>>> WELCOME BACK TO "MORNING
JOE."
6:31 IN THE MORNING.
A LIVE PICTURE OF THE UNITED
STATES CAPITOL WILL LATER TODAY
CONFIRMATION HEARINGS CONTINUE
IN THE SENATE FOR JUDGE KETANJI
BROWN JACKSON'S NOMINATIONS TO
THE SUPREME COURT.
NBC NEWS CHIEF WHITE HOUSE
CORRESPONDENT PETER ALEXANDER
HAS THE LATEST.
>> Reporter: JUDGE KETANJI BROWN
JACKSON MAKING HER OWN CASE, TO
BECOME THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN ON
THE NATION'S HIGHEST COURT.
>> I HOPE THAT YOU WILL SEE HOW
MUCH I LOVE OUR COUNTRY, AND THE
CONSTITUTION AND THE RIGHTS THAT
MAKE US FREE.
>> Reporter: WITH HER HUSBAND
WIPING AWAY A TEAR AND HER
DAUGHTER SEATED NEARBY JACKSON
ALSO THANKED HER PARENTS BOTH
FORMER SCHOOLTEACHERS.
>> THEY GAVE ME AN AFRICAN NAME.
KETANJI ONYIKA, WHICH THEY WERE
TOLD MEANS "LOVELY ONE."
UNLIKE THE MANY BARRIERS THAT
THEY HAVE HAD TO FACE GROWING
UP, MY PATH WAS CLEARER SO THAT
IF I WORKED HARD AND I BELIEVED
IN MYSELF, IN AMERICA I COULD DO
ANYTHING OR BE ANYTHING I WANTED
TO BE.
>> Reporter: THE 51-YEAR-OLD
CONFIRMED LESS THAN A YEAR AGO
AS A FEDERAL APPEALS COURT JUDGE
IS LIKELY TO FACE TOUGHER
SCRUTINY NOW.
INCLUDING FROM LINDSEY GRAHAM,
ONE OF THREE REPUBLICANS WHO
VOTED TO CONFIRM HER THEN.
>> I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR
JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY, BECAUSE
PEOPLE ON THE LEFT, THE FAR
EXTREME FARTHER LEFT, BELIEVE
THAT YOU WERE THE BEST BET AND I
WANT TO KNOW WHY THEY REACHED
THAT CONCLUSION.
>> Reporter: AND REPUBLICAN JOSH
HAWLEY PREVIEWING A LINE OF
ATTACK ACCUSING JACKSON OF BEING
SOFT ON CRIME.
HIGHLIGHTING HER SENTENCING
DECISIONS IN CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
CASES.
>> AND IN EVERY CASE, EACH OF
THESE SEVEN JUDGE JACKSON HANDED
DOWN A LEAN YAT SENTENCE BELOW
WHAT WAS RECOMMENDED AND
PROSECUTORS REQUESTED.
>> Reporter: DEMOCRATS
HIGHLIGHTING SHE'S BEEN ENDORSED
BY NUMEROUS LAW ENFORCEMENT.
>> SHE HAIMLS FROM A LAW
ENFORCEMENT FAMILY.
>> THIS IS NOT A NORMAL DAY FOR
AMERICA.
WE HAVE NEVER HAD THIS MOMENT
BEFORE.
>> Reporter: IF CONFIRMED,
JACKSON PLEDGING TO BE
INDEPENDENT AND NEUTRAL.
>> THANK YOU FOR THIS HISTORIC
CHANCE TO JOIN THE HIGHEST
COURT, TO WORK WITH BRILLIANT
COLLEAGUES, TO INSPIRE FUTURE
GENERATIONS AND TO ENSURE
LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
>> PETER ALEXANDER REPORTING
THERE.
JONATHAN LEMIRE WITH US.
JON, THE WHITE HOUSE
EXPECTATIONS THIS NOMINATION
WILL GO THROUGH A QUESTION HOW
MANY VOTES THEY GET.
HE HEARD JOE MANCHIN, FOR
EXAMPLE, DEMOCRAT FROM WEST
VIRGINIA CRITICIZING JOSH HAWLEY
FOR HIS PERFORMANCE ALREADY
BEFORE QUESTIONING EVEN STARTS.
IS THERE A ROAD BLOCK IN FRONT
OF THE WHITE HOUSE THEY'RE
WORRIED ABOUT TO THIS
NOMINATION?
>> NOT THAT THEY CAN SEE, NO.
THEY FEEL CONFIDENT THEY'LL GET
TIS DONE.
THE JUDGE FACES UP TO 12 HOURS
OF QUESTIONS TODAY.
A GRUELING DAY.
A NUMBER OF HOURS TOMORROW.
REPUBLICANS PREVIEWED THEIR
ATTACK LINES.
THEY WANT TO PICK, TRY TO PAINT
HER AS SOFT ON CRIME.
THE WHITE HOUSE QUICK TO NOTE
ENDORSE
ENDORSEMENTS INCLUDING FRATERNAL
ODOR OF POLICE BACKED DONALD
TRUMP IN THE LAST ELECTION SAID
SHE'S QUALIFIED.
HEARD FROM SENATORS CRUZ, GRAHAM
AND OTHERS USE YESTERDAY'S
MOMENT TO AIR GRIEVANCES ABOUT PREVIOUS SUPREME COURT HEARINGS
PREVIOUS SUPREME COURT HEARINGS
OVER CONEY BARRETT, KAVANAUGH,
GOS UCHE
GORSUCH.
AND OF COURSE, THE VICE
PRESIDENT COULD CAST THE VOTE TO
BREAK A TIE.
AND LINDSEY GRAHAM BACKED
JACKSON FOR HER PREVIOUS COAST.
CLEARLY NOT HAPPENING AGAIN.
SUSAN COLLINS OF MAINE, THEY
FEEL VERY GOOD ABOUT AND THINK
SHE ACTUALLY CAN SUPPORT HERE
GIVE THEM THE ABILITY TO SAY
THIS IS A BIPARTISAN
CONFIRMATION EVEN IF JUST ONE
REPUBLICAN.
>> THREE REPUBLICANS LESS THAN A
YEAR AGO VOTED FOR JUDGE JACKSON
TO HER CURRENT SEAT ON THE
FEDERAL APPEALS COURT.
WE'VE HEARD FROM REPUBLICANS
THEY DON'T WANT TO MAKE THIS
PERSONAL.
AND SAID IT ANYWAY, REFERENCES
WHAT HAPPENED TO NOW JUSTICE
KAVANAUGH, GOING BARK TO JUDGE
BORK.
TED CRUZ YESTERDAY A LAW SCHOOL
CLASSMATE OF JUDGE JACKSON.
DO YOU EXPECT ANY KIND OF
PERSONAL ATTACKS OR WILL IT BE
ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT WE
MARRIED FROM JOSH HAWLEY
YESTERDAY, SENTENCING GUIDELINES
AND SOME OF HER RECORD?
>> AN INTERESTING GATHERING.
I THINK MOST REPUBLICANS.
YOU'LL HEAR SOME.
SOFT ON CRIME WILL BE THE NUMBER
ONE ATTACK.
BUT I THINK THERE'S A BROAD
SENSE AMONG REPUBLICANS, THEY'LL
TAKE SHOTS BUT KNOW SHE'S
QUALIFIED, RECEIVED ENDORSEMENTS
AND HISTORIC.
THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN, OF COURSE
TO SIT ON THE SUPREME COURT.
THERE AREN'T TOO MANY
REPUBLICANS THAT WANT TO GET IN
THE WAY OF THAT.
I THINK THAT SOME OF THE ATTACKS
THEY'RE GOING TO OTHER.
FRANKLY AIMED MORE CREATING
CAMPAIGN ADS TO RUN BACK HOME,
ARE DONE SO IN SAFETY KNOWING
SHE'LL BE CONFIRMED.
TAKE A FEW DINGS AT HER YET
SHE'LL HAVE HER PLACE ON THE
BENCH.
IT A MEANINGFUL THING CERTAINLY.
SHOULDN'T LOSE SIGHT.
YESTERDAY WE SAW SENATOR BOOKER
AND OTHERS NOTE WHAT PROGRESS
THIS IS FOR AMERICA THAT SOMEONE
LIKE THIS A BLACK WOMAN CAN NOW,
IS NOW JUST A FEW DAYS AWAY MOST
LIKELY FROM BEING CONFIRMED AND
TAKING HER SEAT ON THE HIGHEST
SEAT IN THE LAND.
>> A LOT WHO DIDN'T WANT TO TALK
ABOUT HER DIDN'T WANT TO TALK
ABOUT THE HISTORY.
A FIXATION ON KAVANAUGH. MIKA AND I CRITICIZED WHAT WAS
MIKA AND I CRITICIZED WHAT WAS
DONE TO KAVANAUGH AT THE END.
SUDDENLY MICHAEL AVINATI, BUT
YESTERDAY TRANSFIXED TALKING
ABOUT KAVANAUGH.
ALMOST AS IF THEY DIDN'T WANT TO
TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY HAPPENING
RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM?
>> A BIT OF CONTEXT TO THIS.
LET ME GIVE YOU A SENSE HOW
McCONNELL THINKS ABOUT THIS
PARTICULAR CONFIRMATION.
IN McCONNELL'S MIND THIS IS
ACTUALLY QUITE A LOW-STAKES
CONFIRMATION FIGHT.
>> RIGHT.
>> AND YOU KNOW, SHE IS NOT
GOING TO FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE
THE BALANCE OF THE COURT.
STILL HAVE CONSERVATIVE CONTROL.
IN McCONNELL'S MIND, THIS IS
REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY, AND WHY
YOU'RE HEARING THIS MESSAGING
FROM THEM TO SAY, YOU KNOW,
WE'RE GOING TO TREAT HER
RESPECTFULLY.
NOT THE QUOTE/UNQUOTE CIRCUS
LIKE KAVANAUGH AND PUT A FEW
HITS IN, LIKE THE CRIME THING
FOR THE MIDTERMS BUT REALLY KNOW
DEMOCRATS HAVE GOT THE VOTES
AND --
>> ON THE CRIME THING, ANDY
McCARTHY, ANDREW McCARTHY, PURE
DEMAGOGUERY.
ANY PROSECUTOR LOOKING A THE
THAT KNOWS.
WHAT JUDGE HAWLEY DOES.
LIES, ENGAGES IN DEMAGOGUERY.
ABOUT THE CAPITOL BEING
RANSACKED CROSSING HIS LEGS IN
THE BALCONY PRETENDING HE'S NOT
PAYING ATTENTION.
HE'S A GRAND STANDER, NOT A
SERIOUS GUY.
DO YOU THINK OTHER PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO BE DOING THIS?
>> THE ANDY McCARTHY PIECE WAS
SPECK, VERY NARROW, ACTUALLY,
WHAT HE WROTE. ABOUT THE CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
ABOUT THE CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
STUFF AND ANDY McKARNLG HEYCARTH
LONG HISTORY TRYING CHILD
PORNOGRAPHY.
YOU'VE SEEN McCONNELL HIMSELF
SUGGEST THAT HER BACKGROUND AS A
CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER SUGGESTS
AN EMPATHY WITH CRIMINALS.
SO I DO THINK YOU'RE GOING TO