Ruth Bader Ginsburg [9.12.18]

George Washington University Law School on 9/12/18.
*Host*
'So looking ahead a little bit.
Last week we saw the Senate hold confirmation hearings for a nominee to your court.
Many observers have said that the process today looks nothing like your confirmation hearing 25 years ago.
President Clinton nominated you in June of 1993 and you were confirmed by the Senate two months later by a vote of 96 to 3.

I might add that the National Asian Pacific Bar Association was pleased to support your nomination. *Applause*

How would you compare the process that you went through with what's going on today?'

* Ruth Bader Ginsburg *
'The way it was... was right... The way it is, is wrong...
The way the atmosphere back in 93' was truly bi-partisan, and the vote on my confirmation was 96 to 3.

Even though I had spent about 10 years of my life litigating cases under the auspices of the ACLU board. And was one of their general counsels.
My White House handlers asked me questions about my ACLU affiliations, they were really nervous about it.

And I said forget it, just forget it, there's nothing you can do that will lead me to bad-mouth the ACLU... And not a single question, no Senator asked me any question, about that.

It was the same for Justice Breyer who was nominated a year later, he hadn't in the 90's... of the numbers.
Or think of Justice Scalia who is certainly a known character. What was it 1986, I mean he had been a Law Professor and written many things, he was, he had been on the D.C. circuit, and so the vote was unanimous.
Everyday Democrat and every Republican voted for him but that's the way it should be.
It's instead of what it has become, a highly partisan show.
Mostly Republicans move in lockstep, so do Democrats.
I wish I could wave a magic wand and he'll have it go back to the way it was.'