Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) got his ass handed to him by a Democratic colleague on Tuesday, making sure the Texas Republican knew that the GOP has politicized the court and is responsible for what will happen if Roe v. Wade is struck down.
Referencing a leaked opinion authored by Justice Samuel Alito, Cruz suggested the leak was the direct result of a “multi-year effort” by Democrats in the Senate to “politicize the court” and force the justices to rule in a manner inconsistent with “what the voters believe.”
Next to speak was Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), who corrected Cruz and reminded him that Chief Justice John Roberts has called for the FBI to investigate who might have prematurely released the draft opinion authored by Alito.
But it was what Whitehouse did next that completely destroyed Cruz’s childish whining and kvetching: He read a quote from Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who had this to day on her program Monday evening:
“We have six Republican appointees on [the Supreme Court]. After all the money that has been raised, the Federalist Society, all these big fat cat dinners … if this court with six justices cannot do the right thing here, then I think it’s time to do what Robert Bork said we should do which is to circumscribe the jurisdiction of this court, and if they want to blow it up, then that’s the way to change things finally.”
It should also be noted that while Cruz claims “voters believe” abortion rights should be struck down, polls don’t support that assertion.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted just last week shows that 54% of Americans think Roe v. Wade decision should be upheld, while only 28% percent think the court should make abortion illegal. Those numbers completely undercut Cruz’s bellowing.
The poll also shows:
- “57 percent of Americans oppose their state making abortions legal only in the first 15 weeks of pregnancy.”
- “58 percent opposes limiting abortion to the first six weeks of pregnancy.”
If indeed the Supreme Court does strike down Roe, it’s likely to motivate Democratic voters to turn out in record numbers for the November midterm elections, which would all but guarantee that control of both houses of Congress remains with Democrats, who would likely work on passing a federal law protecting the rights spelled out in the 1973 Roe opinion.
Republicans have dreamed of this moment for decades, but it could wind up assuring they remain the permanent minority party because they’re out of touch with the vast majority of American voters.