A short term bandage. They see the judicial branch as their only lifeline.

and his wife are Libertarians. They have achieved what I would call upper middle class stature and are upwardly mobile. They both work for government. Are we sure we can count on demographic shifts to hold conservatives at bay?

colluded with the Russians to rig the elections. In my opinion GOPers are so fucked up, they will destroy the USA while destroying themselves.

This nomination is a fight for our nation's and democracy's survival; not to be hyperbolic, but conceivably even maybe even the world's/mankind's.

It's been tried twice. Before the Civil War in the Dred Scott decision and in the New Deal. In both cases, the court's decisions undermined its own legitimacy. The first led to the Civil War. In the New Deal, the court changed its mind after the 1936 election.

So, I predict that if Dems win decisive victories in 2018 and 2020, the courts will follow. If we don't win, blame your fellow voters who'd rather live in 1850 than 2050.

and the internet might affect that past dynamic. We need to be vigilant and do everything we can to keep Kavanaugh and any other Trump appointee off the bench.

Conservatives have made a point of placing ideological fellow travelers in the courts. The whole purpose of the Federalist Society is to act as a recruiting and grooming site. What we're seeing now is part of a process that they've been engaged in since the late 70s.

They don't always end up with that they expect, but men like Thomas and Kavanaugh were chosen precisely because they had "conservatively correct" politics, were reliable operatives, and were young enough to stay on the court for decades.

The support system for them to keep their current views and not bend to the will of the people may be more organized than in the past.

I think there will be an historic political shift to the left bigger than anything since 1932.

So my prediction is based on a really big "if."

They have to come up with some legal rationale. It will be a real shame on them if they write completely absurd and illogical opinions.

Congress or State legislatures.

Or, assuming Democrats can eventually form a super-majority in the Senate, impeach and oust the corrupt fuckers.

And, yes, I know FDR tried packing the court and it was very unpopular, but I think the context of how those current seats have been stolen would make my scenario different in the court of public opinion.

That would have been one of the most extraordinary rulings in American history. Chief Justice Roberts backed down at the last moment.

I believe Roberts was comforted by that.

My point is that they came very close to doing away with American democracy in 2012, and they are at a point where they are now ready to go all the way and do it.

In other words, I have no confidence in the Supreme Court at all.

BUT plans can be DESTROYED!!!

If the "plan" is to permanently thwart the will of the people by any means necessary, then the current governmental structure will be replaced one way or another....their "plan" has as much potential for long-term success as their party does...

if it's sooner than folks might think, then it might flip the court 5-4 liberal assuming Trump doesn't add anyone else and Dems win in 2020 and say 2024.

I'd be pretty surprised if he lasts through 2024.

If he fires Rosenstein it will be obstruction of justice.

78.7. He'd be 76 in 2024. the average age of retirement for SC Justices is only four years older than that.

They don't usually die on the bench, they usually retire, so to me there's a significant likelihood he retires by or before then.
No guarantee for sure, but definitely a likelihood.

currently 85+. Can’t count on him being gone in 2024. We need to kill any further SCOTUS noms by this illegitimate President starting with Kavanaugh. Then we need to impeach Gorsuch on the basis of an illegitimate appointment. Some wishful thinking I know — but that has to be our strategy.

and like I said, the average for retirement is only 4 years longer than he will be in 2024 so that at the very least means a 50/50 chance.

appointment. If not, there will be a lot of anger across America ... and who knows what that may achieve.

Looks older than he is, for sure. Scalia was the same way.

What pisses me off the most is that we were all warned.

A while ago, sorry but I don’t know when, Rachael had a Republican operative on her show. During the prelude to the interview she called this man one of the sharpest and smartest political operatives in the country. He was the one who developed the long term Republican strategy to begin packing the courts with Republicans - that is to say, every possible electable court position in every state in the republic.

Rachael had the knowledge and understanding to recognize this man as creating a movement under the noses of Democrats, and she applauded the accomplishment. Combine this with the article recently posted in DU, “The Skeleton Holding The Smoking Gun”, and you realize the true intent and shear danger of the Republican Party. History is proving itself.

If anybody, like those who know basically nothing about the seige we are under, and those who chose not to vote out of either ignorance or complacency, thinks that life in America will be another verse in Kunbaya, as long as Republicans dangle the strings, they have another guess coming.

Their plan has been developed and put into play years ago. Where are we?

Although many wealthy call themselves libertarians, there's actually a great deal of overlap between these competing/cooperating groups.

The GOP has been taken over and is being run as their elective political arm. Chop off the heads of every Republican in congress, and they would be replaced.

We have to legislate the destruction of these new classes that have sprung up so wealthy that they are incompatible with democracy.

stop a trumpster mob that imagined that would solve their Republican leadership problem. Being them, though, they'd probably boil over when congress was out of session.

There last party convention was a who isn't who of losers.

This supreme courts job is to cement the oligarchy, not to support the GOP. Look for weird out of the box decisions that GOP voters never saw coming because they believe in an imaginary platform of an imaginary party. It's why their congress doesn't do anything for them, their president really doesn't do anything for them...there's no platform to do anything for them. There's no model of governance they're trying to achieve. It's a group of pasty old white guys pushing and shoving all trying to pass very narrow minded agendas that don't mesh with each other while holding on to get rich schemes for themselves.

the Government Of Putin.

Putin's government is a government of the oligarchy.

NASA can go too.

or voted third party are satisfied.

... (Cleveland), OH recount of the 2004 election and they were sentenced to prison but
a republican judge voided their convictions and let them walk.

On Sept 21, 2018, the Federalist Society (Koch/hard right libertarian) held a panel discussion on the upcoming Supreme Court agenda, as well as significant cases percolating up from the lower courts. The featured speaker is Noel Francisco, who will replace Rod Rosenstein if/when he gets fired.

In his review of past and future cases before the courts, Francisco emphasizes that many of the cases coming up are challenges to established precedent.

The vid is about an hour and a half, but you can learn a lot from the first 15 minutes or so. It is clear why they want this guy to replace Rosenstein ASAP. They have a list of established precedents that they want to overturn. It's chilling.

Take a few minutes to watch. Then, make sure you are registered to vote!

...keeping up. Thanks for posting.

He spends millions to influence elections and the judicial system.

https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Sheldon_Adelson

2012 Investigation by US Justice Department
Since early 2012, Adelson has been the subject of a Justice Department investigation inquiring into activities at Adelson-controlled casinos in Macau, a special administrative region of China, west of Hong Kong. Adelson is suspected of violating sections of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (which prohibits the bribing of foreign officials) while dealing with the Chinese government. [8]

Emails leaked by ex-company employees prompted the investigation, Adelson allegedly instructed a top executive to make a $700,000 payment to Leonel Alves, a Macau legislator, to help resolve two issues: a lawsuit by a Taiwanese businessman and permission to sell luxury apartments in Macau. [9] Adelson instructed executives at the Macau casino to pay the official despite warnings from his general counsel that the payment could violate of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. [10] The Chinese government has fined Adelson's company $1.6 million for regulations violations [11]


Adelson's casino empire is also under investigation for possibly violating federal money-laundering laws, by accepting millions from high-rolling gamblers accused of drug trafficking and embezzlement. The company did not report the receipt of hundreds of millions of dollars from gamblers accused of drug-dealing and embezzlement [12] [13]

A minority of appointed judges cannot be allowed to thwart the will of the people in a representative republic. Maybe we have to ditch the entire structure of the House, Senate, Presidency and SCOTUS composition and terms. Maybe a better government would be a parliamentary system.

I would LOVE to see Trump face questions in a House of Commons-like setting...it would be pure comedic gold.

Making 45 a lame duck for two years may be rough on his twitter thumbs, but perfectly OK with the GOP. They know voters have short memories, that's how Uglicans keep getting elected.

They are willing to allow direct rule by the wealthy, and busy themselves doing nothing while our democracy is bought out from under us. The current GOP majority knows its days may be numbered, but they will saddle us with a Supreme court that can be counted upon to line-item veto any law a Democratic Congress manages to pass.

They'll have the Constitution reinterpreted so as to make it impossible to enact progressive reforms that stick.

last line of defense we individuals have to combat a tyrannical govt. Once that is gone to the far right, we need to get ready for a evangelical theocracy. Value Voters, Moral Majority etc. it’s enough to want to make me vomit.

That's why McConnell is pushing for a vote: he knows the House and possibly the Senate will turn Democratic after the next election, but so what? They change hands regularly. Meanwhile, Thomas, Roberts, Alito, Gorsuch and all those on the lower federal benches will be there for decades.

Our steadfast refusal to regulate the private financing of political campaigns led us here, allowing the sort of Supreme court to fester that would give us Citizens United. We want money to buy power, and for that wealth to be hereditary. We want aristocracy, and now we have it.

Just like the repukes, we need to and are learning to play the long game. They cannot hold progression in check indefinitely. They will loose... it’s a faulty plan.