Outrage from the left at the Supreme Court overturning the Roe v. Wade ruling led to widespread condemnation of two liberal icons on Friday.
Former President Barack Obama and the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg each came in for a turn of being trashed.
Ginsburg was sick for many years but did not leave the court until her death in 2020. Had she left the court before former President Donald Trump took office, Obama could potentially have appointed her successor.
Instead, Trump filled the vacancy created by her death with Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who was part of the 6-3 majority in the ruling that threw out Roe v. Wade.
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
But at least RBG got to die in office
— Skylar Baker-Jordan (@SkylarJordan) June 24, 2022
RBG girlbossed her way into ending Roe and dumb libs cheered her all the way lol
— Michael Duncan (@MichaelDuncan) June 24, 2022
Some commentators noted that Obama made no effort to make Roe standard federal law. Although in the final years of his presidency he faced a Republican Congress, he took office in 2009 with Democrats in control of both houses of Congress.
So many of you seem to conveniently forget that on January 20, 2009 the Democratic Party controlled the
?White House (Obama)
?U.S. Senate (57 seats)
?U.S. House (257 Dem seats vs. 178 GOP seats)Securing abortion rights, voting rights, reforming immigration didn’t happen
— Dr. Jorge A. Caballero stands with ?? (@DataDrivenMD) June 25, 2022
Ok, but why didn’t your husband codify Roe? https://t.co/yGJ8j8LfT8
— Briahna Joy Gray (@briebriejoy) June 24, 2022
this you? https://t.co/dwa6RWpGFY https://t.co/ZzGw2c2TFE pic.twitter.com/ayEO8OjCHz
— Jack Mirkinson (@jackmirkinson) June 24, 2022
As noted by Newsweek, Obama said prior to his election that signing an already drafted bill that would largely have made Roe v. Wade federal law would be “the first thing I’d do as president.” In 2009, he said the bill was “not the highest legislative priority.”
Will Democrats be able to codify Roe in federal law?
Amy Tarkanian, former chairwoman of the Nevada Republican Party, said Democrats have themselves to blame.
“Democrats had a supermajority in 2008 and did not ‘codify Roe,’” Tarkanian tweeted, referring to a comment from President Joe Biden that he would now seek legislation to codify the Roe v. Wade standard.
“They control all branches of government RIGHT NOW and did not ‘codify Roe’. To those who are so outraged right now, why don’t you ask Obama and Biden why they didn’t legislate this before the SCOTUS ruling?”
Obama also appointed current Attorney General Merrick Garland to fill the court vacancy left by the 2016 death of Justice Antonin Scalia, but in the face of solid Republican opposition to even considering the nomination did not make the appointment a major issue in the final months of his presidency.
Also thanks to Obama for not recess appointing Garland or whoever to replace Scalia, your inaction and failed presidency helped make this moment a reality
— ℮oin Higgins (@EoinHiggins_) June 24, 2022
The vacancy was later filled by Justice Neil Gorsuch, a Trump nominee who concurred in Friday’s ruling. Trump’s other Supreme Court nominee, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, also supported overturning Roe v. Wade.
