Staff Reports
President Joe Biden’s latest undertaking to reform the Supreme Court appears to be more of a wish list inspired by his party’s grievance pool than a genuine roadmap for meaningful change. After his commission on the high court fizzled out quicker than a wet firecracker, many were left wondering how he would appease the increasingly restless liberal base. So far, Biden’s attempt to push through terms like ethics codes, term limits, and an expanded bench is about as popular as a porcupine at a balloon party, and it seems unlikely to gain traction in either chamber of Congress.
In the op-ed published in the Washington Post, Biden laid out three main ideas that sound like they were pulled from a Democratic strategists’ bingo card. Advocating for term limits for Supreme Court justices, a shiny new ethics code, and carving out presidential immunity may sound attractive to his supporters, but these reforms echo suggestions that have been around longer than the average Senate career. Term limits for presidents? Check. Ideas about accountability for actions taken in office? Old news. The fact that these proposals have resurfaced under Biden’s banner is less a harbinger of change and more a testament to the Democrats’ dramatic flair for trying to rewrite the rules when they don’t like the outcomes.
The real kicker, though, is Biden’s undeterred push for a constitutional amendment ominously titled the “No One Is Above the Law Amendment.” This change would clarify that former presidents have no immunity when it comes to crimes committed in office. Good luck with that! Getting a constitutional amendment through Congress is tougher than finding Bigfoot at a political rally. With the need for two-thirds approval in both chambers and ratification from three-fourths of the states, it’ll likely gather dust faster than Biden’s approval ratings.
As for the court’s recent decision granting broad immunity to presidents acting within their official capacity—a move that evidently sent Democrats into a tailspin—Republicans see it as a reasonable safeguard against what could quickly devolve into legal shenanigans aimed solely at political opponents. The public is increasingly tired of the “lawfare” strategy, and many of Trump’s trials have already been delayed, thanks to this Supreme Court decision. It’s a bit ironic, though, that Biden highlights the court as a threat to public confidence when the Democrats have spent years whipping up a frenzy against a system that has, until recently, functioned relatively smoothly.
Meanwhile, as Vice President Kamala Harris prepares to jump into her likely run at the top of the 2024 ticket, her challenge is akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Harris, with a prosecutorial background, faces the dual challenge of trying to redefine her image while overcoming the wreckage of her criminal justice record. Her attempts at portraying herself as tough on crime may fall flat in a political climate that swings like a pendulum between “defund the police” and advocating for law and order. As she gears up to face Trump, putting her prosecutorial past on display could end up being more of a liability than an asset. With blunders in her past, particularly her refusal to pursue the death penalty for a police killer, Democrats may find it tough to rally behind someone with such a checkered history.
Wake up with the Washington Examiner: Biden’s Supreme Court plan, defining Harris, and the FBI’s cryptic problem https://t.co/Fye61ZzPwc
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) July 29, 2024
If anyone’s tuning into Biden and Harris’s antics, they should be prepared for a dramatic trainwreck. While all of this unfolds in Washington, the implications of such political machinations for the average citizen remain unclear; what is certain, however, is that voters will recognize a desperate party searching for relevance as they try to tackle fundamental issues surrounding one of America’s most revered institutions.
