Marsha Blackburn slammed for confusing the Constitution with the Declaration of Independence

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 \u2013 not abortions.— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@Sen. Marsha Blackburn) 1648077494
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.\n\nThat\u2019s the Declaration of Independence NOT the Constitution.https://twitter.com/marshablackburn/status/1506772336812429319\u00a0\u2026— Ana Navarro-C\u00e1rdenas (@Ana Navarro-C\u00e1rdenas) 1648092553
Another Never Trumper, former Rep. Justin Amash, posted:
She\u2019s confusing the Constitution with the Declaration of Independence. Neither document *grants* these rights. And what\u2019s the deal anyway with Republicans insisting our rights come from government? The Declaration specifically rejects this notion.https://twitter.com/marshablackburn/status/1506772336812429319\u00a0\u2026— Justin Amash (@Justin Amash) 1648093353
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\u2019t know her American history\u2026The DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE \u201cdeclares\u201d our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness\u2026NOT the Constitution.https://twitter.com/marshablackburn/status/1506772336812429319\u00a0\u2026— Gene Simmons (@Gene Simmons) 1648094080
Here are some more responses to Blackburn’s embarrassing tweet:
1. That's from the Declaration of Independence, not the Constitution, Einstein. \n2. You're on the Judiciary Committee. You should know this. \n3. You violated your oath to the Constitution when you voted against impeachment, but at least read the document.pic.twitter.com/uoDkasCZYt— Dean Gloster (@Dean Gloster) 1648089278
Someone who doesn't know the difference between the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence shouldn't be involved in making laws.— Julian Clark (@Julian Clark) 1648090290
That's the Declaration of Independence you bag of hair.— Cheri Jacobus (@Cheri Jacobus) 1648089810
No, it doesn\u2019t.\n\nYou\u2019re quoting the Declaration of Independence.\n\n#ReadTheConstitutionhttps://twitter.com/marshablackburn/status/1506772336812429319\u00a0\u2026— Dr. Joanne Freeman (@Dr. Joanne Freeman) 1648089653
The woman who didn\u2019t know that the Constitution had been Amended 27 times now admits she doesn\u2019t know the difference between the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, which is not a legal document. The @GOP is embarrassingly unfit to serve in Congress.pic.twitter.com/SO939bW463— Andrew Wortman \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Andrew Wortman \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1648090004
Why in the hell os she on the Judiciary Comm?— Adele Culp (@Adele Culp) 1648122699
I guess Marsha Blackburn's degree program in Home Economics didn't cover the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution.\n#ReadTheConstitution— Jeff Dunn (@Jeff Dunn) 1648095321
US Republican senator who really loves the Constitution and the USA has no idea that she\u2019s actually quoting the Declaration of Independence.https://twitter.com/marshablackburn/status/1506772336812429319\u00a0\u2026— Christian Christensen (@Christian Christensen) 1648102491
That it takes the "God Of Thunder" to teach a sitting U.S. Senator this shows how screwed up our government is.— JimiRocks (@JimiRocks) 1648121948
Kentanji Brown Jackson, Harvard Law, J.D. 2nd ranked law school in the nation.\n\nMarsha Blackburn, B.A. in Home Economics. Mississippi State University. 198th ranked university in the nation.— Grey_Obelisk (@Grey_Obelisk) 1648079709
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