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Nation Topics - The Courts

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Under Wisconsin state law, it is a felony to touch a judge, making it quite possible that David Prosser will be forced to resign.

If corporate America and right-wing libertarians get their way, thousands of female Wal-Mart employees will never get the substance of their case heard in court.

Drug courts have helped some addicts recover. But they may be delaying expansion of treatment programs that will best reduce harms from addiction.

Could the federal government prevent California from legalizing pot? Many experts just say no.

Anita Hill may not have stopped Clarence Thomas from being confirmed to the Supreme Court, but in the wake of her accusations, our culture changed. Or did it, really?

Ginni Thomas called Anita Hill soon after the Times reported that Thomas's organization had accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in untraceable contributions. Did this accusation heat up the sense of persecution both Thomases feel about Hill's charge?

Immigration judges who flagrantly disregard the law are sheltered by a secretive system.

The overwhelming number of Supreme Court cases cited by Justice Anthony Kennedy in his decision were intended to protect the unique First Amendment rights of media outlets, not all corporations. 

Franklin Roosevelt v. the Supreme Court.

Guest-hosting The Ed Show, Nation Washington Editor Christopher Hayes examines the GOP's farcical cross-examination of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan.

Blogs

As someone who has written several books and dozens of major articles on judicial interventions in our politics, and who has covered literally hundreds of campaigns in every state of the country, I have made no secret about my sense that the best response to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to let corporations spend freely on campaigns is a constitutional amendment to protect our democracy from being overwhelmed with corporate cash.

February 11, 2010

My colleague and friend John Nichols' new post appropriately lauds Rep. Donna Edwards' proposed legislation to redress the damage done by the Supreme Court in its decision in the case of Citizens United v. FEC to abandon long-standing precedent with the purpose of permitting corporations to dominate the political discourse.

February 2, 2010

Maryland Congresswoman Donna Edwards turned to Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis for guidance in framing the Constitutional amendment she proposed Tuesday as the right and necessary response to the decision by Chief Justice John Roberts and a high court majority to abandon law and precedent with the purpose of permitting corporations to dominate the political discourse.

February 2, 2010

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, who lied to the Senate Judiciary Committee when he said he would not bring a political agenda to the high court, became the unexpected "star" of State of the Union night by playing the part of the sullen teenager.

January 30, 2010

My January 24 column on the role of the AFL-CIO in the Citizens United v. FEC case highlighted the concerns of some unions regarding the federation's decision to file an amicus brief in support of Citizens United in its case against the Federal Elections Commission. The piece stirred a tremendous response and a great discussion about the Supreme Court's removal of limits on corporate campaign spending. In preparing the piece and since its publication, I've heard from heads of national unions that are affiliated with the AFL as well as leaders of state and regional labor federations and lots of individual union members. Today, I'll highlight a very critical response from a top lawyer for the AFL-CIO.

January 29, 2010

Some union leaders think that the Supreme Court ruling in the case of Citizens United v. FEC -- which essentially takes the limits off campaign spending -- will give them the same flexibility and freedom to influence the process as it does corporations. What are the leaders of the labor federation thinking?

January 24, 2010

What to do about the decision by U.S. Supreme Court to -- in the words of Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold -- "(ignore) important principles of judicial restraint and respect for precedent" in order to make corporations the dominant players in American politics?

January 21, 2010
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