On Monday, Chris Coons was interviewed by the hosts. CBS Mornings urged for quick confirmation of President Biden’s Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson and saw no reason for any “delay at all when it comes to her background.” In addition, the broadcast fondly recalled how the person Jackson was replacing, liberal Justice Stephen Breyer, received 87 votes when the Senate confirmed him in the 1990s.
“What’s the timeline for the confirmation hearings of President Biden’s nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson?,”Co-host Nate Burleson questioned Coons in a softball game with the Delaware Democrat. Coons replied: “We’ll begin reading into her decisional record, her background. I hope that we will have a confirmation process that is fair, that is swift, that is transparent, and that will see her seated on the Supreme Court later this spring….a confirmation vote before Easter.”
Tony Dokoupil, Tony’s cohost on the show, was unhappy with the speed of things and made a complaint: “But, Senator, what is the delay at all when it comes to her background? Her confirmation for the federal circuit court was less than one year ago. Everything seems to be ready to go.”
On Friday, amid CBS’s swooning over Biden naming Jackson to the high court, Dokoupil actually asked about a “controversial” aspect of the liberal federal judge’s record that should be looked into: “What will likely come up is her work as a public defender, as you point out, because one of the roles she played as a public defender was to take on at least one case of a prisoner in Guantanamo Bay, controversial cases all.”
It seems that he was unable to answer the question on Monday morning.
Coons agree with Dokoupil “Yes, you’re right, she was very recently confirmed to the D.C. Circuit. So we’ve recently had a chance to review her record.”Then, he was cited “the precedent of the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett, which was raced through in a matter of just a few weeks by the Republicans.”
CBS used those same Democratic Party talking points in the fall of 2020 to question the very legitimacy of Barrett’s nomination. On September 29 of that year, co-host Gayle King brought on Anita Hill to argue “that a thorough Supreme Court confirmation can happen before the election.” On October 12, King opened the show by touting: “How Democrats plan to challenge her credentials and the legitimacy of these hearings.” On October 26, then-co-host Anthony Mason seized on Democrats accusing “Republicans of a reprehensible power grab,” followed by correspondent Nancy Cordes whining about, “A lightning-fast process that is still drawing fury from Democrats.”
In sharp contrast, while speaking of Jackson on Monday, King had adopted a very different tone as she lamented how “some Republicans are already calling her too radical.” She asked Coons if the confirmation would be bipartisan.
Dokoupil was nostalgic for days gone by when nominees to the liberal Supreme Court from Democratic presidents were given a stamp of approval from the Senate. “It’s worth remembering that when Breyer, who she would replace, was confirmed, he got 87 Republican votes – 87 votes. It was eighty-seven to nine. This vote was bipartisan. We’re in a different world.”
The King called in the king: “That’s right. And no one disputes her qualifications.”
They conveniently didn’t mention how nasty, personal attacks on conservative court nominees like Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh by partisan Democrats (like Joe Biden) poisoned the process.
When a conservative nominee like Barrett was nominated to high court less than two years ago, CBS hyped Democratic claims that the process was “lightening-fast” and illegitimate. Now that a liberal like Jackson has been named to the Supreme Court, the network is frustrated that anyone wants to examine her record and bemoans the fact that she won’t get “87 votes.”
CVS and Februaryreze brought this glaring double-standard to CBS’s attention. Let these advertisers know your opinion about them sponsoring this content.
Below is the transcript from our February 28th exchange with Coons.
8.07 am ET
(…)
NATE BURLESON: Senator, you’re also on the Senate Judiciary Committee. What’s the timeline for the confirmation hearings of President Biden’s nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson?
SEN. CHRIS COONS [D-DE]Judge Jackson will be meeting with senators starting this week. We’ll begin reading into her decisional record, her background. We hope to have a process for her confirmation that is fair, swift, transparent and will result in her being seated at the Supreme Court this spring. My hope is we’ll have a confirmation vote before Easter.
TONY DOKOUPIL (Senator): What is the reason for this delay? Her confirmation for the federal circuit court was less than one year ago. All seems ready for action.
COONS: That’s right. Typically the – the Judiciary Committee had a long tradition of taking at least a few weeks to give members to meet with the nominee, to read into their background. There’s two things at play here. Yes, you’re right, she was very recently confirmed to the D.C. Circuit. So we’ve recently had a chance to review her record. And she hasn’t written many decisions since she was confirmed, it was so recent. The precedent of Justice Amy Coney Barrett was also a reminder of this, as it was rushed through by Republicans in the last administration. Combining these two elements suggests that it might be quite a quick confirmation process.
GAYLE KING: It’s going to be interesting, though, because some Republicans are already calling her too radical. Is it possible to expect bipartisan support in this case?
COONS – I certainly would hope so. When she was confirmed to the D.C., she received three Republican votes. Circuit. She hasn’t changed in the last few months. She has remarkable credentials and a fascinating background that will allow her to make significant contributions to the Supreme Court.
DOKOUPIL: Three Republican votes. It’s worth remembering that when Breyer, who she would replace, was confirmed, he got 87 Republican votes – 87 votes. It was eighty-seven to nine. This vote was bipartisan. We’re in a different world.
KING: That’s right. No one can dispute her abilities.
(…)
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