THEN THERE IS SENATOR JOSH
HAWLEY WHO IS ON THE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE AND IS ALREADY WRONGLY
CLAIMING THAT JUDGE JACKSON IS
LENIENT ON CHILD SEX OFFENDERS.
JOINING ME NOW IS SENATOR MAZIE
HIRONO OF THE GREAT STATE OF
HAWAII, MEMBER OF THE SENATE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.
ALOHA.
THANK YOU FOR COMING BACK TO
"THE SUNDAY SHOW."
>> GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.
>> SO, SENATOR, LET ME PLAY FOR
YOU WHAT SENATE MINORITY LEADER
MITCH McCONNELL SAID THURSDAY
ABOUT JUDGE JACKSON.
>> HER SUPPORTERS LOOK AT HER
RESUME AND DEDUCE A SPECIAL
EMPATHY FOR CRIMINALS.
I GUESS THAT MEANS THAT
GOVERNMENT PROSECUTORS AND
INNOCENT CRIME VICTIMS START
EACH TRIAL AT A DISADVANTAGE.
THAT ISN'T MY ASSERTION, THAT IS
WHAT THE NOMINEE'S LIBERAL
SUPPORTERS ARE ALL SAYING.
>> COME ON, WHAT'S YOUR REACTION
TO THE MINORITY LEADER?
>> RIDICULOUS.
THERE IS NO THERE THERE.
THEY'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT HOW TO GO AFTER JUDGE
JACKSON.
THE FACT THAT SHE HAS EMPATHY IS
A PROBLEM FOR A PARTY THAT LACKS
IT.
>> YOU KNOW, IS IT RIGHT FOR
REPUBLICANS TO GO AFTER CASES
SHE'S TRIED, CASES SHE'S ARGUED,
PARTICULARLY ON BEHALF OF
CLIENTS?
AND I'M ASKING THIS BECAUSE
THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE HER
RECORD AS A PUBLIC DEFENDER BE A
NEGATIVE.
BUT IT'S PART OF THE AMERICAN
JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT YOU'RE
INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY AND
THAT EVERYONE IS AFFORDED THE
RIGHT TO COUNSEL.
>> YEAH, THEY ARE QUESTIONING
THE FACT THAT SHE WAS A PUBLIC
DEFENDER.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE IS NO
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM WITHOUT
PROSECUTORS AND DEFENDERS.
THE REPUBLICANS ARE ALWAYS VERY
QUICK TO DEFEND THEIR NOMINEE
FOR THE KIND OF CASES THEY TOOK.
AS LAWYERS, WE HAVE TO REPRESENT
OUR CLIENTS AND THAT IS WHAT
JUDGE JACKSON DID.
AND SO FOR THEM TO GO AFTER HER
FOR DOING THAT IS REALLY PRETTY
RIDICULOUS.
THEY'RE REALLY REACHING FOR SOME
WAY TO ATTACK HER AND THEY'RE
STILL TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT.
>> SENATOR HIRANO, SPEAKING OF
THEY'RE REALLY REACHING, WHAT
I'M ABOUT TO PLAY FOR YOU, THIS
IS NOT A MEMBER OF CONGRESS.
THIS IS NOT A MEMBER OF THE
SENATE.
THIS IS SOMEBODY WHO HAS WAY
MORE POWER OVER YOUR REPUBLICAN
COLLEAGUE THAN ANYBODY REALLY
SHOULD.
IT'S TUCKER CARLSON.
I'M GOING TO PLAY SOMETHING HE
SAID ABOUT JUDGE JACKSON, AND
THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT ON THE
OTHER SIDE.
>> SO, IT MIGHT BE TIME FOR JOE
BIDEN TO LET US KNOW WHAT
KETANJI BROWN JACKSON'S LSAT
SCORE WAS.
HOW DID SHE DO ON THE LSAT?
THAT WOULD SETTLE THE QUESTION
WHETHER SHE'S THE NEXT
GENERATION TALENT.
IT WOULD SEEM THE AMERICANS
WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW
THAT BEFORE GIVING A LIFETIME
APPOINTMENT, BUT WE DIDN'T HEAR
THAT.
>> SENATOR HIRANO, I'M OF GOING
TO CURSE BECAUSE IT'S SUNDAY AND
I'D GET FIRED.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHY WHAT
TUCKER CARLSON JUST SAID IS SO
REPUGNANT?
>> FRANKLY, THERE IS VERY LITTLE
THAT TUCKER CARLSON SAYS THAT
ENLIGHTENS ANYBODY.
SO WHAT WE SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON
IS JUDGE JACKSON'S EXPERIENCE,
THE FACT SHE HAS BROAD SUPPORT
FROM POLICE ORGANIZATIONS, FROM
JUDGES NOMINATED BY REPUBLICAN
PRESIDENTS.
SHE HAS BROAD SUPPORT.
WHY?
BECAUSE SHE'S VERY EVENHANDED,
SOMETHING THAT I CAN'T SAY ABOUT
THE TRUMP NOMINEES, BY THE WAY.
THEY WERE NOT BEING NOMINATED
BECAUSE THEY WERE EVENHANDED.
THEY WERE BEING NOMINATED
BECAUSE THEY BASICALLY AN
IDEOLOGICAL AGENDA, MUCH OF THAT
FROM THE FEDERALIST SOCIETY.
SO THEY REALLY HAVE --
REPUBLICANS HAVE A HARD TIME
DEALING WITH SOMEONE WHO IS
ACTUALLY FAIR IN HER APPROACH TO
DECIDING CASES.
>> RIGHT, AND YOU RAISE A GOOD
POINT BECAUSE WHEN DONALD TRUMP
WAS CAMPAIGNING FOR PRESIDENT,
AND EVEN WHEN HE WAS PRESIDENT,
HE SAID FLAT-OUT, HE WAS GOING
TO APPOINT JUDGES TO THE SUPREME
COURT WHO WOULD DO AWAY WITH ROE
V. WADE, WITH THE WOMAN'S RIGHT
TO CHOOSE HER OWN REPRODUCTIVE
HEALTH CARE.
SO THE FACT THEY ARE GOING AFTER
JUDGE JACKSON IS, QUITE FRANKLY,
UNBELIEVABLE.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS PRESIDENT
BIDEN SAID IN WHY HE CHOSE JUDGE
JACKSON, CHOSE TO NOMINATE JUDGE
JACKSON, IS THAT SHE WOULD
FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF
JUSTICE BREYER IN THAT HE WAS A
PRAGMATIC MEMBER ON THE HIGH
COURT IN THE LIBERAL WING, AND
THAT JUDGE JACKSON IS ALSO
TEMPERAMENTALLY A PRAGMATIC
PERSON WHO WOULD JOIN THE COURT.
HOW DO YOU VIEW THAT?
>> WHEN I MET WITH JUDGE JACKSON
AND I ASKED HER WHAT WAS HER
EXPERIENCE WITH JUSTICE BREYER,
WHAT STOOD OUT FOR HER?
AND SHE STAYED, WHAT STOOD OUT
WAS THE FACT THAT JUSTICE BREYER
TALKED WITH ALL OF HIS
COLLEAGUES REGARDLESS OF THEIR
ORIENTATION, TO UNDERSTAND THEIR
PERSPECTIVE, ET CETERA.
SO SHE IS A PERSON WHO WILL TALK
WITH THE OTHER JUSTICES, WHO
WILL KEEP AN OPEN MIND.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT
THE REPUBLICANS HAVE A HARD TIME
WITH, AS I SAID.
THEY HAVE A HARD TIME WITH
SOMEBODY WHO IS GOING TO BE
REACHING OUT, LISTENING TO HER
COLLEAGUES, AND COMING TO THE
CONCLUSIONS, BEING FAIR AND
EVENHANDED.
>> AND, SENATOR HIRANO, HOW
CONCERNED ARE YOU OR ARE YOU
CONCERNED AT ALL THAT JUDGE
JACKSON'S NOMINATION WON'T MAKE
IT OUT OF COMMITTEE INTO THE
FULL FLOOR -- TO THE FLOOR FOR A
FULL VOTE?
>> IF ALL WE WERE DOING WAS
LOOKING AT JUDGE JACKSON'S
EXPERIENCES, QUALIFICATIONS, THE
FACT SHE HAS BROAD SUPPORT,
THERE SHOULD BE UNANIMOUS
SUPPORT FOR HER.
SO I AM HOPING THAT THERE WILL
BE SOME REPUBLICANS WHO WILL, IN
FACT, FOCUS ON THE
QUALIFICATION, COMPETENCE AND
VOTE FOR HER.
BUT I KNOW THAT SHE WILL BE VERY
WELL PREPARED TO RESPOND TO THE
QUESTIONS THAT WILL -- AND
WHATEVER ATTACKS MAY COME HER
WAY.
THE THING I WANT TO POINT OUT,
WHATEVER ATTACKS THAT WILL COME
HER WAY WILL BE UNSUBSTANTIATED
BECAUSE THERE IS NO THERE THERE.
>> RIGHT, NO THERE THERE.