Booker’s Top Ten Moments Tuesday/Wednesday. 14 minutes: 

The incredible difference between the parties in the US was never so plainly visible as it was this week. On one hand was Senator Corey Booker of New Jersey using that old hammer of the White Supremacists – the filibuster – to rally his party, the Democrats, to grow a spine and stand up to the very real threat of our country falling into the authoritarian clutches of the Trump / Musk presidency.

During Booker’s 25+ hours, he spoke on real American ideals and real American heroes. Booker spoke of today’s America and how citizens are now living in fear and pain. Services are being cut for no reasons. Jobs are being cut for no reason. Health care is being ripped from people.

In short, Booker used his office for good. He took the power that he had to shine a spotlight on what the administration is doing in dismantling the incredible government that has been developed since FDR. While it has some flaws, our government was pretty functional, especially during the Biden Administration. 

Trump is dismantling it all and leaving ruins that will not be easily fixed. Senator Booker used his power to shine the light on the destruction taking place. Booker used his position to uplift the country and to fight against the biggest enemy we have faced since 1861.

On the other hand, Chuck Grassley has been one of the major tools in dismantling the separation of powers put forth in the constitution. Most Iowans can remember how old Chuck took orders from Trump in 2016 and held up the nomination of Merrick Garland for SCOTUS during the Obama Administration, thus holding the seat open for Trump to put in that gawd awful Neil Gorsuch.

Well, old Chuck is older Chuck now, but still taking orders from Trump. In the most recent incarnation, Stinky Pants Don is having a sad because judges are ruling against his unhinged use of power as president. Stinky Pants don’t like it and has ordered Chuck to make it stop! Right Now!

So Chuck announced that he will make Stinky happy with a speech Tuesday (3:30)

The Independent from Great Britain analyzes this move from Grassley. I would note that Grassley view of history may not align with reality:

Senator Chuck Grassley is introducing a bill to stop judges from issuing nationwide injunctions, which experts say are an essential part of the judicial branch’s ability to check the power of the executive branch.

Grassley, a 91-year-old Republican from Iowa and president pro tempore of the Senate, is introducing a bill to end nationwide injunctions because they “have become a favorite tool for those seeking to obstruct [President Donald Trump’s] agenda,” according to an op-ed he wrote for the Wall Street Journal.

Grassley says his bill will ensure “lower courts could no longer block legitimate executive action by issuing orders to nonparties to the lawsuit.”

Federal judges have issued at least a dozen nationwide injunctions against Trump’s policies since he took office in January, temporarily blocking a range of orders, including those seeking to ban transgender people from military service and end the Constitutional right to birthright citizenship.

Removing the power of the judicial branch to block an action by the executive would be the elimination of a vital tool in the checking system of the checks and balances written in the constitution.  In response to hearing of Grassley’s bill, U of Michigan Law Professor Barbara McQuade said:

University of Michigan law professor Barbara McQuade wrote an op-ed for Bloomberg last week arguing these orders can “slow down a presidential administration from rapid, drastic change,” but notes that the orders are “the very point of checks and balances.”

So there you go. Booker the Democrat using his power to strengthen our democracy with a speech he hopes will get people more involved in the system. Grassley, the MAGA using his power to short-circuit the check-and-balance system to give the executive branch even fewer restrictions at a time that Trump is trying to consolidate power in the executive branch.