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Stellar

(5,644 posts)
Fri Mar 8, 2019, 08:53 AM Mar 2019

Reports: FMR. AG Holder says Next Democratic President Should Add Seats to the Supreme Court.

Former U.S. attorney general Eric Holder advocated for Supreme Court packing at a Yale Law National Security Group conversation Thursday afternoon, according to three students who attended the event. A Holder spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush later confirmed his statement to The Daily Beast.

The comment came when an audience member asked Holder to clarify his “when they go low, we kick them” comment made in October — a reference to Michelle Obama’s now famous line, “When they go low, we go high”. Holder answered that while civility is an important principle, Democrats are adverse to wielding power like Republicans have, according to Ramis Wadood LAW ’21, who attended the event. Holder went on to say that if he were president and had a Democratic majority in Congress, he would seriously consider adding two seats to the Supreme Court to make up for Mitch McConnell’s “power-grabbing antics” and his blocking of Merrick Garland’s confirmation, Wadood recalled.

Holder’s office did not respond to comment Thursday afternoon. Several audience members, including Wadood, are researchers for an initiative urging Democrats to expand federal courts called “Pack the Courts.”
https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2019/03/08/former-ag-holder-advocates-for-court-packing-at-yls-event/ *more at link*
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Reports: FMR. AG Holder says Next Democratic President Should Add Seats to the Supreme Court. (Original Post) Stellar Mar 2019 OP
This makes sense greymattermom Mar 2019 #1
It's not just a good idea, it's a fair solution... Dennis Donovan Mar 2019 #2
+1. We can't be timid when dealing with ruthless extremists dalton99a Mar 2019 #5
K&R! HAB911 Mar 2019 #3
It's the only way to break the GOP stranglehold on any future Democratic president and Congress dalton99a Mar 2019 #4
Not just at the Supreme Court NewJeffCT Mar 2019 #6
Where are all the critics of this that populated recent threads about this idea? pecosbob Mar 2019 #7
Now see, I thought it was a great idea... Stellar Mar 2019 #9
It's an awful idea. theboss Mar 2019 #12
it would be interesting to watch the right wing heads explode and create whole new... Javaman Mar 2019 #8
No, I can't support this Amishman Mar 2019 #10
been tried - by FDR as a get around KG Mar 2019 #11

greymattermom

(5,751 posts)
1. This makes sense
Fri Mar 8, 2019, 08:56 AM
Mar 2019

because the country is so much bigger than it was when the constitution was written. It may have actually been their intent because they did not specify the number of members of the court.

Dennis Donovan

(18,770 posts)
2. It's not just a good idea, it's a fair solution...
Fri Mar 8, 2019, 08:56 AM
Mar 2019

...to the extreme measures McConnell has taken to cheat Dems out of judgeships.

dalton99a

(81,073 posts)
4. It's the only way to break the GOP stranglehold on any future Democratic president and Congress
Fri Mar 8, 2019, 11:01 AM
Mar 2019

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.

NewJeffCT

(56,827 posts)
6. Not just at the Supreme Court
Fri Mar 8, 2019, 11:05 AM
Mar 2019

add seats to the lower federal courts as well to combat the unprecedented tactics Republicans used to block nominees under Obama.

pecosbob

(7,511 posts)
7. Where are all the critics of this that populated recent threads about this idea?
Fri Mar 8, 2019, 11:09 AM
Mar 2019

I lauded this idea in recent threads and my comment was met with a chorus of 'bad idea', and 'will be abused by Repubs'. Now that former AG Holder floats the idea, nothing but crickets...

Stellar

(5,644 posts)
9. Now see, I thought it was a great idea...
Fri Mar 8, 2019, 12:08 PM
Mar 2019

and I thought that it would even fuel the GOTV, and I wondered what nay sayers thought too.

Javaman

(62,442 posts)
8. it would be interesting to watch the right wing heads explode and create whole new...
Fri Mar 8, 2019, 11:30 AM
Mar 2019

cabinet full of conspiracy theories.

Amishman

(5,541 posts)
10. No, I can't support this
Fri Mar 8, 2019, 01:46 PM
Mar 2019

It erases what remains of the independence of the court. It will become standard practice for each party to seize control of the judiciary when they take sufficient power. It guarantees the courts are always a rubber stamp of the ruling party. It sounds tempting with our control a near sure thing after 2020, but the long term ramifications are terrifying.

No, I won't support it at all.

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