Staff Reports
Republican Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) fearlessly took to social media to share a supercut of various Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, playfully titled “Kennedy Bar Exam in Judiciary Committee (Part 1).” In this hilariously informative video, Senator Kennedy exposed President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees as they fumbled and stumbled over basic legal questions. It’s almost as if they showed up to a college exam without studying and tried to wing it!
One particular nominee, Judge Chanelle Bjelkengren, seemed baffled when Senator Kennedy asked her to define Articles Five and Two of the U.S. Constitution. Her response? “Article 5 is not coming to mind at the moment.” And when pressed about Article Two, she awkwardly mumbled, “Neither is Article Two.” Yikes! It’s like she memorized the wrong answers for a test and then panicked when she got called on in class.
🚨President Biden’s district judge nominee Sara Hill was unable to explain to @SenJohnKennedy the difference between a “stay order” and an “injunction.”
How can an individual who wants to be a federal judge possibly not know this?
Senator Durbin even congratulated Hill… pic.twitter.com/6oJAKqhN3I
— Carrie Severino (@JCNSeverino) November 15, 2023
But wait, there’s more! Another nominee, Sara E. Hill, found herself in the hot seat with Senator Kennedy, unable to differentiate between a “stay order” and an “injunction.” Democratic Senator Dick Durban even jokingly applauded her for “passing the Kennedy bar exam.” It’s as if Biden’s nominees think they can just bluff their way through, and the Democrats are playing along like it’s all just a big game of legal charades.
Senator Kennedy didn’t hold back, even calling out Durban for his sassy remarks. He declared that he tries to be fair-minded and has voted for some of President Biden’s nominees, as long as he believes they are qualified. But when it comes to nominees who can’t tell a law book from a Sears Roebuck catalog, well, they don’t make the cut. And he didn’t hesitate to remind everyone that his side of the aisle has been more generous with Biden’s nominees than the Democrats were with President Trump’s picks. It’s like Kennedy is saying, “Hey, we’re trying to be fair here, but come on, these nominees need to at least know the basics.”
Carrie Severino, President of JCN, the Judicial Crisis Network, chimed in with her own take, poking fun at Durban’s congratulatory comments and highlighting Kennedy’s efforts to hold Biden’s nominees to a higher standard. It’s like a legal comedy routine, with Kennedy playing the sharp-witted host who won’t let anyone slide by with half-baked knowledge.
In the midst of it all, Senator Kennedy brushed off Durban’s “snarky” comments, comparing them to his son’s cheeky remarks during puberty. He revealed that he’s learned to simply ignore the jabs and carry on with his mission to ensure that only the best and brightest make it onto the federal bench. It’s like he’s saying, “You can throw all the shade you want, but I’m here to make sure our judiciary is strong and competent.”
Senator Kennedy’s dedication to holding judicial nominees accountable and demanding excellence in the courtroom is a reminder that when it comes to the law, there’s no room for half-baked knowledge or legal guesswork. And if President Biden’s nominees want to pass the “Kennedy bar exam,” they better hit the law books and study up!
