"When the time comes, you'll lose more than just the bill."
"You'll lose the last shred of your dignity as Speaker."
Kaufman slumped into his chair.
He looked at the sunlight outside the window, but all he felt was a chill run through him.
His final line of defense, the one he took such pride in—judicial independence—was as fragile as a sheet of paper in the face of Leo's naked threat of the ballot box.
This young man had seen through to the essence of the system.
In the United States, all power ultimately comes from votes.
Since judges are also elected, they can be threatened. They can be bought.
Separation of powers, judicial checks and balances…
They were all just window dressing in the face of an overwhelming tide of public opinion.
"You… you're destroying the very foundation of the rule of law."
Kaufman's voice was weak, laced with a helpless accusation.
"You're turning judges into pawns for politicians, and the courtroom into a marketplace."
"The rule of law?"
