Aaron Bachmann
@aaronbachmann.bsky.social
History teacher, recovering attorney, and appreciator of the Oxford comma. CLE and UVA sports.
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
these clowns are REALLY going to say that Texas’s map - which targeted majority minority districts - was NOT discrimination on the basis of race.
But they’ll say Louisiana’s map - drawn to comply with the Voting Rights Act and give Black voters representation- DID discriminate on the basis of race
But they’ll say Louisiana’s map - drawn to comply with the Voting Rights Act and give Black voters representation- DID discriminate on the basis of race
December 4, 2025 at 11:45 PM
these clowns are REALLY going to say that Texas’s map - which targeted majority minority districts - was NOT discrimination on the basis of race.
But they’ll say Louisiana’s map - drawn to comply with the Voting Rights Act and give Black voters representation- DID discriminate on the basis of race
But they’ll say Louisiana’s map - drawn to comply with the Voting Rights Act and give Black voters representation- DID discriminate on the basis of race
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
Texas & DOJ said that’s what was going on!
So apparently the way to stop discriminating on the basis of race is to … allow some discrimination on the basis of race when it’s to secure Republicans electoral advantage.
Just lawless partisan hackery. No fact finding deference. No legal basis.
So apparently the way to stop discriminating on the basis of race is to … allow some discrimination on the basis of race when it’s to secure Republicans electoral advantage.
Just lawless partisan hackery. No fact finding deference. No legal basis.
December 4, 2025 at 11:31 PM
Texas & DOJ said that’s what was going on!
So apparently the way to stop discriminating on the basis of race is to … allow some discrimination on the basis of race when it’s to secure Republicans electoral advantage.
Just lawless partisan hackery. No fact finding deference. No legal basis.
So apparently the way to stop discriminating on the basis of race is to … allow some discrimination on the basis of race when it’s to secure Republicans electoral advantage.
Just lawless partisan hackery. No fact finding deference. No legal basis.
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
just an utter joke of a court.
December 4, 2025 at 11:22 PM
just an utter joke of a court.
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
^ Also note the California mention!
December 4, 2025 at 11:19 PM
^ Also note the California mention!
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
Alito's (brief) concurrence says the "impetus" for the Texas map was "partisan."
This is a response to the lower court that struck down the map, saying there's evidence of racial impetus. A big evidence was that the DOJ wrote to Texas explicitly saying they should redistrict for racial reasons.
This is a response to the lower court that struck down the map, saying there's evidence of racial impetus. A big evidence was that the DOJ wrote to Texas explicitly saying they should redistrict for racial reasons.
December 4, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Alito's (brief) concurrence says the "impetus" for the Texas map was "partisan."
This is a response to the lower court that struck down the map, saying there's evidence of racial impetus. A big evidence was that the DOJ wrote to Texas explicitly saying they should redistrict for racial reasons.
This is a response to the lower court that struck down the map, saying there's evidence of racial impetus. A big evidence was that the DOJ wrote to Texas explicitly saying they should redistrict for racial reasons.
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
"Purcell" is not mentioned, but the majority writes that the court "improperly inserted itself" in an "active" campaign.
The map passed with just weeks to go before the filing deadline!
Basically SCOTUS is saying that means there's no judicial review possible.
The map passed with just weeks to go before the filing deadline!
Basically SCOTUS is saying that means there's no judicial review possible.
December 4, 2025 at 11:12 PM
"Purcell" is not mentioned, but the majority writes that the court "improperly inserted itself" in an "active" campaign.
The map passed with just weeks to go before the filing deadline!
Basically SCOTUS is saying that means there's no judicial review possible.
The map passed with just weeks to go before the filing deadline!
Basically SCOTUS is saying that means there's no judicial review possible.
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
Link to all that by @stevevladeck.bsky.social: bsky.app/profile/stev...
December 4, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Link to all that by @stevevladeck.bsky.social: bsky.app/profile/stev...
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
SCOTUS conservatives just blessed the Texas GOP's gerrymander. It'll be used next year.
They stay the lower-court ruling, written by a Trump-appointed judge, that found the gerrymander to be illegal.
While no clear vote, Alito wrote a concurrence; and only the three liberal justices dissented.
They stay the lower-court ruling, written by a Trump-appointed judge, that found the gerrymander to be illegal.
While no clear vote, Alito wrote a concurrence; and only the three liberal justices dissented.
December 4, 2025 at 11:08 PM
SCOTUS conservatives just blessed the Texas GOP's gerrymander. It'll be used next year.
They stay the lower-court ruling, written by a Trump-appointed judge, that found the gerrymander to be illegal.
While no clear vote, Alito wrote a concurrence; and only the three liberal justices dissented.
They stay the lower-court ruling, written by a Trump-appointed judge, that found the gerrymander to be illegal.
While no clear vote, Alito wrote a concurrence; and only the three liberal justices dissented.
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
![Comic. Panels up to the 10-year point are grayed out. New panels since the Ten Years comic, which chronicles the first ten years of PERSON 1's journey with cancer: (1) [two people in bed] PERSON 1 (woman): One more chapter? PERSON 2 (man): Don’t we both have to get up early? PERSON 1: Nnnnnggggh PERSON 2: Sure, good point. (2) [many people wearing masks, walking while looking at graphs on their phones] (3) [birds landing on people] PERSON 2 in beanie and scarf: Hah! They like *my* seeds best. PERSON 1 in scarf holding phone with a bird sitting on it: Wait, how do I take a picture of this one? (4) [two people rowing boats with tree landscape] (5) [Person 1 carries overflowing stack of things to Person 2 in bed] PERSON 1: I brought you honey lemon tea, more pillows, a cinnamon roll, Tylenol, another blanket, a– PERSON 2: It was just Appendicitis, I’m really– PERSON 1: *It is my turn to take care of you and I am going to do it right!* (6) [Two people in car] (7) [still in car) PERSON 1: Oh my god. PERSON 2: Oh my god. (8) [car driving] PERSON 1: Pull over! PERSON 2: I am! (9) [both people get out of car] (10) [Large colored panel of aurora borealis over water with both people looking on] (11) [Person 1 sits against tree while Person 2 lies on the ground] PERSON 1: Fifteen years. No sign of the cancer. (12) I *am* having some weird symptoms. Joint pain. Fatigue. I think I’m losing my close-up vision. PERSON 2: Yeah. Me too. (13) PERSON 2: I think we’re getting old. (14) PERSON 1: I guess that’s okay. PERSON 2: It’s all I wanted.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreihwhjblp5lyiwp63ouar7ocfea7evmckytoeo7rkfuoo4gw5rnrra@jpeg)
November 26, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
This is spot-on.
The UVA "deal" might be the worst/most dangerous (so far). With the help of UVA's leadership, Trump coerced a leading U.S. university to foreswear all efforts (including 100% lawful measures) to achieve diversity.
A betrayal of our values.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The UVA "deal" might be the worst/most dangerous (so far). With the help of UVA's leadership, Trump coerced a leading U.S. university to foreswear all efforts (including 100% lawful measures) to achieve diversity.
A betrayal of our values.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The University of Virginia and Cornell deals with Trump set a dangerous precedent | Serena Mayeri and Amanda Shanor
The bespoke agreements are full of peril for the universities, allowing the federal government to quietly exert control
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:20 AM
This is spot-on.
The UVA "deal" might be the worst/most dangerous (so far). With the help of UVA's leadership, Trump coerced a leading U.S. university to foreswear all efforts (including 100% lawful measures) to achieve diversity.
A betrayal of our values.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The UVA "deal" might be the worst/most dangerous (so far). With the help of UVA's leadership, Trump coerced a leading U.S. university to foreswear all efforts (including 100% lawful measures) to achieve diversity.
A betrayal of our values.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
Fascistic. Only way to describe it.
this defies parody. also helps explain why Sec Bessent bizarrely blamed immigrants when confronted with a question about high beef prices
November 21, 2025 at 3:04 AM
Fascistic. Only way to describe it.
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
John Roberts legalized sports gambling; let $ pour into politcs; gutted VRA & administrative state; eliminated the right to abortion; gave complete immunity to Trump
"[Roberts] has never copped to the fact that he was enabling corruption, theft, or autocracy"
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
"[Roberts] has never copped to the fact that he was enabling corruption, theft, or autocracy"
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
As Trump plans to steal $230 million from taxpayers, we can thank John Roberts
Shall we call it a "Roberts reward"?
www.motherjones.com
October 24, 2025 at 12:30 PM
John Roberts legalized sports gambling; let $ pour into politcs; gutted VRA & administrative state; eliminated the right to abortion; gave complete immunity to Trump
"[Roberts] has never copped to the fact that he was enabling corruption, theft, or autocracy"
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
"[Roberts] has never copped to the fact that he was enabling corruption, theft, or autocracy"
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
Can’t believe the whole country has to suffer through the return of Dickensian childhood diseases because the worst, most ignorant attention-demanders decided other people’s expertise makes them feel bad
November 20, 2025 at 4:19 AM
Can’t believe the whole country has to suffer through the return of Dickensian childhood diseases because the worst, most ignorant attention-demanders decided other people’s expertise makes them feel bad
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
This opinion makes it very clear that Trump's Justice Department screwed up badly here. Texas could've just drawn a partisan gerrymander and gotten away with it. Instead, the Justice Department (unnecessarily) injected race into it, directing Texas to draw an unconstitutional *racial* gerrymander.
November 18, 2025 at 6:52 PM
This opinion makes it very clear that Trump's Justice Department screwed up badly here. Texas could've just drawn a partisan gerrymander and gotten away with it. Instead, the Justice Department (unnecessarily) injected race into it, directing Texas to draw an unconstitutional *racial* gerrymander.
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
Note: The court ruled that Texas violated the 14th and 15th Amendments by discriminating on the basis of race when drawing its new Republican gerrymander. So this opinion will not be fatally undermined by the Supreme Court's impending blow to the Voting Rights Act; it has an independent rationale.
November 18, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Note: The court ruled that Texas violated the 14th and 15th Amendments by discriminating on the basis of race when drawing its new Republican gerrymander. So this opinion will not be fatally undermined by the Supreme Court's impending blow to the Voting Rights Act; it has an independent rationale.
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
Here is the federal district court's 2–1 ruling, authored by a very conservative Trump appointee, striking down Texas' new Republican gerrymander on the grounds that it unlawfully discriminates against racial minorities. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
November 18, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Here is the federal district court's 2–1 ruling, authored by a very conservative Trump appointee, striking down Texas' new Republican gerrymander on the grounds that it unlawfully discriminates against racial minorities. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
even if we luck into this scenario, still wildly important for the next admin to be vindictive and vengeful and bring down the hammer on EVERYONE they possibly can while passing a bunch of democracy-enhancing laws and rebuilding the fed govt or we are frankly fucked & will be back here soon
the absolute best case scenario is trump becomes so unpopular that his own party loses faith in his ability to maintain governing power regardless of election rigging, troop deployment, etc, in which case they will cut him loose and make all that stuff even harder for him to pull off.
November 15, 2025 at 1:51 PM
even if we luck into this scenario, still wildly important for the next admin to be vindictive and vengeful and bring down the hammer on EVERYONE they possibly can while passing a bunch of democracy-enhancing laws and rebuilding the fed govt or we are frankly fucked & will be back here soon
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
1) 'Why I Resigned' from UVa Prez 100% worth reading www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
2) Events were forced by NYT story w leaked info that he was under pressure to resign. UVa prez has 'no idea' where leaks came from (See below.)
3) FWIW same NYT team did leaked "Harvard will cave" stories
2) Events were forced by NYT story w leaked info that he was under pressure to resign. UVa prez has 'no idea' where leaks came from (See below.)
3) FWIW same NYT team did leaked "Harvard will cave" stories
November 14, 2025 at 10:35 PM
1) 'Why I Resigned' from UVa Prez 100% worth reading www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
2) Events were forced by NYT story w leaked info that he was under pressure to resign. UVa prez has 'no idea' where leaks came from (See below.)
3) FWIW same NYT team did leaked "Harvard will cave" stories
2) Events were forced by NYT story w leaked info that he was under pressure to resign. UVa prez has 'no idea' where leaks came from (See below.)
3) FWIW same NYT team did leaked "Harvard will cave" stories
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
A good, democratic purge occurs through free & fair elections that remove all of the ghouls
November 5, 2025 at 11:08 AM
A good, democratic purge occurs through free & fair elections that remove all of the ghouls
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
you love to see it
November 5, 2025 at 11:18 AM
you love to see it
An absolute ass kicking by the VA Dems. You love to see it!
Time to fight fire with fire - election reforms, redistricting, and fix the damage done to my beloved alma mater.
Time to fight fire with fire - election reforms, redistricting, and fix the damage done to my beloved alma mater.
Democrats are on track to win 64 of Virginia's 100 House seats.
That'd be THIRTEEN flips; the chamber is 51/49 right now.
That'd be THIRTEEN flips; the chamber is 51/49 right now.
November 5, 2025 at 5:13 AM
An absolute ass kicking by the VA Dems. You love to see it!
Time to fight fire with fire - election reforms, redistricting, and fix the damage done to my beloved alma mater.
Time to fight fire with fire - election reforms, redistricting, and fix the damage done to my beloved alma mater.
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
Reposted by Aaron Bachmann
There are more of us than there are of them.
November 5, 2025 at 2:31 AM
There are more of us than there are of them.