Two can play at the judiciary game, Democrats and their secret list of nominees suggest. In 2016, then- candidate Donald Trump released his list of judicial nominees to great success, having eventually seen several of those individuals confirmed to courts across the country under his presidency. Now liberals apparently have a response.
The New York Times has a new report on the liberal Alliance for Justice's new initiative, Building the Bench.
But liberal activists, hoping for a chance to offset the growing conservative presence in the courts, have identified a pool of potential judicial vacancies that could remain out of Mr. Trump’s reach — scores of seats held by veteran judges appointed by Democrats who may be biding their time, awaiting the outcome of the 2020 presidential race. (New York Times)
But, unlike Trump, they have no plans to release it publicly.
Unlike the unprecedented Trump list, the liberal groups do not intend to make their recommendations public — they see them more as a guide for a potential Democratic administration. The idea is to look at district and appellate courts that could experience a rush of retirements after the election and find suitable successors for anyone who leaves.
In response, the Judicial Crisis Network has launched a new, two-week $1.1 million national ad campaign entitled "Radicals," informing viewers that liberals have built "a secret list of judges that they won't show anyone."
Why not release the names?
“President Trump was open and honest with the American people and has kept his promise," Judicial Crisis Network’s Chief Counsel and Policy Director, Carrie Severino said. "He released his list of judges, but Joe Biden and other Democrats running for president have yet to reveal theirs. Democratic candidates and liberal groups are campaigning to pack the courts with liberal judges, while keeping their list secret. Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden and all Democratic presidential candidates should stop hiding and release their list of potential Supreme Court nominees so the American people can judge for themselves.”
It's no surprise liberals are trying to play catch up, since conservatives have achieved success all the way up to the highest court. McConnell became a conservative hero for blocking President Obama's Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland in 2016, a move which eventually paved the way for Trump's nominee Neil Gorsuch. Gorsuch was confirmed, as was Trump's second SCOTUS nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. The latter, we know, was not an easy fight.