The AP zeroes in on Republicans' *real* problem with Ketanji Brown Jackson: She's got 'too much empathy'

Sarah D | 11:14 AM on March 25, 2022

The Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson have concluded. And now … we wait.

After more than 30 hours of hearings, the Senate is on track to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.

But Democrats seem unlikely to confirm her with a robust bipartisan vote. https://t.co/F4e9UIgt6G

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 25, 2022

Oh? Why’s that? Why won’t there be a robust bipartisan vote to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson?

Well, according to the Associated Press, it ultimately boils down to one thing:

Democrats praised President Joe Biden’s choice of the Harvard-educated lawyer and appellate court judge as long overdue, making the judicial branch begin to look more like America.

But Republicans argue Jackson brings too much empathy to the job. https://t.co/392C6FSXK8

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 25, 2022

Ah, yes. That and only that is the problem that Republicans have with Ketanji Brown Jackson. She’s too damn empathetic! And Republicans hate that!

her and her dang empathy https://t.co/1Ru2fPIZXw

— Dr. Ricardo Harambe (@Richard_Harambe) March 25, 2022

Right?!

It’s not the first time that empathy has been wielded as a disqualifying weapon against a nominee for the high court. Nor is it the only time the empathy standard was applied to the women tapped for the bench, rather than the much longer list of men. https://t.co/392C6FSXK8

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 25, 2022

More from the AP:

Democrats praise President Joe Biden’s choice of the Harvard-educated lawyer and appellate court judge as long overdue, making the judicial branch begin to look more like America.

Perhaps nothing more dramatically captured Jackson’s landmark moment than the image of the 51-year-old Black judge, tears streaming down her cheek

But on the other side of the Senate, Republicans lining up to oppose the historic nomination are warning that Jackson carries too much empathy to the job.

ackson, Republicans have argued, shows compassion for criminal defendants she represented as a lawyer, and they have questioned whether that compassion extends to victims. They say she sentences criminals — in particular, child pornography defendants — too leniently as a judge, despite fact checks of her record that show she’s largely in line with protocol in most cases. They worry Jackson’s empathy will cloud her judgment on the high court.