Em, appreciate the kind words—and you’re right to be skeptical. These lawsuits should be an open-and-shut case for accountability, but the courts don’t exist in a vacuum. If they uphold the firings, they’re effectively greenlighting the purge of oversight across the federal government. If they push back, they set a rare limit on executiv…
Em, appreciate the kind words—and you’re right to be skeptical. These lawsuits should be an open-and-shut case for accountability, but the courts don’t exist in a vacuum. If they uphold the firings, they’re effectively greenlighting the purge of oversight across the federal government. If they push back, they set a rare limit on executive power in an era when those limits have eroded.
But here’s the Radical Federalist angle: we can’t rely on Washington to police itself. If federal oversight collapses, states and localities must step in—through multi-state legal compacts, local whistleblower protections, and partnerships with investigative journalists and civic watchdogs. Congress won’t act unless the pressure is unbearable, and the courts won’t act unless they think they can survive the ruling’s consequences. That means states, cities, and the public need to make sure this fight doesn’t quietly fade away.
Em, appreciate the kind words—and you’re right to be skeptical. These lawsuits should be an open-and-shut case for accountability, but the courts don’t exist in a vacuum. If they uphold the firings, they’re effectively greenlighting the purge of oversight across the federal government. If they push back, they set a rare limit on executive power in an era when those limits have eroded.
But here’s the Radical Federalist angle: we can’t rely on Washington to police itself. If federal oversight collapses, states and localities must step in—through multi-state legal compacts, local whistleblower protections, and partnerships with investigative journalists and civic watchdogs. Congress won’t act unless the pressure is unbearable, and the courts won’t act unless they think they can survive the ruling’s consequences. That means states, cities, and the public need to make sure this fight doesn’t quietly fade away.
—VH