Friday, October 5, 2018

What Susan Collins didn’t talk about

The White House’s limits on the FBI investigation, the many potential witnesses never interviewed (there’s no possibility of corroboration without a genuine investigation), Deborah Ramirez’s allegation (for which there are contemporaneous witnesses), Brett Kavanaugh’s defensiveness and evasiveness in responding to senators’ questions, his blatant dishonesty under oath, the many doubts about his ability to be an impartial and even-tempered justice. See, for instance, American Bar Association misgivings, a letter signed by 2,400+ law professors, and former justice John Paul Stevens’s remarks.

I am trying to imagine a job candidate — for any job, anywhere — conducting herself or himself as Kavanaugh did in last Thursday’s hearing and then being hired. I can’t. Shame on Susan Collins, Jeff Flake, Joe Manchin, and the rest. Now it’s really the Twilight Zone.

comments: 3

zzi said...

The American Bar Association awarded Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh its highest rating, giving the judge a unanimous “well-qualified” score.

“The rating of ‘Well Qualified’ is reserved for those found to merit the Committee’s strongest affirmative endorsement,” the ABA states in its description of the ranking process.

Michael Leddy said...

Yes, Collins mentioned that. What she didn’t mention: Earlier misgivings about his honesty, impartiality, and open-mindedness, and the ABA president’s call for a investigation into allegations of sexual assault. And something I didn’t know about when I wrote this post — the ABA’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary is reevaluating the “well qualified” rating in light of questions about temperament. That announcement came early on Friday morning, before Collins spoke. She may not have been aware of it.

Jim and Lu K said...

About 30 years ago, I started to concern myself with the impact our voting had on the selection of Supreme Court Justices. I hope this selection has opened people's eyes.