About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor Emeritus of Political Science and former College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored
A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog).
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Can’t leave Tabs for hours without a comment. Volokh informs me the clownish 15B$ Trump complaint against NYT has been struck.
To be fair, if you’re a few mediocre lawyers, a powerful person says he’ll pay to to sue the NYT, and it’s obvious the suit is groundless and doomed, what else can you do but write a long complaint citing his every whine and shamelessly flattering him. I wonder what they get paid per hour. I suppose the trick is looking abashed and/or outraged when the judge does what you expect him to do.
@gVOR10:
In theory or in practice?
Well, of course they’ve been looking for a Reichstag fire.
@gVOR10:
At some point you would think judges would start seriously punishing the filing attorneys. “Inexcusable” is pretty strong language from a judge.
Re cutting the Democrats out of a continuing resolution… Exempting continuing resolutions for the budget from the filibuster is an easy procedural step, assuming Thune can keep 51 Senators on-sides. (I don’t believe the Vice President gets to vote on procedural matters.)
@Michael Cain: I saw somebody yesterday say the lawyers are “barred” in TX and FL, so probably a waste of time to go after them.
@gVOR10:
I have to admit I was thinking more along the lines of 90 days in jail for contempt (if criminal) or fines like $250,000 (if civil).
Speaking as a goo-goo, I think that budgetary matters, in general, should not be subject to filibusters, or any other sort of supermajority requirement. Something that Prop 13 saddled California with. It’s a terrible idea for things that have to be done and have a deadline.