It is stunning to see the dichotomy in how the release of the draft abortion case has been covered by the media. The traditional and liberal media is focused primarily on the ruling, one that upends 50 years of American women’s rights, while the right-wing is singularly obsessed with the leak. And that’s interesting. Because one might presume that this is the Pro-Life Republican Right’s day of jubilee, they won. They got what they wanted.
But that is precisely the problem. They achieved a political victory that is supported by, at most – at most, 40% of Americans. Meanwhile, they’ve also lost their best cultural argument, “Elect me! I’m pro-life!” and handed it straight to the Democrats. So, of course, the Republicans want to talk about anything but the actual ruling.
Mika Brzezinski went straight at the Right, challenging both the “win” in ending all rights to choice over a woman’s own body, while also implying that she knows who leaked the document, or at least which side leaked the document, perhaps intentionally done to distract from the power of the ruling itself, stretching out and diluting the power of the release.
“You’re going to tell us about the rights, the 50 years of rights, the decades of precedent that has just been spit on and thrown away in this draft opinion might be tweaked a little bit, but the bottom line is this is setting women back in so many different ways with so many different consequences, and you’re going to tell us that the story is the leak — really?
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“The leak is fascinating, it’s historic, it’s never happened before, and whoever did it — it’s interesting because I think we’re going to find out who did it. I think some people already know who did it, and I think a lot of people are already alluding to who did it, and it’s not who you think, Mitch.”
“I” think it’s entirely possible that someone at Politico might have “leaked” to other journalists who might have “leaked” the document, or at least “leaked” to other trusted media sources the “direction” from which the leak came.
It is very tempting to think that it’s obviously a liberal, trying to put political pressure on the majority and perhaps change the opinion. But that really doesn’t make any sense on further examination. There are some theories that do make sense as to why the Right would leak it and Mika senses it.
“That’s not the story we care about, okay?
“The story that women across America and the men who love them or the men who might like sex care about is our fundamental right to abortion that this draft opinion overturns, and that’s the story, just to give you a sense of news judgment and what people care about, that’s what they care about. Just — I just had to say that, I’m sorry.
“That was disgusting, that was sickening to watch, to tell us what the story is. To tell the press what the story is, to tell us women, who are at the focus of this story, our rights, what happens to us, our health care, our daughters, our sisters, our mothers, you’re going to tell us what the story is, a leak in the Supreme Court. It’s fascinating, it’s unprecedented and there is a fantastic trail to be followed there, and it should be, because that shouldn’t happen. Chief Justice John Roberts even said that. It’s a story, but it’s not the story, okay. Get it right for once in your life.”
Amen. And I think Mika knows who leaked the story.
@JasonMiciak believes a day without learning is a day not lived. He is a political writer, features writer, author, and attorney. He is a Canadian-born dual citizen who spent his teen and college years in the Pacific Northwest and has since lived in seven states. He now enjoys life as a single dad of a young girl, writing from the beaches of the Gulf Coast. He loves crafting his flower pots, cooking, and currently studies philosophy of science, religion, and non-math principles behind quantum mechanics and cosmology. Please feel free to contact with any concerns.
