Congressional hearings usually aren't "must-see TV." And I suspect the Biden White House and Senate Democrats are happy that most Americans are too busy to watch the Senate Judiciary Committee proceedings. Yesterday was a very bad day for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, Joe Biden's Supreme Court nominee.
For example, Senator John Kennedy asked Jackson a very simple question: "When does life begin?" Jackson responded — and I'm quoting her now — "Senator, um, I don't know."
Senator Kennedy pressed Jackson for a more precise legal answer, asking, "When does equal protection of the laws attach to a human being?" Jackson replied, "Well Senator, um, I believe that the Supreme Court. . . um. . . I actually don't know the answer to that question. I'm sorry. I don't."
Well, that's unacceptable. The Supreme Court frequently wrestles with that very question. But if she has no clue at all, then she's obviously not ready for a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land.
Of course, this well-educated, Harvard graduate knows life begins at conception. The problem is that she's all in on abortion on demand. So, she and the left continue this intentional, anti-scientific ignorance so as not to undermine the continued carnage of our preborn children.
But wait . . . There's more!
What's A Woman?
Senator Marsha Blackburn asked an even easier question. "Can you provide a definition for the word 'woman'?" Judge Jackson answered, and again this is a quote: "Can I provide a definition? No, I can't. I'm not a biologist."
Really?!
She obviously knows what a woman is, but she supports the insanity of the radical transgender movement. What she really believes is that anyone who thinks they are a woman can be a woman — even a man! But she can't say that during nationally televised hearings.
I'm glad Senator Blackburn asked the question. That was a particularly important moment and should be totally disqualifying. I only wish Blackburn had made her squirm a little more.
She could have asked the judge, "Well, when your daughters were born, how did you know they were girls?" Or she could have said, "Your husband, Dr. Patrick Jackson, a respected surgeon, is sitting behind you. Would you like to ask him for some advice on biology?"
But wait. . . There's more!
Soft On Crime & Big On CRT
Senator Josh Hawley zeroed in on Jackson's judgment — or lack thereof — on the bench. In one child pornography case, the sentencing guidelines recommended 10 years in jail for the defendant. Prosecutors recommended two years in jail. But Judge Jackson issued a sentence of just three months!
That case wasn't an aberration. In virtually every opportunity she had as a judge, Jackson issued a far more lenient sentence in cases involving child pornography than what the sentencing guidelines called for or what government prosecutors recommended.
That should be completely disqualifying.
Senator Ted Cruz questioned Judge Jackson about critical race theory, and asked her if it was taught in kindergarten, elementary and high school. Judge Jackson said, "I don't think so. I believe it's an academic theory that is [taught] at the law school level."
Her attempt to gaslight Sen. Cruz worked about as well as Terry McAuliffe's attempt to gaslight the voters of Virginia last year, which is to say it didn't work at all.
Cruz then pointed out that critical race theory is in the kindergarten curriculum of Georgetown Day School, a private school in Washington, D.C. Judge Jackson just happens to sit on the Board of Trustees for Georgetown Day School.
Jackson has also given speeches in which she defended using critical race theory in her capacity as a judge.
That should be completely disqualifying.
Here's the bottom line, my friends: This is not just replacing one liberal for another liberal. Ketanji Brown Jackson is an ideological extremist, far to the left of Justice Stephen Breyer.
She has bought into the left's war on normalcy and its jihad against reality. If confirmed to the Supreme Court, she will use her position to fundamentally transform America.
Banned For The Truth
Last week, Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA tweeted this:
"Rachel Levine spent 54 years of his life as a man. He had a wife and a family. He 'transitioned' to being a woman in 2011. Joe Biden appointed Levine to be a 4-Star Admiral and now USA Today has named 'Rachel' Levine as a 'Woman of the Year.' Where are the feminists?"
Nothing in that tweet is false. Nothing in that tweet is threatening. Everything in that tweet is true. But for that simple statement, Kirk has been banned from Twitter.
In thousands of years of human history, no one has ever been insane enough to argue that a woman can be inside the body of a man or vice versa. This is a "Bizarro World" idea that just emerged in the last few years.
Yet, it is already so powerful that American oligarchs like Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Apple CEO Tim Cook censor and punish anyone who speaks what everyone throughout human history has understood about basic biology. Who are the "science deniers" now?
The social barbarians of the left — and that's exactly what they are — are determined to destroy our culture. These kinds of radical views destroy normalcy. They're no better than the Vandals who sacked ancient Rome or the thugs who tear down historic monuments and ransack churches.
They are attacking all the standards and foundations of how life is ordered.
And when they breach the gates of normal society at universities and corporations, they don't come after you and me first. They run to where children are, desperately trying to poison their minds before we can wake up and fight back.
That's why the left is going all out to intimidate Gov. Ron DeSantis. That's why the left is so desperate to maintain its grip on public education. This is exactly what Dr. James Dobson and I warned about 30 years ago in our prophetic book, Children At Risk.
Democracy Under Siege
Ukrainians continue their courageous resistance against Vladimir Putin's invasion. But I'm going to reserve judgment on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
While I admire his courage in remaining in Ukraine and leading the resistance, it seems the comparisons to Winston Churchill may have been premature. Even though our hearts are instinctively drawn to the suffering Ukrainian people, we should be careful that we don't ignore some troubling signs.
One of the predominant messages in Washington is that the battle in Ukraine is a fight for democracy. Well, Zelensky just banned 11 opposition political parties, including Ukraine's leading opposition party. He also nationalized all TV stations into one government-run station that will be the only source of news and opinion.
These are not the things democracies do.
Some may say, "Gee, Gary, they're at war with Russia. Cut him some slack." Well, FDR did not ban the GOP during World War II. Winston Churchill did not nationalize the British press during the worst of the Nazi blitz.
Let's not lose our ability for discernment.
By Gary Bauer. Used by permission.
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