“Court-packing”

That’s becoming a meme in the right-wing media. I think this is the original op-ed suggesting that from the Washington Examiner: “Stand firm against Obama’s court packing, GOP” Nowhere in the column is it explained how adding a justice to bring the Court back up to its normal complement of nine means “packing.” Obama’s nomination …

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Democratic Presidents’ second terms are for only three years, not four

So it would appear, anyway, judging from the number of Republicans who have suggested that President Obama should not nominate anyone to replace the newly-deceased Justice Scalia. It’s startling, really. We have Senator Grassley suggesting “it’s been standard practice over the last nearly 80 years that Supreme Court nominees are not nominated and confirmed during …

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Agreed

Antonin #Scalia requested cremation in his will, but millions of women will meet tomorrow to discuss if that's really best for his body. — Justice Wainwright (@JusticeBlaine) February 14, 2016

Scalia dies, Republicans panic

Justice Antonin Scalia died last night in a Texas resort. Within hours of the news Senate Majority Leader McConnell once again announced his intent to thwart President Obama’s constitutional duty to execute the authority of the President. You’ll remember that on the very night of his first inauguration Republican luminaries of both the House and …

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Justice Alito is a murderous bastard

He’d just as soon kill inmates as see ’em, apparently. Our decisions in this area have been animated in part by the recognition that because it is settled that capital punishment is constitutional, “[i]t necessarily follows that there must be a constitutional means of carrying it out.” [.pdf] And because some risk of pain is …

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Can the Supreme Court be trusted?

Who knows? The adjectival clause “established by the state” in context seems perfectly clear to me: “state” means “the Federal government.” But now the Nine Wise Souls, as Charlie Pierce likes to call them, get to decide the fate of some millions of people and their tenuous grip on middle class status. If it decides …

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Alabama probate judges hoist on Roy Moore’s ego

Today Federal judge Callie V.S. Granade ordered the probate judge in Mobile County to begin issuing marriage licenses to every couple who asks for one, no matter whether the couple is same-sex or opposite-sex. “If Plaintiffs take all steps that are required in the normal course of business as a prerequisite to issuing a marriage …

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