General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSome thoughts, one unpleasant to some.
Now that we have apparent control of the Federal Government again, we should play like republicans, use any tool available to us to get our way, and be bloodthirsty MFs in doing so.
Justice Stephen Breyer should retire as soon as Schumer become Senate Majority Leader and we should induce him to do so if he is hesitant. We need a much younger, healthy progressive Justice in his seat. Ageism, yes, fuck it, this situation is war. We need to start reshaping the Courts NOW and we have ostensibly two years to do it, but, we never know what Democratic Senator may vacate office, so we need to shape the Courts with younger, healthy progressives ASAP. Sorry Merrick Garland, you were screwed by McConnell, but you are too old and need to be passed over for a much younger person. We should see whether we can nudge Roberts into retiring, I believe he sees the risk and may be open to being replaced under Biden. We should hope every day that Thomas and/or Alito have to quit for whatever reason, use your own imagination.
There are at least 45 vacancies in lower Federal Courts. We need to fill them forthwith and not only that, pressure old lower Court Justices that are over 70 to retire, even some that are sane conservatives and dont want to see a Trump clone replace them down the line.
On social policy, we need to push to the very limit that a Joe Manchin will allow and massage him to the left, he is a morally decent man, I believe he realizes the urgency of the coming months. Get every fucking liberal dream policy in place that we can, screw what republicans think. Do the policy so that it will withstand Constitutional challenges.
We cant sit back and say we have 2022. We have a lot of old Senators, we need to make haste as soon as the Georgia Senators are seated. We can plan for 2022, but the future is NOW!!!!!

Thekaspervote
(35,177 posts)Laelth
(32,017 posts)-Laelth
The Velveteen Ocelot
(122,689 posts)He has a lifetime appointment and he doesn't have to retire if he doesn't want to. What would the "inducement" be? Do you want it to be as dodgy as Anthony Kennedy's retirement? https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/06/donald-trump-justice-anthony-kennedy-retirement
Hermit-The-Prog
(36,631 posts)lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)If he needs a job, offer him something nice (Federal or private sector).
Meowmee
(6,868 posts)That was my first thought last night, the courts and everything else.
Autumn
(47,186 posts)lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)

Blue_true
(31,261 posts)I am now past sixty, I would not run for an important public office, and if I had the required legal training and experience, would not serve as a Judge past my 70th birthday.
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)Nothing personal.
Stallion
(6,615 posts)if we are going to be be held hostage we might as well spend money on something of value and ween West Virginia off their coal industry
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)Georgia is now a purple state because of economic development around its largest cities and Athens. The bluest parts of my state of Florida have big time economic growth going on.
What we should do is push or improve hi speed commuter rail all across Virginia and deep into West Virginia. The government should build state of the art broadband into those areas That would allow educated people to stay and live in those areas, while having access to high paying jobs. We will lose some of those educated people to rightwing lunacy, but my argument is that we retain a large enough number of them to win elections consistently.
West Virginia is a beautiful state, it can support environmental tourism easily, city people getting away for a few days to B&Bs, Inns and conference centers that support their every need, while supplying business opportunities and jobs to locals, and tax revenue to local governments. The climate there is well suited for growing high profit margin produce.
We would need to care economically for miners that are too sick to work, or two old to make retraining practical.
All of the items that I pointed out can also be done and must be done in inner cities, with some changes that are unique to inner cities (like restoring and again using cultural places like old bars, music venues, old theaters, old restaurants, ect. Give business people opportunities, while developing jobs for locals and tax revenue for local governments.
Stallion
(6,615 posts)I kind of analogize it to Detroit. We used the automobile industry to build America and when the industry was no longer sustainable at the same level then an attempt should be made to help that city to transition its economy. Same with coal from Appalachia which fueled the country's economy for generations but now is economically no longer viable
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)He was the Auditor for the city. Once he won the Mayors job, he focused on tearing down abandoned houses that could not be fixed and fixing the ones that could be, so that people that needed homes could move in. He also recruited young hi-tech people and offered them free space in the abandoned office and industrial buildings. As a result, Detroit is well on its way back, in fact, a while back one DU person who lived in or near there says that it has a pretty vibrant economy now.
Vogon_Glory
(9,671 posts)We Democrats really need to play more hardball. I loved Obamas presidency, but one of the few things I fault him for was that he was too nice. He acted like a gentleman and assumed that the Rethuglies would play by the rules. As we know all too well, they didnt.
Put in younger liberal and moderate jurists. Investigate, indict and prosecute corrupt Republican pols and PACs. Bust up right-wing hate organizations and spotlight so-called mainstream Republican politicians ties to these outfits.
3catwoman3
(26,064 posts)...this mortal coil anytime.