Sometimes the Psaki Bombs happen to people in the room, and sometimes they're remote.
Thursday, Press Secretary Jen Psaki launched a few trademark Psaki Bombs to fall upon the heads of whiny racists everywhere. The ones who are using Joe Biden's insistence that he will chose a Black woman as the next Supreme Court nominee as a chance to cry "Reverse Racism!" and posit their own delusional scenarios of how the nomination should play out. In other words, the misogynoir is strong, and Psaki dropped the bomb on all of it.
A kind reporter gave her the platform, though, when she asked,"There have already been conservative commentators talking a bit about, why a Black woman? To commit to that is 'reverse racism,' or some kind of signaling, virtue signaling, or something like that. What do you say to people who are say that that is an inappropriate way to set up prerequisites for who he's going to pick?"
"Well, first, we would say that the fact that no Black woman has been nominated shows a deficiency of the past selection processes, not a lack of qualified candidates to be nominated to the Supreme Court," Psaki began.
Bravo. Then came the sly, dry sarcasm that has endeared her to me so.
"I'd also note, I've heard that some conservatives may be fans of President Reagan, former President Reagan, and when he nominated Sandra Day O'Connor, he said, 'Judge O'Connor's confirmation symbolizes the richness of opportunity that still abides in America. Opportunity that still permits people of any sex, age, or any race from every section, every walk of life to aspire and achieve in a manner never before even dreamed about in human history.'"
"I've heard that some conservatives may be fans of President Reagan" — Oh, Jen. And quoting Reagan to combat complaints about adding diversity to SCOTUS is political Jujitsu, if you ask me.
Then she continued, in response to the racists' alleged "concerns," to list all the reasons why Black women will bring not only diversity, but the highest level of qualification and intellect to the position, and that is why Biden has made it his mission to put more of them on the bench around the country.
"I'd also note, if you look at the president's own record, not only has he nominated the highest number of Black women to serve on the Circuit Court and the Appellate Court, but he has also nominated across the board, the highest level of Ivy League nominees, right? He has nominated a broad sway of extremely qualified, experienced, and credentialed nominees, and done that by also making them incredibly diverse. And, so, the president's view is that it is long past time to have a Black woman on the Supreme Court, and it again reflects challenges or deficiencies in the past processes."
Interestingly, the next reporter followed up with a question about Republican complaints about Biden's future pick and Psaki demolished them, too.
My only wish is that Psaki had taken a moment or so to debunk the notion that there IS any such thing as "reverse racism," because there is NOT. But I suppose I should be happy with the Psaki Bombs I get.
