Matt_W
4922
Well this is fucking horrifying.
KevinC
4923
Yeah I don’t even know what to say, other than he better be gone in November. And even then I don’t know if that just buys us a short reprieve until the next despot comes along.
I’m just exhausted at this point. This won’t raise much a stink with everything else going on and with 90% of voters not knowing or caring why this is so bad. Republicans have proven time and time again they care nothing for rule of law, only their own power. Republican voters have proven that they don’t care what happens as long as their team wins.
I can’t help but feel we’re in deep trouble as a nation and that I’ll see the end of the democratic way of life in my lifetime. We’re following Turkey’s path, we’re just a little ways behind them.
Menzo
4925
Any thoughts on whether Coronavirus will impact Russia’s ongoing “interventions” into our upcoming election? From what I understood, the prominent groups work out of specific locations around Moscow, which is probably not a great idea these days.
Certainly posting memes and misinformation on social media is something that could be done from homes, but will there be a drop off?
I was thinking more in terms of (fictional) psychohistory and the Mule in the Foundation series, or chaos theory in Jurassic Park, where nearly every system no matter how well designed and constructed breaks given enough time.
Further, if prior agreement is required, aren’t the rules/systems themselves a sham?
I guess Murphy’s Law is another example.
More like a precondition perhaps. That is, you can’t form a system of rules without agreeing in advance that that’s what you want and will do. Even Hobbes saw the social contract as originating from the people, albeit out of mostly fear and loathing rather than any noble ambitions. Of course, after that contract, Hobbes ascribed unlimited power to the sovereign to enforce it, with no legitimate way to change the status quo barring the utter failure of said sovereign to do the job it was contracted to do. But even he knew that if people didn’t choose to put themselves under some higher authority of their own volition, there was no possibility of a stable or long-lasting community.
If anyone can work from home, it’s those guys.
I’m sure we have him this time!
Sky is blue, says Senate Intelligence Committee.
Good news from the DC Court of Appeals. They will not grant DOJ motion to delay handing over Mueller grand jury records to Congress.
rowe33
4936
What happens when they delay anyways? Is there some sort of legitimate enforcement? I’ve given up on any checks/balances working with Trump & his cronies.
I bet they’re not all that worried. They bought the Supreme Court for a reason.
magnet
4938
They’ll be found in contempt of court. Unlike contempt of Congress, that would have real negative consequences. For instance, the judge could issue escalating individual fines to government officials. There is no possibility of pardon or appeal.
rowe33
4939
But what if they refuse to pay them? Not trying to be difficult, I’m honestly curious how this works. How do they enforce the fines? Who’s actually on the line here? Is it Barr, as the head of the DoJ? Can they just appeal the contempt up to SCOTUS, which may or may not care about the rule of law?
IANAL, but I think being found in contempt of court is bad. Beyond fines, I think a judge could jail you until you complied with the court’s order. The enforcement arm would be the US Marshall’s service.
Couldn’t the BAR association also strip DOJ people of their law licenses if found continuosly in contempt? Could Barr even legally serve as AG without a license?
