Democrats Can't Make Gorsuch Into a Monster Because He's Too Humble

March 21, 2017

WRITER

Democrats are doing their best to come up with something on Judge Neil Gorsuch to derail his nomination as a Supreme Court Justice. Today, the first day of questioning, they tried to use an unsubstantiated --- and now debunked --- claim from a former law student in an ethics class.

"The image they want to create for him just doesn't work because he's a humble person. He's a restrained person. He's got 3,000 opinions. He's got liberals who are endorsing him because they think he's just such a good person," said Kelly Shackelford, president and CEO of First Liberty Institute, who joined Glenn Tuesday on radio.

To watch the Gorsuch confirmation hearings and get analysis, go to TrumpNominee.com, a website created by Shackelford’s organization.

Listen to this segment from The Glenn Beck Program:

GLENN: Welcome to the program, Kelly Shackelford. How are you?

KELLY: Good. Great to be on, Glenn.

GLENN: Kelly has all the information at TrumpNominee.com. TrumpNominee.com, where you can follow it, see the videos, and get all of the background on Gorsuch.

What did you think, Kelly?

KELLY: You know, what I expected. A lot of preening. Speeches given by senators. Really, today is when it started. It already has started, the hearing. And that's when they're going to try to catch him. And, of course, they dropped their bomb -- the best they could do today. NPR dropped a story attacking him having some student that was in his class making claims that now all the other students are saying are false.

GLENN: What were the claims?

KELLY: That he teaches a class at the University of Colorado Law School. And they said that in the class he -- this one student said that he had said something about women taking advantage of maternity leave in the workplace. And a number of other students just totally disputed that. It's an ethics class. And he was talking about the different things that people are pressured by. And he gave that amongst many other examples. And then gave the arguments and counterarguments for both sides. But the attacker that was used by NPR didn't bother to say that.

GLENN: Unbelievable.

KELLY: So, you know, they don't really have much on him. So the attacks are very weak. And they almost always fall apart within seconds. But that's -- I think their only hope is during the questioning and answering, you know, which has already started already today, that they can catch him saying something. Otherwise, I think they're really in an uphill battle.

STU: I was looking at the article you mentioned, which I had not seen, Kelly, from NPR, which begins now with this: Editor's note, since the story was first published, we have added material from another former student and former law clerks of Gorsuch, as well as more information about Jennifer Sisk's political affiliations. And those political affiliations are she used to work for a Democratic senator. That's the person who is accusing Gorsuch of this. A staffer of Democratic senator Mark Udall of Colorado.

GLENN: Wow.

STU: So this is, you know, nonsensical.

GLENN: Well, first of all, it's in an ethics class. Of course, you're going to say things that are unethical in an ethics class. You're exploring ethics.

KELLY: Yeah, the Socratic method is kind of what you do when you're teaching these sort of classes.

GLENN: Yes.

KELLY: And, by the way, one of the people that came forward supporting Judge Gorsuch was a very liberal Democrat student who totally disagreed with what NPR was saying. So I guess that's why they are updating it. They've even got people who are on the far left wing.

I do find some irony in the fact that NPR -- you know, meanwhile, we have President Trump cutting some of the money to NPR and these types of groups. And here they are, a somewhat government-funded entity that is attacking, you know, somebody to be on the Supreme Court. There's some -- I don't know. There's something really bizarre about all of that. And I think it gives extra credence to why maybe government money shouldn't go to groups who are going to do that.

GLENN: Let me -- let me ask -- the question that was asked of me over and over again yesterday was how -- how nasty is this going to get. Is this going to go to the nuclear option or not?

And I think we touched on this yesterday. I can't imagine they're going to do that because he's not -- I mean, if you listen to him yesterday, he's a very reasoned, soft-spoken -- he sounds like books on tape. He's just not that kind of a caricature, that I think the American people will be afraid of. And, you know, Chuck Schumer yesterday was calling for chaos in the streets. I mean, this is nuts.

Are --

KELLY: I agree with you, Glenn. I think he's -- they can make him a Bork. They can't make him somebody into -- the image they want to create for him just doesn't work because he's a humble person. He's a restrained person. He's got 3,000 opinions. He's got liberals who are endorsing him because they think he's just such a good person.

You know, one of Obama's head solicitor general came out and endorsed him. Said, you have all these people that recognize what anybody does when you look at him, which is not this monster that they would like to create. So I think they're in a struggle though. I think the base really wants these Democratic senators to bring out the knives. So I think that's why we see them saying some of these things. But when push comes to shove, you have all these senators that were in states that were carried by Trump. And when they vote, that could cost them their seat. Because their seat is coming up. A third of the Senate is coming up in this next election. And a number of those were carried by Trump, those states. So I don't think we are going to see the filibuster.

Now, I think many conservatives kind of hope we do. Because if there is a filibuster, it's so unreasonable in this situation, that I think most people think that they will use the nuclear option, what they call the nuclear option and just change the rules and say, "Okay. There's no need for a filibuster. This is abusive." And that will make the way for the next time when it is going to be a huge battle about who controls the court, not using the filibuster. So many people kind of hope they do overplay their hand, but I just don't think they will.

GLENN: So, Kelly, do you think that the American people are going to sit through -- for instance, what Schumer is talking about is he's said, this is -- all the stuff that's going on with Trump. And he brings up -- he ends up with immigration reform. And he said, "You know, if this -- if this isn't solved -- you know, you want to build the wall. Maybe we should say, we're going to shut down the government." This is a quote, "We're going to shut down the government. We're not going to raise the debt ceiling, until you pass immigration reform."

Well, wait a minute. That is exactly what they said was irresponsible and was anti-government. Do you think people are even going to remember that, or do you think people will call bullcrap on both parties for playing this game?

KELLY: I think at this point -- I think people, you know, voted for some pretty dramatic change. They felt like the government was broken. And they wanted to see something get done. So they did something pretty drastic. And I think somebody just obstructing for obstruction's sake doesn't go over well right now. I think that's sort of the politics that people are tired of.

So I think that -- I really think that people like Schumer are playing to their base, which want them to do this kind of thing, but I think with the regular American, it's not something they like. And, again, they look at Gorsuch, and they think, this is the kind of guy I want on the court, you know. He's very mild mannered. He seems to want to do the right thing, just follow the law. So I think they're going to have a real hard time. You know, I'll tell people, Glenn. Watch for themselves. At TrumpNominee.com, where we've got our website there, the first link is just watch the hearings. And I think you'll see pretty quickly why they're having a hard time.

But that's their only hope, again, in my opinion -- their only hope is to catch him in something in these hearings. And, again, I think that would be a surprise to a lot of people, but I think that's what they're hoping for, knowing that otherwise, their arguments really do seem to fall apart whenever they really start because they just don't have much.

GLENN: Anything in particular we should watch for today?

KELLY: I just watch the Democratic senators -- obviously the Republican senators are going to say nice things, prop him up, do that. I'd watch the Democratic senators and see -- you might have some ask him about judicial philosophy, which might be very educational to people. But I think the real thing are the Democratic senators are going to try to go after him. They're going to try to force him to state where he stands on abortion and a number of issues which I would guess he's not going to answer. Because judges typically don't answer about policy issues that might come before them. They would want to see the facts of a particular case. So they don't want to prejudice themselves or look like they're prejudiced. So my guess is they're going to try to force him to answer, and they're going to complain. And he's not going to take the bait. And we're going to have a couple of days of this. And then eventually in, what? Three weeks? Four weeks? or whatever, we'll have Gorsuch on the court.

GLENN: Great. Kelly, thank you so much. I appreciate it.

Top 5 MOST EVIL taxes the government extorts from you

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"In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes." -Ben Franklin

The injustice of taxation has been a core issue for Americans since the very beginning of our country, and it's a problem we have yet to resolve. This belief was recently reignited in many Americans earlier this month on tax day when the numbers were crunched and it was discovered that the government was somehow owed even more hard-earned money. As Glenn recently discussed on his show, it's getting to be impossible for most Americans to afford to live comfortably, inflation is rising, and our politicians keep getting richer.

The taxpayer's burden is heavier than ever.

The government is not above some real low blows either. While taxes are a necessary evil, some taxes stretch the definition of "necessary" and emphasize the "evil." Here are the top five most despicable taxes that are designed to line the IRS coffers at your expense:

Income Tax

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"It would be a hard government that should tax its people one-tenth part of their income." -Ben Franklin

On February 24th, 2024 we hit a very unfortunate milestone, the 101st anniversary of the 16th Amendment, which authorized federal income tax. Where does the government get the right to steal directly out of your paycheck?

Death Taxes

Dan Mullan / Staff | Getty Images

"Now my advice for those who die, Declare the pennies on your eyes" -George Harrison

Not even in death can you escape the cold pursuit of the tax collector. It's not good enough that you have to pay taxes on everything you buy and every penny you make your entire life. Now the feds want a nice slice, based on the entire value of your estate, that can be as much as 40 percent. Then the state government gets to stick their slimy fingers all over whatever remains before your family is left with the crumbs. It's practically grave-robbery.

Payroll

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"The power to tax is the power to destroy." -John Marshall

What's that? The nice chunk of your paycheck the government nabs before you can even get it to the bank wasn't enough? What if the government taxed your employer just for paying you? In essence, you make less than what your agreed pay rate is and it costs your employer more! Absolutely abominable.

Social Security

VALERIE MACON / Contributor | Getty Images

"We don't have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven't taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much." -Ronald Reagan

Everyone knows the collapse of Social Security is imminent. It has limped along for years, only sustained by a torrent of tax dollars and the desperate actions of politicians. For decades, people have unwillingly forked over money into the system they will never see again.

FICA

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"What at first was plunder assumed the softer name of revenue." -Thomas Paine

FICA is the payroll equivalent of Social Security. Your employer has to match however much you pay. It means it costs your employer even more to pay you—again, you'll NEVER see that money. At this point, are you even working for yourself, or are you just here to generate money for the government to frivolously throw away?

5 DISTURBING ways World War III will be different from previous wars

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Has World War III begun?

Over the weekend, Iran launched an unprecedented attack against Israel involving over 300 missiles and drones. This marked the first direct attack on Israel originating from Iranian territory. Fortunately, according to an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, 99 percent of missiles and drones were successfully neutralized by Israeli defense systems. Iran claimed that the operation against Israel had concluded and that no further offensive was planned, although the possibility of another attack is still present.

This has left many people, including Glenn, wondering the same thing: did we just witness the start of World War III?

Glenn recently had a World War II Air Force Veteran as a guest on his TV special, who told stories of the horrors he and his brothers-in-arms faced in the skies over war-torn Europe. This was a timely reminder of the terrors of war and a warning that our future, if it leads to another world war, is a dark one.

But, if Glenn's coverage of the Iranian attack revealed one thing, it's that World War III will look nothing like the world wars of the twentieth century. Long gone are the days of John "Lucky" Luckadoo and his "Bloody Hundredth" bravely flying their B-17s into battle. Over the weekend, we saw hundreds of autonomous drones and missiles clashing with extreme speed and precision over several different fronts (including space) simultaneously. This ain't your grandfather's war.

From EMP strikes to cyber attacks, here are FIVE ways the face of war has changed:

EMP attacks

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The entire modern world, on every level, is completely dependent on electricity. From your home refrigerator to international trade, the world would come to a grinding halt without power. And as Glenn has pointed out, it wouldn't even be that hard to pull off. All it would take is 3 strategically placed, high-altitude nuclear detonations and the entire continental U.S. would be without power for months if not years. This would cause mass panic across the country, which would be devastating enough on its own, but the chaos could be a perfect opportunity for a U.S. land invasion.

Nuclear strikes

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Nuclear war is nothing new. Many of us grew up during the Cold War, built fallout shelters, and learned to duck and cover. But times have changed. The Berlin Wall fell and so did the preparedness of the average American to weather a nuclear attack. As technology has advanced, more of our adversaries than ever have U.S. cities within their crosshairs, and as Glenn has pointed out, these adversaries are not exactly shy about that fact. Unfortunately, the possibility of an atomic apocalypse is as real as ever.

Immigration warfare

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The strategy of strangling an opposing nation's economy to gain the upper hand is a wartime tactic as old as time. That's why the Border Crisis is so alarming. What better way to damage an opponent's economy than by overburdening it with millions of undocumented immigrants? As Glenn has covered, these immigrants are not making the trek unaided. There is a wide selection of organizations that facilitate this growing disaster. These organizations are receiving backing from around the globe, such as the WEF, the UN, and U.S. Democrats! Americans are already feeling the effects of the border crisis. Imagine how this tactic could be exploited in war.

Cyber shutdowns

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Cyber attacks will be a major tactic in future wars. We've already experienced relatively minor cyber strikes from Russia, China, and North Korea, and it is a very real possibility that one of our adversaries inflicts a larger attack with devastating consequences on the United States. In fact, the WEF has already predicted a "catastrophic" cyber attack is imminent, and Glenn suggests that it is time to start preparing ourselves. A cyber attack could be every bit as devastating as an EMP, and in a world run by computers, nothing is safe.

Biological assault

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Don't trust the "experts." That was the takeaway many of us had from the pandemic, but something less talked about is the revelation that China has manufactured viruses that are capable of spreading across the globe. We now know that the lab leak hypothesis is true and that the Wuhan lab manufactured the virus that infected the entire world. That was only ONE virus from ONE lab. Imagine what else the enemies of America might be cooking up.

The government is WAGING WAR against these 3 basic needs

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The government has launched a full-on assault against our basic needs, and people are starting to take notice.

As long-time followers of Glenn are probably aware, our right to food, water, and power is under siege. The government no longer cares about our general welfare. Instead, our money lines the pockets of our politicians, funds overseas wars, or goes towards some woke-ESG-climate-Great Reset bullcrap. And when they do care, it's not in a way that benefits the American people.

From cracking down on meat production to blocking affordable power, this is how the government is attacking your basic needs:

Food

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Glenn had Rep. Thomas Massie on his show where he sounded the alarm about the attack on our food. The government has been waging war against our food since the thirties when Congress passed the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938. They started by setting strict limits on how many crops a farmer could grow in a season and punishing anyone who grew more—even if it was intended for personal use, not for sale on the market. This sort of autocratic behavior has continued into the modern day and has only gotten more draconian. Today, not only are you forced to buy meat that a USDA-approved facility has processed, but the elites want meat in general off the menu. Cow farts are too dangerous to the environment, so the WEF wants you to eat climate-friendly alternatives—like bugs.

Water

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As Glenn discussed during a recent Glenn TV special, the government has been encroaching on our water for years. It all started when Congress passed the Clean Water Act in 1972, which gave the government the ability to regulate large bodies of water. As the name suggests, the act was primarily intended to keep large waterways clear of pollution, but over time it has allowed the feds to assume more and more control over the country's water supply. Most recently, the Biden administration attempted to expand the reach of the Clean Water Act to include even more water and was only stopped by the Supreme Court.

Electricity

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Dependable, affordable electricity has been a staple of American life for decades, but that might all be coming to an end. Glenn has discussed recent actions taken by Biden, like orders to halt new oil and gas production and efforts to switch to less efficient sources of power, like wind or solar, the price of electricity is only going to go up. This, alongside his efforts to limit air conditioning and ban gas stoves, it almost seems Biden is attempting to send us back to the Stone Age.

4 signs that PROVE Americans are hitting rock bottom

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As we approach the presidential election in November, many Americans are facing dire economic straits.

Glenn has shown time and time again that Bidenomics is a sham, and more Americans than ever are suffering as a result. Still, Biden and his cronies continue to insist that the economy is booming despite the mounting evidence to the contrary. But who is Biden fooling? Since the beginning of the year, gas has gone up an average of 40 cents a gallon nationwide, with some states seeing as much as a 60-cent per gallon increase. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Foreclosures and bankruptcies are on the rise, evictions are surging, and America is experiencing a record amount of homelessness. We can't survive another Biden term.

Americans across the country are hitting rock bottom, and here are four stats that PROVE it:

Evictions

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Across the country, people are being evicted from their homes and apartments. Between 2021 and 2023, evictions increased by 78.6 percent. With inflation driving up prices and employers struggling to raise wages to compensate, rent is taking up an increasingly larger percentage of people's paychecks. Many Americans are having to choose between buying groceries and paying rent.

Foreclosures

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Renters aren't the only ones struggling to make their monthly payments, foreclosures are on the rise. This February saw a 5 percent increase in foreclosures from last year and a 10 percent increase from January. More and more Americans are losing their homes and businesses.

Bankruptcies

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High interest rates and inflation have driven bankruptcies through the roof. Total filings have risen 13 percent and business bankruptcies rose 30 percent in 2023. It's getting harder and harder for businesses to stay afloat, and with California's new law requiring most restaurants to pay all employees a minimum of $20 an hour, you can expect that number to keep climbing.

Homelessness

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The result of all of these issues is that it is getting harder and harder for Americans to afford the basic necessities. January of 2023 saw a record-breaking 650,000+ homeless Americans, a 12 percent jump from the previous year. More Americans have hit rock bottom than ever before.

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