Richardson, Snider: Should the progressive movement become pro-life?
Blind spots. We’ve all got them. Some, for example, believe their singing voice to be a divine blessing although it might more accurately be described as a curse. Others assume their Facebook friends want to see their every meal. Still others ignore that they do, in reality, need deodorant. Not all blind spots are this trite, however. History makes that much clear. Alabama is, unfortunately, host to one of the most obvious and horrid of blind spots: the slavery of the Antebellum South. The fact that many slave-owners were faithful church-goers, Sunday school teachers, and reputable members of the community ought to remind us of how even the most evident evils can be hidden from our moral view. Historical blind spots aren’t limited to Alabama, of course. Worldwide aversion to women’s right to vote, German justification for the Holocaust, and even the Pharisaical rejection of Jesus are examples of blind spots in both recent and distant past. The common thread of a moral blind spot, it seems, is this: generally decent people, earnestly desiring to know and act on what is right, completely missing it. That’s the thing about blind spots. We miss them. By their nature we are ignorant of their existence. This means that, without someone pointing them out, I won’t know mine and you won’t know yours. Illuminating these blind spots is a compassionate and worthwhile goal––as long as we are open to confronting our own blurs in vision. Knowing this, we are obligated to point out a major blind spot in the progressive movement: the endorsement of abortion. The progressive movement has prided itself on its support for the historically marginalized and voiceless: women, immigrants, African Americans, etc. There is a real care, a genuine passion, within their ranks to right wrongs that should be encouraging to us all. They desire justice and fairness and, although we may not agree when it comes to the raw policy, that desire should be applauded. When it comes to the most voiceless population, the unborn, the progressive movement fails. Strangely enough, the very rhetoric they decry when levied against minorities is used to justify the killing of yet-to-be-born human beings. In some ways, it makes sense that this blind spot exists within the progressive movement. The battle to ensure women’s voting rights was hard-fought and one that progressives have not forgotten. There is, unfortunately, a lingering suspicion that this battle continues––that men want to control women in whatever ways possible. This suspicion, it seems, has led to an overcorrection in which attempts to eliminate abortion are perceived as anti-women instead of pro-child. Progressives, let’s be clear, this is not a rerun of the right for women to vote. This is about the lives of innumerable unborn children who cannot speak for themselves. This is, in many ways, right in your wheelhouse. Fortunately enough, recent scientific progress makes it easier than ever for progressives to join the pro-life movement. New technologies and scientific studies are consistently showing how early on in development a fetus appears and acts as it is: human. Colleen Malloy, a neonatologist at Northwestern University, stresses this in a recent Atlantic article. She argues that years of study made it “so obvious that these were just developing humans.” Dr. Farr Curlin, a professor of medicine and medical humanities at Duke University, likewise described science’s recent contribution to the debate by saying “ I don’t see any way it’s not an ally to the pro-life cause.” It’s time for the progressive movement to become pro-life. For consistency’s sake, for the sake of unborn children, and for their own viability as a movement, this blind spot needs to be confronted. With compassion, we invite progressives to be true to their stated ideals and support those least able to speak for themselves. ••• Nikki Richardson is Executive Vice President of the Alabama Policy Institute and Parker Snider is Director of Policy Analysis. API is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit research and educational organization dedicated to strengthening free enterprise, defending limited government, and championing strong families.
How moving to Ala. took me from ‘right-wing nut job’ to ‘Republican in name only’
I know a woman’s not supposed to reveal her age, but at 37 I’ve been in and around the political process for about 15 years now. The first several years were mainly observational and administrative. From there I was able to get a real feel of things on the campaign trail, as a lobbyist, and then with various non-profit issue advocacy organizations. These groups are where I found my passion in grassroots advocacy. This included speaking to groups large and small all around the nation about what’s going on from the local to the federal levels. I’ve been fortunate to work with a handful of incredible elected officials and with hundreds of passionate grassroots advocates. I was honored to be a part of the true Tea Party movement when it first began. I attended rallies. I waved signs and banners. I took too many bus rides, to both state and national capitols, to count. I’ve worked two election cycles as a field rep for the National Rifle Association’s campaign arm, NRA-ILA, electing Second Amendment supporters, and two Koch-backed groups including the largest grassroots organization in the country, American’s for Prosperity, as well for 60 Plus Association. With a resume like that you can only imagine the names I’ve been called personally and on a whole for the company I keep and the things I believe. From “right-wing nut job” to “Tea Party crazy,” I’ve heard it all. Nearly every time I write an opinion column liberal or progressive commenters have a fit about how conservative I am sometimes I’m even too conservative for republicans or libertarians. For those who don’t know me well and have never seen me in person, know that I have a full color Republican elephant tattooed on my foot. True story. I was young and it was ridiculous, but it’s there and it is what it is. So it’s funny to me (that is more ironic funny, than ‘haha’ funny) that since moving to Alabama and speaking out against the status quo here — simply pressing for answers and better behavior from those who most Republicans in the state never dare question — I have had my allegiance to the true conservative principles, to which I’ve dedicated my life, questioned. I’ve suddenly found myself being called a RINO or Republican in name only in whisper campaigns and in comments and conversations others have had with friends and acquaintances. It seems to be happening more often these days as well so let me set the record straight about who I really am: I’m a pro-life Catholic. I’m a mother. I’m a second amendment supporter. I’m a small business owner. I’m a fiscal conservative. I’m libertarian on most social issues (including legalization of marijuana and getting the government out of the marriage business). I believe in school choice including vouchers and charter schools. I believe less government is always preferable to the alternative. I think we should sunset most laws so they have to be revisited and not just stay on the books indefinitely. I don’t support term limits in congress – we have elections for that. I think business licensing is usually a way for the government to get money not protect consumers. I believe that the goodness of people and churches could and should fulfill most of the safety net programs that the government pays for. I want secure borders and our immigration system to be fixed to improve the process for qualified individuals. I believe in criminal justice reform but I also support the death penalty. Here’s what seems to upset the establishment republicans here in AL: I want accountability and transparency from our elected officials all of them, regardless of party. The fact is, everyone should. I started ticking-off the establishment when I first spoke out against then Speaker Mike Hubbard during his tenure and trial. Lately it’s only gotten worse as I’ve spotlighted my concerns with staff and transparency in Governor Kay Ivey’s office. (Still wondering why they can’t/won’t just provide a list of gubernatorial appointees like Robert Bentley’s office did within hours. Mind boggling I tell you. Can someone please get her a new Communications Director who understands how to do their job?) I’ve really been hard on John Cooper over at ALDOT for his lack of transparency and accountability in how his department has handled a bridge down in Baldwin County. I ticked-off a member of our congressional delegation when his staff tried to get me not to run a valid story decrying it as “Fake News” because they didn’t want it reported on and I both ran the story then wrote an op-ed about the ridiculous use of “Fake News” to decry news stories a subject doesn’t like. I could go on and on about the ways in which I’ve shown myself to be a traitor to the Party, but you get the point. Never mind that I’ve also called attention to the severe problems with policies like the minimum wage increase Birmingham City passed, have wondered out loud about the status of the city as a sanctuary or friendly city, I’ve questioned the fact Mayor Randall Woodfin needs to focus on crime not magazine covers, and that Mayor William Bell before him was wasting a lot of money on his personal security detail. I’ve pointed out Walt Maddox doesn’t stand a chance in the governor’s race. Regardless of party and and position we need to be questioning those who represent us. Our responsibilities as active citizens doesn’t end when we vote or go to the polls. We have to do more. We have to follow what our elected officials and their staff are doing and follow them more closely than how they present themselves on social media or in press releases we have to question more than the talking points they or their staff give us. Donald Trump is a great example of the type of Republican that leaves someone like me scratching their heads. There have many moments, both in
Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson fires 10 workers over ‘sick out’
An Alabama mayor has fired 10 employees who staged a “sick out” over working conditions. WALA-TV reports that Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson fired the workers Wednesday. Sixteen other employees were reinstated. More than two dozen public works employees were placed on administrative leave after they called in sick, took vacation, or went home early Oct. 7. The president of the Mobile United Public Service Workers, Wesley Young, said at the time the workers took the day off to attend a City Council meeting to talk about working conditions. The workers were placed on leave, and Stimpson says 10 were ultimately fired. Trash pickup in Mobile has fallen behind schedule several times in recent months. Public works employees have blamed the delays on understaffing and have also claimed mistreatment and harassment. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Mail-bomb scare widens as packages to Joe Biden, Robert De Niro seized
The mail-bomb scare widened Thursday as law enforcement officials seized three more suspicious packages — two addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden and one to actor Robert De Niro — as part of a sprawling investigation into a plot that appears to be aimed at targets of conservative anger. The new devices were described as similar to crude pipe bombs sent to former President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and CNN. They brought to at least 10 the number of suspicious packages intercepted by authorities this week. Each was addressed to a prominent critic of President Donald Trump. Much was publicly unknown about the devices, including how they were delivered and why none had exploded. Authorities have said nothing about possible motives or suspects. Details suggest only a broad pattern — that the items were packaged in manila envelopes and addressed to prominent Democrats. Some were discovered in mail processing facilities. The packages heightened nationwide tensions and fears two weeks before major congressional midterm elections. Even with the sender still unknown, politicians from both parties used the moment to decry a toxic political climate and lay blame. “A very big part of the Anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News,” Trump said in a morning Tweet. “It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST!” Former CIA Director John Brennan, the target of one package sent to CNN, fired back. “Stop blaming others. Look in the mirror,” Brennan tweeted. “Your inflammatory rhetoric, insults, lies, & encouragement of physical violence are disgraceful. Clean up your act….try to act Presidential.” The list of bombing targets spread from New York, Delaware and Washington, D.C., to Florida and California. The explosive devices were packed in envelopes with bubble-wrap interiors bearing six stamps and the return address of Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee who was accused by Clinton rivals of secretly helping the party’s eventual presidential nominee. The bombs seized Wednesday, each with a small battery, were about six inches long and packed with powder and broken glass, according to a law enforcement official who viewed X-ray images. The official said the devices were made from PVC pipe and covered with black tape. The packages discovered Thursday set off a new wave of alarm. Two officials told The Associated Press that a person working at De Niro’s Manhattan office called police after seeing images of a package bomb sent to CNN and recalling a similar package addressed to the actor. De Niro’s office is located in the TriBeCa Film Center in lower Manhattan, and also includes an upscale restaurant and private screening room. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the packages were “clearly an effort to terrorize people politically, to choose people for political purposes and attack them because of their beliefs.” The packages addressed to Biden were intercepted at Delaware mail facilities in New Castle and Wilmington, according to a law enforcement official who, like others, wasn’t authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Like earlier targets, both Biden and De Niro have been sharply critical of Trump. The actor dropped an expletive insult at Trump at this year’s Tony Awards and also apologized to Canadians for the “idiotic behavior of my president.” Biden said last week that the president may not “know what he’s doing” and coddles dictators. The first crude bomb to be discovered had been delivered Monday to the suburban New York compound of George Soros, a liberal billionaire and major contributor to Democratic causes. Soros has called Trump’s presidency “dangerous.” Similar packages addressed to Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama were intercepted on their way to Chappaqua, New York, where Clinton lives with former President Bill Clinton and to Washington, where Obama lives with his wife, Michelle. The Secret Service said neither package reached their recipients. More were sent to frequent Trump critics Rep. Maxine Waters, D-California and former Attorney General Eric Holder. His ended up at the Florida office of Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who was listed as the return address. A police bomb squad removed the package addressed to Brennan from CNN’s New York office, which was evacuated. As the scope of the attack became clearer Wednesday, Trump decried political violence during a scripted event in the White House East Room and other members of the administration said it has no place in American society. Later at a rally in Wisconsin, he urged unity. “Let’s get along,” he said. “By the way, do you see how nice I’m behaving tonight? Have you ever seen this?” But at the same event, he blamed the media and on Twitter Thursday kept up the argument that the media plays a role. “Acts or threats of political violence have no place in the United States,” Trump said. “This egregious conduct is abhorrent.” Other Republican leaders said the same. But Democratic Senate and House leaders Chuck Schumer of New York and Nancy Pelosi of California said such words “ring hollow” when coming from Trump. They noted the president’s recent praise of a GOP congressman who body-slammed a reporter, among other Trump statements. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders sought to draw a distinction between words and deeds. “There is a big difference between comments made and actions taken,” she told reporters. “The president is certainly not responsible for sending suspicious packages to someone no more than Bernie Sanders was responsible for a supporter of his shooting up a Republican baseball field practice last year.” James T. Hodgkinson, 66, was shot and killed by police after he opened fire on congressional Republicans practicing for their annual charity baseball game against Democrats in 2017. Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the House majority whip, was struck in the hip and badly wounded. Hodgkinson’s widow said he
B’ham Mayor Randall Woodfin responds to clash with City Council over funds for homeless shelter
Two days after Tuesday’s Birmingham City Council meeting, Mayor Randall Woodfin is speaking out about his disappointment over the behavior exhibited at the meeting. On Tuesday, the Firehouse Shelter — a Birmingham, Ala.-based homeless shelter — was hoping to secure a $1 million capital investment, over five years, from the city to help build a new a shelter. But the city council voted against funding the new shelter. “The behavior exhibited during Tuesday’s city council meeting was beyond disappointing,” Woodfin posted on Facebook Thursday morning. “Playing politics with a serious issue like homelessness is unconscionable, especially as temperatures are quickly falling. Making false allegations about a group of people who are committed to serving the poor is shameless.” Many council members said they had received calls from shelter employees who accused the management of discrimination against some of the shelter’s clients, and a heated debate ensued. “Are you aware that we have been getting calls about the Firehouse Shelter?” Councilor Sheila Tyson asked Executive Director of the Firehouse Shelter, Anne Rygiel, on Tuesday. “Saying that y’all are racist and y’all are mistreating the black men. You find the whites places to stay, and you won’t find the blacks. You let the blacks sleep on the floor, and you give the whites cots… we have been getting calls. We would be crazy not to question to you.” “The discrimination that takes place in the Firehouse Shelter is something we have to consider,” Councilman Steven Hoyt added. Ultimately Councilors John Hilliard, Steven Hoyt, Lashunda Scales and Sheila Tyson voted against the measure. Meanwhile Councilors Valerie Abbott, Darrell O’Quinn, William Parker and Hunter Williams voted in support of it. Following the vote, the shelter has responded to the allegations against them, also calling the council meeting “disappointing.” “Today was a very disappointing day,” the shelter posted on Facebook. “We will publicly address each issue that came up, but we want to thank Mayor Woodfin, Councilors Abbott, O’Quinn, Parker, and Williams for being willing to invest in and support the homeless. Remember- your vote counts and your voices matter.” Firehouse posted several images to their Facebook pages disputing the allegations showing that over 60 percent of their clients are black. “The broader issue is about simple respect and civility,” Woodfin contnued. “We cannot solve real issues we face as a city if we cannot have respectful dialogue without bullying and divisiveness. The people demand more from their leadership during our interactions in council meetings.” “I challenge each member of council to join me in creating a more civil atmosphere in which we conduct the people’s business,” he concluded. Rygiel said the shelter will continue to fundraise to build the new shelter without the city’s support. Watch the Council debate below (shelter conversation starts at the 2:19 mark):
Alabamians encouraged to participate in Prescription Drug Take-Back Day
Do you have unused prescription drugs collecting dust in your medicine cabinet? Well it’s time to clean them out this Saturday. Saturday marks the 16th annual DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day where at approximately 50 collection sites across the state, Alabamians can safely toss their unwanted, unused prescription medications. Sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the program was created to combat the abuse or misuse of potentially dangerous medicines that have expired or are no longer needed for those whom these controlled substances were prescribed. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., law enforcement officers will be present at sites across the state to receive unused prescription drugs for safe and proper disposal. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall is encouraging Alabamians to participate. “Prescription Drug Take-Back is a valuable public service that protects our children, our homes and our environment,” said Marshall. “As a long-time prosecutor, I have too often witnessed the tragic results caused by the availability of dangerous controlled substances. When prescription drugs are left in our homes, children and teenagers may be poisoned or fall prey to drug abuse and addiction. Your old medications can be a lure to criminals looking for drugs to use or sell.” He continued, “On Saturday, October 27, please take the opportunity to remove these hazards by bringing prescription drugs that are out-of-date or no longer needed to collection sites for their safe and proper disposal.” History of the Take-back event in Alabama Since the first Take-Back event in Alabama, in September of 2010, the program continues to increase in the amount of drugs collected. Throughout all of Alabama’s previous DEA Prescription Drug Take-Back events, a total of about 66,805 pounds of unwanted, unused or expired drugs have been removed and disposed of safely. Deliveries of drugs to DEA Prescription Drug Take-Back Day events are confidential, with no personal information collected and no questions asked. Participants are encouraged to remove labels or black-out information beforehand. A listing of sites may be found through a search at www.DEATakeBack.com. If you do not find your area listed on the DEA website, please check with your local law enforcement officials to see if they may be participating in a Take-Back event.
John Giles: Amendment Two — Choice vs. Life
November 6, 2018 is the mid-term election, and in addition to a slate of candidates, Alabamians will be voting on four amendments to the Alabama Constitution. Allow me to focus on Amendment Two. If passed, the Alabama Constitution will recognize and support the sanctity of unborn life. Generally, there are three visible sides to this debate: those who want unlimited abortion, those who want to protect the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death (except for the life of the mother), and those who are opposed to abortion (except in the case of rape, incest and life of the mother). In full disclosure, it is no surprise that I will be voting YES without blinking for Amendment Two. Please don’t hang up the phone on me just yet; let’s get into the facts on this, so you can make a sound, rational decision. Planned Parenthood (PP) is leading the effort to vote NO on this amendment. Why are they so adamant about keeping abortion legal in America; could it be large sums of money and their core philosophy? Even in the disturbing wake of mounting video-recorded evidence of PP selling baby body parts, they are still receiving in excess of $500 million annually of federal tax dollars. In addition to the federal funding, PP charges anywhere from $350 – $950 for first trimester abortions and much more for second trimester abortions. PP is federally recognized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which excludes them from income tax. I am not sure how they do this, but even though nonprofits are precluded by the IRS from engaging in elections, PP is publicly reported to be spending $20 – $30 million supporting Democrats for Congress in this general election cycle. I ran a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, and while we could participate in voter education and lobbying, we could not engage in “express advocacy” or endorsing any candidate. Amazingly, the IRS attacked conservative Tea Party members, but they look the other way on PP, which is pouring huge sums of money into Alabama to defeat this amendment. PP was founded by Margaret Sanger (1883 -1996), who was a turn of the century birth control activist, sex educator, writer, and nurse. I challenge you to look her up yourself, because she had some very radical, liberal ideas. Most of her philosophical quotes are morally repugnant, even by the norms of her era, but they are imbedded into the molecular makeup of PP. Sanger formed PP to exterminate blacks. In 1939, she started: “The Negro Project” for the purpose of radically curbing the birth of black children. If this offends you, like it bristles me, check out this Sanger quote: “The most merciful thing that a large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it.” Sanger had an abhorrent, horrific, belief system and appalling tone; but at least she was honest in the goals of PP, which are prevalent today. Three high profile Republican women, along with the Alabama Exchange (ad hoc group consisting of several pro-life organizations) are leading the vote YES effort in the state. Terry Lathan (Chair of the Alabama Republican Party), Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh (President of the Alabama Public Service Commission) and Mary Sue McClurkin (Shelby County Republican Representative) are leading the GOP get out the vote effort. Thank you ladies, for your leadership. This will be primarily a grassroots and social media driven outreach, and it will not match the well-funded PP opposition to Amendment Two. PP will showcase in their ads that voting YES to the amendment will eliminate access to women, who are pregnant due to rape or incest. One of the three categories mentioned at the beginning of this article are those opposed to abortion except in the case of rape, incest and life of the mother. Pay close attention to this statistic: The Guttmacher Institute, which is a research division founded by PP, by its own data, states that rape, incest and the life of the mother represents less than 1 percent of all abortions. So another perspective is the reciprocal, which means that over 99 percent of all abortions are emergency measures for birth control, and they are not cases of rape, incest or the health of the mother as marketed by PP. Liberal Democrats, PP, and the media will focus their entire attention on less than 1% of all abortions. The life of the mother discussion is a non-issue. When the life of the expecting mother is at stake, like a tubal pregnancy and the like, the tending physician will always put the life of the mother over her unborn child. Their argument is distorted at best, but now we take a close look at the deception around Roe v Wade. If you follow my writings, there is no misunderstanding about my feelings of judicial activism and making law from the bench. Roe v. Wade was a classic model case as the pinnacle of judicial activism. Norma McCorvey (9/22/1947 – 2/18/2017), whom Deborah (my wife) and I knew, was the legal pseudo “Jane Roe” in Roe v. Wade. Before becoming a Christian, McCorvey became a lesbian and ran an abortion clinic; her life was a wreck. McCorvey later in life repented, became an active pro-life Christian and our friend Reverend Flip Benham baptized her. Self-proclaimed feminist liberal lawyers, Sarah Weddington and Linda Coffee were seeking out the perfect case to make abortion legal in America. McCorvey, a single, divorced, alcoholic woman became pregnant with her third child in 1969, wanted to abort her child, but in Texas abortion was illegal, except for the life of the mother. Imagine that; except for California and New York, prior to 1973, abortion was illegal in America, except in the case of the life of the mother (like a tubal pregnancy). It was handled as a Tenth Amendment, states rights issue. McCorvey was not a pretty, eye-candy kind of girl, but rather a downtrodden alcoholic, so the lawyers kept her
Poll: Most Americans see a sharply divided nation
With just two weeks to go until the critical midterm elections, an overwhelming majority of Americans say the United States is greatly divided, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll. Few Americans believe those stark divisions will get better anytime soon. The newly released survey found that more than 8 in 10 Americans think the country is greatly divided about important values. Just 20 percent of Americans say they think the country will become less divided over the next few years, and 39 percent think things will get worse. A strong majority of Americans, 77 percent, say they are dissatisfied with the state of politics in the country. The poll was conducted Oct. 11-14 in the final sprint to the midterm elections, in which President Donald Trump has been rallying his supporters to turn out to vote in November. Overall, 59 percent of Americans disapprove of how Trump, a Republican, is handling his job as president, while 40 percent of Americans approve. How Americans view Trump divides along partisan lines, according to the poll. While 83 percent of Republicans approve of how Trump is handling his job, 92 percent of Democrats and 61 percent of independents say they do not approve. According to the poll, nearly half of Americans say they aren’t hearing enough from campaigns about the issues that matter most to them. Fifty-four percent of Democrats and 44 percent of Republicans say they are hearing too little about key issues. Overall, top issues for Americans include health care, education, economic growth, Social Security and crime, each of which was called very important by at least three-quarters of Americans. Fifty-eight percent of Americans say they are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country, compared with 25 percent who say they are satisfied. But Americans are slightly more likely to be satisfied with the way things are going in their state or in their local community. Majorities of Americans also say that they are dissatisfied with the gap between the rich and the poor, race relations and environmental conditions. But there are partisan splits. Eighty-three percent of Democrats are dissatisfied with the gap between the wealthy and the poor, compared with 43 percent of Republicans. Of environmental conditions, 75 percent of Democrats and 32 percent of Republicans say they are dissatisfied. And while 77 percent of Democrats say they’re dissatisfied with race relations, about 50 percent of Republicans say the same. Democrats and Republicans also are divided on how important they consider each of those issues to be. About 8 in 10 Democrats but no more than a third of Republicans call income inequality, environmental issues or racism very important. The past year has seen the United States reckon with accusations of sexual misconduct that ranged from inappropriate comments to rape and with a slew of high-profile men forced to resign or be fired. Overall, about 6 in 10 Americans said the issue of misconduct was important to them. But 73 percent of women said the issue was very important, compared with 51 percent of men. Democrats were much more likely than Republicans to call sexual misconduct important, 79 percent to 39 percent. According to the poll, 43 percent of Americans somewhat or strongly disapprove of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh‘s confirmation to the Supreme Court after a bruising confirmation fight that included allegations of excessive drinking and an accusation of sexual assault dating back to Kavanaugh’s teenage years. Thirty-five percent of Americans said they strongly or somewhat strongly approved of Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Overall, 59 percent of Americans said Supreme Court appointments are very important now, which is similar to the percentage who said that in 2016. But two years ago, Democrats and Republicans were more similar in how important they saw these nominations. Now, there is a 20 percentage point gap: 73 percent of Democrats and 53 percent of Republicans say Supreme Court appointments are very important to them. ___ The AP-NORC poll of 1,152 adults was conducted Oct. 11-14 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4 percentage points. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
