She'll pass, but narrowly. She's personable and brilliant. But she can't quite explain her ideas because she's never had to do so: like many Ivy Leaguers, she thinks saying the right words makes it so.
Let me be more specific: she is telling the Senate she's against judicial activism, even that she's an "originalist," and yet she can't bring herself to define the word "woman" or to tell us how many unenumerated rights might yet be found to exist that aren't in the text.
The child porn stuff is toxic to Republicans and will guarantee there isn't much of a crossover. The question isn't whether she's right about the need for more lenient or flexible sentences for sex offenders -- that's a policy debate (the kind of debate she says she doesn't want to have on other topics, as a judge). The problem is that the public was told that Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) was lying. It turns out he was telling the truth about her record, and the only defense the Democrats have is to claim that she's right on the substance of the issue. Yes, Hawley is making them die, proverbially, on the hill of child pornography. (Normally Republicans aren't quite that clever or adept -- so, well played.)
She'll be a reliable liberal vote on the Court, and will not have much of an impact, except perhaps as a role model, for which purpose we are to be reminded that she is a certain kind of "woman," whatever that outdated term might mean.
I should have noted in my message about the weekly Torah portion that this week is Shabbat Chazon, the Sabbath of Vision. We are about to mourn -- but see through that pain to something better that lies beyond, on the other side.
Wishing you the best vision -- and an incredible reality to follow. It happens!
We begin the final speech of Moses to the people of Israel before they enter the Promised Land. He relates the ups and downs of the years of wandering in the desert, before, finally, the people have the merit to enter the land itself.
This Sabbath always precedes Tisha B'Av, the Ninth of Av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. It is the anniversary of the destruction of both of the Holy Temples, and a catch-all for many calamities that befell the Jewish people.
A word on Tisha B'Av. This year I am leaving for an overseas trip during the afternoon of the holiday -- in the middle of a fast day. Not idea, but there was no other choice. But my flight is in the afternoon, which is significant.
We relax some of the harsh, mournful customs of the day in the afternoon. We start to pray normally; we sit on regular chairs; we start to have hope again in the redemption that will, one day, lead us all back from exile to our home.
I'll be taking a trip to a land where an important part of ...
President Trump is in Scotland, playing golf and making big trade deals -- a major deal with the EU, in fact. Meanwhile, there is a global outcry about humanitarian aid to Palestinians (not about the Israeli hostages, mind you).
On top of that, Democrats are at their lowest polling numbers ever -- so they are trying to win control of the House by redistricting in the middle of a 10-year Census cycle. Oh, economic optimism is up, so they have a tough road.
And Tulsi Gabbard's revelations about the Russia collusion investigation make it clear that Obama's lieutenants lied to Congress. How deeply was he himself involved? The media continue to ignore the evidence, but we certainly won't.
Special guests:
Nick Gilbertson - Breitbart News White House correspondent, on EU deal
Frances Martel - Breitbart News foreign editor, on Trump abroad and Russia
John Spencer - urban warfare expert, on humanitarian aid and war in Gaza
Bradley Jaye - Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on the ...