The Tribune-Review Editorial Board Misleads Its Readers. Again.

This time it's about President Obama's Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland:

Count us among the many who are enjoying the bitter feast of crow being force-fed to Senate Democrats this week.

After all, those dastardly Republicans who are denying newly minted Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland a confirmation hearing merely are following the 1992 admonition of then-Senate Judiciary Chairman Joe Biden on the dangers of pushing for high court nominees in a presidential election year.

And there's the mislead.

This story (of the so-called "Biden Rule") has been stinking up the place for about a month and the interesting thing (and something the Trib braintrust decided you didn't need to hear from them) is that Vice President Biden's issued a statement almost immediately after C-Span posted the video excerpt upon which the nation's heated sweaty conservatives pounced - again, this is about a month ago.

Here's part of what that the Vice President said in response:

Nearly a quarter century ago, in June 1992, I gave a lengthy speech on the Senate floor about a hypothetical vacancy on the Supreme Court. Some critics say that one excerpt of my speech is evidence that I oppose filling a Supreme Court vacancy in an election year. This is not an accurate description of my views on the subject. In the same statement critics are pointing to today, I urged the Senate and White House to work together to overcome partisan differences to ensure the Court functions as the Founding Fathers intended. That remains my position today.

So what did he say in the part of the speech the braintrust doesn't seem to think you need to know?

Take a look:


And in that clip he says this:

I believe that so long as the public continues to split its confidence between the branches, compromise is the responsible course both for the White House and for the Senate. Therefore I stand by my position, Mr. President, if the President consults and cooperates with the Senate or moderates his selections absent consultation, then his nominees may enjoy my support as did Justices Kennedy and Souter. [Emphasis added.]

Ah...something the braintrust decided you didn't need to hear when it selectively quoted the then-Senator from Delaware.