Boy, are we ever sorry we missed this gem from CNN’s opinion collection. Because it means we’ve gone an entire week without knowing that GOP Sen. Ben Sasse is a sexist and racist for what he said to Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Thank God we were eventually made aware of Dr. Peniel Joseph, founding director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the UT Austin, and his Very Important Piece on the Senate confirmation hearings:
The racist, sexist mudslinging at Ketanji Brown Jackson is disgraceful – CNN @VanLathan @lisaling @TheLBJSchool @UT_HistDept @BlackStudiesUT @UTMEC @DrLisaBThompson @KeishaBlain https://t.co/hzQo0KLgdc
— Dr. Peniel E. Joseph (@PenielJoseph) March 23, 2022
Dr. Joseph names GOP Sens. Marsha Blackburn, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Tom Cotton, and Ben Sasse as the worst antagonists, with Sasse’s remarks being perhaps the most offensive of them all:
This lack of grace and empathy was evident in some of the jaw-dropping language used by members of the committee to describe Jackson — for instance, Sasse told Jackson she was “incredibly likable and winsome.” It seems impossible to imagine the Senator – or others of his colleagues, who praised Jackson’s performance in a similarly gendered terms – speaking these words to a White, male nominee. It sounded for all the world like she was being congratulated for not being an Angry Black Woman.
Ben Sasse called Ketanji Brown Jackson “incredibly likable and winsome.” Dear God, what a monster! He’d never use such vile, sexist, racist language to describe a white male SCOTUS nominee, that’s for damn sure!
Phenomenal — CNN called Ben Sasse racist for calling Ketanji Brown Jackson “winsome,” saying he’d never say that about a white nominee.
Except … he said it to Brett Kavanaugh.
Good stuff from @charlescwcooke https://t.co/UchuHwCZME
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) March 29, 2022
More from National Review’s Charles C.W. Cooke:
Does it seem “impossible,” though? Because, in 2018, Sasse used exactly that “gendered” term to describe “White, male nominee” Brett Kavanaugh, whom he was presumably not “congratulating” for not “being an Angry Black Woman”:
Last night, I heard from people on both the right and left ends of the policy spectrum, but legal experts said to me quotes that were remarkably eerie in their echo: Brett Kavanaugh is always the smartest person in every room he is in, yet when you are in the room, you would never know that he knows it because of his humble manner and his winsome ways.
Sounds like Ben Sasse found Brett Kavanaugh incredibly likable and winsome, too.
Hey @cnn, are you going to show us your editorial standards. Ben Sasse called Brett Kavanaugh "winsome." Or are you okay with letting this slide because it's opinion? pic.twitter.com/KZGkX7aXcT
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) March 30, 2022
Evidently CNN’s not too worried about it. The best they can do is conclude their editor’s note by reminding readers that Dr. Joseph’s brazen defamation of Ben Sasse’s character is just, like, his opinion, man:
Neat trick, CNN.
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