Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Patricia Lane's avatar

What a terrible , wonderful review on politics in America.

And what an evil plan it is .

The filibuster, the Supreme Courts ‘ Citizens’ United’ both tools of the far right to keep the majority of Americans down and poor.

Theres a guarantee attached to these tools of oppression:

The rich will get richer .

And the poor will get poorer. Any anyone whose not morbidly rich will definitely be poor.

Theres no middle ground here. It is ‘all for them and none for us’.

These diabolic creators of this plan, don’t worry about quality of life for anyone but themselves.

Their children will go to the schools they’ve built.

The roads and bridges will look like the ruins that there are.

A republican ruination of

our country and our lives.

Expand full comment
Don Klemencic's avatar

Article 3, Section 2, Paragraphs 1 and 2 of the U.S. Constitution, with caps for focus:

THE JUDICIAL POWER SHALL EXTEND TO ALL CASES, IN LAW AND EQUITY, ARISING UNDER THIS CONSTITUTION, THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority;—to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls;—to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction;—to Controversies to which the United States shall be a Party;—to Controversies between two or more States;—between a State and Citizens of another State,—between Citizens of different States,—between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.

In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. IN ALL THE OTHER CASES BEFORE MENTIONED, THE SUPREME COURT SHALL HAVE APPELLATE JURISDICTION, BOTH AS TO LAW AND FACT, WITH SUCH EXCEPTIONS, AND UNDER SUCH REGULATIONS AS THE CONGRESS SHALL MAKE.

I read recently (forgot where) that this was pointed out to President Nixon by John Roberts, before he was appointed to the Supreme Court, as a way that the purview of the Supreme Court could be curtailed. I'm not aware of Congress ever taking advantage of this clause. (Has it?)

If Congress was so minded, could they create a law stating that:

1. Money is not speech;

2. Corporations are not legal persons, and consequently have no "personal" rights;

3. Being "implicit" rather than "explicit" shall not preclude a quid pro quo arrangement between a legislator or regulator and a citizen bearing gifts (such as a campaign contribution) from being considered bribery, so that both parties may be subject to criminal prosecution.

4. Laws previously passed to reform the electoral process that were weakened by Citizens United, Buckley, and other Supreme Court decisions are hereby restored to their original effect.

and 5. Pursuant to Article 3, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, the Supreme Court is instructed that this law has been created outside of Supreme Court jurisdiction. (?)

Of course, we still need to overthrow the filibuster before we could even try this, and two Senators, Sinema and Manchin stand in the way.

Expand full comment
9 more comments...

No posts