MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU | Progressives Get A New Hope For Winning Judicial Battles | For RBG, Do Or Do Not, There Is No Try

May 4, 2018

After their crushing defeat with the loss of a Supreme Court seat and the flaming out of JUDGE MERRICK GARLAND’S nomination, Democrats are finally ready to take the judiciary seriously. Carl Hulse with The New York Times reports on a new group emerging from the left that plans to be an aggressive effort to motivate progressive voters on issues related to the federal judiciary. Demand Justice is being formed by veterans of Capitol Hill, the White House and the Clinton and Obama campaigns.

“Can a president be forced to testify? While the Supreme Court has never definitively ruled on the subject, the answer appears to be yes.” AP’s Mark Sherman and Eric Tucker note that the Watergate scandal, the Paula Jones case, and the investigation led by KEN STARR all point to the reality that ROBERT MUELLER can indeed force the president to testify with the issuance of a subpoena.

The president today told reporters at the White House that he would “love to speak” with ROBERT MUELLER but only if he’s “treated fairly.” Trump said, “I would love to speak because we’ve done nothing wrong.” But he also called into question the impartiality of Mueller’s team, seeding doubt that the special prosecutor can live up to Trump’s idea of “fair.”

The Supreme Court is expected to announce its decision soon in a case that could make sports betting legal nationwide. In The Hill, Jonathan Wood and Michelle Minton write about the case and note how its outcome could affect other issues such as marijuana reform, labor policy and immigration law enforcement. “Federalism serves bipartisan values, allowing each state to decide on laws that best reflect the values and interests of their respective constituencies. Letting states pursue diverse policies also is helpful in learning what works and what does not. If Congress wants to forbid sports gambling, the federal government should bear the costs and political consequences of enforcing that law, rather than dictating to states what their laws shall be.”

The best Princess Leia burn there ever was feels all too appropriate for leading us into the coverage of the new documentary out today that chronicles the life of the notorious justice who inspired SNL to create a whole new word for how to sass people. Kenneth Turan with the Los Angeles Times reviews RBG and notes that “Gins-burns” aside, the documentary reveals JUSTICE GINSBURG’S “formidable soft power.” Turan declares, “I can’t think of a dramatic film on screen right now that will make you feel this good, and that’s a fact.”

Joe Morgenstern with The Wall Street Journal also reviews the RBG documentary referring to the justice as a legal titan whose “inexhaustible energy and pursuit of women’s rights” have changed the world forever for women.