DOMA RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL

And a day after an unspeakably bad ruling, the supreme court gets one right. About time.

Supreme Court Strikes Down the Voting Rights Act

And in a super clever way that rules section 4 unconstitutional, making section 5 worthless, and sending it back to a congress they know won't do shit.

Ari Berman has a typically well stated article on the decision.

The Train of Thought Lounge: Wale feat. Sam Dew–Love Hate Thing

Get More: Wale, Love Hate Thing ft. Sam Dew, Music, More Music Videos

 

Greetings everyone.  Enjoy the opening single from Wale’s newest album, Love Hate Thing.

I apologize for the long absence from posting.  SCOTUSDocketwatch will return this week with write-ups and analyses of the Court’s upcoming decisions on the Voting Rights Act and Marriage Rights.

David Gregory Humiliates Himself More Than Usual

We know from watching David Gregory over the years that he simply isn't that bright, and has been promoted 5-6 levels too high into his current position as MTP host. He's like a smarter Luke Russert, in that all he knows is DC conventional wisdom, and since most of that currently involves anger at the NSA leaker and the reporting that brought this to light, it's no wonder that he says something this absurd. Greenwald's response is pretty damn satisfying.

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Senator Warren Steps Up On Trade

Really amazing quotes in her speech opposing the US trade rep's confirmation.

I asked the President's nominee to be Trade Representative-Michael Froman-three questions:  First, would he commit to releasing the composite bracketed text [the full text of the TPP as it currently stands]? Or second, if not, would he commit to releasing just a scrubbed version of the bracketed text that made anonymous which country proposed which provision... Third, I asked Mr. Froman if he would provide more transparency behind what information is made [available] to the trade office's outside advisors. Currently, there are about 600 outside advisors that have access to sensitive information, and the roster includes a wide diversity of industry representatives and some labor and NGO representatives too.  But there is no transparency around who gets what information and whether they all see the same things, and I think that's a real problem. Mr. Froman's response was clear:  No, no, no.

"I have heard the argument that transparency would undermine the Trade Representative's policy to complete the trade agreement because public opposition would be significant," Warren explained. "In other words, if people knew what was going on, they would stop it. This argument is exactly backwards. If transparency would lead to widespread public opposition to a trade agreement, then that trade agreement should not be the policy of the United States."  

So his nomination still passed by an enormous margin, but this is an issue where we've needed Democrats to step up for a long long time. Glad that someone is taking charge.

RIP Michael Hastings

This is so fucking sad. We have so few good journalists, we really can't lose any of them.

Rachel Maddow did a very nice tribute on him last night:

When DC Journalists Take A Stand

In his typically brilliant column on Bob Schieffer's idiocy, Alex Pareene makes a really important point that I too find endlessly fascinating.

It is always interesting to see what subjects “objective” press figures like Schieffer feel comfortable expressing personal opinions about. Schieffer would never have expressed explicit support or disapproval of, say, the Senate comprehensive immigration reform package. He wouldn’t give an endorsement in a domestic election. But on this issue, Schieffer feels free to align himself with the state and against the state’s enemies. It isn’t a particularly surprising expression of allegiance, but it’s still useful to be reminded that many of our most Serious Journalists think of themselves as a partner, and not adversary, of power.

And that is exactly the point. Political journalists seem themselves as part of the game, part of the story, and a part of our government's power structure, not a check on it. The scariest part is that unlike if Schieffer had given a strong defense of the ACA, he doesn't even see a commentary like this as making a political statement at all. Everyone of importance in DC knows that this is the correct opinion to have about Snowden, so much so that it doesn't even trip his "I'm not allowed to take a position on anything" cardinal sin of serious journalism sensor.

Shit like this is exactly the problem with so much political journalism. They preach objectivity, but objectivity as they see it is basically impossible. They hold strong opinions, and express those opinions in writing every day under the guise of calling balls and strikes, not realizing that everything from what they choose to write about to how they cover the story reflects their own biases. Treating Benghazi and the IRS thing as super serious scandals while ignoring years up high unemployment and a government run predatory lending program is bias. A bias towards stupidity over substance counts. But in DC journalism, as long as your keep your biases against the right people and away from the wrong subjects, no one will ever question your objectivity.