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submitted 10 months ago by spaceghoti@lemmy.one to c/politics@lemmy.ml

Five House Democrats led by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York wrote to the US attorney general, Merrick Garland, to demand a federal investigation of the conservative supreme court justice Clarence Thomas, over his acceptance of undeclared gifts from billionaire rightwing donors.

“We write to urge the Department of Justice to launch an investigation into … Clarence Thomas for consistently failing to report significant gifts he received from Harlan Crow and other billionaires for nearly two decades in defiance of his duty under federal law,” the Democrats said.

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[-] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 95 points 10 months ago

It's always disappointing when people shit on the few politicians who are actually trying to help because there's not enough of them to win...

AOC is out there bringing this stuff up and motivating younger generations to get involved in politics, and it's working.

So it's really hard to believe all the people who claim to be on the left but spend all their time shitting on the ones trying and not the ones who won't even talk about it.

[-] bitsplease@lemmy.ml 46 points 10 months ago

I'll really never understand why so many people reserve so much hate specifically for AOC. Is she perfect? Is she immune from the hypocrisy you find in literally every elected official today? Hell no. She's definitely guilty of having said one thing than voted the other way and similar, as is every other politician out there.

But on the relative scale of U.S. Politicians, she's one of the few who is at least making the right noises about change, and while she doesn't always get things done, she definitely seems to be moving in a better direction than most other politicians.

And yet people single her out all the time for their hatred. Between her and the hate surrounding Greta (which is also weirdly prevalent on Lemmy), it's hard to see it as anything more than just hating young women who speak up, and wind up being wildly successful at doing so

[-] Dubious_Fart@lemmy.ml 48 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

People hate her cause shes

  1. A woman
  2. Not afraid to point out bullshit
  3. Puerto Rican.
  4. A democrat.
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[-] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 14 points 10 months ago

And yet people single her out all the time for their hatred. Between her and the hate surrounding Greta (which is also weirdly prevalent on Lemmy), it’s hard to see it as anything more than just hating young women who speak up, and wind up being wildly successful at doing so

I feel like there's a lot of accounts on Lemmy that are larping so people believe the bullshit horseshoe theory is real.

It's the only rational explanation for lemmygrad and similar instances.

[-] bitsplease@lemmy.ml 9 points 10 months ago

It's the only rational explanation for lemmygrad and similar instances.

Idk, I explain that one away simply with the fact that stupidity and a desire to troll don't strictly follow party lines. Nothings stopping a communist (or someone dumb enough to think being pro russia/China is the same thing) from having the mental maturity of your average the_donald poster

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[-] queermunist@lemmy.ml 73 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

We write to urge the Department of Justice

When the Department of Justice doesn't do anything, what then?

[-] Ubermeisters@lemmy.zip 27 points 10 months ago

They can request a hearing in front of the House Judiciary Committee or the Senate Judiciary Committee to discuss the matter, or they can attempt to introduce new legislation which creates an independent committee to investigate.

[-] queermunist@lemmy.ml 19 points 10 months ago

I don't think the Senate has authority over the Court. That's purely in the purview of the House, which is controlled by the fascist party and so requests and letters are a dead end. It's gotta be something more aggressive than that.

[-] Ubermeisters@lemmy.zip 23 points 10 months ago

we can always just eat them

[-] queermunist@lemmy.ml 16 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Old people are full of heavy metals, forever chemicals, and sometimes prions. No thanks.

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[-] silent_water@hexbear.net 12 points 10 months ago

senate has the authority to pack the courts, assuming the president cooperates. of course neither branch will consider that in the name of @Civility@hexbear.net

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[-] xtr0n@sh.itjust.works 9 points 10 months ago

If only the Democrats had the will to expand the house with a simple majority, back when they had the majority. Given how many people there are in left leaning states and cities, it’s absurd that the current GOP should ever be able to take the house. But, as usual , the only party that isn’t completely fascist seem incapable (or unwilling) to do what it takes to secure any power for the people they supposedly represent. We needed to expand the house and expand the Supreme Court ages ago.

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[-] Dubious_Fart@lemmy.ml 68 points 10 months ago

Do an investigation into the entire supreme court.

I don't care if they are left or right, lib or Con. Investigate them all.

in fact there should be a special government agency dedicated to monitoring and constantly investigating Federal/Supreme court judges in the interests if ethics and impartiality.

[-] TheLowestStone@lemmy.world 21 points 10 months ago

And term limits for fuck's sake.

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[-] gmtom@lemmy.world 39 points 10 months ago

God I hope I'm around to see this woman be president.

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[-] Egon@hexbear.net 32 points 10 months ago

Neat! Maybe they'll set down a commission to create a committee to create a framework for an investigation one of these days

[-] UlyssesT@hexbear.net 23 points 10 months ago

Nothing will come of this. sleepi

[-] AntiOutsideAktion@hexbear.net 21 points 10 months ago

Congress has the power to legislate how the supreme court works.

She could at least be doing a meaningless gesture that gestures towards something that could be useful.

[-] jordanlund@lemmy.one 20 points 10 months ago

Nothing will come of it. The only guardrail on the Supreme Court is impeachment and the Republican led House will not start impeachment hearings on a Republican Judge.

Want to change that? Here's what needs to happen in 2024:

A Democratic President
A Democratic majority in the House
At LEAST a 60 vote Democratic majority in the Senate.

[-] duderium@hexbear.net 18 points 10 months ago

We had that in 2008. What happened next?

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[-] SweaterWeather@hexbear.net 14 points 10 months ago

Can you link me a member of Democrat party leadership saying they’d impeach Thomas?

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[-] autismdragon@hexbear.net 18 points 10 months ago

The best I can say about this is that it might grab the attention of people who aren't yet aware of Thomas's corruption, because yeah otherwise this isn't going anywhere.

[-] Wage_slave@lemmy.ml 18 points 10 months ago

You know, in these hard, and trying time, it is heart warming to see AOC bringing those who demanded the rule of law, but didn't have any. They have been starving for more rule and more law for so long now.

God bless that woman. May they get so much rule of law that they cups over floweth and they can choke on it. There is so much rule of law in her generosity that it is reported that Chuck Norris gives thanks for her before every meal and self gratification.

As well all should. And Moses said "Fuck yeah, you go girl", and ye, it was good.

[-] somename@hexbear.net 18 points 10 months ago

Performative gestures continue to be performative. The Democratic Party has no real desire to check the power and corruption of the courts.

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[-] duderium@hexbear.net 15 points 10 months ago

Would anyone who is not rich really care if every government official in the country (including Trump) was thrown in prison?

[-] barrbaric@hexbear.net 12 points 10 months ago

No more half measures, walter.

[-] Assian_Candor@hexbear.net 9 points 10 months ago

Quite the contrary we would be cheering for it

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[-] Assian_Candor@hexbear.net 13 points 10 months ago

Lol

Lmao even

[-] jasonmax@lemmy.frozeninferno.xyz 13 points 10 months ago

He should be forced to resign.

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[-] Skotimusj@lemmy.ml 12 points 10 months ago

I love AOC, but this is just smoke and mirrors. The progressive reps always make a big deal when they know their "inquiries" will go nowhere because they don't have the votes. It stirs up their base with no repercussions. This is just lip service at this point. Still glad it is being said though.

[-] DauntingFlamingo@lemmy.ml 24 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

They're the only ones saying anything or attempting anything official. They know they can't remove him without the other chamber, but it is important to have these things on the official record for both the public and for a future session of Congress who could do something with it

[-] Uncle_Bagel@midwest.social 13 points 10 months ago

Worked for the Republicans when they spent 4 years screaming about Benghazi

[-] Boddhisatva@lemmy.world 12 points 10 months ago

It isn't smoke and mirrors. They are making as big a deal out of it as they can because they don't have the votes to do more. Calling attention to this criminal behavior is simply the best they can do because they, as you point out, don't have the votes to do more. And stirring up their base if a good thing if it gets more progressive voters to the polls and gets more progressive representation in government.

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[-] AssortedBiscuits@hexbear.net 10 points 10 months ago

spoilerClarence Thomas will only stop being a Supreme Court judge when he's dead.

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this post was submitted on 20 Aug 2023
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