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It’s me's avatar

I almost cried when I read Habba’s statement.🤣🤣🤣

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Lisa Nystrom's avatar

Thank you! Thank you, Liz! It does feel like the tide is turning back towards sanity! The exposure you provide on the corruption of DC is so important. Glad I can be a paid supporter of Public Notice❤️

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Mark In Colorado's avatar

The Barbie-style pose of her in the photo and her statement full of the word “I” just scream narcissist.

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David J. Sharp's avatar

Oh, those crazy politicians! Manly men who weep and whine … brave women who pout and whine … a Supreme Court to chorus in patrician murmurs.

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Jack Jordan's avatar

Thank you for this enlightening article about the truth about how federal officials are chosen (or not chosen) according to the preferences of the people in each state.

One of the most offensive aspects of the misconduct of SCOTUS justices in Trump v. Anderson (misrepresenting that our Constitution somehow denied states the power to keep insurrectionists off state ballots for federal offices) was the obvious (and obviously knowing) falsehood by the justices responsible for misrepresenting (in Trump v. Anderson) that all "federal officers" actually '‘owe their existence and functions to the united voice of the whole, not of a portion, of the people.' ” That assertion by SCOTUS justices was a lie.

This piece about how federal officials actually are chosen highlights the obvious falsity of the SCOTUS justices who use an anonymous opinion (per curiam) to lie about what our Constitution says and means regarding federalism in multiple respects.

Obviously, no federal official is chosen by "the whole people" speaking with a "united voice." Not even any president since George Washington can even potentially plausibly claim to have been elected by "the united voice of the whole" of "the people." As every election for national office highlights, the multitude of voters clearly do not speak with one voice. Many don't speak (vote) at all. Moreover, we clearly have no national election.

In the SCOTUS decisions in which the current SCOTUS majority repeatedly have deceitfully and unconstitutionally protected partisan gerrymandering by state legislators (Abbott v. LULAC last week and Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP in 2024) those justices have highlighted that they understand very well that presidents are elected by state electors who reflect the partisan votes of the so-called "congressional" districts that are being drawn by partisan legislators, e.g., in Texas.

The truth is that every election that culminates in or contributes to a federal employee being elected is a state election. The text of Article II of our Constitution regarding presidential elections proves the truth of James Madison's reminder that "Without the intervention of the State legislatures, the President of the United States cannot be elected at all. [State legislatures] must in all cases have a great share in [the president's] appointment, and will, perhaps, in most cases, of themselves determine it."

In Federalist No. 45 Madison highlighted how our Constitution permits state legislators to powerfully influence elections of presidents:

"The State governments may be regarded as constituent and essential parts of the federal government; whilst the latter is nowise essential to the operation or organization of the former. Without the intervention of the State legislatures, the President of the United States cannot be elected at all. They must in all cases have a great share in his appointment, and will, perhaps, in most cases, of themselves determine it. The Senate will be elected absolutely and exclusively by the State legislatures [until the 17th Amendment provided for senators to be elected by the people]. Even the House of Representatives, though drawn immediately from the people, will be chosen very much under the influence of that class of men, whose influence over the people obtains for themselves an election into the State legislatures. Thus, each of the principal branches of the federal government will owe its existence more or less to the favor of the State governments, and must consequently feel a dependence, which is much more likely to beget a disposition too obsequious than too overbearing towards them."

State legislatures make state laws, e.g., governing who can vote and where they can vote (including redistricting/gerrymandering) to determine how the president is chosen. The president clearly is not chosen by "the united voice of the whole" of "the people." As Article II established clearly, the president is chosen by the votes of state electors who are chosen according to state law and whose votes are expected (or required) to be cast according to state law.

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Teresa Baustian's avatar

Chuck Grassley? Wow, Iowans have pretty much given up on him.

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