Sen. John Kennedy Grills Hampton Dellinger: 'Do You Believe in God?'
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
"Do you believe in God?"
Not a question typically asked in a Department of Justice confirmation hearing, particularly given the long-standing Congressional tradition of observing the Constitutional separation of church and state, but that didn't keep Senator John Kennedy from hectoring nominee Hampton Dellinger over his religious beliefs.
Dellinger is the former North Carolina deputy attorney general and chief legal counsel for the state's governor, Mike Easley who, according to Law.com, "if confirmed will advise DOJ leadership on policy matters and help vet judicial candidates—touted his fact-based approach to matters of law and policy and his ability to work across the aisle.
Despite Dellinger's future role to encourage bipartisanship, Senator Kennedy remains unconvinced, evidenced by his bringing up a tweet from 2019 in which the DOJ nominee wrote about abortion — stating there were some Republican women and a handful of Democrats who want government, not women, "to control women's bodies. But if there were no Republican men in elected office, there would be no abortion bans,'" Kennedy said, quoting from the tweet.
Kennedy then claimed the tweet suggested that anti-abortion Republicans only hold that stance because they are "misogynistic."
"Do you believe in God?" Kennedy asked. "Did it ever occur to you that some people may base their position on abortion on their faith?"
Dellinger replied "I sincerely appreciate that people have a different position on abortion than I do," adding, "I recognize the difference between someone saying something inartfully as a private citizen and working as a lawyer, and I think I've got a 30-year track record of being open-minded."
Senator Kennedy makes frequent appearances on cable news where he is known for his homespun folksiness, even though he studied at Oxford University and has been mocked for his past support of 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry.
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a. someone who "believes in God" can still think that anti-abortion positions are misogynistic. There is no mutual exclusion there.
b. asking a governmental nominee if they believe in God is not an appropriate question
Sounds like Senator John Kennedy needs to learn the Constitution.
Article VI Clause 3 of the Constitution
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States .
They keep pushing to outlaw abortion. Now I read this morning that about 250 republican congress people signed some kind of brief that is attached to the Supreme Court case that is from Mississippi. They literally state that RvW should be overturned as it ties state hands.
Is this Kennedy from the Kennedy klan? Or just have a similar name. He needs to be voted out of office if he thinks belief in God is some kind of guideline.
I have never heard that he is related to the other Kennedys.
That is not an appropriate question
I agree. It is a completely inappropriate question. Sometimes Kennedy acts like a total fool.
Kennedy is another know nothing idiot repuke
Kennedy was totally out of line to ask a guest on like that.
Since when is that a prerequisite?
Since never.
His question reminds me of some fellow travelers here on NT.
Funny that God is only for what they want...
It was an inappropriate question, but calm the hysteria. If you actually bother with the context, it's clearly rhetorical. He used belief in God as a reason some people oppose abortion to counter the ignorant statement made by the nominee. He was, inarguably, just making the point that there are other reasons than misogynic that people oppose abortion, with religion being one of them.
Pretending he was requiring belief as a religious test for his position is simply dishonest.
Context is irrelevant. The question is inappropriate regardless.
Said every fanatic looking to burn someone for heresy.
Either the question was appropriate or it was not. There's really no middle ground there. So again, context doesn't matter.
But Democrats have attacked people for their religious beliefs; that is OK I suppose?
Of course it was against a Republican so that makes it OK?
Not at all. People opposed Buescher because he self describes as avidly pro life with explicit plans on how to undo Roe
"bit by bit". He was and still is a poor choice for the federal bench.
And I think that Kennedy did not expect an answer, he was just asking a rhetorical question to make
the Dem Dellinger squirm. Parlor theatrics.
There is a thing called the separation of church and state. A person's religious beliefs are none of his fing business. Him and his other ilk got all butt hurt when they were asked if they have been vaccinated saying none of your business, but this douche canoe demands to know someone's religious preference?