This Carbon Based Life

By David Glenn Cox

Anybody can be a fireman when nothing is on fire. Until there is uncontrolled combustion, it’s the easiest job in the whole wide world. A freeloader at the public trough as a hero on call. But when the bell rings they jump into action, regardless of the possible consequences. That’s why there isn’t one case of a Supreme Court Justice affiliated with a fire department anywhere. “If you’re looking for trouble…color us gone!”

I mentioned the other day that someone was going to get punched in the nose over this Colorado case. Either Donald Trump or the Supreme Court. This isn’t a hot potato, this is a Fukushima Red, glowing special potato. “The court seemed skeptical.” No, the court seemed chicken shit and had decided to play dumb and hide under the table. Everybody act natural and seem surprised when I call your name.

Justice Barrett questioned whether removing Trump from the Colorado ballot was a state issue. The tenth Amendment says whatever isn’t specifically mentioned in the Constitution is the province of the states. Elections have always been the province of the states. Remember hanging chads? Remember?  It was in all the newspapers. The Florida Supreme Court voted to continue counting votes. They were in turn, overruled by the Federal Supreme Court to stop with the admonition, “Just this once.”

“Just this once,” the court will step over the jurisprudence line into the province of because we say so, that’s why. Basing their ruling on a hundred fifty-year-old case about slavery only tangentially connected. But by acknowledging “Just this once,” the court was admitting they were basically wrong for ever getting involved. Here is your stinking partisan ruling and don’t you ever try hanging a presidential election on us again!”

Enter Plan B. [Play Dumb] Hide under the lectern as much as possible and act basically confused by the questions. “Gee, can a state remove a candidate from a state ballot? I don’t know. Gosh, that’s a tough one!  I’ll have to suwanee over that one some. Let’s see, does a state have the power to regulate their own elections? Gee, I’m stumped!

This isn’t partisan as much as it is man the turrets and trenches, we’re under attack again. Circling the wagons to protect the court from potential fallout. All of the Justices were skeptical. (We all agree, right?) Heads bob in unison. Nothing good can ever come of this, so let’s play dumb. The old rope, a dope, dance around the ring some acting disinterested and unwilling to fight.

The Court appears skeptical of a state having power to influence a national election through nonparticipation. Colorado says, what national election? This is a case of Colorado citizens trying to influence the Colorado ballot. Gee, does an individual state have the right to strike candidates from their own ballot? Let’s see; If you don’t get enough signatures, you can’t run. If you don’t pay the fees or your check bounces, you bet the state can strike you off the ballot.

However, participating in and or precipitating an insurrection is not so cut and dried. Was it, or was it not an insurrection? This country having so few, it is often difficult to find an experienced expert on the subject. Donald Trump says it was an insurrection. But what does he know? Whoever listens to that old coot, anyway? Trump in one of his moments of lost lucidity, claimed it was Nancy Pelosi who was trying to overthrow the government on January 6th. Okay, yeah, sure.

Just like Bush vs. Gore, It really doesn’t matter if the Supreme thinks it was an insurrection or not. The Colorado Court said it was. So, in Colorado at least, it was. The Supreme Court invalidating a state court ruling through fiat. Suppose Trump had held up a liquor store in Colorado instead? Would the court also be inclined to invalidate that conviction? Which is worse, holding up a liquor store or possibly inciting an insurrection?

The Extreme Court signaling their plan to play null. Insurrection? What? When? Who told you that? If we can avoid the issue that we really don’t want to touch anyway, the public can’t blame us! Let the chips fall where they may! It’s really fun being a fireman! Hang around the station house and polish the firetruck and pet the dog. And if a fire comes along, you just don’t want to handle. Question if it is really a fire.

Change the subject, was it really an insurrection, Mr. Wizard? When whether it was or it wasn’t, doesn’t really matter one wit. The Colorado Court made a lawful ruling, and the Extreme Court is trying to invalidate it with their skepticism.

“Not responsible! Nobody home! Leave a message after the beep. In case of emergency contact.

“What’s a state doing deciding who other citizens get to vote for president?” asked Justice Elena Kagan.

They do it all the time, ask Ross Perot or the turd formerly known as Kanye West. Third Party and fringe candidates often struggle getting their names on the ballot and the court seems unconcerned.

It is a court on thin ice and seeing themselves being pulled into to a fire and getting wrapped up in “Wipe Trump’s butt” patrol. No winners here. The Supreme Court stands on the precipice of getting their ass kicked. Either way the court goes, this is bad news for them.

A ruling in favor of Trump enrages an already enraged public. If they rule against Trump ditto, only with death threats! The public opinion of the Extremist Court couldn’t be any lower if they were all discovered to be alien mechanoids. Remember their motto: When in doubt, duck out!

Gee it’s fun being a fireman!

 “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” – The Tenth Amendment