Stohr talked about the importance of the elevation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court - and not just for Blacks.
It's important for all Americans to see that the default of a Supreme Court Justice is not in the mold of a white male. That it can be anybody, and that it should be reflective of the country. So, this is an incredible, incredible moment.
Curbelo, a former Florida Congressman, said "by today's standards," Jackson's confirmation was pretty smooth, and that it was a "big win for this administration and a big deal for the country." And he pointed to "identity politics in reverse" being what kept 47 Republicans from voting for her
I think Republicans want to make the point that we don't have to emphasize these kinds of issues, even though they are historic.
They talked a lot about the toxicity of politics, and the fact that the Rs have pretty much shut the door on any other Biden SCOTUS nominations, should an opportunity come up, and that no Senate will confirm the other party's nominee, no matter which party is sitting where.
Probably the most astute point, when the conversation turned to this being 'Biden's last big thing,' came from Stohr, who noted
...Democrats have shown time and time again, they talk about the problems that need some sort of policy or legislative solutions. Republicans find issues that they can campaign on and win elections on. And that's exactly what's happening right now... Democrats are always two steps behind.
At least two steps, she should have said.
Let's head down the hall to the right and check in with Dana Perino on Fox News Sunday and her panel: Brit Hume (Fox News), Julie Pace (AP), and former Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D-TN).
... I think if Ukraine is going to win, we are going to need to do more. And the question arises whether the Biden administration will be willing to do that or is their fear of a direct conflict with Russia such that we will continue to hold back on some things, certain kinds of large weaponry, airplanes, and so forth.
Ford generally agreed, but instead of asking whether the administration is ready to do more, he wondered
Are the American people ready to escalate? I think the administration probably would be, but are the American people ready to shoulder and accept the consequences, which could be worse than what we are seeing right now, can certainly see American casualties as well. I don't know the answer to that, Dana.
Turning to the economic fallout from the war, Pace pointed to the first round of the French presidential election, saying it could be a test of how folks in the West
are going to respond to a lot of the economic pain that they are feeling, which in some instances -- not all -- but in some instances is a direct result of some of the actions that the US and Western European countries have taken to try to hold Russia to account... how will Western nations, Western citizens, balance their outrage over that with their feeling of economic pain, how much economic pain are they willing to sustain in order to punish Russia for what they are seen. And I think that's a balance that could change in the coming months.
It's likely to be an issue in Europe, and here in November, she thinks.
Finally, here's what was going on as Jon Karl tried to wrangle the panel on This Week. Hanging out with him were regulars Chris Christie and Donna Brazile, along with Rick Klein (ABC) and Laura Barron-Lopez (Politico).
Part of their discussion related to former president Trump's ability to maintain control of the GOP; they used a clip from Trump's recent rally to kickstart the conversation.
I endorsed another person today, Dr. Oz, in Pennsylvania... (APPLAUSE) Dr. Oz. (APPLAUSE) Great guy, a good man. He's a good man, Harvard-educated, tremendous, tremendous career. And they liked him for a long time. That's like a poll -- you know, when you're in television for 18 years, that's like a poll. That means people like you.
After the laughter subsided, they got down to the nitty gritty: the fact that it seems Trump is endorsing "candidates that don't appear to be on track to win," including Oz. Klein says it's "totally fascinating" that Trump's putting himself on the line, and that, "in a bunch of cases, it could blow up in his face." A notable example? Trump's efforts to get rid of Georgia's governor and secretary of state.
So, this is a big moment, I think, for Donald Trump. I think the conventional wisdom about him is this kingmaker, as the biggest force in the Republican Party. It's going to be tested when you have actual Republican primary voters in a range of states, starting next month.
Barron-Lopez said none of this means he has lost his grip on the party,
because we see Republicans, time and time again, repeating, whether it's the big lie, or repeating, you know, other claims and attempts to try to change election laws in -- in states, in order to make it so Republicans have a better edge in future elections. So that's continuing. That isn't going anywhere.
Brazile sums it up this way:
This is a battle, again, the establishment of the Republican Party is trying to re-emerge themselves after what I call the four years of a president who is still gone mad. He is still holding people to the 2020 standard that he won the election and what Republican incumbent governors are trying to do is to push away Donald Trump, to push him out of the process. But he is still a big force...
We'll close with Christie taking issue asking Republicans who they're voting for in 2024.
...don't ask me who I'm going to vote for in 2024 because, let me tell you right now, if Bernie Sanders were the Democratic nominee for president in 2024, there is not a chance in the world I could vote for a socialist for the president of the United States. So, since we don't know who the candidates are going to be, why answer the question?
I don't normally agree with Christie, but if Bernie Sanders is the Democratic nominee in '24, I'm not voting for him, either.
See you around campus.
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