23 Comments
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Joe Santos's avatar

Obedience relies on legitimacy. With the Legislative branch taking a knee and the Executive branch ignoring the Judiciary, the federal government itself is no longer legitimate. States should start treating it as such. Don't remit taxes or any other form of funding. Don't obey federal dictates. Until all three branches of the federal government are performing their constitutionally-defined roles, they can pound sand.

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M. Apodaca's avatar

Please specify the Republican-led Legislative branch, etc.

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Richard Brody's avatar

Cooler heads warned of this during the campaign. Musk paid billions to obfuscate this an buy himself a Presidency. Nothing more or less. Thanks to the greedy morons who bought into this nonsense.

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Michael Wild's avatar

I never thought I'd see any major party doing a major assault on the rule of law. If forced to choose I'd have never thought it would be the conservative party. One of their core beliefs and most honourable traditions was the respect for the rule of law and due process....and I'm not that old!!. But boy was I wrong.

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Lucius's avatar

Conservatives have never actually cared about laws. They only bleat about it when it suits them.

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Martine Habib's avatar

This is by no means a surprise. And the MAGA caucus in Congress has been pining for a dictatorship for years. Now they have it. The fact that the dictator is a destructive malignant narcissist with dementia doesn’t seem to bother them. And the Democrats playing the “common ground” card, are naive or complicit. And those who say “just the next 4 years” don’t seem to understand the problem.

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Ed Walker's avatar

The DOJ lawyer who said in open court that the Birthright EO was constitutional was lying. He doesn't believe that, and there is nothing in law or precedent to support his lie. He should be sanctioned. If courts don't protect themselves from abusive suits and pleadings, the thugs will continue to file them.

Impose costs and expenses on the Government. That DoJ lawyer should be barred from further appearances in that court.

Approval of the judiciary is at 35%. It can get worse. https://news.gallup.com/poll/653897/americans-pass-judgment-courts.aspx

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Richard Van Atta's avatar

The Congress — especially the Repugnancans have self neutered! Now they are ball-less and useless.

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David J. Sharp's avatar

The Trump Administration and its thin logic: Again, look at the man. This is the Master of the Master Race? A bloated liar, an adulterer, a rapist. Many step below the typical Republican racism, misogyny, antisemitism, etc, etc.

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Carl Selfe's avatar

We will recovery following a known course of action. We will grow in numbers by gathering the reformers in their party. We will grow numbers, diversity, and socioeconomic stratas. https://open.substack.com/pub/hotbuttons/p/krewe-kleptos-parade-route-psycho?r=3m1bs&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

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DBV's avatar
Feb 11Edited

Superb article.

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Deborah solleveld's avatar

What law school did these quacks go to? The congress has to step up and help the courts put the mango Mussolini in his place. History will take too long!

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Lucius's avatar

"tradcath conservative Harvard Law professor"

In a functioning world, tradcaths wouldn't be allowed to teach high school civics, much less hold a position at Harvard.

NO Catholics should be allowed anywhere near elementary schools, obviously.

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Steven Dundas's avatar

Lisa,

We are now in an existential crisis that we must meet and cannot fail. They have absolutely no regard for the Constitution and laws that they swore to uphold and defend. To quote a line from the film “Conspiracy” (2001) about the Wannsee Conference. One attendee say to another during a break about the SS who compromise many of the attendees “to them the law is like ice cream, easily melted.” That applies to the Trumpified Nazi GOP of today.

Please be safe and watch your six.

Steve Dundas

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David J. Sharp's avatar

Don Trump, a credit to his race; Pious Mike Johnson, a credit to White Christians everywhere.

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David J. Sharp's avatar

Is Trump’s self-anointed kingship make him Donald I … or Mad King George II? (The latter, one should remember, was overthrown and in his place, a democracy was established; the very same Trump is trying to destroy.

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M. Apodaca's avatar

No, George wasn’t overthrown. It was a war of independence from Britain. The kingship remains to this day — in Britain.

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David J. Sharp's avatar

Picky, picky—he was not indeed overthrown … in England. And those short-seeing Framers didn’t think to buy the joint like they do now with Greenland. (Hey, here’s a chance to really overthrow a kingdom—Denmark’s!)

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Becky Daiss's avatar

If they have the keys to the Treasury, it won't really matter if Congress doesn't pass a budget. Is that right? Please say no.

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Kathleen M Kendrick's avatar

Excellent article! Thank you!

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