Since the Associated Press considers itself “an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting,” it would be problematic for an AP article to contain commentary packaged as news and facts.
Real Clear Politics co-founder and president Tom Bevan captured the following excerpt from an AP story.
With lightning speed, the Associated Press adopts Democrats' language on SCOTUS: adding members is now "depoliticizing" the court, only "critics" refer to it as "packing." pic.twitter.com/IBujBwmWE2
— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) October 11, 2020
“Bullock said that if Coney Barrett was confirmed, he would be open to measures to depoliticize the court, including adding judges to the bench, a practice critics have dubbed packing the courts.”
The latest version of the article contains the following note:
“This story has been edited to make clear that it is Bullock’s opinion, rather than a fact, that adding justices to the Supreme Court would depoliticize the court.”
amazing. https://t.co/KJB5uaRHm6
— tsar becket adams (@BecketAdams) October 11, 2020
To call increasing the number of Supreme Court justices “depoliticizing” would be an egregious political overstatement if made by a Democrat politician, much less a news organization.
Adding Justices to the US Supreme Court would be the most political, radical, partisan power grab possible for the Judiciary. That move is the polar opposite of “depoliticizing”.
I’ve got very bad news for those pushing this new “depoliticizing” spin => Americans aren’t idiots! https://t.co/B6P1HOkCGd
— Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) October 11, 2020
This is unbelievable. AP has gone around the bend… https://t.co/rOLFBWXznQ https://t.co/L0obUd78wv
— Byron York (@ByronYork) October 11, 2020
The @AP is not an ethical news organization. https://t.co/FkQkE6cy95
— Dan Gainor (@dangainor) October 11, 2020
It's October of a presidential year. It looks like the AP is in campaign mode. https://t.co/WlMktfZp44
— Tim Carney (@TPCarney) October 11, 2020
Also, “packing the court” is not a phrase recently invented by opponents of the Democrats’ desire to increase the number of justices.
“Court packing” is a colloquial expression dating to at least the 1930’s when Franklin Roosevelt proposed adding seats to the court. It backfired and failed and has been referred to as court packing ever since. It’s the kind of succinct, well-known term newspeople normally like. https://t.co/fslvlhnXV8
— Brit Hume (@brithume) October 11, 2020
Americans need a news media that will tell us what’s going on without telling us how to react.
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