Season 4, Episode 46 (Show 203): The Gaetz of Hell

November 20, 2024

The president-elect has been rolling out his intended nominees, and they are sufficiently outlandish to raise a variety of constitutional questions, which we begin to address.

CLE Credit Available for this episode from podcast.njsba.com.

President-elect Trump has begun to announce his plans for his cabinet and other top appointments for January.  Unconventional is a kind word for some of them.  And suddenly, in a House where Republicans have a razor-thin majority, there is a resignation – months before it would be required.  Why?  There are conspiracy theorists for health care positions; admirers of Putin for intelligence posts; newscasters who have never managed anything for one of the largest organizations in the world.  The Constitution has something to say about some of these, and we dive in.  Suffice to say, the water is murky.

(LAWYERS AND JUDGES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION CREDIT by visiting podcast.njsba.com after listening.)

Show Notes:

How to get Continuing Legal Education Credit for listening!

Virtually all lawyers and judges admitted to practice anywhere in the USA can obtain CLE (Continuing Legal Education) credit after listening to this episode by visiting podcast.njsba.com.  You do not have to be a New Jersey lawyer or resident or admitted to the NJ Bar; essentially every state has reciprocity arrangements with New Jersey.  When you visit the site you fill out a form and provide the code Andy read during the episode, pay a small fee, and within two weeks you will receive the certificate from New Jersey.  It couldn’t be easier.  Thanks to the New Jersey Bar Association for making this possible!  Note, too, that other podcast episodes from our “back catalog” now qualify for this credit as well.

Click to go to the website for CLE credit

Advice and Consent - from America’s Constitution, A Biography

Insights on the appointments and treaties powers, from Professor Amar’s 2005 book, America’s Constitution, A Biography, Chapter 5.

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The Dark Side of Camelot

Professor Amar discusses dynasty in the Constitution and in American practice in this piece, originally (2000) in the Wall Street Journal and here, excerpted from his book, The Constitution Today.

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