PBS' Ifill characterized liberal criticism of Alito as “demonization”

Written by Simon Maloy

Published

PBS senior correspondent Gwen Ifill characterized criticism of Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr. by liberal “interest groups” as “demonization.”


During the Public Broadcasting Service's (PBS) special coverage of the Senate Judiciary Committee's nomination hearings regarding Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr., PBS senior correspondent Gwen Ifill characterized criticism of Alito by liberal “interest groups” as “demonization.”

From PBS' coverage of the Judiciary Committee hearings, which featured Ifill and syndicated columnist Mark Shields:

IFILL: But Mark, you received all the emails from all of the interest groups prior to these hearings. You've heard all of the demonization of this candidate. Has it just all gone away? Are they still out there, are they still arguing --

SHIELDS: Oh --

IFILL: -- after a day and a half?

SHIELDS: Oh, I think they're still arguing. But I mean -- I think what had to happen was -- I mean, there was no question going in he had the votes for confirmation.

Ifill's comment recalls ABC chief congressional correspondent Linda Douglass's claim that Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.'s “appealing” demeanor would make it challenging “for Democrats who want[ed] to demonize” him during Roberts's August 2004 nomination hearings.