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Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America are glad to see some liberals embracing the conclusion that the executive branch – and the presidency in particular – has accumulated far more power than our founders intended. They just wonder whether lefties will still have these concerns once one of their own is in the White House. They also regret the news that the “Weekly Standard” will soon cease publication. And they’re a bit bewildered as President Trump’s personal attorney-turned-adversary, Michael Cohen, tells ABC News that he hopes his legacy will be that he helped to unify the nation.
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What terrible news that the Washington Examiner would not allow for the Daily Standard to be sold to a new owner. Last week, I renewed my subscription to the Weekly Standard for the longest period possible. I will look forward to the Washington Examiner giving me a full refund, I have no interest in a subscription to a pro-Trump weekly.
I’ve subscribed to the Daily Standard (and NR) for years. I was happy for Steve Hayes and family to have an adventure in Spain and admire his work. This was sad news.
Like many, over-optimistic conservatives*, Jim and Greg succumb to the “sauce for the goose, sauce for the gander“ fallacy. They warn Democrats that anything a Democrat President does through executive order can be undone by a Republican President through executive order.
The trouble is, that’s true only so long as there is a Republican majority on the Supreme Court. Several times, appeals courts with Democratic majorities voted that Trump did not have the right to undo certain Obama executive orders, in effect creating different classes of Presidents with different Constitutional rights.
Now, the Supreme Court should have struck down those decisions by a 9–0 vote; but, chillingly, the vote was only 5–4.
I think Justice Anthony Kennedy, who voted with the (narrow) majority, was taken aback by the results. Shortly afterward, he announced his retirement — which, timed as it was, would allow a Republican President and a Republican Senate to choose his replacement. He could no longer trust a Democrat nominee to uphold the Constitution.
*Never Trump “conservatives” assume the Court will remain center-right simply because it has been so long.