President Joe Biden can point to two important domestic political successes. For the first time in history, a top African-American lawyer is appointed to the US Supreme Court. And the debates about the US strategy in the Ukraine war are currently going in his favour. The Senate confirmed Biden’s candidate Ketanji Brown Jackson surprisingly quickly on Thursday evening. And surprisingly smooth: by 53 votes to 47.
In addition to the 50 Senate Democrats, three Republicans voted for Brown Jackson: Susan Collins of Maine, Mitt Romney of Utah and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
On paper, the House is at a stalemate between Democrats and Republicans. As a rule, it can only be overcome with the vote of the Vice President.
The successor is secured before Breyer leaves in the summer
Brown Jackson, 51, previously worked at the Washington DC Circuit Court of Appeals. She will replace Stephen Breyer (83), who has announced his retirement for the summer.
He is one of the three liberal judges on the nine-person Supreme Cout. Bill Clinton nominated him in 1994.
With the resignation, Breyer wanted to enable a successor for Biden before the Democrats lose their thin majority in the Senate in the congressional election in November. Experts had feared that Republicans would do everything possible to delay the vote until the fall. The hearing, however, took a civilized course.
Ex-President Donald Trump was able to appoint three new constitutional judges during his term of office, partly because the Republicans successfully blocked a replacement that was actually due to Barack Obama for many months. As a result, the balance on the Supreme Court had shifted in favor of the conservatives.
Republicans are at odds over how to deal with Russia
Biden’s prospects are also brightening on another political front, dealing with Russia and Ukraine. Republicans are at odds over strategy on how to respond to Putin’s war of aggression in Ukraine and the president’s course. There is currently little to suggest they can corner Biden.
70 percent of US citizens consider Russia an enemy, according to a new poll by the Pew Research Center. In the past, it would have been clear who these citizens saw better protecting the country in the war – at that time the Republicans were the hawks when dealing with Moscow.
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That changed at the latest with Donald Trump. Unlike the traffic light coalition, Biden embodies defensiveness. Trump’s relationship with Vladimir Putin as president was oddly casual. And now, for transparent domestic political motives, he doesn’t even shy away from advances that bring him dangerously close to being accused of treason. He recently demanded that Putin provide him with incriminating evidence against Hunter Biden, the son of the incumbent president.
The isolationists want to keep the US out of the war
These are disturbing developments for Republicans who see themselves as the lord keeper of national security seals. This uncertainty hung over the strategy conference of the nationalist wing of the Republicans a few days ago. Participants had declared it an “emergency meeting”.
For conservative isolationists, the way out is clear. The Ukraine war is a European problem. The US is best left out. From this perspective, “America First” means not risking anything that could involve the United States in a Third World War. This wing attacks Biden because he makes the US a war party with arms deliveries.
Traditional Republicans do not share this view. They stick to the motto: In times of war, America should strengthen its alliance with the Europeans. As long as Republicans bicker over it, Biden has less to worry about the war clouding his November election outlook, on top of other issues like inflation and the pandemic.
Old enmity does not rust: Trump supports Palin in Alaska
What Biden uses cannot please Trump and his supporters. One of his patterns of behavior is to punish Republicans who oppose him.
Sarah Palin, right-wing cheerleader against Barack Obama in 2008 and vice-presidential candidate alongside John McCain, is seeking her political comeback. She wants to win Alaska’s only seat in the House of Representatives. He was vacated by the death of Don Young on March 18th.
Trump supports Palin’s bid. If she succeeds in making a comeback, that would also be a tailwind for Kelly Tshibaka. She is running in the nomination against Murkowski for the Alaska Senate seat, up for election in November.
At Trump’s impeachment, Murkowski was one of seven Republican Senate members who voted to convict him. Old enmity does not rust.
Source: Tagesspiegel
I am a technology author with 8 years of experience in journalism. My writing covers the latest technology advancements and trends, drawing on my expertise in news journalism and social media platforms. I have contributed to major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Reuters.
