Eating and Being Eaten by the Bear

 Sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

According to the online site, Quote Investigator, that isn't exactly what Emerson wrote in an 1870 essay about early man hunting with a sharpened stick. However, that's what the transcendentalist's words have morphed into in the modern vernacular. And they pretty much describe what happened yesterday and this morning when it came to Donald J. Trump and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Yes, in many ways the last 36 hours, or so have been weird, almost schizoid even by the standards of this court. How else do you describe a decision that gives the President unpreceded power to fire members of governmental regulatory boards simply because they make rulings he doesn't like. The very purpose of these boards, like the Federal Trade Commission and others are to be able make rulings free of political pressure and threats. Now, a President, like Trump, can replace board members with any political hack he likes. One analyst put it this way, "It's like the umpire is an employee of one team playing and can be fired anytime that team doesn't like the call."  Donald Trump called the decision a restoration of exertive power, which is, of course absolute bullshit. Over the years, as these different boards and commissions created by Congress, no President has ever had the power to fire members without cause. 

Which brings us to the weird part, At the same time the court ruled the Federal Reserve Board of Governors is the one exception to the rule. Specifically, Trump couldn't fire Federal Reserve Governor, Lisa Cook, who didn't agree with Trump about lowering interest rates--and happened to be a black woman. The Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Bill Pulte had pulled an accusation of mortgage fraud against Cook out of a hat--a move which impressed Trump so much he made Pulte the temporary Director of National Intelligence just in time for the midterms. The unproven accusation gave Trump the excuse he wanted to fire Cook. But now, the Supremes say, Cook wasn't afforded due process, so she can't be touched.

The major blow to Trump, however, came when SCOTUS upheld a Mississippi law that allows mail-in ballots that are delivered after election day to be counted. According to our man in the Oval Office this allows those evil democrats to not only delay the results but rig the outcomes. He doesn't have any proof of that happening--ever--but he is convinced of it. (How else could I ever lose?)  It also throws a wrench into his plan to foul up the midterms through the postal service's delivery process.

Of course, my favorite Supreme Court ruling yesterday wasn't a ruling at all, it was their refusal to even consider Trump's appeal of the E. Jean Carroll lawsuit. Carroll had taken El Donald to court twice, once receiving a $5 million settlement. The second time around she hooked him for $85 plus million. This case involved the $5 million judgement. By refusing to hear it, Donald Trump is now out of options and appeals. He owes the writer five big ones, no ifs ands or buts. Get out the old checkbook, Donnie and please, no crypto currency. This is a cash only transaction. 

This morning started well for Trump. The court ruled the states--not the feds, as Trump ultimately wants--can ban men and boys who have transitioned to women from playing women's sports. The issue has become a major MAGA rallying cry, mainly because everything else they're doing so is so reprehensible they'd rather not talk about any of it. This little slice of culture war feels like a winner to them. Although lately Trump has also decided New York democratic socialists are another. ("They are really communists and they are a greater danger to our country than the attack on Pearl Harbor.") 

Meanwhile, for many of us old time democrats the whole transgender/sports thing is a non-issue. No, women, who were born men, should not be playing against biological women. And honestly, any democrat who is willing to defend that particular hill is politically suicidal and not worth serious consideration.           

Seemingly within minutes of the whole biologically born men in women sports ruling, the president found out at last that one of his executive orders cannot change what the Constitution says or means. No matter what fanciful the interpretations might be, no matter how the times have changed, the words in the Constitution cannot be rendered void by Presidential decree. The 14th amendment remains sacrosanct.  If you are born in the United States, you are a citizen of the United States. The only way to change it is to amend the Constitution or by passing some tortuously worded bill through Congress.

It didn't take long for Donald Trump to advocate just that. Not long after the decision was announced he wrote, in part, on social media, "Congress should start TODAY to work on ending expensive and unfair to our Country, Birthright Citizenship. They will have my complete and total Support!"

We bet they do, Brother Don. However, you'd better get Big Bill Pulte to work in a hurry. November is edging closer and then, trust me, you are going to run into another bear. 

6-30-26