It’s The Great DeSanitizer stupid

As much as I respect Florida’s U.S. District Judge Mark Walker – personally I think he’s a rare hero in a state governed by knaves – he’s wrong about The Great DeSanitizer.

“The government cannot excuse its indirect censorship of political speech simply by declaring the disfavored speech is ‘false,’” Walker wrote in striking down the anti-Ron’s unconstitutional attempt to keep TV stations from running ads supporting the right to abortion amendment.

Not to put a fine point on it, but Walker then added:

“To keep it simple for the State of Floriduh: it’s the First Amendment, stupid.” (Forgive me for taking, um, artistic liberty with the judge’s words. In my defense, the Devil made me do it.)

We now know that DeSantis personally directed the state health department to send threatening letters to TV stations. Indeed, the agency attorney ordered to send the letters under his own name resigned as a matter of principle.

It would be nice to believe that our anti-Ron is indeed too stupid to understand the First Amendment. But he isn’t.

He is simply in contempt of the First Amendment.

And he thinks he can get away with violating fundamental civil liberties because – all too frequently – he does get away with it.

This largely thanks to a state judiciary well stocked by Great DeSanitizer sock puppets and a puppy dog legislature that sits up, begs, rolls over and plays dead at The Gov’s command.

This guy’s regime is a case study in the systematic suppression of the First Amendment rights of teachers, professors, librarians, students, business owners, protestors, journalists, progressive elected officials and so many others who, in one way or another, qualify as Enemies Of The Free State Of Floriduh.

Sorry, Judge Walker, but he isn’t stupid. Would be that he were.

He simply doesn’t care. Because he doesn’t have to.

It’s good to be the king.