this post was submitted on 25 Sep 2024
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A former House GOP lawmaker says Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas should be removed from the bench over his “unethical” behavior and taunted people to challenge him.

“Come at me. I got receipts,” Denver Riggleman posted to X, calling Thomas’ wife, Ginni Thomas, “disturbed.”

Riggleman posted in response to a clip of Donald Trump saying at a rally that “people should be put in jail for the way they talk about our judges and justices.”

“Clarence Thomas is, at the least, unethical. Should be removed from the bench. His wife, Ginni Thomas, is disturbed. Come at me. I got receipts.” Riggleman said.

Riggleman was a senior technical adviser for the January 6th committee that investigated the deadly insurrection that saw a mob of mostly Trump supporters overrun the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

In other words, he was the person who collected and analyzed the data collected from cell phones and other devices.

top 16 comments
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[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Mostly trump supporters? Who were the others?

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

Fingers Clarence Thomas?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago

Drop them publicly, I say.

[–] [email protected] 78 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Would love to see this come to something

[–] [email protected] 46 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (5 children)

Unfortunately, the only way to remove a Supreme Court Justice is impeachment. :(

So, the Republican controlled House will never impeach, and the filibuster bound Senate will never convict.

In theory, we could flip the House this year, but we would still need +10 seats in the Senate.

Here are the Senate races this year:

https://www.270towin.com/2024-senate-election/

"There are 34 seats up in 2024 - including a special election in Nebraska - of which 23 are held by Democrats or Independents."

AZ - Kyrsten Sinema - I - Not Running
Ruben Gallego - D - Seems likely to win. Lake is nuts.
Kari Lake - R

This wouldn't flip the seat as Sinema caucuses with the Democrats.

FL - Rick Scott - R
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell - D.
Rick Scott - Safe R.

Former RNC head Michael Steele says this is one to watch, Scott may be on the chopping block. Polling doesn't show that and with Trump having home state advantage, I don't see a split ticket there.

MD - Ben Cardin - D - Not Running
Angela Alsobrooks - Safe D.
Larry Hogan - R

MI - Debbie Stabenow - D - Not Running
Elissa Slotkin - Safe D.
Mike Rogers - R

MT - Jon Tester - D
Jon Tester - D
Tim Sheehy - R - Ahead in polling.

Likely flip D to R, despite the fact that Tester is well liked in MT. Polling is giving Sheehy the edge.

NV - Jacky Rosen - D
Jacky Rosen - Safe D.
Sam Brown - R

OH - Sherrod Brown - D
Sherrod Brown - D.
Bernie Moreno - R

Tossup. Brown leads in 4/5 polls, but it's a margin of error lead. Moreno is up in the most recent polling.

PA - Bob Casey - D
Bob Casey - Safe D.
David McCormick - R

TX - Ted Cruz - R
Colin Allred - D
Ted Cruz - Safe R.

Allred is up in only one poll, if the Cancun thing didn't sink Cruz, nothing will. Texas is gonna Texas.

WI - Tammy Baldwin - D
Tammy Baldwin - Safe D.
Eric Hovde - R

WV - Joe Manchin - I - Not Running
Glenn Elliott - D
Jim Justice - Safe R.

The following races are rated as safe for the incumbent party.

CA - Laphonza Butler - D - Not Running
Adam Schiff - Safe D.
Steve Garvey - R.

CT - Chris Murphy - D
Chris Murphy - Safe D.
Matt Corey - R.

DE - Tom Carper - D - Not Running
Lisa Blunt Rochester - Safe D.
Eric Hansen - R.

HI Mazie Hirono - D
Mazie Hirono - Safest D that ever D'd.
Bob McDermott - R

IN - Mike Braun - R - Running for Gov.
Valerie McCray - D.
Jim Banks - Safe R.

MA - Elizabeth Warren - D
Elizabeth Warren - Safe D.
John Deaton - R.

ME - Angus King - I
David Costello - D.
Demi Kouzounas - R.
Angus King - Safe I, Caucuses with D's.

MN - Amy Klobuchar - D
Amy Klobuchar - Safe D.
Royce White - R.

MO - Josh Hawley - R
Lucas Kunce - D.
Josh Hawley - Safe R.

MS - Roger Wicker - R
Ty Pinkins - D
Roger Wicker - Safe R.

ND - Kevin Cramer - R
Katrina Christiansen - D.
Kevin Cramer - Safe R.

NE - Deb Fischer - R
Deb Fischer - Safe R.
Dan Osborn - I

Osborn is getting closer in the polls, but I don't see a steady red state going I.

NE - Pete Ricketts - R
Preston Love - D.
Pete Ricketts - Safe R.

NJ - George Helmy - D - Not Running, replaced Menendez.
Andy Kim - Safe D.
Curtis Bashaw - R.

NM - Martin Heinrich - D
Martin Heinrich - Safe D.
Nella Domenici - R.

NY - Kirsten Gillibrand - D
Kirsten Gillibrand - Safe D.
Mike Sapraicone - R.

RI - Sheldon Whitehouse - D
Sheldon Whitehouse - Safe D.
Patricia Morgan - R.

TN - Marsha Blackburn - R
Gloria Johnson - D.
Marsha Blackburn - Safe R.

UT - Mitt Romney - R - Not Running
Caroline Gleich - D.
John Curtis - Safe R.

VA - Tim Kaine - D
Tim Kaine - Safe D.
Hung Cao - R.

VT - Bernie Sanders - I
Bernie Sanders - Safe I.
Gerald Malloy - R.

WA - Maria Cantwell - D
Maria Cantwell - Safe D.
Raul Garcia

WY - John Barrasso - R
Scott Morrow - D.
John Barrasso - Safe R.

So...

Ind. -> D +1
D -> R +1
Ind. -> R +1
Tossup - OH

Ohio and Montana are going to be the races to watch. Right now, the Senate is split 50 Republicans, 46 Democrats, 4 Independents Caucusing with Democrats (Sinema, Manchin, King, and Sanders).

As VP, Harris casts the tie breaking vote which gives the Democrats the majority in the Senate, Committee controls, etc. etc. etc.

So if Montana flips. 51 R, 45 D + 4 I = 49. Democrats are out of the majority.

WV flips with Manchin's seat going R. 52 R, 45 D + 3 I = 48.

AZ flips with Sinema's seat going D. 52 R, 46 D + 2 I = 48.

OH being the tossup, could be 53 R vs. 45 D + 2 I = 47. OTOH - Could be 52 R vs. 46 D + 2 I = 48. That would be a hold as that seat is currently D.

However you slice it though, neither party is getting the +10 seat majority needed to break the filibuster. :(

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Ouch, so there's no scenario in which Dems keep a majority?

Alas 50+10 (or 60) in the Senate is not good enough. To earn a conviction in the Senate, you need a two thirds majority, or 50+17 (67), https://time.com/6997811/impeaching-supreme-court-justice-judges-history/

It's possible that with a good case, the judges could be convinced to resign prior to getting officially impeached or after impeachment but before conviction. But a major factor in Nixon's resignation was that he didn't have the votes to avoid conviction in the Senate, while both Clinton and Drumpf knew they'd be acquitted.

The only way I see this happening is under something like the 127 DC states plan, https://www.vox.com/2020/1/14/21063591/modest-proposal-to-save-american-democracy-pack-the-union-harvard-law-review

(The above would go like this: 50 Dems + 1 Dem VP vote to abolish the filibuster in the Senate, then a Dem majority House passes a bill to admit each neighborhood of DC as a separate state (127 in all), and then the same 50 Dems + 1 Dem VP pass the same bill. Once admitted, the extra states give the required supermajority to the Dems who can then move to a successful impeachment and conviction.)

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago

Well, the only way that doesn’t end in a literal death sentence.

Something Thomas probably should keep in mind….the more fascist he gets, the more people will think “worth it”

Even Machiavelli warned about being too much an asshole.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (2 children)

the filibuster bound Senate will never convict.

The filibuster doesn't really enter into it. Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution requires a 2/3 majority to convict:

The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.

The only positive fact about Thomas's tenure is that the guy is 76 years old. The actuary tables look worse and worse for him every year.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

I want to ask "Hey, Clarence, is it true that you think your vote should only count for 3/5ths of mine?" and "is it true you think the all of the constitutional amendments were mistakes?" until he has a heart attack.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

The filibuster makes it unlikely it will even be heard, that was the problem with the first Trump impeachment. They broke the filibuster the 2nd time then failed to convict.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 month ago (2 children)

No, according to the US Supreme Court the President in an official act can eject them by many means... for instance put then on a rocket along with Elon Musk to go start their own little fascist colony on Somewhere-far-from-here as an official act to ensure humanity's continued existence.

Since it's their own ruling, surely they'd understand this and comply without objection.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Worse case scenario NASA probably has closet or ten full of duck tape to stop the screaming, im sure they wouldnt mind if ya used something. Though you may have to pay an engineer or two some cheese to get it.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Right, there's no way they would do something super unethical and try to apply their words differently to a sitting president above reproach in comparison to the convicted felon running for office.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago

They uh, would need to remain capable of speech for that. Surely there's official act way of stopping that.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Oh! I'm not holding my breath