Judicial Coup is on, and it is here to stay.
The reasons “judges” have been at the top of list for the Republican Party was on full display today with the Roberts Court ruling. Citizens United was horrible. Shelby was worse. But this gerrymandering decision lets the cat out of the bag for all to see: the Republican Party’s pursuit of total power is embraced by our Republican Supreme Court Judges.
When Roberts objected to labeling judges based on the party affiliation of who appointed them, he was being insincere, to be kind. Actually, he was lying. Roberts knows full well what his mission was when he was appointed Chief Justice; he knew what his marching orders were. Roberts has executed the plan with some, albeit minor, restraint.
Except when it comes to elections. Except when it comes to money in elections. Except when it comes to voter suppression.
And today, except when it comes to rigging elections.
Roberts knows exactly what the states will do with this ruling. That was his and his fellow Republican’s reason for it. Had Roberts not preserved partisan gerrymandering as the law of the land the Republican Party was on path to be a minority Party in the House for as far as the eye can see.
Roberts and the other Republican Supreme Court Justices could not allow that to happen.
That this comes as a surprise to anyone could only be because they have not been paying attention.
Republicans have openly, brazenly, been stacking the courts with pre-certified “conservative” justices who can be relied on to do exactly what Roberts, Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, Thomas and Alito just did: deliver to the rich and powerful white men responsible for them sitting on the Court.
A Judicial coup is when of our un-elected judges use their positions to overturn legislation, not based on the Constitution, but because of their political preference. Because that is what these most men have been appointed to do.
Those who watched the Kavanuagh hearings saw the man lie not just to Congress’ face, but to everyone in our country. Those who saw the Republican’s deliberate abuses in preventing disclosure of his records and failures to properly vet or call potential witnesses understood what was happening: Republicans had the power to appoint and nothing was going to get in the way. Nothing.
So it is with Roberts. He and his fellow Republicans know that in the event Republicans are not in power his Court is there to move the Republican Agenda forward. Roberts also understands that having Republicans in office and in charge makes his task that much easier.
The Republican Party now has every incentive to cheat their asses off. Racial gerrymandering- check, but let’s not use that word. Voter suppression. Purging of Democratic voters. Mishandling ballots. Unverifiable vote tallies. If it isn’t a crime it’s legal, and if it is a crime the Supreme Court will bail them out.
There is a reason Trump has been upbeat. He has probably known for a while that this decision was coming. There is a reason Trump is also talking about maybe a third term, if he expects the Republican Supreme Court will declare it legal.
The Constitution means what the Supreme Court says it means, the law means what the Supreme Court says it means. For the foreseeable future the Republican Supreme Court will decide what they mean for the Republican Party’s benefit and for benefit of the rich.
We. Are. Screwed.