Brett Kavanaugh Is Bad News For More Than Just Roe V. Wade

When Donald Trump was sworn in, he inherited a vacant Supreme Court seat that Mitch McConnell held up for nearly an entire year to prevent Obama from appointing a replacement for Antonin Scalia. That vacancy was filled by religious fundamentalist and totally corporate stooge Neil Gorsuch.

Recently, Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement, which opened the door for a second Trump SCOTUS appointment. After much suspense, President Trump then nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh, a politically connected member of Washington's very conservative legal establishment.

Ring of Fire's Mike Papantonio and Farron Cousins discuss this.

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When Donald Trump was sworn in, he inherited a vacant Supreme Court seat that Mitch McConnell held up for nearly an entire year to prevent Obama from appointing a replacement for Antonin Scalia. That vacancy was filled by religious fundamentalist and totally corporate stooge Neil Gorsuch.

Recently, Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement, which opened the door for a second Trump SCOTUS appointment. After much suspense, President Trump then nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh, a politically connected member of Washington's very conservative legal establishment.

But if you've been listening to how Democrats are framing the problem, the only thing they're talking about is what does this mean for Roe v. Wade? But they aren't talking about other important issues like workers, and voting rights, and the environment. The only talking point they can muster involves Roe v. Wade. Yes, that decision and precedent is important. But there are countless other issues at the Supreme Court that are equally important, that we have to consider here.

Also, we have to remember that the Supreme Court is not the only court in this country that matters. Trump inherited 108 federal judicial appointments from Obama the Democrats and corporate media outlets have been almost completely silent about from day one.

Farron, I look at this story ... I mean, I think Elizabeth Warren, maybe, is figuring out that the talking point is bigger than Roe v. Wade. But it's almost as if the Democrats have nobody in charge ... It's like Home Alone! It's like freaking Home Alone for the Democrats. Nobody has said, "Yeah, this is a guy who's terrible on the environment. He is terrible on worker's rights. He's terrible where it comes to consumers versus corporations." What's your take on what's going on here? This is nuts!

I think the messaging from the Democrats might actually be as bad as their 2016 campaign messaging here. Because, yeah, Roe v. Wade, absolute one of the top three most important decisions we've had from the Supreme Court. There's no question about that, but you can't use that as a talking point, because the only people who are going to get energized by that are the people who already support you, and don't want this appointment.

Correct.

So you're preaching to the choir, and it does nothing. It's falling on deaf ears. However, when you take the fact that Brett Kavanaugh wanted to do away with the Clean Air Act, well last I checked, I'm pretty sure every human being in the United States is breathing air.

That's an issue every one of us can get behind, saying, "Yeah, you know what? I don't want all these ... arsenic, and mercury, and toxins in the air, and the water, and the soil. Maybe this is a bad pick." But instead, they have to go to that.

You're not going to attract any kind of moderate opposition by citing Roe v. Wade. You can't do it.

Okay, okay. Look. People out there understand something's wrong with this guy. All they're hearing, all that's wrong with him is Roe v. Wade. No! What about his relationship with corporate America? There has never been a corporation that this guy has not found in favor of versus consumers.

As a matter of fact, this is one of the issues that held him up when he was actually appointed to the appellate court. It was one of the issues that people actually focused on. It wasn't Roe v. Wade. It wasn't just guns. It was the fact that, listen, what matters big time in this country is the way that a judge allows a corporate entity to trample on the rights of workers, and consumers, and the environment.