After the Supreme Court issued its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, the Mississippi abortion case that overturned Roe v. Wade, there were plenty in the liberal media spouting invective at conservatives.
However, there was one liberal that managed to draw a lot of flak from journalists, as well: the late former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Ginsburg — who voted to uphold Roe while simultaneously questioning whether it was sound legal precedent — seems an unlikely person to blame. However, after her death in 2020 triggered the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the high bench, many began lambasting her for not leaving earlier and letting former President Barack Obama appoint a replacement for her.
(Of course, the the Democrats believe they’re entitled to have the court all to themselves as a rubber-stamp for their own prerogatives — and when things go wrong, it’s time to pack the court or dissolve it. We’ve pointed out these massive hypocrisies here at The Western Journal and will continue to do so as calls to fundamentally change the makeup of the Supreme Court steadily increase. You can help us bring America the truth by subscribing.)
As Fox News noted, however, that criticism intensified after Friday’s decision — which wasn’t materially different than the draft opinion in the case, which leaked on May 2.
“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the majority, according to The Associated Press.
“Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences. And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division. It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”
The decision likely wouldn’t have been made if Ginsburg hadn’t died in the fall of 2020 and been replaced by Barrett, nominated by former President Donald Trump. While Chief Justice John Roberts voted to uphold the Mississippi law at issue, he filed a concurrence that wouldn’t have overturned Roe or its sister decision, Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
That left many blaming Ginsburg.
Leftist “Useful Idiots” podcast co-host Katie Halper posted a picture of Ginsburg doing planks as part of her exercise routine. “So glad RBG kept planking instead of retiring from the Supreme Court,” she quipped.
So glad RBG kept planking instead of retiring from the Supreme Court. pic.twitter.com/YWlNI4t7tJ
— Katie Halper (@kthalps) June 24, 2022
“Thanks especially to RBG today for making this possible,” said Eoin Higgins, a left-leaning freelancer who’s been published in liberal outlets like The Washington Post and The Intercept.
Thanks especially to RBG today for making this possible
— ℮oin Higgins (@EoinHiggins_) June 24, 2022
Higgins also blamed former President Obama for not subverting the constitutionally appointed method of getting a Supreme Court justice confirmed and ramming through his nominee to replace Antonin Scalia, Merrick Garland.
clearly the right-wing ghouls that have been pushing this for decades are monsters but they weren’t exactly subtle here
so yes, in my view, a large amount of blame goes to RBG for not retiring and Obama for not acting
— ℮oin Higgins (@EoinHiggins_) June 24, 2022
The Hollywood Reporter Scott Feinberg was a bit more civil, but still blamed Ginsburg for not retiring.
“RBG was a hero for many reasons. But the terrible irony is that her decision to stay too long at the party helped lead to the destruction of one of the things she cared about the most. Sadly, this will be a big part of her legacy,” he wrote.
RBG was a hero for many reasons. But the terrible irony is that her decision to stay too long at the party helped lead to the destruction of one of the things she cared about the most. Sadly, this will be a big part of her legacy.
— Scott Feinberg (@ScottFeinberg) June 24, 2022
U.K. Independent writer Skylar Baker-Jordan, meanwhile, quipped, “But at least RBG got to die in office.”
But at least RBG got to die in office
— Skylar Baker-Jordan (@SkylarJordan) June 24, 2022
“Remember when an 80-year old who had already been treated for cancer wouldn’t step off the court? Remember when president smarty pants wouldn’t make a recess appointment?” tweeted independent journalist Margaret Kimberley. “Today is a good day to remember these things.”
Remember when an 80-year old who had already been treated for cancer wouldn’t step off the court? Remember when president smarty pants wouldn’t make a recess appointment?
Today is a good day to remember these things.#RoeVsWade #RBG— Margaret Kimberley (@freedomrideblog) June 24, 2022
Heck, even some on the right got into it; the Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh, the documentarian and author behind “What is a Woman?”, tweeted, “This day brought to you by Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s narcissistic refusal to retire. Thank you, RBG!”
This day brought to you by Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s narcissistic refusal to retire. Thank you, RBG!
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) June 24, 2022
This isn’t the first time liberals have raged at RBG, either. Remember what happened after the high court refused to block Texas’ ban on abortions after a fetal heartbeat was detected? Hoo boy.
Folks blaming Bernie for what happened in Texas are ridiculous. Did y’all not remember the time when we there was a democrat in office and had the chance the tell Ruth Vader Ginsburg to retire but didn’t? Stop it. The establishment needs to take responsibility for their mess.
— Ja’Mal Green (@JaymalGreen) September 2, 2021
In retrospect, maybe Ruth Bader Ginsburg should have stepped down from the Court in 2014
— Michael Cohen (@speechboy71) September 1, 2021
Damn straight.
I love RBG. But that was a COLOSSAL mistake.
I used to be FURIOUS that Obama let McConnell steal that SCOTUS seat from him, and didn’t just seat Garland.
I now think we dodged a bullet. Garland is a DISASTER. https://t.co/4XA1nptPZp
— Pam Keith, Esq. (@PamKeithFL) September 2, 2021
Of course, if the Democrats had kept the Senate in 2014 or or won it in 2018, or won the 2016 presidential election, none of this would have happened, either.
Should Roe have been overturned?
This wasn’t just courtesy of the fact RBG didn’t decide to retire. It’s because of the hubris of a Democratic Party and a media elite that wrongly believe their policies are far more popular than they are. Not that they’ll actually take that lesson to heart, of course. That would require self-reflection and adjusting their goals to fit reality.
Instead, it’s much easier to blame the ghouls of the right — and Ginsburg, while they’re at it.
