Apparently the administration is letting Ukraine hit military targets in Russia, though still with some restrictions. This is way overdue. It seems clear that Russia under Putin is an expansionist power. Only a decisive defeat will prevent brutal ethnic cleansing in Ukraine. Defeat may also lead Putin to refrain from further aggression against his neighbors, […]
It’s far from clear the conviction will have much effect on the race. Most people will not learn much from the conviction. Small effects could go either way: marginal Trump voters could turn away from him, stronger partisans could become more mobilized, etc. I don’t want him thrown in jail, which I guess is unlikely […]
OK, not really. But this is real (politico, via Political Wire): The expectations game … Trump also returned to another golden oldie last night: proposing a drug test for his debate opponent. He used this tactic in 2016 against Clinton. The gist is that if his opponent looks good at a debate, it’s only the result of illegal substances. […]
In the summer of 1984, I lived on the ranch of Gerald “Digger” Moravek, just outside Sheridan, Wyoming. Like many of the ranchers who banded together to establish the Powder River Basin Resource Council, where I was working, Digger was drawn to environmentalism partly for self-interested reasons: in the early 1970s a coal company was […]
Judge Merchan appears to be boxed in. On the one hand, fining Trump $1,000 for violating the gag order is obviously not going to be effective. On the other hand, sending Trump to jail would make him a martyr to some, and may not even be effective, since Trump would appeal any order sending him […]
Some thoughts on recent developments . . . Elite persuasion and its limits News reports suggest that President Biden got Speaker Mike Johnson to put a Ukraine aid bill on the floor of the House through good, old-fashioned persuasion: Biden and his team convinced Johnson it was the right thing to do by sharing intelligence […]
Law professor Eric Segall is a leading critic of the Supreme Court. In a blog post today, he doesn’t pull any punches: The disaster that was the Trump v. United States oral argument reminded me of how little the Roberts Court has actually cared about rule of law values and legal transparency during its 18-year run. Leaving […]
At Thursday’s Supreme Court hearing on Trump’s immunity claim, Justice Alito worried that prosecuting former presidents would create an incentive for incumbent presidents to subvert democracy to remain in office and avoid prosecution (Transcript, p. 110-11): JUSTICE ALITO: All right. Let me end –end with just a question about what is required for the functioning […]
I try not to blog about stuff I don’t know much about, but sometimes I can’t help myself. This is one of those times, so caveat lector. This could be way off base. Do not quote this to your friends. Do not train your AI on it. Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei has made noises […]
Donald Trump is a clear and present danger to democracy, the rule of law, and to basic rights and human decency. It is hard to see how anyone could deny this. Trump encouraged violence and fraud to remain in power after he lost the 2020 election. He continues to insist that he won the election, […]