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U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson testifies during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, March 22, 2022 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson on Tuesday deflected attacks from Republican senators who questioned her work as a defense attorney for Guantanamo Bay detainees, as well as a false allegation that she called former Bush administration officials "war criminals."
"It's horrific to see Sen. Graham create twisted knots of logic to justify indefinite detention without due process."
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) implied that Jackson's assigned work defending detainees held indefinitely without charge or trial in the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba imperiled U.S. national security, telling her that "if you tried to do this in World War II, they'd run you out of town."
Author and journalist Sonali Kolhatkar told Common Dreams that "it's horrific to see Sen. Graham create twisted knots of logic to justify indefinite detention without due process."
Kolhatkar accused Graham and other Republican senators of "trying to punish Jackson as a sort of payback to Democrats" for their questioning of Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett--who were appointed by former President Donald Trump--during their confirmation hearings.
"Graham was also childishly petulant that his favorite nominee hadn't been picked and it was cringeworthy to watch him demand that Jackson respond to what other people had said about a completely different potential pick, Michelle Childs, as if it had any bearing on Jackson's qualifications," she added. "The GOP is intent on subjecting her to abuse just to whip up political points."
Noting Jackson made clear that "representing Guantanamo detainees was entirely about the limits of executive power, not exoneration of terrorists," Zack Ford of Alliance for Justice tweeted that "it's work she should be applauded for, unless you're, you know, anti-democracy."
During his allotted time for questioning, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) wondered "why in the world" Jackson--who he called "gracious and charming"--would call former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and former President George W. Bush "war criminals."
"I don't remember that particular reference," Jackson replied. "I did not intend to disparage the president or the secretary of defense."
MSNBC's Mehdi Hasan wrote: "I get it. She has to say that. But let's be clear: No one should ever have to apologize for disparaging Bush or Rumsfeld."
As Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) subsequently noted, Jackson never called Rumsfeld or Bush war criminals. What she actually did was file a habeas corpus petition on behalf of individuals subjected to torture--a war crime--during the Bush administration.
"For the record," tweeted progressive Ohio congressional candidate Nina Turner, "Donald Rumsfeld is a war criminal."
In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, Bush administration lawyers drafted memos in an attempt to legalize the torture--officially called "enhanced interrogation"--that was occurring at Guantanamo and at CIA "black sites," U.S. military prisons, and elsewhere. Rumsfeld approved the torture techniques.
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The Bush administration's allegedly pre-meditated 2003 invasion of Iraq under false pretenses--a war that destroyed a nation and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives--was called illegal by then-United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and numerous governments and human rights groups.
Benjamin Ferencz, a chief U.S. prosecutor at the post-World War II Nuremberg trials of leading Nazi officials, declared at the time that "a prima facie case can be made that the United States is guilty of the supreme crime against humanity, that being an illegal war of aggression against a sovereign nation."
Referring to Cornyn's false allegation, Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Will Bunch tweeted: "Two things can be true at the same time... Ketanji Brown Jackson never referred to George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld as 'war criminals.' Also, George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld were war criminals."
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson on Tuesday deflected attacks from Republican senators who questioned her work as a defense attorney for Guantanamo Bay detainees, as well as a false allegation that she called former Bush administration officials "war criminals."
"It's horrific to see Sen. Graham create twisted knots of logic to justify indefinite detention without due process."
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) implied that Jackson's assigned work defending detainees held indefinitely without charge or trial in the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba imperiled U.S. national security, telling her that "if you tried to do this in World War II, they'd run you out of town."
Author and journalist Sonali Kolhatkar told Common Dreams that "it's horrific to see Sen. Graham create twisted knots of logic to justify indefinite detention without due process."
Kolhatkar accused Graham and other Republican senators of "trying to punish Jackson as a sort of payback to Democrats" for their questioning of Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett--who were appointed by former President Donald Trump--during their confirmation hearings.
"Graham was also childishly petulant that his favorite nominee hadn't been picked and it was cringeworthy to watch him demand that Jackson respond to what other people had said about a completely different potential pick, Michelle Childs, as if it had any bearing on Jackson's qualifications," she added. "The GOP is intent on subjecting her to abuse just to whip up political points."
Noting Jackson made clear that "representing Guantanamo detainees was entirely about the limits of executive power, not exoneration of terrorists," Zack Ford of Alliance for Justice tweeted that "it's work she should be applauded for, unless you're, you know, anti-democracy."
During his allotted time for questioning, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) wondered "why in the world" Jackson--who he called "gracious and charming"--would call former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and former President George W. Bush "war criminals."
"I don't remember that particular reference," Jackson replied. "I did not intend to disparage the president or the secretary of defense."
MSNBC's Mehdi Hasan wrote: "I get it. She has to say that. But let's be clear: No one should ever have to apologize for disparaging Bush or Rumsfeld."
As Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) subsequently noted, Jackson never called Rumsfeld or Bush war criminals. What she actually did was file a habeas corpus petition on behalf of individuals subjected to torture--a war crime--during the Bush administration.
"For the record," tweeted progressive Ohio congressional candidate Nina Turner, "Donald Rumsfeld is a war criminal."
In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, Bush administration lawyers drafted memos in an attempt to legalize the torture--officially called "enhanced interrogation"--that was occurring at Guantanamo and at CIA "black sites," U.S. military prisons, and elsewhere. Rumsfeld approved the torture techniques.
Related Content

The Bush administration's allegedly pre-meditated 2003 invasion of Iraq under false pretenses--a war that destroyed a nation and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives--was called illegal by then-United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and numerous governments and human rights groups.
Benjamin Ferencz, a chief U.S. prosecutor at the post-World War II Nuremberg trials of leading Nazi officials, declared at the time that "a prima facie case can be made that the United States is guilty of the supreme crime against humanity, that being an illegal war of aggression against a sovereign nation."
Referring to Cornyn's false allegation, Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Will Bunch tweeted: "Two things can be true at the same time... Ketanji Brown Jackson never referred to George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld as 'war criminals.' Also, George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld were war criminals."
U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson on Tuesday deflected attacks from Republican senators who questioned her work as a defense attorney for Guantanamo Bay detainees, as well as a false allegation that she called former Bush administration officials "war criminals."
"It's horrific to see Sen. Graham create twisted knots of logic to justify indefinite detention without due process."
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) implied that Jackson's assigned work defending detainees held indefinitely without charge or trial in the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba imperiled U.S. national security, telling her that "if you tried to do this in World War II, they'd run you out of town."
Author and journalist Sonali Kolhatkar told Common Dreams that "it's horrific to see Sen. Graham create twisted knots of logic to justify indefinite detention without due process."
Kolhatkar accused Graham and other Republican senators of "trying to punish Jackson as a sort of payback to Democrats" for their questioning of Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett--who were appointed by former President Donald Trump--during their confirmation hearings.
"Graham was also childishly petulant that his favorite nominee hadn't been picked and it was cringeworthy to watch him demand that Jackson respond to what other people had said about a completely different potential pick, Michelle Childs, as if it had any bearing on Jackson's qualifications," she added. "The GOP is intent on subjecting her to abuse just to whip up political points."
Noting Jackson made clear that "representing Guantanamo detainees was entirely about the limits of executive power, not exoneration of terrorists," Zack Ford of Alliance for Justice tweeted that "it's work she should be applauded for, unless you're, you know, anti-democracy."
During his allotted time for questioning, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) wondered "why in the world" Jackson--who he called "gracious and charming"--would call former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and former President George W. Bush "war criminals."
"I don't remember that particular reference," Jackson replied. "I did not intend to disparage the president or the secretary of defense."
MSNBC's Mehdi Hasan wrote: "I get it. She has to say that. But let's be clear: No one should ever have to apologize for disparaging Bush or Rumsfeld."
As Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) subsequently noted, Jackson never called Rumsfeld or Bush war criminals. What she actually did was file a habeas corpus petition on behalf of individuals subjected to torture--a war crime--during the Bush administration.
"For the record," tweeted progressive Ohio congressional candidate Nina Turner, "Donald Rumsfeld is a war criminal."
In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, Bush administration lawyers drafted memos in an attempt to legalize the torture--officially called "enhanced interrogation"--that was occurring at Guantanamo and at CIA "black sites," U.S. military prisons, and elsewhere. Rumsfeld approved the torture techniques.
Related Content

The Bush administration's allegedly pre-meditated 2003 invasion of Iraq under false pretenses--a war that destroyed a nation and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives--was called illegal by then-United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and numerous governments and human rights groups.
Benjamin Ferencz, a chief U.S. prosecutor at the post-World War II Nuremberg trials of leading Nazi officials, declared at the time that "a prima facie case can be made that the United States is guilty of the supreme crime against humanity, that being an illegal war of aggression against a sovereign nation."
Referring to Cornyn's false allegation, Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Will Bunch tweeted: "Two things can be true at the same time... Ketanji Brown Jackson never referred to George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld as 'war criminals.' Also, George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld were war criminals."