McKay Coppins Talks Kavanaugh

Atlantic reporter McKay Coppins joins the show to chat about his latest profile of Brett Kavanaugh, ...

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Atlantic reporter McKay Coppins joins the show to chat about his latest profile of Brett Kavanaugh, which tracks the Supreme Court justice’s journey from his contentious 2018 Senate confirmation hearings to the bench. After what David calls a “frank exchange of ideas” about the piece, our hosts give us their take on a federal judge’s decision to dismiss the National Rifle Association’s bankruptcy case, the Facebook Oversight Board’s decision to uphold the platform’s ban on Donald Trump, and lower level judicial confirmation hearings.

Show Notes:

–Coppins’ Atlantic profile of Brett Kavanaugh 

–Coppins’ Atlantic piece on stockpiling food

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  1. Avatar photo
    Bill Dyer (aka Beldar)

    The Chief Justice is the only judicial officer expressly referenced in the text of the Constitution; the position of Associate Justice is implied, but depends on the Judiciary Act for its actual existence.

    Moreover, for most of the nation's history, the Judiciary Act has distinguished between the "Chief Justice of the United States" and the "Associate Justices of the Supreme Court." The Chief presides not only over the SCOTUS but the entire Judicial Conference, which includes lower-court judges.

    Regarding the brief gap in which the Chief Justice's formal title in the Judiciary Act was "Chief Justice of the Supreme Court" instead of "Chief Justice of the United States," I received my tutelage and an extremely polite come-uppance from no less than the late, great Prof. Charles Alan Wright of Texas Law School: https://www.beldar.org/beldarblog/2004/02/law_review.html

    I went to some effort to find a non-paywalled version of Mr. Coppins' article. I read it all; but I threw up my hands, and changed my evaluation of Mr. Coppins' own objectivity and, therefore, credibility, to zero, upon reading this: "And what exactly happened in that suburban-Maryland bedroom all those years ago?"

    Mr. Coppins, there is not a single person on earth, to this good day, who can directly or even indirectly corroborate Christine Blasey Ford's allegation that the two of them were ever, even once, in the same room at the same time, much less in a suburban Maryland bedroom. Yet you presume conclusively that there was some sort of encounter between them. Sorry, bubba. You're not worth more of my time.

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    Richard Maxton

    Wait - Coppins said "the media doesn't get to decide who's the gov. of NY" as a defense for the difference in coverage of Kavanaugh's alleged behavior and Cuomo's. I'll remind the him that neither are they in charge of who's on the Supreme Court. Bad rationalizing there, man. Probably because it's a bad faith argument.

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  3. Clark Monson

    Am I the only one who was waiting for either David or Sarah to say, "no pun intended" when David talked about being impacted by January 6--right after they had finished a humorous discussion of asteroid impacts? Huge missed dad-humor opportunity, David!

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  4. Steve

    Disappointing podcast. Unprofessional and you can do better. (I do enjoy most of the podcasts though)

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  5. Laurie

    When I watched the Kavanaugh interview on Fox, and heard him profess that he'd never disrespected any woman in his life, I believed him. The next day I saw his yearbook page, calling himself a "______ alumnus" (referring to a female student). If that isn't disrespect, I don't know what is, and since then I haven't given him the benefit of the doubt on the subject of his school years. I am glad that he overcame his irresponsible youth, and I do believe the women now who have said he has been an exemplary coworker. But his whole saint/victim thing was so over the top, and I think David and Sarah have overplayed his innocence too. I concur with the many others commenting here, that mistakes in youth shouldn't follow you forever, but lying about them later is disqualifying. Very biased interview with McKay, in my opinion.

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  6. Avatar photo
    Dave

    Finally got to listen to the interview section with Coppins, and wow, Sarah came in with guns a-blazin'. I'm definitely going to read the piece. I thought Coppins acquitted himself well, so it'll be interesting to see where I come down on the article itself.

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  7. Avatar photo
    Anne W (Raw5254)

    I’m with Sarah—the way Kavanaugh was treated still upsets me. And, I really appreciate the link to David’s piece for National Review that was published during the time of the *trial.* I think that if anyone is on the fence, it’s a worthwhile read. Thank you both.

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  8. Avatar photo
    Jason Gibson

    This was a great episode! A pleasure

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    Kevin Johnson

    This was great. Sarah has no reason to feel regret at having professionally and energetically pushed back at the elements of the conventional narrative which most media push about Kavanaugh. The witch hunt was disgusting and just as sickeningly anti-truth as Trump’s many escapades. As we now face an accelerating frontal assault on the concept of objectivity and truth from Critical Race Theory enthusiasts, which unfortunately include the Biden administration, we can’t let the lies lie there.

    The Dispatch has a noble, if short, history of attacking Trump’s lies. It is right and fitting that TD continues to attack the lies of the left as well. Those of us left without a political home due to Trump’s idiocy and the left’s push for a cultural revolution gain some hope from those willing to call out both extremes. I voted for “moderate” Joe but am disgusted by the cultural revolution he either supports or is afraid to confront. Many of us will never, ever forget Trump’s sins...or the abysmal, cynical, and unforgivable attack on Kavanaugh. In both cases, good Americans were lied to for political purposes, and we all lost. Never forget ANY of the big lies.

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  10. Kyle C

    Sarah, I only bring it up because you said it so many times. They're called chambers of the heart. There are two ventricles and two atria (left and right of each). Just a surgeon's response.

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