SUPREME COURT JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG HAS DIED.
THIS HAS ENORMOUS IMPLICATIONS.
MORE LATER
UPDATE:
Who says the almighty doesn't have a sense of humor?
Could you have created a more Hollywood script then the blocking of Judge Merrick Garland in the last months of the Obama Administration only to have RBG die in the last months of the first term of the Trump Presidency?
Here is what we know: The Republicans drew a bright line in the sand when they blocked Judge Garland's nomination to the Supreme Court. They do not believe Supreme Court Judges should be approved when there is a pending presidential election....unless the Judge who dies was appointed by a Democrat AND there is a Republican president. THEN the analysis is that you cannot have a 4-4 court heading into an election that could be contested. Under those circumstances the Republican President should nominate a replacement and the senate should quickly confirm him or her. Anyone have Judge Francis's phone number? Barbara Lagoa is brushing off her financial disclosure forms.
The Democrats know that they cannot stop a nominee being appointed in the face of a united Republican front. Senator Lindsey Graham (Rep. Kiss ass) is denying the video recording of him saying during the Garland fiasco four years ago that he would never approve a republican nominee in similar circumstances in the next administration.
There are mumblings that the Constitution does not set the number of Judges required for the Supreme Court. They could pack the Court in the Biden administration- appointing three or four judges to tilt the balance of the Court. Query- where would the new justices sit? Would they put up a tent in the back with AC for their chambers? Would they have to build an annex?
There are even more rough times ahead for our struggling democracy. This we are sure of. Many scenarios show that president Trump could win the popular vote on election day only to lose valuable states needed for an electoral college win when the mail-in votes are counted. That could send the Trump supporters (a/k/a white supremacists) into the streets. If you think we had social unrest before when a bunch of aging out of shape white lawyers were marching and shouting "black lives matter" wait until these jack-booted paramilitary thugs take to the streets at the urging of the president on Twitter.
Yes dear readers, the almighty has a sense of humor. Our democracy is going to be tested like never before. And personally, we put the odds at 50/50 we survive. No guarantees here.
Stay safe.