The Day Before

 
Suddenly everybody's talking about kings.  Governor Newsom of California, House Democratic Leader Jeffries, the manhandled Senator Padilla of California, and most telling, Judge Breyer in his court decision that ended with a restraining order turning control of the California National Guard back to the Governor.  The federalizing of the Guard based on a statute was not justified on the basis of a rebellion, because conditions for rebellion weren't met, he said.  It was not an armed and organized group proclaiming their intent to overthrow the government.  That the Executive doesn't get to unilaterally decide what is rebellion and when to use force is precisely why the US Constitution was written and the US government formed.  That kind of Executive existed: King George.  And the American Revolution was fought to separate from that arbitrary power.

Judge Breyer's decision was "stayed" (the stay of a stay) with questionable legality by a 3 judge panel of the Court of Appeals, until they hear the federals appeal, which is in itself of questionable legality.  But Breyer made the case as clearly as anyone could.  Making it within 48 hours of the No Kings demonstration day was fitting but accidental.

Not so (probably) the vocabulary used by these Democratic officials, who stopped short of urging people to attend the No Kings demonstrations, though mentioning the principle of No Kings was very likely not coincidental. That's an interesting difference from the last two big demo days, in April and May.

Also on Thursday, US Senator representing California Senator Alex Padilla (member of the Judiciary Committee) was wrestled to the ground and handcuffed for attempting to ask Homeland Security boss Kristi Noem a question at her press conference in an LA federal building.  He said he was moved to do so by something she was saying.  It was this:

"We're not going away.  We are staying here to liberate this city from the socialists and the burdensome leadership that this governor and this mayor have placed on this country..."

In other words, the intent of the federalized National Guard and ICE was to overthrow the elected officials of California by force, which does meet the definition of rebellion, or insurrection. Or simply, a coup by the current federal executive.  So that makes it tyranny, the tyranny of dictators, the tyranny of kings. Recall that when Boss Chaos was asked what crime Governor Newsom had committed that warranted arrest, he said in effect the crime of being elected.  (Heather Cox Richardson makes this point.)

Now it's the day before No Kings day, the military parade in Washington.  Now there's sudden warfare in the Middle East which seems to be only beginning.  So yet another fear realized: the bumblers of Chaos faced with a real life international crisis.  So who knows what Friday will bring, and what Saturday (with ominous not entirely metaphorical thunderstorms forecast for DC)  will look like.