This week on CounterSpin: As we tape this show, the Supreme Court is considering the case of Gill v. Whitford, deciding whether the way Wisconsin Republicans redrew voting districts in 2011 amounted to “an aggressive partisan gerrymander.” The case touches on nothing less than whether the US can ever become the democracy so many hope for. We’ll talk about it with Steven Rosenfeld, journalist at AlterNet and author of the forthcoming Inside Job: How American Elections Are Still Rigged Against Voters.
Transcript: Republicans Have a Starting-Line Advantage of 10 Percent
Donald Trump & Paul Ryan (photo: Caleb Smith)
Also on the show: When Donald Trump said that “the biggest winners” under his new tax plan “will be the everyday American workers as jobs start pouring into our country, as companies start competing for American labor and as wages start going up at levels that you haven’t seen in many years,” you might’ve suspected he was lying, because, well, his lips were moving. But some corporate media give credence to the idea that this GOP tax plan is one for the little guy. We’ll talk taxes with economist Dean Baker of the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
Transcript: 80 Percent of the Benefit Is Going to the Richest 1 Percent
Plus a look back at press coverage of the Las Vegas massacre.
The Republican appointed majority on the Supreme Court cannot at all be counted on to decide Gill v. Whitford on a basis of fairness and democracy, because, to be blunt, it is not in the interests of the Republican Party.
Judges ought to be chosen independently from politicians, political parties and special interests, in a way that is very democratic and fair. The only way to do this is for judges to be chosen by jury, as I explain in this article: https://dissidentvoice.org/2016/08/why-americas-judges-should-be-chosen-by-citizen-juries/
For the reasons I mention, it is very undemocratic and unfair for judges to be chosen by the president and confirmed by the Senate, chosen by state governors, or chosen by popular election.
great report as always Counter Spin! love FAIR. big fan of Dean who i’m glad is a regular FAIR contributor and a guest on the Real News Network, and nice to finally hear alternet’s Steve Rosenfeld who I often read on AlterNet. don’t agree with his Russia conspiracy theories, but big admirer of his independent and underrated journalism.