Every time one of these decisions comes out from the court with some tiny little concurrence,

it's such an insult to the enormity of the issue and to the depth of the record that

was marshaled before a federal judge to demonstrate the urgency of the situation.

For too long we have approached the discussion of the courts and the debate on individual

nominees as if this is something playing out at a Princeton Eating Club.

Hi and welcome back to Amicus.

This is Slates Podcasts about the courts and the law.

I'm Dahlia Lithwick.

I cover those things for Slates and in a few short days the 2020 presidential election

will take place in the midst of a pandemic among a badly polarized electorate and with rising

threats of vote suppression, vote stealing and vote uncertainty.

The judicial branch usually tasked with exerting a stabilizing adult in the room vibe on all

this has spent the week doing well anything but on Monday justice Amy Coney Barrett was

heardly sworn in after failing to garner a single vote from a Democratic Senator.

Ladies and gentlemen the president of the United States accompanied by Justice Clarence

Thomas and Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

Footage of the ceremony at the White House, Justice Barrett ascending to the South Portico

with the president, pausing for the photo up at the top of the steps, candles flickering

behind them.

It was all repurposed as a Trump campaign ad within hours.

The Supreme Court then handed down a rapid fire series of orders and voting cases out

of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

...