Pat Hudson Cartoons :: @phudsonink :: Tarrific Numbers, Best Ever
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[TCinLA]
There are 254 days to the mid-term elections.
In the aftermath of yesterday’s Supreme Court decision, before we go all gooey on the thought of the Court returning to its traditional role, consider that of the six right wing justices, three acted to stop him, and other three tried to contort themselves so as to give the most dangerous threat the country has ever faced even more unconstitutional power than they and the other three have already ladled out for him. This court still cannot be trusted. Yesterday was a fluke.
From Thursday’s Daily News editorial: “It is time to acknowledge what has become tragically obvious: the Trump administration is essentially acting as a massive criminal enterprise. It lies, steals, extorts and murders - all while cloaked in the awesome authority of the state. It is on a crime spree that puts Al Capone to shame. This is not hyperbole or hyperventilation. It is our reality, as the facts amply demonstrate. It is difficult to comprehend the level of state-sponsored criminality we are witnessing because our country has never experienced anything like it. It is also difficult to absorb because it is happening so quickly, and on so many different fronts. In the words of the 2022 movie, it sometimes feels like ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once.’ And that can be exhausting, numbing, and overwhelming.”
And of the five “alternatives” Brett Kavanaugh laid out as alternative ways from Trump to continue wrecking things” It turns out that all five only offer MORE RESTRICTIVE ways to go for the destruction he wants: Three of the five provisions: Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 and Section 201 and 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 require a federal investigation. Under the first, the Commerce Department has 270 days to return a decision on whether the importation of certain goods are a threat to national security. Under Section 201, the International Trade Commission must hold public hearings and get public comment, and U.S. Trade Representative is usually required to meet with targeted foreign governments before the president can tariff goods under Section 301. Sections 201 and 301, along with Section 122 of the same act, limit tariff duration. And three of the five provisions: Section 338 of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, along with Sections 301 and 122 restrict the tariff rate. The approaches are more piecemeal, can apply to just specific products or industries, and take far longer to enact than a stroke of Trump’s pen.
So, if the Supreme Court wants to continue using the Major Questions Theory, Trump can be knocked down under all five laws, particularly since he has already demonstrated his incompetent legal department’s incompetent way to misuse Section 122, which limits the term of tariffs to a maximum 150 days and requires prior Congressional action before he can take such a step. Watch for the lawsuit that will land at the International Court of Trade this coming week.
Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board delivered a blistering rebuke to Trump following his fiery outburst earlier in the day to the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision striking down his signature emergency tariff policy. In a stinging opinion piece, the conservative publication argued that Trump owes an apology to both the individual justices he attacked and the institution itself. The editors admitted that’s unlikely to happen. The editorial board hammered Trump’s tantrum: “This is ugly even by Mr. Trump’s standards. This is rhetoric that could cause some deranged Trump acolyte to turn to violence against a Justice.” The board noted that Trump had no legitimate grounds for surprise, having been warned from the outset that his tariff action would likely fail legal scrutiny under the IEEPA statute.
Brendan Carr, the Trump-appointed stooge, er, I mean “chairman” of the FCC, is demanding fealty from local broadcasting networks in line with the president’s “pro-America” agenda. In a press release on Friday, Carr announced the FCC’s Pledge America Campaign, which he said is part of “heeding this call” of the White House’s Salute to America 250 Task Force. Through the memo, Carr pressured broadcasters to join in by reminding them of their “public interest obligations.” Carr suggested broadcasters implement such fun pro-America festivities as “starting each broadcast day with the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ or Pledge of Allegiance,” and offering viewers daily “Today in American History” announcements that explain “significant events that took place on that day in history.” To mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S.’s founding, Trump enacted a Task Force that “invites citizens to have a renewed love of American history, experience the beauty of our country, and ignite a spirit of adventure and innovation that will raise our nation to new heights over the next 250 years.” The FCC’s Campaign, Carr said, “enables broadcasters to lend their voices in support of Task Force 250 and the celebration of America’s 250th birthday by airing patriotic, pro-America content that celebrates the American journey and inspires its citizens by highlighting the historic accomplishments of this great nation from our founding through the Trump Administration today.” Under a bottom-of-the-page “Additional Information” section, Carr suggested that broadcasters could “voluntarily choose to indicate their commitment.” I think we should have the biggest “No Kings Day” nationawide demonstrations ever on July 4, 2026.
