During the Senate confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson — President Joe Biden's nominee to replace the retiring Justice Stephen Breyer on the U.S. Supreme Court — Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee has resorted to nonstop buffoonery while playing the culture war card. And the GOP senator was clearly pandering to far-right evangelical voters when, on March 23, she tweeted, "The Constitution grants us rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — not abortions."
But as Blackburn's critics are pointing out, "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" is not mentioned in the U.S. Constitution. It's in the Declaration of Independence.
The Constitution grants us rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – not abortions.
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) March 23, 2022
HuffPost's Ed Mazza notes, "Blackburn has something of a history of constitutional screwups. Last year, she vowed: 'We will never rewrite the Constitution of the United States,' seemingly ignoring the 27 times it's been amended. Blackburn even co-sponsored resolutions in support of three potential amendments."
After Blackburn confused the U.S. Constitution with the Declaration of Independence on March 23, her critics were quick to call her out. One of them was CNN/Telemundo pundit Ana Navarro, a Never Trump conservative and Florida-based GOP strategist. Navarro tweeted:
Marsha. Marsha. Marsha.
— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) March 24, 2022
That’s the Declaration of Independence NOT the Constitution. https://t.co/OgzXOUbhzC
Another Never Trumper, former Rep. Justin Amash, posted:
She’s confusing the Constitution with the Declaration of Independence. Neither document *grants* these rights. And what’s the deal anyway with Republicans insisting our rights come from government? The Declaration specifically rejects this notion. https://t.co/Vrojsuk8CA
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) March 24, 2022
Veteran rocker Gene Simmons, who has been with the heavy metal band Kiss for almost 50 years and leans libertarian politically, slammed Blackburn as well:
Shamefully, this US Senator doesn’t know her American history…The DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE “declares” our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness…NOT the Constitution. https://t.co/EuVAfy6JnN
— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) March 24, 2022
Here are some more responses to Blackburn's embarrassing tweet:
1. That's from the Declaration of Independence, not the Constitution, Einstein.
— Dean Gloster (@deangloster) March 24, 2022
2. You're on the Judiciary Committee. You should know this.
3. You violated your oath to the Constitution when you voted against impeachment, but at least read the document. pic.twitter.com/uoDkasCZYt
Someone who doesn't know the difference between the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence shouldn't be involved in making laws.
— Julian Clark (@ThirdJulianC) March 24, 2022
That's the Declaration of Independence you bag of hair.
— Cheri Jacobus (@CheriJacobus) March 24, 2022
No, it doesn’t.
— Dr. Joanne Freeman (@jbf1755) March 24, 2022
You’re quoting the Declaration of Independence.#ReadTheConstitution https://t.co/23GnK0Rr9L
