Too funny to wait until Sunday

Too big to sue

That is essentially what the Supreme Court's Wal-Mart ruling means.

Class action lawsuits have traditionally been the vehicle for individuals to seek justice from large corporations. It allowed these individuals to pool their resources in order to achieve the same level of justice as the corporation. This was the method that was used to counteract a corporation's lawsuit war chest, with which they could buy their way out of a lawsuit with an army of lawyers and endless appeals. The class action lawsuit leveled the playing field.

But the Supreme Court ruling this week means that many corporations are just too big to sue. Since large groups of people are now not allowed to pool their resources due to the vague "glue rule" advanced by Antonin Scalia, the only avenue left for suing these corporations is via small groups or individuals. And of course, when going up against small groups or individuals, a large corporation has all the advantages that money can buy.

Many lawyers are simply not going to take such cases any more, advising their client that they can't win. Thus justice will be denied, over and again. Congress and the White House could work to change this setback for Americans through either legislation or even constitutional amendment, but somehow I doubt they will. After all, they don't want to displease their corporate masters, especially after last year's Citizens United ruling (and didn't Obama make some vague promise about doing something about that atrocity).

We no longer live under the rule of law, but rather under the rule of corporations. That's fascism, folks. Or as Benito Mussolini* pointed out, more properly called corporatism.

What, if anything, should we the people do about that?

Do you still have hope that our elected officials will actually make the necessary changes? I don't.

A stronger labor movement would be a good thing towards this end. But the unions have been dying for decades now, and the corporations and the traditional media are busy putting the final nails in their coffins even as I blog.

Frankly I think that the only option left is the one to which the people of France resorted in 1789. I'm just not certain that I will live to see it. It's also quite likely that if a populist uprising like that occurred it would be led from the extreme Right, such as the TeaBags (they have most of the guns, after all). Which would move the country still further right. Toward more theocracy and more corporatism, without a doubt. With a bit of idiocracy thrown in.

But perhaps we could make a start in the not-right-but-certainly-proper direction by impeaching Clarence Thomas. As former US Senator John Blutarsky famously said: "Who's with me?!"

 *Some disagree that Mussolini actually said this.

Related reading:

Beyond the Supreme Court: Other Strategies Needed to Fight Discrimination at Wal-Mart (and Other Corporations)

Rick Perry "aids" (sic) prepare for his gay rumors to be rehashed

As Evan Smith previously noted, that is a most unfortunate typo in the headline.

Here's the article, still with the header error, as of this posting. Update: Politico editors finally managed to get it fixed mid-morning Tuesday.

If Texas Gov. Rick Perry decides to run for president, his team is more than prepared for a re-airing of unsubstantiated rumors, circulated on and off for years in the Lone Star State, about his personal life.

The crusted-over rumors were in the ether among some attendees at a dinner hosted last week by the Manhattan County GOP, where Perry gave the keynote speech. The rumors, which have never been proven despite repeated review by media outlets, were addressed by the governor himself in a lengthy 2004 American-Statesman story that is sure to see new life if he runs

The claims, which had made the rounds for months by the time the story was written, included rumors that Perry and his wife Anita had split, and that the governor was gay.

"Crusted-over"? Sounds Santorumish. And what's wrong with being gay, anyway? Surely this cannot be the one thing in the entire world that isn't OKIYAR.

But Team Perry, asked about how it's prepared to handle them when they emerge if he runs, said it remains "false and misleading."

"As you may know, Rick and Anita Perry first met in grade school, went on their first date together in 1966, have been lovingly married since 1982 and are parents to two grown children," said top Perry strategist Dave Carney. "This kind of nameless, faceless smear campaign is run against the Perry family in seemingly every campaign, with no basis, truth or success."

"Texas politics is a full contact support, live hand grenades and all; unfortunately there are always going to be some people who feel the need to spread false and misleading rumors to advance their own political agenda," he said.

"He is the most tested, most researched potential candidate or candidate on our side," Carney added to POLITICO.

"Most tested"? (h/t Mean Rachel)

What were the results of the tests, Mr. Carney, head of the Perry aids aides?

My God but that's a lot of presumably unintentional double entendre'.

Update II: Juanita Jean wishes to underscore that Rick Perry is not gay.

The Weekly Wrangle

Have we mentioned that the Texas Progressive Alliance is desperate for rain? Because we're almost ready to pray for some as we bring you this week's roundup.

We have our first poll of Texas for next year's presidential contest and Off the Kuff says that so far 2012 still looks like 2008.

Last week WCNews at Eye On Williamson posted on the Texas Republicans' latest health care scheme: House GOP follows Oklahoma and Georgia into misguided health care compact.

Bay Area Houston has a theory about Rick Perry's veto of the texting-while-driving ban.

The Congressional Progressive Caucus is organizing a series of nationwide rallies calling for our country's leaders to focus on employment, and the road show comes to Houston on July 21st. PDidde at Brains and Eggs has the details on the "Speak Out for Good Jobs Now" tour.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme notes that John Cornyn had a busy week, what with moving to kill Medicare and raining on Rick Perry's presidential parade.

Libby Shaw explains how Rick Perry is wooing Wall Street. What a shock! Check it out at TexasKaos.

This week at McBlogger, we take a look at the Olympic-sized swimming pool of fail that is the policy section of General Ricardo Sanchez's website.

Neil at Texas Liberal posted a picture of a man wading in the waters of the Houston Ship Channel. No matter how bad a day you feel you're having, you're likely having a better day than somebody who feels they must wade into one of the most polluted bodies of water in the nation.

Obama comedian at the RLC video

This is really funny stuff.



Be sure and take note of the audience, and how they turn on him when he starts joking about the GOP.

The laughter turned to puzzlement and scattered boos, when (Obama impersonator Reggie) Brown began targeting Republicans. Noting the mass resignation of Newt Gingrich advisers, Brown said that Gingrich supporters “are dropping faster than Anthony Weiner’s pants in an AOL chatroom.”

A picture of George Washington after the rigors of his presidency was actually a picture of former first lady Barbara Bush in a Washington-style wig. When he began making jibes at Tim Pawlenty and Michelle Bachmann, the music came up, the microphone went off and the program moderator escorted Brown off the stage.

I loved the whole thing. And I'm not at all surprised that the Republicans can only laugh when the joke's not on them.