Random News and Notes 13 August
The Supreme Court argument schedule for the fall term has been released. After a quick perusal, the only cases that I have any interest in are Louisiana v Callais and Bost v Illinois Board of Elections.
Callais is the redistricting case that was set for re-argument at the end of last term. It will decide whether the racial quota sections of the Voting Rights Act runs afoul of the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause. I expect some sort of baby-splitting in that decision.
Bost v Illinois will decide a question about standing. Pretty dry subject normally, but this case hinges on whether or not a candidate can sue to correct perceived wrongs in election law. I offer no predictions about this case, as I only have a superficial knowledge of the case and the underpinning law.
I covered the Texas Dems walking out to prevent a quorum recently. It seems they folded. Reports indicate the runaway legislators will appear in the Texas house for the special session in the coming days.
The walkout was always theater. What’s worse is the D’s knew it was theater. Under no circumstances could they have prevented the redistricting plan that Governor Abbott proposed. They held up relief funds for those impacted by the flooding in the Hill Country for nothing.
The reaction from the R’s needs to be severe. As severe as legally possible. There can be no repeat of what happened the last time they ran away.
While I am not totally surprised by the revelation below, I am shocked that it first aired on a late-night show.
The host of HBO’s Last Week Tonight, John Oliver outed Chuck Shumer for inventing a Long Island couple he called the ‘Baileys’. Shumer used the fictional couple as a political barometer on all kinds of subjects.
As I said above, the fact that Shumer is a congenital liar and serial fabulist is not at all surprising to me. He’s been lying about any-and-everything for his entire political career. Oliver being the one to out this particular fantasy is something else entirely. Has Shumer lost the media? Or is it something larger? I expect we will get answers over the next weeks and months.
Edward Coristine, AKA Big Balls, is – in my view – the proximate cause of Trump federalizing law enforcement in DC. I covered the incident, Coristine intervening in an attempted car-jacking, when it happened.
Well, it seems Big Balls may be looking at a Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Good for that young man. We could use more like him and less like St. Floyd and Michael Brown.
In a somewhat related note, I found this video of an interaction in DC recently.
When did it become acceptable to run up on police while they are effecting an arrest like that. She clearly thought she was ok doing it. She learned otherwise. I guess she was lucky that the car was there. Also, what is homie in the white Tshirt thinking he’s gonna do? Get tazed? Shot?
