Sam Alito is so ugly that he can’t even see his ugliness. I don’t mean looks, but the deep inner ugliness of character that keeps oozing from this so-called “supreme” judge. Start with the unabashed lies he told senators to win his lifetime appointment to America’s powerfully-undemocratic judicial branch. Lie Number One was his promise not to mess with women’s constitutional right to reproductive freedom. But, once he put on his authoritarian black robe, he
This is exactly why we need to reform how we balance the Supreme Court and how we replace them going forward to prevent these types of biased rulings. The current push to install four new, more liberal justices, will never succeed. This move is, and always will be, seen as "court packing" and unfairly trying to move the court more liberal. This is a fair assessment.
I have been trying to start a conversation to push for adding three new, more liberal justices to the court to make an even 12 members. Critics say that is also court packing. How is having equal representation on the court, court packing? They also say you can't have an even number of justices on the court. I say not so and it has happened in the past. My reasoning is that if there are an equal number of conservative and liberal leaning justices that each sides arguments in cases need to be convincing enough to get at least one member of the opposing view to side with your argument to reach a ruling in a case. If this cannot be accomplished then the ruling of the lower court stands. This also has happened in numerous cases before.
My final and maybe most important idea is that once the court has an equal number of conservative justices(almost always nominated by Republicans) and an equal number of liberal justices(almost always nominated by Democrats), then when a vacancy occurs on the court the party that nominated the retiring justice gets to nominate a new one. This maintains the court balance and prevents the contentious wranglings and underhanded maneuverings that have occurred in the past and has led to the situation we now find ourselves in. Balance, calmness and even handedness prevails going forward.
The hard part appears to be getting a prominent discussion of this idea out in the main stream.
Excellent ideas, however, you put your finger right on the problem: as long as it pays (in money and power) to be a judge and/or politician, you will have corruption and greed motivating these "public servants". We should start by taking away the lifetime appointments and the perks. Then we might be able to have informed public discussions. Let's hope we live to see the day!
So in summary let us briefly update and address the two central themes in Thomas Paine's precocious quote: "It has been the scheme of the Christian Church, and of all the other invented systems of religion, to hold man in ignorance of the Creator, as it is of governments to hold man in the ignorance of his rights. The systems of the one are as false as those of the other, and are calculated for mutual support."
So let's talk about the relation between religion and polytrix in the US government. We have a Supreme Court with six Catholics, steering religion and politics to the far right, away from the Creator. We have a new speaker of the House who openly wants to establish a 'moral' Christian Nationalism run by the next Republican president. Who will implement a fascist plan called Project 2025, as outlined at the end of Thom Hartmann's historical analysis of what led up to The Shocking GOP Plan to Dismantle the American Government. And all the while you've watched the Republican Party champion the idea of "freedom" while you have also watched the same party openly assault various freedoms, like the freedom to vote, freedom to choose, freedom to marry who you want, freedom for your children's teachers and librarians to have them read what they want, freedom to form unions and so on. If this has been a source of confusion, then your assessments of what Republicans mean by freedom were likely too generous. Here is what they mean: 1. The freedom to tell people what to do. 2. Freedom from being told what to do.
He said that the existence of things like contraception and gay marriage trample on the religious freedom of Catholics. WTF??? That's as crazy as saying"No one should be allowed to have a gun because I don't like them" or "Nobody should be allowed to drink because MY religion forbids it " or "Nobody can eat pork because MY religion forbids it." Who died and made HIM God???
So in summary let us briefly update and address the two central themes in Thomas Paine's precocious quote: "It has been the scheme of the Christian Church, and of all the other invented systems of religion, to hold man in ignorance of the Creator, as it is of governments to hold man in the ignorance of his rights. The systems of the one are as false as those of the other, and are calculated for mutual support."
So let's talk about the relation between religion and polytrix in the US government. We have a Supreme Court with six Catholics, steering religion and politics to the far right, away from the Creator. We have a new speaker of the House who openly wants to establish a 'moral' Christian Nationalism run by the next Republican president. Who will implement a fascist plan called Project 2025, as outlined at the end of Thom Hartmann's historical analysis of what led up to The Shocking GOP Plan to Dismantle the American Government. And all the while you've watched the Republican Party champion the idea of "freedom" while you have also watched the same party openly assault various freedoms, like the freedom to vote, freedom to choose, freedom to marry who you want, freedom for your children's teachers and librarians to have them read what they want, freedom to form unions and so on. If this has been a source of confusion, then your assessments of what Republicans mean by freedom were likely too generous. Here is what they mean: 1. The freedom to tell people what to do. 2. Freedom from being told what to do.
To me, one of the elephants in the room that nobody is talking about with the justices on our SCOTUS is that several of them are devout Catholics. I think most evryone knows the very long time opposition of the Catholic Church to any form of contraception of, horrors of all, when indicated for good reasons, an abortion. The Catholic Church brain washes people into allowing the Church to dictate how they live their lives. It seems quite clear to me that the Trump appointees to the SCOTUS are all Catholic and clearly mis-represented (lied) the get their job. Now they have very scary/worrisome great power over the very personal choices people should clearly be allowed to make. The idea that anyone not Catholic is forced to abide by the power of the Church over their lives is absolutely wrong and dangerous to the freedoms of people who need and should have control over their family planning and responsibilities. Get religions out of our politics!
So in summary let us briefly update and address the two central themes in Thomas Paine's precocious quote: "It has been the scheme of the Christian Church, and of all the other invented systems of religion, to hold man in ignorance of the Creator, as it is of governments to hold man in the ignorance of his rights. The systems of the one are as false as those of the other, and are calculated for mutual support."
So let's talk about the relation between religion and polytrix in the US government. We have a Supreme Court with six Catholics, steering religion and politics to the far right, away from the Creator. We have a new speaker of the House who openly wants to establish a 'moral' Christian Nationalism run by the next Republican president. Who will implement a fascist plan called Project 2025, as outlined at the end of Thom Hartmann's historical analysis of what led up to The Shocking GOP Plan to Dismantle the American Government. And all the while you've watched the Republican Party champion the idea of "freedom" while you have also watched the same party openly assault various freedoms, like the freedom to vote, freedom to choose, freedom to marry who you want, freedom for your children's teachers and librarians to have them read what they want, freedom to form unions and so on. If this has been a source of confusion, then your assessments of what Republicans mean by freedom were likely too generous. Here is what they mean: 1. The freedom to tell people what to do. 2. Freedom from being told what to do.
Supremes MUST HAVE AN ENFORCEABLE CODE OF CONDUCT, as Justice Alito’s behavior shows. Furthermore, we need to consider term limits for Justices to make them accountable to the people that they purportedly oversee. If Congress won’t do these things, then a vote of the people is needed.
Luckily, I have no illusions about the honesty of the Supreme Court The totally corrupt decision in Gore v. Bush was enough for me. Someone wrote a book once describing how corrupt "The Brotherhood" was. Like I have said before, you could increase the S.C. to one thousand members and you would probably get the same result. There are only two ways to look at the world. It was either "created" by some supreme entity or it "evolved" for no apparent reason. I hate to say it but if "evolution" is the first and last "cause" the species is in big trouble. Why do all of our politicians always ask "God" to "Bless America" and nobody else. It seems that he or "it" is doing a lousy job.
So in summary let us briefly update and address the two central themes in Thomas Paine's precocious quote: "It has been the scheme of the Christian Church, and of all the other invented systems of religion, to hold man in ignorance of the Creator, as it is of governments to hold man in the ignorance of his rights. The systems of the one are as false as those of the other, and are calculated for mutual support."
So let's talk about the relation between religion and polytrix in the US government. We have a Supreme Court with six Catholics, steering religion and politics to the far right, away from the Creator. We have a new speaker of the House who openly wants to establish a 'moral' Christian Nationalism run by the next Republican president. Who will implement a fascist plan called Project 2025, as outlined at the end of Thom Hartmann's historical analysis of what led up to The Shocking GOP Plan to Dismantle the American Government. And all the while you've watched the Republican Party champion the idea of "freedom" while you have also watched the same party openly assault various freedoms, like the freedom to vote, freedom to choose, freedom to marry who you want, freedom for your children's teachers and librarians to have them read what they want, freedom to form unions and so on. If this has been a source of confusion, then your assessments of what Republicans mean by freedom were likely too generous. Here is what they mean: 1. The freedom to tell people what to do. 2. Freedom from being told what to do.
While I do not condone the method used to secretly record Alito and his wife (the same underhanded tactics were used to discredit Planned Parenthood, and they were sleazy, too), it is proof that he is every bit as bigoted and dangerous as he seems. And off subject, if Hunter Biden gets prison time and the former guy doesn't, I'm taking to the street with my broomstick!
The SCOTUS is this way...corrupt not just from special interest influence, but from jurisprudence and judgments about what "America" should represent (or somewhat used to be)....because the other two branches became corrupt first; particularly Congress - critters.
This isn't going to get fixed without correcting the financial influence peddling that afflicts Congress and thereby the Executive branch, first.
Our judicial system in general is increasingly disappointing ... including what appear to be growing expectations among the American public that: (i) courts are not accountable for the impartiality of judges; and, (ii) no government entity is authorized (or willing) to do something about that.
With a judge like Alito, Trump could be our supreme Dictator by this time next year if elected in November. Alito is truly a disgrace to the Judicial profession and a danger to our democratic republic.
This is exactly why we need to reform how we balance the Supreme Court and how we replace them going forward to prevent these types of biased rulings. The current push to install four new, more liberal justices, will never succeed. This move is, and always will be, seen as "court packing" and unfairly trying to move the court more liberal. This is a fair assessment.
I have been trying to start a conversation to push for adding three new, more liberal justices to the court to make an even 12 members. Critics say that is also court packing. How is having equal representation on the court, court packing? They also say you can't have an even number of justices on the court. I say not so and it has happened in the past. My reasoning is that if there are an equal number of conservative and liberal leaning justices that each sides arguments in cases need to be convincing enough to get at least one member of the opposing view to side with your argument to reach a ruling in a case. If this cannot be accomplished then the ruling of the lower court stands. This also has happened in numerous cases before.
My final and maybe most important idea is that once the court has an equal number of conservative justices(almost always nominated by Republicans) and an equal number of liberal justices(almost always nominated by Democrats), then when a vacancy occurs on the court the party that nominated the retiring justice gets to nominate a new one. This maintains the court balance and prevents the contentious wranglings and underhanded maneuverings that have occurred in the past and has led to the situation we now find ourselves in. Balance, calmness and even handedness prevails going forward.
The hard part appears to be getting a prominent discussion of this idea out in the main stream.
Excellent ideas, however, you put your finger right on the problem: as long as it pays (in money and power) to be a judge and/or politician, you will have corruption and greed motivating these "public servants". We should start by taking away the lifetime appointments and the perks. Then we might be able to have informed public discussions. Let's hope we live to see the day!
Ah, yes. There's the rub. Money and power.
Not a good idea to have an even number on the court.
Well thought out and convincing arguement.
So in summary let us briefly update and address the two central themes in Thomas Paine's precocious quote: "It has been the scheme of the Christian Church, and of all the other invented systems of religion, to hold man in ignorance of the Creator, as it is of governments to hold man in the ignorance of his rights. The systems of the one are as false as those of the other, and are calculated for mutual support."
So let's talk about the relation between religion and polytrix in the US government. We have a Supreme Court with six Catholics, steering religion and politics to the far right, away from the Creator. We have a new speaker of the House who openly wants to establish a 'moral' Christian Nationalism run by the next Republican president. Who will implement a fascist plan called Project 2025, as outlined at the end of Thom Hartmann's historical analysis of what led up to The Shocking GOP Plan to Dismantle the American Government. And all the while you've watched the Republican Party champion the idea of "freedom" while you have also watched the same party openly assault various freedoms, like the freedom to vote, freedom to choose, freedom to marry who you want, freedom for your children's teachers and librarians to have them read what they want, freedom to form unions and so on. If this has been a source of confusion, then your assessments of what Republicans mean by freedom were likely too generous. Here is what they mean: 1. The freedom to tell people what to do. 2. Freedom from being told what to do.
Dear Justice Alito:
Let me make it plain:
If you must explain,
to not excuse —
you must recuse.
He said that the existence of things like contraception and gay marriage trample on the religious freedom of Catholics. WTF??? That's as crazy as saying"No one should be allowed to have a gun because I don't like them" or "Nobody should be allowed to drink because MY religion forbids it " or "Nobody can eat pork because MY religion forbids it." Who died and made HIM God???
So in summary let us briefly update and address the two central themes in Thomas Paine's precocious quote: "It has been the scheme of the Christian Church, and of all the other invented systems of religion, to hold man in ignorance of the Creator, as it is of governments to hold man in the ignorance of his rights. The systems of the one are as false as those of the other, and are calculated for mutual support."
So let's talk about the relation between religion and polytrix in the US government. We have a Supreme Court with six Catholics, steering religion and politics to the far right, away from the Creator. We have a new speaker of the House who openly wants to establish a 'moral' Christian Nationalism run by the next Republican president. Who will implement a fascist plan called Project 2025, as outlined at the end of Thom Hartmann's historical analysis of what led up to The Shocking GOP Plan to Dismantle the American Government. And all the while you've watched the Republican Party champion the idea of "freedom" while you have also watched the same party openly assault various freedoms, like the freedom to vote, freedom to choose, freedom to marry who you want, freedom for your children's teachers and librarians to have them read what they want, freedom to form unions and so on. If this has been a source of confusion, then your assessments of what Republicans mean by freedom were likely too generous. Here is what they mean: 1. The freedom to tell people what to do. 2. Freedom from being told what to do.
So true. Who indeed made him God?
One thing is for sure. We don’t get what we pay for when it comes to the supremes.
So true, alas. But the supremely rich sugar daddies sure get what THEY pay for!
To me, one of the elephants in the room that nobody is talking about with the justices on our SCOTUS is that several of them are devout Catholics. I think most evryone knows the very long time opposition of the Catholic Church to any form of contraception of, horrors of all, when indicated for good reasons, an abortion. The Catholic Church brain washes people into allowing the Church to dictate how they live their lives. It seems quite clear to me that the Trump appointees to the SCOTUS are all Catholic and clearly mis-represented (lied) the get their job. Now they have very scary/worrisome great power over the very personal choices people should clearly be allowed to make. The idea that anyone not Catholic is forced to abide by the power of the Church over their lives is absolutely wrong and dangerous to the freedoms of people who need and should have control over their family planning and responsibilities. Get religions out of our politics!
So in summary let us briefly update and address the two central themes in Thomas Paine's precocious quote: "It has been the scheme of the Christian Church, and of all the other invented systems of religion, to hold man in ignorance of the Creator, as it is of governments to hold man in the ignorance of his rights. The systems of the one are as false as those of the other, and are calculated for mutual support."
So let's talk about the relation between religion and polytrix in the US government. We have a Supreme Court with six Catholics, steering religion and politics to the far right, away from the Creator. We have a new speaker of the House who openly wants to establish a 'moral' Christian Nationalism run by the next Republican president. Who will implement a fascist plan called Project 2025, as outlined at the end of Thom Hartmann's historical analysis of what led up to The Shocking GOP Plan to Dismantle the American Government. And all the while you've watched the Republican Party champion the idea of "freedom" while you have also watched the same party openly assault various freedoms, like the freedom to vote, freedom to choose, freedom to marry who you want, freedom for your children's teachers and librarians to have them read what they want, freedom to form unions and so on. If this has been a source of confusion, then your assessments of what Republicans mean by freedom were likely too generous. Here is what they mean: 1. The freedom to tell people what to do. 2. Freedom from being told what to do.
At least two need a serious look at impeachment ❗️
Supremes MUST HAVE AN ENFORCEABLE CODE OF CONDUCT, as Justice Alito’s behavior shows. Furthermore, we need to consider term limits for Justices to make them accountable to the people that they purportedly oversee. If Congress won’t do these things, then a vote of the people is needed.
Hiding behind mother's skirts. Please add cowardly.
Forget about Alito recusing himself. He should be off the court permanently. And he can take Clarence Thomas with him!
Luckily, I have no illusions about the honesty of the Supreme Court The totally corrupt decision in Gore v. Bush was enough for me. Someone wrote a book once describing how corrupt "The Brotherhood" was. Like I have said before, you could increase the S.C. to one thousand members and you would probably get the same result. There are only two ways to look at the world. It was either "created" by some supreme entity or it "evolved" for no apparent reason. I hate to say it but if "evolution" is the first and last "cause" the species is in big trouble. Why do all of our politicians always ask "God" to "Bless America" and nobody else. It seems that he or "it" is doing a lousy job.
So in summary let us briefly update and address the two central themes in Thomas Paine's precocious quote: "It has been the scheme of the Christian Church, and of all the other invented systems of religion, to hold man in ignorance of the Creator, as it is of governments to hold man in the ignorance of his rights. The systems of the one are as false as those of the other, and are calculated for mutual support."
So let's talk about the relation between religion and polytrix in the US government. We have a Supreme Court with six Catholics, steering religion and politics to the far right, away from the Creator. We have a new speaker of the House who openly wants to establish a 'moral' Christian Nationalism run by the next Republican president. Who will implement a fascist plan called Project 2025, as outlined at the end of Thom Hartmann's historical analysis of what led up to The Shocking GOP Plan to Dismantle the American Government. And all the while you've watched the Republican Party champion the idea of "freedom" while you have also watched the same party openly assault various freedoms, like the freedom to vote, freedom to choose, freedom to marry who you want, freedom for your children's teachers and librarians to have them read what they want, freedom to form unions and so on. If this has been a source of confusion, then your assessments of what Republicans mean by freedom were likely too generous. Here is what they mean: 1. The freedom to tell people what to do. 2. Freedom from being told what to do.
While I do not condone the method used to secretly record Alito and his wife (the same underhanded tactics were used to discredit Planned Parenthood, and they were sleazy, too), it is proof that he is every bit as bigoted and dangerous as he seems. And off subject, if Hunter Biden gets prison time and the former guy doesn't, I'm taking to the street with my broomstick!
The SCOTUS is this way...corrupt not just from special interest influence, but from jurisprudence and judgments about what "America" should represent (or somewhat used to be)....because the other two branches became corrupt first; particularly Congress - critters.
This isn't going to get fixed without correcting the financial influence peddling that afflicts Congress and thereby the Executive branch, first.
Our judicial system in general is increasingly disappointing ... including what appear to be growing expectations among the American public that: (i) courts are not accountable for the impartiality of judges; and, (ii) no government entity is authorized (or willing) to do something about that.
Does the Chief Justice have the power to recuse Alito? Moreover, does he have the moral judgment to do it?
With a judge like Alito, Trump could be our supreme Dictator by this time next year if elected in November. Alito is truly a disgrace to the Judicial profession and a danger to our democratic republic.
This partisan hack doesn't want to acknowledge his bias therefore presenting a clear reason for removing lifetime appointments.