Basil Smikle on Court Packing: Republicans Believe Everything ‘Old Is Sacrosanct, if that Was the Case, I’d Still Be in Chains’

REISER Here to discuss ░░░░░░░░ Basil Smikle Democratic strategist ░░░░░░░░ executive director of the ░░░░░░░░ York State Democratic Party ░░░░░░░░ you have a good ░░░░░░░░ on the party Do ░░░░░░░░ think that most people ░░░░░░░░ get behind term limits ░░░░░░░░ opposed to expansion of ░░░░░░░░ court SMIKLE Well that ░░░░░░░░ where the difficulty is ░░░░░░░░ think voters want some ░░░░░░░░ of reform not just ░░░░░░░░ of the recent decisions ░░░░░░░░ also because of the ░░░░░░░░ around ethics Something needs ░░░░░░░░ get done The question ░░░░░░░░ what s the best ░░░░░░░░ forward Biden himself President ░░░░░░░░ himself had his own ░░░░░░░░ established to look at ░░░░░░░░ and they weren t ░░░░░░░░ tasked with specific recommendations ░░░░░░░░ there was some concern ░░░░░░░░ just concern there was ░░░░░░░░ discrepancy as to how ░░░░░░░░ move forward These are ░░░░░░░░ of the best legal ░░░░░░░░ in the country So ░░░░░░░░ s not an easy ░░░░░░░░ That s one problem ░░░░░░░░ second problem is Biden ░░░░░░░░ is a bit of ░░░░░░░░ institutionalist If you think ░░░░░░░░ his language around the ░░░░░░░░ it s not unlike ░░░░░░░░ we hear in terms ░░░░░░░░ the Supreme Court He ░░░░░░░░ concerned about what happens ░░░░░░░░ he s gone and ░░░░░░░░ change in party But ░░░░░░░░ one point I do ░░░░░░░░ to hone in on ░░░░░░░░ he says this shouldn ░░░░░░░░ be a politicized thing ░░░░░░░░ court is political And ░░░░░░░░ we establish that we ░░░░░░░░ find a way to ░░░░░░░░ forward Trying to believe ░░░░░░░░ it s apolitical particularly ░░░░░░░░ the recent decisions I ░░░░░░░░ that s long gone ░░░░░░░░ But given what we ░░░░░░░░ heard from the president ░░░░░░░░ doesn t have an ░░░░░░░░ to look at expanding ░░░░░░░░ court You have politicians ░░░░░░░░ Adam Schiff who are ░░░░░░░░ campaigning on that Is ░░░░░░░░ giving some far left ░░░░░░░░ false hope here It ░░░░░░░░ t appear like there ░░░░░░░░ bipartisan appetite to do ░░░░░░░░ like that SMIKLE Well ░░░░░░░░ has actually been argued ░░░░░░░░ going back to FDR ░░░░░░░░ he was trying to ░░░░░░░░ through elements of his ░░░░░░░░ Deal so it s ░░░░░░░░ an old argument The ░░░░░░░░ is who is going ░░░░░░░░ be the face or ░░░░░░░░ are the faces of ░░░░░░░░ movement to make this ░░░░░░░░ Part of the challenge ░░░░░░░░ getting over this hurdle ░░░░░░░░ so many voters think ░░░░░░░░ what is old is ░░░░░░░░ If that was the ░░░░░░░░ I would still be ░░░░░░░░ chains We have to ░░░░░░░░ a way to move ░░░░░░░░ and we have to ░░░░░░░░ it through a concerted ░░░░░░░░ and an effort where ░░░░░░░░ can closely agree on ░░░░░░░░ s going to happen ░░░░░░░░ and the problem is ░░░░░░░░ not only has that ░░░░░░░░ happened but I don ░░░░░░░░ know if Biden in ░░░░░░░░ time that he has ░░░░░░░░ the selection to be ░░░░░░░░ to do it So ░░░░░░░░ question is what can ░░░░░░░░ do now to give ░░░░░░░░ an indication that there ░░░░░░░░ going to be some ░░░░░░░░ Maybe ethics reform is ░░░░░░░░ the best way to ░░░░░░░░ in the shorter period ░░░░░░░░ time.”