Do Lifetime Supreme Court Appointments Still Make Sense?
*By Amanda Weston*
Justice Brett Kavanugh's Saturday confirmation may have awakened some Americans to a different version of the Supreme Court.
"I think if there's any silver lining to this, \[it's that]\ we should stop thinking that it was ever non-political," John Iadarola, co-host of The Young Turks, told Cheddar Monday.
"This idea that there are activist judges and there are other judges that, despite the fact that they work in politics, that they pay attention to politics every day, they did their entire lives, they're not actually swayed by any political ideology or anything like that. That's absurd. These are political figures."
Nick Givas, reporter at The Daily Caller, agreed. He told Cheddar that many have tried to convince others the Supreme Court is "this unbiased holy entity that is above reproach."
But that's not really the case, he said.
"I mean, it's appointed by presidents," Givas said. "We count them by conservatives versus liberals. Every time we break down the numbers and the balance of 'the Court' it's a political balance, and they decide cases that are going to affect the law ー the law of the land, people's everyday lives. It's hard not to be political. We're asking them to be more than just men and women. We're asking them to be completely incorruptible, and they're human."
Politics and controversy were major players in Kavanaugh's confirmation. The Senate approved him for the job Saturday by a slim 50-48 vote ー the slimmest confirmation margin since 1881 ー as some onlookers in the gallery repeatedly [shouted, "shame!"](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/06/us/politics/brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court.html)
The vote came a little over a week after dramatic testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee from both Prof. Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when the two were in high school, and the judge who vehemently denied the allegations.
Democrats slammed the [ensuing FBI investigation](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/grassley-says-new-fbi-report-kavanaugh-includes-no-new-info-n916601) as incomplete, whereas many Republicans praised it. Even President Donald Trump weighed in.
"This is now the 7th time the FBI has investigated Judge Kavanaugh. If we made it 100, it would still not be good enough for the Obstructionist Democrats," [he tweeted](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1047853098365079553).
Iadarola alluded to the "popular mythology" that Justices are driven only by Constitutional concerns, not party.
"That might be true to some extent, but they are political people," he said. "And Brett Kavanaugh just makes that even more obvious, especially with his rant during his testimony about some sort of bizarre Clinton revenge plot."
Givas said another possible effect of Kavanaugh's confirmation has yet to be seen.
"Obviously the Democrats are getting a boost because they lost this fight, so they're going to come out and definitely vote," Givas said. "But I think Republicans, I think they're upset about this process, whether he was going to be confirmed or not. This has awoken a party that was asleep."
Givas said those who weren't planning to vote may now cast ballots for the GOP, potentially contributing to an unforeseen "red wave."
"I think they're going to defy conventional wisdom and the current polling," Givas said. "I think they are going to hold the House, and they're going to hold the Senate."
Kavanaugh officially begins his duties as Justice on Tuesday.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/kavanaugh-confirmation-makes-waves-through-washington).
Members of Congress have voted to advance a bill meant to address antitrust concerns related to tech giants including Amazon, Apple, Google, and Meta. The 'American Innovation and Choice Online Act' is largely seen as one of the best chances for the government to reign in Big Tech's dominance
Seth Schachner, Managing Director StratAmericas; Digital Business Executive joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
American semiconductor company, Intel officially announcing plans to build a new $20 billion chip manufacturing complex outside Columbus, Ohio. This comes as the global chip shortage continues to hamper production of everything from smart phones, to cars. Jennifer Smith - Logistics and Supply Chain Reporter, WSJ joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
The U.S. has put more than 8,000 American troops on high alert for possible deployment to Eastern Europe as the West prepares for a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine. With Russia building up more than 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border, concerns over the country's behavior are mounting. Joel Rubin, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and President of the Washington Strategy Group, joined Cheddar to discuss what this means for U.S.-Russia relations, and where the conflict might be heading next.
As the midterm election looms, things aren't looking too promising for President Joe Biden. One year into his term as president, Biden is facing one of the lowest approval ratings of any modern-day president, threatening his party's control of the House in 2022. Brian Bennett, Senior White House Correspondent for TIME, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
A full one year into his term as President of The United States, President Biden addressed the nation on Wednesday, facing questions on everything from inflation to chip shortages and covid-19. As Biden enters his second year in office, he is facing one of the lowest approval ratings of any modern-day president. Kate Davidson, Reporter, POLITICO joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
"Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power" is the story of how the longtime House Democrat became, as she Is known to some, as "the Conscience of Congress." The film also
shows Representative Lee from her days working to fight community poverty to famously becoming the only member of Congress to vote "no" against the war in Afghanistan days after 9/11. The film is nominated for an NAACP Image Award, and Premieres on Starz on February 1. Film director Abby Ginzberg and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif. 13th District), joined Cheddar to discuss more.
San Diego has just implemented a new law that could set the stage for how the country deals with food waste. This new law hopes to make a dent in that. Businesses and groceries stores out in San Diego will need to put a plan in place to *donate edible food rather than toss it straight to the trash. Food Rescue Manager at Feeding San Diego, Kate Garret
Earlier this month, New York City experienced one of the deadliest fires it has seen in decades. 17 people lost their lives in the Fordham section of the Bronx. This was due to a faulty space heater which reportedly began on the lower floor of the 120 unit building. Thanks to the F. D. N. Y. And heroic neighbors, many were able to get out in time. Unfortunately, the toxic smoke surged upwards through a safety door. Now, many advocates say negligence by policymakers and landlords has led to the deaths in black and brown communities from fires that honestly could have been preventable. Legislative Director of Citizen Action of New York, Rebecca Garrard, and the Chair of Journalism and New Media Studies at St. Joseph's College Theodore Hamm, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
The Supreme Court has declined to order the Texas Abortion case back to the original trial judge for further proceedings. Essentially if Texas abortion providers were able to get their case back to the lower court., It would have greatly helped the group move against the law. However, this decision is likely to prolong the case legal battle. Professor and Author of "The Turnaway Study: Ten Years, a Thousand Women, and the Consequences of Having — Or Being Denied — An Abortion", Diane Foster, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
The Supreme Court rejected yet another bid by abortion providers to block Texas's law - which bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. This is the fourth time that advocates have tried and failed to block the most restrictive abortion ban in the country. Leah Litman, assistant professor of law at The University of Michigan and co-host of the "Strict Scrutiny" podcast, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
