You probably know Norm Ornstein from his appearances on Lawrence O’Donnell’s The Last Word on MSNBC. He offers some of the most plainspoken and illuminating political commentary on the moment our country is in. Because he is a political scientist and emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, he also offers solutions, and they are smart and engaging and frequently go further than mainstream commentators will. Norm, for instance, has been an advocate for using general strikes to protest this administration, an idea that has not caught on yet. He has been studying American politics, elections, and Congress for over four decades and is a contributing editor and columnist for The Atlantic and National Journal. If you aren’t already, you probably want to follow him on Twitter or Bluesky if you’re there. He has a way of clarifying issues and rejecting excuses that can be made that distract us from the key points we should be focusing on. Like this recent tweet. The conversation I wanted us to have with Norm tonight is about the U.S. Supreme Court, and my basic question is this: “What the hell is wrong with them?” “Five Questions” is a periodic feature for paid subscribers, my way of thanking those who are able to support this work so that I can devote the necessary time and resources to it. Whether you’re a paid subscriber or not, I’m happy to have you here. I appreciate everyone who reads the newsletter and works to stay informed in this pivotal moment. Free subscriptions, with access to all of the other nightly posts, will always be available, so please sign up. Continue reading this post for free in the Substack app |