Brian Williams Hopes Gorsuch Becomes Liberal on the Bench

Newsbusters.org ^ | March 21, 2017 | Kyle Drennen

[Kaslin]

After expressing his disappointment earlier in the day that Democrats had been unable to “lay a glove” on Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch during Tuesday’s Senate confirmation hearing, in MSNBC's 3 p.m. ET hour, anchor Brian Williams tried to assuage his fellow liberals by speculating that the conservative judge might shift left while on the high court.

Talking to George Washington University Law School professor Jeffrey Rosen, Williams, known for his active fantasy life, imagined this left-wing dream scenario: “...a question we keep asking, perhaps just to keep things interesting, what is the chance that this nominee could be a surprise to the president who nominated him, along the lines of a [John] Brennan or a [David] Souter?”  

Brian Williams Hopes Gorsuch Becomes Liberal on the Bench

Rosen lamented that Gorsuch would not emulate the liberal justices: “I don't think that he will evolve to a Brennan or a Souter...” However, he did eagerly predict that the nominee may take on the Trump administration: “...but it is possible that Judge Gorsuch could check President Trump in a serious way. Whether it's on the executive order and travel ban or some other form of executive overreach, Judge Gorsuch has made clear that he thinks the job of the judge is to enforce the Constitution regardless of the politics.”

Apparently, Williams really had Souter on the brain, because moments later he asked: “Do you see any reason, Jeffrey, in what we've seen and heard so far from Neil Gorsuch, that this won’t be a – not to diminish it in a any way – but this won't be a net-net, basically no change on the Court from Souter to Gorsuch?” He corrected himself: “I mean, Scalia. Forgive me.”

During an earlier interview with left-wing NPR host Nina Totenberg, Williams similarly evoked Souter and Brennan to advance his hope that Gorsuch would be a “non-ideologue” (translation: liberal):

Nina, going back, looking at the modern era of the Court, let's go as far back as say Souter or Brennan or even Justice White, whose name was already invoked this morning, there have been ideologues. There have been. There have been non-ideologues, people who really have changed before our eyes organically. Famously, Justice Brennan was Eisenhower's greatest regret as president. Where do you put Judge Gorsuch of ideologues, people who have a fixed north star before arriving on the Court?

If Democrats can’t defeat Gorsuch with partisan hit jobs against him throughout the hearing, Williams and his liberal media colleagues are going to demand the future Justice “evolve” to their way of thinking.

Here is a transcript of Williams’s March 21 exchange with Rosen:

3:31 PM ET

(...)

BRIAN WILLIAMS: And Jeffrey, because you have studied the Court and written about it for so many years and in so many different venues, a question we keep asking, perhaps just to keep things interesting, what is the chance that this nominee could be a surprise to the president who nominated him, along the lines of a Brennan or a Souter?

JEFFREY ROSEN [GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL]: I don't think that he will evolve to a Brennan or a Souter, but it is possible that Judge Gorsuch could check President Trump in a serious way. Whether it's on the executive order and travel ban or some other form of executive overreach, Judge Gorsuch has made clear that he thinks the job of the judge is to enforce the Constitution regardless of the politics. And just as the guy he’s being appointed to replace, Justice Robert Jackson voted to check President Harry Truman in the steel seizure case. So I think in these hearings, Judge Gorsuch is making it clear, “I believe in judicial independence and I am willing to check the president who appointed me.”

WILLIAMS: This may get a little text-booky, but what Senator Klobuchar was talking about among her last points before the break was a kind of “selective originalism.” This is the kind of thing that can bedevil a justice or a nominee who is very proud to call themselves an originalist, it's tough to apply in 2017.

ROSEN: Absolutely. And the Democrats are right to note a series of cases where Justice Scalia, the noted originalist, seemed to betray constitutional text and history, most notable, Brown vs. Board of Education, the case that struck down segregation, but is hard to reconcile with original understanding. Judge Gorsuch responded, “I want to translate the original understanding into a world of new technologies.” And he keep citing the global positioning system surveillance case, suggesting that he is not fixed in the 18th century horse and buggy age. But the Democrats are really going to press him on this and say, “Do you agree with the cases where Justice Scalia was, as Senator Klobuchar so powerfully said, ‘a faithless originalist.’”

WILLIAMS: Do you see any reason, Jeffrey, in what we've seen and heard so far from Neil Gorsuch, that this won’t be a – not to diminish it in a any way – but this won't be a net-net, basically no change on the Court from Souter to Gorsuch?

ROSEN: I think could be a change on the Court. There really –

WILLIAMS: I mean, Scalia. Forgive me.

ROSEN: From Scalia to Gorsuch. No, not at all.

(...)

[Vendome]

[libertylover]

Unfortunately, it’s happened before.

[unlearner]

Admitted liar, Brian Williams says...

Discredited journalist, Brian Williams thinks...

Known fraudster, Brian Williams has some advice...

Psychotic media personality, Brian Williams, who could only find work at MSLSD, opines...

Has-been, Brian Williams, tries to be relevant by...

[jonsie]

His mentor Scalia was good friends with Ginsberg and never fell under the liberal spell, I don’t think he will.

[rfp1234]

How did this moron get his current job? Whomever he replaced on MSLSD must have been a real train wreck.

[KyCats]

This very possibility is always a concern when nominating conservative jurists.

Washington is like hell. It is filled top to bottom with evil people (I call them leftists) who will try to tempt a conservative into selling his soul for things like fawning media coverage, a permanent invitation to the cocktail party circuit, rubbing elbows with some celebs, etc. etc. etc.

Sometimes a well meaning but weak individual will succumb to the voice in his ear and accept the devil’s bargain.

Gorsuch appears to be of much sterner character. But you never know. Who would have believed when he was confirmed that Roberts would subsequently rule that the Obamacare penalty was instead a tax? And once you’ve gone over to the dark side, you can never come back.

[tumblindice]

Why is Brian Von Munchhausen loose and not in the Old Journalist BS’s Home weeping on Dan Blather’s shoulder?
He’s the epitome of FakeNews.

[adorno]

Liberal means not believing in the strict interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. Ultra-liberal means reinterpreting the constitution to suit your own beliefs or to suit the needs or wants of those that you favor in society or in a court case.

Unfortunately, we’ve had far too many liberals and ultra-liberals in the SCOTUS. Conservatives have been had in the past, and anything is possible. Judge Roberts is our best current example of a soft-conservative bordering on liberal.

[MinuteGal]

Gorsuch knows his great friend, Justice Scalia, would turn over in his grave if he (Gorsuch) turns liberal after appointment...and Mrs. Scalia, who trusts him, as well as countless friends, associates and supporters would be mortified.

He'll hold firm, you can count on it.

The grilling process of Supreme Court candidates by Dems has now become evil and poisonous. But rest assured that, although some of Gorsuch's answers can be unnerving to those not wise in the ways of political interrogations and political answers, bear in mind these conservative judicial candidates know how to answer the Rats' gotcha questions IN A VERY DEFLECTING WAY...so keep the faith.

The Judge has done a fantastic job in the hot seat...and believe me, all his deft answers have been driving the lefties crazy!

Leni

[ripley]

“Washington is like hell. It is filled top to bottom with evil people (I call them leftists)...”

I like to call them psychotic, leftist scu&bags.

IMHO

[Luke21]

Half of Republican nominees become liberals. No Democrats have become conservatives since Whizzer White, who was appointed by JFK.

[A_Former_Democrat]

And yet the Enemedia tried for so long to present themselves as “objective” “news” “Journ-O-Lists”

[Vince Ferrer]

I hope Briam Williams becomes a journalist some day.

[Slyfox]

He HOPES.

[hoosiermama]

The dems are just drooling. They are green with envy that they have no one anywhere near this smart or experienced on their bench milk stool !

[HarleyLady27]

I am watching it, and all I can say is the libs know if they don’t stop Gorsuch, they are done, finished and over...

This guy knows his stuff, he’s firm, fair and outspoken in his way of life as a Judge, he’s someone we need, therefore the libs are going to make McConnell do the ‘nuclear option’ to get this man in the Court, you know McLame and Linda are not going to vote for him...they are the RINO’s and will not bend...

[WENDLE]

Ok —I am with you on Gorsuch — it is just that we have been raped so many times. I have to trust Trump!!

[timestax]

image hosting 5mb

[ConservaTeen]

ConservaTeen: ‘I hope Brian Williams would become a conservative someday.’ I know it would never happen, but I can wish, Mr. Williams.