Monday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court was attended by Republicans, Democrats, and the Judge herself. But the coverage of the event, during ABC’s World News Tonight, sounded more like a highlight reel for the left. Senior national correspondent Terry Moran repeatedly boasted ‘Democrats this’ and ‘Democrats that’ while commended them for being “remarkably united” against Judge Barrett.
Anchor David Muir made it clear from the get-go that they were going to be a megaphone for the Democrats on the committee. “Democrats warn health care coverage for millions of Americans, including those with pre-existing conditions, is on the line with this nomination, with a major case before the court just days after the election,” he announced in the opening tease.
After Muir repeated that line in his lead up to the video portion of the segment, Moran kicked off by gushing about how “Democrats, in a surprise, changed the script.”
Adding: “For once, remarkably united, one after another, the Democrats argued that this confirmation threatens all Americans health care and protections for pre-existing conditions.” He followed that up with a soundbite of Senator stolen valor, aka Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) railing against Barrett.
Flouting the Constitution, Moran noted that Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) accurately recalled that late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg had once said that presidents should fill vacant seats in an election year; but then gleefully retold how Democratic “Senator Amy Klobuchar pointedly reminded Graham of Ginsburg's final wish, that her seat would not be filled until a new president is installed.”
Of course, he also had to tout what one-half of the media’s 2020 Democratic ticket had to say at the hearing:
MORAN: Democratic vice president nominee Senator Kamala Harris appearing by remote link also invoking Ginsburg with a dire warning about Judge Barrett.
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA): By replacing Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with someone who will undo her legacy, President Trump is attempting to roll back Americans' rights for decades to come.
“But health care was the Democrats’ main line of attack and it got personal. Sharing moving stories of constituents who depend on the Affordable Care Act,” Moran continued to fawn.
In one of his few mentions of what Republicans did in the hearing, Moran chided GOP senators for defending Judge Barrett’s Catholic faith:
MORAN: Democrats steered clear of any mention of Judge Barrett’s Catholic faith, in contrast to her 2017 confirmation hearings for the appeals court. But Republicans still accused them of using her faith against her.
SEN. JONI ENRST (R-IA): Your political opponents want to paint you as is a TV or cartoon version of a religious radical.
SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): That is an attempt to bring back the days of the religious test.
And any Republican bashing session wouldn’t be complete without some mask shaming. “Barrett herself sat stoically for five hours, wearing a mask, which she hadn't done in her Rose Garden nomination ceremony,” Moran ripped. “And when she removed it to speak, she spoke of her mentor, the late Justice Antonin Scalia, whose judicious philosophy she shares.”
ABC’s boasting for Democratic Barrett bashing was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Google and Bayer. Their contact information is linked so you can let them know about the biased news they’re funding.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
October 12, 2020
6:31:03 p.m. Eastern [Opening Tease]DAVID MUIR: Also tonight, the Supreme Court confirmation hearing for President Trump's nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Democrats warn health care coverage for millions of Americans, including those with pre-existing conditions, is on the line with this nomination, with a major case before the court just days after the election. Judge Barrett today saying “courts are not designed to solve every problem or right every wrong in our public life.”
(…)
6:37:03 p.m. Eastern
MUIR: And now to that Supreme Court showdown I mentioned off the top tonight. The Senate Judiciary committee opening its confirmation hearing for President Trump's nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Judge Barrett escorted into the room this morning, her children brought in separately to watch.
Democrats united in their message today, one after another arguing that her nomination puts health care coverage for millions of Americans, including pre-existing conditions, on the line. With that major case before the court just days after the election.
And judge Barrett telling the committee today the “courts are not designed to solve every problem or right every wrong in our public life.” ABC's Terry Moran has covered the court for years for us.
[Cuts to video]
TERRY MORAN: The stage was set, a socially distanced hearing room but Democrats, in a surprise, changed the script. For once, remarkably united, one after another, the Democrats argued that this confirmation threatens all Americans health care and protections for pre-existing conditions.
SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): Stripping health care from millions of Americans during a pandemic, that's really what is at stake.
MORAN: On the other side, Republicans were brimming with confidence, for good reason, they've got the votes. Committee Chairman Senator Lindsey Graham even acknowledging that no Supreme Court justice has ever been confirmed so close to Election Day.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): My Democratic colleagues will say this has never been done, and they're right in this regard: Nobody, I think, has ever been confirmed in an election year past July.
MORAN: Graham also cited the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who said presidents are elected for four years, not three, and so can nominate justices throughout their terms. But Senator Amy Klobuchar pointedly reminded Graham of Ginsburg's final wish, that her seat would not be filled until a new president is installed.
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN): This isn't Donald Trump's country, it is yours. This shouldn't be Donald Trump's judge. It should be yours.
MORAN: Democratic vice president nominee Senator Kamala Harris appearing by remote link also invoking Ginsburg with a dire warning about Judge Barrett.
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA): By replacing Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with someone who will undo her legacy, President Trump is attempting to roll back Americans' rights for decades to come.
MORAN: But health care was the Democrats’ main line of attack and it got personal. Sharing moving stories of constituents who depend on the Affordable Care Act. With the Supreme Court scheduled to take up that law just a week after the election.
Democrats steered clear of any mention of Judge Barrett’s Catholic faith, in contrast to her 2017 confirmation hearings for the appeals court. But Republicans still accused them of using her faith against her.
SEN. JONI ENRST (R-IA): Your political opponents want to paint you as is a TV or cartoon version of a religious radical.
SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): That is an attempt to bring back the days of the religious test.
MORAN: Barrett herself sat stoically for five hours, wearing a mask, which she hadn't done in her Rose Garden nomination ceremony. And when she removed it to speak, she spoke of her mentor, the late Justice Antonin Scalia, whose judicious philosophy she shares.
JUDGE AMY CONEY BARRETT: A judge must apply the law as it is written, not as she wishes it were. Sometimes that approach meant reaching results that he did not like.
MORAN: And on the key issues that could come before her --
BARRETT: Courts are not designed to solve every problem or right every wrong in our public life.
MORAN: Most of Barrett's children were seated behind her. The mother of seven from the South and Midwest talking about her roots. If confirmed, she would be the only justice not to have attended an ivy league school.
BARRETT: I would be the only sitting justice who didn't attend school at Harvard or Yale, but I am confident that Notre Dame could hold its own and maybe I could even teach them a thing or two about football.
(…)
