SCOTUS, SOTU

Ever wonder why Kamikaze pilots bothered to wear helmets?

SCOTUS votes 9-0 to deny Colorado’s right to ban Trump from ballot.

Great news?  Hold on.

The verdict was expected for the most part after the oral arguments at the court in the case Trump vs. Anderson, where Trump was appealing the Supreme Court of Colorado's decision to bar him from the ballot. Even the libs (Kagan, Sotomayer, Katanji-Brown) asked damning questions.  The Colorado Court did so based on section three of the 14th Amendment, which is the post Civil War amendment stating that someone who was engaged in insurrection can be disqualified from serving as a federal officer. Now the US Supreme Court in a per curiam opinion, which means it's unsigned today, said the states cannot do this.

"We conclude that states may disqualify persons holding or attempting to hold state office. But states have no power under the Constitution to enforce Section 3 with respect to federal offices, especially the presidency," the unsigned opinion for the court stated.

Only Congress through implementing legislation can bar a federal candidate for office. States can bar state candidates for state office, but not federal officers. The argument states, "…the result of different states eliminating candidates based on different criteria in each state could well be that a single candidate would be declared ineligible in some states but not others based on the same conduct. The patchwork that would likely result from state enforcement would sever the direct link the framers found so critical between the national government and the people of the United States as a whole.”

So, what’s the problem?  Good as far as it went but not far enough.

While the Court ruled that Colorado could not do what it did, which is bar Trump from the ballot on the grounds on insurrection (with which, incidentally, he has NOT been charged), it did not rule whether federal legislation is the only way a candidate can be banned from a federal election.  On this matter, the Judges were split on partisan lines with wimp Coney-Barret opting out.  

Result – the door is open for other states to try the same gambit.  Meaning more legal entanglements, ugly press and money down the drain for Trump.

Pretty sure I was wrong on Mitch McConnell.

His job was to get something done for the country.  Not rubber stamp Trump.  Although I hated it when he jumped on the January 6th bandwagon, he did a highly commendable job of getting a lot of conservative Judicial appointments through.  234 judges, 55 circuit court nominees and three SCOTUS appointees.  Some say this was Trump’s greatest achievement – stopping the total conversion of our courts to liberal bias. 

Mitch also gets big kudos for blocking Merrick Garland in the closing days of Obama.  Based on Garland’s record as AG that was worth its weight in gold.

Another thing I must give him.  He believes in our institutions and the Senate in particular.  Even if he did make a few sheckles on the side by bedding the daughter of a Chicom shipping magnate.  And he said he’ll support Trump.

And as one pundit said, “you can’t get ideological purity in a leader.” 

Thanks to the Grim Reaper after all.

Benevolent Dictatorship is the Best Form of Governance.

Always has been, always will be.  Tough to come by but it works.

Been reading (listening) about Hungary.  Might be an interesting experiment in government going on there, where Viktor Obran has been in power since 2010 as Prime Minister (second stint)

Here is an excerpt from an interview with Hungary's Political Director on Gerry Baker’s Free Expression podcast.

"I think Hungary represents a threat not on democracy, but on liberal policies. And this is true because since 2010, our government has dedicated all its efforts to build up a national conservative alternative of liberal progressive Western governments, and we are very successful on that. Our family policy is working. The GDP of Hungary tripled, the taxes went down, the unemployment rate went down, the number of marriages went up, number of divorces went down. So all the social and economic factors show that it's possible to have a dedicated, clear-cut, conservative government with conservative policies introduced and the country can be successful. And this is a real threat on liberal progressive values because all their bad decisions can be questioned on that basis. This is why they have to go against Hungary and their toolkit is the usual toolkit. They use all the accusations against Hungary, what they use against all the conservative forces. Here in United States, Donald Trump and his people are authoritarian people according to the liberal media, same in Italy, same in Poland, same in France, same in Germany, and the usual toolkit against Hungary. The only exception is, or the only difference is that Hungary, this conservative government is for a long time in power and supported by the big majority of the Hungarian people. So the accusations against Hungary are not just false, but also undemocratic in that sense."

While it’s true that Libs in Western Europe argue the approach has been authoritarian.  And the PM has decided its better to interact with Putin (maybe you would too, if he lived next door).  Nonetheless, his policies seem to be making vital headway that we can’t seem to.

Like I said, Benevolent Dictatorship works best.

Now here’s an all too familiar DICHOTOMY.

Almost every week brings us new examples of the profound contrast between Conservatives and Liberals, between real leaders and the confused old man.

"The University of Florida is terminating all DEI positions and administrative appointments in compliance with state law, according to a memo it sent Friday."

Thank you, Ron DeSantis.

A new meaning to State of the Union

And I always thought the SOTU was supposed to be a sort of Report Card followed by a Blueprint for the future.  How silly!

When a sitting President has accomplished absolutely nothing and has absolutely no plans for improving the country or bettering the lives of American citizens, there’s only one alternative.  Trash your opponent.  Worst President of all time just gave the Worst State of the Union address of all time.  How fitting!