Thread by @jbendery

GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn goes after one of Biden's Black judicial nominees for having "a rap sheet" of citations, which was actually just three speeding tickets from 10+ years ago.

One was for going 5 miles over the speed limit. huffpost.com/entry/marsha-b…

A rap sheet = a criminal record.

Andre Mathis, Biden's nominee to a lifetime seat on a U.S. appeals court, does not have a criminal record.

He once got a ticket for going 5 miles over the speed limit, though. Why, I wonder?

Blackburn: "If Mr. Mathis thought he was above the law before, imagine how he’ll conduct himself if he’s confirmed as a federal judge.”

Also remember that time Blackburn got outta the car and flashed her congressional pin to a cop after being pulled over? huffpost.com/entry/marsha-b…

This focus on 10+ year old speeding tickets was unnecessarily humiliating for Mathis, who went through each one and had to clarify had he no criminal record.

“I highly regret that I’m in this situation. I feel like I’ve embarrassed my family."

Dick Durbin told the committee he has a "rap sheet" too, by this standard. Except he noted how his "rap sheet" looks different from Mathis'.

"I never got a speeding ticket for driving 5 miles over the limit."

I wonder why?

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said he “almost laughed” when he heard Blackburn refer to Mathis' "rap sheet" of old speeding tickets.

“I laughed with my staff that I have a rap sheet now, probably much longer than the witness’."

Booker to Mathis:

“I was pulled over quite a few more times than [my white friends] were. We all knew what it was about. My brother and I used to think, ‘If we’re Black, you just prepare for being pulled over.’ Sometimes I was pulled over for going 3 miles over the speed limit."

Booker asked Mathis if he, too, experienced “driving while Black” while growing up.

“I take responsibility for my actions. I don‘t want to blame anything or anyone else for what I did,” said Mathis. huffpost.com/entry/marsha-b…