Will Gorsuch's Ties To Billionaire Phillip Anschutz Sink His Nomination?
By Thom Hartmann A...
As the confirmation hearings begin for Trump Supreme Court pick Neil Gorsuch, new questions are being raised about his ties to a shadowy right-wing billionaire.
Will they sink his nomination?
Or will the oligarchs get another handpicked Supreme Court justice?
A new report in the New York Times has exposed the decades-long connection between Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch and billionaire Phillip Anschutz - a trust-fund baby and oil baron who's also the owner of the Weekly Standard and a funder of the Heritage foundation.
The relationship began when Gorsuch represented Anschutz's companies in court - and continued when Anschutz personally lobbied the Bush administration to make Gorsuch a judge.
The two are still close and Gorsuch even co-owns a vacation home with two of Anschutz's top lieutenants.
The Supreme Court is already very favorable towards - some would say in the pocket of - the billionaire class. How concerned should we be about this connection between Gorsuch and Anschutz?
Comments
#2
We need to be very concerned about the continued handing of our government to the billionaire class. I think domination and dictatorships are their ultimate goal.
#3
FKnauss - riches have bought the government already mate
They have knowingly induced and produced a population in 'sleep mode' by educational dumb down and pc messages complete with media manipulation
This is all intentional manipulation of human minds and already known by power for many, many years and not just decades
To start off... political lobbying needs to be abolished
END
#4
Trump is a liar; Republicans are hypocrites; Democrats are over-thinkers; voters are stupefied; media are blind; billionaires are laughing; U.S. democracy is a joke.
#5
The Senate can at least suspend the hearings on Gorsuch until we know if our president is a criminal. Why should he be allowed to impact our future with a Supreme Court pick if he has committed treason? The Republicans are just trying to get as much of their agenda taken care of before they are forced to consider impeachment. Sad!
#6
In today's hearing Sen Franken my senator, brought out the fact that Gorsuch misleads us when he says he is a purist when it comes to legal oppinion. His history tells us he is formost a political animal and has said as much in cover letters for political jobs. In short, Gorsuch is a judicial activist and exactly wrong for the court. Call your Senators now.
#7
Gorsuch keeps repeating in various ways that he is his own man...a confident independent thinker. What a bunch of bull..... he's just your typical pompous ass Teabagger.... owned and controlled by a few fascist criminal billionaires.
Speaking of which, Putin is worth around 200 billion, which makes him the wealthiest criminal on the planet. His days are numbered, many many Russian patriots are out to stop him.
#8
Of course, the Gorsuch nomination will be approved. After all, if a degenerate like Trump can be elected President and he can "drain the swamp" then fill up the sewer with the most despicable examples of immoral decadent fascist garbage, then how hard will it be for them to push through this brownshirt, goodie-two-shoes, choirboy, eagle scout.
Still, I found it a bit shocking that Gorsuch described the failure of the Republican Congress to fulfill their oath to the Constitution by denying Barak Obama's Constitutional duty to fill the open Supreme court seat as, "POLITICAL". Apparently not worthy of comment by a Supreme Court nominee.
But what do you expect from a person that stonewalled over and over again by taking the Judicial Fifth Amendment (that is: can't comment on anything that might appear before him in the Supreme Court) which of course, could be just about anything.
#9
Scream, shout pejoratives, stomp your feet, hold your breath until you turn more blue, protest, resist, occupy, rant, burn things down, dig in your heels, smash windows, claim racism, swear, wear vagina hats, blame the cops, howl at the moon, organize a march, drum circles, chant, wave preprinted signs, and in general make bigger fools of yourselves, but Neil Gorsuch will be become the next Justice of the Supreme Court.
Thank you Joe Biden for your sage advice.
One down, hopefully two more to go.
How are those Geritol and prune juice smoothies sittin’ with you Ruth?
#10
I totally agree. These people are all from the "business" class. They see us as nothing other than a commodity and a business opportunity. There is no humanity anywhere in their master plan. They are very sociopathic-egocentric in their world views. But the part that gets me is how willing We, the People, are to go along with this. Just appalling.
#11
I really have very little hope that anything good is going to come our way. All of these people that we call our leaders have the worst agendas going and their controling bodies, the RNC and the DNC (at the behest of the Deep State) are hand-picking people who are only going to destroy the dream we once had of Camelot and replace it with Nazi Germany, Mussolini's Italy, or England from 1066 to 1381.
#12
molly ivins said several years ago in a bill moyers interview that contemporary america is a combination of corporatocracy, theocracy and oligarchy. we have collectively let this toxic state envelope us, and until we are slapped awake by yet another cycle of depression and war, we are doomed remain a nation that is substantially unconscious.
#13
RI Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse is ripping Gorsuch and the Republican SCOTUS to shreds.
Thom, please share this on your show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1g3_wEAffY
Sincerely,
Peter from RI
#14
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Anschutz
These people are so wealthy that it becomes a hobby to control our Government. They cannot spend it, so might as well control the Government with it. And it only takes a small percentage and has a great Return on Investment.
Another one to read up on is Robert Mercer, Trumps big supporter.
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/27/the-reclusive-hedge-fund-ty...
#15
(Dianereynolds - #9)
"Scream, shout pejoratives, stomp your feet, hold your breath until you turn more blue, protest, resist, occupy, rant, burn things down, dig in your heels, smash windows, claim racism, swear, wear vagina hats, blame the cops, howl at the moon, organize a march, drum circles, chant, wave preprinted signs, and in general make bigger fools of yourselves..."
I'll take [howling at the moon] for $500.
#16
(ErinRose - #10)
"I totally agree. These people are all from the "business" class. They see us as nothing other than a commodity and a business opportunity."
I think it's more like "business as usual". I also think business is the only real survival choice for lots of folks - in whatever venue - and then, a monumental challenge to escape the yawning jaws of the corporate corral leading down a chute to ... oh, thank goodness we are not cattle heading into the slaughterhouse ... or, uh ..., well ...
"There is no humanity anywhere in their master plan. They are very sociopathic-egocentric in their world views."
I think the humanity is very much there, deeply ensconced in hidden hearts locked away in treasured troves that never see light of day.
"But the part that gets me is how willing We, the People, are to go along with this. Just appalling."
"We the People" happens one person at a time, and all of us at once.
So, I guess the challenge is to find what grounds support what interests best, and keep turning the compost. Seriously. How much power does anyone person have to influence such an array of concerns?
What kind of organizing can bring people together effectively ... personal and social ... locally and globally ... in a world emerging from the grip of tyranny and despotism?
Hootenanny?
#17
(wmleidy - #12)
"molly ivins said several years ago in a bill moyers interview that contemporary america is a combination of corporatocracy, theocracy and oligarchy. we have collectively let this toxic state envelope us, and until we are slapped awake by yet another cycle of depression and war, we are doomed remain a nation that is substantially unconscious."
That follows the same trajectory as Thom's assertion that every 80 years or so, the economy goes through these major cycles of change, and when the last person who remembers war no longer lives to tell the tale, humans will bring it back around ... a kind of cultural myelination ... as the unconscious awakens ... in perpetuity ....
#18
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1g3_wEAffY
Thank you for that link, Peter from RI (#13). Democracy Now has a clip on today's show that shows some of Gorsuch's reactions ... interesting to note expression and hand action ... what's not to like about the guy? Good looking, smart, compassionate, well spoken, committed to letter of the law ... supportive wife, ... what cylinder is not firing here?
https://www.democracynow.org/2017/3/22/neil_gorsuch_backed_by_10_of
I like Sheldon Whitehouse. He always zeros in on the truth. ((How come people who do that always seem to wind up being some kind of socialist or fringie, or someone you can't vote for?))
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Robber baron era all over again
When will we ever learn?