While I don't object to expanding the Supreme Court, surely we should also impeach and try for treason justices who have sworn to uphold the Constitution who have instead systematically used their power to tear it apart!
Why don't Dems reinstate the rape investigation of Bret Kavanaugh that MAGA closed after, what, four days? It was never finished! The only person in the room where it happened was kept away from investigators!
I like the idea of expansion - with each Justice responsible for and coming from a specific Circuit. With term limits, the Chief Judge from each Circuit could step up to Scotus when a vacancy - planned or unplanned - occurs, eliminating the presidential appointment. It would guarantee experience for the job of SC Justice. The Judges on each Circuit could be made responsible for electing their own Chief Judge.
Though this would be different, there would still be potential for supreme court judges to be part of an internal patronage system from within the circuit court structure. Expansion of the court, and adoption of the code of ethics that all other federal court and employees are subject to would be a good idea, as well as term limits.
A code of ethics must include legal ramifications for violations of the code and it can't be left to the Supremes to make judgements as to guilt or innocence. At the least, a Supreme Court justice guilty of violating the code must lose the privilege of being a Supreme Court justice.
I doubt that anyone could make a good case for a "treason" conviction of any SC Justice. Treason is very specifically defined in the Constitution, and I think that no SC Justices - whatever their shortcomings - can be shown to have committed treason beyond a reasonable doubt.
"Definition of Treason
Treason against the United States consists only of:
• Levying war against the United States.
• Adhering to enemies of the United States, giving them aid and comfort."
While I will defer to the lawyers on this point, it seems to me that destroying the U.S. a superpower is very much in the interests of Putin and Xi and given the high level of corruption among the Supreme Court justices, I would not be surprised to find many "foreign friends" who have been paying them large sums of money. It's certainly corruption, if its not treason.
Thanks Jen. I agree: the courts are the most inefficient and least effective way to protect citizens' right to vote. I have a suggestion based on Australia's strategy to have a broad plebiscite happen. They have not identified voting as a privilege or a right. They define it as a legal obligation. And they fine people who do not vote. Voting is easy to do, efficient, and relatively painless in Australia. I know that this strategy would mean that the MAGAts would also come out but it is far more likely that a REQUIREMENT that people vote would bring out the people who failed to do so in 2024 and thereby stuck us with the Felon and his malicious, malignant minions and managers. Voting should be the easiest thing to do. The fact that the fascists want to restrict it--even to the point of rescinding the 19th Amendment--should tell everyone where the line in the sand is.
Some states deliberately make it difficult to vote. In Alabama, people can only vote on the day of the election, which makes for long lines, especially if there are not enough polling sites. In Texas, they are moving voting sites off of campuses, which not only makes it harder for students to vote but also staff and faculty.
The coercive strategy for voting is unlikely to be well-received by Americans. I think we would spend too much time and energy enforcing this. We have an obligation to pay taxes. Look how people react to that. I think our time is better spent encouraging people to exercise their right to vote while emphasizing that voting is not a privilege granted on high to the peasants by the elites. Americans get truly feisty when they see someone trying to take their rights away. Americans know that without enforceable rights, like voting we have no power.
That suggestion scares me a little. I see so many uneducated Trump followers who know little and care less about who runs the government, as long as they are comfortable. They're sheep. Followers. Tell them that Donald Trump is the answer to all their woes and they'll vote for him. Look what happened in 2024! Those that are NOT comfortable are more likely to care and to want representatives and senators that represent THEIR interests. But you ARE right that if it were a requirement, it would bring out those who don't vote. Some people have never registered. Think where we might be if all those people came out to vote.
"Fortunately, “this case is likely to have limited impact on the midterms, because … the NVRA prohibits mass purges of voters in the 90 days before the election … [meaning] states can still use the database now for individualized determinations.”"
I maintain a cautious optimism that this decision will backfire. I think those fanatics looking for fraudulent voters will come up empty-handed, just as every other fanatical organization (looking at you, Heritage Foundation!) has done for the last decade.
Remember, J.D. Vance claimed "thousands" of ineligible voters were on the rolls in Nevada. Later, he had to correct himself down to 185. Then the Nevada secretary of state examined all of those cases and found...ZERO ineligible voters.
Because voter fraud rates are only slightly higher than zero.
We just need to get that word out. Over and over and over again, especially for those fascists in the back row.
If Dems regain the presidency and Congress in 28 and don't move aggressively to fix the wreckage I have no use for them. Don't ask me what I'll do instead, I don't have a plan, but I will be too disgusted to consider myself a Democrat. This includes adding justices to the Supreme Court. Don't cower in fear of what the Republicans might do next! I'm sick of Dems doing that!
The only way we can save voting rights is to vote for candidates that will protect democracy at every level. Only we can save voting rights. More town halls and interactions between the voters and candidates need to happen on a regular basis. When the candidates know what the voters want that gives them more direction in terms of how to construct their campaigns when the big day comes. It also allows them to meet their constituents in person and discuss the issues that matter most to them.
And that is why we have to work to make them care. Right now, with pocketbooks pinched, people do seem to understand that a change is needed, but in order to prevent the kind of backsliding that occurred in 2024, we need to spend the next two years emphasizing how democracy works and our role in it.
It appears that things have get incredibly bad to get some peoples' attention. One or two problems aren't enough to stir many, however the accumulation of issues (especially those that hit the kitchen-table budget) finally do so. The lack of general affordability has gotten into the home pocketbook. This seems to have creatied a tipping point.
This will be a battle the Republicans will fight every step of the way, because without gerrymandering and the partisan SCOTUS decisions that have been made this century, they would never win majorities in the House or the presidency. They have no agenda, no deep thinkers, and a bunch of conspiracy-theory crackpots, as that dope Sen. Schmidt from Missouri showed yesterday during the ill-timed and ill-fated grilling of Jack Smith. But as Jen points out, SCOTUS has to be reeled in, voting rights need to be codified, and gerrymandering needs to end. I think some people will be surprised that some states the lazy legacy media calls "ruby red" are actually just gerrymandered to hell.
I think the most important admonition here is to get voters to think beyond the big ticket races for Congress and governorships, and to take back control of their local representation when they go to the polls: in the State House, on the elections board, the school board, the judiciary, etc.. Without those other pieces in place, the path to full, fair representation becomes harder.
Start early in life with better programs in the schools for teaching Civics & Government courses again. We fell back on this. Students should be exposed to how government works, an explanation of rights and responsibilities, including that of the importance of voting.
The last several decades have revealed just how flawed and easy it is for bad actors to trample the US Constitution.
The document itself needs many significant updates/amendments, but the ultimate vulnerability of the American experiment lies in the Supreme Court. By capturing the SC, the Republican fascists, both on and off the court, have placed our government in their hands, which are wringing the neck of the republic and suffocating the breath of democracy.
The Supreme Court is where we must begin to clean house and make changes (term and age limits, number of justices, the vetting process, a transparent accountability review process which could ultimately lead to impeachment) and then move on to updating/amending the Constitution to meet the reality of today's America -- 250-years DIFFERENT -- from the nation at the time the document was ratified.
I recently heard of the National Popular Vote Compact, but live in a state that signed on. If only most voters had the curiosity (I read Ben Wikler’s THIS IS THE PLAN) and reading level to understand this excellent warning to gird their loins for demanding fair elections while voting blue now and always. Sigh. (I’m only a recent convert to political activism. Could I have made a difference 15 or 20 years ago?)
It's clear to me that the first order of business is to get out to vote - and remain vigilant! Republicans will lie, cheat, and steal. It isn't just voting rights that Trump is trying to overturn - it is almost every provision of the Constitution (Second Amendment excluded). If yesterday's Senate hearing with Jack Smith proved anything, it is the extent to which Republicans are willing to lie, ignore the law, and denigrate anyone who challenges their Dear Leader!
A pro democracy coalition wouldn't even need to be partisan. There must surely be enough people, even in government, that aspire to go back to democratic norms and do away with the hyper partisanship that is prevalent in todays government. I think it's what the founders envisioned. Can't we get it done?
Jen, completely agree. Voter suppression has been going on since the Founding, all designed to protect the power of political minorities, who have used voter suppression in a variety of forms to maintain their power. For a full history and what we can do about it, even without expanding the Court or a Constitutional amendment, see The Democracy Agenda: https://www.mohrdesign.com/changecomingx/ .
While I don't object to expanding the Supreme Court, surely we should also impeach and try for treason justices who have sworn to uphold the Constitution who have instead systematically used their power to tear it apart!
Why don't Dems reinstate the rape investigation of Bret Kavanaugh that MAGA closed after, what, four days? It was never finished! The only person in the room where it happened was kept away from investigators!
I like the idea of expansion - with each Justice responsible for and coming from a specific Circuit. With term limits, the Chief Judge from each Circuit could step up to Scotus when a vacancy - planned or unplanned - occurs, eliminating the presidential appointment. It would guarantee experience for the job of SC Justice. The Judges on each Circuit could be made responsible for electing their own Chief Judge.
Though this would be different, there would still be potential for supreme court judges to be part of an internal patronage system from within the circuit court structure. Expansion of the court, and adoption of the code of ethics that all other federal court and employees are subject to would be a good idea, as well as term limits.
A code of ethics must include legal ramifications for violations of the code and it can't be left to the Supremes to make judgements as to guilt or innocence. At the least, a Supreme Court justice guilty of violating the code must lose the privilege of being a Supreme Court justice.
I doubt that anyone could make a good case for a "treason" conviction of any SC Justice. Treason is very specifically defined in the Constitution, and I think that no SC Justices - whatever their shortcomings - can be shown to have committed treason beyond a reasonable doubt.
"Definition of Treason
Treason against the United States consists only of:
• Levying war against the United States.
• Adhering to enemies of the United States, giving them aid and comfort."
While I will defer to the lawyers on this point, it seems to me that destroying the U.S. a superpower is very much in the interests of Putin and Xi and given the high level of corruption among the Supreme Court justices, I would not be surprised to find many "foreign friends" who have been paying them large sums of money. It's certainly corruption, if its not treason.
Thanks Jen. I agree: the courts are the most inefficient and least effective way to protect citizens' right to vote. I have a suggestion based on Australia's strategy to have a broad plebiscite happen. They have not identified voting as a privilege or a right. They define it as a legal obligation. And they fine people who do not vote. Voting is easy to do, efficient, and relatively painless in Australia. I know that this strategy would mean that the MAGAts would also come out but it is far more likely that a REQUIREMENT that people vote would bring out the people who failed to do so in 2024 and thereby stuck us with the Felon and his malicious, malignant minions and managers. Voting should be the easiest thing to do. The fact that the fascists want to restrict it--even to the point of rescinding the 19th Amendment--should tell everyone where the line in the sand is.
Some states deliberately make it difficult to vote. In Alabama, people can only vote on the day of the election, which makes for long lines, especially if there are not enough polling sites. In Texas, they are moving voting sites off of campuses, which not only makes it harder for students to vote but also staff and faculty.
The coercive strategy for voting is unlikely to be well-received by Americans. I think we would spend too much time and energy enforcing this. We have an obligation to pay taxes. Look how people react to that. I think our time is better spent encouraging people to exercise their right to vote while emphasizing that voting is not a privilege granted on high to the peasants by the elites. Americans get truly feisty when they see someone trying to take their rights away. Americans know that without enforceable rights, like voting we have no power.
That suggestion scares me a little. I see so many uneducated Trump followers who know little and care less about who runs the government, as long as they are comfortable. They're sheep. Followers. Tell them that Donald Trump is the answer to all their woes and they'll vote for him. Look what happened in 2024! Those that are NOT comfortable are more likely to care and to want representatives and senators that represent THEIR interests. But you ARE right that if it were a requirement, it would bring out those who don't vote. Some people have never registered. Think where we might be if all those people came out to vote.
So well said. Thank you.
"Fortunately, “this case is likely to have limited impact on the midterms, because … the NVRA prohibits mass purges of voters in the 90 days before the election … [meaning] states can still use the database now for individualized determinations.”"
I maintain a cautious optimism that this decision will backfire. I think those fanatics looking for fraudulent voters will come up empty-handed, just as every other fanatical organization (looking at you, Heritage Foundation!) has done for the last decade.
Remember, J.D. Vance claimed "thousands" of ineligible voters were on the rolls in Nevada. Later, he had to correct himself down to 185. Then the Nevada secretary of state examined all of those cases and found...ZERO ineligible voters.
Because voter fraud rates are only slightly higher than zero.
We just need to get that word out. Over and over and over again, especially for those fascists in the back row.
If Dems regain the presidency and Congress in 28 and don't move aggressively to fix the wreckage I have no use for them. Don't ask me what I'll do instead, I don't have a plan, but I will be too disgusted to consider myself a Democrat. This includes adding justices to the Supreme Court. Don't cower in fear of what the Republicans might do next! I'm sick of Dems doing that!
The only way we can save voting rights is to vote for candidates that will protect democracy at every level. Only we can save voting rights. More town halls and interactions between the voters and candidates need to happen on a regular basis. When the candidates know what the voters want that gives them more direction in terms of how to construct their campaigns when the big day comes. It also allows them to meet their constituents in person and discuss the issues that matter most to them.
Leave no voter behind: How to arrange shared rides to the polls with the free MakeItFast app.
https://thedemlabs.org/2026/09/30/how-to-organize-shared-rides-to-the-polls/
Unfortunately recent history has shown that we cannot count on voters to understand or care about democracy
And that is why we have to work to make them care. Right now, with pocketbooks pinched, people do seem to understand that a change is needed, but in order to prevent the kind of backsliding that occurred in 2024, we need to spend the next two years emphasizing how democracy works and our role in it.
It appears that things have get incredibly bad to get some peoples' attention. One or two problems aren't enough to stir many, however the accumulation of issues (especially those that hit the kitchen-table budget) finally do so. The lack of general affordability has gotten into the home pocketbook. This seems to have creatied a tipping point.
This will be a battle the Republicans will fight every step of the way, because without gerrymandering and the partisan SCOTUS decisions that have been made this century, they would never win majorities in the House or the presidency. They have no agenda, no deep thinkers, and a bunch of conspiracy-theory crackpots, as that dope Sen. Schmidt from Missouri showed yesterday during the ill-timed and ill-fated grilling of Jack Smith. But as Jen points out, SCOTUS has to be reeled in, voting rights need to be codified, and gerrymandering needs to end. I think some people will be surprised that some states the lazy legacy media calls "ruby red" are actually just gerrymandered to hell.
I think the most important admonition here is to get voters to think beyond the big ticket races for Congress and governorships, and to take back control of their local representation when they go to the polls: in the State House, on the elections board, the school board, the judiciary, etc.. Without those other pieces in place, the path to full, fair representation becomes harder.
Start early in life with better programs in the schools for teaching Civics & Government courses again. We fell back on this. Students should be exposed to how government works, an explanation of rights and responsibilities, including that of the importance of voting.
The last several decades have revealed just how flawed and easy it is for bad actors to trample the US Constitution.
The document itself needs many significant updates/amendments, but the ultimate vulnerability of the American experiment lies in the Supreme Court. By capturing the SC, the Republican fascists, both on and off the court, have placed our government in their hands, which are wringing the neck of the republic and suffocating the breath of democracy.
The Supreme Court is where we must begin to clean house and make changes (term and age limits, number of justices, the vetting process, a transparent accountability review process which could ultimately lead to impeachment) and then move on to updating/amending the Constitution to meet the reality of today's America -- 250-years DIFFERENT -- from the nation at the time the document was ratified.
I recently heard of the National Popular Vote Compact, but live in a state that signed on. If only most voters had the curiosity (I read Ben Wikler’s THIS IS THE PLAN) and reading level to understand this excellent warning to gird their loins for demanding fair elections while voting blue now and always. Sigh. (I’m only a recent convert to political activism. Could I have made a difference 15 or 20 years ago?)
It's clear to me that the first order of business is to get out to vote - and remain vigilant! Republicans will lie, cheat, and steal. It isn't just voting rights that Trump is trying to overturn - it is almost every provision of the Constitution (Second Amendment excluded). If yesterday's Senate hearing with Jack Smith proved anything, it is the extent to which Republicans are willing to lie, ignore the law, and denigrate anyone who challenges their Dear Leader!
Excellent article Jen🙌🏻🙌🏻 VOTE VOTE FOR DEMOCRACY
A pro democracy coalition wouldn't even need to be partisan. There must surely be enough people, even in government, that aspire to go back to democratic norms and do away with the hyper partisanship that is prevalent in todays government. I think it's what the founders envisioned. Can't we get it done?
Jen, completely agree. Voter suppression has been going on since the Founding, all designed to protect the power of political minorities, who have used voter suppression in a variety of forms to maintain their power. For a full history and what we can do about it, even without expanding the Court or a Constitutional amendment, see The Democracy Agenda: https://www.mohrdesign.com/changecomingx/ .