Friday 28 April 2023

Blog Notes:

Galloping Imposition of Authoritarianism in Florida

• Death Penalty.  Florida had to be forced by a 2016 Supreme Court decision and another decision by the Florida Supreme Court to implement a requirement for unanimous agreement on the death penalty by jurors in a capital felony case.  De Santis has now signed a law allowing juries to recommend a death sentence with only an 8-4 vote.  This would make Florida the most extreme death penalty state.  https://www.flcourier.com/commentaries/florida-law-eliminating-unanimity-for-death-penalty-problematic-in-many-ways/article_4048df76-e5dd-11ed-ad77-1f260d577b09.html
• DeSantis entered office at the same time as three liberal justices on the Florida Supreme court were forced to retire due to age.  DeSantis appointed three new justices, two of whom were then appointed to a federal appellate court by Trump.  De Santis appointed two more.  The Tampa Bay Times has called it “the most conservative state Supreme Court in America.”  The Florida legislature has begun passing laws it feels certain will be upheld by this court.  https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/03/florida-supreme-court-desantis-republicans-precedent.html
• The Florida legislature has passed a school voucher law which would divert taxpayer money from public to private schools.  This is similar to another bill found unconstitutional by the previous Florida Supreme court.

Right-Wing Take-Over of the Supreme Court

• An article in the Guardian, documents what we all knew, i.e., that the “investigation” undertaken by the FBI of Brett Kavanaugh was a fake, a transparent effort to provide cover for the votes to put the accused rapist on the highest court in the land.  https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/28/brett-kavanaugh-investigation-omissions-senate-sexual-assault-claims
• It should be remembered that Democrat Chris Coons was the architect of this fake FBI investigation which included a narrative created by a Federalist Society member to give the impression that Kavanaugh was the victim (right) of “mistaken identity.”  It should also be remembered that frequent Morning Joe contributor Elise Jordan was one of the establishment hacks who promoted this “mistaken identity” narrative.
• The FBI “investigation” did not even interview Ford.
• On Joy Reid, there was a discussion of Kavanaugh.
• Mentioned were, Kavanaugh’s $700,000 paid off credit card debts, Robert’s wife’s commissions, Gorsuch selling and buying properties.
• Shouldn’t they be investigated for misconduct not just trying to get them to have a code of ethics? 
• Elie Mystal (cheers).  “ethical catastrophie.”  Mystal criticizes the wimpy comments of Senator Mazie Hirono.  Hirono’s comments point out a problem with the Democrats’ reaction to this “ethical Catastrophe” on the Supreme Court.  The Democrats are asking, begging the Supreme Court to implement their own ethical standards.  “Why are we leaving it up to them?”  Says Mystal.  Other comments by Eli
• “What more does the Supreme Court have to do to prove that it is incapable of policing itself?”
• “If you saw the mouse you have ten more in the wall.”  “It’s time to send in the cats.”
• There must be “independent ethics oversight” so that the Court does not have any choice.
• Congress controls Supreme Court funding.   They could probably live without their publicly funded salaries, but they would not like to do without their perks and privileges. 
• Reid: “The conduct of Clarence Thomas is potentially criminal.” But there is not a peep from the Justice Department. 
• Elie: “I do not know what Chris Wray has to not do to get fired.”  What other level of incompetence do we need.  He is the one who covered up the inadequate Kavanaugh investigation.  He was the one who believed the “mistaken identify” nonsense.  “Why does he still have a job.”  “They need to do something, and they won’t.”  “Yes they (Supreme court) are operating above the law because nobody in law enforcement tries to stop them.”  “We should at last try to stop them.”
• “The FBI did a pretend investigation of him (Kavanaugh).”  Joy Reid