“A picture is worth a thousand words”
Never before in the history of American politics has that adage been more apropos than everything this picture says about this time in America’s fraught march toward a more perfect union.
But I’d be remiss not to comment on the fact that Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican in the Senate, did not vote to confirm Jackson. This, even though three of his Republican colleagues crossed party lines to do so.
I hasten to remind you that Jackson’s confirmation hearing established two prevailing facts beyond all doubt:
- Jackson is the most qualified person ever nominated to the Supreme Court; and
- The only opposition Republicans raised to her nomination reeked of a toxic brew of racism and tribalism.
Frankly, I would bet my life savings that 99.9 percent of Black Americans are convinced that racism was even at the root of the tribalism on display. This is why the self-hatred inherent in Scott voting against this first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court is so pitiful.
He would have you believe that, unlike the three, fair-minded Republicans who voted for Jackson, he voted against her to protect the Republican’s conservative agenda. Never mind that, Republicans have become so devoid of any agenda, they have dispensed of party platforms in favor of pledging abiding loyalty to Donald J. Trump.
Which means Scott is not only a self-hating fool, he’s a brazen liar to boot. But I am not surprised. Because here is what I wrote when he was the Republican mascot for the filibuster against efforts to protect voting rights for Black folks:
Forget Manchin! Where the hell is Black Sen. Tim Scott? Why isn’t he being lobbied to support this critical vote. Or is it generally accepted that he’s more Republican than Black?
Democrats should spare a little criticism for Scott. Because it seems he’s doing such a good job of passing for white, nobody is questioning why he’s standing by as members of his party systematically rollback voting rights, which Blacks like Dr. King and John Lewis gave their lives and suffered all manner of harm to get, respectively.
(The New York Times, Comment to Report on the Filibuster, January 19, 2022)
But this SOB didn’t just vote against Jackson. He and all Republicans, except Mitt Romney of Utah, walked out on proceedings as the first Black woman vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris, presided over this historic confirmation.
In fact, the contempt Republicans showed these two Black women, by walking out of the Senate today, will live in infamy right along with the contempt Gov. George Wallace showed those two Blacks students, by blocking their entrance to the University of Alabama 59 years ago.
Congratulations, Justice Jackson!
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