Justice Corrupted, Right Out in the Open

 


During his presidency, Donald Trump set out to thoroughly corrupt the US Supreme Court by stacking the bench with reliable, hard right justices, people who could be counted on to do the "right" thing. The integrity of the highest court of the land was irrelevant. The idea of turning the USSC into a political agency was of no moment.

This post is about how one of Trump's appointments, the controversial Brett Kavanaugh, has run afoul of the radical right movement that has taken over the Republican Party.

Kavanaugh on Thursday joined with the court’s five other conservatives to strike down President Biden’s vaccine-or-testing mandate for large businesses. But in a separate decision, he and Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. joined with the court’s three liberal justices in allowing Biden’s separate vaccine mandate for health-care workers to move forward.

Fox News host Tucker Carlson got the ball rolling Thursday night by muttering that Kavanaugh was a “cringing little liberal.”


Trump Jr. was quick to pile on, tweeting that "the left broke Kavanaugh. They turned him into a Roberts."

Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, added: “Honestly, Roberts and Kavanaugh didn’t have a backbone on that decision — that’s the bottom line.”

The Mango Mussolini himself slams Kavanaugh:

In retrospect, he just hasn’t had the courage you need to be a great justice,” Trump said. “I’m basing this on more than just the election.”

So much for America's vaunted system of checks and balances. Farewell outgoing democratic republic.  Greetings Lord of the Flies. 

Comments

  1. Canada has seen the rule by law court particularly under Chretien.
    Judges are are appointed not elected both here in Canada , the US and the UK.
    OK the US maybe a little different but the end result is similar.
    The legal process is circumventing the political process across the western world.


    TB

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had a professor, Ed Ratushny, whose summer job was to vet lawyers for appointment to the higher courts under federal jurisdiction.

      Ratushny worked diligently to visit every province and territory, consulting provincial law societies, bar associations and serving judges to get recommendations of possible candidates.

      It was an exhaustive process that identified some real talent. Ed told me that he sometimes had to visit these lawyers in their offices. A lot of the best talent wanted nothing to do with the bench. They were at the prime of their careers and making the really big bucks. At that point, Ratushny would pull out the old "it's your duty" business and browbeat them into agreeing to go through the selection process.

      All I can say is that this procedure resulted in a cadre of excellent judges. Was it democratic? Hell no but that was the point.

      After just 10 years, even less, at the bar you know who is the best of the best. You've seen them in court, watched their often incredible talent.

      We've done away with that system. Now people apply for positions. This means the best of the best get to avoid serving.

      BTW, most judges in the US are elected, not appointed. That's a nightmare.

      Delete
  2. Donald Trump set out to thoroughly corrupt the US Supreme

    Is Trump really that smart or are other conspirators at large.

    TB

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think what set Trump apart is that he set out to stack the USSC and stated his intensions quite openly. If I recall correctly, I think that was part of his campaign platform in 2016 and one of the 'accomplishments' he bragged of in the 2020 campaign.

      Perhaps the greater issue is that, having been told quite plainly what Trump was doing, most Americans were indifferent and no one in the Republican ranks tried to rein him in. That speaks to a society in decay.

      Delete
  3. "Canada’s Supreme Court is off-balance as ‘large and liberal’ consensus on the Charter falls apart" Weekend Globe & Mail

    And closer to home, S. Harper left us with a problem that will only get worse next time 40% of the voters go blue.

    More Bert Browns, Wagners etc to complete the job.

    ReplyDelete

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