The sobering election results do not seem to have altered the heated rhetoric from Democratic leaders or media figures. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who oversaw another loss of seats in the House, lashed out at Justice Amy Coney Barrett as “illegitimate.” MSNBC’s Joy Reid once again triggered outrage with a reference to Justice Clarence Thomas as “Uncle Clarence” — a clear reference to the racial slur of being an “Uncle Tom.” There was no outrage in the media which has previously criticized President Trump for attacks on jurists.
Pelosi received widespread coverage (and comparatively little criticism) for her denouncing Barrett as an “illegitimate Supreme Court justice.” It is an outrageous and irresponsible statement from the person third in line to the presidency. There is nothing illegitimate about Barrett who was installed through a constitutional process to fill a vacancy on the Court. Much like Pelosi’s ripping up the State of the Union speech, the comment shows an utter disregard by Pelosi of her role representing the entire House of Representatives in her position.
The media has often objected to President Trump’s attacks on judges. I have joined in that criticism as unjustified and inimical to the respect for our legal institutions. Yet, Pelosi is telling citizens that a justice is “illegitimate” without a peep of protest from the same legal analysts and media figures who piled on Trump for his criticism. This is particularly irresponsible with rioting breaking out in this country connected to the election.
That reaction is less surprising when you see what is now considered acceptable commentary by media figures like Joy Reid. Reid has been repeatedly called out for prejudiced and outrageous statements. When homophobic comments by Reid were raised, she claimed that she had been hacked. Notably, when this claim was made by figures like C-Span host Steve Scully, the claim was debunked and he was fired. Not Reid. MSNBC gave Reid her own show.
NBC and MSNBC also did nothing after Reid falsely slandered a Trump supporter.She was sued by Roslyn La Liberte, a Trump supporter, who was trashed by Reid for comments that she never made and an account that proved to be untrue. Reid retweeted this image of La Liberte in the MAGA hat from a city council meeting in California during debate over SB 54, a law limiting local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Reid first retweeted the image with the caption, “You are going to be the first deported.” Then, in a second post on Instagram, she wrote that the woman in the photo had screamed “You are going to be the first deported … dirty Mexican!” In additional postings on Instagram and Facebook, Reid said “Make the picture black and white and it could be the 1950s and the desegregation of a school. Hate is real, y’all. It hasn’t even really gone away.” The problem is that the image was false as was the account. La Liberte is the daughter of immigrants and was described as trying to calm the situation down. The 14-year-old at the center of the controversy was shown hugging La Liberte after their exchange. As stated in a federal complaint, the misleading caption and posting to Reid’s1.24 million followers was a classic defamation action.
In addition to homophobic statements and supporting 9/11 conspiracy theories, Reid has previously attacked other blacks who do not support Democratic candidates or causes. She attacked Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron by telling viewers “Don’t look at the fact that this guy is black. That does not mean anything. He is a Republican, through and through.”
Reid has not confined her reckless comments to Republicans. She also attacked Bernie Sanders supporters.
Now, NBC and MSNBC has not even issued a condemnation over a host using an openly racist slur. Reid asked with other network panelists during the election coverage that “If somehow they manage to stumble into the Supreme Court, do any of you guys expect Uncle Clarence and Amy Coney Barrett and those guys to actually follow the letter of the law?”
None of the other network figures on the panel made any objection Anti-racist policies appear not to apply to Barrett.
Reid has also blamed the close election on that fact that there are a lot of racists in the country supporting Trump.
This election not only showed a rejection of the Democratic platform but also the unrelenting anti-Trump coverage by the media. Yet, the debunking of the overwhelming news analysis and polling leading up to the election has not resulted in any change in the narrative. There remains a strikingly bias in coverage on such outrageous comments even when the Speaker is attacking the legitimacy of a sitting justice or a leading television host espousing openly racist slurs.
If Pelosi wants to talk illegitimacy, she should be aware that, if he does actually win, Joe Biden is going to be considered illegitimate by millions of Americans who believe Democrats are committing fraudulent acts to increase his share of the vote.
Pelosi has a point. If you take “illegitimate” to mean “technically legal” then she is wrong. But if you take “illegitimate” to mean “pushed through a week before an election where by a President who lost the popular vote twice and by a Senate that is controlled by a minority of the population, and breaking their own precedent”, then Pelosi is right.
Pretty much Molly.
Molly, if you think for a second that if the shoe was on the other foot, the dems wouldn’t have done the exact same thing, you’ve been drinking the MSNBC koolaid for too long. After all, who abolished the centuries old tradition of fillabusting so 3 more liberal judges could be appointed to the DC Circuit court?
1. Yup, the Ds would. But that does not make it legitimate now, nor would it if the Ds did.
2. The filibuster as currently thought of is a recent phenomenon. It is not centuries old.
If you are writing poetry or fiction you can engage in double entendre’s and all the rhetorical creativity you wish.
When you are talking about government and the use of force ambiguity is deceipt.
Words have meaning. The ordinary meaning of illegitimate in the context of public office is illegal.
Where do you get that? Perhaps you should actually READ the Constitution, which establishes the process. Nowhere does it mention an election.
Neither the failure to vote for Merit garland nor the late vote for Barrett violeated either the constitution or established norms.
While both parties have repeatedly tried to articulate prositions on scotus nominees based on non existant principles, the FACT is that
Judges and justices are routinely confirmed in the last year – when the senate and president are of the same party, and routinely not confirmed when they are not. This is brash power politics. But it is not a violation of any prior norms.
So ACB is legitmate both as a matter of law and constitution, and as a matter of prior norms.
I always wonder if MSNBC is secretly trying to assist conservatives by featuring Al Sharpton and Joy Reid as African-American spokespeople. I can’t think of any other rationale for employing them in particular.
Who ‘is’ Joy Reid, and ‘why’ is Turley singling her out.
Rightwing media personalities make rash statements every hour of the day. Joy Reid is nobody!
MSNBC and CNN are toxic. So is the Democrat congressional leadership.
The garbage that comes out of these idiotic cable newz talking heads is harmful to viewers. The point is to propagandize and keep you watching and repeating their narrative as if it is ‘the Truth.’ It’s like they sprinkle some crack cocaine all over these people so you keep coming back to listen to them like little crack addicts getting a fix of Fake Newz.
MSNBC should have big flashing warning labels identifying them as “Neurotoxins” that actually cause permanent damage to viewer’s brains.
All this poor sportsmanship on a day where the dem candidate steps that much closer to a 270 electoral college victory in addition to a 4 million popular vote margin, Turley.
At least Pelosi didn’t refer to Barrett as Nurse Wratchet, who by all appearances, she seems to be.
Nancy Pelosi could be second in line with the nuclear launch codes as early as January 20.
Now she changes her mind as her job is on the line. Think Not. GOP controls the Senate and the nominations and the treaties and blocking
Houseof Reps is now almost not quite constitutionalist but add that number to the anti socialist democrats or Independents and it’s majority of a coalition. Were Gabbard in the House she could easily become the Speaker. Add a pro constitutionalist Supreme Court and the results look much different.
Biden can’t put through anything without a 75% vote from BOTH Houses that includes budgets which is the Trump Budget and if they tried a shutdown the the same thing would happen as before. no more than 30% unecessary temporarily laid off 70% still working and nothing critical stopped. Grandma still gets her medicare, social security grandpa same and his retirement from the military, Law Enforcement continues,military continus everything important continues and there are no tax increases.
Biden can’t do anything about it in the first eight months or so and in the next fiscal year as the budget is blocked in the other direction than the damage donw by Pelosi and Pelosi is gone.
Now we can blame everything on Biden and worry about important things like the Commie Mommie probably illegaly seated and make the price of some measure or the other hinge on Comrade Harris’ resignation.
So who lost? The DNC while the coalitions and the citizens win. End of story nothing left to discuss oh one thing. The over due checks being blocked by Piglosi get sent out.
I knew sticking it to her own party was going to be the death of Comrade Botox.
The Senate hasn’t been called yet and is likely be decided by a run-off election in January in GA.
MSNBC consists of the most disgusting collection of sub-humans ever thrust upon this great nation.
Trump and his cronies in the Trump Campaign are the most disgusting collection of sub-humans ever thrust upon this great nation.
Speaking of sub human………
Billionaire plutocrats who have bought off the Democrat party bosses, they are hand in glove with silkstocking Republican traitors who sabotaged Trump, and they already own the federal judiciary, the FBI and CIA, the petty bureaucracies, the big city and coastal political machines, the Federal Reserve, the banksters, the mass media owners, the social media owners, …
they are all ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE
They must be incarcerated, expropriated, and severely punished, as a class,
We will never be free if they are. It’s them or us. The Republican party, the Bernie bros, whomever, must join together in severe purpose to kick the teeth out of these billionaire rattlesnakes and hack them to pieces.
-Saloth Sar
It’s OK Kurtz, you can out from cover.
Somebody’s suffering from the delusion that Trump isn’t completely beholden to the plutocrat class.
Where did Trump and republicans get their $5B in this election ? Almost entirely from small donors.
Where did democrats get their $10B ? Almost exclusively from big donors, corporations, wall street, Plutocrats.
Who is it you think is beholding to plutocrats ?
This why free speech is so important. This election has shown to be a rejection of the Democrats and their Leftist media allies. Let them continue their hateful rhetoric and 2 years from now, the House will flip as more and more people reject them.
Dude, Trump is presently down by almost 4 million votes to Biden right now, and he’s on track to have collected more votes for President than any American in history., the HOuse will stay Democratic, and dollars to donuts, more Americans will vote for Democratic candidates for Senator than GOP candidates (they usually do with few exceptions) That’s some “rejection”.
It would be mystifying if Republicans won more seats in the House, retained the Senate, and picked up state legislative seats, all while the same voters voted against Trump. Trump has solidified his support among Republican voters and enjoys a massive approval rating from them he didn’t have in 2016, and expanded his coalition to more working-class and minority voters this year. This is not a blue wave year. This is a year that the blue wave of 2018 appears to be receding.
https://thefederalist.com/2020/11/05/were-supposed-to-believe-the-gop-had-a-great-election-night-except-for-president
Yeah, you and your Lefty ilk keep on truckin’! 😁
I didn’t know that the goal in an election was to increase support within the party even if you getting your a.s kicked by the candidate from the other party. Interesting Olly and no wonder you read this, ahem, jerk.
PS A reasonable explanation of the blue wave of 2018 in congressional voting was that for many of the suburban GOP and independent voters who went blue in that election, it was the only way to register their displeasure with Trump. In this election they were able to vote against him but return supporting other GOP candidates.
A reasonable explanation of the blue wave of 2018 in congressional voting was that for many of the suburban GOP and independent voters who went blue in that election, it was the only way to register their displeasure with Trump. In this election they were able to vote against him but return supporting other GOP candidates.
In 2018, we were neck deep in the Trump/Russia collusion farce. The MSM were in full propaganda mode pumping the alleged illegitimacy of a President Trump. That would naturally impact the midterms. Now that the people have seen that coup fall apart by it’s own weight and the Democratic party transform itself into socialist wannabe’s, the people are at the early stages of rejecting the Democratic party in toto.
I’ve been predicting this election would hinge on the degree of fraud and whether it would be stopped. Democrats thought they had an insurance policy in 2016 and that failed. Their insurance policy this go around was ballot dumps. Not that they quite figured out how to cheat undetected, mind you. No, instead of dumping them into the mix before the election, they stupidly decided to wait and see if they were going to be necessary. They very likely will succeed in stealing the Presidency, but it is the Democratic party that will taint their own candidate as illegitimate. And as if to prove the point, Biden/Harris or Harris/Newsome, whoever, will be an undeniable disaster for our country and the Democratic party for years to come.
So no, please continue your war against our country. Rational people are watching. Tick.Tick.Tick.
Olly, here’s the GOP led Senate Intel Comm report – issued in August – which further documents and confirms the Trump campaign’s collusion with Russians which the Mueller Report also documented. Apparently your conspiracy theory includes GOP senators, and indeed, that would be a real “farce”.
https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/report_volume5.pdf
Maybe you should lay off your attempts to destroy Americans’ faith in our system – hey your candidate got in without , all in an effort to save the d..khead cult figure you’ve sworn servitude to by claiming unbelievable and convoluted conspiracies that it turns out would involve patriots of both parties. You’re too far gone of course.
Stop being facetious. No educated person thinks all GOP Senators are trustworthy. The notion that the Committee’s imprimatur lends credence to lies is stupid.
So, another vote for the GOP led Senate Intel Comm – which just released it’s report in August – being part of the plot to frame poor Trump!
OhhhhKkkkkkkkk.
LOL! That’s great that you’re still clinging to that report.
These Republican swinehearted Senators are running dogs of the billionaires too.
“faith in our system” is as blind as any other false religion
Arrest, expropriate, and punish the billionaires, or we will never be free
-Saloth Sar
The ONLY explanation for the Dems’ gains in the House in 2018 is the bogus allegations regarding Russian collusion and propaganda asserting that Trump was elected by cheating..
https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/report_volume5.pdf
And republicans sucking beyond belief.
Very true if you turn off the news and read the data. I would say Trump has changed the Republican party and created it as the party of the working class and a big tent. The media has let the public down and does not report on groups like Blexit and walkAway. If they do it is in the negative light while they pretend BLM protests are mostly peaceful and ANTFA is just using their freedom of expression.
Good posts Bengal.
So far both candidates have surpassed Obama’s record when it comes to popular vote. Our presidents are not elected by popular vote. Republicans gained 5 seats in the House so far. The House will most likely stay Dem, but they did lose seats. Both parties flipped a Senate seat. Trump lost some White male voters, but gained Black and female votes as well as increased Asian and Hispanic votes. These figures do not show rejection. The race is close and all votes have yet to be counted.
Hello Professor: I have been following writings and has been given opportunity to understand the social media and the Democrats how they are using calculated coordinated robbery attempt to rob the election results for Biden. Their delayed technique to make up for votes for Biden where he is weak is troubling. And at the end they will come out that Biden won. Is there any constitutional challenge here? Thanks.
From Democratic leaders? What twaddle. Trump is inciting his cult followers to attack ballot counting facilities and you are going after Democrats for “heat”. Give it a rest Turley.
As to Barrett, she is illegitimate. Here views related to precedent and the primacy of the Bible over the Constitution make her unqualified and the latter makes it impossible for her to have honestly and legitimately taken her oath of office.
Justice:
Normally a fool will occasionally say something innocuous.
You on the other hand are a reliable retard.
monument, try saying something next time. If all you have is personal insults – not a substantive rebuttal – , make them clever and amusing or they just reflect on you and your seeming limited abilities.
Joe:
You, Justice, and the other Pinkos posting here are typical.
All you do is come on Turley’s site and insult him.
How about doing something constructive?
You want the world to be different, but your contributions consist of attacks.
Turley built a website and a following; if you don’t like him, move on, but don’t poison the atmosphere with your toxicity.
I’m with Monument here. There are about a million liberal/Democrat places for you to visit and to bask in the glory of everyone agreeing with you, but if you hate Turley so much please just make your point and agree to disagree.
The folks that come on here and attack Turley all the time are the same people that usually only enjoy “I agree with you.com”.
It’s the ‘intolerant left’ in action. They cannot see themselves.
What is a ‘Pinko’ ? I don’t understand the use of the term. Please lend me a hand. Thank you.
Anna, Cold War term used by the right wing to describe Americans they thought were either sympathetic to or part of the “Reds”, i.e., communists in Russia and China.
Bear in mind that when you say “right wing” you are referring to those who opposed communism. Fascism is a term invented by communists to describe those who opposed them. In the 1930s-60s the left was supportive of communism (then they became Democrats when the Communist Party USA dissolved.)
Monument, My comments on Turley are always to a point he’s has made in his column and therefore not empty personal insults, though I can’t help questioning his character given the falsehoods he posts which he has to know are false.. I have also posted agreement with him, though few and far between, because I think he’s wrong most of the time.
I like to argue.and I’ll keep it non-personal to a point. Why would I go involve myself commenting with a bunch of people I agree with? Boring. I like to think I can impact other people and be open to their impacting me. What better place than a supposedly intellectual site full of people I mostly don’t agree with?
Joe:
Turley built something good – witness the enjoyment of most of the readers and the numerous responders.
Turley is also proud of his blog – witness the pride he takes in its growth.
There are many posters – all liberal – such as Justice Holmes and Natasha who take great pleasure in insulting Turley’s posts. They complain about content, intellectual process, typos, and bias.
That is plain bad manners.
If they don’t like it, they should go away or make reasoned (and polite) arguments; they shouldn’t piss on Turley’s blog just because they don’t agree.
The tone of the disagreements is typical of today’s discourse; that is sad. (I take responsibility for my part in dumbing down the dialogue.)
We disagree Monument, and one imagines somebody hosting a blog about politics would welcome disagreement.
monument: “That is plain bad manners.”
Hear, hear!
jf: “I like to think I can impact other people . . .”
If that is truly your motivation, then cut the ad hominem attacks (especially those directed at what you believe are Turley’s motivations).
I am a relative newbie to this blog. When I first arrived and saw your posts, I thought: “Oh, good — a worthy opponent, i.e., one who is intelligent, knowledgeable, and presents arguments for his conclusions. Then, because of your chronic personal attacks, I started browsing, then largely ignoring your comments.
Sam, I appreciate your comments which have merit. My frustration with what I think is clear posting of false hoods – and he’s smart enough to know that – has lowered my initially high opinion of him. I understand that I would probably present my case better by keeping my personal comments in check, but emotions get the better of me. For instance Turley has repeated over and over – including fairly recently – that Trump has been cleared of collusion. No, he has not. In fact Mueller specifically addressed this in his testimony by stating that the term is not a legal term, and therefore one he did not address. He did document instances of the Trump campaign colluding with the Russians – as did the Senate Intel Report, -but did not call it that and made clear his only interest was in pursuing criminal conspiracy charges, which is a legal term and which he concluded he did not have sufficient evidence for.. Turley knows this. Guaranteed he watched the hearings maybe more than once – and has read the reports. He knows no one has cleared Trump of collusion who is objective or actually measuring it., and that it is a non-legal term in any case. His saying that Trump has been cleared is knowing propaganda. There are other instances like this and his regular criticisms of CNN and MSNBC while NEVER criticizing the often over the top comments of Fox News personalities stinks to high heaven. We all know he appears there with some regularity and has undoubtedly worn out any welcome he may have had elsewhere. All in all, Jonathan is not the straight shooter he presents himself as. Too bad. Maybe he was one time, or at least that’s the picture I had of him.
Yes, Turley is all over “heated rhetoric” as proven by his regular columns castigating President ………. Wait, what?
“This is particularly irresponsible with rioting breaking out in this country connected to the election.”
The rioting is pre-planned, and just beginning. It will get much worse in mid-November. All of this is choreographed.
The opening paragraph in italics has “legitimate” when it should read “ILLEGITIMATE”. Also, Pelosi is 2nd in line. Not 3rd. First in line is VP & Next or 2nd is Speaker of the House. Corrections should be made.
bobdavismymryccom:
My thoughts too, as I posted earlier. But I have heard both versions–yours and mine and that of Prof. Turley.
No sense of conciliation.
Keep up the insults, the relentless attacks, and the contempt.
Look at the civil unrest.
The nation is split and yet the Pinkos want to exacerbate the war.
Like to see some of the lefty posters here condemn the evil.
Doubt that it will happen.
In a sane world, or a fair world, Joy Reid would have been fired long ago…or never hired. Please tell us what Joy brings to the table: is she bright, is she articulate, is she credible, is she polite, is she reasonable, is she mature, is she knowledgeable?
When a “mainstream” network hires Joy Reid and Al Sharpton as they claim to be a network concerned with racial justice we know that 1984 has finally arrived. Hate is love and war is peace.
She is a propagandist. She is a useful tool in someones opinion.
And like all presstitutes they say what they are payed to, unless their stupidity slips out.
Hopefully the house will realize the malignancy in the speaker’s seat.
The irony of calling Trump supporters racists and Trump not statesman like as they do what they claim the other side does. Surely ripping up the state of the Union speech was not statesman like.
“It is an outrageous and irresponsible statement from the person third in line to the presidency.” Huh, I thought Pelosi would be second in line, the VP being first. I have seen my version and also the version used by Turley. Any thoughts?
President is first. VP second and Speaker is third. The Pelosi version does not count.
Pelosi called Barrett “illegitimate”, not “legitimate”, Jonathan.
Very major typo.
In case you hadn’t noticed, the Dims are really bad people. Do not let them take your guns. They won’t stop at that.
Pelosi calls Barrett “Illegitimate” …
Yes, JT needs a proofreader even more than Donald does with his tweets.
She changed her mind today in a futile effort to keep her job and her seat. She is now the minority party in the House of Reps if you add the Constitutionalists AND the anti Pelosians.