Some Quick Comments On The Biggest Story You Might’ve Missed This Week

While almost everyone was (understandably) caught up with the start of public impeachment hearings in the House, Republicans in the Senate snuck through perhaps the most crucial Trump Circuit Court appointment yet.

We are literally in the most remote place we have ever been right now, with no WiFi, so don’t have the resources to produce a full report, but we can point you to this very good coverage by Mark Joseph Stern in Slate, of the confirmation of Steven Menashi to the 2nd Federal Court of Appeals. We won’t detail Menashi’s many weaknesses and controversies (they’re all in that story), but we will draw a line between the 2nd Circuit and the critical role it is likely to play, and is already playing in the various current proceedings against the President. Because the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals covers New York, and will now have a majority of its 13 judges appointed by Republicans, including a whopping 5 by Trump, this could amount to one of the President’s and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s most significant judicial appointments of all. Menashi, who’s only 40-years old, could be there forever. He also appears to be one of those guys (like Attorney General Bill Barr)…