Only once did life put me in an F-16, an hour of bliss. “Watch your six” was the watch word, in dogfights over Texas. That is how aviators – back to WWI – say “watch out.” Your six is behind you, twelve your nose, nine left, three right. America just won big, will control the skies of Congress after January 3. Thank God, but this is the “danger zone.” Until then, “watch your six.”
What do you mean? I mean, mandate or no mandate, retirements and losses notwithstanding, Democrats still control Congress, only relinquish power on January 3rd. Between now and then, Democrats control both chambers and the White House. Those reckless with power, may use it.
What could they do – what should we be watching for? Seven possibilities.
First, in 2021, the Biden Administration commissioned a “study” to assess whether to “pack the US Supreme Court” with left-leaning justices. The liberal press reported, in December 2021, that the group “refused to take a stand.”
Ask yourself, since when does a president “commission a study” on whether to cheat or not cheat, whether to tip the balance of nine justices – number since 1869 – in favor of his leftist political agenda, or to allow “rule of law” to be administered fairly and non-politically?
Answer: Never. No president – except FDR, who hated the idea of a Supreme Court opposing “New Deal” legislation – has ever tried to turn the Supreme Court political. Until now.
Interestingly, FDR’s ploy in 1937 was to say justices get too old to serve, so should be age-limited out. It backfired, causing him to fear declaring war – until Pearl Harbor. Congress bolted.
Today, a new pitch is made saying justices should be age limited. But that is not really the point. Liberal Ruth Bader Ginsburg died at 87, opposing age limits and court-packing. Biden himself is almost 80, daily makes a strong argument for age-limiting presidents.
All this is a Democrat foil, bunch of chaff. Like so much else, Democrats are lying about motivations. They just do not want their leftist agenda struck down. They want new rules.
Could they get them? Yes. Will they? As with all else in Biden’s world, that will be a political calculation. If they think they can get away with it, arguing Dobbs needs correction, the 2nd Amendment needs ending, Court is too judicially conservative, maybe.
The danger is real, as they could end the filibuster, throwing another tradition on their bonfire of political vanities, finally killing Supreme Court legitimacy, making all things political.
Second, Democrats could ram a final Fiscal 2023 bill into law, where we now have a continuing resolution – in effect, a placeholder. What could that do? Kill oil, gas, coal, and the American consumer, elevate spending, inflation, interest rates, and taxes, accelerate recession, blame Republicans in 2024, push leftists priorities.
Third, they could declare a national climate emergency, since temperatures are unseasonably high, and there are reports of tornados, hurricanes, floods, droughts, thunderstorms, even rain. The climate emergency would trigger executive action, banning gas cars (pushed by blue states), shutting down oil, gas, and coal production (which Biden wants), killing fossil fuel jobs, and capping cow belching and farts (no kidding).
Fourth, loan forgiveness on steroids could be coming. To put pressure on Republicans to undo the damage prior to 2024, Democrats may expand loan forgiveness, arguing COVID, climate, inflation, and Trump’s policies require more loans become a federal (taxpayer) liability.
These could go beyond student loans, already a constitutional nightmare, to include forgiveness of loans on cars and mortgages for the “poor,” sex change surgery (already for military), abortions (requiring change of the Hyde Amendment), hurricane insurance for minorities (who Harris says should be helped first), and a long list.
Fifth, one-time bailouts could be in store, for example making all blue state “public pensions” – many underwater for poor management, overpromising, loss of tax base, leftist policies – a federal responsibility, offering onetime payments to states that restrict 2nd Amendment rights, legalize drugs, end bail, or push the leftist anti-police, anti-detention “equity” agenda. A raft of generally unconstitutional authorizing legislation could be considered.
Sixth, to protect leftist leaders and national teachers’ unions – which tip left – the idea of a “COVID lockdown amnesty” could be enacted, disenfranchising those harmed by lockdowns.
Seventh, a mass criminal amnesty – for drug offenders, illegal aliens, leftist rioters, and longtime Democrat political supporters – could be initiated, advancing the presidential pardon idea by making it legislative. Again, watch for a run at the filibuster.
In the end, many of these ideas would create blowback, but then so have leftist ideas to date, ironically validating a strong right-leaning response, seen this week. These ideas are possible.
Point is simple: To win, we have to land this plane, see a Republican majority taking the oath, taking back Congress. Between now and then, we have some rough air, so “Watch your six!”