Neil Gorsuchs Criticism Wasnt Aimed at Trump, Aides Say in Reversal
Source: MSN/NY Times
WASHINGTON — White House officials insisted on Thursday that Judge Neil M. Gorsuch, President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, was not referring to Mr. Trump’s recent denigration of judges when he said privately that he was disheartened by attacks on the courts.
Mr. Trump said on Twitter that the nominee’s remarks had been misrepresented, a sentiment echoed by the White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, during a contentious briefing. A day before, members of the White House team guiding Judge Gorsuch’s confirmation verified that the judge had expressed his dismay in response to questions about Mr. Trump’s insults of judges.
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“This might have been an attempt to make him look more independent,” Ms. Cutter said of Judge Gorsuch. “He could have created a story line about standing up to Trump.”
But the denials on Thursday were at odds with that narrative. Democrats were quick to jump on them as proof that Judge Gorsuch lacked judicial independence.
Read more: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/neil-gorsuch%E2%80%99s-criticism-wasn%E2%80%99t-aimed-at-trump-aides-say-in-reversal/ar-AAmN7gu
So, Neil Gorsuch is not disheartened about Mr. Trump’s comments about judges? Great, so we have Supreme Court Justice who is going to cheer lead the President's attacks on the judiciary?
= new reply since forum marked as read
about you, but at work we stand around the coffee machine complaining about the Federal judiciary every chance we get. I hear it at the gym, and even at the bar I sometimes frequent. On my Facebook page we discuss appeals court decisions at least daily. Complaints about those 9th Circuit guys and girls, outright dismay about the rightward turn of the 3rd Cir. And the Southern District of NY...the less said that better!
So I would guess he was talking about the nation's current preoccupation with what's going on at local federal courthouses!
again and again, until they're sure what he really meant to say. 
his criticism of those who are critical of judges! "he finds any criticism of a judge’s integrity and independence disheartening and demoralizing.”
YUP--
.....Mr. Spicer said that when Judge Gorsuch told senators that he considered such criticism “demoralizing” and “disheartening,” he was referring broadly to any such attacks on the judiciary.
Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut first mentioned Judge Gorsuch’s comments during their meeting on Wednesday. © Al Drago/The New York Times Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut first mentioned Judge Gorsuch’s comments during their meeting on Wednesday.
“The judge was very clear that he was not commenting on any specific matter, and that he was asked about his general philosophy,” Mr. Spicer told reporters during a series of testy exchanges. “So you can’t then take that and equate it back to the specific. He literally went out of his way to say I’m not commenting on a specific instance.”
On Thursday, former Senator Kelly Ayotte, Republican of New Hampshire, who is helping with the confirmation process, issued a statement in which she said of Judge Gorsuch, “While he made clear he was not referring to any specific case, he said that he finds any criticism of a judge’s integrity and independence disheartening and demoralizing.”....................
