Tessera

A photo of my dog Eloise when I was discussing the Court’s ruling in NRSC v. FEC with someone. Not everyone is excited by campaign finance cases, I guess.

The birthright citizenship case should have been 9-0.

With parties no longer limited in making coordinated expenditures, it may be that safe House incumbents will face even more pressure to transfer money to the party congressional campaign committees.

In NRSC v. FEC, I feel like there is a non-zero chance the Court will invalidate not only party coordinated spending limits but also limits on contributions TO the parties. Per McCutcheon, conservatives on the Court see quid pro quo corruption as less of a concern when money flows through parties.

Big if lopsided self-funding in the Dem primary in my MD-06 district. David Trone has loaned his campaign $25 million in the contest, while incumbent April McClain Delaney has loaned her campaign $7.4 million.

smotus.substack.com/p/missing-th...

Missing the point on Platner

The question is whether he's a good nominee, not a good person -- and a nominee you have to constantly defend and explain is not a good one

smotus.substack.com

Schooley @schooley.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Pretty fun that Springsteen managed to organize an America 250 concert line up that people actually want to see.

Springsteen Center to launch with America 250 concerts

The Bruce Springsteen Center at Monmouth will host a 2-night America 250 concert featuring Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi and other artists.

njbiz.com

Long time Knicks fan but love Wemby and like the Spurs. Damn.

Jennifer N. Victor @jenvictor.bsky.social · 3mo ago

File this in “how not to improve public confidence in Congress” news.bgov.com/bloomberg-go...

Lawmakers Lean on Lobbyists for Cash as They Leave Congress

Lawmakers who aren’t running for reelection may no longer raise money for their campaign committees, but they are allowed to solicit cash for their leadership PACs, hitting up lobbyists who have busin...

news.bgov.com

My colleague @mattngreen.bsky.social has made a terrific accounting of various democratic reform proposals floating about. This is a terrific roundabout and a good resource for much needed conversations.

Mischiefs of Faction@misofact.bsky.social · 3mo ago

There's been lots of proposals offered lately to restore some balance between the branches. For those trying to keep track, @mattngreen.bsky.social has a running list. open.substack.com/pub/misofact...

Currently worried Trump will throw Taiwan under the bus if Xi agrees to rename it Trumpwan.

I found a set of SPSS 13.0 CDs in my office. The discs make good coasters!

Hetan Shah@hetanshah.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Wait. The UK has a National Statistician Position?

Good data is essential for policy. Today it’s been a year since we had a permanent National Statistician. No news on what is happening with the current recruitment which began Oct 2025. This is an under the bonnet issue that points to state failure 🧵 uksa.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/news/stateme...

Jennifer N. Victor @jenvictor.bsky.social · 3mo ago

If the Court invalidates limits on party coordinated expenditures, it won’t alter the party fundraising side. So expect the Hill committees to ratchet up pressure on incumbents for funds, since incumbents can give unlimited sums to the national party committees from their campaign committees.

The first, and necessary step, is absolutely overwhelming, devastating turnout.

I never thought I’d be thankful for Moodle.

Canvas Online Learning Platform Disabled After Breach by Hackers

nytimes.com

SCOTUS in City of Mobile v. Bolden (1980): plaintiffs gotta show discriminatory intent. Congress in the 1982 VRA Reauthorization: discriminatory effects are sufficient. Justice Alito in Louisiana v. Callais: f**k Congress.

Rick Hasen @rickhasen.bsky.social · 3mo ago

A must-read.

The Supreme Court’s Conservatives Just Issued the Worst Ruling in a Century

This evisceration of the Voting Rights Act requires us to take SCOTUS reform more seriously.

slate.com

My New One at Slate: Justice Alito is a Coward (and Possibly a Liar) slate.com/news-and-pol...

In the end, Justice Alito is afraid to stand up and say what his opinions necessarily imply: that Congress cannot do anything to protect minority voting rights short of banning intentional discrimination despite the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal protection guarantee, despite the Fifteenth Amendment’s ban on race discrimination in voting, and despite the fact that both amendments explicitly give Congress the power to enforce the measures by “appropriate legislation.”

Maybe Alito is worried that a ruling forthrightly saying what he is doing would sully the reputation of the court, which has already faced public criticism for killing off another key part of the Voting Rights Act in 2013’s Shelby County decision. Perhaps he is worried that a frontal kill of Section 2 would energize Democrats, leading to greater losses for Republicans in the midterm elections and in future elections.

Whatever the reason, Justice Alito lacks courage, a word which ironically has been embraced by the Trumpiest of judges and legal commentators to describe taking positions that are extreme, unpopular, and I would argue, in conflict with the rule of law.

No one is fooled by Justice Alito’s act of cowardice, unless it is Justice Alito himself. If that’s the case, he is more deluded than he seems to think the rest of us are.

Jake Grumbach@jakemgrumbach.bsky.social · 3mo ago

This is so worth reading. We’ve normalized billionaires bankrolling so-called independent spending campaigns, and we wonder why the government isn’t responsive to ordinary people.

This is a @rfunkfordham.bsky.social figure 🔥 Full article here rooseveltinstitute.org/publications...

Jake Grumbach @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social · 3mo ago

This is a @rfunkfordham.bsky.social figure 🔥 Full article here rooseveltinstitute.org/publications...

Citizens United and the Decline of US Democracy: Assessing the Decision’s Impact 15 Years Later - Roosevelt Institute

In a new analysis, Rachel Funk Fordham examines the 15-year legacy of Citizens United, assessing its impact on democracy through new evidence and political science research and offering recommendation...

rooseveltinstitute.org

Robert Reich@rbreich.bsky.social · 3mo ago

"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." –Justice Louis Brandeis Words spoken many years ago that are just as relevant today. We must continue the fight to get big money out of politics.

Will need to update my class VRA slide to explain how, according to Justice Alito in Louisiana v. Callais, the words “in a manner that results in” must be interpreted as “in a manner intended by the state”