Thread by @itstruenorth

Senator Blackburn's appearances in today & yesterday's SCOTUS hearings delve into a host of culture war issues out of the blue. It’s worth interrogating the origins of these attacks on #JudgeJackson 🧵nytimes.com/2022/03/21/us/…

Blackburn has close ties with a right-wing culture war group that calls itself the “Independent Women’s Forum,” which backed controversial Trump nominees to the Court and has touted its ability to appear neutral.

This week, True North released a report highlighting talking points IWLC, IWF’s legal center, sent to GOP Senators in advance of the hearing. truenorthresearch.org/2022/03/dark-m…

Blackburn is closely echoing IWLC’s talking points about #JudgeJackson’s “judicial philosophy,” which casts #KBJ as political compared with right-wing nominees who are cast as neutral.

This tactic sidesteps the millions of $ in dark money that was spent to ensure nominees with a right-wing, anti-choice track record–such as Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Coney Barrett—were installed on the Court to reverse legal precedents disliked by the right. truenorthresearch.org/2020/10/backgr…

Blackburn was interviewed for IWF’s “She Thinks” podcast on Sunday and had a chance to practice this talking point. “...what people are looking for is to have a justice who is not…an activist” she said, though she voted for Amy Coney Barrett.

Blackburn has a longstanding relationship with IWF/V, making a host of appearances on their podcasts, including one backing Barrett during the Trump nominee’s hearing before the 2020 election. Blackburn was also given a made-up award at IWFs 2014 gala.

The Senator’s culture war tangents yesterday echoed IWF/V stances, like their attacks on public schools for the honest teaching of history and masking regulations using the guise of parental rights + attacks on transgender Americans. truenorthresearch.substack.com/p/how-right-wi…

IWF/V has also strongly touted Blackburn as she opposed VAWA, in lieu of a watered down alternative that lacked LGBTQ protections. IWF/V has advanced anti-trans attacks in opposition to the Equality Act + the ERA. truthout.org/articles/dark-…

These connections are an important reminder that the nearly $600M raised by the dark money web of Leonard Leo, from which IWF/V received $4.75M, is capturing our courts by influencing even narratives GOP Senators use to attack nominees he did not select truthout.org/articles/dark-…

IWF/V has already proven its sway in Congress. IWF/V leader Heather Higgins previously claimed her talking points were used in Sen. Collins’ speech to justify voting for Kavanaugh despite the millions of women opposing him. #MeToo Higgins said FOX used her points too.