Disqualified
One didn’t need to watch a minute of the Senate Circus (formerly known as the Judiciary Committee) to know that Brett Kavanaugh is probably the worst Supreme Court pick in the modern era. Republicans, hearing the blue wave approaching, are frantic to get as many deplorables on the federal bench as possible before they fade into the minority; the problem is that Trump picked the wrong guy. Kavanaugh was nominated for one reason and one reason only – he’s a hack. Almost all of his legal career has been as a political operative, giving cover for GWB and his invade-then-torture tactics and later assisting in packing the courts with other radical partisans. He’s being jammed down Americans’ throats right now because he’ll do the bidding of his masters, overturning decades of legal precedent, further eroding our fragile democracy. I vehemently disagree with judges like Roberts, Alito, and Gorsuch, but their legal qualifications and knowledge are considerable. Kavanaugh, though, like Clarence Thomas, is singularly unqualified for a seat on the highest court in the land. That’s why the Repubs had concealed over 90% of his record and were racing to a confirmation vote when Dr. Blasey Ford showed up and tossed a broom handle into their spokes.
There’s an old lawyer adage of, “When the facts are on your side, pound the facts. When the law is on your side, pound the law. When neither is on you side, pound the table.” What you saw Thursday after Dr. Blasey Ford’s almost impeccable appearance before the committee was just that – table pounding. Kavanaugh came completely unglued. Blasey Ford made him look like the towel-snapping frat boy that he is, and he knew he’d been had. His only hope was to get through to a quick vote, but as that crumbled before his eyes, his true nature came out in full fury. In declarations I don’t believe I’ve ever heard from any judicial nominee, he actually attacked Democrats on the committee and even remarkably dragged the Clintons into it. To me, if there ever was the fatal mistake, that was it. Judges, even though we know it’s not true, are supposed to be above politics. They’re supposed to be impartial. In his desperation to defend the indefensible, Kavanaugh allowed his radical partisanship to show – and he did it on national television. Combine his horrible performance with the line of accusers forming behind Blasey Ford, the chances for a quick confirmation faded, especially after wavering Jeff Flake was cornered in a Senate elevator by a sobbing survivor of sexual assault.
That’s about the time that Republicans started pounding the table. Every single one of them, all white and all male, shouted and gnashed their teeth. Their voices trembled with rage as their smash and grab theft of another Supreme Court seat was stymied.
Who knows what’s going to come of this catastrophe. Republicans have shown themselves to simply be stooges for the worst president in US history, possessing neither shame or backbone. They are willing to sacrifice our republic to perpetuate their own power and their own twisted world view. Worse, their nominee for the highest court in the land is the same. He’s a spoiled little rich kid who started life on third base who’s goal is to keep normal people from getting to first base. If he gets to the court, you can kiss the principles of fair play, equality, privacy, and voting rights goodbye.
Here, here, and three cheers for El Jefe for succinctly summarizing the Koat Hangar nomination and the perils coming if this injudicious nomination makes it to the SCOTUS bench!
When Brett’s friend and fellow fiend changed his name to a fictitious Bart O’Cavanaugh, he missed. Brett is no Bart Simpson. In fact he’s neither Beavis or Butthead, nor nearly as charming. Brett is a full out Santorum style Opus Dopey dominionist and as antithetic to democracy as Donnie the wannabe totalitarian dictator.
In any other time the above might appear as hyperbolic. But it isn’t folks. Not today. The dominionist desire to control our courts for the next 50+ years and beyond is as great or greater than what the Nazi Party proposed to do to world order.
1The sexual assault aside, I do not man it is unimportant or that I do not believe that Dr Ford spoke the truth. Kavanaugh’s opening remarks were frightening. All that conspiracy shouting , ranting about the Democrat and the Clintons was a mental episode of some kind. I was very alarmed to him him say, “what goes around comes around “that was a threat! This is not what a Supreme could judge should be like. Yes, opinions by all means but that ranting and shouting is unacceptable on the highest court in the land.
2Maymoon, exactly what you say: “…that ranting and shouting is unacceptable on the highest court in the land.”
The snacilbupeR lost all sense of decorum in the Senate when Teddie Crooze and Traitor Cotton were not thoroughly sanctioned, then shown the door. This is where ‘leadership’ ‘itch McConnell style has led.
3“…that ranting and shouting is unacceptable on the highest court in the land.”
Yet the primary practicionaire scalia engaged in this during his foul tenure on the supreme court. coupled with thomas’s tacturn hostility the thuglicans have already trashed the supreme court’s reputation, honesty examples of bush v. gore where at least 2 members should have recused themselves from anointing the twit,or shelby county where delusional court declared racism to be nonexistent or citizens united where bribery and corruption are to be ignored since money is speech ( buckley v. Valio)
So what would be different? Don’t people realize that the “law” is suppose to be the sword and sheild of the 1% with the judges as the mercs hired to weild that sword and sheild.
4WitH THE dramatic sense of entitlement demonstrated it would appear that the next high profile court for him might be domestic as soon as he finds a reason to blame his (unfortuantely) female wife- since ,of course, he as a white male, could never be responsible for any of this.
5Were the no Democrats in the room to counter the what goes around comes around and see how we treat your next nominee for SCOTUS? No one to say Merrick Garland? I don’t get it!
6Excellent take El Jefe.
The Republicans have become fond of the “Red” motif in their ads and flyers recently. Kavanaugh doesn’t just follow along by raising a red flag with his actions, he’s got a cemetery full of red flags flying over the gravestones of his victims, women known and unknown, minorities, truth, fairness, even justice…
7What flashed through my mind when Kavanaugh went on his rant was Warren Zevon singing “Excitable Boy.”
8Oh, they did, but every time they did, Grassley would cite the non-existent “Biden rule”.
9The Warren Court conditioned folks to consider the Supreme Court as a defender of civil rights. The Roberts Court will likely bring back the ultra-conservative Supreme Court of the 1930s and before, when federal child labor laws were deemed unconstitutional infringement of the right to contract.
To everyone who sat out the 2016 election, this is the result.
10Heard recently from someone who lives far and away from this madding crowd. Opinion from this pilgrim is this: Kav has way too much noise boiling around his nomination. Its the kind of noise that the Rethugs desperately do not want because they know it can take down their boy. Have uncrossed my fingers to type this. Now crossing them again.
11As an oldie, I remember when Nixon (?) tried to put two empty robes named Clement Haynesworth and G. Harrold Carswell on the SC. One Repub. senator memorably said, “Even mediocre people have a right to representation.” They didn’t get past committee because they just weren’t distinguished enough. All this was pre-Watergate, so Nixon wasn’t just looking for judges who would protect him. It now seems like a golden age, long ago.
12@El Jefe
“Oh, they did, but every time they did, Grassley would cite the non-existent “Biden rule”.”
What I find perversly sick about all of this is that what the thuglicans are doing is exactly what biden was warning against.
With an election looming the a thuglican justice conspired with the white house to game the system and have his choosen successor take his seat.
13( next time it could be daughter or son establishing the supreme court as property of a hereditary appointment)
What biden was addressing was the possibility of the thuglicans facing a losing electoral cycle and in cabal with an ideological aging justice plot to have the justice retire to enable the thuglicans to keep possession of the seat.
Remember this was during the election when perjurer poppa was going down and there was talk of having Sandra Day retire so a reliable nutcase could be placed on the court to prevent a seat opening up for a D president to fill.
Exactly what kennedy, demented donnie and kavanaugh are attempting right now.
It did not address situations where a seat became vacant because of death or other mis adventure.
So after mis applying biden’s comments for a year to protect slime ball majority on supreme court they now explicitly violate the lesson of that warning to railroad another wholly owned whack job onto the court.
I just got back from a four day Holiday In Vegas on Fremont Street. There are very many fun freaks there. I had a wonderful time and actually made a few bucks. It is fun and cheap adult Disneyland.
14In the hotel room, I would go to sleep at 6 am till 10 and then watch the hearings. Bart O’Kavanaught was… you know belligerent.
Bluemeadow, I had the same thought about why Committee Democrats didn’t put him back in his place when he lost it. Looking back, I think they didn’t want to interrupt his own grave digging.
15The fix is in.
Investigation very limited. Lies cannot be investigated. Credible charges of sexual assault cannot be investigated.
What other restrictions are included to white wash their pet jurist?
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/white-house-limits-scope-fbi-s-investigation-allegations-against-brett-n915061
16There has to be something unseemly for the FBI to uncover in Kavanaugh’s closet, else why were Grassley and his henchmen so anxious to avoid it? Likewise the 90% of his doumented record. Shakespear had just the words for it: “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” And the smell is getting stronger.
17should have been, “documented record…”
18What’s one week to investigate compared with the rest of his life on the Supreme Court?
But gotta move fast before the election! Don’t want to let the American people have a say! That’s not the GOP way!
19As someone who has spent a lot of time in VA therapy groups, and talking to friends from the VA. He was drunk.
20Trump has just made it impossible to have a real FBI investigation. No looking into Kavanaugh’s drinking, no interviewing other women making accusations, a list of people the FBI can actually speak with. Limited only to what Trump and his “golden boy” actually want to talk about.
This is a complete and total set up to make people believe an actual real investigation will be done. The truth is this is a sham that will find absolutely nothing wrong that Kavanaugh ever did. He’s just a poor little victim who’s been treated soooo unfairly. And the Republicans will gloat and ram the confirmation through the Senate in a few days shouting from the rooftops that the Dems were just trying to obstruct and keep their wonderful choir boy Kav from his rightful spot on the Supreme Court.
I am so angry I think my head will explode!
21Mike @ #8 Perfect soundtrack! But then I’ve had the ear worm of “Send lawyers, guns, and money. The **** has hit the fan. “ since November 2016.
22Good summary.
23And guess what? Ted Cruz has “postponed” his scheduled debate with Beto. I’d bet cash money it somehow doesn’t get held. Coward.
Imma just leave this here –
24the Whole Rod Rosenstein episode last weekend, orchestrated by the “West Wing Writers room” and using it’s favorite “WE hate you, but here, print this” NY times, was the set up just in case this fascist sham came to this…”
El Jefe:
25Perfectly said.
Indeed, the NSGOP possesses neither shame nor backbone. It almost makes me wish for the old days, when they and Senator Joe McCarthy showed at least a semblance of both.
26What none of our stupid Senators ever said (but damn well should have):
“Judge Kavanaugh you once said – and this is a direct quote from you – that ‘The Supreme Court must never be viewed as a political institution.’ Yet earlier today you went on an extended rant against the Clintons, left-wing groups, and talk of political conspiracy theories. BY YOUR OWN STANDARDS you have failed to meet the standards for being on the court so why should we even bother voting on your appointment?”
27Harriet Miers was a worse pick. She had no experience (neither does he with prosecution or defense or civil cases), but hers was even more limited than his.
28The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. WHO PAID KAVANAUGH’S whopping big ($200,000 ) debt,which mysteriously disappeared before the hearing? and did the seme person or group make the downpayment on his house? What did they hope to get for the donation?
29Snoop in his accountant’s or bank’s books.