Big Bend for the Arc of Justice
Yesterday was the first day of the confirmation hearing for Ketanji Brown Jackson’s appointment to the Supreme Court. If confirmed, she will be the first African American woman justice and the first justice who has served as a public defender. She already has 9 years judicial experience and has already been confirmed by the Senate Judiciary Committee three times, all bi-partisan. She’s far more qualified and experienced than 4 of the other justices were on the Supreme Court at this point in the process. She has more experience trying cases when she was a district judge for 8 years than any member of SCOTUS. She has three times as much experience as Amy Coney Barrett had when she was handed the job before Ruth Bader Ginsburg was even buried. Ketanji Brown Jackson is the 16th Supreme Court nominee who had a “well-qualified” by the American Bar Association. Clarence Thomas had a lesser “qualified” rating and was accused of sexual harassment by Anita Hill during his confirmation hearing. He has been a less than mediocre participant on the highest court in the land.
Ketanji Brown Jackson has a far more impressive resume than any of the people who are judging her.
All of the Republicans who “have a problem” with Ketanji Brown Jackson’s record had no problem with Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh.
Ketanji Brown Jackson didn’t cry or talk about how much she loved beer during her confirmation hearing.
Democratic Senator Cory Booker was busting with pride as an American, elected official, and a Black man. He set the tone by asking everybody to take a moment to reflect and appreciate the historical significance of the moment. “Please, let me just acknowledge the fact that this is not normal. It has never happened before. I just want to talk about the joy,” he said, beaming. He couldn’t stop smiling. He got emotional when he talked about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He tied one of his most famous quotes to the moment — “The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice. Today America is witnessing the literal bending of the arc.”
Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, former US attorney and attorney general of Rhode Island, used his time to call out the “dark money turnstile” and the current corruption of the Court. He went after the Federalist Society. He said that Judge Jackson was chosen on her merits, not for political reasons by a secretive right-wing society, and that her nomination reflects a “fair and honest selection process.”
And then there were the Republicans who all predictably used their time to audition for the cameras, campaign, send racist messages to their constituents, and create sound bites for Fox News.
In his opening statement, Republican Chuck Grassley lectured Ketanji Brown Jackson on the Constitution. He told her that it should be interpreted “as it was understood when written.” It was written in 1787 back when white men were in total and complete control of the US government, the economy, women, land, property, and Black people (they could own them.) Chuck Grassley turns 89 on Election Day this year and he’s running for re-election. If he wins, he’ll be 95 when he runs again. He’s been in political office since 1959. Too white. Too old. Too male. Too long.
Tom Cotton predictably made his opening statement a campaign stump speech about critical race theory, the covid vaccine, and of course, guns. He hit all of the standard talking points. He indirectly addressed Ketanji Brown Jackson and blew a loud, confederate dog whistle when he said, “We are witnessing a breakdown of society.” Did you hear that, Americans? One half of the country sees her nomination as major progress long overdue and the arc of justice bending in the right direction at long last, and the other half view her as a threat to white supremacy.
Josh Hawley used his TV time to drag Ketanji by claiming she was soft on child porn. Here we go again with Josh Hawley talking about porn. Does he do this to identify himself as the anti-porn candidate to get the QAnon vote or is the real reason he’s just preoccupied with porn? He was rude to Ketanji. Why? He’s sexist and racist, yes, but he hasn’t suffered a single consequence for the horrible things he has said and done as a US senator so why be decent now? Because he, like his leader and idol Trump, has already gotten away with being a bottom of the barrel traitor so why stop now? It’s working for him. He’s even selling merchandise of him doing the fist pump to the insurrectionists outside of the Capitol on January 6 on his website.
Southern white belle Marsha Blackburn said the quiet part out loud and asked, “Is it your personal hidden agenda to incorporate CRT into our legal system?” She embarrassed herself by showing up to work without brushing her hair and suggested that Ketanji Brown Jackson supported Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), a ruling which outlawed prosecuting married couples for using contraception, a case that is the basis for the right to privacy and led to Roe v. Wade and marriage equality. What did she do that for? Marsha Blackburn is an idiot. Really. A dip shit, beauty school drop out, peroxide blonde idiot. Southern white ladies never leave the house without being groomed to the 10s. Lordy, Marsha. Do something about your hair.
Lindsey Graham was a jerk and brought up Brett Kavavanuagh 15 times. Even though he had voted for Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation to the appeals court, he wanted Biden to pick another candidate for the Supreme Court. He said that this pick “means the radical Left has won President Biden over yet again.”
Day 1 is over with. On to Day 2. Cory will be smiling again today. Ketanji Brown Jackson will be smiling again today. Her parents and daughters will be smiling again today. And MLK will be smiling down from the promised land today.
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