The senior Democratic congressman James Clyburn said his decision to support Clarence Thomas for a US supreme court seat “was a mistake” and called for the expansion of the nation’s highest legal panel to 13 justices.
Clyburn, of South Carolina, spoke up for Thomas at his fiery 1991 confirmation hearings, calling him “a personal and professional friend” who would use their shared experiences lifting minorities and advancing civil rights to become a respected and accomplished jurist.
Instead, Clyburn told NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Thomas abandoned his principles to become an extremist, hard-right member of a bench that has delivered some stunning legal reversals in recent years, including the overturning of federal protections for abortion and ending affirmative action in higher education.
Asked by host Kristen Welker if he regretted standing up for Thomas, Clyburn replied: “I have made mistakes in my life, and that’s one that I made. And I will own up to that mistake.
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Clyburn has always been a “third way” centrist hack who judges bills by how “bipartisan” they are. If he had a chance to do the same vote over again today he’d still vote to install Thomas.
He’s just campaigning right now. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/south-carolina-rep-jim-clyburn-will-run-for-an-18th-term
I’m sure after he said that he phoned Thomas and apologized on the downlow.
“It was a mistake.” In this case translates to “I knew what I was doing, but I don’t want to be held responsible.”
Motherfucker, Anita Hill was there and you ignored her. Any regrets you have that don’t involve apologies to her and resigning are meaningless.
Biden was the one who promised Hill she would have a chance to speak and then didnt let her. He led Thomas’s confirmation hearing.
He even supported Biden who was also happy to throw anything negative of Thomas away
Too bad that shithead is there for life.
The man who has been the most wrong on every case?! No, you’re being too hard on yourself.
He never had principles, as evidenced by testimony about how he’s a rapist during his confirmation. They all fucking knew exactly what he was.
Should be age limits too. Every other country figured that out…
Should not be for life, either. It should be a set amount of time. e.g. 4 years, or whatever. No one should get a job for the rest of their life, with next to no way to remove them.
A lot of neoliberals are suddenly going to start “supporting” what they used to call too extreme, but it’s just because they’re hoping to retain their seats and toss out enough breadcrumbs the movement doesn’t have enough momentum for real change.
Leave the current SC on the bench for 40 years and adding a couple to balance them out isn’t the solution.
We need a way to remove the rot, not just throw more apples on top of the rot.
Clyburn has always been a gigantic piece of shit.
Same then as he is now.
Thats only 1 of 3 current Republican SCOTUS justices given to us by the DNC
They tried to make it 4 with Merrick Garland.
I have no doubt they share a meaning of what uplifting minorities means, even today. Fuck them both
Nawww, really?
Another justice right now is just another trump appointed lacky
Yeah he got his and got his kids theirs. What’s he want? A mulligan? Little late for a do-over.
