On Monday, both CBS This Morning and NBC’s Today show parroted Democrats wailing over the expected Senate vote to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, touting left-wing lawmakers bitterly claiming the legitimate constitutional process was a “reprehensible power grab” and Republicans were “racing” to complete “the most partisan confirmation of a Supreme Court justice in American history.”
“Barrett’s confirmation has moved along despite the Democrats’ attempts to stop it or to slow it down. They accuse Republicans of a reprehensible power grab and warn that everything from health care to abortion rights is on the line,” CBS This Morning co-host Anthony Mason proclaimed. In the report that followed, correspondent Nancy Cordes warned of “A lightning-fast process that is still drawing fury from Democrats.”
After complaining how “The power play was engineered by Senate Leader Mitch McConnell,” Cordes echoed Democratic Party fears that a Justice Barrett would have the chance to rule on several important cases set to come before the high court:
The 48-year-old Barrett will be seated in time to hear some key cases, including one involving LGBTQ rights on November 4th and another involving the fate of ObamaCare on November 10th. And of course any election-related cases that arise after next week.
“Today, Judge Amy Coney Barrett expected to become Justice Barrett, it’s the last step in a process that has been incredibly fast,” correspondent Kasie Hunt lamented on NBC’s Today show. Moments later, she sneered: “Republicans racing to confirm her to the bench before Election Day, when they could lose the White House and the Senate.”
The reporter made sure to advance every Democratic complaint she could think of:
But with Election Day just eight days away, and millions of votes already cast, Democrats arguing whoever wins the election should fill Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat....Confirming Barrett before Election Day means she’ll rule on any challenges to the results, refusing to say during her hearing whether she’ll recuse herself....In the efforts that they did make to stop Barrett, Democrats zeroed in on the Affordable Care Act because she’s likely now going to be in a position to hear arguments in a case that could strike down that law.
Wrapping up the segment, after admitting that “Democrats acknowledge they can’t do anything to stop Barrett now,” Hunt seemed to take solace in the notion that leftist partisans in the Senate would at least make the vote as divisive as possible: “If she is confirmed, as expected, with only Republican votes, it will be the most partisan confirmation of a Supreme Court justice in American history.”
Despite all the hysterics by both networks that the confirmation was moving “incredibly fast,” a look back over the past few decades finds other Supreme Court nominees who were confirmed in comparable, if not shorter, periods of time. Barrett’s successor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, was confirmed just 42 days after being named by Bill Clinton in 1993. Only 33 days after being nominated by Ronald Reagan in 1981, Sandra Day O’Connor was confirmed to the high court. In 1975, John Paul Stevens was tapped by Gerald Ford for the court and confirmed in 19 days.
Democrats and their media allies just cannot accept that Barrett will be the next Supreme Court justice, as they eagerly work together to falsely cast the process as illegitimate.
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Here is a transcript of the October 26 report on CBS This Morning:
8:07 AM ET
ANTHONY MASON: The Supreme Court is expected to have nine justices again by tonight. The Senate is ready to confirm appeals court Judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died last month. Barrett’s confirmation has moved along despite the Democrats’ attempts to stop it or to slow it down. They accuse Republicans of a reprehensible power grab and warn that everything from health care to abortion rights is on the line. Nancy Cordes is covering the debate on Capitol Hill.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Barrett Confirmation Vote; Expected to Become Justice Today Despite Democrats’ Objections]
NANCY CORDES: After debating through the weekend, the Senate is poised to take one final vote.
SEN. MARSHA BLACKBURN [R-TN]: We are going to confirm.
CORDES: By tonight, Judge Barrett will likely become Justice Barrett, boosting the number of conservatives on the court from five to six.
SEN. JOHN CORNYN [R-TX]: I’m confident that if our colleagues across the aisle had any good argument addressing her qualifications or her character or integrity, we would hear about it.
CORDES: Her confirmation will come just 38 days after the death of famed liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM [R-SC]: So help you God?
CORDES: A lightning-fast process that is still drawing fury from Democrats.
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER [D-NY]: Don’t forget it, America. Don’t forget what’s happening here because it’s a travesty, a travesty.
NANCY CORDES: Over the weekend, two Republicans sided with Democrats to try to delay the process.
SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI [R-AK]: I just regret that we are in this place.
CORDES: But Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski said she won’t hold that against Barrett today.
MURKOWSKI: I will be a yes. I have no doubt about her intellect.
CORDES: The power play was engineered by Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, who seemed to suggest this weekend that he had to act now because his party could soon lose control of the Senate.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL [R-KY]: A lot of what we’ve done over the last four years will be undone sooner or later by the next election.
CORDES: The 48-year-old Barrett will be seated in time to hear some key cases, including one involving LGBTQ rights on November 4th and another involving the fate of ObamaCare on November 10th. And of course any election-related cases that arise after next week. For CBS This Morning, I'm Nancy Cordes.
Here is full transcript of the October 26 on NBC’s Today:
7:13 AM ET
HODA KOTB: We move now to Capitol Hill, the Supreme Court showdown today. The Senate is expected to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett as the newest Supreme Court justice in a vote along party lines. This after rare weekend sessions filled with debate over the nominee. NBC’s Capitol Hill correspondent Kasie Hunt has the very latest. Hey, Kasie, good morning.
KASIE HUNT: Hoda, good morning to you. Today, Judge Amy Coney Barrett expected to become Justice Barrett, it’s the last step in a process that has been incredibly fast. The final vote expected exactly one month after President Trump said he was going to nominate her.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Amy Coney Barrett to Be Confirmed; Final Vote Tonight After Republicans Fast-Track Nomination]
This morning, Amy Coney Barrett is just one Senate vote away from becoming a Supreme Court justice, after the Senate voted over the weekend to advance her nomination.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN [U.S. SENATE]: The motion is agreed to.
HUNT: Republicans racing to confirm her to the bench before Election Day, when they could lose the White House and the Senate.
MCCONNELL: A lot of what we have done over the last four years would be undone sooner or later by the next election. They won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come.
HUNT: Tonight’s final vote, all but assured, with every Republican except Susan Collins of Maine united behind President Trump’s pick. Even Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski reversed plans to oppose Barrett. But with Election Day just eight days away, and millions of votes already cast, Democrats arguing whoever wins the election should fill Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat.
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER [D-NY]: It’s a travesty, a travesty.
HUNT: Confirming Barrett before Election Day means she’ll rule on any challenges to the results, refusing to say during her hearing whether she’ll recuse herself.
AMY CONEY BARETT: I can’t offer an opinion on recusal without short circuiting that entire process.
HUNT: But Democrats acknowledge they can’t do anything to stop Barrett now.
SEN. CHRIS COONS [D-DE]: Beyond that, beyond public pressure, beyond the impact on Republican senators who are facing re-election, there is little else we can do at this point.
HUNT: In the efforts that they did make to stop Barrett, Democrats zeroed in on the Affordable Care Act because she’s likely now going to be in a position to hear arguments in a case that could strike down that law. If she is confirmed, as expected, with only Republican votes, it will be the most partisan confirmation of a Supreme Court justice in American history. Hoda?
KOTB: Alright, Kasie Hunt for us on the Hill. Kasie, thank you.
