Justice Kavanaugh Confirmation Hearing *DISCUSSION AND LIVE COMMENTARY*

[Frodo]

What disturbs me most about Brett Kavanaugh is not so much what he would do with Roe vs. Wade and Planned Parenthood vs. Casey, or his pro-corporate rulings, but his support for what is essentially an imperial presidency without accountability.  

BREAKING: A criminal complaint and judicial ethics complaint are being filed against Kavanaugh for perjury in Congressional testimony — and LOOK WHO’S REVIEWING IT! Happy Saturday, everyone! #MerrickGarland #CancelKavanaugh #StopKavanaugh #BlockBrett

https://twitter.com/kristinminkdc/status/1038396317830193153?s=21

Is this going anywhere?

[Frodo]

What disturbs me most about Brett Kavanaugh is not so much what he would do with Roe vs. Wade and Planned Parenthood vs. Casey, or his pro-corporate rulings, but his support for what is essentially an imperial presidency without accountability.  

What is the evidence for this?

Kavanough made it clear that he doesn't support investigations of a President so long as they remain in office, as well as refusing to recuse himself from any case involving the Mueller investigation. 

[Frodo]

How curious it is that Senate Republicans don't want the FBI to investigate this allegation. 

[Frodo]

How curious it is that Senate Republicans don't want the FBI to investigate this allegation. 

Not curious. This is apart of a 30 year plus strategy to "take back" the Supreme Court.

That strategy was roadblocked by the presidencies of Clinton & Obama. Trump might be their last chance to do so and they're trying their hardest to not miss that opportunity.

I made that comment because it seems they know Brett Kavanaugh is actually guilty of the allegation being made against him, but they just don't care.  Otherwise why not do everything in their power to investigate this allegation (with the help of the FBI) to the satisfaction of everyone involved?  I suspect that they intend to conduct a sham hearing designed not to get at the truth but destroy his accuser, and remove that obstacle to Kavanaugh's confirmation, and their dream of a conservative Supreme Court majority that would endure for at least a generation.     

[Frodo]

Poll: More Americans oppose Kavanaugh confirmation than support it

[Frodo]

Is there a possibility, however slight, that there will be no justice confirmed until 2021?

All these things would have to happen:

1) Kavanaugh is voted down or withdrawn
2) Dems take the Senate
3) McConnell somehow fails to get Trump's new nominee through before Noon on January 3 (resulting in the nomination being returned to the President)
4) Trump refuses to work with Feinstein on an acceptable nominee OR Feinstein plays absolute hardball and outright refuses to consider anyone
5) None of the other dems on the committee decide to rebel (a hearing can be called, and a nomination can be reported out, against the Chairman's will if a majority of the committee agrees; the committee would likely be 11-10 D. This has happened in part before btw, Loretta Lynch got out of committee despite Grassley's opposition.) OR the nomination makes it out of committee, but never gets a floor vote. (there is a way to call one without Schumer's consent btw).
6) No other SCOTUS justice dies or retires (If there are 2 vacancies at the same time, I can almost smell the grand bargain of Merrick Garland and Raymond Kethledge (or similar)).

Depends who it'd be leaving the Court, though. If it's Ginsburg or Breyer, then the Dems would be stupid to go for that deal b/c it replaces a liberal & a swing vote with liberal & a conservative, thereby making the Court 5-4 conservative; however, if it were Thomas leaving the Court, then I'd jump at the chance for that deal if I were Feinstein since replacing a conservative & a swing vote with a conservative & a liberal makes the Court 5-4 liberal.

Screw Trump -we shouldn't be making deals with him at all on anything.  Every vacancy that opens up should be kept vacant until the next time Democrats regain the trifecta.  If Trump fires Sessions and/or Rosenstein, we should not only not approve any replacement he nominates, but (following Mitch McConnell's example) also keep Congress technically in session so as to prevent any recess appointments.  

 

[Frodo]

McConnell's floor remarks today:

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So then why won't he push to have the FBI investigate these allegations (as these accusers are demanding) so we all can know what is fact, and what are uncorroborated smears?  Any why are we just getting testimony from these two?  What about the witnesses -shouldn't they also be made to testify?