Is KBJ nomination going down?
We can thank Hawley if so
[Edit: It’s Josh Hawley … sheez. My brain knew this but my fingers would not budge!!]
Thank you Hawley
John Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced the issue of Ketanji Brown Jackson’s lenient sentences in child pornography cases.. 7 of the cases were eligible for judge’s discretion. She gave lenient sentences FAR BELOW THE SENTENCING STANDARDS for all 7.
Apparently there’s an 8th that is breaking news (covered later).
John Josh Hawley deserves the country’s praise. A real, principled Republican, he.
Cruz joined in as well and deserves credit for doing so. But it was Hawley who pushed the topic.
Romney moves to Maybe
Politico reported recently that Romney has a new, well-funded, Trump-loving primary challenger (he’s up in 2024). Romney, suddenly, miraculously, is now a Maybe on KBJ. He was a Yes vote for her SCOTUS appointment until this news broke even though not long ago the squish voted No for her Circuit Court appointment.
(A DC Circuit Court appointment is the fast-track to SCOTUS.)
Between his No vote for Circuit and his Yes vote (until now) for SCOTUS only one thing occurred — her lenient conviction record for child porno purveyors was exposed.
But that wasn’t enough to sway Romney. He maintained his Yes vote all through the wretched testimony about perverts and children.
The only thing that changed between his No vote for Circuit to, now, his Maybe, is the disclosure of a serious primary contestant.
That’s Romney for you.
Murkowski’s probably next
The equally repugnant Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) has a strong primary challenger. It’s quite possible, especially given the disclosure today of yet-another-case-the-Demmies-are-hiding-from-Republicans (more later).
If Murkowski slides to Maybe then …
Collins may be the last R to be a Yes, but for how long?
… Collins takes the last stand. But how strong a stand to take? Can you imagine posing (as the only Republican) a strong defense of a person that gave lenient sentences to CHILD PORNOGRAPHERS? Especially in light of the breaking news about yet-another-case?
RINOs travel in packs. They are by definition unprincipled. It is uncharacteristic for a RINO to take a last stand.
If Collins goes, there are NO Republicans voting AYE. This leaves …
Manchin!!!
So far Manchin has been a Yes. But that was before the dynamic changed. Can you imagine Manchin explaining his AYE vote for KBJ to a West Virginia audience?
Even if he retires, can you imagine him going down in history as The Guy that helped a child porno perv-loving judge cross over the line and remain in SCOTUS for 30 years as Sotomayor’s black equivalent?
McConnell
Ol’ Turtle Neck didn’t have to come out No when he did several days ago. His vote was a big tell, I think.
The 8th case
The Demmies have been hunkering down. They thought they’d steamroll the Judicial Committee and go to the floor with +5 votes. KBJ would be easily confirmed.
Nope.
Now there’s news of an 8th case, a case where she had sentencing discretion, being withheld by the White House when it had submitted the other cases.
Remember: to this point the WH submitted a package of KBJ’s cases in support of their nominee. 7 of those cases involved child porn sentences in which KBJ had sentencing discretion. Those proved to be VERY lenient. They’ve been on defense eve since.
The disclosure of a hidden 8th case can only mean one thing: a real whopper of a lenient charge.
This will pause the process.
Time does not favor the confirmation of this nominee.
Delays to this point have now resulted in this 8th case disclosure. TIME KILLS NOMINATIONS.
New revelations about God knows what from this 8th case does not favor this nominee.
It’s inconceivable that any Maybe vote will now go Yes. It is very conceivable that Maybe votes will go No, and that squishy Yes votes will go Maybe, even to No.
Watch Collins and Manchin.