I’m still surprised by people going against Trump. This analyst brought up a very good point. We know Jimmy’s show wasn’t pulled because of what he said. It was pulled because the broadcaster was threatened. Donald Trump wanted him gone, and it was done. But this analyst says there’s a possibility of something Trump didn’t consider. From AlterNet:
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump’s appointed Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman issued a threat that preceded ABC’s decision to take late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s show off the air. And one legal analyst has found a recent Supreme Court case showing that the Trump administration would likely lose badly if Kimmel decided to sue. In a Thursday essay for Slate, legal writer Mark Joseph Stern laid out the chain of events that led to Kimmel’s show getting pulled on Wednesday. Stern observed that Nexstar is currently angling for FCC approval to acquire competitor Tegna, which would allow it to broadcast to roughly 80 percent of American households.
Now, he goes into details that do not need to be listed here. We want to get to the real meat of the matter. (The full article is in the link above, and wow, is it interesting!) What has he found that’s important? You’ll enjoy this because it involves SCOTUS being surprising (when they’re not kissing Trump’s ass). Shall we?
According to Stern, the 2023 National Rifle Association v. Vullo case directly applies to the Trump administration’s threats to broadcasters in the wake of Kimmel’s monologue. Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote the majority opinion, which was joined by all eight of her colleagues. Stern pointed to one line in particular that brought all nine members of the High Court together in a rare unanimous ruling. “Viewpoint discrimination is uniquely harmful to a free and democratic society,” Sotomayor wrote. “…A government official cannot coerce a private party to punish or suppress disfavored speech on her behalf.” “This is the constitutional rule that is relevant to Kimmel’s firing. And it illustrates why this episode is such an affront to the First Amendment,” Stern wrote.
BAM. There you go. A unanimous Supreme Court decision for the First Amendment. This is not something to take lightly when you try to pull tricks like Trump is doing. There’s precedent. There’s something from the total Supreme Court. How rare is that? Very. I think there *might* have been one other. Maybe. To close:
“No one at the company could miss the implication of Carr’s threat. If Nexstar did not punish Kimmel for his speech, the FCC chair would do things ‘the hard way,'” he added. “That almost certainly meant heightened scrutiny, and perhaps rejection, of Nexstar’s pending acquisition. It could also mean revocation of Nexstar and ABC’s broadcast licenses. That is plainly how this FCC does business.”
What is it about Trump that he inspires fanaticism? Brendan Carr didn’t used to be like this, quite the opposite. But now he’s FCC Chair and kissing Trump’s ass. What a waste. And Jimmy Kimmel? He could sue the Trump administration and WIN. Wouldn’t that be something? I’m not sure that he would, but that would be a sight worth seeing. Anything that takes Trump down a peg is just grand.
Friends, I know everybody begs you for money. I promise you that of all of the outlets bugging you for spare change, we are the smallest and the hardest working. We’re a bunch of old, disabled people, except one writer in his mid-50s. But the rest of us are in our sixties and seventies, and this is a labor of love. All we’re asking for is the ability to continue our quest to tell the truth about Trump and help ensure democracy survives. If you can help, please do. Thanks. Ursula
In the Australian series Mr Inbetween, the main character is an average looking chap, who, in reality is a for hire dirty jobs hit man. He also is a divorced father of a young daughter, age 8 the first year of the series. He’s also a devoted brother to his brother slowly deteriorating from a neuromuscular disease. He has a code where he tolerates no mistreatment of women or children. That’s why it’s name. In one scene his daughter gets her ice cream knocked out of her hand by 20 something street punks. He doesn’t act in front of his daughter but settles up with them. He’s ordered into anger management group therapy. The smug therapist is trying to make him feel guilty about violence. Ray insists there’s good and bad violence, example Ww2. He’s also a veteran himself. When pressed why he assaulted those guys, he replied they were being assholes. The therapist snidely said that the world is full of assholes Ray…don’t you know that? Ray replied with a smile: yeah, and do you know why? The therapist asked why? Ray…with a steely grin said: because people let them get away with it.
SUE!!! Don’t ask what Jesus would do…ask what would Trump do to you should your roles be reversed? If rich folks, like you, won’t use your money and position to fight, what the hell do you think the rest of us peasants can do? Fight.
A suitable amount to sue for might be $15 Billion.
Or even twice that, $30 Billion.
Because precedent is important.
Smirk!
….. aaahh, I love the smell of snark in the evening….. 😁😁😁😁😁