My Observations on the Ketanji Brown Jackson Hearings (Day 2)
FOUR THOUGHTS ON THE KBJ CONFIRMATION HEARINGS (DAY 2: TUESDAY)
Watching the Senate hearings today with Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson triggered the following thoughts and questions:
(1) Now on the second day of testimony, why are so many Republicans (and pro-Republican politicos) so sickly obsessed with child pornography? Interesting, huh? It never ends. From Hillary Clinton’s preposterous involvement in sex trafficking which, to a DC pizza parlor fronting for child sex parties, to Q-Anon’s batshit quackery about the DNC (believed by millions of Republicans), to the current absurdities being raised where KBJ acted professionally and judiciously in the sentencing of such cases that came to her court, here’s an incontestable fact: Republicans are *infatuated* with child pornography. Repeatedly, Republicans raise the vilest subject they can lie about to stir their dirt dumb base that’s perpetually confused and fearful. They get people pissed off. And then (of course!), they fundraise off the false “controversy” they created to grease the GOP hate machine.
(2) It’s too bad Republicans have so many peculiar obsessions because I’d really like to have seen the Supreme Court nominee asked for her views on several REAL issues that matter to most Americans. Here are just a few of the topics that have NOT been addressed (so far):
— outdated federal drug laws and possible reforms
— current threats to women’s health care and right to choose (i.e. states clamping down on abortion)
— threats to voting rights and civil rights in many states
— so-called “gun rights” and interpretations of the Second Amendment
— her thoughts on possibly overturning Citizens United, which has basically turned the American electoral process into a giant money circus
— her beliefs on current civil forfeiture laws which empower law enforcement to steal from American citizens
— her thoughts on recent rulings and general judicial philosophy (on each of the above)
(3) Watching Sen. Ted “Cancun” Cruz make a total ass of himself (again) is deliciously decadent. First, he labels Critical Race Theory as a “Marxist” idea. Then, he proceeds to openly trash several books which are on an alt.-reading list as optional texts by a prestigious progressive private K-12 school in Washington (Georgetown Day School) which dares to raise questions about how race has factored in American history and influenced present circumstances. So, Cruz basically supports banning books (hmm, where else have we seen this in history?) and labels texts that somehow draw different interpretations of history as “Marxist.” All that’s missing here is the ghost of Joe McCarthy insinuating she’s a communist.
(4) The most preposterous objections raised by Republican senators about KBJ’s nomination claim that she’s propped up by radical leftist groups, progressives, and those who favor an activist judiciary. Have any of these hypocrites heard of the Federalist Society? This far-right activist organization OPENLY and UNAPOLOGETICALLY has taken credit full credit for appointing SIX of the current members of the Supreme Court. Sen. Mitch McConnell has freely admitted he won’t back any nominee unless they’re first cleared by the zealots at the Federalist Society. To now take a posture that KBJ is a puppet of any advocacy group is absurd, especially when there’s a clear litmus test on all Republican nominees.
That’s it, so far. I’m sure there’s more outrage to come.
