Can The Senate Save Us? | Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts

If you had forgotten the chaos of Trump 1.0, the frenzied first two weeks of transition to Trump 2.0 has surely been a stark reminder. A pair of random billionaires are claiming in advance that SCOTUS will back their extra-governmental plans for a slash and burn policy for federal agencies; accusations of sexual misconduct swirl around cabinet picks; nominations are being retracted and replaced, and while all of this happens we are waiting to see whether Republicans in the Senate will step into a role of moderation, or just roll over. This matters a lot with respect to what the federal judiciary is going to look like, how much scrutiny is applied to the most outlandish cabinet nominees, and the independence of the Justice Department.
On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, who has spent years investigating the dark money plot to control the courts, and who knows from firsthand experience why the justice department is different from other agencies.

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[washoe]

It was refreshing to hear more from Senator Whitehouse than he is usually allowed to say on the cable TV programs. I have watched many of his speeches on the Senate floor about the corruption of some members of the Supreme Court. I wish there were more like him. I think his criticism of the Democrats in office, especially the Presidential campaign is spot on, too. He’s been trying to warn us for a long time. Thanks much for this podcast.

[heatherc]

Thank you Slate, for providing this forum for Dhalia and the Senator. ❤

[veronicarodriguez]

Sorry for the horrible observation, but it's really becoming more and more apparent...

About 6 years ago, a lot of female t rump supporters attempted to engage in political discourse with me.
The more they would reinforce their arguments, the more their own choice of language would deny their experience of sexual trauma.
Fast forward to t rumps picks of the day and the sublying current is clearly there.

What good is my observation?
It doesn't matter, since people in denial of their own trauma will ALWAYS gravitate to those who pander to their fears.

[cherylcardran]

No one is going to save us. We have to do it ourselves.

[kevinjohnston]

If Sen Whitehouse thinks the new admin won't add seats to SCOTUS, I'd like to take that bet. I'd really, really, really like to lose the bet, but the next best option is to at least profit off the disaster. Maybe I could get a free one-way plane ticket to an actual democracy?

[davidwilkie]

You might be relying on the way oligarchs commonly operate gangs that tend to go to conflict modes, too much.

So far the average citizen is more likely to remember DoJ injustice than worry about what they promised to do against a gang of mafia-like military industrial despots.
It does not look like the newly minted money fits the old model yet.

While we wait for re-regulation, a through cleaning up of the fundamental philosophy called "justice" is a thing of mild interest. Hopeless not helpless.

[MaryOmalley-hgpc]

Nope not aoool ‘unless there is action as in stopping the Thanksgiving Parade because really half of the c outcry is is a deeep depression and the other half has no idea what is coming. If you can understand the story of THE WHITE ROSE SOCIEty great but I think those people will be leaving. Talking heads talking to the choir doesn’t help one bit so sorry but the truth. 0:02 0:02