Though controversial—sometimes moronic—the overall process to confirm Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was relatively efficient, and the nomination was never seriously compromised. The final vote even ended vaguely bipartisan, with three Republicans joining Democrats in support of her.
But these Supreme Court confirmations are also prime opportunities for members of the Senate Judiciary Committee — especially those harboring presidential aspirations — to display their stuff in front of a larger-than-normal audience. When the nominee gets caught up in scandal or controversy, these dynamics can result in tense, enlightening exchanges. (Am I right, Judges Kavanaugh and Thomas?) But there wasn’t that kind of grist to Judge Jackson, so Republicans continued to misrepresent her views and ramble on about unrelated culture war controversies. Classic, albeit completely predictable choices.
Top showboaters this time around included Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, Marsha Blackburn, Josh Hawley and Lindsey Graham – a master of the smug hissy fit. These people really went out of their way to make the event a circus. So much performative indignation. So little interest in reality.
No one surprised, Mr. Cruz was the most embarrassing of them all. In a convoluted effort to portray Judge Jackson as a radical vigilante (the wimpy details of which are just an online search for those interested), the senator pulled out a copy of the picture book “Antiracist Baby” and began asking bizarre, misleading questions like: ” Do you agree with this book teaching kids that babies are racist?” (The book does not teach that.)
Perhaps Mr. Cruz was feeling nostalgic for his first year in the room, when he gave a dramatic reading on the Senate floor of another children’s book – “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss – as part of a marathon speech protesting the Affordable Care Act. That speech is often mischaracterized as a filibuster. But a vote on the legislation was already scheduled, meaning that nothing Mr Cruz said, read or yodelled made a difference. He simply delivered a blank, rambunctious performance with a view to convincing his party’s voters of his combative chops.
Cruz and Co. played the same cynical game with Judge Jackson. They knew they didn’t really have the nerve to derail her confirmation. (Two hurrahs to Mitch McConnell for killing the Supreme Court filibuster?) They were just parading and posing and channeling Trumpian jerkiness to get the base started: Check us out! Aren’t we fierce and naughty?!
Fortunately, the clown show was not able to disrupt the proceedings. This is partly a tribute to Judge Jackson’s ability to stay calm even on the most off-point of questions. (What is her definition of a woman? For real?) It also helped that the fingerwaggers and footstampers were so transparently selfish that even their teammates recognized it. At one point, Ben Sasse felt moved to refer to “the jackassery we see here often” with people “robbing” in front of the cameras.
That said, the shamelessness of the performers was impressive. After a spirited exchange with the Democratic committee chair, Mr. Cruz sat back and lost himself in his Twitter feed. Nearby reporters noted that he seemed to check his listings to see how he played on social media. Now there is a man who takes his constitutional duties seriously.
But for Mr. Cruz, who works under the illusion that he will one day be elected president, it doesn’t matter much if he wins or loses a particular fight, or if he’s constantly mocked for being a self-centered idiot with mind-boggling facial hair. It’s all about smoothing out the base.
To be fair, Mr Cruz is not alone in this attitude. Even as Judge Jackson takes her hard-earned victory round, her Senate opponents will congratulate themselves on all the MAGA love they certainly deserved. Perhaps they long for shout-outs along the lines of:
Thanks, @tedcruz, for exposing the anti-racist baby plague. Biggest story since Pizzagate.
Stand up straight, @MarshaBlackburn. You are the definition of a REAL WOMAN. #BigHair4Eva
Don’t feel bad, @LindseyGrahamSC. I also often confuse Ketanji Brown Jackson with Janice Rogers Brown. #Honest mistake.
Hey @SenTomCotton, I hear George Soros is a hairy closet. Time for hearings? #AllDemsAreGroomers
And of course:
You are a warrior and patriot, @tedcruz, but for the love of God you must shave properly.
You get the base point. For those who have argued the hardest against Judge Jackson’s appointment, there is plenty to reap. In today’s MAGAfied GOP, nothing is as exciting as flamboyant jackassery.
