CNN Lets Judicial Crisis Network Chief Counsel Flip-Flop And Lie About Garland Record

Carrie Severino: Judge Merrick Garland Is Just “A Reliable Liberal Vote” For Obama To “Cement” A Liberal Majority

Written by Media Matters Staff

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On CNN's CNN Newsroom, Carrie Severino, chief counsel for the discredited conservative legal group Judicial Crisis Network (JCN), attacked President Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court, Judge Merrick Garland. Severino misrepresented Garland's record and argued that Garland was nominated because of “his decisions on things like the Second Amendment, which he's hostile to, [and] on deference to administrative agencies,” despite having called him “the best scenario” for an Obama nominee in 2010. JCN has launched a "seven figure" campaign urging senators to block any appointment by President Obama to fill the Supreme Court vacancy. From the March 16 episode of CNN's CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin:

BROOKE BALDWIN (HOST): Carrie, to you first. You just heard Evan go through Merrick Garland's accolades and his thorough resume, but why don't you think he is the appropriate nominee?

CARRIE SEVERINO: Well as leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) stated it, I think the fundamental issue is this is an unusual opportunity for the American people to have their voice heard on who will nominate the justice. And that's why the Senate ultimately is holding this seat open. Nominating Judge Garland doesn't really change that. He's a reliable liberal vote, that's why the president nominated him. The New York Times said his presence on the court would make it the most liberal court in 50 years. That's not a surprise, especially when we look at his decisions on things like the Second Amendment which he's hostile to, on deference to administrative agencies like the EPA, like the IRS, like the NLRB, kind of opening the door for bureaucratic, more bureaucratic control of the government. I think those are all the sorts of things things people are going to be concerned about because the president, at the end of the day, really just wants to cement a fifth solid liberal vote on the Supreme Court. And Judge Garland would do that.