After a federal judge in Florida struck down the Biden administration's mask mandate for most forms of travel including planes, trains, and public transit, liberal media figures did not take the news well.
While the decision was celebrated by many sane Americans and Republican leaders, Katie pointed out on Twitter that the double-standard employed by many liberals in the mainstream media.
The meltdown by beltway “journalists” over Biden’s arbitrary, non-scientific and ridiculous mask mandate is quite something. They’re fine with removing the mask at fancy dinners of course, but the rest of America (which moved on from COVID a long time ago) must suffer on planes.
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) April 18, 2022
Their outrage is especially confusing given the mandate was set to expire on May 3 after a 15-day extension by the Biden administration was announced last week. But that didn't stop the Twitter storm from raging as the often-hypocritical members of the liberal media apparently ignore the fact that anyone is still free to wear a mask wherever and whenever they like, however silly they may look.
Slate's Senior Writer Mark Joseph Stern joined in the chorus, calling an accurate ruling on the facts of the case an example of a "power-drunk juristocracy" that supposedly proves our "system" — that is, a balance of power with checks and balances — "is badly broken."
Try explaining to your friends in other liberal democracies that a single unelected, life-tenured, 35-year-old judge just abolished the air travel mask mandate for the entire country.
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) April 18, 2022
No peer nation would tolerate such a power-drunk juristocracy. Our system is badly broken.
Of course when President Trump was in the White House, Mark took a different tone in his commentary on the judiciary checking executive power:
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Trump's Muslim ban was blocked by four bad-ass female judges. The judiciary grabs back: https://t.co/RFGc10GO5F
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) January 29, 2017
Dr. Peter Hotez, a professor and nearly-constant presence on CNN and MSNBC throughout the pandemic, reacted to the ruling calling for mandatory public health training for America's law students. His recommendation — responding to the end of an unlawful mandate by issuing a call for another kind of mandate — is extremely on-brand.
There should be a mandatory course in public health in our nation’s law schools. https://t.co/sgMT4N3TO3
— Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD (@PeterHotez) April 18, 2022
Author and blogger Chuck Wendig also piled on, saying that striking down a mandate that was set to expire in just two weeks means America is "f***ing hellbound to destroy ourselves" at the behest of those who "will gladly use our bodies as firewood."
We as a nation are fucking hellbound to destroy ourselves. We are addicted to self-destruction — all at the behest of the corporations and politicians who will gladly use our bodies as firewood. https://t.co/MxPlXtLOYa
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) April 18, 2022
In an instance that would be labeled as casual sexism and ageism if the shoe were on the other foot and a conservative said it about a liberal judge, POLITICO's Sam Stein tried to make the point that the "Judiciary matters" in a woe-is-me tweet.
The judge who made this ruling, Kathryn Kimball, is 35 yrs old. Was confirmed at the age of 33 during the lame duck. Judiciary matters. https://t.co/H4aacMsws7
— Sam Stein (@samstein) April 18, 2022
A subsequent subtweet from Stein showed his apparent surprise that people would think differently from him.
the amount of projection on this site is incredible.
— Sam Stein (@samstein) April 18, 2022
Reuters' Supreme Court reporter also decided to undermine the Senate-confirmed judge which is, again, something the liberal media informed us was beyond the pale when Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was questioned on her qualifications.
Judge Mizelle was confirmed by the lame-duck Republican Senate after Trump lost the 2020 election. The American Bar Association rated her "not qualified" because of her lack of experience https://t.co/LVPO4DqQSD
— Lawrence Hurley (@lawrencehurley) April 18, 2022
As did PBS News Weekend Anchor Geoff Bennett:
The judge behind this mask ruling — Kathryn Kimball Mizelle — was the tenth Trump judicial nominee to be rated “not qualified” by the American Bar Association. https://t.co/wIZxTQja1O
— Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) April 18, 2022
The Atlantic's Pulitzer Prize winning Ronald Brownstein seems to think he's on to something...commonly referred to as the separation of powers wherein the three distinct branches of government check each other. And of course, liberal federal judges were merciless in their rulings striking down policies enacted by the Trump administration — but Brownstein decided that history must be damned in order to join the chorus of triggered libs.
Continuing the clear pattern from GOP-appointed judges: diminish the authority of the national government to act, across many fronts, while increasing the authority of state governments to roll back previously guaranteed national rights/liberties (voting/abortion/LGBTQ/book bans) https://t.co/1Mi2hcRyPS
— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) April 18, 2022
Not one for subtlety, author and Daily Beast columnist Wajahat Ali declared the ruling and opposition to one of the last vestiges of COVID restrictions "a pro-death movement."
It's a pro-death movement. Sigh. https://t.co/YcGNzhG8tg
— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) April 18, 2022
Another POLITICO writer, Eric Geller, repeated the "not qualified" trope and then engaged in some hand-wringing that, because of her young age, Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle "will likely continue issuing rulings like this for decades to come."
The ABA rated Kathryn Kimball Mizelle "not qualified." https://t.co/v4FsMYH5N6
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) April 18, 2022
She is in her mid-30s and will likely continue issuing rulings like this for decades to come. https://t.co/t7evyKNNZx
While Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle — and the dozens of other Trump judges — pose a threat to the left's agenda, Monday's ruling was a reminder of the lasting impact of the Trump administration — one that ought to give hope to conservatives.
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