Press "Enter" to skip to content

Tag: Jamelle Bouie

The GOP’s Rejection of Political Norms

Craig Cheslog Craig Cheslog
September 4, 2022
Leave a Comment

Jamelle Bouie writes in his latest newsletter about the latest examples of the GOP’s rejection of political norms.

One of the recurring points I make in my column is that the Republican Party, from the most junior state lawmaker to senators in Washington, has turned against many of the hallmarks of a functional political system, including a commitment to fairness and following the process. There are almost always new examples of Republican politicians rejecting any result or rule that doesn’t favor their interests, and this week we have two.

A democracy can’t work if one party decides that any loss is illegitimate. This isn’t new: it goes back at least to Newt Gingrich’s takeover of the House Republican Caucus in the 1990s. But understanding this dynamic is the first step in any effort to save our Republic.

Remember Checks and Balances?

Craig Cheslog Craig Cheslog
June 25, 2022
Leave a Comment

While we may be used to giving the Supreme Court an extreme amount of deference, that isn’t how our system of government is supposed to work.

Remember how essential checks and balances are supposed to be in our Constitutional framework? The Washington Post’s Jamelle Bouie explains that the other two branches of our federal government are not powerless to respond to a radicalized Supreme Court doing the Federalist Society’s business:

It can impeach and remove justices. It can increase or decrease the size of the court itself (at its inception, the Supreme Court had only six members). It can strip the court of its jurisdiction over certain issues or it can weaken its power of judicial review by requiring a supermajority of justices to sign off on any decision that overturns a law. Congress can also rebuke the court with legislation that simply cancels the decision in question.

In the face of a reckless, reactionary and power-hungry court, Congress has options. The problem is politics.

That’s spot on. Democrats have shown little appetite to fight the battle in front of them.