Regarding Supreme Court openings in election years.

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Tuesday September 22, 2020 · 11:53 AM PDT

2020/09/22 · 11:53

In 2016, I reviewed every opening in U.S. Supreme Court history because I had a sneaking suspicion that Mitch McConnell was full of shit. My research confirmed my suspicion. Out of the roughly 100 vacancies that occurred since President Washington appointed the first Supreme Court, thirteen vacancies had occurred within a year of a presidential election. Most were filled without controversy. A few were rejected (the Senate absolutely despised John Tyler, for instance). There has never been a rule that the Senate won’t consider nominations to fill vacancies close to an election, until McConnell invented it.

Now, the Bullshit Brigade (looking at you, Mitt) has a new Rule That Never Was: “Senates with a majority in the party opposite to the President don’t confirm during election years.” Now, you know and I know that this is a cynical fig leaf that no one who pays attention really believes. But not everyone pays attention. So having the facts may be helpful when you encounter folk who don’t live and breathe this stuff. Below the fold is the reality.

Gavinicus

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Tuesday November 27, 2012 · 12:21 PM PST

2012/11/27 · 12:21

The dominant narrative in the Ambassador Rice/Benghazi assault narrative goes something like this:

Ambassador Rice was only following established, CIA-approved talking points when she said the attack on the embassy was a spontaneous response to the anti-Islam video. She was wrong, but that shouldn't be held against her because she was just adhering to the script put in front of her.

Liberals are saying this. Our favorite journalists and pundits are saying it too. It has become the established narrative, even though all you have to do is go to the source to see it is just not true.

Ambassador Rice never said the assault was spontaneous, or unplanned, or unrelated to 9/11, or not an act of terrorism. She just didn't say that.

I'll put her quotes below the fold but what she said on the Sunday morning shows was: a spontaneous protest against the videos was hijacked by heavily armed extremists who then attacked the consulate. When Bob Schieffer asked if the attack was pre-planned, or if al Qaeda was involved (as Libya's President claimed earlier on his show), she said that has yet to be decided. The facts weren't all in.

Why is this important? Because the Republicans and others who are determined to politicize the deaths of four Americans will get off scott free if not only the "liberal" mainstream media, but also the progressive community buy into this false narrative. Should Susan Rice be our next Secretary of State? I don't know. But she should not be brought down by this ridiculous story.

Gavinicus

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Tuesday April 12, 2011 · 4:30 AM PDT

2011/04/12 · 04:30

United States Treasury securities have enjoyed a unique position at the top of the credit ladder. The credit rating of the United States stands apart, even from other rich Western countries. We aren't just AAA-rated, we are the United States. Treasuries fill a role all over the world when rock solid security is required--in many cases nothing else will do. If you are looking for an example of American Exceptionalism--this is it.

In order to keep this competitive advantage all responsible policy makers have understood that they must not do anything that even hints at the possibility of a default. The day that the United States Treasury becomes just another ho-hum investment-grade security, we lose our exalted status and we don't get it back. Ever.

When that happens the shock to the world financial markets will match and possibly eclipse the recent Great Recession as sovereign funds, money market funds, pension funds and trust accounts holding trillions of dollars in Treasury Securities take a hit and start unwinding their exposure to US debt.

Failing to raise the debt ceiling creates a risk of the unthinkable--a default by the United States. Even the suggestion of such a move is hopelessly irresponsible. If you are a Member of Congress and you don't get this, if you are willing to play chicken with this critical national advantage, you are in the wrong job.

Gavinicus

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Tuesday September 23, 2008 · 9:35 PM PDT

2008/09/23 · 21:35

My last (which was also my first) diary was a poorly-titled, mildly outraged rant about the bailout. I meekly capitulated to the inevitability of it all, and just tried to suggest a couple of fixes. I still think we demand the resignations of every CEO, CFO and director of any company that wants to dip into Hank Paulson's money pot.

Now I'm thinking bigger.

Gavinicus

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Sunday September 21, 2008 · 9:48 PM PDT

2008/09/21 · 21:48

Congress is poised to enact a massive bailout to the financial industry giving the Treasury Department a $700 billion allowance to purchase the toxic mortgage securities that now threaten our entire way of life.

Read that proposal. It is short. It gives tremendous power and discretion to Secretary Paulson.

And it makes sure that no one suffers but the taxpayer. I thus submit a modest proposal.

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Regarding Supreme Court openings in election years.

Rice Was Right

United States Treasuries--American Exceptionalism at Risk

Feed this s**t sandwich to the rich

The Bailout: A Modest Proposal