KBJ Nomination Hearings In the Books

The final day did not feature the famous black woman(?) herself, it was given to the committee to call experts to praise or damn her. NPR, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmation hearings: What happened Thursday. It appears to be all over but the grumbling (and actual voting) as, from the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 03.25.22, Mary Chastain at LI reports Manchin Will Vote to Confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to SCOTUS, "Haven’t heard from any Republicans who will vote for her but I bet Mitt Romney will do it." and Herr Professor Jacobsen notes Ben Sasse a “No” On Ketanji Brown Jackson, "All eyes turn to Murkowski, Collins, and Romney as to whether there will be a 50-50 split, with resulting constitutional chaos as to whether VP Harris can cast a tiebreaker vote on a Supreme Court nomination." Fox, McConnell says he will oppose Jackson's nomination to the Supreme Court, "McConnell said he made the decision after watching Jackson's 'performance this week'", but not do everything in his power to block it.  So, as Althouse declares "Unless Sinema wigs out..." "Unless Sinema wigs out, that's it. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will be joining the Supreme Court. The only question is whether Collins, Murkowski, Romney and maybe a couple of others will do the right thing.". Fox, Manchin backs Biden Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, "Senate could confirm Jackson as soon as early April."  I think the Republicans could hold her in the committee, as long as the Senate remains 50:49 Republican thanks to the temporary? loss of the Senator from New Mexico to a stroke, and even when he's back, it's an open question if the Veep can cast a tie breaking vote on a nomination. But we probably won't find out due to Collins, Murkowski and Romney. 

The grumbling continues. At USA Today, Scott Gerber The Constitution won't interpret itself. Ketanji Brown Jackson owes us an answer on her judicial philosophy. I suspect she'll bend to however she needs to get to the 'progressive' goals. For I&I it's a A Big ‘No’ On Ketanji Brown Jackson. At Am Think Anthony Mee thinks Ketanji Brown Jackson is a Trojan Horse. Joe Klein at Front Page says Judge Jackson is A Big Win for the Radical Left. Ken Sondik at Am Spec, Ketanji Brown Jackson Misstates the Law — Again, "During her testimony, the nominee doubled down on her bogus Make the Road New York argument." Breitbart finds a Law Professor who says KBJ’s Vague ‘Judicial Philosophy’ Leaves Door Open for Expansion of ‘Governmental Power,’ Erosion of ‘Liberty.’ At Am Spec Jeff Lord asks buwudif  If Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Were Judge Candace Owens, "The liberal plantation would be enraged." News Max, GOP Opposition to Jackson on Supreme Court Grows. Rick Moran at PJ Media, Cruz Calls Out Durbin for Running Interference for Judge Jackson, by preventing Republicans from seeing pre-sentencing reports on the pedophile offenders.

Ace's Quick Hit

The hearings highlight moment, of course, was when Sen Marsh Blackburn asked KJB if she could define  "woman" and KJB responded, no, "not it this context. I'm not a biologist." Byron York at WaEx does a pretty good job of explaining her dilemma, in  Democrats, Judge Jackson, and the 'woman' problem. Who does she offend, most women or progressives?

Blackburn was ready for Jackson's dodge. "So you believe the meaning of the word 'woman' is so unclear and controversial that you can't give me a definition?" she asked. "Senator, in my work as a judge, what I do is I address disputes," Jackson explained. "If there's a dispute about a definition, people make arguments, and I look at the law, and I decide, so I'm not — "

"The fact that you can't give me a straight answer about something so fundamental as what a woman is underscores the danger of the kind of progressive education that we are hearing about," Blackburn responded. Her point was made.

Mike Davis, who has taken part in a lot of confirmations, wondered why Jackson didn't say something like this: "Of course I understand what the word 'woman' means in everyday life and meaning, but there are legal issues that could come before the court, Title IX or Title VII cases, so I just have to be careful." Instead, Jackson balked at giving any definition of "woman" and suggested that only academically trained experts could do so.

This, of course, is a dynamite issue for Republicans, who can now expect to ask every Democrat running for office, and some that aren't "Can you define woman?" Roger L. Simon at ET,  Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Big Lie to Sen. Blackburn Exposes Progressivism. Via the Wombat, Transterrestrial Musings:  What Is A Woman?, and Coffee Again and Victory Girls: Judge Jackson & The Progressive War On Women. At NYPo, ‘Disqualifying’ words from Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, Kyle Sammin at Da Fed wonders How Can Ketanji Brown Jackson Rule In Sex Discrimination Cases If She Can’t Define ‘Woman’? At Da Caller, Nicole Silverio  observes Tulsi Gabbard Rips ‘Hypocrisy And Absurdity’ Of SCOTUS Nominee’s Inability To Define ‘Woman’. Spencer Brown at Town Hall highlights a Hot Mic Catching School Board Member Asking to 'Set Marsha Blackburn on Fire', presumably for asking KJB such a loaded question.

Everything is going swimmingly

Other issues include her apparent softness on crime as evidenced by her defense of Gitmo detainees and her light sentences for child porn offenders. At Am Great, Josh Hammer On Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Terrible Judgment, "There is not much worse than a Supreme Court justice with a soft spot for mollycoddling pedophiles—a position Jackson has actually held since law school." Matt Margolis at PJ Media, Child Porn Offender Who Got Lenient Sentence From Ketanji Jackson Continued to Seek Images of Children. WaPoo, Wesley Hawkins, talk of the Jackson hearings, describes life after pornography sentence, a very sympathetic profile. At Twitchy, Washington Post looks into man’s life after his child pornography sentence from Ketanji Brown Jackson, viewers aren't as kind. 

Dan Greenfield at Front Page, Ketanji Brown Jackson's Favorite Critical Race Theory Book Rejects the Constitution, "A judge who does not believe in the Constitution, but believes in critical race theory, is unfit.

And some good news on Justice Thomas, Clarence Thomas released from hospital after week of absence from high court. JTN, Clarence Thomas released from hospital after week-long stay