In this current Trump reality, many feel as if their hands are tied. Of all the players involved, none feel the pain of inability to effect change so acutely as the Democratic Party.
The collective performance of opposition members on the Senate Judiciary Committee during the first day of Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings was one for the record books. But instead of taking a legitimate stand against the nominee, their deliberate and continued calls for adjournment were nothing but last-ditch attempts from a group resigned to a future failure. They know they can do nothing.
On Tuesday, Democrats spent a total of 80 minutes before the hearing’s official start trying to stall the proceedings. Eventually, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, was able to give his opening remarks and the disgruntled minority could do nothing but go on a wild ride that they themselves had put into motion. It was an exhausting rehearsal of what is sure to follow in the remaining days.
But the two parties in the chamber are not on equal footing. The circus on display in front shows this glaring reality: the Democrats need to make it appear as if they’re actually doing something. Like disinterested students who work to give an impression of diligence while under the watchful eyes of their teacher, these committee members present themselves as honestly invested in a process they’ve predetermined to avoid.
[Also read: Trump calls Kavanaugh hearing an ‘audition for the presidency’ for Democrats]
Blumenthal: We need more time to review documents in a deliberative & thoughtful manner.
Blumenthal in July: “Judge Kavanaugh, you don’t belong in this building as a justice…you should not be serving in this building as a Supreme Court justice…I will be a ‘no’ vote.”
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) September 4, 2018
The issue is not the amount of documentation provided in order to review the nominee, which has been shown to be more than substantial. The time allotted between nomination and hearings, which at 57 days is longer than that of Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Neil Gorsuch, is not concerning.
No, foremost in the minds of Democrats on the committee and outside of it is that a Kavanaugh confirmation would place a stranglehold on bench legislation. And that is most unsettling to those who seem to depend upon it.
Too often, Democrats rely on the judiciary to advance their causes. They view it as a partner in the lawmaking process rather than a separate body whose purpose is to interpret.
In addition, Democrats in Congress, who fancy themselves the purveyors of morality, consider their work especially courageous in light of who is in the Oval Office. Opposing Trump’s agenda by way of protesting his nominee is as close to a real, defiant battle as they’re going to get. In their eyes, Judge Brett Kavanaugh is not his own person with a unique and well-documented past; he is an extension of President Trump. He is not worthy of consideration based on his own words and actions – he is approved by their greatest political enemy, therefore, he must be stopped.
That attitude turns what should be a rather formulaic affair into a chaotic presentation for the audience at large. The going narrative is that the Democrats are fighting. They’re battling for equality, women’s reproductive rights, voting rights, protections for LGBT Americans, and to control guns. Naturally, the nominee and his supporters hate all of those ideas and interest groups.
Kavanaugh would have a direct impact on the air our children breathe, voting rights, and whether millions of Americans have access to health care. He is a threat to our future and our children’s future.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 4, 2018
Democrats are eager to paint Judge Kavanaugh as a wild jurist without the intellectual skills and abilities to properly carry out the task of an impartial Supreme Court justice. While it’s true that the opposition would act this way toward any high court nominee from any Republican president, the combination of President Trump and the looming midterm elections creates a perfect storm. In the midst of the squall, Democrats pass themselves off as working for the people.
Instead, they work for themselves.
While they grill the nominee on his morality and fairness, they are motivated by the desire to strip away the protections of life and liberty. The hearings are a clash between politically-driven incompetence and reasoned jurisprudence. There can be no measured back-and-forth when one party is wholly driven by agenda and the other swears to honesty and the rule of law.
Unfortunately for the politicians assembled in the chamber, regular Americans can see through the charade. Remember, voters know who these elected officials are even before they puff up for the cameras. Who don’t they know? Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
In his opening remarks, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., concluded with this truthful barb: “…You can’t lose the election and pick judges. If you want to pick judges, you better win.” Elections have consequences, and this is one of them.
In 2016, the Democrats lost the presidential election because they misjudged their constituents and a dark horse candidate. Now they’re scrambling to make themselves appear honestly invested in the task at hand when it was their cocksure attitude and laziness, two things we see on full display during the hearings, that brought the Democrats to this very point in the first place.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a senior contributor at RedState.com.
