It seems certain that President Obama will veto that proposed oil pipeline from Canada, and the pundits say Republicans in Congress don’t have the votes to override the veto. And this is just the beginning.
The President is sure to veto any law repealing the Affordable Health Care Act, for example. And he is likely to balk at laws weakening pollution control, unions, and so on.
So here we go again.
In the last Congress, the Democrats were stymied by Republican stonewalling. In this Congress, the Republicans are going to face the President’s veto pen. So how much do you think is likely to get done?
Once again, Congress has become little more than a stage for political theater.
In a hopelessly polarized America, democracy is not working.
I wonder where this might lead. Could the Supreme Court step in and take charge?
According to the Southern Law Review:
Polarization is already leading to an increase in the power of the Court against Congress, whether or not the Justices affirmatively seek that additional power.
Increasingly, the justices are being asked to arbitrate the issues that divide America.
They’re getting set to rule on a case that could torpedo Obamacare, for example. And they are considering a case that could put an end to the same-sex marriage revolution. Who knows what’s ahead? They might even turn back the clock on abortion rights.
If Congress is unable to govern, the Court might try to fill the vacuum.
Think about that. Scary, isn’t it?
This is an activist court. This is an ultra-conservative court. The majority on the court represents a far-right sliver of the American population, yet these justices are in a position to impose their unpopular views on the country as a whole.
With these right-wing justices in control, anything is possible. We’ve already seen them take an ax to the Voting Rights Act. Consider what they might do to the Labor movement, the environment, the financial system… the nation.
At least members of Congress must answer to the voters. The justices answer to nobody.
Click for more on the pipeline.
Click fo more on the power of the court.
