Playbook: “With war raging in Ukraine and President Joe Biden headed to Brussels on Wednesday for an emergency NATO summit (more on both of these topics below), Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s four-day hearing marathon, which starts today at 11 a.m., may well be below-the-fold news. It’s not just outside events dampening the suspense: With her confirmation all but assured and the balance of the court not in play, the likelihood of major surprises is pretty low.”
“While that bodes well for Jackson’s prospects, it’s not necessarily good for the administration politically. The near-certainty of seating the first Black woman on the high court would normally be the closest thing to a slam-dunk, attention-grabbing victory the White House could ask for. No red flags have been raised about Jackson’s record that would jeopardize her prospects, and a new WSJ poll shows a majority of Americans think she is qualified for the high court.”
“But these aren’t normal times. The White House is on course to notch the win, but the media’s gaze is largely elsewhere.”
The Washington Post has a live blog covering the hearings.
