Paul Bedard of the Washington Examiner writes about the impact of a recent leaked Supreme Court draft opinion in a high-profile abortion case.
Opposition to Supreme Court judge-packing remains solid despite concerns about the leak of an upcoming abortion decision and growing unfavorability with the high court.
In a First Liberty Institute survey conducted by Mason Dixon Polling & Strategy and shared with Secrets, 65% of respondents opposed adding judges to the court as top Democrats have suggested. It was 64% a year ago.
The survey follows another controversial appointment to the court and the leak of what appears to be the impending reversal of the 1973 Roe vs. Wade ruling granting a right to abortion. First Liberty’s poll showed that voters are upset with the leak.
What’s more, the poll found majority opposition to ending the Senate filibuster rule, which would give President Joe Biden and Senate Democrats an opening to pack the court with liberal judges, thus overcoming a new conservative majority.
The bottom line, said Jeremy Dys, special counsel for First Liberty, is that voters want the court to follow its 150 years of tradition.
“Clearly, the American people do not want court-packing. They do not want leaks. They want the rule of law for which this country has been known and reject politically motivated attacks on our court,” he told Secrets.
“Even after all the talk about court-packing, after a lengthy study by a government-run commission, and after an unprecedented leak meant to undermine the court, the opinion of the American people is unchanged,” Dys added.
In fact, the survey had a warning for liberals eager to pack the court: Do so at your peril. Voters, especially Republicans, would be less likely, 57%, to support their reelection.
Still, all the controversy around the court has had an impact. While 48% said their opinion of the court hasn’t changed recently, 40% said they have a less favorable opinion of the high court.
