Displaying items by tag: US Supreme Court

At the time of this writing, we less than one hour away from US Senator Susan Collins of Maine telling us that she has decided to back Judge Kavanaugh which will tilt the Supreme Court to the right, most likely for the balance of my life time.

There is a sense of desperation in the halls of the Capitol for many Democrats. A thick blue cloud has fallen upon their hopes, choking them, possibly for decades to come.  The time for praying is over. It's time to pack up the rights for which they have fought and pack them up, for now. The bright days ahead for them will need to see another moment.

I have been silent on the issue as to whether I believe he should be disqualified on the basis of his politics. Despite what he claims in the Wall Street Journal last night when he said he will be independent, his behavior of the past few weeks and shown anything but. Susan Collins might cite his claims as a reason for her support, but, if she does, not many will believe her.

After several weeks of seeing President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee abused by Democrats, grassroots Republicans are furious. Judge Brett Kavanaugh has been accused of gang rape, exposure, groping, sexual harassment, drunkenness, rowdiness and uncontrollable anger.

Demery’s is the bar where SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh got into a fight in 1985. The fracas required police intervention and  a member of his party was arrested. The altercation started when Kavanaugh tossed a drink at another patron after a verbal engagement. In close proximity to Yale, the bar no longer exists but was widely known as a wild joint known for its Friday night brawls and underage drinking.

The losers in the Sept. 27, 2018 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Donald Trump’s SCOTUS nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, were the Supreme Court and women. The court took a hit because of the nominee’s erratic showing and women lost, predictably, when they mattered less to Republicans than Kavanaugh’s reputation. The majority’s patronization became clearer over time, culminating in a leading senator’s rant.

I waited for the hearing yesterday, desperately trying to have an open mind whether Brett Kavanaugh had the qualifications to be our next Supreme Court justice.  Regrettably, I feel my conclusions are clear and compelling. Judge Brett Kavanaugh not only should be investigated for not telling the truth but he absolutely should not be our next US Supreme court Justice.  Here is a rough sketch as to my basic reasons why I now feel so strongly.

Whatever the final result over the confirmation battle of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, one thing is becoming more urgent.  The court itself has a crisis of legitimacy. And one way to restore its genuineness is to require term limits for all future judges. 

The Supreme Court of old was more majestic with few periods of confrontation.  Just a decade ago, 2/3rds of Americans had great confidence in the Court.  No more. There’s trouble brewing in those marble temple walls. Confidence in the workings of the court and the Justices themselves have dropped to a mere 50% approval rating. 

In 1991, Clarence Thomas, nominated for the Supreme Court by President George H. W. Bush, was facing unfair and unprecedented attacks from partisan Democrats.

A former co-worker, Anita Hill, had accused Thomas of making unwanted sexual advances, discussing pornography at work and making a crude reference to a pubic hair on a can of coke. Once her allegations were revealed to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Hill was invited to give her testimony. The nation was riveted as Hill, the alleged victim, totally trashed the good name of a man who had spent a lifetime building his reputation.  

Today, the White House, on full-court mode, has attacked the Democrats for what President Trump's administraton called, "an embarrassment". Here are the article passages it has promoted to the media and others and placed on its website:

With one recent Supreme Court Justice confirmed and another just appointed by President Trump, the issue of televising hearings before the nation’s highest court will surely be discussed. The Supremes have stood steadfastly against letting the public watch the cases argued before them, even though the court’s decisions can often have major implications for every American. The Constitution guarantees that trials are public and open to everyone.  And what could be more public than televising a criminal trial for the whole world to see?

Oyez, Oyez! Donald Trump should appoint himself to the Supreme Court, which would confer significant advantages on him, the nation, and a judiciary already burdened with cases that pertain to the president, in official and private capacities. The only requirement to be a supreme court justice is senate confirmation and Mike Pence, surely, would cast any tiebreaker in Trump’s favor because it’d make Pence president, however briefly.