Ruhle: Hawley Questioning Jackson’s Judicial Record is ‘Dangerous’

During a segment on the first day of congressional hearings on the nomination for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, MSNBC’s The 11th HourStephanie Ruhle clearly was frustrated when Senator Josh Hawley asked Jackson about Jackson’s history of giving light sentences to people convicted for viewing or distribution of child porn.  

Ruhle began by criticizing Hawley’s use of Jackson’s music in a Soundbite from Fox News contributor Andy McCarthy. Then, she lamented the fact that “Josh Hawley won’t back down” “what he is doing is dangerous, it is character assassination of a woman who is going to be confirmed.” She then asked her guest NYU Law School professor Melissa Murray what’s her “take on what he’s doing”? 

Murray retorted “my take on this is that it’s not actually about Ketanji Brown Jackson. You are correct. She’s already a fact accompli. Josh Hawley is certain that she will be a Supreme Court justice.Then, she concluded that Hawley was simply using confirmation hearings to gain political favors. This is 2022 and the midterm elections and 2024. We saw the Republicans all fall on this, I’m sure.”Murray stated. 

Murray kept repeating the idea that it is all part of a larger political game played by Hawley. 

They’re simply making soundbites that are going to be used in the 2022 midterms, and again in 2024 in the presidential election, to basically make the argument that the Republican Party is the party that is hard on crime. This party is hard on crime. The Democrats, however, are not tough on crime. She is merely a pawn in, a political action, that’s going to be laid out over the next couple of months, and indeed, the next couple of years.

Murray was then asked by Ruhle about Jackson’s qualifications in comparison to those of the former Trump judges. “[Trump] nominated roughly a dozen judges, that the American Bar Association rated not qualified. Now, according to that very same American Bar Association, Judge Ketanji Jackson has the highest possible rating.”  

Murray then proceeded to gush about how “absolutely superlative” Jackson is and how Republicans couldn’t possibly oppose her based on merit. She claimed she “wouldn’t know what to say to explain their objections to a nominee, who is absolutely superlative credentials, and qualifications, for this role. She’s truly a made for this moment. I think they know that. And the objections that we’re going to hear in the last couple of days, I think will truly be manufactured.”  

Murray ended her sycophantic commentary by proclaiming, without evidence that Republican objections to Jackson’s nomination are “not about her, it’s about this larger, political fight, and I think, the less we play into their narrative, the better it will be.” 

This biased segment was made possible by Fisher Investments, Infiniti, and Safelite. Their information is linked so you can let them know about the biased news they fund. 

To read the relevant transcript of this segment click “expand”: 

MSNBC’s 11th Hour
3/21/2022
11:26:01 p.m. Eastern 

STEPHANIE RUHLE: But here’s the thing, Josh Hawley is not backing down. What he is doing is dangerous, it is character assassination of a woman who is going to be confirmed. So what is your take on what he’s doing? 

MELISSA MURRAY: My take on this is that it’s not actually about Ketanji Brown Jackson. She is, as you say, a foregone conclusion a fait accompli. She will sit on the Supreme Court, and Josh Hawley knows that. What this is, is about 2022, and the midterm elections, and 2024. I think we saw all the Republicans fall in line on this. Staking out particular claims that she was a woman who is soft on crime, that Democrats are soft on crime, that the Biden administration is soft on crime, and they’re laying a foundation for talking points, that can’t be easily refuted without getting into the nitty-gritty of her record and the cases and what has been going on at the granular level, in these localities. They’re simply making soundbites that are going to be used in the 2022 midterms, and again in 2024 in the presidential election, to basically make the argument that the Republican Party is the party that is hard on crime. That is tough on crime. And the Democrats are soft on crime. She is merely a pawn in, a political action, that’s going to be laid out over the next couple of months, and indeed, the next couple of years.

RUHLE: Okay. The former President, current Florida resident, heNominated approximately 12 judges that were not qualified by the American Bar Association. Now, according to that very same American Bar Association, Judge Ketanji Jackson has the highest possible rating. So, help me understand, what measure could the Republicans possibly be using, that they are perfectly happy with Trump appointees, but not with this Biden pick?

MURRAY: Well, I wouldn’t know what to say to explain their objections to a nominee, who is absolutely superlative credentials, and qualifications, for this role. She’s truly a made for this moment. That they are aware of that, I’m sure. The objections we will hear over the next few days are fabricated, and I believe they’ll be made. These objections will not be very strong, but they are intended to confirm the assertion. This is yet another foregone conclusion. It’s more about building a platform for future political struggles. She’s merely an opportunity to make these arguments about Democrats being soft on crime, about Democrats manufacturing constitutional rights, and being soft on the constitution. It’s not about her, it’s about this larger, political fight, and I think, the less we play into their narrative, the better it will be. It’s not her. She is simply superlative.