With autocratic demagogue and sociopath Donald "COVID Donnie" Trump and his latest judicial tool Amy Coney Barrett grinning smugly at the White (Supremacist) House last night, they celebrated their theft of a Supreme Court seat in a nakedly political event staged for political impact. Barrett, in so doing, left no question about why she was nominated: to do Trump's bidding on striking down the Affordable Care Act, appease fundies by destroying Roe v. Wade, and reverse voting rights, gun control and environmental gains made over the last 60 years, among many other things on the hard right's agenda. In short, to act as his loyal jurist.
The shamefulness of the moment is hard to exaggerate: appearing with Trump on the balcony in authoritarian style, the scene soon to be turned into a campaign ad (and right on cue). During her hearing, she was absolutely silent on even simple softball questions like "can the President delay the election" (only Congress can Constitutionally) and "is voter suppression legal" (no according to U.S. statute).
After years of blocking a Dem President from appointing Federal judges, and then rushing through not only Barrett's appointment, but two other Associate Justices and hundreds of lower court appointments through Moscow Mitch McConnell's Senate, the Dems need to set about balancing the courts, in the likely event they control the Senate and White House after January 20. The cynical and dishonest Rethugs and their right-wing media megaphone will be crying "court packing," but the packing has already happened. As Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez noted,
Republicans do this because they don’t believe Dems have the stones to play hardball like they do. And for a long time they’ve been correct. But do not let them bully the public into thinking their bulldozing is normal but a response isn’t. There is a legal process for expansion.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 27, 2020
Let's hope they find the "stones" and balance the courts.
BONUS: The first thing Justice Barrett did was to participate in a campaign event at the White House for the president, eight days before an election that he has explicitly said he expects will turn on her vote.
(photo: Alex Brandon/AP)
