My Problems with Kavanaugh and Graham

I am still bewildered by the actions of both Judge Brett Kavanaugh and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last Thursday.

The anger, no, the rage in them was shocking. But it was their blatant partisanship that ended any respect I might have for either of them.

Yes, Judge Kavanaugh was facing a humiliating time before the Senate Judiciary Committee, having to deny the allegations of sexual assault as a high school teenager. And of course, he would be angry about having his good name, his integrity questioned. After what, as far as we know, has been an exemplary life and an impressive career, it is natural he would be flustered by having all of that ignored because of things he may or may not have done in high school and college.

And yet, as a nominee for the highest court in the nation, a position that requires, even demands, an even temperament and the ability to remain politically and religiously impartial and non-partisan, he clearly failed that test last Thursday.

A person of deep maturity would be able to assess the entire situation, including the allegations and the testimony of Dr. Ford, and sort through the high stakes politics and be determined to make a compelling opening statement without the fierce, steamrolling furor and biased berating of the Democrats that Kavanaugh displayed.

I kept wanting him to open his heart to Dr. Ford, to at least in some way struggle with her experience. If he had nothing whatsoever to do with what happened to her then why not say so with utter compassion and grace? Why not emphasize his own rejection of sexual abuse in any form? Why not take time to explain, as he has surely seen in his court, the damage to women by men for years on end by thoughtless, aggressive, insecure behavior by those who have used and abused girls and women for their own pleasure and nothing else without any regard for their feelings or their future?

As a judge, an attorney, a man of faith, that is what I had expected to hear from him. Not attacks on the Clintons, not fury at some con job, some conspiratorial plot by Democrats to ruin his life. You might get that kind of response from some guy pulled off the street and accused of a crime, but not a distinguished judge, an experienced professional within the court system.

Kavanaugh’s behavior before the Committee, and even in his Fox News interview, leaves me as a citizen with enormous doubts about his qualifications to be a reasonable, unbiased and fair Supreme Court Justice.

And then there is Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. His bizarre and fanatical bawling out of Democrats and threatening his own party members who might be weighing things was preposterous. Screaming that Democrats had set all of this up for the sole reason to demolish the life and career of Judge Kavanaugh would have been laughable if it wasn’t such a hideous display of hysterics. Psychologists would have a field day with so much disturbing theatrics in the midst of a profoundly serious Senate Committee hearing.

If he wanted to make a speech he could have simply asked that both sides consider how the lives of two people have been dramatically changed by this process and that he hoped all senators would sincerely give careful thought regarding their opinions. That would have been useful.

The fact that since his outburst Graham has not backed off one bit and has plainly said, he not only would be voting for Kavanaugh whatever the FBI finds out but that he was going to vote for him before he ever even testified, is telling. How is it that Republicans can accuse Democrats of partisanship but if they openly do it, it’s perfectly legitimate? The hypocrisy reeks of foul conduct.

The Democrats want a balanced Court. What is dangerous about that? Justice Kennedy, who Kavanaugh would replace if approved, sometimes went left and sometimes right. He was mostly a conservative Justice but he was not a puppet of the far right. He could be counted on to be fair even if you didn’t agree with his rulings.

I remain disturbed by the actions of both Kavanaugh and Graham. I see little in these men to praise or honor in terms of how they behaved before the Senate Judiciary Committee and the nation.

We deserve better from our leaders.

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