Concerned over Barrett on Supreme Court
Watching the speeches that passed for judicial inquisition, a pattern emerged that felled me. Roe v. Wade was the tip of the iceberg. From the mouth of Mitch McConnell came the future once Judge Barrett is confirmed. Everything will be revisited. All it will take, in each state, is for the legislature to enact a bill that prompts someone to sue, causing the case to go to the Supreme Court.
No one was able to get Judge Barrett (three years out of law school, two years on the bench) to say how she would rule on anything, but she did say that this tactic would work. She also dodged the question of the issue of a lawsuit designed to throw the election into the House of Representatives. Joe Biden could sweep the electoral vote by a wide margin, and the popular vote as well, and such a lawsuit could still be filed, claiming voter fraud, without any evidence. The suit would be appealed to the Supreme Court, which could sit on it until after the deadline for certifying electors, throwing the decision into the House of Representatives. The Republicans have more State majorities in the House than the Democrats, and they could declare Donald J. Trump the winner. President Trump would not need to win the election, just delay. The Court’s decision in Bush v. Gore would pale.
Bill Gillmore
Columbus
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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