Decorum is dead in the Senate. This was supposed to be the last bastion of good taste in federal government, the lone holdout of traditions and politeness during even the most heated moments. It’s gone now. Today’s U.S. Senate is a shell of its former self.
That aspect of American politics has been deteriorating for a while, but the way it has manifested during the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court confirmation embodies the kill shot that will put the Senate down for good. It’s coming from both sides, though most heavily from the Democrats who are so bent on stopping confirmation that they’re willing to use any tactic imaginable.
Let’s set aside the details of the last-minute bombshell Dianne Feinstein dropped on the confirmation. A former high school acquaintance of Kavanaugh’s claims he sexually assaulted her. Whether her allegations are true or not are now in the court of public opinion; any hopes of proving or disproving the allegations are pointless. What’s truly important here is the timing. Doing it now for maximum effect is 100% political. She first learned of the allegations in July. To drop them now is the most disgusting use of political maneuvering I’ve seen from Feinstein.
However, that’s not even the most important failure by the Senate during the hearings, the lead up to them, and the aftermath. Democrats have acted like petulant brats from the outset. They’ve turn the confirmation process into a mockery, a venue through which some can propel their presidential aspirations, and a way to score political points through their outbursts.
Take, for example, the questions they sent to Kavanaugh. To say the sheer number of them is unprecedented is a gigantic understatement. The previous 163 Supreme Court nominees have had 1247 total questions submitted to them over the centuries by the Senate. Kavanaugh has had 1278.
Let that sink in. Then ask yourself about the reason they’ve submitted so many. Would the answers have swayed any of them? Most declared they were not going to vote in favor of Kavanaugh well before the hearings even started. If they weren’t going to change their minds based upon the answers, why ask them?
Democrats are acting like wounded dogs backed into a corner. They aren’t; if they played their cards right they could take the House and Senate this year. However, they either don’t recognize the position of potential strength they’re in or they lack the strategic intellect to handle the situation properly.
It could also be a matter of the hammer and the nail. They’ve wielded the victim card so adeptly for decades. It’s their hammer. If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
Through their tantrums, they’re destroying an important aspect of our republic. The Supreme Court is supposed to be the apolitical branch of government. It is not supposed to be weaponized for political gains and should never be the vehicle on which other branches ride to their political aspirations. The Democrats’ behaviors during this confirmation have set an unfortunate precedent. They are driven by fear and using this as their opportunity to lead the resistance. Unfortunately, they’re treading on the one component of national government that is supposed to be insulated from such activities.
If Kavanaugh was unqualified or demonstrated perspectives that ran contrary to the Constitutional mandate given to the Supreme Court, I could understand taking such drastic measures. He is very qualified and seems to be the most Constitution-friendly potential Justice since Clarence Thomas. The Democrats choose to ignore these things because of who nominated him and the potential for control of the Senate in a few months.
It’s a precedent that could turn all future Supreme Court nominations into circuses. That’s not what this nation needs now or ever.
While Republicans are not completely innocent in their handling of Kavanaugh’s confirmation, Democrats have been absolutely rotten, incorrigible, and childish. Their desperation is pitiful and should be remembered on election day.