Especially lying, felonious shysters who have a lifetime reputation of getting handslaps while constantly crying to be the victim. His self-described "witch hunts" will hopefully get the biggest evil wannabe emperor put in that dungeon where he belongs for the sake of sanity and democracy.
In 2007, poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti wrote the poem "Pity the Nation", inspired by Kahlil Gibran's poem of the same title first published in 1933. Their words remind us that history is cyclical.
Pity the nation whose people are sheep,
and whose shepherds mislead them.
Pity the nation whose leaders are liars, whose sages are silenced,
and whose bigots haunt the airwaves.
Pity the nation that raises not its voice,
except to praise conquerors and acclaim the bully as hero
and aims to rule the world with force and by torture.
Pity the nation that knows no other language but its own
and no other culture but its own.
Pity the nation whose breath is money
and sleeps the sleep of the too well fed.
Pity the nation — oh, pity the people who allow their rights to erode
and their freedoms to be washed away.
My country, tears of thee, sweet land of liberty. ~Lawrence Ferlinghetti
We’re on the edge, and only we can hold donald accountable. We have to get out & vote against donald & for the soul of our country!!! (I refuse to capitalize his name)
Our Founding Fathers would roll over in their graves if they were told that the Justices of the Supreme Court 250 years later ruled that it was their intent not to hold a President criminally accountable for masterminding a scheme to overthrow his duly elected successor under cover of violently storming the Capitol building.
"In December 2023, the Court of Appeals (with judges Gregory G. Katsas, Judith W. Rogers, and Sri Srinivasan presiding) upheld Mehta's ruling that Trump was not immune because Trump was acting "as an office-seeker not office-holder" due to his speech on January 6 being a campaign event, and as such, did not fall within the "outer perimeter" standard established in Nixon v. Fitzgerald (1982)."
I couldn't find any reference to details of action on this case since December. Do any of the participants in this discussion know of anything new?
I think many many Americans have seen the mess that Donald is. There will be too many doubts in their minds for them to check the Donald box in November. Of course we want ALL the court cases to go in favor of Democracy, but we might not need them all. There are more decent people than there are MAGAS. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Spread the word!
WE NEED TO SHOUT IT OUT OR LIKE NORTH DAKOTA WHO ALSO HAS SO FEW CITIZENS WE CITIZENS WHO LIVE WHERE WE HAVE MILLIONS THESE TINY STATES ARE FOR TRUMP AND THEY HAVE AS MANY SENATORS
AS WE IN MILLIONS STATES!
WE DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN PUT DOWN CONTINUALLY PAMMY DO YOU APPROVE AND WANT TO SHUT US DOWN?
So. Writing in ALL CAPS is considered shouting and the only people right here are already on your side. Please I ask again—don’t shout at me! Also I don’t want to be called Pammy. Pamela is my name. Now—on to preserving our democracy!
I am with you Mary. I will fight! I'm bringing my younger friends to register to vote, the 30s crowd. Most of them are busy working 2 jobs and don't follow politics. I have explained the seriousness of this election. They are with us when they see what's at stake. Thank you for your hard work. Your voice is so important, unfortunately/fortunately because you know him better than most. Much love for the hard work 💙💙💙
If the so called Supreme Court find in Trumps favor then it proves their level of corruption and it should be dismantled forever.Defenestration is a nice tradition for dealing with for corruption,.
If the Democrats win the Presidency (please God), the House (very likely), and the Senate (a hard climb), one crucial reform (probably requiring the termination of the Senate filibuster) would be of the judicial system, particularly the Supreme Court. Change lifetime tenure to fifteen years (with perhaps the possibility of a second term to encourage good behavior) and create a permanent Standing Committee in Congress to oversee the ethical behavior of the Court members. The assumption that the Judiciary is apolitical has proven to be preposterous and dangerous.
The legislation should include the repudiation of the Supreme Court's abominable triad: Buckley (1976), Bellotti (1978), and Citizens United (2010) that destroyed more than a century of anti-corruption federal law. Corporations have NO citizens' rights. Implicit (smart) quid-pro-quo is BRIBERY, just as much as explicit (stupid) quid-pro-quo is. Money, beyond modest amounts that will not tempt corrupt behavior, is NOT free speech. Include a reference to the Constitution's Article III, Section 2, Clause 2: "...the Supreme Court shall have appellate jurisdiction, both as to law and fact, with such exceptions, and under such regulations as the Congress shall make.", followed by an instruction to the Court that this legislation is passed outside their jurisdiction.
Justice Thomas should certainly be impeached. Perhaps Justice Alito also.
Is it time for Congress to examine the history of cases impacted by the 1803 Supreme Court decision, Marbury v. Madison, establishing judicial review, to determine whether the boundaries of judicial review need to be refined? Merely the "presumption" of doing do would send a salutary message to the Court.
I agree there should be a limit to their tenure. I fear increasing the number of justices will bite back (as when harry Reid ended the filibuster which led to the travesty of the orange imbecile’s Supreme Court appointments).(which reminds me: no mercy/or respect for the creep McConnell good riddance)
I've seen some interesting back-and-forth on lawyer blogs about term limits. The Constitution is hard to amend, but people trained to look for loopholes have noticed that while a judgeship is for life during good behavior, it might be Constitutional to rotate them back to regular appeals judges after a Supreme Court term. Other lawyers disagree. Any law to make that happen would be reviewed by, guess who.
“Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences, our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging…Personal experiences affect the facts that judges choose to see.”
—-Justice Sonia Sotomayor
I am certain the court took the case to ensure Donald is not held accountable. We need to vote like our lives and the future of the world depend on it. Thank you Mary!
I agree Lisa. While they may not be wholly sympathetic to his position, they have interjected themselves into the timeline to provide a figleaf of cover, via a delay in proceedings. Had they genuinely wanted to offer a legal opinion, they could have done so in the almost 3 weeks it took for them to advise of their intent to take the case! Term limits must surely be considered?
Since they rejected Jack Smith's appeal for a writ of certiorari several months ago, their taking up the case now reveals their clear intent: delay the Jan 6 case so Trump will not go into the Presidential Election with that conviction on his record. Thoroughly corrupt and contemptible.
I've just finished listening to Mary McCord & Andrew Weissman dissect this beyond irrational move, & I couldn't agree more, thoroughly corrupt & contemptible indeed.
I am dreaming of the day when we elect Democrats to the house and senate os that 2/3's of both chambers are under complete control of the Democrats, where we could change the make up of the supreme court and balance the scales by putting 5 democratic judges on the bench. I know it's wishful thinking, but what else can I wish for in these dark times where the court can decide if we stay a republic or are moved into a fascistic nation under Donald, who wants to put down any discontent of Democrats.
I agree with you. S C IS SO DISGRACEFUL THOSE THAT TRUMP AND MCCONNELL PUT FORTH ARE CORRUPT JUST THERE TO DO DJT & PROJECT 2025. WE must TAKE THE HOUSE BACK & SENATE do SOME WORK
The question SCOTUS is addressing is, "Whether and if so to what extent does a former President enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office." What does this have to do with J6? To me, it doesn't look like they'll be specifically looking at J6, but the concept of immunity for 'alleged..official acts' in general. So even if they answered in the affirmative, TFG would still have to prove he was acting in his capacity as POTUS. Of course, the real issue here is the delay this causes. I do wish the media would point out more frequently that if TFG knew he was innocent, he'd want his day in court NOW because of how much that would help him on the campaign trail. His delay, IMO, shows evidence of guilt.
I feel like such a wastoid on a walker. I can't march because my spine is an a*hole. I'm signing every petition pushing back at SCOTUS. I'm sooooo pissed!!
The number of Republicans who did not support Trump in the primaries is intriquing. I'm a registered Republican, and when the primary comes in my State, my write-in candidate will be "Joseph R Biden". Thank you for your service, President Biden! I admire your courage and dedication to serving ALL of the people of our country, being a lightening rod for every criticism imaginable, and contending with mulitple crises (Middle East, Ukraine, border) despite the obstructionist Republicans. Life is a neverending story, but in the end, Joseph Biden will be the winner for his honesty and decency.
Maybe the Court SHOULD find that presidents have absolute immunity. Then, real President Biden could have Seal Team Six remove the six complicit criminals from the bench and put six highly qualified, honest jurists in those seats, yes? Of course, there would also be many other actions that Dark Brandon could take but I don’t care to get a visit from the SS!
Only because of the poisonous Electoral College mechanism inflicted on the American voters. Biden won the popular vote (i.e., he "won the vote") by over seven million votes. There is a mechanism, the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC), an agreement among member states that when their cumulative Electoral Votes comprise a winning majority (currently 270 votes), their Compact will be activated: they pledge their Electoral Votes to the winner of the national popular vote. Their members currently hold 205 Electoral Votes with another 88 votes pending among states that have partly completed the process. It will render the Electoral College moot. Congressional legislation ratifying the NPVIC would provide some protection from a Supreme Court challenge.
There's a Wikipedia article with a list of states that still need to ratify it. If you live in one, or know people in one, odds are they haven't heard about it.
With you. Let’s get through the twilight zone concept that anyone in our country is above the law. We do not elect emperors.
Especially lying, felonious shysters who have a lifetime reputation of getting handslaps while constantly crying to be the victim. His self-described "witch hunts" will hopefully get the biggest evil wannabe emperor put in that dungeon where he belongs for the sake of sanity and democracy.
I did! Thank you
Why!?
Why was this removed?
In 2007, poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti wrote the poem "Pity the Nation", inspired by Kahlil Gibran's poem of the same title first published in 1933. Their words remind us that history is cyclical.
Pity the nation whose people are sheep,
and whose shepherds mislead them.
Pity the nation whose leaders are liars, whose sages are silenced,
and whose bigots haunt the airwaves.
Pity the nation that raises not its voice,
except to praise conquerors and acclaim the bully as hero
and aims to rule the world with force and by torture.
Pity the nation that knows no other language but its own
and no other culture but its own.
Pity the nation whose breath is money
and sleeps the sleep of the too well fed.
Pity the nation — oh, pity the people who allow their rights to erode
and their freedoms to be washed away.
My country, tears of thee, sweet land of liberty. ~Lawrence Ferlinghetti
He foresaw the future… He died at the age of 102. RIP Mr Ferlinghetti 🙌🏼
Thank you Monica for mentioning him and printing the poem, and inspiring me to find and read his obit, and feeling the good in him and that poem.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/23/obituaries/lawrence-ferlinghetti-dead.html
You're welcome. He was an accomplished painter as well.
I had no idea about the painting!
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=307652898994906&set=a.129403920153139
Beautiful poem, beautiful painting!
You also have one of my favorite women's names. My dearly beloved fifth grade teacher was Monica.
Excellent!!
We’re on the edge, and only we can hold donald accountable. We have to get out & vote against donald & for the soul of our country!!! (I refuse to capitalize his name)
Thank you!
Thank you. I needed that.
Our Founding Fathers would roll over in their graves if they were told that the Justices of the Supreme Court 250 years later ruled that it was their intent not to hold a President criminally accountable for masterminding a scheme to overthrow his duly elected successor under cover of violently storming the Capitol building.
One of those founding fathers is my ancestor, and you are right.
You are so right
So true, L.D.Michaels! Let’s all write the media and tell them!
Better yet, write the Supreme Court and tell them what you think of Trump’s immunity claim.
As Daniel Solomon stated they would go into the circular file. He said legally they cannot read them.
I hadn’t heard that.
Bennie Thompson's J6 Civil lawsuit may get some traction and media attention before the election.
Forgot about that one! good one.
Yes! Thanks for the reminder.
Wikipedia had this to say about the case:
"In December 2023, the Court of Appeals (with judges Gregory G. Katsas, Judith W. Rogers, and Sri Srinivasan presiding) upheld Mehta's ruling that Trump was not immune because Trump was acting "as an office-seeker not office-holder" due to his speech on January 6 being a campaign event, and as such, did not fall within the "outer perimeter" standard established in Nixon v. Fitzgerald (1982)."
I couldn't find any reference to details of action on this case since December. Do any of the participants in this discussion know of anything new?
Oh dear. I had hoped this case was progressing, but now I see it is probably mired in the Appeals process. https://naacp.org/articles/naacp-celebrates-historic-victory-lawsuit-against-former-president-trump
Damn straight they will fail. Absolutely. Without a doubt.
I think many many Americans have seen the mess that Donald is. There will be too many doubts in their minds for them to check the Donald box in November. Of course we want ALL the court cases to go in favor of Democracy, but we might not need them all. There are more decent people than there are MAGAS. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Spread the word!
Thank you for that excellent comment, so well said, Pamela.
Thanks!
I wish that were true but the SOUTHERN STATES AND STATES LIKE WYOMING WHO HAVE ONLY 500, 000 CITZENS SEEM TO WANT A CIVIL WAR!
Well Ruthe Mary, no need to shout it out.😄 You’re not wrong. But many things can be true at the same time.
Pammy YOU ARE WRONG!
WE NEED TO SHOUT IT OUT OR LIKE NORTH DAKOTA WHO ALSO HAS SO FEW CITIZENS WE CITIZENS WHO LIVE WHERE WE HAVE MILLIONS THESE TINY STATES ARE FOR TRUMP AND THEY HAVE AS MANY SENATORS
AS WE IN MILLIONS STATES!
WE DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN PUT DOWN CONTINUALLY PAMMY DO YOU APPROVE AND WANT TO SHUT US DOWN?
IF NOT WE GENTLE DEMOCRATS NEED TO
S H O U T IT OUT!
So. Writing in ALL CAPS is considered shouting and the only people right here are already on your side. Please I ask again—don’t shout at me! Also I don’t want to be called Pammy. Pamela is my name. Now—on to preserving our democracy!
I see you become offended about PAMMY YOU SHOULD BE MORE ALARMED ABOUT WE AS DEMOCRATS ARE BEING TREATED LIKE WE DO NOT COUNT AS CITIZENS OF THE USA!
GET YOUR IDEAS TO THE PROBLEM UNDER CONTROL!
Please. Turn off your caps lock key. It’s rude.
It’s also rude to call people by names they have explicitly asked you not to.
Dang you’re stupid!
I am with you Mary. I will fight! I'm bringing my younger friends to register to vote, the 30s crowd. Most of them are busy working 2 jobs and don't follow politics. I have explained the seriousness of this election. They are with us when they see what's at stake. Thank you for your hard work. Your voice is so important, unfortunately/fortunately because you know him better than most. Much love for the hard work 💙💙💙
Thank you for your hard work of encouraging others to vote. 🥰
Oh, no worries! It is imperative that we do all we can. I can't take Mandarin Mussolini getting anywhere near the presidency again!
If the so called Supreme Court find in Trumps favor then it proves their level of corruption and it should be dismantled forever.Defenestration is a nice tradition for dealing with for corruption,.
If the Supreme Court finds Presidents have absolute immunity, so will Biden. He can stay in office until Trump is dead.
If the Democrats win the Presidency (please God), the House (very likely), and the Senate (a hard climb), one crucial reform (probably requiring the termination of the Senate filibuster) would be of the judicial system, particularly the Supreme Court. Change lifetime tenure to fifteen years (with perhaps the possibility of a second term to encourage good behavior) and create a permanent Standing Committee in Congress to oversee the ethical behavior of the Court members. The assumption that the Judiciary is apolitical has proven to be preposterous and dangerous.
The legislation should include the repudiation of the Supreme Court's abominable triad: Buckley (1976), Bellotti (1978), and Citizens United (2010) that destroyed more than a century of anti-corruption federal law. Corporations have NO citizens' rights. Implicit (smart) quid-pro-quo is BRIBERY, just as much as explicit (stupid) quid-pro-quo is. Money, beyond modest amounts that will not tempt corrupt behavior, is NOT free speech. Include a reference to the Constitution's Article III, Section 2, Clause 2: "...the Supreme Court shall have appellate jurisdiction, both as to law and fact, with such exceptions, and under such regulations as the Congress shall make.", followed by an instruction to the Court that this legislation is passed outside their jurisdiction.
Justice Thomas should certainly be impeached. Perhaps Justice Alito also.
Is it time for Congress to examine the history of cases impacted by the 1803 Supreme Court decision, Marbury v. Madison, establishing judicial review, to determine whether the boundaries of judicial review need to be refined? Merely the "presumption" of doing do would send a salutary message to the Court.
I agree there should be a limit to their tenure. I fear increasing the number of justices will bite back (as when harry Reid ended the filibuster which led to the travesty of the orange imbecile’s Supreme Court appointments).(which reminds me: no mercy/or respect for the creep McConnell good riddance)
I've seen some interesting back-and-forth on lawyer blogs about term limits. The Constitution is hard to amend, but people trained to look for loopholes have noticed that while a judgeship is for life during good behavior, it might be Constitutional to rotate them back to regular appeals judges after a Supreme Court term. Other lawyers disagree. Any law to make that happen would be reviewed by, guess who.
“Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences, our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging…Personal experiences affect the facts that judges choose to see.”
—-Justice Sonia Sotomayor
I am certain the court took the case to ensure Donald is not held accountable. We need to vote like our lives and the future of the world depend on it. Thank you Mary!
I agree Lisa. While they may not be wholly sympathetic to his position, they have interjected themselves into the timeline to provide a figleaf of cover, via a delay in proceedings. Had they genuinely wanted to offer a legal opinion, they could have done so in the almost 3 weeks it took for them to advise of their intent to take the case! Term limits must surely be considered?
Since they rejected Jack Smith's appeal for a writ of certiorari several months ago, their taking up the case now reveals their clear intent: delay the Jan 6 case so Trump will not go into the Presidential Election with that conviction on his record. Thoroughly corrupt and contemptible.
I've just finished listening to Mary McCord & Andrew Weissman dissect this beyond irrational move, & I couldn't agree more, thoroughly corrupt & contemptible indeed.
I am dreaming of the day when we elect Democrats to the house and senate os that 2/3's of both chambers are under complete control of the Democrats, where we could change the make up of the supreme court and balance the scales by putting 5 democratic judges on the bench. I know it's wishful thinking, but what else can I wish for in these dark times where the court can decide if we stay a republic or are moved into a fascistic nation under Donald, who wants to put down any discontent of Democrats.
I agree with you. S C IS SO DISGRACEFUL THOSE THAT TRUMP AND MCCONNELL PUT FORTH ARE CORRUPT JUST THERE TO DO DJT & PROJECT 2025. WE must TAKE THE HOUSE BACK & SENATE do SOME WORK
We may not get 2/3s in both chambers, but I think we'll get both chambers this time.
The question SCOTUS is addressing is, "Whether and if so to what extent does a former President enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office." What does this have to do with J6? To me, it doesn't look like they'll be specifically looking at J6, but the concept of immunity for 'alleged..official acts' in general. So even if they answered in the affirmative, TFG would still have to prove he was acting in his capacity as POTUS. Of course, the real issue here is the delay this causes. I do wish the media would point out more frequently that if TFG knew he was innocent, he'd want his day in court NOW because of how much that would help him on the campaign trail. His delay, IMO, shows evidence of guilt.
Absolutely ready to fight. We need to buck up and get busy.
I feel like such a wastoid on a walker. I can't march because my spine is an a*hole. I'm signing every petition pushing back at SCOTUS. I'm sooooo pissed!!
Not a wastoid! You’ve got brain power and a means to communicate. Hang in there.
The number of Republicans who did not support Trump in the primaries is intriquing. I'm a registered Republican, and when the primary comes in my State, my write-in candidate will be "Joseph R Biden". Thank you for your service, President Biden! I admire your courage and dedication to serving ALL of the people of our country, being a lightening rod for every criticism imaginable, and contending with mulitple crises (Middle East, Ukraine, border) despite the obstructionist Republicans. Life is a neverending story, but in the end, Joseph Biden will be the winner for his honesty and decency.
Maybe the Court SHOULD find that presidents have absolute immunity. Then, real President Biden could have Seal Team Six remove the six complicit criminals from the bench and put six highly qualified, honest jurists in those seats, yes? Of course, there would also be many other actions that Dark Brandon could take but I don’t care to get a visit from the SS!
YES!!! You make an excellent point, which is why I don't think the Court will make such a finding, or anything close.
Thank you, Mary, for your optimism. 💙
I am still nervous given that the 2020 Electoral College vote was won by Biden by less than 43,000 votes.
This SCOTUS decision unnerves me even more.
"won by Biden by less than 43,000 votes"
Only because of the poisonous Electoral College mechanism inflicted on the American voters. Biden won the popular vote (i.e., he "won the vote") by over seven million votes. There is a mechanism, the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC), an agreement among member states that when their cumulative Electoral Votes comprise a winning majority (currently 270 votes), their Compact will be activated: they pledge their Electoral Votes to the winner of the national popular vote. Their members currently hold 205 Electoral Votes with another 88 votes pending among states that have partly completed the process. It will render the Electoral College moot. Congressional legislation ratifying the NPVIC would provide some protection from a Supreme Court challenge.
There's a Wikipedia article with a list of states that still need to ratify it. If you live in one, or know people in one, odds are they haven't heard about it.
Thank You for your tireless work Mary! We are with you and support You!