During the Supreme Court confirmation proceedings, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), also known as Sen. Spartacus (D-Thrace), took the opportunity to trip up Judge Amy Coney Barrett with questions about white supremacy, peaceful transfers of power, and systemic racism. Fortunately, Barrett was ready for the questions and did not give the Thracian or his fellow gladiators any weapons to use in the arena. 

Before he asked his questions, Spartacus launched into a rather boring “Orange Man Bad” diatribe in which he accused President Donald Trump of every evil under the sun. But when he was finally finished, he addressed Barrett. First, he went the Chris Wallace route and asked if she would condemn white supremacy, possibly hoping that she might make Trump’s mistake in answering the question. 

“You condemn white supremacy, correct?” he asked. 

Barrett responded, “yes.” 

Well, that didn’t work. So the senator/pretend gladiator stated that he “wished our president would say that so resolutely” and “unequivocally as well” because Americans are supposedly “literally fearful because their president cannot do that in the resolute manner in which you did.” 

Perhaps Booker missed the appearance on Fox News in which Trump did definitely condemn white supremacy. Sure, he flubbed it the first time around, but he corrected himself twice after. 

Next, Sen. Spartacus went into discussing whether or not an incumbent president who loses re-election should peacefully transfer power. It was yet another opportunity to attack Trump in similar fashion to members of the corporate media who are pretending that Trump will try to hold on to power if Biden manages to win. 

Booker asked, “Do you believe that every president should make a commitment unequivocally and resolutely to the peaceful transfer of power?’ 

Barrett replied, “Senator, that seems to me to be pulling me in a little bit into this question of whether the president has said that he would not peacefully leave office, and so to the extent that this is a political controversy right now, as a judge, I want to stay out of it and I don’t want to express a view.”

Then, the pretend gladiator went on another rant, lamenting that the peaceful transfer nontroversy is “becoming a question.” After, he asked the question again. 

The judge answered again: 

“One of the beauties of America from the beginning of the republic is that we have had peaceful transfers of power and that disappointed voters have accepted the new leaders that come into office and that’s not true in every country and I think it is part of the genius of our constitution and the good faith and goodwill of the American people that we haven’t had the situations that have arisen in so many other countries where there have been those issues.”

Later in their exchange, Booker asked the judge about her views regarding systemic racism and implicit bias. He quoted several studies, one of which was from the Sentencing Commission, showing that bias exists in the justice system. He asked if Barrett believes that there is evidence of implicit bias when it comes to the enforcing of laws. 

She stated that she was not familiar with the studies that Booker referenced, but that she does believe there is evidence showing bias. “As you and I discussed I am aware that there is evidence and that there have been studies of systemic racism or implicit bias in the Justice system.” After he asked once more, she repeated herself, “I am aware that there have been studies showing that implicit bias is present in many contexts including in the criminal Justice system.”

Senator Gladiator Booker Spartacus asked other questions during the exchange. He solicited her opinion on whether or not the president has the power to pardon himself and the debate over Trump and the emoluments clause. She declined to answer since she did not want to give her opinion on matters that are already been litigated. 

Senate Democrats hammered the Supreme Court nominee all day through the confirmation process, but Barrett handled herself well. While many attempted to get her to commit an error, she remained mostly steady. But it isn’t over yet, and the Democrats likely have not yet brought out the big guns. Fortunately, it seems Barrett is ready. 

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