{"id":909011,"date":"2021-10-22T07:28:48","date_gmt":"2021-10-22T11:28:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=909011"},"modified":"2021-10-22T07:29:18","modified_gmt":"2021-10-22T11:29:18","slug":"mcconnell-slams-democrats-for-politicizing-courts-honors-clarence-thomas-at-heritage-foundation-ceremony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mcconnell-slams-democrats-for-politicizing-courts-honors-clarence-thomas-at-heritage-foundation-ceremony\/","title":{"rendered":"McConnell Slams Democrats For Politicizing Courts, Honors Clarence Thomas At Heritage Foundation Ceremony"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmcconnell-slams-democrats-for-politicizing-courts-honors-clarence-thomas-at-heritage-foundation-ceremony%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=909011&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><ul>\n<li><strong>Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell blamed Democrats in Congress for politicizing the court and the process of confirming Supreme Court justices during a ceremony honoring Justice Clarence Thomas on Thursday evening.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cStorm clouds are gathering on the horizon,\u201d McConnell said. \u201cThe very concept of an independent and insulated judiciary is actually at stake.\u201d<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>During the speech, McConnell also praised Thomas\u2019 work in the three decades since he was confirmed, especially Thomas\u2019 steadfastness in defending \u201cunborn life, every time, without fail.\u201d<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell blamed Democrats in Congress for politicizing the court and the process of confirming Supreme Court justices during a ceremony honoring Justice Clarence Thomas on Thursday evening.<\/p>\n<p>McConnell \u2014 the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.republicanleader.senate.gov\/about\">longest-serving<\/a> Senate GOP leader in U.S. history \u2014 cautioned that while the Senate process for judges was already filled with controversy, the Biden administration and Democrats could soon further politicize the process. The Republican leader delivered the speech at The Heritage Foundation, host of the Thursday event honoring&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/04\/22\/clarence-thomas-supreme-court-roe-v-wade\/\">Thomas\u2019<\/a> 30th anniversary on the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had come to the Senate with a high-minded, perhaps, in retrospect, rather a naive view \u2026 that the Senate should stick to evaluating nominees\u2019 competence and integrity and let presidents select legal philosophy as they like,\u201d McConnell remarked. \u201cThat\u2019s what I thought back then. Well, it didn\u2019t take long for Ted Kennedy and friends to permanently disabuse me of that rather naive notion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>McConnell recalled the confirmation process of Robert Bork, a federal judge who former President Ronald Reagan <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cato.org\/commentary\/original-sin-robert-bork\">nominated<\/a> to fill a Supreme Court vacancy in 1987. In that process, former Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts successfully convinced his Democratic colleagues, who held a majority in the Senate, to oppose Bork\u2019s confirmation, <a href=\"https:\/\/constitutioncenter.org\/blog\/on-this-day-senate-rejects-robert-bork-for-the-supreme-court\/\">according<\/a> to the National Constitution Center.<\/p>\n<p>The Kentucky senator drew a parallel between Bork\u2019s process and the 1991 confirmation of Thomas. In a 52-48 vote, the Senate confirmed Thomas after he was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.history.com\/this-day-in-history\/thomas-confirmed-to-the-supreme-court\">accused<\/a> of sexual harassment by a former aide in what McConnell called a \u201cdisgraceful firestorm.\u201d <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/09\/15\/think-im-bluffing-mitch-mcconnell-doubles-down-against-debt-ceiling-raise-government-shutdown\/\">(RELATED: \u2018Do You Guys Think I\u2019m Bluffing?\u2019: McConnell Doubles Down Against Debt Ceiling Raise As Congress Barrels Toward Government Shutdown)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not going to dwell on that episode tonight, there\u2019s no reason to,\u201d McConnell continued during his speech. \u201cWe all know what the people behind the smear campaign revealed, actually about themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll say this, I was inspired then, and I\u2019m still inspired today, by the courage, the resilience and the faith with which Justice Thomas endured those months and emerged with an appetite for service still intact,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7307160\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" readability=\"33\">\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-7307160\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks as he introduces Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at the Heritage Foundation on Thursday. (Drew Angerer\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>McConnell cited a 2013 decision by then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to abolish the filibuster for judicial nominations as another turning point in the relationship between the legislative and judicial branches of the federal government. Reid\u2019s move, which Republicans opposed, opened the door for the Senate to confirm judges through a simple majority vote, The Washington Post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/senate-poised-to-limit-filibusters-in-party-line-vote-that-would-alter-centuries-of-precedent\/2013\/11\/21\/d065cfe8-52b6-11e3-9fe0-fd2ca728e67c_story.html\">reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s just say, history has a funny way of making people reap what they sow,\u201d McConnell said Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>In 2016, after the death of former Justice Antonin Scalia, McConnell&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2016\/02\/13\/mitch-mcconnell-rules-out-scalia-replacement-under-obama\/\">refused to consider<\/a> former President Barack Obama\u2019s nominee for the vacancy, current Attorney General Merrick Garland. At the time, McConnell argued that a Senate vote should only take place after a presidential election. During former President Donald Trump\u2019s tenure, McConnell ushered in Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, who were confirmed largely along party lines and with fewer than 60 votes.<\/p>\n<p>The GOP leader warned that under the Biden administration the politicization of the court appeared to intensify. He noted that while Secretary of State Antony Blinken <a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/making-democracy-deliver-for-the-americas\/#:~:text=now%2C%20imagine%20that%20leader%20then%20seeks%20to%20use%20the%20levers%20of%20democracy%20to%20pass%20anti-democratic%20reforms%20%E2%80%93%20eliminating%20term%20limits%2C%20packing%20courts%2C%20firing%20legislators.%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">cautioned against<\/a> court-packing during a speech in Ecuador on Wednesday, the White House is simultaneously <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/10\/15\/joe-biden-supreme-court-commission-divided-packing-court\/\">mulling an expansion of the Supreme Court<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStorm clouds are gathering on the horizon,\u201d McConnell said. \u201cThe very concept of an independent and insulated judiciary is actually at stake.\u201d <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2020\/09\/23\/kavanaugh-confirmation-scotus-christine-ford\/\">(RELATED: Here\u2019s A Timeline Of The 2018 Kavanaugh Confirmation)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7307113\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" readability=\"33\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7307113\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7307113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/GettyImages-1236038291-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas speaks at the Heritage Foundation on Thursday. (Drew Angerer\/Getty Images)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/GettyImages-1236038291-scaled.jpg 8640w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/GettyImages-1236038291-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/GettyImages-1236038291-620x413.jpg 620w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/GettyImages-1236038291-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 8640px) 100vw, 8640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-7307113\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas speaks at the Heritage Foundation on Thursday. (Drew Angerer\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cTony Blinken can fly out to Latin American and finger-wag other nations about pressuring judges while his own boss tries the same trick right here at home,\u201d he continued. \u201cIt would be perfect satire if it wasn\u2019t so crazy or scary. Again, this is not about conservative policy outcomes versus liberal ones, it runs much deeper.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During the speech, McConnell praised Thomas for his work in the three decades since he was confirmed, especially his steadfastness in defending \u201cunborn life, every time, without fail.\u201d The senator also commended Thomas for his willingness to vigorously defend First Amendment protections.<\/p>\n<p>Following McConnell\u2019s remarks, Thomas delivered a brief address, mainly thanking individuals and officials he worked with during his tenure. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2020\/10\/21\/mcconnell-media-amy-coney-barrett-faith-catholic-attacks\/\">(RELATED: McConnell Mocks Media For Reporting On Barrett\u2019s Faith As If They \u2018Discovered Some Secret Scandal\u2019)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWithout the people who\u2019ve helped me over the years, who\u2019ve been there, without you all who are here, without God\u2019s grace, without my wonderful bride, who\u2019s always there, I would not be standing here,\u201d Thomas said.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier in the evening, Laurence Silberman, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, received the inaugural \u201cGray Center Justice Clarence Thomas First Principles Award.\u201d Former White House Counsel <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/06\/04\/don-mcgahn-testifying-house-judiciary-committee-subpoena-battle\/\">Don McGahn<\/a> also delivered remarks at the event.<\/p>\n<p>The evening speeches followed a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heritage.org\/courts\/event\/law-symposium-justice-thomass-thirty-year-legacy-the-court\">day-long symposium<\/a>&nbsp;featuring judges and legal scholars who highlighted various aspects of Thomas\u2019 time on the high court.<\/p>\n<p>Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact <a href=\"mailto:licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org\">licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell blamed Democrats in Congress for politicizing the court and the process of confirming Supreme Court justices during a ceremony honoring Justice Clarence Thomas on Thursday &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-909011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/909011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=909011"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/909011\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=909011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=909011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=909011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}