Mitch McConnell slammed by 'appalled' former GOP counsel for plan to vote no on Ketanji Brown Jackson
Appearing on CNN on Friday morning, the former GOP counsel for the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee, hammered Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for his decision to vote against placing Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on the Supreme Court.
Late Thursday the GOP leader issued a statement saying, "I cannot and will not support Judge Jackson to her lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court," adding the judge, "declined to address critically important questions and ameliorate real concerns."
McConnell, who refused to allow hearings on Merrick Garland's nomination to the court, added, "Judge Jackson was the court-packers’ pick. And she testified like it."
According to attorney and commentator Sophia Nelson, McConnell's refusal to vote to put the first Black woman on the court is inexcusable.
With CNN host Brianna Keilar prompting, "Minority Leader McConnell said he will not support the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson," and adding "The margin for error will be slim," Nelson delivered an extensive response.
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"Sophia, Amy Coney Barrett also well qualified," Keillar began. "The ABA had called for an FBI investigation into Brett Kavanaugh. I want to make this very clear about some of the distinctions and the reaction to some of these nominees. I wonder what you thought about Republicans, what they did during this hearing, and how they seem to say, 'well, Brett Kavanaugh was treated very poorly."'
"Look, as someone who was a Republican for years 25 years of my life as a black woman, I understand how difficult it is to be a part of that party," Nelson replied. "But the shenanigans and the disrespect we witnessed this last week was race-baiting. Nothing that this judge has done or said in her past warranted those type of attacks."
"You made a good distinction about Justice Kavanaugh. I didn't think Justice Kavanaugh was well treated, Brianna," she continued. "I thought they should have gone into private session with that information and spared the judge and the witness, most importantly, the type of attacks and scrutiny they came under. But the point here is that if you look at the record, Republicans supported Ketanji Brown Jackson in the past. Mitch McConnell has voted for her. [Texas Sen.] Ted Cruz has voted for her. [Iowa Sen. Chuck] Grassley. So for them to fast forward and saying somehow this woman isn't competent, because she didn't define what a woman is for [Sen.] Marsha Blackburn? Excuse me!"
"This is a historic nominee," she added. "Thurgood Marshall, 69 votes. Sonia Sotomayor, 68 votes. We have a practice of historic firsts, like the first black woman, or first black person and the first woman getting significant bipartisan support and this judge deserves it. And the way they treated her was appalling. I am appalled as a black woman, appalled."
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