Friday Reads: The Honorable Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson gets the Nod!
Posted: February 25, 2022 Filed under: Russia, SCOTUS, Ukraine 27 Comments
Mariia Pryimachenko: Animals Visiting the Lion (1963).
It’s Friday Sky Dancers!
We need to recognize every step to inclusion in our and other democracies around the world today as every democratic government has experienced increasing threats from a radical and violent right-wing insurgency. I’m continuing BB’s sharing the work of Ukrainian artists today with more offerings. The majority of the world stands with Ukraine and its nascent democracy as Russian forces invade its borders.
First things first! We now have Biden’s first nomination to the Supreme Court! It’s the Honorable Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson who was always the clear favorite. It will be so exciting to see a Black woman bring her experience and knowledge to this bench. Let’s hope the Republicans on the Judiciary don’t continue to harass nominations that don’t represent their idea of proper demographics.
Nykyfor: Church in Mushyna.
This is from The Washington Post and includes live updates: “Biden calls Jackson ‘one of our nation’s brightest legal minds’ as he announces intent to nominate her to Supreme Court.”
Here’s what to know
Nykyfor: Portrait of a Man.
This is from Katie Rogers writing for The New York Times: “Biden Chooses Ketanji Brown Jackson for Supreme Court.”
President Biden has selected Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as his nominee to the Supreme Court, the administration said Friday, choosing a well-regarded federal appeals court judge who if confirmed would make history by becoming the first Black woman to serve as a justice.
Mr. Biden’s decision, made after a monthlong search, fulfilled a campaign vow to nominate a Black woman to the bench, and set into motion a confirmation battle that will play out in an evenly divided Senate.
One of several statements sent by the Republican National Committee this morning seeks to paint Judge Jackson as an elitist. The group said her past as a director of the Harvard Alumni Association raised “questions about her judgment,” in part because of a trip the group had planned to make to North Korea that was canceled during her tenure on the group’s board. Prospective participants were advised to “show respect” to Kim Jong Il, the North Korean leader at the time, if they made the trip. It’s not clear whether Judge Jackson was involved in any way in planning the trip. Even so, it is a curious line of criticism, given the effusive public comments former President Donald J. Trump has frequently made about Kim Jong Un, the current North Korean leader and son of Kim Jong Il: “We fell in love,” Mr. Trump said of the younger Mr. Kim in 2018.
Kateryna Bilokur: Field on Collective Farm (1948-49).
The worst of the Republican trolling appears to come from Lady Lindsey who is pearl-clutching at her Harvard Credentials. He didn’t seem to mind her the last time she was up for her current position He also didn’t complain about Kavanaugh or Gorsuch’s Ivy League credentials when they were quickly shuffled to the High Court. But, here he is! This is from the New Civil Rights Movement:” ‘Absolute BS’: ‘Gaslighting’ Lindsey Graham Blasted for Denouncing Biden SCOTUS Pick as Proof ‘Radical Left Has Won’. It’s written by David Badash.
Judge Jackson has more experience on the bench than the combined experience of Chief Justice John Roberts, and Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Elena Kagan, and Clarence Thomas when they were confirmed, as University of Texas Law law professor Steve Vladeck noted.
Regardless of Judge Jackson’s excellent qualifications (the White House has already published a microsite on her background) Senator Graham was furious – and is being roundly condemned for that outrage.
“If media reports are accurate, and Judge Jackson has been chosen as the Supreme Court nominee to replace Justice Breyer, it means the radical Left has won President Biden over yet again,” Graham, who sits on the Judiciary Committee tweeted.Many social media users noted Graham voted to confirm Judge Jackson twice, including as recently as June, so his outrage seems highly suspect.
Give them hell Your Honor!
Mariia Pryimachenko: The Autumn Riding on a Horse (1984).
Here are some of the latest headlines from the Russian Invasion of Ukraine.
Council of Europe suspends Russia’s rights of representation — In line with the Statute of the Council of Europe, the Committee of Ministers has today decided to suspend the Russian Federation from its rights of representation in the Committee of Ministers and in the Parliamentary Assembly
From Philip Pullella at Reuters:Departing from protocol, pope goes to Russian embassy over Ukraine … Pope Francis went to the Russian embassy to the Holy See on Friday to relay his concern over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to Moscow’s ambassador, in an unprecedented departure from diplomatic protocol.
From Barak Ravid at Axios: Zelensky to EU leaders: “This might be the last time you see me alive” — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told EU leaders “this might be the last time you see me alive” during a video conference on Thursday night, two European sources briefed on the call tell Axios.
Another great mid- 20th century actress has passed on.
The last few years have made me feel quite old. I feel like the Post World War 1 and 2 eras have gone full cycle.
Take care of yourselves and each other! We love you here and are glad we, as a community, can share all of this.
What’s on you reading and blogging list today?
peej
Carissa
bostonboomer
dakinikat
ecocatwoman
grayslady
mablue2
JJ Lopez aka Minkoff Minx
NW Luna
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
A Ukrainian woman was seen to scream in the face of a Russian soldier “Here! Take these sunflower seeds and put them in your pockets. That way when you die there will be flowers in your stead!”
Have a peaceful and happy weekend!
Thank you for the full story!!!
I also like that she asked them WTF are you doing here. What a great lady!
Great!!!!
Not to tell anyone how to do their job from my amateur armchair here, but freezing all the hidden overseas oligarchs+Putin assets should have been the _first_ move!
Yep. And done yesterday.
Poor Sally Kellerman, she can only ever be my second favorite Hot Lips Houlihan.
😊. RIP.
Yes. The press reports on Trump and GOP praising Putin as if this was some mild idiosyncrasy and not aligning themselves with a hostile foreign power now rolling tanks and dropping bombs on civilians in an independent democratic country.
From Alex today:
“I’m fine. A curfew was introduced -a ban on being outside the house from ten in the evening to 7 in the morning.
I managed to get home one minute before ten in the evening.
It has long been known that military equipment does not follow the rules of the road.
You should avoid driving a car in the areas of deployment of any armored vehicles, both your own and enemy.
Residents of Ukraine need this war even less that cockroaches need light in the kitchen”
We talked about Putin and his “disgusting censorship” and he told me “its the way he harvesting bullets.”
“State propaganda is diligently cultivating people’s hatred of Vladimir Putin”
I also talked to my friend Peg in Hungary. She said there are many refugees pouring across the border.
Biden should authorize this here.
Yes. We should.
Beautiful artwork today!
So sad about Sally Kellerman — she was a very fine actress.
Thank you!! It was fun looking for it!!
Thx for the Ukrainian art.