The confirmation process for President Trump’s latest nominee for the Supreme Court has seemingly clipped an iceberg.
Judge Kavanaugh’s Senate hearings were beginning make his confirmation look unsinkable. He weathered the Democrat’s 2020 presidential posturing including Senator Kamala Harris’s ominous warning of “Be sure about your answer,” which turned out to be much ado about nothing and Senator Cory Booker’s “Spartacus moment.” There could be disagreements about judicial philosophy, but even most Democrats seemed to begrudgingly accept that Judge Kavanaugh was an ok person. The vote would be primarily along party lines, but what could go wrong? Apparently high school.
When Senator Feinstein produced an anonymous letter alleging sexual misconduct from so many years ago, on the surface it seemed like it could be a political stunt that would be quickly bypassed. Lurking below the surface like an iceberg, however, was the author of the letter now deciding to come forward with her story. Christine Blasey Ford, a research psychologist living in California was the credible person behind the accusations that turned the confirmation process upside down.
Republicans seem split on pausing to find out more while Democrats applied tactics to gain maximum advantage in stopping Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Through her attorney, Ford originally said she wanted to testify, but the story changed to only testify if the FBI first investigated the incident, and now is “in negotiation.” What is clear, once again, is that both political parties are willing to use the unfortunate situation for political advantage and the lives of the two people involved be damned. The press too is complicit for not being harsher on such political shenanigans by both parties. We the people, are complicit for continuing to enable a two-party system that is inept and only interested in gaining and maintaining power.
Democrats want the confirmation process to stop, Republicans want a vote as soon as possible. Regardless of what each side claims, neither side really cares a bit at what Christine Blasey Ford did or didn’t go through or who did or didn’t do it. All they care about is winning, and there is no press coverage that is calling both sides out for this political horror show.
If they cared about what happened at that party, they would take the confirmation out of the equation. If the Republicans have the votes, then figure out a bipartisan way to have the confirmation approved contingent on the findings of a full and impartial investigation. The confirmation is out of the equation then, no grandstanding games or rush to conclusion needed. Perform a full investigation that either reverses the confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh and starts the process of removing him from his current position or lets his confirmation stand and seats him on the Supreme Court, and one that gives the deserved justice and closure for Christine Blasey Ford.
Unfortunately, we already know how this story most likely will end. No real justice for the two people involved and a government and press shamelessly exploiting the issue at the expense Ford, Kavanaugh and of the country. Business as usual in Washington.
Here is my Latest on the Supreme Court nomination debacle.
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