Kavanaugh’s hearings are a national disaster — and the worst is yet to come. By Michael Goodwin.
This is a golden age for cynics. You will rarely go wrong in assuming an absence of decency and courage in the political class. However low the bar is set, it will not be low enough.
Witness how the confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh started as cheap theater and ended in bloodsport. The process by which we elevate someone to the highest court in the land sunk to the lowest common denominator — and didn’t stop. …
It’s one-way traffic:
Friday’s agreement to give the FBI a week to supplement its background check by looking into existing misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh guarantees the nightmare will continue, especially for him and his battered family. …
The extension is the devil’s bargain Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake struck with his conscience. …
Dems and their media handmaidens were quick to praise Flake for his “bipartisanship,” a term they reserve for when a Republican crosses over to pass liberal initiatives.
But the favor is rarely returned, and there is no Democrat equivalent to Flake or Susan Collins of Maine. Even when more centrist Dems vote with Republicans, they never supply the crucial votes, joining only as add-ons to a majority. …
The left is squarely to blame for the partisanship and lack of decency this time:
The left used the same character-assassination tactics on previous occasions when they couldn’t defeat strong conservative Supreme Court nominees on the merits. …
There is no modern GOP equivalent to those tactics. As Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) reminded the nation in his fiery denunciation, he voted for both of Barack Obama’s nominees, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.
Looking at Democrats, Graham angrily declared, “I would never do to them what you’ve done to this guy!”
The left’s cheating of 60 years is being called, and they are furious:
While there is no moral or principled defense for the Dems’ conduct, the explanation is that they are terrified of Kavanaugh because he would be the fifth constitutional conservative on the court.
That would be a death knell to much of their party’s game plan because the left has used the courts for 60 years to get big-government policies imposed on the nation that they couldn’t get through legislation. …
It’s going to get worse:
Schumer, who pledged to fight the nomination “with everything I have,” aims to keep the court seat open and use it as a rallying cry to help retake the Senate in the midterms.
He would then become majority leader and able to block anyone Trump picks. And if Dems also take the House and try to impeach Trump, Schumer would use that effort as a reason not even to consider any Trump nominations.
