32 Comments

Your insight re: Merrick Garland is spot on. The Supremes are technically correct...the 14th amendment is to be enforced federally by Congress, not by each individual state. They didn't find Trump innocent of insurrection, they found the Colorado Supreme Court had no jurisdiction in a federal matter. The blame lies with Garland for not enforcing existing federal law against insurrection. His decision was craven and weak.

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If this is a federal matter, rather than state, will Congress enforce it? Would Merrick Garland even need to have any decision rights?

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I'm no lawyer, but Congress already provided for enforcement. The US legal code defines and provides punishment for insurrection (including being ineligible to hold federal office) in 18 US Code 2383. It was up to Garland via US Attorneys to indict Trump with insurrection under this US Code. Should have been an easy call especially after the House Jan 6 committee findings. Instead, Garland waited a year and then indicted him on lesser obstruction charges that don't carry the full weight of insurrection. Garland wobbled in attempt to hold Trump accountable while still appeasing his base. Interestingly, the CO Supreme Court found Trump guilty of insurrection and the US Supreme Court did not deny it. Garland should have unloaded the full weight of the US legal code on Trump, hell with pissing off MAGA.

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Could the nine justice consensus be based on an agreement to pursue 14th amendment prosecution?

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I don't think so. Their consensus is to just dodge the whole question and punt it back to the DOJ - who also want to dodge it. I'm afraid Trump will walk because the people charged with defending our institutions are gutless cowards.

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This needs to be addressed. And it won't be until we have a working Congress. It's up to We The People to fix this by voting in those who are for Democracy and fixing the problems within our Democracy.

The MAGA Christofascist Nationalist Movement KKKrowd agenda is not about Democracy nor fixing things for the people. It's about fixing things for the wealthy and being a Putin puppet.

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YES, folks who care will #VoteBLUE...

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Look how fast it took SCOTUS to decide on the Trump ballot question, yet they drag their feet on other Trump matters.

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You nailed IT Mr. Beck...

.

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Someone as asinine, petty, vicious, and overtly criminal as Trump has proven to be, it's pretty obvious to me that it's more diabolical than I ever imagined, what with him having the political legs that he still has. And with everything that he's done and, really, continues doing. It's gone past the point of credibility. I don't care how many lawyer media pundits milk the angles of all the legal strategies, yada yada yada.....it's absurd. F'n media round table punditry horseshit treats this whole horror show like playoff games on Sportcenter. But those darling little corporate controlled media entities have to present something to please their sponsors. Covering a segment on poverty in America would be out of the question, of course. We can't have that....

Merrick Garland was hand-picked for a reason. His declaration of not wanting an investigation and prosecution to look politically motivated was the first creak in the floor, for me. But now, with everything that's happened since he tried to appear as integrity incarnate, the entire floor has caved in. And that's just one small area of the entire phoney as it gets facade.

It sure is one big club.

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The same is true with the "war on drugs."

Whites who are arrested get "desk appearance tickets."

Blacks who get arrested go to jail. Go Directly to Jail. Do Not Pass Go. Do Not Collect $200.

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I am as outraged as you are about how Trump is being protected, and how our system is set up. However, my husband and I discussed this, and he pointed out that it does make sense that the states would not have the power to determine who can be on the ballot for federal elections. Even though that does make sense, I hate it that Trump is always so protected. His crimes are far worse than a lot of the "lesser" people who are in jail for what they've done. If Trump should win the election, (PLEASE, GOD, NO!!!!!), if someone were to bring a case to prevent him from being sworn in as president, the court might have to agree that he can't serve, since they understand that he did cause the insurrection.

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Mar 4·edited Mar 4

I still disagree with the point of view expressed by your better half, but the decision of the Judges is final, as they used to say on the quiz shows. I think the scenario described in your ending sentence is plausible — but far from certain - and all hell will break loose if, Goddess forbid, it should come to that.

I remain disappointed that all these rules we’ve set up over the decades precisely to preclude the presidency of someone like TFG have turned out to be impotent, and we have to go through another election like 2020. Yes, you can say noble things like “the people need to speak” and similar horseshit, but y’know, the reason we have police is (putatively) so everyone doesn’t have to protect their property by sitting all day with a shotgun in their lap. We have health departments and food purity laws so that we don’t have to investigate our doctors and our grocers by ourselves. Yes, football teams have “safeties”, but you don’t want to need to use them! (Not regularly, at least.)

Yes, TFG getting thoroughly beaten in an election may be the best way to put a stake in the MAGA heart, but that appears to be very much the last resort, and uncertain enough to give me considerable agita. It shouldn’t have gotten that far. 🤔😉😊

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Exactly... never should have gotten this far! I can't hardly sleep at night with all this shit...

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Boy, do I hear you. And it’s just going to get more and more, with some weird bumps over the Summer, and the inevitable random factor or two, peaking out after the votes are counted in November, followed by a major catharsis of some kind, the nature of which will depend on the outcome of the election. Bette Davis’ bumpy ride’s got nothing on what we should expect. Fasten your seat belts, indeed!

So sleep well, children… (insert Vincent Price-like eldritch laugh here) 🤔😉😊

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Rigged Despicably

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I don't know what to say anymore. We are dealing with corrupted judges that only care about themselves and keeping trump in the ballot and out of jail. But, I am predicting that trumpet is not going to make to the White House as president.

He needs a silent retreat because all that comes out of his filthy mouth is rubbish

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Lucy Lu, I don’t believe trump will be elected either. Let them delude themselves. Republicans didn’t turn out to support trump in the primary. Just a minority number bothered. That will show in the national election.

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I am praying every day that he stops the nonsense he has going and move to the hymalayas and become a servant to the monks.

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You guys are the supporters of our democracy let's not forget that actions brings consequences and one day those involved are going to be sorry for what they have created.

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Where are the “state’s rights” people today?

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Mar 4·edited Mar 4

As I’ve always said, had the J6 insurrectionists been a group of BLM supporters, they’d have been shot dead from the wall. Keep in mind also, we would NOT be in this predicament had Mitch McConnell removed the high crime criminal, rapist and twice impeached lunatic. McConnell prevented trump’s removal. Then Garland was equally bad by doing NOTHING to hold trump accountable. I hope both of these men get theirs.

Maybe it’s time for states with sane people not to comply. The republicans have gotten away with this over and over. What can they do, sue? Let them and tie it up in court. Time to play hardball. We’re being forced into Fascism. Let’s block it!

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The vote was unanimous. Two blacks, one Latino, four women. 9-0.

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author

The article is about the system not the ruling. Little tip: Read the article before commenting.

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YES, goes to show avarice, corruption & stupidity are not ethnically/gender based; we good folks of all stripes MUST save the day, #VoteBLUE...

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Cry harder, muffin.

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No, Barry. If the states have no business spaaqking to a federal issue, the electoral collage is meaningless.

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“Coup attempt” 🤣🤣🤣 You are a fucking riot! 9-0 will go down in history next to 5-4 and 28-3.

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