Among Dozens Of Non-Answers, Judge Jesus Barbie's Non-Answers On Climate Really Stood Out

[hatrack]

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But with Senator Kamala Harris of California, the Democratic candidate for vice president, Judge Barrett, the daughter of an oil executive, went further. She described the settled science of climate change as still in dispute, compared to Ms. Harris’s other examples, including whether smoking causes cancer and the coronavirus is infectious. “Do you believe that climate change is happening and threatening the air we breathe and the water that we drink?” Ms. Harris asked.

Judge Barrett responded, “You asked me uncontroversial questions, like Covid-19 being infectious or if smoking causes cancer” to solicit “an opinion from me on a very contentious matter of public debate,” climate change. “I will not do that,” Judge Barrett concluded. “I will not express a view on a matter of public policy, especially one that is politically controversial.”

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And it was not at all clear why she insisted on not answering whether climate change was real, said Ann Carlson, who is a director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the U.C.L.A. School of Law. Professor Carlson said Judge Barrett implied that stating a scientific fact could somehow be prejudicial to future high court deliberations, yet she was willing to state other obvious facts that have borne on litigation, such as cigarette smoking causes cancer.

Alex Flint, a former senior Republican Senate aide who was involved with more than 70 federal government confirmations, said he understood Judge Barrett’s actions. “None of the Democrats are going to support her, regardless of how she answers the question,” he said, so her answer was crafted to ensure she did not alienate the Republican senators she needs. However, Mr. Flint, who now leads a Republican group to address climate change, the Alliance for Market Solutions, added that her response on climate may look like smart politics today, but it is not necessarily good for the future of the party, which needs “to build credibility, especially with young and college educated voters whose role in elections is growing.”

Ed. Uh, yeah, duh.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/15/climate/amy-coney-barrett-climate-change.html

[texasfiddler]

1. I believe the main reason for these right wing judges is to block climate change legislation

Charles Koch approves.