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Patricia Levee's avatar

Thank you for sharing this information with me. I am not a lawyer but this explains in plain English how DJT is trying to become a true dictator! Thank you to the Judge for rendering this brilliant decision!👍🇺🇸

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Robert L Sain's avatar

Thanks Harry! I agree with Patricia. Your elegant vocabulary is an opportunity to learn some legal terms. Fortunately, my computer easily catches translations. The written word gives me time to understand that "the law" makes sense. I do better reading medical scripts.

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Fraser's avatar

Amen to that, Patricia!

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Phil's avatar

Read the decision

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John Farbstein's avatar

Thank you, Harry, for sharing this information. I hope that Judge Howell can someday become Justice Howell of the U.S. Supreme Court. That will depend on America regaining its former moral authority with a future president.

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Bradford E. Rigby's avatar

One can understand the observation that "prominent clients will likely still pause before hiring a firm they assess remains on the Maximum Leader’s grudge list" -- but on the other hand, if you're hiring a firm to fight passionately on your behalf, are you going to pick a firm that fights fiercely and wins, or one that rolls over and submits?

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Lefty Red's avatar

Agreed, as to litigation & many other areas. But as George Conway has noted, the firms that "settled" earn a large portion of their income from M&A (mergers and acquisitions) work, which often require approval by 1 or more government agencies. The firms may have feared that proposals they presented wouldn't be approved under this administration. That's not to excuse their obedience in advance, but explains it.

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Bradford E. Rigby's avatar

Agreed & understood, Lefty - and I also recognize there's likely other sorts of cases where having your lawyer seen as being on the wrong side of the despot could be... a disadvantage. But I wonder if (and hope that) the ones showing a fighting spirit may find there are competitive advantages in doing that.

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Jim Chrisinger's avatar

Instead of saying Congress is supine, please consider saying Congressional Republicans are supine. Congress is not dysfunctional. Congressional Republicans are the problem and we should not waste any opportunity to point that out. Thank you for your great posts. I'm already looking forward to the next one.

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Jane Carr's avatar

Judge Howell is a fierce

protector of our Republic and our people. She is one of the strong judges who is applying the law accurately and as intended regardless of whom is the defendant or the plaintiff. Thank you, Judge Howell!

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Bonnie Svarstad's avatar

Thanks for sharing Judge Howell’s statement. And thanks to Judge Howell!!

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Jill Roeder's avatar

THANKYOU to all who are Fighting against Tyranny!

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Ken C's avatar

The rule of law is the living embodiment of our constitutional government. We are extremely grateful for the brave lawyers, judges, and attorneys general who contend with personal threats of violence to uphold the sacred rules and order that has defined America from the beginning.

Tragically, too many Americans share Donald Trump deep ignorance of our history and the founding principles of our country. Too many Americans hold an extremely myopic view of the responsibility of citizenship and civic engagement. Too many Americans rely on sound bites and Pavlovian charged messaging to make reasoned decisions.

Democracy depends on an informed electorate. Thankfully, the judiciary branch provides the final bulwark when the other protections fail.

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Jamie Hamilton's avatar

I think you show us the most important issue in our involvement in government today:

“ Democracy depends on an informed electorate”! Until we find a good way to educate the electorate, we will continue to be at the mercy of tyrants like t-rump!!!!!

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Janey Bennett's avatar

Thank you for giving this essay the extra attention it deserves. It honors the attention Judge Howell gave to her opinion. We need more clear and articulate thinking in these times.

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Karen Landry's avatar

No matter how it's twisted, it bribery.

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Robert Atallo's avatar

Extortion

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Karen Landry's avatar

A much better and stronger word than mine. Thank you.

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The Rogue Optimist ;-)'s avatar

It truly is a sad day that the people we hire to represent us simply do not do their jobs. How do those people sleep at night.

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Robert L Sain's avatar

In my experience with juvenile delinquents, many of them had parents who insist that their children toe the line. Children dominated by "father knows best" have better sleep by breathing parental edicts. Getting out from under parental control is possible in adolescence when they have space to think for themselves.

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Nancy Sclafani's avatar

I don’t believe the Republicans are not doing their job, I believe they are doing the job they want to do! I believe Trump works for them (kept out of jail), not the other way around. They can look like they are not trying to steal power by implying it’s Trump, but they totally control this and own this. I truly believe we need to start stating that and naming names each and every day!

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Robert L Sain's avatar

Nancy: My opinion is that MAGA "Republicans" aren't doing their job. Politicians are expected to address the care of the people. They aren't doing their job. Independents and Democrats are accepting reality. "Republicans" are sycophants pretending to be swallowing the doctrine of "father knows the best".

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Bob Hinton's avatar

Thank you for this excellent analysis. I learned so much from it.

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Jill Roeder's avatar

Me too.

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Sarah Larkin's avatar

Thank you Harry for sharing this information. I heard you and Ben Meiselas discuss this, and reading this just reinforced what you both said and having this copy to share with friends and family is great! Thanks for all you’re doing to help educate people in lay terms!

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Tom Bomer's avatar

The Federal Courts are all that stands between us and the abyss. In a constitutional crisis, we are the only power that they have, to back them up. Every citizen needs to let the courts know that we have their backs!

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Phil's avatar

One of the most important decisions of the decade

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