Supreme Court rules -- by a 6-3 margin whose six votes evenly split between nominally liberal and nominally conservative Justices -- that our government must inform immigrants of all details of a deportation process in one document, a purely technical ruling that may result in thousands of long-term immigrants avoiding deportation. It's a fascinating ruling -- Justice Gorsuch actually seems to have interpreted the law here, as has Justice Barrett, who came off in her hearings like she would never ever interpret a law ever, which made me say more than once then what are judges for? Naturally Justice Kavanaugh, the most evil Justice, and Chief Justice Roberts, the most literal Justice, joined the dissent, which says, rather inaccurately, that the Gorsuch ruling defies common sense. (As an aside, when we hear that someone, particularly someone of color, got pulled over for a "busted tail-light," we'd do well to assume the police busted the tail light themselves.)
Idaho passes law banning any sort of "critical race theory" in public schools, even though such theory helps us understand how pervasive racism is. I'm pleased to see a crap-ton of Idaho students protesting the legislation at the state Capitol, but I'm displeased, of course, to watch the Idaho legislature completely ignore them. Right-wingers piss and moan about "cancel culture" and then they actually cancel critical race theory? Gosh, they should just try to prove it wrong, and if they can't, well, they should just be grown-ups and concede the point. I know you don't see people on cable news shows do that, but it is what civilized people do. And I don't want whiners who can't accept that America's ever done any wrong ever in my damn foxhole. They're the kind of people who'd hear a squirrel skittering and leave my ass to die.
Some folks are asking "where's Joe Biden's Tea Party," especially given that Barack Obama already had Tea Party rallies to put up with by mid-April, but I'd say the movement's already here -- a mix of Trumphole and QAnon, and their persistence suggests that the next big right-wing "movement," a term I use with some trepidation, won't have to seem "new" and "fresh" like the Tea Party surely did to the vast number of inattentive Americans, and that the absence of such "newness" and "freshness" serves a larger Republican strategy to stay under the radar until 2022. Of course, Americans ain't as inattentive as they used to be, either. (Also, not to pick on the article, but the ACA wasn't "big" or "bold" legislation; if the American Jobs Plan and the American Families Plan pass, they'll both more easily qualify.)
Alexis Grennell at The Nation argues that "Just Because Cuomo Deserves Due Process Doesn’t Mean He Shouldn’t Resign." Yes, finding people guilty of crimes should be hard -- though it shouldn't be as absurdly difficult to find someone guilty of sexual harassment or rape as it is -- but while you have an inalienable right to defend yourself from accusations, that fact doesn't confer upon you an additional "right" to keep your Governorship while you defend yourself from those accusations. It sure doesn't help that Gov. Cuomo held former Attorney General Schneiderman (he had be investigated and resign!) to a tougher standard than the one to which he now holds himself (oh, a resignation would just hinder an investigation, never mind exactly how).
Chris Christie goes on Fox News to say Donald Trump deserves an A for his Presidency, but also says, and I quote, "(t)here were some things that happened specifically at the end of the presidency that I think had some things that clouded his accomplishments." That's some real straight talk, right there! And "an A, except for trying to overturn an election and then inciting an insurrection" is rather like giving Herbert Hoover "an A, except for the Depression" and George W. Bush "an A, except for 9.11, the Iraq War, the FISA Amendments Act, and the Great Recession."
Finally, when I hear that Brazil is having a lot more trouble getting aid from the rest of the world over its COVID troubles than India is, I'd be tempted to say waaaaaaaah!, because Brazillian President Jair Bolsonaro is now the biggest asshole among world leaders, so much so that even other assholes (cough Boris Johnson cough) can't stand him. But I can't be so evil about that, because good Brazilians are dying thanks to Mr. Bolsonaro's failure to lead, or be human. Every awful thing Donald Trump did to kill 400,000 good Americans, Jair Bolsonaro has done bigger and worse, and now Brazil may ultimately lose more of its citizens to COVID than we will -- and Mr. Bolsonaro will be able to cheat his way to re-election more easily than Mr. Trump could.
Comments