10.07.20

Editorial Boards Recognize Judge Barrett As ‘A Highly Capable, Fully Qualified Choice’

Newspaper Editorials Say Judge Amy Coney Barrett ‘Has Earned A Reputation For Intelligently Written And Well-Reasoned Opinions And Dissents That Are Guided By The Law,’ ‘Her Credentials Are Impeccable,’ She’s ‘A Strong Choice’ ‘With A Compelling Personal Story And An Impressive Understanding Of The Law’

 

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITORIAL BOARD: “President Trump’s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court is a highlight of his Presidency and perhaps a hinge moment for the judiciary. Judge Barrett’s record and intellect suggest she can join Mr. Trump’s other appointees in reviving core constitutional principles in American law and life. … All of this is hope for the judicial future. For now, and no matter the election consequences, Republican Senators should do their elected duty and confirm an excellent nominee. Win or lose in November, they will have left a significant legacy in restoring proper constitutional government.” (Editorial, “The Importance of Amy Coney Barrett,” The Wall Street Journal, 9/27/2020)

THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE EDITORIAL BOARD: “In a vacuum, Amy Coney Barrett would be seen by all as a highly capable, fully qualified choice to serve as a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. She has been a Supreme Court clerk to the late Antonin Scalia, a law professor at George Washington University and Notre Dame, and, since 2017, a judge on the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Her credentials are impeccable.” (Editorial, “Amy Coney Barrett: Let’s Learn More About Her,” The Chicago Tribune, 9/27/2020)

  • “The issue of her Catholic faith arose when she was nominated to the appeals court. Some senators distastefully grilled Barrett … In her confirmation hearings, she said: ‘It is never appropriate for a judge to impose that judge’s personal convictions, whether they arise from faith or anywhere else, on the law.’ But it was clear several senators, including Sen. Dick Durbin, considered her faith-based conservatism a drawback, not an attribute. That’s a questionable bridge these hearings ought not cross.” (Editorial, “Amy Coney Barrett: Let’s Learn More About Her,” The Chicago Tribune, 9/27/2020)

WASHINGTON EXAMINER EDITORIAL BOARD: “Amy Coney Barrett has established herself as a brilliant legal mind with sterling credentials and a commitment to interpreting the Constitution based on its original meaning. Her confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court should be a slam dunk. Before becoming an appellate judge in 2017, Barrett had established herself as a leading academic while serving as a law professor at Notre Dame, where she herself graduated at the top of her class. She also served as a law clerk to conservative icon Antonin Scalia, whom she admired for his interest in originalism and textualism. It’s all the more amazing that Barrett was able to achieve all of these things while being a dedicated mother to seven children…. In her last three years on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, Barrett has earned a reputation for intelligently written and well-reasoned opinions and dissents that are guided by the law.… Her intellect and character have earned her praise well beyond the conservative legal world.… Trump has done his job by following through on his promise by appointing an indisputably well-qualified judge who will be guided by the Constitution in her rulings. Now, it’s up to Republicans to get the job done and move forward toward confirming her without delay.” (Editorial, “Confirming Amy Coney Barrett Should Be A Slam Dunk,” Washington Examiner, 9/26/2020)

  • “Without being able to raise a serious objection to her qualifications, it’s no surprise that the liberal media are already testing out various other lines of attack. One has been to revive the same anti-Catholic attacks that Democrats unsuccessfully deployed against her in her last confirmation hearings. Back then, the ranking Senate Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, Dianne Feinstein, infamously suggested that Barrett wouldn’t be able to rule fairly because ‘the dogma lives loudly within’ her.” (Editorial, “Confirming Amy Coney Barrett Should Be A Slam Dunk,” Washington Examiner, 9/26/2020)

THE DETROIT NEWS EDITORIAL BOARD: “An originalist in her judicial philosophy, Barrett described her view of the law during a 2019 lecture at Hillsdale College:  ‘A judge is obligated to apply the law as it is, and not as she wishes it would be. She is obliged to follow the law, even when her personal preferences cut the other way or when she will experience great public criticism for doing so.’ Expect much attention to be placed on her faith. Barrett is Catholic and she and her husband have seven children (two are adopted from Haiti). That aspect of her life has already come under intense scrutiny. In 2017, Democratic California Sen. Dianne Feinstein scolded Barrett, ‘The dogma lives loudly within you, and that's of concern.’ And in the last week, some media outlets have propagated the myth that a religious group Barrett is reportedly affiliated with inspired ‘The Handmaid’s Tale,’ the popular book and TV show that imagines a totalitarian society that treats women as forced breeders. This is an insult to Barrett’s professional record, and to her intelligence. It could backfire on Democratic senators eager to tear her apart during upcoming hearings. Remember that Joe Biden is Catholic, too….  Regardless of the politics at play, Barrett is a strong choice, and she deserves a fair hearing in the Senate.” (Editorial, “Don't Let Anti-Catholic Bigotry Derail Barrett,” The Detroit News, 9/26/2020)

DALLAS MORNING NEWS EDITORIAL BOARD: “A federal appellate judge and Notre Dame law professor, Barrett, by all accounts, is a conservative with a compelling personal story and an impressive understanding of the law…. Our hope is that for the good of the court, if she is confirmed it’s not on a party-line vote …” (Editorial, “Senate Is Right To Move Swiftly To Confirm Amy Coney Barrett To The Supreme Court,” Dallas Morning News, 9/29/2020)

NATIONAL REVIEW EDITORIAL BOARD: “Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump’s nominee to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death, is an intelligent and thoughtful conservative who has demonstrated a career-long commitment to the rule of law. Judging from the criticisms she has been receiving from Democrats, there is no compelling case against her. … [I]f the case against Barrett they have made so far were a lawsuit, it would be thrown out of court as frivolous.” (Editorial, “Amy Coney Barrett Is An Exceptional Nominee For The Supreme Court,” National Review, 9/28/2020)

 

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SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

Related Issues: Judicial Nominations, Supreme Court