You are not signed in as a Premium user; we rely on Premium users to support our news reporting. Sign in or Sign up today!

WASHINGTON (ChurchMilitant.com) - Less than 24 hours after the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Democrats are already calling for mass civil unrest and even violence if things don't go their way.

"Outraged people should take to the streets en masse," wrote Michelle Goldberg in a New York Times opinion column Saturday. "Democrats in the Senate may not be able to stop Republicans from shoving a nominee through before the election or during a lame-duck session, but if it happens they should do all in their power to grind Senate business to a halt."

She urges Democrats to take radical action if a "Federalist Society fanatic" is seated, and work towards abolishing the filibuster and packing the court — adding extra seats so as to counteract the potential 6–3 conservative majority.

Radical Action

New York Democrat Sen. Charles Schumer is of similar mind, issuing a warning Friday night: "Let me be clear: If Leader McConnell and Senate Republicans move forward with this, then nothing is off the table for next year. Nothing is off the table."

And two-time presidential loser Hillary Clinton is calling on Democrats "to use every single possible maneuver" to block Republicans' attempt to seat a new High Court justice.

Hillary: 'Let's go down fighting and not give an inch.'

"You know, every possible procedural obstacle has to be thrown in the way of this power drive by McConnell," said Clinton. "There are things that can be done that need to be done literally 24/7. I am sure Chuck Schumer and his leadership team is already looking and talking about it."

"Let's go down fighting and not give an inch," she urged.

New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called Ginsburg's death "earth-shattering" and expressed hopes her passing would "radicalize" Democrats.

"Let this moment radicalize you," she said Friday in a video posted on social media. "Let this moment really put everything into stark focus because this election has always been about the fight of and for our lives. And if anything, tonight is making that more clear to more people than ever before."

Producer Reza Aslan, who hosts a CNN documentary series, tweeted, "If they even TRY to replace RBG we burn the entire f*****g thing down."

MSNBC host Joy Reid is threatening the GOP with consequences if they push through a nominee: "Republicans beware. That vote to steal yet another Supreme Court seat ahead of an election could be your last."

People aren’t just deeply sad about the passing of RBG. They’re getting MAD and MOTIVATED. Republicans beware. That vote to steal yet another Supreme Court seat ahead of an election could be your last. https://t.co/Xjpre0K2N8 — Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) September 19, 2020

Hollywood is also getting in on the act, director Rob Reiner tweeting, "This is war. Dems have powerful weapons. Now is the time to use them."

Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s body isn’t even cold and Mitch McConnell is dancing on her grave. This is war. Dems have powerful weapons. Now is the time to use them. — Rob Reiner (@robreiner) September 19, 2020

And Beau Willimon, president of Writers Guild of America, warned, "We're shutting this country down if Trump and McConnell try to ram through an appointment before the election."

We’re shutting this country down if Trump and McConnell try to ram through an appointment before the election. — Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) September 18, 2020

Former CIA analyst and conservative radio host Buck Sexton predicts the Dems will pull out all the stops to block Trump's nominee, including fomenting violence.

"There's no ethical compunction that's going to keep them from doing things that I can't even imagine right now," he said on Fox News Saturday. "I think we're going to see riots. I think it's going to get completely out of control."

Meanwhile, ActBlue, the leftist fundraising platform, has already raised nearly $60 million for Democrat candidates and causes following Ginsburg's death.

Moving to Fill the Vacancy

President Donald Trump has vowed to act quickly to fill the High Court vacancy, tweeting a message to the GOP Saturday morning, "We were put in this position of power and importance to make decisions for the people who so proudly elected us, the most important of which has long been considered to be the selection of United States Supreme Court Justices. We have this obligation, without delay!"

.@GOP We were put in this position of power and importance to make decisions for the people who so proudly elected us, the most important of which has long been considered to be the selection of United States Supreme Court Justices. We have this obligation, without delay! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 19, 2020

In a private phone call with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Friday night, Trump discussed his preferences for the High Court bench, naming 7th Circuit Court of Appeals judge (and devout Catholic) Amy Coney Barrett as well as Barbara Lagoa of the 11th Circuit, according to The Washington Post.

McConnell has promised the next nominee will get a vote from the full Senate. Democrats are blasting him for "hypocrisy" after he used the 2016 election year as a reason to block President Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland.

But the circumstances were different, noted Sen. Lindsay Graham, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"You had the president of one party nominating, and you had the Senate in the hands of the other party," Graham said in an interview with Greta Van Susteren, scheduled to air Sunday. "A situation where you've got them both would be different."

This year, a Republican president would be nominating a candidate who would be confirmed by a Republican-controlled Senate.

Graham has reversed course on his 2016 promise not to seat a High Court nominee in a presidential election year. The viciousness and unscrupulosity of the Democrats' attack on Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 — of which Graham said, "This is the most unethical sham since I've been in politics — has shifted the landscape.

"[A]fter Kavanaugh, the rules have changed, as far as I'm concerned," said Graham Saturday morning.

Buckle. Your. Seatbelts. — Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) September 18, 2020 While Trump has provided a list of more than 40 Supreme Court nominees, which include a number of pro-life heavyweights, Democrat contender Joe Biden is resisting calls to produce his own set of names — drawing fire from critics. Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley said Wednesday, "I hope Vice President Biden will agree with me that the American people deserve this information before the election, not after. I call on Vice President Biden to release the list of names from which he would nominate." "This is now a lynchpin issue of this election, and Joe Biden, where do you stand?" asked White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Fox News show "Fox & Friends" Saturday. "What do your justices look like? Do they believe in the Constitution? Do they abide by the Constitution. Do they believe in the plain words of a statute? He needs to answer those questions before telling President Trump exactly how to move forward."

Deathbed Wish

Various media outfits have reported that Ginsburg's final wish was her hope that her vacancy would be filled by the next president. Some, however, have expressed skepticism about the claim.

Tucker Carlson, for instance, said on his show Friday night, "I'm going to choose not to believe that she said that, because I don't think that people on their deathbeds are thinking about who's president," going on to predict that "this will be used as a cudgel by the Left."

This will be used as a cudgel by the Left.

It appears leftists are already doing that, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein saying Saturday morning, "We should all honor that wish and wait until after the presidential inauguration to take action."

Feminist icon Gloria Steinem is also using the deathbed wish to pressure the GOP to hold off: "We can also honor what she said so recently: 'My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.'"

We each can honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg by asking ourselves, "What would Ruth do?" Using this as a guide in our own lives will keep her with us.



We can also honor what she said so recently: "My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed." pic.twitter.com/LYG8dzTLlC — Gloria Steinem (@GloriaSteinem) September 19, 2020

And in an article titled "Ruth Bader Ginsburg's dying wish highlights Trump's Supreme Court hypocrisy," Loyola Law Professor Jessica Levinson wrote, "McConnell and Trump have both made statements praising Ginsburg’s life and legacy. Yet, they stand now prepared to trample it."



--- Campaign 31877 ---

Have a news tip? Submit news to our tip line.