Welcome to the Banana Republic of America: McConnell openly calls Amy Barrett a ‘political asset’

Side by side photos of Barrett and McConnell

Wikimedia

It is official. Amy Coney Barrett will be the Supreme Court Justice to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

And, just in case we had any doubt, Mitch McConnell confirmed the worst fears of many when he spoke to Fox News on Monday. The Senate Majority leader claimed Barrett will be a “political asset” for the Republicans.

Twitter was enraged.

‘So much for democracy’

A stylized photo of the Constitution

Pixabay

For anyone under the impression that the purpose of the Supreme Court justice was to ensure equal justice for the American people by fair interpretation of the Constitution — McConnell corrected them. Apparently, Amy Coney Barrett’s role is to promote a political agenda.

Welcome to the Banana Republic of America

Trump Pence McConnell Oval Office Thumb's Up

Flickr / The White House

During his appearance on Fox News, McConnell spoke about the 2018 midterm elections and alluded to the controversial hearings of Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Speaking to Shannon Bream, he said: “As you recall, we had a Supreme Court fight months before the election in 2018 and we actually gained seats.”

He continued to praise Amy Coney Barrett, the long-term academic and mother of seven, saying: “I think this nominee will be a political asset for our candidates around the country. Not a liability, but an asset.”

In 2018, Republicans got two more seats in the Senate solidifying their majority. The same year, however, Democrats won 41 more seats, taking back control of the House of Representatives.

Twitter viewed his comments with great suspicion, with one user pointing out that if Trump “packs the Supreme Court,” this could threaten the Constitution.

GOP-appointed judges to make voting harder

Shadow people waiting in line to vote

Canva

A recent poll tips the Democrats likely to win the Senate this year, with a 73 percent chance over the Republican’s 27 percent. They are also likely to retain control of the House.

An article in the New York Times echoed a concern in public opinion that the Republican party is appointing GOP Judges in order to make voting access harder. The data showed that to date, 80 percent of the judges appointed by Republicans resulted in greater difficulty in accessing votes.

‘Desperation is not attractive’

Amy Coney Barrett sitting at a desk

Screenshot / YouTube

There is no surprise as to why Amy Coney Barrett was the favorite of the Republicans. Her views on divisive topics including abortion and the Affordable Care Act put her firmly on the religious right. Like her predecessor Justice Scalia, she is an originalist and therefore believes in interpreting the Constitution in the way the authors intended.

Did McConnell just admit to the politicization of the court?

Mitch McConnell with his hands in the air

Flickr / Gage Skidmore

McConnell has come under fire for calling Barrett a “political asset,” and his words were taken in context. He mentioned the “happy night for the country” represented by her nomination — and her first act as a SCOTUS Justice was to play a starring role in a Trump campaign video.

In any case, calling a Supreme Court Justice a “political asset” was never going to go down well.

You May Also Like:

*****
Back To Front Page