Sen. Kamala Harris is coming under bipartisan fire today for ducking questions in her debate with Vice President Mike Pence about adding liberal judges to the Supreme Court to offset the current conservative majority.
On TV, Twitter, and in several media outlets, critics ripped her refusal to address court-packing questions pressed by Pence. Her evasion followed a similar bob and weave by Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden during his debate with President Trump.
“You’ll know my position on court-packing the day after election,” Biden says, calling it a distraction from the key issue of ACB nomination being rushed
— Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) October 8, 2020
Ominously and after this story initially posted, Biden hinted at his plan. “You’ll know my position on court-packing the day after election,” he said according to a tweet from ABC’s Mike Memoli.
Leading the demand for transparency was former Democratic Rep. Harold Ford Jr. of Tennessee. On Fox & Friends today, he said, “Democrats, I am a Democrat. We’re going to have answer that question better than what was answered last night.”
The former Democratic Congressman @HaroldFordJr is absolutely right: It’s time for @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris to stop ducking the question about whether they will restructure our government in order to pack the Supreme Court with liberal politicians. https://t.co/tkWC3DEN9h
— Carrie Severino (@JCNSeverino) October 8, 2020
The issue exploded onto the presidential stage when Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, suggested that a Biden administration could retaliate for the Republican Party’s move to approve Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett before the election by packing liberals on the court.
That has sparked a sharp reaction from Republicans and centrists.
“Your party is actually openly advocating adding seats to the Supreme Court, which has had nine seats for 150 years, if you don’t get your way,” Pence said to Harris during the Wednesday night debate. “This is a classic case of if you can’t win by the rules, you are going to change the rules. Now, you have refused to answer the question. Joe Biden has refused to answer the question. So I think the American people would really like to know if Judge Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed to the Supreme Court of the United States, are you and Joe Biden, if somehow you win this election, going to pack the Supreme Court to get your way?”
But instead, Harris discussed other court issues.
In the National Review, former Assistant U.S. Attorney and columnist Andy McCarthy wrote, “Harris tried the smooth-talk approach. Okay, let’s talk court-packing, and then blather on about courts but not about packing them, but she is no Obama, so it came off as amateur hour.”
Judicial Crisis Network President Carrie Severino tweeted, “The former Democratic congressman @HaroldFordJr is absolutely right: It’s time for @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris to stop ducking the question about whether they will restructure our government in order to pack the Supreme Court with liberal politicians.”
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, head of the Republican Attorneys General Association, also tweeted, “I agree with @HaroldFordJr on this. Americans deserve an answer from @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris! We need to know if they intend to restructure our government by packing #SCOTUS with radical activists.”
I agree with @HaroldFordJr on this. Americans deserve an answer from @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris! We need to know if they intend to restructure our government by packing #SCOTUS with radical activists https://t.co/ozaZNmKVyw
— Jeff Landry (@JeffLandry) October 8, 2020
