In a sane world, this would have been enough to disqualify him on the spot

[robkelk]

CBC News Analysis: Brett Kavanaugh exposed his political grudges — now faith in a neutral Supreme Court may be lost for decades

How can this person be expected to be impartial when judging the Constitutionality of laws? He's shown himself to have a bias against a particular political party - that can be held against him if he is asked to judge any bills that were written or moved by that particular party. (And it doesn't matter which political party that is.)

That should have been enough to remove him from consideration then and there.

[classicdrogn]

Exremeophile American politics at work, I think - we'd be much better off if there were at least five political parties so they had to actually work together to form coalitions big enough to get their way, rather than being able to clump up around Us-or-Them issues and double down to try to stack things in their favor whichever one ends up in control, for all the Libertarians piss into the wind trying to be a serious third option.

[Dartz]

That's what they want.

Because now they can use the same excuse to attack any alternative judge. You say this guy might be biased, why won't your guy be biased against us? We know we're lying, so how can we be sure you're telling the truth?

We know we've got a big lie on our side, so obviously anything *they* say about us is just another lie to discredit us. Eventually, everybody is untrustworthy. Everybody lies. Even if they don't. Because, ultimately, it's now the new normal.

Why wouldn't they?

The only thing left is whether your side, or their side wins. Because...... that's just the way things are now.

[Jinx999]

I'm personally surprised anyone believes the judges of the US supreme court aren't partisan. The parties have been competing to appoint their own people or prevent the appointment of one by the other party for as long as I've been aware of it.

[robkelk]

Then you have a broken system.

[Norgarth]

Then you have a broken system.

And this is news?

[Dartz]

The point is that the system is so broken, people would rather ignore it and let it do its thing and instead just focus on their day -to-day lives clinging on. It's just normally defective .

It's working exactly as intended.

[Labster]

Everyone is aware the judges are partisan, it's just the first time it's been so overt.  There's a difference between looking for a conservative interpretation of a law, and calling your problems "revenge for the Clintons".  I watched his testimony; while it seemed to cheer the GOP Senators, I thought it was just an awful showing.

Honestly, even if you assume the allegations of the women are false, I believe that there's enough to impeach Brett Kavanaugh from his post on the Federal Circuit Court.

• I am almost certain he perjured himself in downplaying how much alcohol he drank while young, as there are many witnesses who said he drank a lot.  Saying "I like beer" several times in a single answer doesn't really help the case.
  
• In what was essentially a job interview, he became angry at the people interviewing him several times, which showed he lacks judicial temperament.  I'd get angry too, but I'm also unqualified to be a judge.  A judge should respect the process, not lash out at those who are part of the process -- especially given that he had a week to prepare and calm down.
  
• The blatant partisan attacks were so vehement that it calls into question his ability to avoid bias on any case that touches on politics.  On both the Supreme Court and the Federal Circuit, that's most cases.
  
• He misrepresented the law when he said that it was legal to drink at age 18, which was not possible during his lifetime where he lived.  I would expect judges to not lie about basic facts like that.
  

If Kavanaugh gets confirmed, I will consider him an illegitimate justice, one that has no right to hold the office.  Note that I don't feel that way about Justice Gorsuch, Trump's other appointee.

[Dartz]

Linked from God knows where....

[LynnInDenver]

If Kavanaugh gets confirmed, I will consider him an illegitimate justice, one that has no right to hold the office.  Note that I don't feel that way about Justice Gorsuch, Trump's other appointee.

The only reason to feel that Gorsuch is illegitimate is the way the Republicans stonewalled Obama's pick for the seat with almost a full fucking year.

If we don't get a blue wave in the midterms, I fear we're in for either a continuing downward spiral as the Republicans find more ways to consolidate, followed by a LOT of civil unrest as what they're doing becomes untenable as they decide that it's time to take away what little they've been allowing us to cling to for existence.

[Labster]

Dirty legislative tricks are part and parcel of democracy, going at least back to the Roman republic when the Pontifex could decide whether or not that year needed a extra month (Mercedonius), thus shortening or lengthening the length of other people's terms.

The way they treated Merrick Garland was wrong, but they'll pay the price.  Defect too often, and the other side will learn to defect too.  Basic game theory.  In fact, that's what Republican Senators think is happening now.  But Democrats, we're all-in on the "MeToo" movement, as society has changed in the past two years in ways they just don't understand yet.

Republicans are not reading the zeitgeist right, and on Thursday the managed to take the least-worst option off the table -- no one will believe it if Kavanaugh has a change of heart, and withdraws his own nomination.  Not after that tirade.  So the remaining options are:

• Trump withdraws the nomination, and lets the liberals win.  He immediately nominates someone else, someone who will make it through in the lame duck session. This will never happen, despite it being the best remaining choice for Republicans.
  
• The Senate narrowly defeats Kavanaugh, and will possibly to get a new nominee through in the lame duck session (but now it's a week, maybe more later).  This will cost the GOP in the upcoming election in terms of motivating its base.
  
• The vote is pulled, which is functionally equivalent to the above, but allows people to save a little more face.  This play may be accidentally scuttled via Twitter because Trump watches the wrong episode of Hannity.
  
• The Senate confirms him on a very narrow, party-line vote.  Their base will be motivated this time, but they will lose women voters for a generation.  Respect for the Supreme Court will decrease, probably for about the same length of time.
  

It all makes me think back to HPMoR, where one of the things Harry must learn is when he is losing, to lose as fast as possible.  And we're at the stage here that I'm wondering, do Republicans even realize that they're losing?

[classicdrogn]

Considering I heard "Rape-ublican party" jokes from presumably unrelated people in two different places yesterday (and thought of it myself days ago, but thought it was too crass to use) they'd better. Probably some morning radio DJ came out with it or something and people were copying them, but still. Local grocery and a donut shop. It's in the air.

[Rajvik]

Considering I heard "Rape-ublican party" jokes from presumably unrelated people in two different places yesterday (and thought of it myself days ago, but thought it was too crass to use) they'd better. Probably some morning radio DJ came out with it or something and people were copying them, but still. Local grocery and a donut shop. It's in the air.

This isn't new. They did the same thing back in 91 when it was Clarence Thomas they were vilifying.

[robkelk]

Clarence Thomas never had his day in court. Let's change history this time around.

If Kavanugah is innocent, he should appreciate being able to face his accuser in a court of law.

[Rajvik]

Considering that all four of HER witnesses are saying that they have no idea what she is going on about, they can't. It is called lack of evidence.

[hazard]

Except that Kavanaugh's response to the accusations and requests for an investigation are indicating that there's something there that he doesn't want known. If you're innocent your best is to call the bluff of a false accusation because the investigation isn't going to turn up more than 'reading between the lines there might be something here but all evidence points more towards nothing.'

And you can bet that one of the first things the FBI will do/have done in the currently ongoing investigation is take a good, long time interviewing Dr. Blasey-Ford, to see if there's any holes where there shouldn't be. Particularly if previously she didn't have any, or filled them in later.


Anyway, the sexual misconduct allegations aside, even if I did like his political leanings his utter incapability to be impartial and control himself when put under pressure as well as his constant evasiveness and declarations that he's not answering hypothetical questions render him unsuitable to any position of judicial authority.

I'd have had more respect for him if he'd coolly answered such questions with 'I'm not going to comment on cases that are liable to end up before the Supreme Court so as to avoid biasing myself.' I mean, he's getting interviewed to become a Supreme Court Justice, He's going to have to handle hypothetical and theoretical questions regarding the law. It's going to be part of his job.

[Matrix Dragon]

...

Your President is a horrible monster with no sense of shame or decency.

[classicdrogn]

... we know.

[Rajvik]

Any one stupid enough to look at an investigation and say "Sure, go ahead, I have nothing to hide." in this political climate, is naive to the point of near stupidity. When a DEMOCRAT nominates someone, its against the rules for anyone to question their appointees, and yet we have Chuck Schumer saying this the morning after Kavenaugh's appointment announcement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br4r1oxsDJA

Thats a CBS interview, so no claiming anti-democrat bias. What the democrats have done is dirty pool, regardless of the credibility of the accusation, (to which there, according to the sex crimes prosecutor that the republicans brought in to ask their questions of Dr Ford, is none)

now some of you will claim that what the Republicans did with Obama's choice was also dirty pool, to a degree i can agree with you on that. But what the effect of what they did with that appointment was say, "We are not calling a confirmation vote, because we are not going to confirm you." was it blatently political, yes. But at least they were honest about it.

[Bob Schroeck]

When a DEMOCRAT nominates someone, its against the rules for anyone to question their appointees,

Weren't paying attention to the last year of the Obama administration, were you?

[robkelk]

Another person has stepped forward with allegations relevant to this case.

That's a not-even-in-the-USA-news-organization article, so no claiming anti-anybody bias.

[Mamorien]

Another person has stepped forward with allegations relevant to this case.

That's a not-even-in-the-USA-news-organization article, so no claiming anti-anybody bias.

It's a Canadian source, though, and thus suspect as coming from a socialisthellhole.

[robkelk]

I know that's a joke. (Canada can't be a hellhole - it freezes over every year.)

So, equally balanced against everybody, then?

[Kilroy]

And you can bet that one of the first things the FBI will do/have done in the currently ongoing investigation is take a good, long time interviewing Dr. Blasey-Ford, to see if there's any holes where there shouldn't be. Particularly if previously she didn't have any, or filled them in later.

Maybe not:
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-bat...estigation

https://twitter.com/frankthorp/status/10...7485177856

[Rajvik]

Rob,

The person that article is talking about, her accusations were debunked almost immediately by the accusations themselves. Who in their right mind would go to a series of parties where that occurred, her saying it was not only well known but common?

Bob, as I have said, that was the republicans way of not embarrassing him by bringing him forward and then denying him. At that point as now, the republicans are in power, they get to set the speed to which these things go, just like the deems did when they were in power.