
Here's my dream now. Remember the scene in the original "Miracle of 34th Street" in the courtroom scene when the post office makes a special delivery of bags and bags of letters to Santa! We need all the postal workers to make the same special delivery on November 3rd of all ballots received and postmarked to every election administrator in the country. Just love picturing that!
Wow. STAY THE COURSE people!!! More than one commenter here assuming the election is already over. Damn. That’s exactly what THEY want you to feel! So they confirmed another justice - we knew that was coming ever since we lost RGB. Write your friends and family, remind them to VOTE! And just as importantly, write your elected officials! Demand change! Demand justice! Demand your rights! It is NOT over!!!
We have nothing to lose and everything to gain by pouring all of our hearts and energy into wrapping this up in week. This is no time to lose hope. And if Biden loses, well then it is time to make a new plan. We are Americans and we are tough.
I still write to my Senator several times a week usually who isn't going to listen to me either -- Senator Cornyn. But, I keep writing. I figure you never know when you might just put a seed in someone that will blossom into something important. Besides I feel better just by having made my point.
I still cringe remembering that John Cornyn video 2008 - to the tune of Jimmy Dean’s “Big Bad John." Parodied by Jon Stewart & TYT.
Hideous: “He came down off the bench after doing his time. He fought heathens and all kinds of crime. He was just getting started and a long ways to go. We sent him to Washington to the really big show. Big John. Big Bad John.”
And more: "Don't think that, Big Johnny, we're sending you back. And you're doing the Lord's work for Texas, and we got your back. We'll call folk, we'll hustle, we'll outwork our foe. We'll tell souls in Texas you must get six mo.' Well that place out yonder needs more men like you, who'll shoot straight and talk straight and enjoy a good brew."
When Beto lost to Cruz I wrote him my congratulations on his campaign that energized Texas Democrats and made people feel kicking these old guys out was doable. I told him he was just one election too soon. I hope this is the election that does it and MJ Hegar will be our Senator.
For opposite reasons - my elected officials are committed progressives, which is great - you and I have to figure out what to do in addition to writing to elected officials who won't change. For this election, for me, that was writing get out the vote letters. What with age and covid, I don't know yet what is next...
Please be careful and stay safe. Bundy has amassed a huge army to police the polling places; he’s the one who took over the Malheur Wildlife buildings a few years ago in eastern Oregon.
We in Oregon do not go to polling places nor do they in Washington. Already officials are alert for election problems. Bundt should be jail, but thanks to one jerk juror in Portland, he is not. We in Oregon were appalled by the takeover of the refuge and the trial results.
My elected officials are Democrats, including a Democrat-controlled state legislature. Easy for me. So I wrote get out the vote letters for folks in Arizona.
Republicans know they would never prevail in an honest, open, free election, so they do all they can to prevent such an occurrence. Therefore we must do all we can to bring about honest, open, free elections. The very beginning of that process is that EVERYONE VOTES!
It will take years to dismantle what the Republicans have erected, and years to re-build that which Trumpism has destroyed. We start that process by voting.
We must not let them take the nation back to the plantation and the company town.
To borrow a line from a Ronald Reagan campaign slogan, we are waiting for "morning in America." But don't hold your breath, so long as the fetid remains of the party he represented still exist to prolong the night
Completely inappropriate for statesmen and states women. They do not deserve to hold office. Shame shame shame. The mantle of hypocrisy will hang on every Republican member of the Senate for life.
You continue to do a wonderful job, Dr. Cox-Richardon. And an immense service to all who are informed, moved and further engaged by your writing and teaching efforts.
Deep appreciation and thanks to you! Whatever it takes to sustain your own balance, honor it... Your Voice is a unique and very valuable contribution to genuine and fair national dialogue. It ain't easy but .... let facts and fairness prevail over manipulation and power plays! Thank you.
Morning!!! So do we pout and cry over what seems to be an overwhelming avalanche of defeat? Or do we soldier on until the truth overcomes the darkness. Choose wisely.
A car drove by a line of people waiting to vote. The driver rolled down the window and asked how long they have been waiting. A voter replied "four years". People cheered. It's funny but so true. We just want this nightmare to end.
A glimpse of hope came yesterday with the announcement that the Chilean people had, by referendum, thrown off the feudal yoke of the Constitution that was written and imposed by Koch-funded and supported American Political Economist, James Buchanan, lately of George Mason University and the University of Virginia, for the murderous Pinochet dictatorial regime. The people will now write their own Constitution which will reflect their needs rather than strictly those of the propertied rich.
Amen. The Chilean reforms are a kind of plebiscite miracle! Not to deflate the "miracle" in Chili, but I don't think Americans have suffered what Chili has under Pinochet, but we're on the brink of such a deadly experience. If the HRC tweet is any measure, a second term for Trump would be a bloodthirsty, slapstick.
I’m so beyond sad that we’re stuck with Trump again for four more years. Now with civil servants jobs soon gone, and all the civil rights, worker’s rights, consumer’s rights, etc all but undone, I just don’t know how many of us can continue putting one foot in front of the other.
When something's broke, we fix it. Trump and his minions exposed cracks as they exploited them, and there is a lot of work to fill them. How many of us can continue putting one foot in front of the other? A whole bunch. And we take turns carrying the load.
I'm always reminded of the struggles every damn day of many of our friends in the black community and yet they continue on. I think I will follow in their footsteps.
If Trump is re-elected or steals the election, I'm joining the non-violent resistance. I'm not going backwards. I am not supporting an oligarchic kleptocracy which is what we have now. DT is dangerous, but he is also only a symptom of the program that has been growing for several decades. A plan by ultra-conservatives to take over America culminating today with all three branches of government in contempt of the Constitution.
You’re right, Cathy, but the nefarious scheme has been with us pretty much from the beginning of the republic, if not the colonies. The belief that only an anointed few should rule this nation is an old but not so goody.
At this point, it would appear the treasonous among us are closer to that illicit and reprehensible goal than ever. But I believe that “we, the people”, will not allow that to happen.
It does mean that we must unite, must coalesce into a dynamic and resolute force to eradicate this pernicious and seemingly intractable rot. We can and we must become the citizens of the nation we want to have.
Yes, I agree. But the Founders founded a democratic republic very clearly. And if one like Amy claims is really an "originalist" that means democratic rights should be paramount -- like the right to vote.
What if he doesn't? Just because trump is weak doesn't mean he and Republicans won't successfully steal the election. The supreme court elected bush once, no reason a 6-3 won't elect trump again.
Sign up for their training on non-violent resistance and what to do if there is a coup. The training is excellent. At choosedemocracy.us they also will tell you when a coup has happened so check in daily now. I'm not going backward!
This election is not over. So far, turnout is huge and Democrats are doing well. If enough people get out and vote for Biden-Harris, the results will be too big for the courts to overturn.
McConnell is the real evil behind trump. The fact that the Republicans are leaving town without a vote on Covid relief is evidence for any undecided voter to replace them. I don’t understand why just 3 could not stand on principle and do the right things- vote no, become temporary independent and provide the help the nation needs. This must be all about judges—their maniacal obsession.
Even though I'm hopeful, I am nevertheless profoundly worried. The SCOTUS has been further de-legitimized with Trump's/McConnell's politicization antics. This HAS to be concerning to Chief Justice Roberts. I had not favored packing the court, but I do now. But then, what does the SCOTUS become? Nothing but a glorified super-legislative body barely distinguishable from the rest of the legislative branch. That is most decidedly NOT what the framers of the Constitution intended. In the short term, they and all the hordes of extreme conservative judges appointed by Trump/McConnell can cause some major damage. Even if Democrats take over the Executive and legislative branches, they can be still be stymied in every attempt to undo Trump/McConnell damage. Like McConnell said, Democrats can change things legislatively, but if there are challenges to passed legislation by some crack-pot conservative judge that ends up going to the SCOTUS, well, we know what the outcome will be. In other words, Mitch & Co. have us over a barrel, folks, and there's nothing we can do about it, especially in the short term. Barrett's confirmation and all has me terribly upset and worried. I'm anxious about the future--hopeful AND worried. God help us.
The framers did NOT intend for the SC to grab the power of judicial review, which they did in 1796 in Marbury vs Madison. At least it was only used when unanimous for a long time. The framers did NOT intend for justices to serve for many decades (HCR has spoken about how originally serving on the SC required long hours on horseback). There is way, way too much concentration of power in our federal government today - in the presidency, in the Majority Leader of the Senate, in the nine (or majority of five) of the Supreme Court. All of that needs fixing. I am hoping for a blue tsunami to make it possible, and then enough pressure from us all and courage from the Congress and WH to make it happen.
I'm not a numbers person, but here is a graph (scroll down once you open it) listing all 115 justices and their length of service. Some have over 30 years on the bench. The new justice, Barrett, is even listed as having served 1 day!
Yes..Way too much power in the areas you mentioned..And the electoral college is not democratic..It all needs changed agree.. The majority don't rule..
That the original SC members rode long hours on horseback assumes they were young enough to do so because people then generally did not live as long as we do now and that thus the Court did not have men (then) on it who served for decades.
I’ve heard this argument before, and I’m not totally sure I buy it. I’m an avid equestrian, almost 60, ride nearly every day. And I ride intensely, and compete at a fairly high level. Granted, I don’t ride for hours at a time, but for those who ride all their lives, as people back then did, it’s not that huge of a physical endeavor to ride at a walk or even a trot for a fairly long time. And they did have carriages.
I'm just paraphrasing what Heather wrote, that serving on the SC required long hours on horseback, implying that the founders did not expect the SC members to be old people.
Lucky you that you can and do ride every day, Kathy.
The Center for Politics - its founder, Larry Sabato, is arguably America's foremost political scientist and political analyst. Until 2016, this outfit correctly forecast an amazingly high (95+%) percentage of elections for House, Senate, Governor and President.
This is not 2016 - trump is the incumbent with horrible approval ratings. Sabato takes into account these numbers, comparing them to every election since 1952.
THIS election is NOT close. To allay fears, look at facts, statistics, history.
Frederick, A little while back you mentioned the concepts of 'mindfulness, consciousness and presence'. No matter what reality brings us each day, these are survival tools that I try to embrace everyday. Light is greater than darkness. This does not mean giving up or inaction. I 'reboot' and keep moving forward. I am a hard worker, and I am joined by other magnificently able, smart, and effective workers like those who post here. The clarity and intelligence of Dr. Richardson's fine mind is a great gift to all of us. The missive to take a moment to rest and be mindful is truly important in order to continue to be effective. Whether or not people realize it, Buddy's amazing pictures are 'mindfulness, consciousness and presence' right before our eyes. The genius of Heather and Buddy! working together, calming us, reorienting us back to what each of us can do to make things better. Thank you Frederick and thank you to HCR and Buddy and all who post here. Each of you is of inestimable value and so greatly appreciated by me. I will get through this madness because of all of you. Thank you for being there for me. Prior to finding you, I was wandering in the desert. I am ok now because of all of you. No matter what happens, we will pick up the pieces and go forward. Love, light and peace to all of you.
I agree with you. This awful scenario was devised by the Federalist Society’s members for a very long time. Roberts is part of this, as well. Nope, no sympathy there. Changes are a’ comin’.
Re-balance the judiciary. Seventeen Supremes with a one-time-only-renewable ten year term. Reassign all federal justices except the Chief Justice after ten years. Expand appeals and circuits by a similar ratio. Pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Ban Citizens United contributions. Statehood for Puerto Rico and DC. Eliminate the Electoral College. We can do this.
We can do all of that but eliminating the Electoral College, which is in the Constitution - but repealing the cap on the size of the House of Representatives, so it expands to be once again proportional to population, would go a long way toward fixing the problems of the EC.
Going to sound like a broken record, but the National Popular Vote compact is an easier way to do this. Lots of info on this. If you all would like some links let me know.
Thanks, Annette. Link away!
The first one is a good overview of the NPV initiative. You can even drill down to show what is happening in individual states. https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/national-popular-vote.aspx
The second one shows a list of events but at the bottom are links to previous interviews. https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTSTXdJCYB7romfvfCyYSvSCDW2AmAmEYsC8F5gCbKAlDzcoNwsRuTVSfCSJr6vJnVJlcIjnBGK3DTO/pub?urp=gmail_link&fbclid=IwAR1R7KerhC9tqnX0nCetIpbbXkNBNhHJu9bupOi6StzwqoPP1ssKwnqBgmg
Happy reading!
Jim! Your post here fills me with hope and determination! I hope you caucus or even run for office. 💙🌊💙🌊💙🌊
I’m a 58 year old woman. Growing up in the seventies, embarking on my career in the eighties, I ran into life with the confidence that the previous generation of strong women had made my future path an exciting yellow brick road full of adventure and equality. Naïveté led to significant challenges with the old boy business society, but the underlying laws made over time were there for my well-being. They are the promise for our brilliant girls and young women of the future. I am heartbroken and angry that the system has the potential to regress.
The chance that the latest court iteration will agree to rollback the steps that the country has made to protect the environment in order to favor corporate interests? A total nightmare.
I’m also a health insurance professional. I’ve seen the beginnings of systemic improvements being made since the passage of the ACA. Is there room for improvement? Heck yeah, but the protections in place because of this legislation are literally life saving.
Ultimately, I believe that this use of the evangelical veil leads the way for total corporate control of the country.
I’m borrowing your story to share. I’m amazed that any woman would vote for Trump and believe that the generation behind ours (I’m 59) takes for granted the rights earned by our predecessors.
Everyone. Everyone. Everyone should read Gail Collins's excellent book, When Everything Changed. All of us women everyday are conducting activities that were illegal not too long ago. When I look at the young women now who can take these rights for granted, I am so grateful to live now.
Maybe each of us should send Barrett a copy.
I wouldn't denigrate the young. They are a force for change and they have been in the forefront of the battle for the environment, justice, and peace. There was also a generation who didn't appreciate the fact of the combustion engine, that there was a time when everyone walked or traveled in horse-drawn "vehicles." It's not a "fault", it is the result of a changing world. As an example, I don't know when I last deeply appreciated central heating. Praise the young. They are our future and they are cursed by the issues an older generation has failed to solve. And praise, praise to the women who fight for equality, health, and financial freedom.
I am not denigrating at all. I am so proud of these women---doing almost every possible job. I am proud that they do not have the same fights that we did.
We must never be complacent. Obama was correct. We felt like we arrived in the promised land until we didn’t. Build back better
I'm in my seventies and broke the glass ceiling at a very fine and ethical Fortune 100 tech company as an group engineering manager. But, so many corporations do not have ethics. I agree that this is all in the name of the rich getting richer. What we need is a Well-Being Index like Great Britain has where every policy and piece of legislation is measure on how it improves the well-being of all citizens. It should be more powerful than GNP. The irony of this corporate control is that they are destroying capitalism by hollowing out the middle class. No consumers; no capitalism.
Sheree, I’m 59 and you describe perfectly the joy with which I started my career as well. By age 26, I was the highest ranked woman in my company. 26. And making less money than my male colleagues. It was vastly eye opening and depressing.
But we have such strong, good people ready to stop them. I hope that can stop them. Four more justices! We need to balance the court.
I saw the GOP tweet in real time last night and was absolutely gobsmacked by the utterly childish pettiness and nastiness of it. If that is representative of the thinking of those people it’s no wonder we are in the mess we’re in.
In the darkest moments portrayed in the “Dark Side”, by Jane Mayer, it was Republicans with courage and devotion to law, like Comey and Jack Goldsmith that stopped the evil of torture and worse in the G. W. Bush administration. All types of citizens will rise up in the face of this attempted hijacking of the electoral process. One positive result of the Barrett fiasco is the spotlight on the intellectual illegitimacy of Originalism and Textualism.
Court refit and reform. Let’s pray for a democratic senate
🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Heather, You had previously mentioned that a probe into Kavanaugh’s financial issues may lead to his inability to remain on the Court? Could you please expand on that point? Thanks for your insight.😊
Just the facts: https://apnews.com/article/08c7722e3fd0497fb457ca39f5bb61f3
One take on the significance that looks back a little further. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/09/the-many-mysteries-of-brett-kavanaughs-finances/
Paying down that much debt in a year seems highly unlikely in the absence of some sort of windfall. The questions raised in the Mother Jones article align with the reality that the path to a SCOTUS seat often takes years and frequently includes a seat on the DC Circuit or Fed Circuit along the way.
Yes please. Tell us more.
I hadn't heard about this but would like to know more as well.
Me, too. Something’s fishy there.
It would help SO much if he were removed, and in Biden’s time.
AMEN!
If a ballot is post-marked on or before election day but not received until a day or so after, how can that not be counted? Given the increased number of Americans voting by mail, should we not make an effort to aid in processing and counting these ballots especially considering the tampering with the USPS? What about people who are in line to vote in person. If the lines on election day are so long that not everyone in line can get into the building before the polls close, what happens? Should they be excluded?
I'm 74 and an election judge in Maryland. Our rules are clear that anyone in line at 8pm when polls close is permitted to vote no matter how long it takes. I think this is true pretty much across the board. Also, I worked yesterday, the first day of early voting here and we had a staggering turnout. Take heart. What I saw yesterday and many other indicators lead me to believe that Biden is going to win and win big. The spirit in the polling station felt like 2008.
Echoing what Richard says above — here in Maine, our Sec of State has strongly encouraged that a poll worker Bundle Up (it can be chilly here in Maine on a November evening!) and go stand at the back of the line (however long) at 8pm — anyone ahead of them is eligible to vote, no matter how long into the evening it takes!
Given that ballots postmarked on or before election day (by people who could be considered in a “virtual” line) can’t/won’t be counted!if received AFTER election day (Nov 3) then, by the same token, people in line on election day/night should not be able to cast their ballot after midnight. I think it is entirely possible that some lines will be so long that this could actually happen.
They can’t have it both ways!
Thoughts?
Considering these are the same people who see no discrepancy between holding Scalia's seat open almost a year to spite Obama, and rushing Barrett through at lightening speed, to aid Trump, I am not at all surprised. Does it suck? Yes. Do they feel the least little twinge of conscience? Hell, no. They don't DO conscience.
My uneducated opinion, Cathy: jw says (above) a poll worker should be stationed at the end of the line to wave off voters who come after the poll's closing time. It may well be it will take until after midnight to usher those voters through who were there before the poll's closing time. I think it is appropriate that they be allowed to vote. As to mail-in ballots, I think any ballots postmarked on election day but received later should be counted. I don't understand why that is so controversial; other than the question remains how many days after election day should the "counters" have to wait for a ballot to arrive.
Believe it or not, it's 10 days after the election, if the ballot is postmarked by the election date, in Ohio!
I've been living in Japan for 50 years. My voting state is Massachusetts, where the Overseas Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and arrive by 5 p.m. on Nov. 13 to be counted.
Overseas ballots will be counted at a public meeting of the Board of Registrars no earlier than 5 p.m. on Nov. 13.
Do you know if there are law suits opposed to this 10 day 'extension'?
I don't believe so. I think it's been that number of days for quite a while. We did just have a lawsuit about whether each county could have multiple drop boxes for ballots, but it was eventually decided that, like Texas, there could be only one, at the county Board of Elections.
I totally agree about ballots postmarked no later than election day and support some limit on how long after election day to accept those ballots but otherwise, how is this controversial?
With the Post Office having been "reformed," the question of late ballots has nothing to do with the voters.
We live in Oregon and our ballots, beginning this year, do not even require postage. However, for the first time in 20 years, we carried our ballots to a drop box inside a building. I have had notice that my ballot is at the election office and accepted for counting. In Portland at least, extra security is around drop boxes. Republicans do not want people to vote and this is has been true since I was growing up in Indiana which is about 60 years ago.
The election was decided after election day in 2012, 2008, 2004, 2000...
My thot is WHY would there be long lines on Nov. 3, with mail in ballots and almost a month of Daily Early Voting? Of course, I don’t understand ppl in line before midnight at the post office on April 15 to get their damned Income Tax returns in. Maybe it’s just me, but as soon as I get all my W-2 & 1099, I get my taxes done by Feb and I voted as soon as I got my Mail In ballot on Oct 5. I just don’t understand why so many ppl wait til the last minute to do stuff.
Just like masks, voting on election day has been politicized. Trumpets take their direction from tRump, and coming out on election day is a show of "strength" (?) for him. Maybe we will get a snowstorm, a rainstorm or a Covid storm and they will have to stay home.
Rob, have you taken into account how some states (like Texas and Republican governor shenanigans) have cut down on places people in democratic districts can vote or drop off their ballots? At this point, you can't compare getting someone getting their taxes in to waiting to vote on election day. Also, many people cannot get time off - many of our underpaid essential workers, for instance - and would be the first to suffer from artificial limits on their hours (when the polling place closes) and where those polling places are. My father, privileged white male that he is, has the polling place come to his gated golf community so the residents and members can vote right on the grounds this year.
Yes Deborah, I have taken that into account even posted earlier “Hopefully, there is an overpowering Democrat win, despite all the voter suppression the Repugnants have instituted.” Still we are talking about the droves of ppl who will be there in line on Nov 3, as opposed to Oct 27 and so on. As for not getting time off, I guess I am spoiled by our Lib State of Floriduh (SARCASM) but our early voting places have been open all 7 days 7AM to 7PM and my Mail in was done 2 weeks ago.
I understand and applaud your resolve but not all of human nature is so disciplined. There is no reason not to accommodate a reasonable range of human behavior.
For taxes, since I usually owe, I do them by March & wait until early April to send the check. Just letting you know one reason that isn't procrastination.
Hopefully, by election day the daily KIA report will be so high that all the old GOPers will be afraid to go vote.
Sounds like you haven't perfected procrastination yet!
Oh no, I am a Master Level procrastinator. I have writing projects 3 years old and I keep calendar notes on vacuuming my one room to make sure it gets done once a month. I'm just punctual paying bills, filing income tax and getting my vote in.
*I ask this question because I keep hearing that more dems than repubs have voted early because the repubs are waiting until election day.
I pray that you are correct Mr Bearman because there have been enough shenanigans with this administration to last me the rest of my life
I don’t think we’ve even begun to see the shenanigans. SCOTUS just voted on PA being able to receive 3 days after, or however many it was, but they are planning on sending it again now that they have put their unethical new conservative in. I don’t think she was picked for any reason other than she is easily malleable and coerced. For all the women who have worked hard to get where they are she is a shameful example. Nothing you will ever want children to look up to.
Thank YOU for this!!!💕😍
Thank you! I am heartened to hear this!
Thank you, Richard. We need those encouraging words.
You make an excellent analogy with being in line when the poll closes. Wish you had been making the argument to the Supreme Court, although little good any arguments are going to make with this politicized court.
The injustice of that decision, the obvious pandering to to the Trumpublicans in that decision, and the possible disenfranchisement of vulnerable Americans during a global and national crisis, is unconscionable. This is exactly why the Democrats will get a mandate to do whatever it takes to fix this if they win control of the White House and the Senate.
It absolutely is unconscionable, and it so offends my sense of moral character that I find myself sinking into deep despair.
Do not despair. One aspect of the Trump-McConnell attack on this country, is psychological warfare to deprive the rest of us of the energy to fight back. Do not give in.
Yes! Here is what a writer friend of mine wrote about this:
Mike Lescarbeau sent this message this morning;
“Good NYT article this morning about the demotivating effect a conservative court might have on republican voters. For many, this was their finish line, and the only issue driving them to the polls.
I take solace in the fact that nobody believes we'll be putting women in jail for abortions, that gay rights will be reinforced by federal employment law if nothing else, and that limiting voting rights can only mitigate the growing impact of liberal and nonwhite sentiment for so long.
ACB's confirmation has been called White Women's 9/11, with some on the left arguing that losing RBG and the majority all at once is just too much to process for lifelong reproductive and gay rights advocates. I don't doubt it. But the Trumpsters love it when we wring our hands, so I say go ahead and let them try to get the toothpaste back in the tube. Let's see if America will stand for laws that make a young girl's medical procedure a prison offense, or any new ruling that tries to take away [any gay married couple’s] wedding certificate. The ensuing outrage would pretty much guarantee a Democratic majority in both the house and senate far into the future, and flip some purple states blue, too.”
I'm wondering if this was decided on the basis that the State had the right to run elections any way they see fit rather than as an issue about the right to vote and every vote counted. I think it is the former and will be the argument for many conservative decisions for the next few decades -- keep the federal government out of everything. To be a democracy I think States do need some oversight protecting our rights. And, there are many things that would make more sense managed on a national basis. United States is listed by the Economic Intelligence Unit, a UK based company, as a Flawed Democracy for 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index
At least since Bush v Gore, the court has been extremely hypocritical about states rights, considering them only when convenient for the result they want.
Did you listen to Senator Shelton Whitewater's speech at the Coney Barrett hearing. That was such a great speech and put together all the pieces of the corruption. For me, it was one of the most important speeches I've ever heard.
Agreed.
I hear you. It still feels convenient to rule in favor of state control when it means fewer votes counted, which at this time in history means fewer blue votes. Although, I just heard on the news that Louisiana is allowing colored to be counted that come in up to nine days after. There is a suit In that case. If SCOTUS rules in favor of state rights in that case as well, I will feel calmer.
Thank you for this link!
Good grief! Autocorrect turned ballots into “colored!” I probably had a typo in it. I apologize! It makes my stomach hurt to see that word there.
That is what SHOULD be the law. We need a new VRA covering all the states that will include things like "postmarked before" and restoration of rights to felons for federal elections.
Here's my dream now. Remember the scene in the original "Miracle of 34th Street" in the courtroom scene when the post office makes a special delivery of bags and bags of letters to Santa! We need all the postal workers to make the same special delivery on November 3rd of all ballots received and postmarked to every election administrator in the country. Just love picturing that!
In WI they can be excluded. The supremes said so yesterday. 5 to 3. They didn’t need ACB. It’s the law there.
Wow. STAY THE COURSE people!!! More than one commenter here assuming the election is already over. Damn. That’s exactly what THEY want you to feel! So they confirmed another justice - we knew that was coming ever since we lost RGB. Write your friends and family, remind them to VOTE! And just as importantly, write your elected officials! Demand change! Demand justice! Demand your rights! It is NOT over!!!
We have nothing to lose and everything to gain by pouring all of our hearts and energy into wrapping this up in week. This is no time to lose hope. And if Biden loses, well then it is time to make a new plan. We are Americans and we are tough.
Unfortunately my elected officials are Republican flunkies. I wrote to them and they told me to pound sand, basically.
My Senator is Puto Marco Rubio and I don't have thousands of dollars to get him to listen to me. Same with Repugnant Suckophant Rick Scott.
Mine too....they are beyond hopeless. Let's see what we can do in 2022 to get rid of Rubio.
I still write to my Senator several times a week usually who isn't going to listen to me either -- Senator Cornyn. But, I keep writing. I figure you never know when you might just put a seed in someone that will blossom into something important. Besides I feel better just by having made my point.
I still cringe remembering that John Cornyn video 2008 - to the tune of Jimmy Dean’s “Big Bad John." Parodied by Jon Stewart & TYT.
Hideous: “He came down off the bench after doing his time. He fought heathens and all kinds of crime. He was just getting started and a long ways to go. We sent him to Washington to the really big show. Big John. Big Bad John.”
And more: "Don't think that, Big Johnny, we're sending you back. And you're doing the Lord's work for Texas, and we got your back. We'll call folk, we'll hustle, we'll outwork our foe. We'll tell souls in Texas you must get six mo.' Well that place out yonder needs more men like you, who'll shoot straight and talk straight and enjoy a good brew."
When Beto lost to Cruz I wrote him my congratulations on his campaign that energized Texas Democrats and made people feel kicking these old guys out was doable. I told him he was just one election too soon. I hope this is the election that does it and MJ Hegar will be our Senator.
I sent Beto some money! Early in the primary. I liked all of our candidates for President in the primary in the Democratic Party.
Oh, Lord. Who is his foe? The American left, I guess.
For opposite reasons - my elected officials are committed progressives, which is great - you and I have to figure out what to do in addition to writing to elected officials who won't change. For this election, for me, that was writing get out the vote letters. What with age and covid, I don't know yet what is next...
I'm a poll worker for this election. But, God willing, after we win, I will devote my energy to other initiatives to get this country back on track.
Please be careful and stay safe. Bundy has amassed a huge army to police the polling places; he’s the one who took over the Malheur Wildlife buildings a few years ago in eastern Oregon.
We in Oregon do not go to polling places nor do they in Washington. Already officials are alert for election problems. Bundt should be jail, but thanks to one jerk juror in Portland, he is not. We in Oregon were appalled by the takeover of the refuge and the trial results.
My elected officials are Democrats, including a Democrat-controlled state legislature. Easy for me. So I wrote get out the vote letters for folks in Arizona.
Thank you for all you have done!
I still appreciate that you wrote them!
I wrote SHAME to McConnell. I know he doesn’t give a rats ass, but it still felt right.
Thank You James!!😊
Republicans know they would never prevail in an honest, open, free election, so they do all they can to prevent such an occurrence. Therefore we must do all we can to bring about honest, open, free elections. The very beginning of that process is that EVERYONE VOTES!
It will take years to dismantle what the Republicans have erected, and years to re-build that which Trumpism has destroyed. We start that process by voting.
We must not let them take the nation back to the plantation and the company town.
To borrow a line from a Ronald Reagan campaign slogan, we are waiting for "morning in America." But don't hold your breath, so long as the fetid remains of the party he represented still exist to prolong the night
"It was a dark and stormy night...."
PS - the Twitter crack to Hillary on her birthday just proves the juvenile spitefulness of today's Republican Party.
The lowest of the low and dirty.
And HRC’s tweet Oct 27th:
Senate Republicans just pushed through a Supreme Court justice who will help them take away Americans' health care in the middle of a pandemic.
For them, this is victory.
Vote them out.
Completely inappropriate for statesmen and states women. They do not deserve to hold office. Shame shame shame. The mantle of hypocrisy will hang on every Republican member of the Senate for life.
You continue to do a wonderful job, Dr. Cox-Richardon. And an immense service to all who are informed, moved and further engaged by your writing and teaching efforts.
Deep appreciation and thanks to you! Whatever it takes to sustain your own balance, honor it... Your Voice is a unique and very valuable contribution to genuine and fair national dialogue. It ain't easy but .... let facts and fairness prevail over manipulation and power plays! Thank you.
Morning!!! So do we pout and cry over what seems to be an overwhelming avalanche of defeat? Or do we soldier on until the truth overcomes the darkness. Choose wisely.
A car drove by a line of people waiting to vote. The driver rolled down the window and asked how long they have been waiting. A voter replied "four years". People cheered. It's funny but so true. We just want this nightmare to end.
A glimpse of hope came yesterday with the announcement that the Chilean people had, by referendum, thrown off the feudal yoke of the Constitution that was written and imposed by Koch-funded and supported American Political Economist, James Buchanan, lately of George Mason University and the University of Virginia, for the murderous Pinochet dictatorial regime. The people will now write their own Constitution which will reflect their needs rather than strictly those of the propertied rich.
Amen. The Chilean reforms are a kind of plebiscite miracle! Not to deflate the "miracle" in Chili, but I don't think Americans have suffered what Chili has under Pinochet, but we're on the brink of such a deadly experience. If the HRC tweet is any measure, a second term for Trump would be a bloodthirsty, slapstick.
I’m so beyond sad that we’re stuck with Trump again for four more years. Now with civil servants jobs soon gone, and all the civil rights, worker’s rights, consumer’s rights, etc all but undone, I just don’t know how many of us can continue putting one foot in front of the other.
Trump broke America.
When something's broke, we fix it. Trump and his minions exposed cracks as they exploited them, and there is a lot of work to fill them. How many of us can continue putting one foot in front of the other? A whole bunch. And we take turns carrying the load.
Absolutely. It ain't over unti it's over. And, then there is always the underground if needed.
I'm always reminded of the struggles every damn day of many of our friends in the black community and yet they continue on. I think I will follow in their footsteps.
I just gagged at Kushner's remarks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH_CnrdEmeY
Thanks for this link, Nancy. A "fart in the wind," indeed!
If Trump is re-elected or steals the election, I'm joining the non-violent resistance. I'm not going backwards. I am not supporting an oligarchic kleptocracy which is what we have now. DT is dangerous, but he is also only a symptom of the program that has been growing for several decades. A plan by ultra-conservatives to take over America culminating today with all three branches of government in contempt of the Constitution.
You’re right, Cathy, but the nefarious scheme has been with us pretty much from the beginning of the republic, if not the colonies. The belief that only an anointed few should rule this nation is an old but not so goody.
At this point, it would appear the treasonous among us are closer to that illicit and reprehensible goal than ever. But I believe that “we, the people”, will not allow that to happen.
It does mean that we must unite, must coalesce into a dynamic and resolute force to eradicate this pernicious and seemingly intractable rot. We can and we must become the citizens of the nation we want to have.
Yes, I agree. But the Founders founded a democratic republic very clearly. And if one like Amy claims is really an "originalist" that means democratic rights should be paramount -- like the right to vote.
That is so true. We must continue. I am in Texas and we have local elections next year.
Biden will win. Biden will win. Biden will win. Don’t give up!
Biden will win. Biden will win. Biden will win. Pass it on.
I hope. I hope. I hope.
Biden will win. Biden will win. Biden will win. Don’t give up! Pass it on!
What if he doesn't? Just because trump is weak doesn't mean he and Republicans won't successfully steal the election. The supreme court elected bush once, no reason a 6-3 won't elect trump again.
How to oppose a coup: https://choosedemocracy.us/
Before that, VOTE
Sign up for their training on non-violent resistance and what to do if there is a coup. The training is excellent. At choosedemocracy.us they also will tell you when a coup has happened so check in daily now. I'm not going backward!
If—when Biden wins the Electoral College, he will be president with nothing for the R's to challenge.
Biden will win. Biden will win. Biden will win. Don't give up! Pass it on!
Ditto!
This election is not over. So far, turnout is huge and Democrats are doing well. If enough people get out and vote for Biden-Harris, the results will be too big for the courts to overturn.
We also need to vote Democrats for Senate and House.
Trump was just a tool for McConnell.
"tool" in the worst possible sense of the word....................
Of course, that is like having a sledgehammer to fix a light bulb.
Not yet. We can recover. Built back better
If so, then we have to fix it.
I feel the same way.
He’s re-elected? Wait, what?
Yes, not sure about the construction of that comment. Just sayin'
McConnell is the real evil behind trump. The fact that the Republicans are leaving town without a vote on Covid relief is evidence for any undecided voter to replace them. I don’t understand why just 3 could not stand on principle and do the right things- vote no, become temporary independent and provide the help the nation needs. This must be all about judges—their maniacal obsession.
I have always contended that McConnell is actually running the country. Trump is his puppet and Mitch is behind the curtain pulling all the levers.
Like the Wizard of Oz Except these wizards are angry old white men who hate the world and are drunk on power enabled by others
Even though I'm hopeful, I am nevertheless profoundly worried. The SCOTUS has been further de-legitimized with Trump's/McConnell's politicization antics. This HAS to be concerning to Chief Justice Roberts. I had not favored packing the court, but I do now. But then, what does the SCOTUS become? Nothing but a glorified super-legislative body barely distinguishable from the rest of the legislative branch. That is most decidedly NOT what the framers of the Constitution intended. In the short term, they and all the hordes of extreme conservative judges appointed by Trump/McConnell can cause some major damage. Even if Democrats take over the Executive and legislative branches, they can be still be stymied in every attempt to undo Trump/McConnell damage. Like McConnell said, Democrats can change things legislatively, but if there are challenges to passed legislation by some crack-pot conservative judge that ends up going to the SCOTUS, well, we know what the outcome will be. In other words, Mitch & Co. have us over a barrel, folks, and there's nothing we can do about it, especially in the short term. Barrett's confirmation and all has me terribly upset and worried. I'm anxious about the future--hopeful AND worried. God help us.
The framers did NOT intend for the SC to grab the power of judicial review, which they did in 1796 in Marbury vs Madison. At least it was only used when unanimous for a long time. The framers did NOT intend for justices to serve for many decades (HCR has spoken about how originally serving on the SC required long hours on horseback). There is way, way too much concentration of power in our federal government today - in the presidency, in the Majority Leader of the Senate, in the nine (or majority of five) of the Supreme Court. All of that needs fixing. I am hoping for a blue tsunami to make it possible, and then enough pressure from us all and courage from the Congress and WH to make it happen.
I'm not a numbers person, but here is a graph (scroll down once you open it) listing all 115 justices and their length of service. Some have over 30 years on the bench. The new justice, Barrett, is even listed as having served 1 day!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Supreme_Court_justices_by_time_in_office
Yes..Way too much power in the areas you mentioned..And the electoral college is not democratic..It all needs changed agree.. The majority don't rule..
That the original SC members rode long hours on horseback assumes they were young enough to do so because people then generally did not live as long as we do now and that thus the Court did not have men (then) on it who served for decades.
I’ve heard this argument before, and I’m not totally sure I buy it. I’m an avid equestrian, almost 60, ride nearly every day. And I ride intensely, and compete at a fairly high level. Granted, I don’t ride for hours at a time, but for those who ride all their lives, as people back then did, it’s not that huge of a physical endeavor to ride at a walk or even a trot for a fairly long time. And they did have carriages.
I'm just paraphrasing what Heather wrote, that serving on the SC required long hours on horseback, implying that the founders did not expect the SC members to be old people.
Lucky you that you can and do ride every day, Kathy.
Agree!
* * * Biden 344 electoral votes Trump 194 electoral votes * * *
* * * https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/final-forecast-results-from-two-methods-of-predicting-the-2020-presidential-election/
The Center for Politics - its founder, Larry Sabato, is arguably America's foremost political scientist and political analyst. Until 2016, this outfit correctly forecast an amazingly high (95+%) percentage of elections for House, Senate, Governor and President.
This is not 2016 - trump is the incumbent with horrible approval ratings. Sabato takes into account these numbers, comparing them to every election since 1952.
THIS election is NOT close. To allay fears, look at facts, statistics, history.
Frederick, A little while back you mentioned the concepts of 'mindfulness, consciousness and presence'. No matter what reality brings us each day, these are survival tools that I try to embrace everyday. Light is greater than darkness. This does not mean giving up or inaction. I 'reboot' and keep moving forward. I am a hard worker, and I am joined by other magnificently able, smart, and effective workers like those who post here. The clarity and intelligence of Dr. Richardson's fine mind is a great gift to all of us. The missive to take a moment to rest and be mindful is truly important in order to continue to be effective. Whether or not people realize it, Buddy's amazing pictures are 'mindfulness, consciousness and presence' right before our eyes. The genius of Heather and Buddy! working together, calming us, reorienting us back to what each of us can do to make things better. Thank you Frederick and thank you to HCR and Buddy and all who post here. Each of you is of inestimable value and so greatly appreciated by me. I will get through this madness because of all of you. Thank you for being there for me. Prior to finding you, I was wandering in the desert. I am ok now because of all of you. No matter what happens, we will pick up the pieces and go forward. Love, light and peace to all of you.
Thank you br; blessings to you, and to us all
My sentiments as well, br. And back at you in gratitude.
I'm not so sure Roberts is upset. This was a long time in the making.
I agree with you. This awful scenario was devised by the Federalist Society’s members for a very long time. Roberts is part of this, as well. Nope, no sympathy there. Changes are a’ comin’.