Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse was allotted 30 minutes to ask questions of Judge Amy Coney Barrett but chose only to speak himself.
Instead of asking questions, the Democratic senator from Rhode Island talked about the involvement of dark money in politics.
“I think this gives you a chance for you and I to tee up an interesting conversation tomorrow,” Whitehouse said.
The senator received criticism for the move from the right.
“Sheldon Whitehouse has no legitimate argument against the confirmation of Judge Barrett. So, instead, he spent his entire allotted time ranting & spewing wild conspiracy theories — he didn’t ask her a single question,” Tea Party Patriots tweeted.
Sheldon Whitehouse has no legitimate argument against the confirmation of Judge Barrett,
So, instead, he spent his entire allotted time ranting & spewing wild conspiracy theories — he didn’t ask her a single question.
Pathetic. This is the modern Democrat Party.#ConfirmACB
— Tea Party Patriots (@TPPatriots) October 13, 2020
Mollie Hemingway, senior editor at the Federalist, tweeted that Whitehouse was “rambling like a crazy man.”
Lindsay Graham seems to be enforcing no time constraints on the Democratic senators as they unspool their theories. Whitehouse just stopped himself after rambling like a crazy man for a half hour or so without asking a single question.
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) October 13, 2020
“Senator Whitehouse, ACB is waiting for a question, not proof that you went to Kinko’s,” tweeted opinion writer Kimberly Ross.
Senator Whitehouse, ACB is waiting for a question, not proof that you went to Kinko’s.
— Kimberly (@SouthernKeeks) October 13, 2020
“I think it speaks volumes that collectively, they have had very few questions for you,” said Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in his time after Whitehouse spoke. Republican Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse referred to Whitehouse’s visual aids as “Beautiful Mind conspiracy charts.”
Some felt, however, that Whitehouse made the right call.
“My boy Sheldon Whitehouse just spoke for 30 minutes without asking Amy Coney Barrett a single question and it was a masterclass in breaking down the dark money motivation for pushing this nominee through and overturning the ACA,” journalist Chris Spargo tweeted.
My boy Sheldon Whitehouse just spoke for 30 minutes without asking Amy Coney Barrett a single question and it was a masterclass in breaking down the dark money motivation for pushing this nominee through and overturning the ACA. pic.twitter.com/eWqru2Kfsk
— Chris Spargo (@chrisonchris) October 13, 2020
“Senator Sheldon Whitehouse bringing receipts on how right-wing groups have spent $250 million in dark money to reshape the courts and turn back the clock on fundamental rights for vulnerable Americans,” said political commentator Keith Boykin.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse bringing receipts on how right-wing groups have spent $250 million in dark money to reshape the courts and turn back the clock on fundamental rights for vulnerable Americans. https://t.co/rNF3y0SRVr
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) October 13, 2020
The hearing process for Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court is set to take place this week, and if things go as expected, a final vote will likely take place during the week of Oct. 26.
