SCOTUS 15: Help Us, Ruth Bader Ginsburg! You're Our Only Hope!

[unofan]

When was the last time the Supreme Court effected real change that wasn't already building in the country? So, if that's the case, why waste political capital on fighting a court packing battle?

Basically anytime they rule on a case involving corporate rights. Just in the last 20 years:
citizens united
Hobby Lobby
anything involving arbitration
McCutchen
Janus

Otherwise there's also
Heller
Shelby County
Anything else involving religion, but only as applied to Christianity.
Rucho (political gerrymandering is ok because the courts can't solve it - never mind that state courts apparently can)

[Handyman]

But FDR didn’t pack the courts. No one wanted him to. And what happened? A justice previously against the New Deal changed his mind.
Honest question, cause I like you and I think most of what you post is spot on, but did you even read the other ways to reform the court other than court packing? Hell, Vox posted an article about it today too. 9 ways to reform the court other than packing. If so, what do you find wrong with those ways that make court packing so superior to them?

I did...and no offense but they suck. The 5-5-5 plan is completely unworkable. The "lottery" would have worked if we were starting from scratch but now you are still risking political motivations and huge swing based on them. (what if 7 of the winners are Trump or Bush appointees...so much for any liberal legislation passing) The supermajority idea in theory is ok but all that will do is make it even more important to fill seats on the court as soon as possible. You think ACB is being rammed through...

The idea of insulating certain legislation is ridiculous and will never happen.

These ideas are fun academic talking points, but none of them could, would or really should be implemented in the current climate.

[Handyman]

Basically anytime they rule on a case involving corporate rights. Just in the last 20 years:
citizens united
Hobby Lobby
anything involving arbitration
McCutchen
Janus

Otherwise there's also
Heller
Shelby County
Anything else involving religion, but only as applied to Christianity.
Rucho (political gerrymandering is ok because the courts can't solve it - never mind that state courts apparently can)

Hey now...obviously it had been brewing that Voter's Rights no longer mattered because Racism was dead.

[Kepler]

Exactly. The right wing Court has moved against the popular will for the last generation on economic rights and voting rights. The social progress that gives conservative yahoos the vapors is a bone they throw to us after they gut the Voting Rights Act and enshrine the power of capital over human life.

This has been a conservative Court since the mid-70s. It is now poised to become an ultra-conservative Court. It is vastly out of step with American history and with the American people. It only exists because the anti-democratic EC gave farmland more votes than urban humans. It's the product of a rotten system even worse than the French before the Revolution.

And here's the thing: one way or another eventually people rise up and destroy oppressors. The American system when used correctly gives them a non-violent means to do it. It lets putzes like me campaign for the rights of the downtrodden. Take that away through tricks and bribery and someday you will be facing the downtrodden in a different way. They'll lynch me on the way to burning you and your family alive. So you may want to think about what happened in 1789.

I don't want that either, but it's either evolution or revolution. Either the rich lose their fifth home or everybody loses their McMansion.

[SJHovey]

Exactly. The right wing Court has moved against the popular will for the last generation on economic rights and voting rights. The social progress that gives conservative yahoos the vapors is a bone they throw to us after they gut the Voting Rights Act and enshrine the power of capital over human life.

This has been a conservative Court since the mid-70s. It is now poised to become an ultra-conservative Court. It is vastly out of step with American history and with the American people. It only exists because the anti-democratic EC gave farmland more votes than urban humans. It's the product of a rotten system even worse than the French before the Revolution.

And here's the thing: one way or another eventually people rise up and destroy oppressors. The American system when used correctly gives them a non-violent means to do it. It lets putzes like me campaign for the rights of the downtrodden. Take that away through tricks and bribery and someday you will be facing the downtrodden in a different way. They'll lynch me on the way to burning you and your family alive. So you may want to think about what happened in 1789.

I don't want that either, but it's either evolution or revolution. Either the rich lose their fifth home or everybody loses their McMansion.

Jeez, you'd think you guys would get tired of getting used.

Every time we have some nominated to the Supreme Court, the same old boogeyman is trotted out and you guys fall in line. Now they even have you lobbying to pack the court. For years you were told the boogeyman would be targeting young women seeking abortion. Now it's the voting rights act and ACA.

Every new conservative justice nominee is the one. This is the one that's going to do it. This is the one that's going to put us over the edge, into some sort of Mad Max style dystopia. This is the one!

I'm going to give you a score. 16-4.

By my count, if ACB is confirmed, 16 of the last 20 additions to the U.S. Supreme Court were appointed by conservative, Republican presidents. But each one of those 16 was the one!

C'mon, at some point you have to take a step back from the carnival barker, take a pass, and put that quarter back in your pocket, don't you?

[ScoobyDoo]

Jeez, you'd think you guys would get tired of getting used.

Every time we have some nominated to the Supreme Court, the same old boogeyman is trotted out and you guys fall in line. Now they even have you lobbying to pack the court. For years you were told the boogeyman would be targeting young women seeking abortion. Now it's the voting rights act and ACA.

Every new conservative justice nominee is the one. This is the one that's going to do it. This is the one that's going to put us over the edge, into some sort of Mad Max style dystopia. This is the one!

I'm going to give you a score. 16-4.

By my count, if ACB is confirmed, 16 of the last 20 additions to the U.S. Supreme Court were appointed by conservative, Republican presidents. But each one of those 16 was the one!

C'mon, at some point you have to take a step back from the carnival barker, take a pass, and put that quarter back in your pocket, don't you?

545 kids were ripped from their parents forever. Our Courts. Our Systems. Our Government sat back and watched it happen. Stop pretending everything is just fine and nothing has changed.

[Bronco]

https://apnews.com/article/south-ben...c6079c09f2f075

Clearly a nothingburger.

[jerphisch]

The D's just need to play it dirty like the R's would. Impeach Drunky McRapist and Oftrump for perjuring themselves to congress and fill the two vacancies. Problem solved. Surely the party of law and order can't complain about enforcing laws.

[ScoobyDoo]

The D's just need to play it dirty like the R's would. Impeach Drunky McRapist and Oftrump for perjuring themselves to congress and fill the two vacancies. Problem solved. Surely the party of law and order can't complain about enforcing laws.

I like this option.

[Handyman]

https://apnews.com/article/south-ben...c6079c09f2f075

Clearly a nothingburger.

I am sure she will move towards the center as she spends time on the bench.

jerpisch,

That is a twisted way to solve the problem I love it :-)

[unofan]

The D's just need to play it dirty like the R's would. Impeach Drunky McRapist and Oftrump for perjuring themselves to congress and fill the two vacancies. Problem solved. Surely the party of law and order can't complain about enforcing laws.

Impeachment requires a supermajority to convict. Where are you getting the extra votes?

[bronconick]

The D's just need to play it dirty like the R's would. Impeach Drunky McRapist and Oftrump for perjuring themselves to congress and fill the two vacancies. Problem solved. Surely the party of law and order can't complain about enforcing laws.

Need 20 *more* Senators to convict from the current 45+2.

[MissThundercat]

Hovey, you've never lived with the fear that someone will strip you of your rights. You, a white, cisgender hetero, will die knowing the courts and Congress will never take away your right to be legally wed or work without fear of being fired because you're a cishet.

Careful, Kep. If court packing preserves my right to marry my girlfriend (we're ridiculously cute together, even rent a home in the City of Holland, and become Amber Marie, LMSW, BCBA-D, and PhD, a top transgender mental health professional, then I'm all for it. However, I'm also of the belief you go with what you have, not what you wish you had. If a 9-6 liberal court doesn't happen, then I'm back to calculating next moves.

[Kepler]

Careful, Kep. If court packing preserves my right to marry my girlfriend (we're ridiculously cute together, even rent a home in the City of Holland, and become Amber Marie, LMSW, BCBA-D, and PhD, a top transgender mental health professional, then I'm all for it. However, I'm also of the belief you go with what you have, not what you wish you had. If a 9-6 liberal court doesn't happen, then I'm back to calculating next moves.

Certainly, we do whatever we can. If Biden fails us and wusses out on expanding the Court (the "packing" part was already done by the GOP) that leaves, apparently, 9 other ways.

And in the end there's another other way, which Lincoln did during the Civil War. I don't recommend it but it's nice to have a Republican precedent.

[psych]

I did...and no offense but they suck. The 5-5-5 plan is completely unworkable. The "lottery" would have worked if we were starting from scratch but now you are still risking political motivations and huge swing based on them. (what if 7 of the winners are Trump or Bush appointees...so much for any liberal legislation passing) The supermajority idea in theory is ok but all that will do is make it even more important to fill seats on the court as soon as possible. You think ACB is being rammed through...

The idea of insulating certain legislation is ridiculous and will never happen.

These ideas are fun academic talking points, but onone of them could, would or really should be implemented in the current climate.

I thought the 5-5-5 concept was not very good. My favorite was the lottery system, and I think it would be fairer than the 6-3 Court we have now. I don’t think the GOP could exploit that setup nearly as much once they retook power later on. From what I read, no more than 5 of the 9 judges could come from a president of the same political party, so fortunately, your 7-2 scenario wouldn’t come to pass. I’m not sure centrists/independents would like that radical change to the Court either, as it’s something Bernie Sanders endorses. So, we may lose their votes regardless. That said, I can see that setup holding up better when the GOP retakes power, rather than them naturally adding more seats, if that’s what we choose to do.