"erect a series of reforms (e.g., Supreme Court term limits or expansion; serious civil and criminal penalties for abrogating others’ constitutional rights or blocking congressionally appropriated funds; bright red lines on private citizens assuming governmental powers; complete divestiture of presidents’ business interests while in office)"
Exactly this. Long overdue and stalled by our ossified system. I would add that getting money out of politics is crucial.
It isn't just money in politics which is corrupting our society. It is the whole infrastructure which has been created over the last 50 years to build a money pipeline to the wealthy. I think Robert Reich recently said it amounted to an $80 trillion transfer of wealth to the 1%. That is money which quite literally could have ended poverty in this Country. This is even worse than the Robber Barrons of the 1890s. Elizabeth Warren was right when she called for a 'Wealth Tax'. It needs to be substantial and place an absolute limit on how much one person can possess.
A wealth tax is a fine idea, but with the current state of the IRS, tracking down those who flout it will be impossible. Unlike Republican leadership, which has been attacking and de-funding that agency for decades, it is time to put in place a strong agency that can do the job of collecting the funds for the government to operate. Fund it, staff it, and give it the necessary teeth.
Impossible? I think not. Even the remnants of the IRS could be ordered in a sensible world to concentrate on the bazillionaires and leave the poor alone. They go after the waitress subsisting on tips (and get back about two cents for every dollar spent investigating) rather than the wealthy (and get back a thousand $ for every $ spent investigating). I made those numbers up, BTW, but that's the style with the current administration, so why not?
That is precisely why trump fired so much of the IRS, so the few remaining would be just strong enough to pick the low hanging fruit, while the real evil doers, the Billionaires who have siphoned off all our taxpayer money in government contracts (oil, gas, arms manufacture) and be unable to pursue the big thieves because lawsuits cost millions and take lots of time.
Absolutely crucial! Money is what drives this corrupt state of affairs. When SCOTUS affirmed that money was free speech, it affirmed the false notion that millionaires and billionaires have all rights to dictate our lives and livelihoods without redress. Our population is not unlike the proverbial super tanker. We can’t turn on a dime; however, we must start or sink due to high waves of corruption.
Yes! I've been saying this all along, since Trump 101. And on top of that, any person convicted of a felony or having a criminal record, cannot hold any public office. They dont allow them to vote but they can be President? WTF??!!
The writers of the Constitution assumed that older men would be appointed. Clearly, the stacking of the Court with younger and younger, and thus less experienced, people, has made term limits a necessity. We may also need to look at the requirements. Already in some states, Republican governors are appointing judges who have little experience as lawyers to be judges.
And, who was responsible for Cannon? Leonard Leo, Chairman of the Board of The Federalist Society. He provided Trump with his list of conservative federal judges and advised him, and Mitch McConnell ensured Congress would vote for them.
"On August 8, 2022, when the FBI conducted the Mar-a-Lago search Cannon, had been on the bench less than three years, and had only tried four routine criminal federal cases (a total of 14 trial days)." She knew so little about what she was doing that she was twice "rebuked by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals for decisions displaying undue deference to Trump’s status as a former president." After that, it would seem that her only job in the Smith case was to draw things out for as long as possible, before she dismissed the case entirely. Although Smith appealed, and Judge Tanya Chutkan took over, the strategy worked because the case wasn't tried before the election.
FYI...For the last three decades, Leo has worked to build the conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court. He advised Trump on the nominations of Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. Before that, he’d helped pick or confirm the court’s three other conservative justices — Clarence Thomas, John Roberts and Samuel Alito.
"When right-wing legal organizations walk into today’s courts, packed with Federalist Society allies, they know that the deck is often stacked in their favor. And knowing this, they’ve begun to seek ever more radical forms of redress from the judiciary. The ceiling of what’s permissible has yet to be reached."
It seems to me that there are people who are middle-aged who have the experience and would be good on the supreme court. The type of court it is requires some age and a good amount of of experience. I also think term limits are a very good idea.
At the time the constitution was written, people over 50 would have been considered "old," so what we consider middle aged is likely the ages they thought justices would be.
Good point. We seem to believe that even though our life spans are longer, we should still go for old men. I believe it's not against the constitution to adapt to the difference in life spans. Also, speaking as an old person, my brain doesn't work as well as it used to, and I am not alone in that. People like RBG to me are the exception rather than the rule.
I am angry at the Biden administration for not foreseeing a possible Trump comeback. They should have drastically cut back the emergency powers of the president, for instance. Since a Democrat was president at the time, I think Republicans in Congress would approve.
They need to stop waiting until they return to power. Let it be known now, in no uncertain terms, that those who kowtow to trump and the fascists are going all in on a bet that fascism will prevail. It won't. And Democrats return to power, those who bent the knee (e.g., Columbia, ABC, Paul Weiss, etc.) will not be forgiven. They will suffer the consequences they feared trump would place on them. They will never be able to return to business as usual.
I still think national security is the tie that binds. Hegseth is a dream opponent....
Contrarian should be concentrating on the many Congressional Republicans who are unhappy with Trump. We need to get them to come to their senses and stand up with us. https://jerryweiss.substack.com/
The Contrarian is not an activist group, and it seems to me that it is rather Ingenuous to expect them to be one. They do hard work to let us know what the truth is. WE are the "them" who need to do the work and we need to stop expecting some "them" to do it for us. Get busy. [edited to replace misspelled word with correct word to ensure clarity]
"The most important thing said by a Congressional Republican. "I am afraid.""
This is a sign of the spinelessness of our Republicans in Congress. As an equal branch of our government, how can one man create such a panic in this powerful legislature? These people are here to represent, define, and defend the rights of the people, not those of a president. If they won't stand up and do that, we need to vote them out.
Actually, I thought it was exceptionally brave. I have read elsewhere that many Congressional Republicans are afraid of Trump. He threatens them, and bullies them until they concede. And, they always do. Lisa Murkowski has spoken out against Trump more than any other Republican I can think of, and has voted against him in a number of key battles.
But, she also must represent the interests of Alaska. In 2022, 39.3% of Alaska government revenues came from federal transfers. That is more than any other state. The tariffs will have a terrible impact on Alaska, because they depend on Canada and China for imports as well as exports. One can't even imagine how much pressure has been brought to bear on her.
If everyone Trump threatened spoke out, maybe Republicans would have the guts to stop rubber stamping all of Trump's terrible bills that threaten our democracy, and our freedoms.
If we had a competent Cabinet, they could oust Trump on grounds of the 25th Amendment. As they are hand-picked lackeys and toadies, that won't happen.
The House of Representatives could initiate impeachment proceedings, but with a Republican majority and Mikey Johnson as speaker, this action won't happen either.
We must assume and work for a midterm election and to change the majority in both houses of Congress to make it happen.
A number of people have brought up the 25th. Even if it worked then we have Vance and an entrenched cabinet. We'd be worse off than we are now.
As Jerry Weiss and others have pointed out, our best way out is to focus on recreating the line of succession by encouraging bipartisan replacement of Speaker Johnson with a moderate republican. There is plenty of solid legal evidence to impeach and remove Trump and Vance simultaneously. This time they may have the guts to follow through on it.
With a rational mod Republican speaker taking the seat of the presidency, and replacing the cabinet, a lot of the other problems get solved or at least managable: the line of succession will change, the illegal edicts of the current admin can be reversed, Musk and Doge will disappear, Steven Miller will wither away. It would be a reset of the system. Still lots left to do to restore what's been lost, but we would then be in a position to start working on that. It would be possible.
There seem to be indications that the first part of this scenario is being worked on and may even be close. We need to keep the pressure on in the streets and with our calls letting our Congresspeople know we want them to work together to get rid of the internal threats. They'll know what we mean.
I have very mixed feelings about Murkowski’s comment about “being afraid.” She is not afraid enough to fight for our democracy. If she is so afraid, perhaps she should become a public citizen and not a public servant. She has done little to speak out for democracy (yes, she voted against Hegseth) but not a whole lot more. She may represent her Alaskan constituents well, but she is not representing democracy or demanding more of the senate. As I said, I have mixed feelings…
I have written a longer comment on Murkowski above. In answer your comment, she not only voted for impeachment, but when Biden was president, she was one of only three Republicans who voted to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Nomination to SCOTUS. In 2017, Murkowski, Collins, and McCain voted "No" on sinking the Affordable Care Act. She is pro-abortion rights, and pro-education.
Alaska is a very red state, and the only way Murkowski can only survive as a senator is to vote on bipartisan bills she supports, and she does. During COVID, she met with a group of Senators to break the months long congressional logjam, which resulted in for the bipartisan COVID-19 Relief Act of 2020. She supported the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (It was a weak gun safety bill, but I guess better than nothing), the Respect for Marriage Act (it allowed gay marriage and mixed-race marriage), and more.
According to a colleague, she has been a lynchpin of nearly every major bipartisan effort in Congress over these last few years.” She also has frequently spoken out against Trump, and she didn't vote for him in the last two elections.
This matters to me, not because I live in Alaska, because I don't. But, if Murkowski loses, we will lose a strong voice for Democracy, and Alaskans will lose someone who has worked hard to protect their environment, and their people. Twenty percent of Alaskans are from indigenous tribes.
Thank you for broadening my perspective with the information you provided. I am sure she represents her constituents well and has been elected against great odds. However, I do still think it is necessary to speak up, loud and clear, about what is happening to this country as a result of the criminal actions of trump and his rogue administration. It is not just Murkowski who needs to speak out…it is all the GOP members who share similar feelings. Otherwise we don’t stand a chance of holding trump or his administration accountable.
You’re welcome, and thank you for your response. The great thing about this site, is that we can disagree with each other, and still be respectful. And, I certainly understand how you feel. My anger at almost every other Congressional Republican is so intense that I often have to give myself—time-outs, to lower my blood pressure, and then walk my dog more frequently to balance my anger by watching her joy. I was just going to write how much I despise everyone in this administration and name them, but then wondered if I could be “disappeared” by revealing my true feelings. If that’s not scary, I don’t know what is. Well, I’m off to walk my dog…for the third time today. Take care!
Flash: Rep. Don Bacon, a prominent Republican and former Air Force general, has become the first GOP lawmaker to publicly call for the removal of Pete Hegseth.
We only need a few. The bill that removes Trump's tariff authority has 7 Repoublican cosponsors. Virtuyally every Republican member of the intelilgence and military committes has called Trump a liar on the Ukraine War.
Read Jerry Weiss and listen to Olbermann and get bck to us.
Totally agree with reading Jerry Weiss: Feathers of Hope. I wish he were still with us. His is the most rational take on the way forward and it gives us a pathway that can work- if WE do our part of the job. There ARE republicans who are reachable, and I know that the dems in Congress are working on building those relationships. We need to keep doing our inclusionary protests, keep called our dems to thank them and let them know we are behind them. And those of us with republican reps and senators, please please call them and write them in whatever tone seems to work to encourage them to work across the aisles. This is our job right now.
I've heard that you can make the horse drink, you salt its oats (or as I heard it originally, you give it salty peanuts). So what's the "salt" for our R Congressfolks?
I agree. It's lazy to focus so intently on Trump. The GOP can end this anytime it chooses. It controls the Congress. This should be emphasized again and again. They can stop this and they aren't. Where are the articles about this. The analysis, getting them to speak on record about their positions, talk to their voters. Are there any polls from their states about how their voters feel? This the kind of think the NYT and WaPo should be doing--only like Congress, they aren't doing their jobs. Unfortunately, most columnists on SubStack don't have the resources to do this.
Agreed! Powerfully put by Jen. We are in the middle of a multifaceted constitutional crisis brought on by Trump’s ongoing authoritarian coup. We the People must resist. The Democrats in Congress must resist. The Supreme Court must uphold the law. My only quibble is with the term “no obeying in advance.” I’d amend that to “no obeying, period.”
I agree with you 100%. My comment about “no obeying in advance,” which is sometimes stated as “do not comply in advance” is that we must not obey nor comply with authoritarianism, full stop. Harvard refused to obey, unlike Columbia, and did not comply with Trump 2.0’s black mail demands. But regardless, as I noted, I strongly agree with you on the main point.
Not only are we in a crisis, Ms. Rubin -- we are in the worst crisis that this nation has endured since the beginning of the US Civil War. Perhaps we are in an even MORE precarious place than we were then. At the start of the Civil War, those fighting to preserve the Union had at least the reassurance that the leader of the nation -- Abraham Lincoln -- was supporting and fighting along with them. In our present day, the "leader" of the nation -- Donald Trump -- is actively seeking to undermine the Union and the Constitution and is fighting AGAINST those who wish to preserve them. And Trump has commandeered an executive power that Abraham Lincoln did not (at least at the beginning of the Civil War) have access to. We are in a supremely dangerous state of crisis.
Thank you for using “traitor”. I believe that a major problem here is the refusal of people, the press in particular, to label a Lie a Lie, and a Traitor a Traitor. To say “misunderstanding”, “might be against the law”, turns Truth into the enemy. Exactly what a dictator and his minions want.
You are exactly right to mince no words, Jen. The longer we keep silent, the worse it will become, the harder to fix. Thank you for your bravery to speak the truth.
Not a lawyer here . I think the Constitutional Crisis began February, 2021, when not enough Senate Republicans voted to convict Trump. He should not have been allowed to run after January 6. Full stop. Mainstream media keeps bleating about whether we're in a Constitutional crisis. Our elected officials defy their oaths every time they don't stand up, and speak out. Nomenclature doesn't matter when Americans are being abducted, when we have a collective knot in our stomachs waiting to see if this will be the month our Social Security will be disappeared . Americans are bleeding from a million cuts , large and small. It doesn't matter what it's called.
I think there is some integrity in the media, some that are trying to report the truth; but I am very tired of the same questions to people they interview: What do you think? How do you feel this is going? What do you think might happen next? Why not face the issues squarely and stop with the "think" and "feel" questions.
I remember the day Richard Nixon resigned. There was a collective national sigh of relief. His (second) vice president (Gerald Ford) was known as an ethical, experienced individual. If Trump should leave office, the order of succession is almost as frightening as Trump himself:
Vice President (Vance)
Speaker of the House (Johnson)
President Pro Tempore of the Senate (Grassley)
Secretary of State (Rubio)
Secretary of the Treasury (Bessent)
Secretary of Defense (Hegseth)
Attorney General (Bondi)
Secretary of the Interior (Burgum)
What is the safe, overall "want" as a result of our opposition?
Speaking of Vance . . . I'm just going to note this here, in case my lunatic conspiracy theory turns out to be amazing brilliance. (I really do realize this will sound nuts.)
Trump, et al, are not only attacking the United States -- they are affecting the world, politically, economically, morally. Right now they have the evangelicals with them, but an opportunity has arisen to expand the chaos much further on a moral scale.
J.D. Vance had a last minute, flash visit with the Pope, and within a short time the Pope died. I am NOT saying that Vance killed him (technically), but when great evil confronts good that has been weakened (through age and illness), possibly evil overpowers and wins. I mean seriously, why did Vance have to meet with him just then?
Yes, crazy, I know. But I will be interested to see who is chosen next to be Pope. Will it be someone who continues in the recent tradition of more inclusion? Or will it be a hard liner, willing to create and sow dissent.
Cybelline, your next-to-last paragraph brings to mind a line from Dr. McCoy in the original Star Trek. "It's been my experience that evil usually triumphs, unless good is very, very careful." Not positive that's an exact word for word quote, but very close if not. I found it so true that I've remembered it all these decades.
Let’s try and think positively! Good can overcome evil especially if we pray together. I was musing that maybe JD would come around after meeting with the pope.
This is why Jerry Weiss, before his death, developed a plan that starts at the weak spot: Mike Johnson. He recommends that the House work in a bipartisan way to replace Johnson with a moderate republican speaker. Then move to impeach both Trump and Vance simultaneously. . We are at a different place now and there work being done within Congress to build a bipartisan coalition. If we can pull this off, it will place a moderate republican in the position of President and completely rewrite the order of succession, and remove the constant state of chaos, allowing us to function in a state of rationality. Then we can begin the work of repair.
Jerry's substack "Feather's of Hope" is still up, though it has lost some of the content as people dropped off after his death. But Jerry's plan is still there. He wrote right up until his death from cancer trying to get people to understand how this could work. When I first came across it, it struck me a pie in the sky. But then I realized that people in Congress were actually working on it, despite criticism from some who expected fire and brimstone from their Congress people. That's not how things get done. It makes noise and then blows away. What Jerry wrote about is doable and we can help by urging out congresspeople to do their jobs.
We won't be able to break that chain until we take back the House, which is a 2026 mandate. And we will have to choose our Speaker carefully, with anticipation.
IMPEACH, IMPEACH, IMPEACH them all!!! Clear out the House and let the people decide who should lead us forward. I propose that on May 11th, which IS Mother's Day, that we all send out at least 10 postcards to any or all of the above with just one word scrawled across the message area: IMPEACH!!!!!!
A lot of us have been calling for campaign finance reform and an end to the power and money of lobbyists. Unfortunately, those who write such legislation are addicted to the funds that these both provide, so we get no action. See the problem? It may take an enlightened Supreme Court to hand down a decision on these practices to stop them (note the qualifier 'enlightened').
Good point, Jen. It is only in retrospect that we can know the extent of a crisis, or an emergency. During such times in our personal life, rather than standing around hand-wringing or trying to measure the severity of the crisis, we just handle it. This is what we must do now. It will be up to the future to determine if we did it well or not.
“The government is asserting a right to stash away residents of this country in foreign prisons without the semblance of due process that is the foundation of our constitutional order.” Yes it is. Because due process for each potential deportee takes time. Trump can’t deport millions of immigrants if he has to hold a hearing for each and every one of them. He’ll be lucky to be able to deport thousands. Another one of his promises will fall apart. He didn’t fix grocery prices. His tariffs didn’t make the economy great again. He didn’t end the war in Ukraine with a phone call. He isn’t making government more efficient. He isn’t deporting millions of immigrant “criminals”. He isn’t getting any of that done. But wait, there is one thing. He’s destroying democracy. So there’s that.
The Grotesque Slob even faked a photograph showing Garcia with "MS-13" superimposed on his knuckles. I can't even imagine who that bit of Stalinist thuggery was meant to fool.
On Easter, the Mango Malfeasance tried to send out a 'Happy Easter' message, but within a few short words, it turned it into another screaming, shrieking rant about "sleepy Joe Biden." Only a truly psychotic, 3-year-old lunatic constantly in the middle of a sugar tantrum could do that.
When are Republicans going to start projectile vomiting?
I wish that I in addition to “Like” there was an “Agree” button. To my knowledge, I haven’t committed any law infractions. I’m a citizen, yet I still feel the fear and a need to look over my shoulder. Logic can be difficult to hang onto.
"Let’s try this: Trump has undertaken an autocratic coup, dropping the pretense he is bound by law or obligated to act in the country’s best interest. He thinks he is a dictator (not just for a day, but for all the days since taking office), and he is trying his best to act like one."
YES!
Thank you, Ms. Rubin, for giving sober expression to the voices screaming in my head.
A great call to action. While Trump is replaying his old tactics from the Central Park Five days, and enabling his entire MAGA government to jump into the mud with him, WE, the 70% or so Americans who do not see this country as a "failed state" need to go on STRIKE, literally, until the craziness stops. Could anyone really have imagined Trump would create false evidence to justify his paranoid rants on Truth Social?
We owe it not only to our fellow Americans but to our fellow world citizens. A truly sick, angry, delusional person has been given the reigns of power in world's most powerful country. He must be stopped.
I agree completely that we are in a constitutional crisis, but since the Repugnants in Congress aren't willing to do ANYTHING to stop it, and the courts have limits on what they can do, what's left to us, the average, intelligent, concerned citizen to do? Voting the Congressional clowns out is a great first step, but that can't happen until NEXT year. And at this point, we can't even be certain that Felon47 will "allow" us to have an election. He's still got a lot of time to make things even worse for the country, if not the world. A 1776-style revolt may be our only way out of this mess.
Nonviolent public gatherings, boycotts, and srikes are the most effective tools in our toolbox. A modern day dumping of tea in Boston harbor. Eventually the politicians will follow our lead.
Think how long it took to turn the bulk of the country against the Viet Nam war! I have been to four protests recently and I see many more down the road. Thankfully some of the politicians are speaking out and gaining in popularity. Trouble is we are doing it all peacefully and I’m not sure the Trump admin won’t get violent against the protesters. Still I am willing to risk it. If that happened it would change a lot of people’s minds to be against Trump quickly…. Like Kent State. Let’s hope that doesn’t have to happen!!!keep it peaceful people!! Trumpism is a deadly disease. If they were smart they wouldn’t follow a right wing dictator because when the progressives get in the channels will be open for an extreme left wing takeover. Extremism is just plain bad. Hoping for centrist common sense to prevail.
Can you get this printed in every newspaper, put on billboards, hold a press conference? Would you allow your words to be used by activists to spread them where they need to be heard? This is a battle cry for us to listen up, speak out, and bring it home!
"erect a series of reforms (e.g., Supreme Court term limits or expansion; serious civil and criminal penalties for abrogating others’ constitutional rights or blocking congressionally appropriated funds; bright red lines on private citizens assuming governmental powers; complete divestiture of presidents’ business interests while in office)"
Exactly this. Long overdue and stalled by our ossified system. I would add that getting money out of politics is crucial.
It isn't just money in politics which is corrupting our society. It is the whole infrastructure which has been created over the last 50 years to build a money pipeline to the wealthy. I think Robert Reich recently said it amounted to an $80 trillion transfer of wealth to the 1%. That is money which quite literally could have ended poverty in this Country. This is even worse than the Robber Barrons of the 1890s. Elizabeth Warren was right when she called for a 'Wealth Tax'. It needs to be substantial and place an absolute limit on how much one person can possess.
A wealth tax is a fine idea, but with the current state of the IRS, tracking down those who flout it will be impossible. Unlike Republican leadership, which has been attacking and de-funding that agency for decades, it is time to put in place a strong agency that can do the job of collecting the funds for the government to operate. Fund it, staff it, and give it the necessary teeth.
Impossible? I think not. Even the remnants of the IRS could be ordered in a sensible world to concentrate on the bazillionaires and leave the poor alone. They go after the waitress subsisting on tips (and get back about two cents for every dollar spent investigating) rather than the wealthy (and get back a thousand $ for every $ spent investigating). I made those numbers up, BTW, but that's the style with the current administration, so why not?
That is precisely why trump fired so much of the IRS, so the few remaining would be just strong enough to pick the low hanging fruit, while the real evil doers, the Billionaires who have siphoned off all our taxpayer money in government contracts (oil, gas, arms manufacture) and be unable to pursue the big thieves because lawsuits cost millions and take lots of time.
Absolutely crucial! Money is what drives this corrupt state of affairs. When SCOTUS affirmed that money was free speech, it affirmed the false notion that millionaires and billionaires have all rights to dictate our lives and livelihoods without redress. Our population is not unlike the proverbial super tanker. We can’t turn on a dime; however, we must start or sink due to high waves of corruption.
Get rid of CITIZENS UNITED. This alone would take most of the money out of politics. Money in politics equals power in politics, as we all know.
Let’s add the REQUIREMENT to provide copies of tax returns to run for
public office.
Yes! I've been saying this all along, since Trump 101. And on top of that, any person convicted of a felony or having a criminal record, cannot hold any public office. They dont allow them to vote but they can be President? WTF??!!
The writers of the Constitution assumed that older men would be appointed. Clearly, the stacking of the Court with younger and younger, and thus less experienced, people, has made term limits a necessity. We may also need to look at the requirements. Already in some states, Republican governors are appointing judges who have little experience as lawyers to be judges.
Aileen Cannon.
And, who was responsible for Cannon? Leonard Leo, Chairman of the Board of The Federalist Society. He provided Trump with his list of conservative federal judges and advised him, and Mitch McConnell ensured Congress would vote for them.
"On August 8, 2022, when the FBI conducted the Mar-a-Lago search Cannon, had been on the bench less than three years, and had only tried four routine criminal federal cases (a total of 14 trial days)." She knew so little about what she was doing that she was twice "rebuked by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals for decisions displaying undue deference to Trump’s status as a former president." After that, it would seem that her only job in the Smith case was to draw things out for as long as possible, before she dismissed the case entirely. Although Smith appealed, and Judge Tanya Chutkan took over, the strategy worked because the case wasn't tried before the election.
FYI...For the last three decades, Leo has worked to build the conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court. He advised Trump on the nominations of Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. Before that, he’d helped pick or confirm the court’s three other conservative justices — Clarence Thomas, John Roberts and Samuel Alito.
"When right-wing legal organizations walk into today’s courts, packed with Federalist Society allies, they know that the deck is often stacked in their favor. And knowing this, they’ve begun to seek ever more radical forms of redress from the judiciary. The ceiling of what’s permissible has yet to be reached."
Right! Argh!
They also assumed most of those older men would be well off, but I doubt they envisioned the billionaires of today.
It seems to me that there are people who are middle-aged who have the experience and would be good on the supreme court. The type of court it is requires some age and a good amount of of experience. I also think term limits are a very good idea.
At the time the constitution was written, people over 50 would have been considered "old," so what we consider middle aged is likely the ages they thought justices would be.
Good point. We seem to believe that even though our life spans are longer, we should still go for old men. I believe it's not against the constitution to adapt to the difference in life spans. Also, speaking as an old person, my brain doesn't work as well as it used to, and I am not alone in that. People like RBG to me are the exception rather than the rule.
I am angry at the Biden administration for not foreseeing a possible Trump comeback. They should have drastically cut back the emergency powers of the president, for instance. Since a Democrat was president at the time, I think Republicans in Congress would approve.
Maybe, maybe not. It would have been a fun show to watch.
They need to stop waiting until they return to power. Let it be known now, in no uncertain terms, that those who kowtow to trump and the fascists are going all in on a bet that fascism will prevail. It won't. And Democrats return to power, those who bent the knee (e.g., Columbia, ABC, Paul Weiss, etc.) will not be forgiven. They will suffer the consequences they feared trump would place on them. They will never be able to return to business as usual.
I just posted something similar before reading yours! It seems pretty clear!!
Koch means cook or chef in German. I say cook them all.
Could not agree more!
Sounds like a Project 2028 plan is needed!🇺🇸🇺🇸
Very well said, Jen. You don’t receive an engraved invitation to a war—or a revolution.
I still think national security is the tie that binds. Hegseth is a dream opponent....
Contrarian should be concentrating on the many Congressional Republicans who are unhappy with Trump. We need to get them to come to their senses and stand up with us. https://jerryweiss.substack.com/
See Keith Olbermannn today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjUmNp4kg60&t=240s
The most important thing said by a Congressional Republican. "I am afraid."
The Contrarian is not an activist group, and it seems to me that it is rather Ingenuous to expect them to be one. They do hard work to let us know what the truth is. WE are the "them" who need to do the work and we need to stop expecting some "them" to do it for us. Get busy. [edited to replace misspelled word with correct word to ensure clarity]
Pretty "ingeneous" to be a solid citizen?
Ingenious to know something you don't?
Ingenuous.
Thank you. Mispelled- should have checked. "Ingenuous" is indeed the word I meant. Appreciate your catch. There is indeed a big difference.
Big difference.
"The most important thing said by a Congressional Republican. "I am afraid.""
This is a sign of the spinelessness of our Republicans in Congress. As an equal branch of our government, how can one man create such a panic in this powerful legislature? These people are here to represent, define, and defend the rights of the people, not those of a president. If they won't stand up and do that, we need to vote them out.
If we ever get a viable election.
Timing is important.
Actually, I thought it was exceptionally brave. I have read elsewhere that many Congressional Republicans are afraid of Trump. He threatens them, and bullies them until they concede. And, they always do. Lisa Murkowski has spoken out against Trump more than any other Republican I can think of, and has voted against him in a number of key battles.
But, she also must represent the interests of Alaska. In 2022, 39.3% of Alaska government revenues came from federal transfers. That is more than any other state. The tariffs will have a terrible impact on Alaska, because they depend on Canada and China for imports as well as exports. One can't even imagine how much pressure has been brought to bear on her.
If everyone Trump threatened spoke out, maybe Republicans would have the guts to stop rubber stamping all of Trump's terrible bills that threaten our democracy, and our freedoms.
They fear retribution in the form of harassment and actual physical violence against themselves and their families.
If the Republicans who are afraid don't stand up now, they'll be risking a permanent tropical vacation. Kowtowing won't save them.
Can we impeach them and get them out of office sooner?
If we had a competent Cabinet, they could oust Trump on grounds of the 25th Amendment. As they are hand-picked lackeys and toadies, that won't happen.
The House of Representatives could initiate impeachment proceedings, but with a Republican majority and Mikey Johnson as speaker, this action won't happen either.
We must assume and work for a midterm election and to change the majority in both houses of Congress to make it happen.
A number of people have brought up the 25th. Even if it worked then we have Vance and an entrenched cabinet. We'd be worse off than we are now.
As Jerry Weiss and others have pointed out, our best way out is to focus on recreating the line of succession by encouraging bipartisan replacement of Speaker Johnson with a moderate republican. There is plenty of solid legal evidence to impeach and remove Trump and Vance simultaneously. This time they may have the guts to follow through on it.
With a rational mod Republican speaker taking the seat of the presidency, and replacing the cabinet, a lot of the other problems get solved or at least managable: the line of succession will change, the illegal edicts of the current admin can be reversed, Musk and Doge will disappear, Steven Miller will wither away. It would be a reset of the system. Still lots left to do to restore what's been lost, but we would then be in a position to start working on that. It would be possible.
There seem to be indications that the first part of this scenario is being worked on and may even be close. We need to keep the pressure on in the streets and with our calls letting our Congresspeople know we want them to work together to get rid of the internal threats. They'll know what we mean.
👍👍
I have very mixed feelings about Murkowski’s comment about “being afraid.” She is not afraid enough to fight for our democracy. If she is so afraid, perhaps she should become a public citizen and not a public servant. She has done little to speak out for democracy (yes, she voted against Hegseth) but not a whole lot more. She may represent her Alaskan constituents well, but she is not representing democracy or demanding more of the senate. As I said, I have mixed feelings…
I have written a longer comment on Murkowski above. In answer your comment, she not only voted for impeachment, but when Biden was president, she was one of only three Republicans who voted to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Nomination to SCOTUS. In 2017, Murkowski, Collins, and McCain voted "No" on sinking the Affordable Care Act. She is pro-abortion rights, and pro-education.
Alaska is a very red state, and the only way Murkowski can only survive as a senator is to vote on bipartisan bills she supports, and she does. During COVID, she met with a group of Senators to break the months long congressional logjam, which resulted in for the bipartisan COVID-19 Relief Act of 2020. She supported the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (It was a weak gun safety bill, but I guess better than nothing), the Respect for Marriage Act (it allowed gay marriage and mixed-race marriage), and more.
According to a colleague, she has been a lynchpin of nearly every major bipartisan effort in Congress over these last few years.” She also has frequently spoken out against Trump, and she didn't vote for him in the last two elections.
This matters to me, not because I live in Alaska, because I don't. But, if Murkowski loses, we will lose a strong voice for Democracy, and Alaskans will lose someone who has worked hard to protect their environment, and their people. Twenty percent of Alaskans are from indigenous tribes.
Thank you for broadening my perspective with the information you provided. I am sure she represents her constituents well and has been elected against great odds. However, I do still think it is necessary to speak up, loud and clear, about what is happening to this country as a result of the criminal actions of trump and his rogue administration. It is not just Murkowski who needs to speak out…it is all the GOP members who share similar feelings. Otherwise we don’t stand a chance of holding trump or his administration accountable.
You’re welcome, and thank you for your response. The great thing about this site, is that we can disagree with each other, and still be respectful. And, I certainly understand how you feel. My anger at almost every other Congressional Republican is so intense that I often have to give myself—time-outs, to lower my blood pressure, and then walk my dog more frequently to balance my anger by watching her joy. I was just going to write how much I despise everyone in this administration and name them, but then wondered if I could be “disappeared” by revealing my true feelings. If that’s not scary, I don’t know what is. Well, I’m off to walk my dog…for the third time today. Take care!
Maybe she will....
She voted to impeach Trump as # 45.
IMHO she needs psychol;ogical reinfoprfcement from people just like you and me. Olbermann sujggests she join Bernie and AOC on tour.
Thank you, yes she did vote to impeach Trump 1.0.
Your comment is why I have mixed feelings. Her admission is significant, but now she has to do something about it.
Flash: Rep. Don Bacon, a prominent Republican and former Air Force general, has become the first GOP lawmaker to publicly call for the removal of Pete Hegseth.
Re: "we need to get them to come to their senses and stand up."
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make the horse drink.
We only need a few. The bill that removes Trump's tariff authority has 7 Repoublican cosponsors. Virtuyally every Republican member of the intelilgence and military committes has called Trump a liar on the Ukraine War.
Read Jerry Weiss and listen to Olbermann and get bck to us.
Totally agree with reading Jerry Weiss: Feathers of Hope. I wish he were still with us. His is the most rational take on the way forward and it gives us a pathway that can work- if WE do our part of the job. There ARE republicans who are reachable, and I know that the dems in Congress are working on building those relationships. We need to keep doing our inclusionary protests, keep called our dems to thank them and let them know we are behind them. And those of us with republican reps and senators, please please call them and write them in whatever tone seems to work to encourage them to work across the aisles. This is our job right now.
I've heard that you can make the horse drink, you salt its oats (or as I heard it originally, you give it salty peanuts). So what's the "salt" for our R Congressfolks?
Then it's time to elect some new horses.
I agree. It's lazy to focus so intently on Trump. The GOP can end this anytime it chooses. It controls the Congress. This should be emphasized again and again. They can stop this and they aren't. Where are the articles about this. The analysis, getting them to speak on record about their positions, talk to their voters. Are there any polls from their states about how their voters feel? This the kind of think the NYT and WaPo should be doing--only like Congress, they aren't doing their jobs. Unfortunately, most columnists on SubStack don't have the resources to do this.
Murkowski? Seriously?
Agreed! Powerfully put by Jen. We are in the middle of a multifaceted constitutional crisis brought on by Trump’s ongoing authoritarian coup. We the People must resist. The Democrats in Congress must resist. The Supreme Court must uphold the law. My only quibble is with the term “no obeying in advance.” I’d amend that to “no obeying, period.”
DS- that's not the point. The point is that we don't roll over. Harvard didn't. Those law firms did.
I agree with you 100%. My comment about “no obeying in advance,” which is sometimes stated as “do not comply in advance” is that we must not obey nor comply with authoritarianism, full stop. Harvard refused to obey, unlike Columbia, and did not comply with Trump 2.0’s black mail demands. But regardless, as I noted, I strongly agree with you on the main point.
Not only are we in a crisis, Ms. Rubin -- we are in the worst crisis that this nation has endured since the beginning of the US Civil War. Perhaps we are in an even MORE precarious place than we were then. At the start of the Civil War, those fighting to preserve the Union had at least the reassurance that the leader of the nation -- Abraham Lincoln -- was supporting and fighting along with them. In our present day, the "leader" of the nation -- Donald Trump -- is actively seeking to undermine the Union and the Constitution and is fighting AGAINST those who wish to preserve them. And Trump has commandeered an executive power that Abraham Lincoln did not (at least at the beginning of the Civil War) have access to. We are in a supremely dangerous state of crisis.
tRump is a traitor - he is committing acts of war against our Nation.
By definition, he is also committing crimes against humanity.
Thank you for using “traitor”. I believe that a major problem here is the refusal of people, the press in particular, to label a Lie a Lie, and a Traitor a Traitor. To say “misunderstanding”, “might be against the law”, turns Truth into the enemy. Exactly what a dictator and his minions want.
The time for hesitating, reserved, passive-voice speech is past. Just as in the bidding process in Bridge, call a spade a spade!
You are exactly right to mince no words, Jen. The longer we keep silent, the worse it will become, the harder to fix. Thank you for your bravery to speak the truth.
Hi Jen and Norm and fellow Contrarians!
Not a lawyer here . I think the Constitutional Crisis began February, 2021, when not enough Senate Republicans voted to convict Trump. He should not have been allowed to run after January 6. Full stop. Mainstream media keeps bleating about whether we're in a Constitutional crisis. Our elected officials defy their oaths every time they don't stand up, and speak out. Nomenclature doesn't matter when Americans are being abducted, when we have a collective knot in our stomachs waiting to see if this will be the month our Social Security will be disappeared . Americans are bleeding from a million cuts , large and small. It doesn't matter what it's called.
I think there is some integrity in the media, some that are trying to report the truth; but I am very tired of the same questions to people they interview: What do you think? How do you feel this is going? What do you think might happen next? Why not face the issues squarely and stop with the "think" and "feel" questions.
I agree, Nancy. Also, none of us can predict the future. We can make guesses - but that's all we can do.
I remember the day Richard Nixon resigned. There was a collective national sigh of relief. His (second) vice president (Gerald Ford) was known as an ethical, experienced individual. If Trump should leave office, the order of succession is almost as frightening as Trump himself:
Vice President (Vance)
Speaker of the House (Johnson)
President Pro Tempore of the Senate (Grassley)
Secretary of State (Rubio)
Secretary of the Treasury (Bessent)
Secretary of Defense (Hegseth)
Attorney General (Bondi)
Secretary of the Interior (Burgum)
What is the safe, overall "want" as a result of our opposition?
That is one reason why we need to focus energy on ALL upcoming elections, whether local or state or the 2026 midterms.
Speaking of Vance . . . I'm just going to note this here, in case my lunatic conspiracy theory turns out to be amazing brilliance. (I really do realize this will sound nuts.)
Trump, et al, are not only attacking the United States -- they are affecting the world, politically, economically, morally. Right now they have the evangelicals with them, but an opportunity has arisen to expand the chaos much further on a moral scale.
J.D. Vance had a last minute, flash visit with the Pope, and within a short time the Pope died. I am NOT saying that Vance killed him (technically), but when great evil confronts good that has been weakened (through age and illness), possibly evil overpowers and wins. I mean seriously, why did Vance have to meet with him just then?
Yes, crazy, I know. But I will be interested to see who is chosen next to be Pope. Will it be someone who continues in the recent tradition of more inclusion? Or will it be a hard liner, willing to create and sow dissent.
Cybelline, your next-to-last paragraph brings to mind a line from Dr. McCoy in the original Star Trek. "It's been my experience that evil usually triumphs, unless good is very, very careful." Not positive that's an exact word for word quote, but very close if not. I found it so true that I've remembered it all these decades.
Lately I've been thinking a lot about evil, and the apparent triumph of evil*. That's a very good quote to keep in mind. Thank you.
* Hopefully not in the long run.
Let’s try and think positively! Good can overcome evil especially if we pray together. I was musing that maybe JD would come around after meeting with the pope.
The way this country is affecting the world might well cause a shooting war out of self defense.
This is my worry.
A worrying list but none of those people have such a grip on the Trump cult.
I think we could more easily extricate ourselves from this predicament.
We have the capacity to remove Trump/Vance in one fell swoop. Read Feathers of Hope. Presiodent Jeffries.
This is why Jerry Weiss, before his death, developed a plan that starts at the weak spot: Mike Johnson. He recommends that the House work in a bipartisan way to replace Johnson with a moderate republican speaker. Then move to impeach both Trump and Vance simultaneously. . We are at a different place now and there work being done within Congress to build a bipartisan coalition. If we can pull this off, it will place a moderate republican in the position of President and completely rewrite the order of succession, and remove the constant state of chaos, allowing us to function in a state of rationality. Then we can begin the work of repair.
Jerry's substack "Feather's of Hope" is still up, though it has lost some of the content as people dropped off after his death. But Jerry's plan is still there. He wrote right up until his death from cancer trying to get people to understand how this could work. When I first came across it, it struck me a pie in the sky. But then I realized that people in Congress were actually working on it, despite criticism from some who expected fire and brimstone from their Congress people. That's not how things get done. It makes noise and then blows away. What Jerry wrote about is doable and we can help by urging out congresspeople to do their jobs.
We won't be able to break that chain until we take back the House, which is a 2026 mandate. And we will have to choose our Speaker carefully, with anticipation.
Is Grassley still alive?
indictment of all co-conspirators in treason, making them ineligible for office. I guess Shumer would serve the rest of trump's term........?
IMPEACH, IMPEACH, IMPEACH them all!!! Clear out the House and let the people decide who should lead us forward. I propose that on May 11th, which IS Mother's Day, that we all send out at least 10 postcards to any or all of the above with just one word scrawled across the message area: IMPEACH!!!!!!
And CITIZENS UNITED need to be thrown out with the bath water or we will continue to have politicians that are bought and paid for!
there are many changes to be made in this 250th year of our existence. electoral college,citizens united, gone for starters.
A lot of us have been calling for campaign finance reform and an end to the power and money of lobbyists. Unfortunately, those who write such legislation are addicted to the funds that these both provide, so we get no action. See the problem? It may take an enlightened Supreme Court to hand down a decision on these practices to stop them (note the qualifier 'enlightened').
Good point, Jen. It is only in retrospect that we can know the extent of a crisis, or an emergency. During such times in our personal life, rather than standing around hand-wringing or trying to measure the severity of the crisis, we just handle it. This is what we must do now. It will be up to the future to determine if we did it well or not.
“The government is asserting a right to stash away residents of this country in foreign prisons without the semblance of due process that is the foundation of our constitutional order.” Yes it is. Because due process for each potential deportee takes time. Trump can’t deport millions of immigrants if he has to hold a hearing for each and every one of them. He’ll be lucky to be able to deport thousands. Another one of his promises will fall apart. He didn’t fix grocery prices. His tariffs didn’t make the economy great again. He didn’t end the war in Ukraine with a phone call. He isn’t making government more efficient. He isn’t deporting millions of immigrant “criminals”. He isn’t getting any of that done. But wait, there is one thing. He’s destroying democracy. So there’s that.
Horribly true… and people still believe his lies!
bankrupt 6 times......
The Grotesque Slob even faked a photograph showing Garcia with "MS-13" superimposed on his knuckles. I can't even imagine who that bit of Stalinist thuggery was meant to fool.
On Easter, the Mango Malfeasance tried to send out a 'Happy Easter' message, but within a few short words, it turned it into another screaming, shrieking rant about "sleepy Joe Biden." Only a truly psychotic, 3-year-old lunatic constantly in the middle of a sugar tantrum could do that.
When are Republicans going to start projectile vomiting?
Republicans slop up his projectile vomit! True spineless, feckless, sycophantic, traitorist parasites!!!!
I may not be in a Trump gulag, but I already feel like I'm a prisoner in Trump's new authoritarian rule. No one is free; no one is safe.
That is why we need to protest like crazy while we still have a leg to stand on!
I wish that I in addition to “Like” there was an “Agree” button. To my knowledge, I haven’t committed any law infractions. I’m a citizen, yet I still feel the fear and a need to look over my shoulder. Logic can be difficult to hang onto.
I use the 💯 for agree. Like agree 💯 percent
"Let’s try this: Trump has undertaken an autocratic coup, dropping the pretense he is bound by law or obligated to act in the country’s best interest. He thinks he is a dictator (not just for a day, but for all the days since taking office), and he is trying his best to act like one."
YES!
Thank you, Ms. Rubin, for giving sober expression to the voices screaming in my head.
Jennifer,
A great call to action. While Trump is replaying his old tactics from the Central Park Five days, and enabling his entire MAGA government to jump into the mud with him, WE, the 70% or so Americans who do not see this country as a "failed state" need to go on STRIKE, literally, until the craziness stops. Could anyone really have imagined Trump would create false evidence to justify his paranoid rants on Truth Social?
We owe it not only to our fellow Americans but to our fellow world citizens. A truly sick, angry, delusional person has been given the reigns of power in world's most powerful country. He must be stopped.
american voters must be educated....main job of the DNC
I agree completely that we are in a constitutional crisis, but since the Repugnants in Congress aren't willing to do ANYTHING to stop it, and the courts have limits on what they can do, what's left to us, the average, intelligent, concerned citizen to do? Voting the Congressional clowns out is a great first step, but that can't happen until NEXT year. And at this point, we can't even be certain that Felon47 will "allow" us to have an election. He's still got a lot of time to make things even worse for the country, if not the world. A 1776-style revolt may be our only way out of this mess.
Nonviolent public gatherings, boycotts, and srikes are the most effective tools in our toolbox. A modern day dumping of tea in Boston harbor. Eventually the politicians will follow our lead.
Think how long it took to turn the bulk of the country against the Viet Nam war! I have been to four protests recently and I see many more down the road. Thankfully some of the politicians are speaking out and gaining in popularity. Trouble is we are doing it all peacefully and I’m not sure the Trump admin won’t get violent against the protesters. Still I am willing to risk it. If that happened it would change a lot of people’s minds to be against Trump quickly…. Like Kent State. Let’s hope that doesn’t have to happen!!!keep it peaceful people!! Trumpism is a deadly disease. If they were smart they wouldn’t follow a right wing dictator because when the progressives get in the channels will be open for an extreme left wing takeover. Extremism is just plain bad. Hoping for centrist common sense to prevail.
Can you get this printed in every newspaper, put on billboards, hold a press conference? Would you allow your words to be used by activists to spread them where they need to be heard? This is a battle cry for us to listen up, speak out, and bring it home!
I had the same thought. Is is on FB, Instagram, Tic Toc? It should be everywhere!
Thank you! The Contrarian is giving us "trumpets and bolts of fire."