Some More Election Stuff

Whew, that was close. Last night Gabi came to dinner holding my wireless keyboard. When I got to the 'puter it was off (the big blue button has a strange attraction to 2 year olds). When I rebooted it, it came up black. After a great deal of fussing, we determined the 'puter was working, but the monitor wasn't. I have no idea how that happened. It makes no sense that they are related. Anyway, I reached out to a friend this morning who happened to have an old monitor, and I'm back in business. I miss my old 27" big, bright monitor, though.

Onto the material. From Da Caller, Democratic Senators Release Draft Bill Changing Electoral Vote Count Rules.

The Electoral Count Modernization Act raises the threshold necessary for members of Congress to sustain an objection to a state’s electoral vote slate, from one representative and one senator to one-third of each chamber. The proposal also limits the ability of members to object to an electoral slate by requiring them to explain why the slate “is not the valid certificate of identification of electors” or an elector is constitutionally ineligible to serve in that capacity.

The bill also pushes back the date by which states must certify their electoral slate, to allow for recounts and court challenges, and places responsibility for identifying the correct electors with the governor.

Look for the embedded section that says this applies only to Republicans. I do think this is a case of fighting the last war. Jeffrey Lord at Am Spec notes how Kinzinger, Cheney Stand Up for Stolen Elections, "The upside-down and backwards world of two Never Trumpers." Larry Elder at Front Page, Biden Preemptively Questions 2022 -- But Trump's a 'Big Liar' About 2020. Jay Valentine at Am Think thinks We Need A Sarbanes-Oxley Law For Voter Rolls. The trouble is, as much as you would like to demand truth and honesty from politicians, there is not enforcement mechanism outside the ballot box. And now that's questionable since they control that too.

Politico reports Senate Dems back off Manchin and Sinema — except Bernie. The Supreme Court vacancy has them rethinking their tactics. 

From the Center Square, Pennsylvania Supreme Court steps into congressional redistricting fight, and since it's controlled by Democrats, it's unlikely to allow Republican redistricting plans to stand, unlike Maryland and New York, where the courts won't touch Democrat gerrymandering. 

“We went from a redistricting process that was open to every Pennsylvanian, took into account feedback from countless residents and a Legislature-approved map drawn by a citizen to the Wolf way of having a few select members of the judiciary decide which map will be used,” Grove said.

Census data shows Pennsylvania’s population of 12.8 million grew slower than other states at about 2.4% over the past decade, resulting in a reduction of congressional delegates from 18 to 17. The current delegation is split 9-9 between Democrats and Republicans, with U.S. Democratic Reps. Conor Lamb and Mike Doyle not seeking reelection this year.

AllahPundit at Haut Hair aghast that  a 2024 poll of Florida shows Trump leads DeSantis -- and Hillary leads Biden. Anxious is delirious that Trump-backed candidates confront cash wave

Cutie Pavlich at Town Hall, Oh, So That’s Who Leaked Justice Breyer’s Retirement. President in-effect Ron Klain leaked to a few friendly congressmen. I assume he wanted it to leak; why else trust one with secret info? AllaPundit, Dick Durbin: It was Ron Klain who blabbed about Breyer's retirement to a "limited" number of people.

At Da Caller, White House Believes Kamala Harris Could Cast Deciding Vote For SCOTUS Nominee, Psaki Says. While the Constitution doesn't specifically provide for it the way it does for legislation, it's ambiguous enough to be decided by the Supremes. 

The White House’s apparent belief that Harris could cast such a vote is at odds with arguments from Harvard Law professor and Biden ally Laurence Tribe. Tribe argued in 2020 that then-Vice President Mike Pence could not cast a tie-breaking vote to approve Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination.

JD Davidson at the Da Fed claims Biden Is Wrong About His Supreme Court Pledge — And So Were Reagan And Trump. Scott McKay at Am Spec calls it Joe Biden’s Racism Under New Management "A Supreme Court diversity hire is precisely the wrong move for America right now." This argument doesn't interest me that much. Supreme Court nominations are political. Get over it. In fact, Margot Cleveland at Da Fed argues Why The Right Should Root For Biden To Pick The Most Insane Supreme Court Nominee. To show the country the Democrats' true colors before the midterms and 2024.

Althouse on the controversy at Georgetown Law, where conservative Ilya Shapiro has been suspended, for what is at worst an unartful tweet about the president restricting his nomination to black women, "At Georgetown Law, Black students are haunted by the shadow of impostor syndrome. Shapiro reinforced this phenomenon by reducing Black women’s accomplishments to 'small favors' from 'heaven.'"

Wrote The Black Law Students Association at Georgetown, quoted in "Georgetown Suspends Lecturer Who Criticized Vow to Put Black Woman on Court/Ilya Shapiro has apologized after tweeting that President Biden was poised to nominate not 'the objectively best pick,' but a 'lesser Black woman' to the Supreme Court" (NYT).

Who is responsible for "the shadow of impostor syndrome" that "haunts" black students? Not Shapiro. He is only accused of having "reinforced" it.

These are big woke entitled babies exerting their cancel power. It has nothing to do with black students feeling "imposter syndrome." 

Meanwhile , the WaPoo whines that Trump ally pushes Republican Party to expel Cheney, Kinzinger. Also, Henry Olsen opines Mike Pence, this is your moment to rebuke Donald Trump. The Republicans could get along just fine without Pence at this point. Also, Some records sent to Jan. 6 committee were torn up, taped back together — mirroring a Trump habit "The National Archives confirmed Trump’s unusual habit of ripping up documents, which forced aides to attempt to piece them back together in order to comply with the Presidential Records Act." Unlike Hillary, who simply deleted, bit-bleached and hammered hard drives to hide 30,000 emails. 

At Anxious, McConnell says he opposes shortening sentences for Jan. 6 rioters after Trump proposed pardons. If it's a general tough-on-crime stance, fine, but if it's a get-the-Trumpers, it's not. Ace reads
Julie Kelly: While the Merrick Garland's DOJ and Chris Wray's FBI Scours the Country for J6 Grandmas, They Also Seek Leniency for... BLM Murderers, Because They Committed (and I'm Not Kidding) Murders For the Cause of Social Justice, "Let a thousand motions for selective prosecution be filed."

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links.