good day, everyone. welcome to "weekends with alex witt." at this hour there are fast moving developments on a battle over the supreme court. this in the wake of ruth bader ginsburg's death. but first this hour, a few moments to pause and refleblct hundreds are doing streaming in at this makeshift memorial at the u.s. supreme court bringing flowers for ginsburg's life-long fight for equality.

>> it's because of the work that she's done that i was able to have a good job that allowed me as a single woman to support myself and to choose to have a family to have reproductive choices that allowed me to delay pra pregnancy until i was ready for it and then choose to do it on my own. >> in my lifetime, i expect to see three, four, perhaps even more women on the high court bench. there will be enough when there are nine. nobody asked questions about all of the years when all nine were men. men and women are person of equal dignity and they should

count equally before the law. >> you won't settle for putting susan b. anthony on the new dollar. >> when they would say things like this, how did you respond? >> well, never in anger as my mother told me. that would have been self-defeating. always as an opportunity to teach. i was listening to him and disagreeing with a good part of what he said, but thought he said it in an absolutely captivating way. >> i think we should leave it at that. >> some day we will go back to having the kind of legislature that we should where members, whatever party they belong to, want to make it work and cooperate with each other to see that that will happen. i mean, it was that way in 1993 when i was nominated for this good job. if you want to be a true professional, you will do

something outside yourself. that's what i think a meaningful life is. one lives not just for oneself but for one's community. >> justice ruth bader ginsburg passed away at age 8 7. we'll look at how they'll handle the vacancy in the supreme court. president trump says republicans have an obligation to move forward with the appointment of a new justice without delay. how are democrats approaching this situation that is unfolding here and what might they be facing from republicans? >> reporter: so that's right. they are huddling on a conference call as we speak to discuss what their options are. now, let's be clear. they have no way of stopping

mcconnell from moving forward and no way of stopping the president from nominating someone because they are in the minority. what they are trying to do is figure out the best public relations campaign to put a lot of pressure on republicans and you can be sure that they are going to use republicans' words against them based on what republicans said in 2016 when they refused to address or even consider president obama's supreme court nominee in the last year of his term. chief among those people that they're going to highlight is senator lindsey graham. he's chair of the judiciary committee. he's also in a tight re-election race in his home state of south carolina, and he has a very damning statement on the record on camera in 2016 in a judiciary committee meeting where he said mark my words, you can use my words against me that if there is a nominee in the last year of

the next president's term, we will not consider them. now, it looks like senator graham is changing his tune a little bit. he has tweeted just in the last couple of hours saying that he understands where the president is coming from. he also encourages people to read recent statements he made in the press including to nbc news when he said that justice kavanaugh changed everything. there's another senator that i just want to highlight real quick too. that's senator tom tillis of north carolina in a tough re-election race and in the judiciary committee who wrote an op-ed that said he's standing on principle and that's why he's not considering president obama's nominee back then. he put out a statement he didn't say exactly what he would do, but he did say that president trump is again facing voters at the ballot box and north carolinians will ultimately render their judgment on his presidency and how he chooses to

fill the vacancy. also going on to make the statement that he would support a president trump nominee over a joe biden to fill the supreme court. so while this is going to be a battle to replace justice ginsburg, it's also going to be a big electoral battle as well. >> what strikes me is how the phrase standing on principle can have so many interpretations. that said, i thank you so much. the president now signaling he wants to replace justice ginsburg without delay. let's go to the white house. monica, another welcome to you on this saturday. what more can you tell us? >> reporter: alex, for the first 12 or so hours after we learned of justice ginsburg's passing, the white house simply praised her career, labeled her a true trailblazer and spoke to how many years of service she gave to the court and pointed to her amazing life before moving on to

what could happen next. that changed when the president issued that tweet a short time ago saying that republicans have a duty in his words an obligation to move forward by putting someone out and nominating them. in his own words, without delay. what exactly does that mean? we can report now my colleagues at nbc have learned that could be as early as this next week that we could receive a name for a nominee and somebody who has emerged as a front runner, not necessarily the front runner since things are fluid and could change is amy who was vetted back in 2018. she was somebody who went through this process, met with the president and vice president and that's why they feel somebody like this with her resume that's already been tracked is better in terms of a time line with so few days to go until the election. i want to play for you what white house press secretary said

about just where the conversation stand right now between president trump and leader mcconnell. take a listen. >> we're aware of mcconnell's statement, but right now we're honoring the legacy of ruth bader ginsburg. the flag is at half-staff rightfully so. important to know as a woman what this means for the country and what her legacy means for the country. >> reporter: the white house isn't reading any conversations between the two. they speak frequently. we wouldn't be surprised if this was something they coordinated on going forward. in the next week or two, the president is busy on the campaign trail starting with a rally tonight in fayetteville, north carolina. he normally tauts his supreme court nominees. last night he delivered those remarks without having the knowledge that justice ginsburg had passed making those comments instead to reporters who he

acted like were the ones that informed him of the news. it seems staffers and aides did tell him as he left the stage and was walking to greet reporters about the significance of her passing. you heard from him in his words her amazing legacy. that's what the white house wants to put on focus though you can't deny this new moves into a very politically charged process where we understand in the next coming days we could already have the name of a nominee to fill justice ginsburg's vacancy on the supreme court. >> premature to suggest it would be amy barrett, she was vetted in that last process. if i recall correctly, she was a clerk to justice anthony scalia so there will be more forthcoming about her as well. the biden campaign also mourning the death of justice ginsburg. this picture tweeted from the u.s. supreme court this morning. let's talk about the campaign, the biden campaign, which you have been covering for the last

weeks. what's it saying? >> reporter: you heard former vice president joe biden say last night that mitch mcconnell should follow exactly what he did in 2016, which is let the voters vote. let them decide who the president is going to be in just 45 days and that president-el t president -elect, nominate and fill that seat. and just one year later ended up presiding over ginsburg's confirmation hearing. take a listen to what he said last night in wilmington honoring her and remembering that moment. >> it's hard to believe but it was my honor to preside over her confirmation hearing. i got to meet her at the time and she and her ascension to the supreme court. in the decades since, she has been absolutely consistent and

reliable and a voice for freedom and opportunity for everyone. you know, she never failed. she was fierce and unflinching in her pursuit of the civil and legal rights of -- civil rights of everyone. >> reporter: of course it's been years since the former vice president was in the senate. especially on the senate judiciary committee but it's worth noting senator kamala harris will likely be involved in whoever president trump nominates during this confirmation hearing which is expected to start any time soon whether before the election or continue as to right after. something that she even noted today in a fund-raising email in a call to action to democrats was, "we need to fight like hell to make sure president trump

does not fill ginsburg's seat in the weeks to come." >> thank you so much. the impact of justice ginsburg's death just two weeks before the start of the next term, we'll discuss that next. verizon knows how to build unlimited right. start with america's most awarded network. i'm on my phone 24/7. then for the first time ever, include disney+, hulu and espn+. we're a big soccer family. "handmaid's tale ." i love "frozen ". then give families plans to mix and match, so you only pay for what you need. and offer it at a price built for everyone.

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senate democrats are right now on a conference call trying to discuss ways to move forward in the wake of the death of justice ruth bader ginsburg of the supreme court. joining me right now, congresswoman maxine waters, a democrat from california. your reaction to the passing of ruth bader ginsburg. it's a huge loss. >> yes. it is a huge loss and i send condolences out to her family and, of course, she is recorded in history for the extraordinary woman that she was and the contributions that she made. it's a great loss but i think that in her potential death she sent a note.

i think it was to her granddaughter indicating what she would like to see happen. that's the way that justice ginsburg was. she was always thinking ahead. >> indeed she was. we'll get to that because right now the tenor of what she was aspiring for, which was that she communicated in her last communique with her daughter that she wanted to have the next president be able to pick the next supreme court justice were she to pass or any scenario. with that said, just hours after ginsburg's death, senator mitch mcconnell vowed to vote on a nominee from president trump to fill the supreme court vacancy. it is, we should note in contrast to what the senate majority leader said in 2016 when he would not allow for a hearing of president obama's nominee because it was an election year. what do you make of what mcconnell is trying to do here? >> i think mcconnell is mcconnell. he's attempting to do what he

has shown us he is willing to do no matter what, whether it makes good sense, whether it's right, whether it's wrong. he's carrying out the wishes of the president. he's held up, you know, legislation that we have sent to him. he has not been the kind of leader that cares about fairness at all. and so i fully expect that he would act this way. he sent a note out to the other republicans in the senate telling them to hold their water, don't do anything, that there was going to be a vote on the floor and so that note is basically saying don't you dare interact with any of the democrats. don't you dare attempt to make any commitments. don't you dare think about your re-election. this is about the president of the united states having control over the united states supreme court for sure. this certainly will sign that and seal it that he will be in control at least for the time

that he is the president of the united states and so i am hoping that certainly they would be more respectful, he would be more respectful, and he wouldn't act in this manner. however, it is incumbent upon democrats to fight, fight, fight to try and stop him from having this appointment and, of course, we don't look forward to him being the president of the united states but if the judiciary has his stamp on it, it will make it difficult for our democratic president that we expect to win this election to be successful when the cases go to the supreme court dealing with some of the most important issues of our time. >> indeed. you speak about the control that this would hand president trump. i would also suggest, ma'am, that it would be a lot of control for mitch mcconnell in terms of judicial appointments which has been the life's blood of his political work. i would ask you whether or not the hypocrisy that we're pointing out now listening to the words of these leaders

themselves, will that be lost on voters or do you think people will stand up and pay attention because of the enormity of what stands at stake to your point earlier all these many issues that the supreme court will face. >> that's absolutely true. i do think that the people of this country are more focused on this issue because there has been a lot of discussion about the supreme court. a lot of discussion about the fact that the president has been stacking the courts all of the way up the line to the supreme court. we had a big fight about kavanaugh which gained a lot of attention and women understood very thoroughly what's at stake here. and so i do think that people are paying attention and despite the fact that mcconnell thinks that he's in such a good place in his election, i believe that there are republicans who will not be elected or re-elected based on this vote and if this vote is one that goes along with

mcconnell and the president of the united states, i think that a few of the senators are in great jeopardy. >> justice ginsburg fought for voting rights, civil rights, issues prominent today. i want to get your reaction to something. attorney general bill barr said this this week when talking about stay-at-home orders. >> other than slave ry, this is an intrusion. >> what's your reaction to that. >> that's outrageous until he looking back at this must be ashamed. this has been an attorney general who has shown that he does not care about what the american people think. this is an attorney general who is the president's attorney who has shown us in every time that

he's had the responsibility for making a decision that he was going to do whatever the president wanted him to do. this is not a credible attorney general. he's not the people's lawyer. he's the president's lawyer. he has no shame. i don't know how he can look himself in the mirror when he goes home and i don't know how his family can look at him and think that somehow he is a respectable, responsible attorney general doing the business of the people. he is absolutely undermine this position. he has placed his position in a state that we're going to have to be concerned about correcting that in the public policy that we do so that we never have another attorney general acting in the manner that he's acting. >> i'm sure you heard on thursday when the president said he's creating a commission to promote patriotic education and then announced creation of a grant to develop a pro-american

curriculum. i want to take a listen to some of what he said about this. >> by viewing every issue through the lens of race, they want to impose a new segregation and we must not allow that to happen. critical race theory, the 1619 project, and the crusade against american history is toxic propaganda. patriotic moms and dads are going to demand that their children are no longer fed hateful lies about this country. >> what do you make of that? what does he mean by a pro-america curriculum? >> you know, this president has, you know, depicted himself in such a way that most people are still stunned by the fact that he is the president of the united states, stunned about the way that he has undermined our

constitution, stunned about the way that he will lie and that he will create whatever he thinks in his best interest. he has misled even those people who support him and continue to believe in him. he has basically attacked the media. he has attacked, you know, his colleagues, members of the democratic party. this is a president who is capable of doing whatever he thinks is in his best interest and if he can get them believing that we're all unpatriotic, that somehow we're responsible for the children who don't president the flag and don't respect the constitution, we know that he is basically turning the tables on who he is and what he's all about. if there's anybody that does not respect the constitution of the united states, and i would deem unpatriotic, it is the president of the united states of america.

aligned himself with putin and russia and has secret meetings with putin who is out to destroy our democracy and will not even criticize putin for hacking into our dnc. who is unpatriotic? who is he talking about? he should look in the mirror. he's talking about himself. >> congresswoman maxine waters, i thank you so much for your time. always good to see you. appreciate it. >> you're so welcome. thank you. let's have more reflection now and legal perspective in the wake of justice ginsburg's death. for that i'm joined by a former u.s. attorney and also a civil rights attorney. welcome to you both. glad to see you on this somber day. i ask you for your reaction to the news in terms of her passing. what did she mean especially to women in law? can you hear me?

>> her passing is devastating. she was small in stature but a giant for justice. and thatt giantness was both fo women and men. i think what we have to remember about ruth bader ginsburg is [ inaudible ] she was both very clear and very sharp not just in her analysis but in her ability to use the bench as well as the pen to pen pros that could speak to the american public. if you remember in the case in shelby, which was a voting rights case where the supreme court ruled i would argue wrongly that the voting rights

act that had created so much opportunity to get to the ballot in places where latinos of all genders had a harder time voting because of who they voted for, she said that throwing out the protections that ensured that places with a bad history didn't keep doing bad was like throwing out an umbrella in a rainstorm. it was that ability to communicate so directly and effectively that made her a tremendous jurist. there's no question that her prowess in protecting us from gender discrimination was really nothing short of genius and it's a huge loss for us. >> chuck, i would like you to put in perspective her loss to the court even before we know who will be the next justice. what does her absence mean? >> well, it means a couple of things practically and politically. you know, i'm so glad, alex, that you are taking a little bit

of time just to recognize the legacy of this remarkable woman. there will be plenty of time in the coming weeks and months for both sides to get angry at each other and yell and scream. but her passing is not even 24 hours old and i'm just glad that you're doing this. by the way, i'm particularly glad to hear from maya because she's eloquent when speaking about justice ginsburg. we have a 4-4 tie on the supreme court. practically that means that any decision from a lower court that results in a 4-4 tie in the supreme court is sustained. the supreme court can't overturn lower court decisions with a 4-4 tie. it also means very likely this president will have a shot at filling that ninth seat. let's be clear. there's nothing unconstitutional or illegal about the president attempting to fill that seat. it may be unwise. it may be hypocritical, but it's

neither illegal nor unkcontu n unconstitutional. i agree that she was a pioneer, a jurist of the highest order, a graceful and eloquent woman, and a tremendous loss for the country. >> you know, chuck, what you're talking about with the meaning of a 4-4 court, i'm going to recall what our friend and colleague, pete williams, said based on an article he wrote specifically relevant to the obamacare which if there's a 4-4 set up within the supreme court, chuck, it then punts correctly back to the lower court in texas, which ruled to overrule it. and that would be hook, line, and sinker everything associated with it including pre-existing conditions. is that one of the major initial concerns for the length of time that this remains a 4-4 potential supreme court? >> we're better off with nine supreme court justices.

folks can decide for themselves what judicial philosophy they want among those nine justices. i will miss justice ginsburg very, very much. you're right. a 4-4 tie means that the lower court decision is sustained. you can't overturn with a 4-4 tie. we had the exact same situation going into the 2016 election as you recall justice scalia passed away in february of that year and his seat was not filled until almost 11 or 12 months later. this is by no means unprecedented. it's not ideal. there's a reason why we want an odd number of supreme court justices. it's for exactly the reason that you and pete have described. >> if president trump successfully pushes through his nominee, what are you most concerned about? what are you most afraid of? >> you know, this is a court that is going to make some new precedent potentially on things

like the ability of a sitting u.s. president to use the power of that perch for personal interest. that's the case that's coming before the court. also know that we are going to have another pass at the affordable care act and there are so many critical decisions that this court will make for decades to come so the shape of this court is really going to be the shape of our laws for this country moving forward. incredibly important that we have a balanced one. one of the things i just want to say that we've lost in ruth bader ginsburg is a person who was deeply close friends with scalia and someone of vastly different political view and the dynamic on a court -- there was the same relationship with

sandra day o'connor. this is what we need in terms of balance for our laws and their interpretation but also balance in our society for how we approach difference and disagreement. and so not just polarize but dominated by one view is not good for this country. >> chuck, i want to ask you about something that i have to admit that i read some notes in the preamble getting ready for this interview with you. you spoke about the potential for enlarging the size of the supreme court, growing it from 9 to potentially 11. i know in 1789, we began with five. so it has happened and we're at nine now and it's successfully done its thing, if you will. you don't think that's a good idea to go down that road potentially? >> i don't think that's a good idea. you're quite right. we started in 1789 with five.

between 1789 and 1869, the number of justices on the supreme court fluctuated between five and ten. went up, went down. sometimes for political reasons. sometimes for practical reasons. but here's what i worry about so much, alex. if the democrats control the house and senate and the white house and increase the number to 11, what's to stop the republicans some number of years later from increasing it to 13 or 15 or 17 and the supreme court is really that one institution in american life that we consider an other. people look at it as different. it has among the highest approval ratings of organizations or institutions in the country. i know it's not perfect. i know it occasionally acts in what seem to be small political ways but politicizing the supreme court strikes me as very dangerous. i don't want it to get dragged into the same sort of venue as

the house and senate. it should remain an other in american life and should not be overly politicized. >> chuck, maya, always a pleasure. thank you for your candor and your insight. we productive rights activists worry about what could come next. their reaction and call for action coming your way.

>> the death of justice ginsburg questions what will happen with reproduction rights. it's a legacy that cannot and must not depart with her. joining me now, the national organization for women president and also the president and ceo of planned parenthood. welcome to you both. this is a big conversation to

get into. as justice ginsburg was a champion of reproductive rights, what is the reaction to her death for those around you and your organization? >> well, our reaction to the death has been been just mourning and just devastation on a lot of levels because we know that ruth bader ginsburg has been a phenomenal women's champion for all of us. we know that she has paved the way for many of us with feminist movements, the record she's had with the cases she's done for women's rights for equal pay and for sex discrimination cases that she led the way of has been phenomenal paving the way for feminists and for everyone that's fought for gender equality. so we are just really devastated because she's really made the way for feminists and equal

rights advocates. >> indeed. alexis, let's listen to this sound from justice ginsburg from 2017 when she was asked about roe v. wade and abortions. >> abortion laws operate against poor women and that's the sad story. it is a sad reality that any attempt to restrict abortion is going to affect only the poorest segment of the population. >> what do you think about what she said there of those women that it affects most predominantly and the concern you may have from her vacancy and how it could reverse the ruling? >> we have lost a fierce advocate not just for gender equality but around reproductive justice and knowing that a lot

of these restrictions against rights are really impacting access largely for poor communities, largely for black and brown communities and so we mourn her as well. what's at stake right now when we have 17 cases that are winding their way, they are one step away from the supreme court right now, that could further limit access to overturn roe. we're in the fight of our lives to make sure that everybody knows, certainly our 60 million supporters know that we are going to make sure that we are doing everything we can to make sure she is not -- her seat is not replaced until 2021 when we have a new administration. >> as we check out some polling conducted this summer in which it shows that 29% of voters believe abortions should be legal. 50% say legal with provisions. 20% believe abortion should be

illegal. could passing of justice ginsburg, could it drive more women to the polls in 45 short days or now beginning with early voting as well? >> i think absolutely it can because what we're looking at is we're looking at -- i mean, we have been under attack for three years now. we're hearing that many communities have been under attack because we know as it's been pointed out that marginalized communities have been under attack so when we think roe v. wade could be overturned, we know the president who is elected is stacking the deck. right. he's stacking the court. he's stacking the supreme court. he's stacking his cabinet. for him to want to move forward now, we have to think who he might put in place.

so women need to -- not just women but men as well need to think about what it means for reproductive care and reproductive justice and we need to think about getting out there and mobilizing to make sure that we are doing everything in our power to maintain our rights as much as possible. >> the vacancy, these numbers from the poll from this summer, what does this mean for planned parenthood and its future? >> we've been operating under these constraints for quite some time. a decision in june was a very close decision. so we have been planning to make sure that people get access to the reproductive care that they need. we saw it just when we began sheltering in place during covid how many governors across the country were willing to use their powers for executive orders to limit access to time sensitive health care like abortion. so, you know, this is not a new

fight. we've been thinking about this and planning for quite some time. this election is not going to be a neat election. we have to continue because we have 17 cases in a pipeline on the way to the supreme court to make sure that everybody understands what's at stake. people are voting right now. they are standing in long lines and they understand that health care is on the line much less reproductive rights. i think that's going to be the message that we send and connecting the dots to ensure that people understand how important the judiciary is particularly the supreme court but also up and down the federal bench. >> thank you very much for the conversation and for both of your efforts on behalf of all of us. much appreciated. reflecting on the life of justice ginsburg, her rise to the high court and her legacy next.

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early voting in virginia in full force right now but justice ginsburg passing just added a new layer to the sense of urgency. >> i was going to do it before the election day but with the news yesterday, i made sure i was here this morning. >> how do you hope that senate majority leader mitch mcconnell will handle -- >> he already said what his words are so we need to fight. >> adds more motivation definitely. i think for all women i think that should mobilize everyone to vote. >> that certainly was the main

motivation after last night. it was pretty emotional news. >> with me now, nbc news presidential historian a student of history, president and otherwise, as i welcome you, my friend. >> thank you. >> give us a sense of where justice ginsburg fits into the larger picture of the supreme court's large history? >> well, alex, this is someone who future generations of americans will be learning about and reading about for a very long time. she was the torch bearer for expanding women's rights in this country, reducing discrimination against women on account of gender not only as a supreme court justice but also as a judge and earlier in her career even if she had never become a judge or a justice, we would be knowing about the contribution that she made and then the last ten years since the retirement of john paul stevens, this has been the leader of the progressive block in a very

divided supreme court. >> indeed. with her passing coming just 45 days now ahead of an already heated presidential election, how will history judge this moment, the next 45 days coupled with that and then potentially the two months after that if we're looking at a change in this country from the white house? >> well, yesterday could turn out to be a very historic day, and i hope it doesn't become too historic in terms of causing problems and conflicts in this country that could be overshadowing everything for the next number of months. what if a contested election comes to the supreme court the next few months it will be very different unfortunately had ruth bader ginsburg survived and been a part of that. if president trump pushes through an effort to get a nominee confirmed, that would be the shortest period of time in which that had been done and

closest to a presidential election really in modern history or most of american history something that we haven't seen before. >> you know, in the wake of her passing last night, i was doing research on a number of things. i didn't get to whether or not there is precedent for a vacancy on the high court at this point so close to a presidential election. do you know of one? >> yes, i do. for instance, lincoln in 1864 was running for re-election. there was the death of the racist chief justice. lincoln waited until after the election to propose a nominee because he wanted to see if he was going to be there to serve a second term or not, which he did. 1968 lyndon johnson had a vacancy october 1st, 1968. the nomination to become chief justice failed and johnson was told by his aides why don't you go ahead and put in a new nominee.

maybe arthur goldberg who served on the court before. johnson thought about it. he said he didn't have the moral right to do that because a new president was going to be chosen the next month. that choice should really go to him. it's almost exactly what joe biden said last night. really g him. it is almost exactly what joe biden said last night. love that you knew the answer to that i love hearing that listen don johnson said he didn't have the rorl right to make this decision. -- the moral right to make this decision. >> jimmy carter for instance didn't get to appoint one justice of the supreme court. historians are going to have to duke it out over whether this included stolen seats n. 2016, obama in my view was robbed of his rightful ability to appoint a supreme court justice merit

garland 11 mountains before he was going to leave office. this vacancy f it is taken by donald trump, and historians say it should have been made by whoever was elected in november of 2020, this may not look good before the eyes of history. >> i pleeappreciate your insigh. always a history lesson. >> i wish it were a happier day, alex. >> me too, thank, michael. [ no audio ] alex >> me too,ha tnk, michael. [ no audio ] . and i'm part of the team building... ...a powerful 5g experience for america. it's 5g ultra wideband, and it's already available in parts of select cities. like los angeles. and in new york city. and it's rolling out in cities around the country. with massive capacity. it's like an eight-lane highway compared to a two-lane dirt road. 25x faster than today's 4g networks.

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♪ here? ólfçskñq ñd nah. ♪ here? nope. ♪ here. ♪ when the middle of nowhere... is somewhere. the all-new chevy trailblazer. ♪ as we continue our breaking news coverage, my next guest has covered justice ginsburg since her nomination to the supreme court and wrote the lead story on the front page of today's "new york times." linda greenhouse joins me now. she won a pulitzer prize in

1998, currently teaches at yale law school is revered by so many of us. thank you for joining us. as you watched justice ginsburg over the decades, what are your thoughts on her passing? >> i went back this morning and i reread the first brief that she filed to the supreme court n a supreme court case back this the early 1970s, before she was a judge she was just a young lawyer. and it's just remarkable. it's a brief that's known as the grandmother brief because it became the ancestor of many legal arguments that were put to the court on -- arguing for sex equality within the meaning of the constitution. she saw things that others just hadn't seen, weren't seeing, in her day. and she brought a great deal of it into reality. >> uh-huh. i mean, obviously her body of work is the much to squeeze into a brief interview like this by comparison, certainly. but linda, is there any other justice who will be equally

remembered for dissenting opinions as powerful as hers? >> that's a good question. of course, there are volumes out on justice scalia's dissenting opinions. so you know, they were friends, as the world knows. so i guess she joins him from the other side of the identi ideological street in dissenting opinions. >> great minds think alike, but take a different approach getting there. justice ginsburg was certainly vocal about gender equality, social justice. and she was famously friendly with justice antonin scalia. can you tell us how she managed the politics of the supreme court? did she do it true friendship and respect generated by the other supreme court justices? >> i think basically the supreme court is a pretty civil place

because people realize that you can't get anything done there unless you get four other people to agree with you. so there is really no point in alienating or sulking in your corner just because you lose a case, that kind of -- you know, they are all grown ups and i think they all manage, you know, not to be bffs. but they all get along pretty well. >> well, certainly, we could all learn something in the art of compromise, it sounds like by your description there from those on the supreme court i want to thank you, linda greenhouse. -- for joining me. for anybody who wants to road your article today in the "new york times" it is long and an extra look at the life and accomplishments of justice ruth bader ginsburg. thank you so much. coming up, we will take about the new word on when a nominee could be named. and there is a new hour of weekends with alex witt. i'm sticking around. that's next. with alex witt. i'm sticking around. that's next. s.

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good day, everyone. from msnbc world headquarters here in new york, welcomes to weekend with alex witt. today we are launching another hour of our show at 2:00 p.m. eastern. thanks for staying with us or if you are just joining us. we are going bring you up to date on the busy news day right now. as we begin in washington and the epic battle now unfoaling with many moving parts at this hour. if you missed it, we have heard from the president and senate democrats. in a moment, exactly what they are saying, and the implications this all may have ase