Manchin Rips GOP for 'Disgraceful,' and 'Embarrassing' Jackson Hearings

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., hit out at Republicans in the Senate over their "disgraceful" and "embarrassing" treatment of Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson during hearings last week.

Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri both hammered Jackson over her sentences in child pornography cases and her seat on the board of a private school in Georgetown during the hearings last week, drawing condemnation from Democrats.

Manchin told reporters on Tuesday that Republicans' questioning and conduct "was disgraceful, it really was, what I saw. And I met with her and I read all the transcripts. I listened to basically the hearings, and it just was embarrassing."

He went on to say, "It's not who we are. It's not what we were sent here to do, to attack other people and just try to tear them down. I won't be part of that. I think she's extremely well-qualified, and I think she'll be an exemplary judge."

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said on Tuesday that "four or five" GOP senators behaved disrespectfully after pledging to carry out a "dignified" series of hearings.

"This notion of asking the toughest and meanest questions and then race to Twitter to see if somebody is tweeting it, I mean that's as bad as playing to the cameras on the worst day," he said.  

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