Thank you, Robert! The plot thickens? My teeny, tiny brain is trying to figure out how a nationwide ban on abortion fosters "small government." But I'm just an ordinary American (who votes)...what do I know!
Meanwhile, latest news is January 6 Select Committee has "goal" to restart public hearings on September 28.
If you (and the readers) want an answer to your question about whether there is something fundamentally "off" in the Republican Party, may I highly recommend David Corn's new book, American Psychosis: A Historical Investigation of How the Republican Party Went Crazy - which goes back to 1945 to demonstrate that Truman was right in 1948 when he said during the campaign that "The only 'good Republicans' are pushing up daisies."
Robert asked about "the collapse of DOJ independence" with so many US Attorneys who "surrendered to Trump’s corrupting influence without a fight or second thought. How is that possible? ...Are law firms responsible for a 'win at all costs' attitude that rewards profit maximation and discourages ethical actions by their partners when they assume government posts (with the expectation that they will return to their firms)."
Bingo! We learned about the Federalist Society wielding the levers of power on behalf of the elite minority. Now we learn about Jones Day, a giant law firm that represents big corporations in the tobacco, pharmaceutical, and gun manufacturing industries, to name a few, that infiltrated the DOJ during the Trump administration.
Alex Wagner on MSNBC had a good interview on 9/13/22 of David Enrich about his new book, "Servants of the Damned" investigating the "often-corrosive power that giant law firms secretly wield over our politics, economy and society." Enrich comments that giant law firms have transformed the legal "profession" into the legal "industry."
More tales of how moneyed bullies take advantage of "rules," "norms," and "courtesy." Time to firm up the laws, fill in the cracks. Looking forward to informed commentary.
And one of Trump's special master nominees? Paul Huck, Jr., a former partner at the Jones Day firm.
With regard to healthcare, and reproductive healthcare in particular, why doesn’t America come into line with other developed countries and provide universal healthcare?
Abortion is a medical procedure, which some pregnant people electively chose. HOWEVER, HOWEVER, lots of pregnant people wind up having to have an abortion because of significant complications. An ectopic pregnancy NEVER results in a live birth. An incomplete miscarriage has serious implications for the health of the pregnant person. The list of complications is endless and is impossible to predict. Farm animals are treated with more concern than women currently are in a number of states. The Mothers Against Greg Abbott ad illustrates this point way better than I can. Why should state legislators (most of whom are male) get away with practicing medicine without a license? “Pregnancy is too complicated to legislate.” Jessica Valenti
Pittypat really doesn’t seem to have a clue, and that is saying something in a political party that encompasses Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene, Josh Hawley, Mark Meadows, ad nauseam.
"But there is a response that the current DOJ must take: it must prosecute current and former members of the DOJ who corruptly interfered with the due administration of justice." I wonder how much of what Garland was doing the first year of his AG term was figuring out who was who within. We haven't heard much about senior DOJ people leaving...but there might have been an internal review?
Thank you Lindsey Graham. A huge strategic political error. What's next? Banning apple pie?
Lindsey Graham has remained a Senator by being deft and clever at catching the winds and sensing the prevailing public mood. The introduction of this national abortion ban bill boggles the mind.
Does he really think he will bring more "Evangelical Bible Thumpers" than "Women who Expect Reproductive Freedom" to the voting booths? This is a political gift to Democrats of historic proportions! Who is advising him? It's not McConnell!
Sep 14, 2022·edited Sep 14, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Thank you again for your insights, Robert. Have you seen or heard any indication that the DOJ is planning on deposing the accidental ex-president, since he opened that door by filing a civil lawsuit concerning his thefts of government property? He might decide to dismiss. He would severely weaken his flimsy case by asserting his rights not to incriminate himself. I'll bet there are a few DOJ lawyers who would like to question him.
They should have known not to mess with the SDNY. The Southern District’s US Attorneys’ Office has long been called the “Sovereign District of New York” office because it always operated independently from DOJ in Washington. The SDNY was never motivated by politics. It was widely reported that AUSAs did not resign when TFG came into office—there were no fears at the time that the office would change. Barr messed with the wrong office.
Heard a very interesting and somewhat upsetting interview by Teri Gross yesterday. She interviewed the author of a book (the title evades me) about the law firm of Jones, Day. It goes into detail how the firm recommended conservative federalist attorneys for judgeships to McConnell and the Trump to gain control of the courts. Working together they’ve really put their thumb on the scale of justice. Very scary!!
In composing a letter to Chief inJustice Roberts who has been whining about the Extreme Court being call illegitimate just because people disagree on their rulings, my focus is on how the Robbers Court has abandoned half the citizens, the women, in protecting their fundamental human rights to life and liberty. Where now are the checks and balances against states which are taking away fundamental rights and even putting women into the slavery of forced pregnancy? Where is the very originalists' tenet of Freedom of Religion and the separation of Church and State when states are making laws based on an unprovable notion that a fertilized egg (half of which are washed out of the body naturally) is a person with more right to life than the woman gestating it. Why was the Liberty Clause ignored and not addressed in the arguments in Dobbs? Who is going to enumerate the rights that are not enumerated in the Ninth Amendment ? Who now protects a womens’ rights to life and liberty that some states are taking away? The future of the Independent State Legislatures movement makes this a very pertinent question if even the state Supreme Courts are not allowed to be a check on rogue state legislatures while the U.S. Supreme Court has washed its hands of women’s rights.
Why is the Roberts (or my preference now Robbers) Court abandoning the Constitution and rewriting it in its own image of the chosen few forcing all of us into Alito's world where men who believe in witches rule? We, the People, need to VOTE! -- ALL of us this time!
Interestingly, the Nixon events led directly the adoption of the need to require the bar examinations to include testing on knowledge of the ethical rules of conduct - given how shocking was the behavior of lawyers in covering up the unlawful activities within the Nixon administration. So, folks, here we are about 50 years after every state required attorneys to prove their mettle when it comes to being ethical - and what do we have? Same old, same old. Now lawyers must know the rules of conduct in order to be licensed -- and they must, as part of their oath to be licensed, promise to obey the rules of ethics -- and what do we have? Same old, same old.
Here's the truth: taking an oath to acquire privileges and rights is only as meaningful as the character of the one swearing loyalty and allegiance. Despite our powers of human intelligence, character is its own standard. The law assumes people will act rightly and honorably. And mostly people assume the honor and commitment of the people who have sworn an oath. Foolish us.
Our law schools pump out future lawyers, they teach them the rules of conduct, they help them to pass bar examinations on those principles, they warn that the disciplinary arms of state bar authorities can take their licenses if they breach those rules in any gross way - and then they turn the Josh Hawleys and Ted Cruzes and William Barrs into an example of excellence in the legal field and they go out and do harm with the confidence that nothing bad will befall them.
This lack of respect (and courage) towards fulfilling ethical responsibilities takes place at the lowest level of the legal profession. Don't be fooled into thinking that gross violations and disregard of ethical rules occurs only at the top. The State Bar of California is, in my opinion and that of most good and honorable lawyers, completely impotent when it comes to enforcing the rules of conduct. My guess is that the state bar's failure in California is the same across this country. Just as with democracy, lawyers must willingly comply with their state's rules if they are to mean anything.
Not only do the state bars have no ability to monitor enforcement of ethical rules, but they don't even take action when members of their state bar openly and egregiously act unethically. Hurray for the DOJ, finally! But what of the ABA and the Federalist Society and other bar organizations that honor the actions of unethical lawyers?
The training and licensing of our country's lawyers is often at odds with how they are allowed to behave. State Bars let them get away with horrendous behaviors. This is a situation that seems not to be improving at all.
Thank you, Robert! The plot thickens? My teeny, tiny brain is trying to figure out how a nationwide ban on abortion fosters "small government." But I'm just an ordinary American (who votes)...what do I know!
Meanwhile, latest news is January 6 Select Committee has "goal" to restart public hearings on September 28.
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/house-jan-6-committee-chair-032137912.html
If you (and the readers) want an answer to your question about whether there is something fundamentally "off" in the Republican Party, may I highly recommend David Corn's new book, American Psychosis: A Historical Investigation of How the Republican Party Went Crazy - which goes back to 1945 to demonstrate that Truman was right in 1948 when he said during the campaign that "The only 'good Republicans' are pushing up daisies."
You can get it here. Well worth every penny.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=david+corn+american+psychosis&crid=OVSQOLR5QC0Z&sprefix=David+Cor%2Caps%2C313&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_9
Robert asked about "the collapse of DOJ independence" with so many US Attorneys who "surrendered to Trump’s corrupting influence without a fight or second thought. How is that possible? ...Are law firms responsible for a 'win at all costs' attitude that rewards profit maximation and discourages ethical actions by their partners when they assume government posts (with the expectation that they will return to their firms)."
Bingo! We learned about the Federalist Society wielding the levers of power on behalf of the elite minority. Now we learn about Jones Day, a giant law firm that represents big corporations in the tobacco, pharmaceutical, and gun manufacturing industries, to name a few, that infiltrated the DOJ during the Trump administration.
Alex Wagner on MSNBC had a good interview on 9/13/22 of David Enrich about his new book, "Servants of the Damned" investigating the "often-corrosive power that giant law firms secretly wield over our politics, economy and society." Enrich comments that giant law firms have transformed the legal "profession" into the legal "industry."
https://twitter.com/davidenrich/status/1569663944863760385?s=20&t=jL1x5BnQELT9LLtlzQbpXw
More tales of how moneyed bullies take advantage of "rules," "norms," and "courtesy." Time to firm up the laws, fill in the cracks. Looking forward to informed commentary.
And one of Trump's special master nominees? Paul Huck, Jr., a former partner at the Jones Day firm.
With regard to healthcare, and reproductive healthcare in particular, why doesn’t America come into line with other developed countries and provide universal healthcare?
Abortion is a medical procedure, which some pregnant people electively chose. HOWEVER, HOWEVER, lots of pregnant people wind up having to have an abortion because of significant complications. An ectopic pregnancy NEVER results in a live birth. An incomplete miscarriage has serious implications for the health of the pregnant person. The list of complications is endless and is impossible to predict. Farm animals are treated with more concern than women currently are in a number of states. The Mothers Against Greg Abbott ad illustrates this point way better than I can. Why should state legislators (most of whom are male) get away with practicing medicine without a license? “Pregnancy is too complicated to legislate.” Jessica Valenti
Are there enough prosecutors in the DOJ
for all of these guys?
From Geo Washington “Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder.”
Pittypat really doesn’t seem to have a clue, and that is saying something in a political party that encompasses Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene, Josh Hawley, Mark Meadows, ad nauseam.
"But there is a response that the current DOJ must take: it must prosecute current and former members of the DOJ who corruptly interfered with the due administration of justice." I wonder how much of what Garland was doing the first year of his AG term was figuring out who was who within. We haven't heard much about senior DOJ people leaving...but there might have been an internal review?
Robert, I agree!
Thank you Lindsey Graham. A huge strategic political error. What's next? Banning apple pie?
Lindsey Graham has remained a Senator by being deft and clever at catching the winds and sensing the prevailing public mood. The introduction of this national abortion ban bill boggles the mind.
Does he really think he will bring more "Evangelical Bible Thumpers" than "Women who Expect Reproductive Freedom" to the voting booths? This is a political gift to Democrats of historic proportions! Who is advising him? It's not McConnell!
Thank you again for your insights, Robert. Have you seen or heard any indication that the DOJ is planning on deposing the accidental ex-president, since he opened that door by filing a civil lawsuit concerning his thefts of government property? He might decide to dismiss. He would severely weaken his flimsy case by asserting his rights not to incriminate himself. I'll bet there are a few DOJ lawyers who would like to question him.
Oye vey! Chomping, champing, who cares? Let's get our priorities straight, people! Curb your obsessive-compulsive enthusiasm. The world's on fire!
They should have known not to mess with the SDNY. The Southern District’s US Attorneys’ Office has long been called the “Sovereign District of New York” office because it always operated independently from DOJ in Washington. The SDNY was never motivated by politics. It was widely reported that AUSAs did not resign when TFG came into office—there were no fears at the time that the office would change. Barr messed with the wrong office.
Heard a very interesting and somewhat upsetting interview by Teri Gross yesterday. She interviewed the author of a book (the title evades me) about the law firm of Jones, Day. It goes into detail how the firm recommended conservative federalist attorneys for judgeships to McConnell and the Trump to gain control of the courts. Working together they’ve really put their thumb on the scale of justice. Very scary!!
In composing a letter to Chief inJustice Roberts who has been whining about the Extreme Court being call illegitimate just because people disagree on their rulings, my focus is on how the Robbers Court has abandoned half the citizens, the women, in protecting their fundamental human rights to life and liberty. Where now are the checks and balances against states which are taking away fundamental rights and even putting women into the slavery of forced pregnancy? Where is the very originalists' tenet of Freedom of Religion and the separation of Church and State when states are making laws based on an unprovable notion that a fertilized egg (half of which are washed out of the body naturally) is a person with more right to life than the woman gestating it. Why was the Liberty Clause ignored and not addressed in the arguments in Dobbs? Who is going to enumerate the rights that are not enumerated in the Ninth Amendment ? Who now protects a womens’ rights to life and liberty that some states are taking away? The future of the Independent State Legislatures movement makes this a very pertinent question if even the state Supreme Courts are not allowed to be a check on rogue state legislatures while the U.S. Supreme Court has washed its hands of women’s rights.
Why is the Roberts (or my preference now Robbers) Court abandoning the Constitution and rewriting it in its own image of the chosen few forcing all of us into Alito's world where men who believe in witches rule? We, the People, need to VOTE! -- ALL of us this time!
Interestingly, the Nixon events led directly the adoption of the need to require the bar examinations to include testing on knowledge of the ethical rules of conduct - given how shocking was the behavior of lawyers in covering up the unlawful activities within the Nixon administration. So, folks, here we are about 50 years after every state required attorneys to prove their mettle when it comes to being ethical - and what do we have? Same old, same old. Now lawyers must know the rules of conduct in order to be licensed -- and they must, as part of their oath to be licensed, promise to obey the rules of ethics -- and what do we have? Same old, same old.
Here's the truth: taking an oath to acquire privileges and rights is only as meaningful as the character of the one swearing loyalty and allegiance. Despite our powers of human intelligence, character is its own standard. The law assumes people will act rightly and honorably. And mostly people assume the honor and commitment of the people who have sworn an oath. Foolish us.
Our law schools pump out future lawyers, they teach them the rules of conduct, they help them to pass bar examinations on those principles, they warn that the disciplinary arms of state bar authorities can take their licenses if they breach those rules in any gross way - and then they turn the Josh Hawleys and Ted Cruzes and William Barrs into an example of excellence in the legal field and they go out and do harm with the confidence that nothing bad will befall them.
This lack of respect (and courage) towards fulfilling ethical responsibilities takes place at the lowest level of the legal profession. Don't be fooled into thinking that gross violations and disregard of ethical rules occurs only at the top. The State Bar of California is, in my opinion and that of most good and honorable lawyers, completely impotent when it comes to enforcing the rules of conduct. My guess is that the state bar's failure in California is the same across this country. Just as with democracy, lawyers must willingly comply with their state's rules if they are to mean anything.
Not only do the state bars have no ability to monitor enforcement of ethical rules, but they don't even take action when members of their state bar openly and egregiously act unethically. Hurray for the DOJ, finally! But what of the ABA and the Federalist Society and other bar organizations that honor the actions of unethical lawyers?
The training and licensing of our country's lawyers is often at odds with how they are allowed to behave. State Bars let them get away with horrendous behaviors. This is a situation that seems not to be improving at all.
I think if you make your living serving the institution instead of those in front of you, slowly you rot.