News Icon Dan Rather Condemns GOP’s Treatment of Judge Jackson

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Broadcast news veteran Dan Rather issued a condemnation of the Republican Party’s treatment of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Joe Biden’s nominee to replace the outgoing Associate Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court.

“The treatment of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson by most Republican senators is beyond shameful,” Rather said.

Jackson has secured bipartisan support and is on track to be confirmed this week after the Judiciary Committee deadlocked on advancing her nomination. Almost all Republicans are expected to vote against Jackson’s confirmation.

Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitt Romney of Utah have thrown their support behind Jackson, with Murkowski being the most recent member of the GOP to break from the party.

“My support rests on Judge Jackson’s qualifications, which no one questions; her demonstrated judicial independence; her demeanor and temperament; and the important perspective she would bring to the court as a replacement for Justice [Stephen] Breyer,” Murkowski said. “She will bring to the Supreme Court a range of experience from the courtroom that few can match given her background in litigation.”

Senator Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat who has been known to vote with Republicans on numerous issues, last week also criticized Republicans for their treatment of Jackson, calling their behavior “disgraceful” and “embarrassing.”

“It was disgraceful, it really was, what I saw. And I met with her and I read all the transcripts. I listened to basically the hearings and it just was embarrassing,” Manchin told reporters.

He added: “It’s not who we are. It’s not what we were sent here to do, to attack other people and just try to tear them down. I won’t be part of that. I think she’s extremely well qualified and I think she’ll be an exemplary judge.”