As a reminder, right here’s McConnell earlier this 12 months:
Sure. He’d do it once more.
So, anyway, McConnell says “Bare makes an attempt to bully judges have turn out to be a core precedence for at this time’s Democratic Occasion.” He says “in the newest Democratic presidential major, a number of candidates, together with our present vp, expressed openness to packing the court docket. This 12 months, each Home and Senate Democrats have launched precise laws to do it.”
McConnell didn’t want laws to do it. He simply wanted the Federalist Society, all of their darkish cash, an entire lack of precept, and willingness to throw out the Structure on the subject of the Senate’s position within the affirmation course of.
McConnell additionally says “Biden could have wished to seem that he was sidestepping the difficulty by merely establishing a fee to review it. Don’t be misled. This was radical and unacceptable presidential conduct, half of a bigger marketing campaign to make impartial judges really feel as if they’re on probation.”
Talking of “radical and unacceptable presidential conduct,” bear in mind what was taking place in these weeks earlier than the election, when McConnell was ramming via Barrett’s nomination? Trump was already declaring the election was rigged and that he anticipated his Supreme Courtroom to repair it for him. “I’m relying on them to take a look at the ballots, undoubtedly,” Trump stated. On the time McConnell stated it was “ridiculous” to counsel Barrett ought to recuse herself in any election case that got here earlier than the court docket, even after Trump’s claims. Democrats “are greedy at straws,” he stated.“She has given no one on the White Home any hints or any assurances about any sorts of circumstances, actual of hypothetical,” McConnell stated.
This man.
“Judicial independence is as fragile as it can be crucial,” he says. “Each single American deserves each potential assure that they may obtain neutral justice,” as if that have been nonetheless a factor within the Trump courts. “It will be past reckless for Democrats to smash this centuries-old safeguard in a match of partisan pique.” As a result of we all know how a lot McConnell values norms and traditions.
In relation to packing courts, McConnell is an previous hand. He’s received three illegitimate judges on the court docket, sufficient to radicalize it in his personal picture. Neil Gorsuch is sitting within the seat pilfered from the nation’s first Black president. Oh, and to get Gorsuch there, McConnell abolished the filibuster for Supreme Courtroom nominees. However do go on about preserving the system.
Then there’s Brett Kavanaugh, who confronted quite a few and credible sexual assault allegations in addition to having a pretty shady financial situation on high of multiple perjury issues, none of which was adequately investigated throughout his rushed affirmation course of. His expertise, his temperament, his willingness to play quick and unfastened with the reality—all of that ought to have disqualified him from even being nominated.
Now, that’s court docket packing. That’s elected Republicans being prepared to do something and every little thing of their energy to rig the system of their favor. In return, they secured a compliant Supreme Courtroom majority, one prepared to fully embrace the Court’s ignominious Jim Crow past. It is a court docket majority that desires the minority of the citizens and elected officers to rule. Similar to McConnell ordered.
McConnell in his hypocritical trolling ought to by no means have been capable of get this op-ed positioned, however sadly that’s not the way it works. Nevertheless, nobody ought to be taken in by it and positively not these—congressional Democrats and President Biden—who’ve the accountability to revive not simply the Courtroom, however the republic.
