Thought for the Day

[buttslinger]

8 sleepy years with Joe would please me.

[Stavros]

The Supreme Court has decided that partisan gerrymandering is not unconstitutional and that the drawing of districts in Congressional elections is a political question left to other coordinate branches of government, namely state legislatures.

On the one hand a depressing example of the SC not wanting to intervene in a matter they claim is political, yet one so blatant in its intentions to rig elections one wonders what the relationship between voting and the Constitution might be.

On the other hand can Congress now intervene, for example through a Federal Boundary Commission and take the right to draw boundaries away from the States? How far do 'State's rights' enable a State to make its own rules?

If Congress can assert itself over the State on this issue, it should do so before 2020, just as voter suppression and the closure of polling stations ought to be dealt with too. But does the US Congress have the will to change things?

[broncofan]

On the other hand can Congress now intervene, for example through a Federal Boundary Commission and take the right to draw boundaries away from the States? How far do 'State's rights' enable a State to make its own rules?

I'm not sure the answer to this. The Constitution provides a means of figuring out how many representatives each state should have in the house but I'm not sure it prescribes the methods for drawing districts. If the Constitution did specifically prescribe a way for states to do it, then Congress would not be able to legislate over it. If it doesn't I'm still not sure what power this would fall under for Congress. Finally, as you say, if they had that power, would they exercise it?

What is so strange about the majority opinion in this case is that the Supreme Court already has said that they can step in to remedy "racial gerrymandering". It makes their argument that they cannot come up with standards for analyzing "partisan gerrymandering" ring hollow. They are right that it isn't their job to prescribe procedures for districting, but it is their job to ensure people's votes aren't diluted by a process of rigging as you accurately put it. There IS a legitimate distinction between telling states they cannot adopt a particular method (because it entrenches the incumbent) and telling the states exactly what method to adopt.

[broncofan]

https://www.brennancenter.org/issues/redistricting

https://www.brennancenter.org/analys...essional-bills

Don't know much about the Brennan Center, except that they're a non-profit affiliated with NYU Law. Here's what they have to say about Stavros' question, especially the second link.

I also looked up Article 1 Section 4 referenced above:

The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.

[broncofan]

Have a feeling the below House Resolution would not pass the senate or if it did would be vetoed. But it seems pretty sensible. Maybe after the next elections we can pass something similar and ensure greater fairness in House elections.


H.R. 145

: An omnibus anti-corruption reform bill including a requirement for each state to use a nonpartisan independent commission to conduct congressional redistricting, starting with the redistricting that follows the 2020 census; prohibits the use of federal funds for election administration purposes unless the state uses a nonpartisan independent redistricting commission to draw state legislative districts.

[buttslinger]

Nice shot, Bronco, they were talking about that on C-Span, they basically said what you said, they added that gerrymandering started in some form before 1776.
I was in College when Nixon was president, my draft # was 28. I once went to a student demonstration, I was having a good time seeing people from the dorms I knew from freshman year. Then a police car blew up, and "the pigs" pushed the crowd against me, pinning me against a car. I had my bicycle with me, so I was being impaled and my adrenaline was spiking and I could not wiggle one inch. When I finally broke away, I was running down the side street, when a girl grabbed my arm and said "SLOW DOWN" ….As soon as she touched me, I calmed right down, in fact, I dropped into a completely relaxed sleepwalk, we were walking down the middle of the street at night, and on either side of us running long haired freaks were getting their heads busted by galloping cops on horseback. But it was exciting back then. In fact it was a gas.
My Mom is now 97, she can't remember 10 seconds ago, so we talk about the great depression and WWII. She was born in an Arkansas boom town, and was 17 when Gone with the Wind first screened.
To make a long story short, as bad as the trials and tribulations have been, I am thankful that this joke administration must surely come to an end, and I'm hopeful that when the truth comes out, Trump's base will own what they did and sour on the lies and hate they've been spoon fed.
On the Democrat side, as refreshing as a Kamala or Buttigieg might be, I want an old white guy in the middle with Chuck and Nancy on either side. I want the Democrat Republicans like best. I want the Nation to roll up it's sleeves and work together under the Union Flag. No, not the YANKEE flag, the Union flag. WORK is the great equalizer.

[Stavros]

Have a feeling the below House Resolution would not pass the senate or if it did would be vetoed. But it seems pretty sensible. Maybe after the next elections we can pass something similar and ensure greater fairness in House elections.
H.R. 145

: An omnibus anti-corruption reform bill including a requirement for each state to use a nonpartisan independent commission to conduct congressional redistricting, starting with the redistricting that follows the 2020 census; prohibits the use of federal funds for election administration purposes unless the state uses a nonpartisan independent redistricting commission to draw state legislative districts.

This looks sane and reasonable, but will it pass?

[Stavros]

Two more examples that stretch the boundaries of credulity. I have posted on the case of child marriages in the US before, an investigation broadcast on BBC Radio 4 offers some insights into this, and a lot of pathetic excuses. At least resolve some of the problems by standardizing the age of marriage to 16 (and the age of consent where in states it is still eighteen with limits on the age of the spouses -the programme is here-
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07f1zcs

As for Marshae Jones being prosecuted for manslaughter because her baby was shot by someone else...yes, it is Alabama, but unless it secretly seceded to revive its Confederate heritage (or never gave it up) it is still part of the USA...???

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...wn-birth-canal
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-a8982751.html

[broncofan]

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/...30380981067777

This is so disgusting and indefensible. Of all the public statements Trump has made this might be the worst one.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Gallagher_(Navy_SEAL)

[broncofan]

Best case scenario for Eddie Gallagher: He was a psychopath known for taking "militarily pointless shots" in order to murder random Arabs; he witnessed a fellow serviceman murder a POW and decided to pose with the body.

Worst case scenario for Eddie Gallagher: He was a psychopath known for taking militarily pointless shots and murdering random Arabs; he also murdered a POW and posed with the body.

I forgot to mention that in the best case scenario, at least one serviceman testified to Gallagher stabbing the POW but not being the ultimate cause of death...either way the President of the United States just sent a message of support to a cold-blooded killer.