Opinion: Al Franken on the Kavanaugh Supreme Court Hearings.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/09/07/brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court-hearings-showcase-republican-hypocrisy-column/1215578002/Recall that, in his opening remarks at the White House ceremony announcing his nomination, Judge Kavanaugh praised President Donald Trumps diligence, declaring that no president has ever consulted more widely, or talked with more people from more backgrounds, to seek input about a Supreme Court nomination.
Kavanaugh's lie should disqualify him
This was extremely untrue. President Barack Obama, for example, had taken a month or close to it to pick both Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. Trump had taken just 12 days to make his pick. And, of course, he made that pick from a list of 25 names presented to him by the right-wing Federalist Society.
If judgment matters, and if we want judges who make their judgments based on a full and fair understanding of the facts, a big, fat, easily debunked lie like Kavanaughs should have been instantly disqualifying. Instead, it became just the first example of how Kavanaughs selection to the Supreme Court represents a perfect illustration of what the conservative movement has been doing to the judicial system for decades.
Kavanaugh is the very model of a young, archconservative judge who has been groomed for moments like this one precisely because conservative activists know that he will issue expansive, activist rulings to further their agenda. Advancing the goals of the Republican Party and the conservative movement starting by lavishing obviously nonsensical praise on a president whose own staff, per this weeks anonymous New York Times op-ed, considers him to be an unstable idiot who operates out of whim thats what Kavanaugh is there to do.
And no matter how much civics-class pabulum we get from Republicans on the Judiciary Committee this week, make no mistake: Theyre in on it.
Eliot Rosewater
(31,106 posts)across the aisle prez in history , when the FACtS were he was the MOST those things
No prez in history tried harder than he did to bridge the gap but all they could see was skin tone and they hated his skin tone
yonder
(9,654 posts)procon
(15,805 posts)himself to build a new political career. He should write more essays and op ed pieces, slowly get on the talk show circuit in advance of running again in 2020.
BigmanPigman
(51,564 posts)SCVDem
(5,103 posts)With his public image.
He did nothing to warrant being railroaded by a bunch of cowards! Now they have regrets?
Fuck them!
procon
(15,805 posts)Can draw America and the states freehand?
KPN
(15,635 posts)pecosbob
(7,533 posts)for 300,000,000 people. I'm beyond despair...I'm to the point where I'm hoping for divine intervention like a meteor striking the White House.
mountain grammy
(26,598 posts)rzemanfl
(29,554 posts)the party. "Guilty when charged" is not the American way, lady.
FreepFryer
(7,077 posts)trueblue2007
(17,189 posts)I don't like it when anonymous attacks take down good people. How in the world can a person defend themselves against ;;;;; well anonymous said this or anonymous did that ???
calimary
(81,085 posts)Last edited Sat Sep 8, 2018, 05:02 PM - Edit history (1)
OR forgetting.
Especially considering his accusers, Miss Alt-right hate radio Roger Stone dirty-trickster and the woman at some Minnesota county fair who sought a photo with him and then whined that he touched my waist.
Full disclosure - I believe the many women who came forward with real, genuine, and legitimate complaints. I believe those who felt the need to seek counsel from attorneys like Gloria Allred. I know enough about Gloria Allred, personally, to regard any case in which shes involved as rock-solid, carefully considered and researched, and credible. I fully support the #metoo movement. I know too many women whove had serious encounters not to be taken lightly, who deserve to see justice done.
But when partisan character assassins conspire to exploit the legitimate attention and corrective response that legitimate victims have AND deserve, it just cheapens the whole crisis. And robs it of credibility. And makes a total mockery of the efforts of actual victims of sexual assault and exploitation, and sets back the serious claimants trying to seek justice.
Besides, anything that has Roger Stone involved with it - intrinsically stinks to high Heaven.
Guilded Lilly
(5,591 posts)upon millions who are harassed and abused daily. Hourly. The liars are not to be respected. Either gender.
The entire Franken pile-on made me sick to my stomach.
Especially from those in the Democratic Party.
Especially from those in the party who may have political ambition that just might have been affected by the strength of Senator Franken.
Nah, I wont forget very soon.
zentrum
(9,865 posts)Please come back into the arena soon.
BlueJac
(7,838 posts)turbinetree
(24,683 posts)Le Grand Pronounceur
(78 posts)and you're left with Al Franken on the Supreme Court. I could definitely live with that.
FakeNoose
(32,556 posts)Just sayin'
I do love Al Franken and I hope he gets a chance to return to Congress.
However I doubt he'll ever become a federal judge or SCOTUS justice.
maddiemom
(5,106 posts)karin_sj
(808 posts)Al Franken should still be in the Senate, helping to fight this terrible threat to the future of our country and democracy. We lost such a great mind and strong voice when he was unfairly booted out of the Senate because some Democrats decided to lump him together with some truly horrific abusers of women in order to gain points with the Me Too movement. He wanted to have an investigation but wasn't allowed to. I'm glad he is still speaking out as a private citizen.
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)Nitram
(22,755 posts)maddiemom
(5,106 posts)I'm so glad that you are keeping involved and speaking out. DON'T STOP. You came to the public's attention as a comedian, albeit on a politically oriented show. I'm well aware that your educational background is more impressive in terms of politics than many who hold national office (hey, my state actually sent Rick Santorum to the Senate). I guess you had your reasons for buckling under to what was a real "witch hunt," but no Republican would have given up under the circumstances. Just stay with us, OK?