Everybody in a tither about the recent vote to put Amy Coney Barrett on the Supreme Court. I am not one of them.
Yes, the Republican hierarchy, led by Senator Mitch McConnell bulldozed the nomination through. Yes, Republicans, in general, ate their own words by doing so.
“I want you to use my words against me. If there’s a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say Lindsey Graham said, ‘Let’s let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination,’ Graham said in 2016 as part of the effort to block Garland’s ascension to the court. “And you could use my words against me and you’d be absolutely right.”
Of course, today Graham changed his tune with his and fellow Republicans’ push to confirm Coney Barrett with eight days before the presidential election. One could just chalk this up to politics, but the ramifications go way further.
President Trump is not a conservative or real Republican. He is an opportunist at best and I sincerely doubt he even knew the name of Amy Coney Barrett before some Republican architect shoved it in his face.
Were there better, more deserving men, or women out there that could have been nominated and approved? Yes, but Amy Coney Barrett was the perfect choice for a hard line justice the Republicans could easily support. After all, the appointment to the Supreme Court is a lifetime job and a fuzzy hope to add control or brakes to lawmaking.
Chief Justice John Roberts was supposed to be a great Republican pick and interpret the law in a conservative nature, but alas, he actually fairly interpreted the law, not always the way conservatives wished. He was actually fair in his decisions. That made the appointment of Amy Coney Barrett all that more sure as a far rightist.
Trump fell into a time warp where, during his four year term, three Supreme Court justices needed to be replaced. It was an unusual happenstance for sure and a real ‘glee’ point to Republicans. That is why many backtracked on their quick appointment and confirmation in view of a possible changeover at the top.
So, bottom line, will the elevation of Amy Coney Barrett screw/skew the line in favor of far right constitutional thinking. The answer is yes, in the short term. But wait! The Democrats, centralists and more progressive thinking politicians have a possible ‘ace’ card in their hand. When the Supreme Court becomes unbalanced, just add more ingredients to the mix. Seems simple enough if you are the party in the majority and it would like to give the Republicans a dose of comeuppance.
Regardless of the odd number of justices on the Supreme Court, history has shown that a balance between decisions and the passing of new laws provides a check and balances to our government. Leave the numbers on the court alone and time will heal any wounds.
The only problem is that we are a people of NOW. We want instantaneous gratifications and the current court setting will not allow this if you oppose far right leanings. To be assured, the majority of women and men in this country feel it is the woman’s prerogative to ‘chose’ and the barn door has swung too far to close them entirely. This topic and others on moderates plates will go through a flux, but the pendulum has a way of righting, or lefting itself.
