Eric Blair
@protecttruth.bsky.social
28K followers 1.5K following 4.7K posts
Status Quo Politics is holding us back. Who will call for a big fight, and big change? The status quo cannot hold. SCOTUS delenda est
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Why push for impeachment?

Because politics is an exercise in moving public opinion as much as counting votes in the senate.

The Jan 6 Hearings were not a criminal proceeding against Trump that would end in jail, but they focused public attention.

Performative public investigations matter
It follows that #NoKings means #NoUnitaryExecutive
To be fair, the Supreme Court has also played a huge role in taking powers from Congress and handing them to a wanna-be king in the White House.

(Unitary Executive Theory = President Is A King Theory)
The Republicans have in effect shut down the legislative branch of the U.S. government and handed those powers to the dictator in the White House. No one cleared this with the American people.
Thank you, Anne.
I have spent 5+ years preaching these ideas from Hal. I wish people had listened earlier. All best to you - your husband seemed like a good man.
The thing is that Schumer and Jeffries are much more the people in control than anyone at the DNC.

Them and the donors (thanks, Cit U and the Supreme Court.)
Reposted by Eric Blair
A short discussion on court reform:

Updating how SCOTUS is configured would be one of the most impactful reforms ever.
I have advocated limited 5-7 year terms with members being randomly drawn from the Appellate pool (of around 200) to which they return upon completion of their term. /1
Yes. And notably, FDR, to see the New Deal through, had to effectively destroy the Supreme Court majority.

The Lochner-era Court killed the beginnings of the New Deal (the National Recovery Admin, for ex) and FDR had to threaten to expand the Court to bring it to heel and do the New Deal.
1/2
In fact, one gets the sense that FDR encountered his greatest resistance when the oligarchy realized he was quite serious about seeing the New Deal thru. That’s when the vitriol comes out most, ca. 1936, not in 1932 or immediately thereafter. Obama dodged get that fight, intentionally and tragically
In actuality the problem is that the media was not harsh ENOUGH on Romney. The man was a serial, compulsive liar. (He had to be to run as a Republican.) What hurt Romney wasn’t his lying it was being an out of touch plutocrat.

If the media had dwelled on his lies, we might be less post-truth today.
The media smeared Mitt Romney as Hitler. Then Republicans thought, well we might as well run Hitler.
Do we have to do this really
ah, to be explicit:

IMO the biggest tool in the Corrupt Roberts Court toolchest is separation of powers jurisprudence. That's Chevron, it's Seila Law, it's the made-up Questions Doctrine, it's overturning Humphrey's Executor. It's 'unitary executive' theory.

And we must beat it by Court reform.
some have said that Blair-Obama liberalism meant a kind of elite disengagement from politics, where centrist-liberals felt like they didn't have to speak to anyone, didn't have to process criticism, didn't have to convince anyone outside the room.

Yes
"destroyed by being criticized"

(In a way they had to hear)
"In 1935, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously declared that the NRA law was unconstitutional, ruling that it infringed the separation of powers under the United States Constitution."

Lol John Roberts, those are footsteps you hear. Your terrible Court is heading for reform.
cc @rauchway.bsky.social
National Recovery Administration - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Yes. And notably, FDR, to see the New Deal through, had to effectively destroy the Supreme Court majority.

The Lochner-era Court killed the beginnings of the New Deal (the National Recovery Admin, for ex) and FDR had to threaten to expand the Court to bring it to heel and do the New Deal.
1/2
In fact, one gets the sense that FDR encountered his greatest resistance when the oligarchy realized he was quite serious about seeing the New Deal thru. That’s when the vitriol comes out most, ca. 1936, not in 1932 or immediately thereafter. Obama dodged get that fight, intentionally and tragically
“a city you can afford.” It’s his second sentence!
Also the WaPo Metro section got Youngkin elected—meaningfully changing a whole arc of our politics—and they deserve to be abandoned. I’ll never get over that.

Months after Youngkin’s election, once people learned about his actual policies, he became toxically unpopular. WaPo failed at their job
true. Note story is from July. And it’s print circ not digital (which is also collapsing).
He has a different mission than we do.
Was Col Allan proud of his tenure at the NY Post? Roger Ailes at Fox? Ruddy or Rees Mogg at Newsmax?

These guys are happy destroying things to get what they want (propaganda). right?
Reposted by Eric Blair
I couldn’t disagree more.

Mamdani first says democracy v oligarchy. Second, he ties it to affordability and cost of living. He connects the two ideas! Like @jenancona.bsky.social has been saying.

Anyone can do this. And it’s not just NYC. We are seeing how it works in Maine too.
I’m a huge fan of the Mamdani campaign but this does not prove or disprove that democracy vs oligarchy is a compelling frame. First, econ populists will say Mamdani has a relentless, authentic focus on cost of living. Second, Dems need to compete with very different electorates than in NYC.
The first thing he talks about is democracy vs. oligarchy.

Tell us again that running on democracy is unpopular, quantbrain Dem consultants. Tell us how it “doesn’t work” and how it tests poorly.
In twelve days, New Yorkers will begin to cast their ballots and face a stark choice.

A choice between democracy and oligarchy. Between a city you can afford or more of the same. Between the hope of a brighter future or a broken past.

We will choose the future.
Zohran on stage at the rally.
Reposted by Eric Blair
No legal institution is going to hold Trump accountable for his crimes w/o enough political motivation to do so. That motivation can come only from the Dems, and only after they have abandoned the old “norms and institutions” view of justice. The Dems must embrace a growing desire for retribution.