Over the past couple of days, CNN anchors have again been showing worry that Senate Republicans will thwart President Joe Biden from appointing a liberal Supreme Court justice to replace Stephen Breyer as the network hyped discussions with Republicans who predicted that a hypothetical Republican-controlled Senate would block a Biden court nominee.
In spite of all the hard news stories like record illegal border crossings and high crime that could be discussed, they chose to speculate about what could possibly happen next year if there is a Supreme Court vacancy that might not even happen.
On Sunday night, CNN Newsroom host Pamela Brown first brought up the story as she had CNN reporter Isaac Dovere and Supreme Court analyst Joan Biskupic. Brown began by fretting: "The next presidential election is still three years away, but CNN has learned that some top Senate Republicans are already making plans to block any effort by President Joe Biden to name a new Supreme Court justice if there is a vacancy."
Bringing on her two guests, the CNN host asked: "What are you hearing about this plan to kill this nomination that hasn't even happened?"
Dovere morbidly speculated over the possibility of the Senate changing hands if Democratic Senators were unable to finish their terms:
Well, look, it's not just a concern for the midterms. We have a 50-50 Senate as we all know at this point, and there are several Senators who are aging, some who have been in bad health who could, their colleagues themselves fear, could die and throw things into disarray even on this. Republicans telling CNN -- telling me and my colleague, Manu Raju -- that they would likely not move on a Biden nominee for the Supreme Court, and Senate Democrats saying that they are worried -- and this worries them in the White House, too -- that if they push Stephen Breyer to retire too much publicly, he may push back and not retire just to show that he's not being political.
For her part, Biskupic predicted Breyer would retire in the summer (click "expand");
BROWN: So let's talk a little bit more about Justice Breyer. He is 83 years old -- he has been on the bench since 1994. Joan, what do you know about the odds of him retiring?
JOAN BISKUPIC: It's nice to see you, Pamela, and I actually think that the odds are pretty strong for retirement this spring for him to finish out the term that ends in June, but to give word to the White House before then. He -- before he went on the bench, and before he was even a law professor, he was a Senate Judiciary Committee staffer. He knows the score -- he knows what things are all about. And he was around for Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He saw what happened when she didn't step down and was succeeded by Amy Coney Barrett with the entire, you know, law of the land changing because of that switch.
As Brown wrapped, she tout the significance of the Supreme Court as if to warn CNN's liberal viewers: "We have seen just the impact just recently on these cases that the Supreme Court can have on this country. And we appreciate your reporting looking ahead and to what would happen if Republicans take a majority of the Senate. Thank you both."
And on Monday morning, CNN's New Day show also gave coverage to the reporting -- both during the 6:00 a.m. hour and again during the 8:00 hour. At 6:36 a.m., fill-in co-host Erica Hill set up the story:
New CNN reporting, Senate Republicans are poised to block anyone who President Biden would pick to be a new Supreme Court justice if they take the majority in next year's midterm elections. This comes as Democrats are anxiously waiting for Justice Stephen Breyer to announce his retirement plans.
Dovere again appeared live and speculated about the morbid possibilities that might give Republicans the chance to thwart a Biden court pick.
CNN has previously hyped this possible future news that has not even happened yet on several occasions. CNN chief legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin even ranted against Breyer because the liberal justice will not put priority on getting out of the way so President Biden can replace him quickly.
This attempt by CNN to create news and underhandedly lobby for the interests of liberals was sponsored in part by Liberty Mutual. Their contact information is linked.
Transcripts follow below. Click "expand" to read.
CNN's New Day
December 20, 2021
6:36 a.m. EasternERICA BROWN: New CNN reporting, Senate Republicans are poised to block anyone who President Biden would pick to be a new Supreme Court justice if they take the majority in next year's midterm elections. This comes as Democrats are anxiously waiting for Justice Stephen Breyer to announce his retirement plans. CNN's Isaac Dovere is live in Washington with more this morning. I guess, in some ways, folks may say this is not much of a surprise. Give us more of the details here.
ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, look, it's not just a concern for the midterms. We have a 50-50 Senate as we all know at this point, and there are several Senators who are aging, some who have been in bad health who could, their colleagues themselves fear, could die and throw things into disarray even on this. Republicans telling CNN -- telling me and my colleague, Manu Raju -- that they would likely not move on a Biden nominee for the Supreme Court, and Senate Democrats saying that they are worried -- and this worries them in the White House, too -- that if they push Stephen Breyer to retire too much publicly, he may push back and not retire just to show that he's not being political.
HILL: Really, you know, walking on eggshells at this point around Justice Breyer when it comes to the White House. Where does the White House stand?
DOVERE: Well, President Biden has been pretty firm that he doesn't think it's his place to push for a retirement. But, of course, he would like to see Stephen Breyer retire so that they can secure the seat for the next generation. It's a tricky matter on a lot of fronts. Again, there's a backfiring question, and then there's the fact that Stephen Breyer is 83 years old. Joe Biden claiming to run for reelection when he'll be in his mid-eighties. There are a lot of factors at play here.
CNN Newsroom with Pamela Brown
December 19, 2021
6:30 p.m. EasternPAMELA BROWN: The next presidential election is still three years away, but CNN has learned that some top Senate Republicans are already making plans to block any effort by President Joe Biden to name a new Supreme Court justice if there is a vacancy. CNN's Isaac Dovere and Joan Biskupic are following this important story. Isaac, I want to start with you. What are you hearing about this plan to kill this nomination that hasn't even happened?
ISAAC DOVERE: Well, look, I spoke with a number of Senate Republicans last week, who were very matter of fact about it, including Chuck Grassley, the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee, saying, if the Republicans take the majority in the Senate, they would not confirm a replacement nominee from Joe Biden for Stephen Breyer's seat. They are escalating the -- the partisan fight that has become Supreme Court politics even further, and being very clear that that is where things are headed and that leaves Senate Democrats and the White House in a very tough spot over this because they want Stephen Breyer to retire -- they would like him to retire as soon as tomorrow, as one of them put it to me -- but they are worried that, if they pressure him publicly, that he will stay on the bench in a sense just to show that he is not bowing to partisan politics. And so they are very much up in arms about what to do.
BROWN: So let's talk a little bit more about Justice Breyer. He is 83 years old -- he has been on the bench since 1994. Joan, what do you know about the odds of him retiring?
JOAN BISKUPIC: It's nice to see you, Pamela, and I actually think that the odds are pretty strong for retirement this spring for him to finish out the term that ends in June, but to give word to the White House before then. He -- before he went on the bench, and before he was even a law professor, he was a Senate Judiciary Committee staffer. He knows the score -- he knows what things are all about. And he was around for Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He saw what happened when she didn't step down and was succeeded by Amy Coney Barrett with the entire, you know, law of the land changing because of that switch.
(....)
BROWN: Joan Biskupic, Isaac Dovere, excellent and very important reporting. We have seen just the impact just recently on these cases that the Supreme Court can have on this country. And we appreciate your reporting looking ahead and to what would happen if Republicans take a majority of the Senate. Thank you both.
