Pay Back?
Over this past weekend, a woman has come forward in an interview with the Washington Post, identifying Brett Kavanaugh as someone who groped her at a high school house party some thirty years ago. Hmmm.
This revelation is sparking hopes among Democrats that President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee might be stopped after all. For many this is enough to call for celebration, for others this is enough to call out “fake news”.
The incident, even if true, ought not disqualify Kavanaugh. His repeated denials might be seen as a character flaw (not telling the truth) but trying to have sex with another teenage is hardly aberrant behavior if this was an isolated event. He was a youth himself and has had plenty of time to have seen the errors of his ways. Who would like to throw the first stone?
So what’s the big deal?
Many point to Robert Bork’s rejection as a Supreme Court nominee in 1987 as the end of bi-partisan review of Supreme Court nominees and the beginning of purely partisan selections. The Republican controlled Senate’s refusal to even hold hearings on Merritt Garland’s nomination in 2016 crossed the line of judicial fairness to gutter politics. With Robert Bork one could argue with a straight face that Bork legal views lay outside the norms, but with Garland, the Senate would have faced a centrist.
Judge Kavanaugh doesn’t deserve this type of smear campaign even though his judicial views are viewed as right of Chief Justice Roberts. Conservative groups, however, have worked diligently to gain a disproportional representation of their views. Adding another very conservative justice to the Court could (many say, will) tilt the Supreme Court too far right and out of step with “most” Americans.
So, will these new abuse charges hold up and represent “pay back” or will they be found lacking in merit? Stay tuned.
Explore posts in the same categories: Donald Trump, Republican Party, Supreme Court, UncategorizedTags: Brett Kavanaugh, merritt garland
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Regaining the Center 
September 18, 2018 at 11:31 am
While you make a good point about Bork and the Republicans’ refusal to hold hearings on Garland, it remains to be seen whether this a smear campaign. The “incident” in question goes beyond groping and yes teenage boys do try to have sex with teenage girls, but holding a 15-year-old girl down on the bed and placing a hand over her mouth to silence her screams is attempted rape not attempted sex. What exactly does this woman have to gain by submitting herself to the Republicans’ intended grilling of her à la Anita Hill? It seems a long way to go for payback. Could the surfacing of this allegation call into question whether the FBI was given clearance to fully investigate Kavanaugh’s past? In the context of #MeToo and the upcoming midterm elections Republicans should tread carefully. As you say, “Hmmm.”
September 18, 2018 at 12:52 pm
Your comment boldly shows a non-partisan but strongly held view more in line with #MeToo. People who use force in an attempt to get their way almost always use force in other settings too. The question whether this incident is a “one off” or a statement about Kavanaugh’s true character remains to be seen.
Thanks for your comment and strength of feeling.