Cults Gone Wild, Part 17.

sorry stream was just y’all watching me realize I was sick in real time lol

Two lawless, partisan Trump judges doing what they do best, protect the GOP as they mandamus a trial judge who just wanted to learn the facts about government misbehavior. Horrible. Judges Rao and Walker are political operatives/SCOTUS auditioners in robes. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

What do they say about letting sleeping dogs….

Political stumping or WWE?

Indeed, just look at the pairing

Yeah, but from Alabama, which explains everything.

This man is a US Senator.

Teaching the remnants of Bivens tonight and can’t help thinking how much we need the real Bivens today.

cc: Leonard “But Gorsuch” Leo.

[shocked pikachu.jpeg]

Imagine being so unpopular and evil that you have to drop this amount of money and invent new forms of ratfucking so you can beat a 27-year-old who regularly wears a Snorlax onesie to bed.

The newly discovered common law writ, "de insanorum et absurdorum," which only applies to litigation where Ilan Wurman is *checks note* lead counsel and related suits.

Thankfully, six other law profs have yet to agree to his analogizing the homeless folks in this case to murderers and thieves.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas blasts progressivism as threat to America He said that the values enshrined in the 1776 Declaration of Independence have “fallen out of favor” among Americans.

Justice (Leonard Leo) Thomas, “The values enshrined in the Declaration of Independence have fallen out of favor among Americans -- a trend perpetrated by intellectuals and the nation’s colleges and universities.”
He is a complete fraud in every sense of the word fraud. abcnews.com/Politics/sup...

A 5th Cir opinion invalidated an 1868 law banning home distilleries as beyond the powers of Congress. As I explain on the blog, the conclusion that the law is not necessary & proper to the taxing power might be justifiable, but the Biden DOJ blundered by failing to rely on the Commerce Clause. 👇

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas blasts progressivism as threat to America He said that the values enshrined in the 1776 Declaration of Independence have “fallen out of favor” among Americans.

Genuinely funny that Sonia Sotomayor issued a public apology today for her mild criticism of a conservative colleague on a specific, substantive issue, and then a few hours later Clarence Thomas picked up a mic and was like ALL LIBERALS ARE AMERICA-HATING COWARDS

I deeply admire Steve, and do not doubt his heart, and, leaving aside the tragedy rhetoric, I agree with every other point made in this super important essay everyone and I mean everyone should read. The short-lived Warren Court remains a stumbling block emotionally for too many progressives.

You’d think they would offer to help.

Serious question: Why is it even close to ok even if Trump was portraying himself as a Doctor?

Randy Barnett, quote-posting Jeff Clark: This is a travesty. If making allegedly questionable constitutional arguments is a disbarrable offense, bar disciplinary tribunals would be in permanent session.

John Eastman was not disbarred for making "allegedly questionable constitutional arguments," and characterizing the decision that way is risible.

I watched Eastman, in real time, testify to the Georgia General Assembly that it was their *duty* to overturn my vote in 2020. He lied about evidence. He misled his client about the law. Law profs who back wannabe coup leaders and authoritarians should retire because what’s the point of law at all?

In 2015, the constitutional law legal academy was a splendid cohort where we disagreed with each other but talked to each other and respected each other. Then a madman, bet your country President promised originalist judges and most of the Leo disciples lost their minds. Trump breaks everything.

I had the privilege of listening to @evanbernick.bsky.social unpacking this point and it gave me so much food for thought

A small cohort of ("prominent"?) law professors are trying to portray John Eastman as some kind of innocent victim of viewpoint discrimination, and his disbarment as some kind of assault on the First Amendment.

That's complete and utter bollocks. As usual, @gabrielmalor.bsky.social brings receipts:

At his talk in Texas this week Justice Thomas acknowledged his good friend Harlan Crow who was there who supplemented Thomas’ wife’s salary, his kid’s private school tuition, his mother’s house, and many luxury trips. IN PLAIN VIEW! Not gifts but an entire lifestyle.
It is nuts he’s still a Justice.

The Inside Story of Five Days That Remade the Supreme Court

There’s so much to say about the remarkable reporting from Jodi Kantor & Adam Liptak—and I’ll say a lot of it in Monday’s newsletter.

But the most striking thing about all of it is the role & behavior of Chief Justice Roberts. “Calling balls and strikes” this ain’t:

www.nytimes.com/2026/04/18/u...

Roberts the institutionalist has solidified his superlegislature.

"Originalism" promises 2 things: restraining "judicial activism" & (though worded differently today) retaining the Constitution's original intent. By inventing a whole new way of operating on the fly, Robert's showed how phony both claims always were.