Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court:
Judge Amy Coney Barrett has won over the American people and, as we shall see shortly, a majority of the senate. Women are particularly admiring of her, and Catholic women see her as a role model. About the only ones unhappy with her are left-wing atheists, and a few others. The few others includes the editorial staff of the National Catholic Reporter. It has come out formally against Barrett, asking the senate to reject her. Fortunately, no one on the senate knows who they are.
The Reporter is a pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, pro-women’s ordination newspaper that is partly responsible for the clergy sexual abuse scandal. It is mostly read by ex-Catholic faculty who condemn the Church’s teachings on marriage, the family, and sexuality. Lots of ex-priests and ex-nuns like it as well. It makes them feel validated.
Why doesn’t the Reporter like Barrett? She should “have phoned the White House and asked not to be considered for the nomination.” This is the kind of comment we might expect from a child. Why should she have done what no other nominee to any federal post would ever conceive of doing? Because the senate hearings are too close to the election.
The Reporter needs to hire some non-sexist men and women. Either that or fold. Only sexists would express their anger at Barrett’s “adoring look” at the president. Worse, they said it was feigned: they wrote that Barrett gave President Trump “the required adoring look.” The sexists would never make such a remark about a male nominee to the high court.
Everyone with an IQ in double digits knows that climate change is a contentious issue. Everyone but the sages at the Reporter. For them, there is nothing to debate—it’s a slam dunk. Indeed, no debate should be allowed. That’s another reason they hate Barrett, who acknowledged it is a controversial matter. Her independence of mind is not something the dissidents can appreciate.
The Reporter is furious that Barrett will replace the “brilliant scholar,” Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It is not Ginsburg’s alleged brilliance that they like: it’s her pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage record they like. Ginsburg was also a pro-affirmative action judge who never hired a black person to work for her (until she was seated on the Supreme Court). She also got confirmed despite wanting to lower the age of consent for sexual crimes and advocating the legalization of prostitution.
Finally, the “Catholic” newspaper is livid over the prospect of having six Catholics on the high court (that’s if we count Catholic dissident Sonia Sotomayor). Imagine a Jewish newspaper saying there are too many Jews on the high court (we had three up until Ginsburg died)? No, only alienated Catholics would make such an argument.
Judge Barrett is a stunningly courageous and erudite woman who makes Catholics proud. And that is one more reason why the National Catholic Reporter does not want her on the bench. Too late for that—we’re just shy of winning.
Contact Reporter CEO, Thomas Fox: tfox@ncronline.org