I find The NY Times editorial board to be truly representative of the ideals this country was founded upon, however, your paper is partly responsible for this mess because the orientation of The Times is evidently as influenced by the reality of our times as is Congress, the Nation, and now evidently, SCOTUS. In 2008 we had a a calamitous economic meltdown. Prior to that, there was a financial engineering that evolved from Reagan through Clinton that made ‘08 inevitable. Much of it was a facade masking an unsustainable system that did eventually collapse because the fundamentals were rotten to the core. Yesterday’s glowing report I’m afraid is doing the same. Because The Times chose to reflect what happened to save the system rather than reveal what took it down you made all of what Kavanaugh represents by way of the further rot of our legal system inevitable. This weeks revelation of the real Trump was what many of us expect from our countries finest investigative body. But maybe in the age of social media and an epidemic of belligerent ignorance, as displayed by the Republicans, the truth be damned. Why? Because the greatest engineered financial fraud and cover up in history took place and The Times obfuscated much of it as has Trump in every direction and Kavanaugh in the most egregious manner imaginable. Is it time to proclaim like young Elton did in ‘71 “God is dead and the War’s begun?”
14
American jurisprudence is spurning democratic governance. Tomasky's contentions are immune to attack.
However, Tomasky forgets that this country was not intended to be a democracy. In many states, white men who did not own land, or have a certain amount of cash or gold in the bank, could not register to vote.
Although there are elections for president, the Consitution does not say that the people have the right to elect their president. Instead it merely says the each state shall send members of the "electoral college" to a meeting to vote on a President. The constitution does NOT SAY how electors to vote on a President are to be chosen. (It only states how many electors each state will get: The number of congressional districts in a state plus the number two.) Arguably, the governor of a state could simply select who his state's electors should vote for.
Luckily, we got into the habit of popular voting for President and we decided that a state's electoral votes would go to the candidate who had won the election.
However, this veneer of democracy is skin deep. Prick the pavement of Miami a bit too deep and you will find yourself in a subterrenean swamp of ancient and gothic horrors and injustices, of penury, poll taxes, slavery and lynchings.
7
The Board has it just about right.
Perhaps an illegitimate Supreme Court, stacked with two partisan Republican hacks by an illegitimate President (Putin’s puppet) will now get to work turning the clock back to an age where white men of means rule unconditionally. The Supremes can continue to place their preferred candidates in office, enable corporations and Billionaires to buy elections, reduce Black, Hispanic and women voters on the official roles, turn away immigrants, take away health care and create the perfect oligarchy to protect white interests.
Alternatively, voters will wake up from their lethargy and get out and vote (while they still can and they still count, usually)! Recognize they’re being played by party politicians and their democracy usurped. Turn out the partisan hacks as they come up for election; this year TedCruz would be a perfect place to start (even his Republican colleagues recognize his lack of integrity) as well as Joe Manchin.
In 2020, it’s the mother lode, there will be Mitch McConnell (a Partisan cut-throat who will prioritize his power and party over country every time), Lindsey Graham who has lost any sense of decency he once had as he sucks up to Trump and McConnell (a clear waste of McCain’s friendship and guidance and we are in even worse trouble if he becomes AG), Susan Collins who likes to talk a reasonable game but falls in lockstep with McConnell almost every time and the list goes on and on ...
28
Overturning Roe v. Wade virtually assures the deaths and maiming of untold numbers of women seeking abortions. But the evil won't stop there: Women's health in general will now be in the control of (primarily) powerful white men who do not care about the nameless, faceless people -- women and men and children -- whose lives they will now be able to destroy. Conspiracy theories be damned....this is the beginning of absolute control over people without the means and representation. Then there will be an enormous class of people who will work for cheap and accept whatever crumbs the ruling class throws them.
124
The NYT and the "mainstream media" continue their vicious attacks on moderate Republicans (like Kavanaugh) and then wonder about the rise of a figure like Trump. The NYT should be embarrassed by it's publication of completely unsupported 35 year old vaguely recalled allegations of sexual assault, exhibitionism, and gang rape. Instead, the NYT is patting itself on the back and blaming Trump.
I'm a moderate Republican. I like Kavanaugh.
"All the news that's fit to print"?
17
When filling vacant positions, Trump increasingly seeks out (white) men who he knows - or senses - have no problem brazenly rolling outside the law when it suits them. Kavanuagh is quite the thug, who is very likely a sex offender. (Many times over.) Last week he showed the world how easy it is for him to act out aggressively, and just how much he gets off on gratuitously dominating others. While we were all watching him, he was (inappropriately) watching his questioners - a known trait of psychopaths - to judge the measure of the success of his lies. Senator Susan Collins, who had previously privately interviewed K., had been a prime target as well. An easy one. A soul obviously in need of "respectful" attention, Collins made no secret of the fact that K. had won her over with that manipulative charm that has served him so well in covering up his craven behavior, probably since before adolescence. The group of old men who are rewarding this likely rapist with a supreme court seat are gloatingly celebrating their victory, while K. is secretly laughing at them - as he enjoys doing, at his victims - for playing the sucker in this his latest ruse. The Editorial Board is right: Most Americans know they don't have to believe in, or play along with, this game. The Democrats will have the power to impeach the Justice if they are elected into the majority in November, and no doubt they are not as obligingly duped as their elected officials.
19
Kavanaugh lied before Congress about his role in the Bush administration.
He lied to Congress again recently about the meaning of words he wrote about himself in yearbooks, something every person with access to a phone knows.
He was known to drink to excess regularly and was cited in a police report attacking a bar patron he mistook for another.
He was accused very credibly by a woman who was physically assaulted at the age of 15. She was 100% certain, was only certain he liked beer.
She took a polygraph and wanted the FBI to investigate her statements on the record. He refused both, while angrily, often incoherently took umbrage at the charge.
He dost protest too much.
The members of Congress who vote to approve Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court are accomplices.
They are aiding and abetting an angry drunk assaulter of young girls, a crime without statutory limits, to bypass a criminal investigation on his way to dispense justice from the highest Court in the land.
The GOP Senator’s twisted contorted faces resembled the footage of Nazi German hate mongers. The GOP is no longer a party of convictions, but rather the convicted or corrupted.
Only a man accused of physical assault by 19 women, narrowly placed into office with the direct and full support of the Kremlin, would suggest such an unfit appointment to serve his own self-interest.
They seek the end of American democracy in exchange for fleeting power and money, and eternal infamy and far worse.
27
My dear mother died of Alzheimer's, a long and painful descent into darkness. I remember vividly the helpless, distraught feelings as I traveled that road by her side. This, what I feel now for our country, is exactly the same desolation. It is extremely painful to watch someone and something you love die before your eyes, one day at a time. And, make no mistake, the America in which I came of age is dying. Now all of us know what it must feel like to be born black in this country. We are at the mercy of those who care nothing for us, and in fact despise us. I like to pretend that my vote matters, but living as I now do in the reddest region of a newly red state, a poster child of gerrymandering so extreme a federal court demanded change (but only after the upcoming midterm), I know that my vote doesn't count. I will vote nonetheless, but it won't matter. We are under the jackboot of extremist minority rule, and I see zero signs that those in that minority are anything but delighted. These are dark, dark times.
171
Kavanaugh’s bully pig actions cited by classmates and the yearbook should have been picked up by FBI and vetted before Dr. Ford’s disclosure. The vetting process is weak.
33
The unimaginable decay and damage wrought by some angry Americans who had nothing better to do than vote for psychopath...
19
Please-enough of this. The editorial boards position is one sided and not supported by the facts. The judge has an impeccable record as a Federal judge. I don’t see any criticism of his opinions based on his interpretation of the constitution or his understanding the high court’s prior opinions. He is qualified to be a Supreme Court Judge and the process became a purely political matter. That reflects very badly on all involve!
51
@clayton-------------------------The thing is, clayton, a Supreme
Court justice should absolutely not fall into peevish tantrums.
Not ever.
1
Did you say “enough of this “ when Judge Garland didn’t even get a hearing? Oh the hypocrisy! It’s all about power and control, not about upholding the law.
3
A warning about Mitch McConnell:
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/10/5/17940610/trump-hitler-...
10
I don't think we can rely on Justice Roberts. Brett Kavanaugh's lobbyist father, Everette Kavanaugh hired Justice Roberts before he became a SC Justice to do legal work for him as he battled regulations at the Food and Drug Administration.
Justice Roberts will welcome little Brett with open arms.
Corporations will think it's Christmas every time the majority of conservative judges rule in their favor.
The deck just got stacked against The Little People.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/14/us/politics/judge-brett-kavanaugh.html
28
"A judge is supposed to set personal feelings aside and approach even the most sensitive and emotional matters with a cool disposition and an open mind; Judge Kavanaugh revealed to the country that he was incapable of that."
To the contrary, Judge Kavanaugh showed himself to be entirely human, and reacted as anyone would who had been falsely accused of enabling serial gang rape - and who will now have to give up teaching and coaching, things which enriched his life immensely.
I'll never understand why Dr. Ford's lapsed memory is excused on grounds of her alleged traumatic experience, while Judge Kavanaugh's uncharacteristically aggressive testimony isn't excused on the very same grounds. Destruction of your good name, death threats emailed to your wife, accusations of enabling serial rape - if all that isn't traumatic I suggest we re-define the term.
48
Your editorial assumes that every claim against Mr. Kavanaugh has been proven when in fact none have been remotely corroborated. The bigger shame is how the Democrats waited till the last minute to create a spectacle that ws guaranteed to polarize the nation. The NYT has conveniently forgotten that donald Trump was elected president and gets to pick the justices. Before all the "sexual abuse" stories came out virtually every Democrat ws on the record opposing him. The smear was meant to destroy him personally.
54
What a great day for America! The Will of the People is upheld! Right wins over wrong, the truth over lies, good over evil, freedom over totalitarian mobs, decency over savagery, unity over division, morality over immorality. Congratulations to Justice Kavanaugh and to America!!
9
Slowly, we have learned to obey.
2
I just wish the democrats had expended 1/10th the energy in trying to get Garland on the court---a long shot but still a shot---as they did in trying to keep Kavanaugh off the court. An attempt that was doomed from the day it started.
I never thought I would see a more inept democratic senate 'leader' than Harry Reid. Boy, was I wrong. Chuck Schumer makes Reid look like a combination of General Patton and President Lincoln.
Mitch McConnell played Shumer like a fiddle and then beat him like a drum. The worst part is that this fiasco may seal the doom of one or two more democratic senators. The republican base is now enraged and engaged. Nice job democrats.
17
Trump and the Republicans have destroyed my respect for the supreme court. That is the last word, in my remaining lifetime.
Of course it's not the last word, presuming our Republic endures, but Trumpismo is leading us down a path very much like the antecedents of the Civil War.
It's is important for everyone to see this is Trump's greatest victory. Those opposed to it must not minimize it -- it is the Dunkirk of liberalism.
The tragedy is what "winning" means to Trump and his people: it is not the achievement of something, particularly by quiet competence or consensus. It is "you will lick our boots until we stomp your throat" winning. Even worse, the "win" doesn't gain much or even anything, the sense of victory comes from "make as snowflake cry." It is purely the gloating of a bully who doesn't even bother to take the lunch money.
Trump has managed to get more than 40% of Americans to identify with Kavanaugh ... out of what? Whiteness? Maleness? Privilege? Kavanaugh's whopping lies and breakdown into maudlin rage appalled the legal profession; they are overwhelmingly white, male, and privileged.
Are Republicans really pro-sexual assault? What fraction have assaulted a woman, and "gotten away with it?" Surely the women haven't.
Do Republicans really desperately fear false accusation? If so, then they are the saddest snowflakes on the planet.
Bluntly, there was no need for Kavanaugh, beyond "oderint dum metuant," from the right. We are there.
8
This is how democracy dies, with the crys of the dispossessed is music in the ears of the Don and the Republicans. We are seeing the rise of minority rule by the depraved Ubermensch, with superiority defined by money.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
Edmund Burke
https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/edmund_burke_377528
7
Wherever Trump goes chaos follows. With Trump setting the stage for sexual predictors the Republicans jumped right in and put one on the Supreme Ct. Now we have 2. Actually Kavanaugh is a pedophile as he attacked Dr. Blasey at 15 years old. Since when are there normally witnesses to sexual assault unless it's a gang rape? Apparently there was some of that too at these 'parties'. Also to mention the fact that before the allegations when Kavanaugh had his 1st hearing he was slippery in answering questions. He treated senators with disrespect like he was too wonderful to even be asked the questions.
Remember karma!
6
While decrying the incendiary partisan divide of our nation, the NY Times editorial board fans the flames. Even the news articles seem to always be slanted against Trump. Every bit of "good" news for the country (low unemployment, North Korea making peace, new trade deal with Canada and Mexico, etc.) is coated with rationales of why Trump did it wrong or made it worse. I can barely stand to read the NY Times any more. From cheerleading for Hillary in 2016, to constant criticism of Trump, it's all getting tiresome. I don't know where to turn for news any more, when even the Gray Lady has become a partisan organization.
16
The big thing, I guess, is--VOTE.
Get out and VOTE! Get out and VOTE! Get out and VOTE!
I remember (not being so young anymore)--I still remember the Republican mantra from the 1968 election:
"This time, vote like your whole life depended on it!"
And by a pretty slim margin--hey! sound familiar?--we elected Richard M. Nixon. And while I'm on that subject--
--George W. Wallace ran too. A third-party candidate. A spoiler. He garnered (if I remember right) about fourteen percent of the votes cast. A disturbingly high percentage!
But he still lost.
In so many ways--and it grieves me to say this--
--Mr. Donald J. Trump is the Republican answer to George W. Wallace.
The same bitter--angry--snarling--derisive tone. The man's VOICE--this too I hate to admit, New York Times--
--but the man's VOICE--
--gives me hives. I can't take it for more than a minute.
Such a long, dismal roster, New York Times--
--of Republican leaders who DIDN'T do the right thing--
--and a few who DID.
"This time, vote like your whole life depended on it!"
I am afraid--that certainly means--
--vote for a Democrat!
ANY Democrat!
I got a call, not long ago, from some young lady drumming up support for a local Democratic candidate.
I told her, they could put up a five year old child--
--and I would vote for that child.
Because it's come to that, hasn't it.
It really has.
A pity!
7
Trumpism has definitely caused a sickness, it even has a name - Trump Derangement Syndrome.
10
"Most Americans are not where this Senate majority is. They do not support President Trump. They do not approve of relentless partisanship and disregard for the integrity of democratic institutions. And they have the power to call their government to account."
While that may be true, the problem is all the people who don't vote, or only vote for president. As a result, the republicans have gerrymandered their way to victory.
All hail the Olicharchy!!!
If you don't bother to vote, then you will get whatever crumbs someone else wants to give you. Politicians go where the votes are. And they can well ask, why should they give you anything? Why do you matter?
Most of the people reading this are likely to vote in the upcoming mid-terms. What is needed is more outreach to the people not paying attention to what they are losing. And when it's lost...will they realize their own culpability? Don't count on it.
The fact is, democracy only works when the citizenry are civic enough to be responsible. We are losing that attitude in this nation. We get the government we deserve...and it looks like we don't deserve much.
If you believe you deserve better government, then you need to
VOTE OUT ALL REPUBLICANS
17
I’ll admit it, a shed a few tears today. Sadness, but mostly rage. Not the screaming, red faced, tantrum of a televised Job “audition”. But the other kind, once again realizing it’s a Man’s World. For Women, we are regressing to the fifties. The 1850’s. These GOP creatures will NOT rest, until we are clad in Christian Taliban clothing and not allowed to leave our homes, without male approval and an Escort. I’m almost sixty, and have NEVER felt so disrespected, marginalized, lessened than TODAY. WOMEN: VOTE in November, straight Democratic ticket. If you don’t vote, you get what you allow.
Seriously.
5
Trump germinated this evil but we have Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins, Jeff Flake's of the Senate to thank and blame for this disaster. The leaders of this nation have disappeared... we are left with a sociopathic spoiled child in the White House and spineless cowards in the Senate and the House. Kavanaugh was a poor choice on all counts. There were many other options.... candidates who came with as many "credentials" and far fewer risks. Our government leaders have failed the American People. I don't know how Susan Collins sleeps at night. She has failed EVERY American Woman in this country. Her speech was not a course in Civics. It was a course in gutless brainwashing. It is time to take to the streets, hopefully we will and can remain nonviolent but we will never forget HOW the Senate cowered to Trump and failed the American People.
9
Susan Collins promised in 1996 when she first ran for the Senate that she would only serve 2 terms.
She is way past her pull date.
She drank the KoolAid and was sold a bill of goods. She is an embarrassment .
7
So what now?
Vote.
Vote.
Vote.
14
The Times seems to regret the lack of success for the skullduggery of Senator Fienstien as it lauds the courage of Murkowski's vote over the craven choice of Collins. Your 2016 predilections are intact. ;-)
7
This confirmation now almost concludes the tragedy of our current political situation.
All three branches of government have been deeply compromised and corrupted by a handful of angry old white men who are the servants of a pernicious American Oligarchy and near fanatical allegedly 'Christian' jihadists.
Vote, get your friends and neighbors registered it is our final hope.
11
The Editorial Board really needs to take off its yellow tinted journalistic glasses and see the world in the brightness of daylight. The majority of liberals disapprove of Trump but not the majority of Americans as the Editorial Board claims, unless of course they believe there are closet liberals in the ranks of the conservative right. One would reasonably assume after the amazing level of ineptness demonstrated by The Times in its polling powers, that The Times would steer clear of such commentary but liberals will be liberals. The sky is not falling Chicken Little aka The Editorial Board, the Supreme Court is in good stead. Let's deal in some facts shall we, unemployment is at a near 50 year low, NAFTA has been updated, ISIS neutered, NK is moving into the mainstream, immigration is under control, and the economy is growing. All this happened in less than 2 years. Obama and the liberal left can't lay claim to achieving any of it. Why has The Times not heralded these accomplishments? There can only be 1 answer, unabated hatred of Trump and the conservative right. Contrary to the liberal dogma of The Times, liberals were not ordained or given the divine right to govern. You lost the election, get over it!
The electoral college did its job by ensuring we have a representative government. The Mueller investigation has fizzled and died, Stormy Daniels is back on stage shaking her money maker, and the world moves on.
20
Shame on Susan Collins.
13
Can anyone imagine the spectacle by Democrats if Amy Coney Barrett had been picked...can't wait for Judge Ginsburg to retire.
12
Despite an overwhelming lack of evidence to back up the sexual assault claims of Ms. Ford, and the sworn testimony of four people who refuted her claims, The Times, Democrats, liberals and progressives still will not accept the truth. When you refuse to accept reality in the form of truth, you reveal your own ignorance and partisanship. Is there no depth to which the left will not sink to achieve their goals? Apparently not. It is The Times and Democrats who should be ashamed of themselves.
14
The Judiciary Committee Dems made the first tactical and strategic mistake: being blinded by and opting to use a "bright shiny object," i.e. Dr. Ford (CBF)'s accusation to try to stop a nomination they virulently opposed for other reasons. This was a tactical mistake because, being blinded they failed to remember the old adage that "when something seems too good to be true, beware!"
NYT is making a follow-on strategic error that will harm the effort to unearth past sexual predators and sexual assaults and deter future ones, i.e. by overlooking the many tell-tale signs that CBF's accusations are untrue or in error, NYT is proclaiming this was a failure to listen to a victim.
Actually, the opposite is true. What happened in the Judiciary Committee is understandable and proof that society and men are more than ready to believe, i.e. no one was willing to challenge this one woman's story, despite its many weaknesses and the signs it was either false or the result of a faulty recovered-repressed memory.
The Dem's strategic error may result in turning the Mid-Term election. The NYT's strategic error could do unnecessary harm to the struggle to honor all real victims.
7
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men(and women) do NOTHING.
Edmund Burke
8
Shame, shame, shame. Sad!
3
We are approaching 2 years of Democrat resistance and obstruction. From Day 1, the left has marched and screamed and yelled, opting for mob rule. They have attacked our President relentlessly for every fabricated charge they could come up with. Yet, President Trump, with a fraction of the campaign dollars and as a first time political candidate, waded through a 17-candidate field and won the most glorious election ever. Thereafter, as the press attacked him, he defeated ISIS, got Gorsuch on the Court, got hundreds of judges appointed, brought North Korea to a better place, moved the embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, passed a huge tax cut, got unemployment to 3.7% (lowest level in 50 years), overhauled NAFTA, got the military funded, drove the stock market to new records, killed the horrible Iran deal, has another Supreme Court judge pending and is still campaigning like a champ for his party. No amount of leftist and media calumny can detract from his successes. The crazy part about the economic strength is that he is doing with quantitative tightening and sustained interest rate increases by the Fed, while Obama required 4 trillion of Fed balance sheet, zero interest rates and 10 trillion of deficits. The whining of the left and the NY Times just makes you all look small, which fits with the disgusting slander and attacks on Kavanaugh. The left should really re-examine itself. Where has the yelling and marching and slander gotten you?
21
I echo the grief registered by this op-ed and many Americans over the past several weeks. Collins as usual shows what a coward she is. And words can't describe Manchin. Coward would be too kind.
14
The headline (in Swedish) in Dagens Nyheter Kultur section, p. 6 07:00 h CET this morning October 6, 2018.
Salman Rushdie
"The USA is just one step away from fascism"
appearing above an interview carried out by DN reporter Björn af Kleen at the office of book agent Andrew Wylie in Manhattan.
Think about that, all day long.
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Citizen US SE
7
Just watch or read the transcript of Senator Collins's speech yesterday, which is a point-by-point refutation of all the tired talking points in this editorial. Unlike the editorial, which is content to rely on rumors, innuendo, political correctness and whether things "ring true", Senator Collins relied on facts, evidence and basic principles of law and civic responsibility. Shame on you, NY Times, for continuing this. I hope Kavanaugh turns around and sues Michael Avenatti and his "client" for the despicable smear of the gang-rape allegation.
17
Dear Editors,
You left out an egregious aspects of this sordid affair: the fact the Republicans RIGGED the confirmation process from the start.
1. Why no mention of the fact that the Republicans countenanced the vetting of Kavanaugh's White House documents by his protege and former colleague, Bill Burck?! That was a glaring conflict of interest and undermined a credible and fair process right from the start.
2. Why no mention of the fact that the bulk of Kavanaugh's White House documents remain secret, hidden from the Judiciary Committee and public view? The few that came out showed starkly that Kavanaugh misrepresented his role in key matters and likely perjured himself multiple times!
3. Why no mention of the RUSHED timline involved? This was one of the speediest confirmations in history!
4. Why did you fail to mention that the FBI "investigation" was a total sham, limited in scope, shackled, fettered, failing to talk to key witnesses, failing to follow leads, being restricted from investigating such key matters as Kavanaugh's lying under oath, his drinking problem, his massive financial debts, and history of belligerence and sexual assaults?
5. That was another glaring conflict of interest as the White House counsel McGahn, who was shepherding Kavanaugh's confirmation also dictated the parameters of the FBI investigation!
6. Please assign one of your reporters to write the definitive guide to the whitewashing and unfair confirmation process...
11
This is an inappropriate and frankly immature editorial.
The final vote has not yet been held, but one thing is clear: the nomination process has had a devastating effect on this country, and on American democracy. Judge Kavanaugh (likely) won confirmation, because he is highly qualified and we have a conservative president, and a Republican Senate. A few years ago, when the tables were turned, President Obama nominated and the Democratic Senate confirmed to two very liberal Justices. Elections have consequences.
Now is the time to encourage at least some degree of healing, as we approach the midterm elections, which have the potential to change control of Congress. Yet, instead of publishing reasoned arguments, the Times foments rage over a battle that is now over. The editorial uses emotion and invective to disparage those who supported Judge Kavanaugh. Just for the record: the allegations against him may have been “credible,” but they were 36 years old, from a single person’s memory, and completely unsubstantiated. Does the Times really want to replace due process with “guilty until proven innocent”? What goes around comes around, NYT.
Finally, it was Charles Schumer and Joe Biden that first explicitly suggested that lame duck presidents should not appoint justices. McConnell simply followed the path these two Democrats previously paved.
It is truly disappointing to read this editorial in the Times. It's time to move on. There is an election coming up.
11
The Koch brothers conquest of America is complete. Good news if you are a billionaire. Bad news if you work for one.
19
The comments are astoundingly full of Republican "truth is not truth" doublethink. What are Republicans selling their soul for? Gun rights, racial segregation, victimization of victims, loosened regulations so it's easier to get away with dirty dealing: what a nasty regression.
15
Amazing, this editorial talks about credible allegations of sexual assault with absolutely no evidence. Reminds me of newspapers in the Old South who routinely accused black men of raping white women. Those words often led to lynchings. As Brett Kavanaugh said in his defense, words have meaning and millions of people listen to you. There is already semi-violence in DC because of provocative statements like yours. Violence on one side will surely lead to counter-violence on the other. You are destroying the fabric of democracy in this country as you whip up hatred.
15
The Times Editorial Board speaks with forked tongue. Maybe the Times should publish US Sen. Collins' speech in the Senate Chambers earlier today.
More importantly, I think about several recent SCOTUS Justices where the nominating President could have requested a do over. Here is a sampling:
Eisenhower -- Earl Warren
Kennedy -- Byron White
Ford -- John Paul Stevens
Bush-41 -- David Souter
Bush-43 -- John Roberts
The US Senate will vote during the day tomorrow on Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation. He will likely be on the High Court based on POTUS Obama's admonition to the late US Senator McCain; ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES.
6
Blue states need to exit.
6
This is so embarrassing for The NY Times. It reaks of an editorial board taken over by emotional/semi-rational millennials or others of that ilk. How can you not read/hear Sen. Collins statement and not hear pure rationality and sanity in her words? Imagine the world you suggest, editorial board : one where accusations of any sort can stop the gears of governance. How long will the line of accusers be, many acting out of “ends justify the means” philosophies to stop at any cost this or that person. It is no coincidence that the most fundamental of obvious values is lost on this new generation, as enlightenment values have not only been overlooked in universities today, but actively opposed. All that keeps us from being cave men, are the fundamental values of due process, presumption of innocence (whose presence in criminal cases is not mere coincidence but a product of our morality - thus it certainly applies here), and free speech. The progressive mentality today has metastasized into the only outcome superficial identity politics values take it : raw emotional reflex, lower level thinking, that only reacts in mob fashion. This is so Human 101. The idea we could even have a debate about whether due process should apply is startling and scary. I watch all media. NPR has done a stand up job through this process. The NY Times has embarrassingly chosen sides - the primitive anti-intellectual side. Only the rampant regressive emotionalism of today can explain this. Scary
10
Just like any 2 bit dictatorship. Venezuela, Hungry, comes to mind.
7
Accusations that are unsubstantiated are not “credible,” they are accusations. They are credible to The Times, no doubt, as the paper continues to fan the flames. The paper and it’s coverage was opposed to the Judge from the outset, and even now this theme continues in how headlines are written, perseverative proclamations of how the end is near, and how only the Republicans were responsible for this mess. There really are other views here, a belief in the presumption of innocence, and a memory of prior events where accusations were either fraudulent or untrue - Tawana Brawley, Duke LaCrosse etc. Until you understand that there are fair-minded people who can disagree, the Times remains a part of the problem.
16
"and now almost certainly a justice, tainted by dishonesty, shamelessness, self-pity, indifference to women’s fears and calculated divisiveness"
So you're saying Susan Collins was too dumb, or morally challenged, to see this?
4
Were the shrill, screaming, threatening mobs sent by the republicans? Were the allegations, oddly revealed after 6 weeks of proceedings, strangely devoid of corroborating facts, brought by republicans? Was it republican attacks which literally created a new verb- "Borked" ? Was it a republican who revealed confidential information, and who then dared the committee to sanction him? Then.... who was it who has brought the High Court low??
18
How dispiriting to see the grotesque spectacle of the left debasing itself in this process. You did your best to stop the appointment of an honorable man through slander. You failed.
Please elevate your tone.
19
The Winners:
Big business
The wealthy
The religious
The Losers:
Labor
Workers
Unions
Women
Minorities
Immigrants
The Poor
The Sick
The Aged
The Environment
Customers
Children
Gays
Transgenders
Students
7
The only thing low about Kavanaugh's coverage is the NYT's coverage these last few weeks and the democrat's below the belt tactics to derail the Kavanaugh nomination.
12
Kavanaugh will ho down in history as the Sarah Palin of Supreme Court Justices.
7
A truly repulsive editorial.
Just a month or so ago the Times opposed Kavanaugh's confirmation while grudgingly conceding that his judicial record, and his peers' judgment of his temperament and competence, was about as good as one could expect from any Republican president.
Now, the Times looks forward to "a degrading era of his service". Why? Because he was subsequently "credibly accused" of a sexual assault as a teenager 36 years ago. The accuser specifically named people who were present at a "party" where the assault was alleged to have taken place. Each of those people, including the accuser's lifelong girlfriend, denied knowledge, under penalty of felony, of any such occasion. This meets the Times' current definition of credibility?
What a change from the Times of the McCarthy era. Then the Times despised hearsay. Now it can't print enough of it. Then it decried character assassination. Now it prints the assessments of anyone who didn't so much as like the cut of Kavanaugh's jib back when they were kids together.
The Times has an important journalistic patrimony that needs to be protected. Try a little harder to protect it.
15
This isn’t rocket science, folks. Unless you actively vote against Republicans, you will get full-throated representation of the moneyed class and straight white Christian male supremacy. (They vote.)
10
Susan Collins said today that both Kavanaugh and Mark Judge testified "under threat of perjury!!" as though that made it true. Look at the Liar-in-Chief to know what that will get you. The truth died today, but I have hope that Kavanaugh was right when he said, "What goes around comes around."
7
Republican politician on truth serum:
"The only people in America that we care about are the rich ... because they pay us to care about them. Our goal is to stay in office long enough to monetize our government service and connections and eventually get a high paying job working for the rich. Contrary to what we say, we don't care about the religious. We see them as 'useful idiots' that we easily con into voting for us by throwing them some red meat on abortion and gay marriage. Heck, some of our own crowd are gay or had abortions. We now own America and it will stay that way because you're no match for our highly paid and highly skilled army of propagandists. If you don't like it you can just move to Canada. You'll be happier there."
12
Another loss for the NY Times Editorial Board and George Soros. Aren't you getting tired of losing ? Who cares what you think. It is another great day in the USA and when November comes, we will be adding 2-3 seats in the Senate all but ensuring that no one will be impeached by unhinged, mentally unstable and corrupt individuals. Additionally, the likelihood of another Supreme Court nomination under President Trump is quite high, as Justice Ginsberg is not likely to remain on the court for long. This will be another comment that will not be published by this biased newspaper but it is sure fun to post it.
9
Look on the bright side. If the Rs are reelected in 2020, we won't have to worry about Kavanaugh for 40 years - because we'll all be dead from global warming in 10
12
The beauty of this is that the Democrats and their fellow travelers in the MSM have created the very backlash which will keep both houses of Congress in Republican hands. The timer is now running down on Ruth Bader Ginsberg's tenure on the court and surely she will be replaced by Amy Coney Barrett which will be the rough justice that both the Democrats and their enablers in the MSM deserve for the perverted sexual McCarthyism of the Kavanaugh hearings.
9
Men should have no say on this matter. It’s up to women to right the wrongs men have wrought.
It’s up to American women to lead the way.
There are 51 Republican senators and far too many Represantives who need to be replaced, and yet the bottom line is that women seeking JUST representation can render themselves a victory.
Flip the Senate to 60-40 and convert the House, and sweep the dogmatic Riff-Raff Republicans out of orbit.
Women, grab your mothers, sisters, daughters and nieces, plus get your tolerant male cousins, on a jaunt to the election booths. Get them to VOTE for progress.
The next few centuries belong to Women. If they are willing to take the baton. Take the baton. Make the World Batter.
White Male Dominion yields white male dominion. Kavanaugh begets more Kavanaughs.
So, let’s take the first step forward. Vote for women. Especially non-Republican women.
3
NYT, stop calling these Mobsters "conservatives" or "right" (v. left) as if they were a respectable viewpoint.
They are America's worst enemy, turning our country into rule by Oligarch-Money Mobsters like Putin's Russia.
Call them what they are: Mobsters.
13
A traitor and a partisan political operative walk into a bar...
5
Anyone who has ever read "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich"by William Shirer must now be checking similarities.
4
So what now? Well, Democrats will get the chance to see if they can win enough elections to gain legitimate power -- under the existing constitutional rules of our political system (the electoral college), that you so despise when it does not go your way, but would welcome and defend if it did. Trump, with all of his flaws, should not really be that hard to beat. All you have to do is put forth a candidate that "normal" citizens can feel good about voting for, rather than some far left nut job, like Warren or Harris, or a corrupt and unlikable Hillary Clinton. Until then, stop your whining. Stop the no holds barred politics of personal destruction that you put so vividly on display in the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings and the witch hunt (yes, an applicable term) that followed. You hated Kavanaugh from the beginning because he actually believes in the constitution and properly understands the role of judiciary. And then in the end you hated him because he was white and went to a prep school. We the people saw what you are capable of, and it was not pretty.
16
All nonsense from the left. We have Ms. Ford who lied about everything: she lived in a 500 ft. apartment, flew everywhere, wrote the letter with a former F.B.I. pal who tried to change the mind of the witness. Why doesn't the TImes write about that along with her ex of 6 yrs. who said no assault was mentioned, Ford cheated on him, Ford fraudulently used his credit card. When confronted Ford lied. The ex boyfriend was to press charges; Ford admitted she lied. Orchestrated by the left and not kept quiet on purpose. Third accuser recalls all of her allegations (lies) yesterday; Americans have seen enough and this will bite the socialist democrats big time along with all of their bullying, protests, Antifa, and the rest of their hatred.
17
A different story in today's NY Times explains that we are a badly split nation, "at odds with itself." It is a basic truth of today's politics, and the reality is we are almost EVENLY split.
What would be helpful is if we had media which mostly reflected (or maybe respected) that division, or at least tried for what we used to call "fair and balanced news" (now the slogan for a highly successful news organization that tries to provide at least a modicum of offsetting balance from a different view). Instead, major liberal news sources bitterly led by the NY Times pound and wail unceasingly against at least half the people and half the leaders of America.
Day after day, story after story, column after column, editorial after editorial--pound, pound, pound, pound, pound against President Trump and his half of America. It is a shameful, vial display of bias. Every day through the Kavanaugh drama, ever more Americans came to perceive the NY Times' position as HATE for anyone who disagrees with your party line, liberal propaganda. So this editorial proclaims "the degrading era of Kavanaugh's service on the supreme court lies ahead." What another excellent example of this unbridled, unprofessional, leftward slanted HATE!
Is nobody in your Ivory Tower even a gracious loser?
18
The republican theme is to win "by any means necessary". This includes lying, cheating, defaming, gerrymandering, humiliating, and exclusion. Kavanaugh fits in perfectly!! Shameful.....
16
So refreshing to see the NYT is keeping an open mind regarding Judge Kavanaugh’s upcoming seat on the Supreme Court. Not!
But then again, we’ve come to expect nothing less then constant negativity and divisive commentary. Bravo, you’ve done it again.
(I don’t expect them to print this).
14
Ironically, this editorial perfectly sums up your position and the Democrats tactics. Hyperventilating hyperbole, mean spirited sour grapes, fingers in the ears na na na,
10
The craven behavior of our US Senators is disgusting. There is rot all the way through the branches of government—executive, congressional, judicial.
7
I object to your assertion Kavanugh's service will be degrading. Your coverage has been degrading, consistently publishing incendiary articles and one-sided op-eds. You even suppress comments that disagree with your position. Will this one be published? Your position that "credible accusations" should be the standard to disqualify is unjust.
16
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure." - Th. Jefferson
3
Democrats shamed the nation, abused Ford and Kavanaugh and disgusted Americans. We all like beer! Democratism is the enemy within. never vote for any Democrat. ever.
6
Just as in November 2016, you guys are in for a big surprise on Election Day. Just wait. Meanwhile, you seem to all-encompassingly embrace the very un-American belief that a person is innocent until proven guilty. You embrace this not only for Judge Kavanaugh, but even practice clairvoyance by telling us that "the degrading era of his service on the Supreme Court" is ahead for us. Gee whiz, guys, it's one thing to be on the Editorial Board of the New York Times, but quite another to assume god-like abilities in predicting the future because of your position. That sounds almost - uh, Trumpian, doesn't it?
15
American Justice? Susan Collins was ironically slick as the good ol' GOP boys in speaking "Law" over "Justice". Justice begets laws, not the current upside down approach. Justice was ripped to shreds with Trump & GOP Senators short-sheeting the FBI, in order to now fully control the Supreme Court. Trump and his Senate pals have laughingly disrobed Lady Justic; they have burned her blindfold. Drunk on power, they've written into the 2018 American Yearbook their real meaning of "the Devil's Triangle".
5
Good grief get a grip on it.
8
So impartial!
7
Excuse me Grand Muftis of all knowledge [ NY TImes editorial board ] but there are not credible allegations of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh. You're apparently not reading your own copy. What you detest are his judicial views and potential decisions on cases to come before SCOTUS. Just say it for Christ's sake. Stop with this side show . The guy didn't do what is alleged. All of us who went to college at some point acted stupid no matter where we went. Admit it like Dean Wormer said in "Animal House "-"drunk and stupid is no way to go through life son".Does not include sexual abuse however necessarily. That includes Mr EI from Seattle. Kavanaugh will be his own man and model Justice Kennedy.
19
The Devil’s Triangle: Trump, McConnell, Kavanaugh, AKA - our three branches of government.
“A very scary time for young men in America.“ (Trump)
“We must not allow mob rule.” (Grassley)
“I like beer.” (Kave Man)
4
It's over. Not just the loss of the Supreme Court to the forces of evil and treachery (the GOP), but the loss of the American Experiment. All at the hands of unprincipled conservatives, whose lust for money and power has finally brought the whole thing crashing down. I won't be around to see the final demise, but I can imagine it. Maybe when the first Southern mom is executed for fetus-murder the deplorables will stop their cheering and realize what they've done. But then again, probably not. It's yours, conservatives. You own it. When it fails you won't be able to blame anyone else, like you always do. With all the immigrants thrown out, all the Democrats gerrymandered into insignificance, all the blacks in jail and all the gays in the closet, who are you gonna blame then?
5
After observing what has transpired with the Kavanaugh confirmation, many of us in our nation need to shower and scrub bigly. How much sleazier can Trumpians become? (They are not Republicans or Red state Dems anymore, they are cowardly Trumpians now.) Sorry, singing to the choir again, but just had to 'say' it out loud.
4
You still call the lies “credible accounts of sexual assault”.
The only thing missing from those credible accounts were minor things like who, what, where, when, why and how.
Most obviously missing was any form of truth.
We just watched, once again, the Democrats level false charges, demand investigations and cry on tv. The Trump Russia collusion nonsense was bad enough, now you’re going to accuse people falsely of sex crimes for power?
The clueless NYT played their preferred role of Democrat propaganda arm.
The election can’t come soon enough.
The Democrats will not recover from this.
19
Who knew that in 1997, when Sen. Collins was elected she promised her constituency that she will only stay for two terms...hmm, she is a decade past due.
She knew that the whole FBI "investigation" is just a sham directed from sexual abuser in a WH, but it gave her a cover up to vote yes.
Does anyone believes Sen.Collins!!!
13
We will have 100 Keg Brett to investigate for all of the possible violations that the op-ed describes: lying, sexual misdeeds, lack of judicial demeanor, and so forth.
If he is expected to be on SCOTUS for decades, he can count on two things:
1. The Democrats will come to be the majority at some point.
2. “What goes around comes around.”
He will be investigated down to his dirty underwear.
Count on it. Payback is coming.
19
Yeah woopee. Vote. I'll do it, but it's meaningless.
3
Why does the NYT board keep using the word credibly? There has been 0 corroborated statements on the “attack(s)”. Use plausibly or possibly, maybe even sincerely. Or my guess, “hopefully” to assuage the readers.
8
I don't find it irrelevant that there isn't a single comment here critical of the article's tone or argument.
6
And so Dishonorable Kavanaugh joins the Supreme Boys Club. The integrity of this already partisan Court sinks to a new low. Hacks and pigs on the bench. What a horrible shame this is for America.
17
With the elevation of Kavanaugh, the court become something akin to the volkgericht of the Third Reich, and our new Justice a twenty first century Roland Freissler.. A party court.
8
The way Putin and his mob have raped and plundered Russia, the republicans financed by the 1% are setting the stage to rape our country. Our 401ks, our liberties our freedom are on the block for usurpation. It’s much much worse than most Americans realizes.
Vote ! America as we knew it is at stake.
4
This editorial epitomizes the extreme political divide in this country. The New York Times editorial board is as partisan or more so than most of the politicians in Washington. This is the reason that media no longer influences public opinion. Media outlooks simply cater to their own audience be it Fox, CNN, Breitbart etc.
10
Twelve years. Then leave. All public officials need to be limited to twelve years of service. So that's three terms for the President and Vice President, two for the Senate, six for the house, and one for the Supreme Court.
Also, just like most regular jobs have retirement ages, how about age 75 for all these people. Enough of these old white men staying on forever. Getting them out the door allows new blood, and new ideas, to move in.
6
Who brought us to this day? 2 words: Hillary Clinton.
A weak candidate, too proud to see that she would lose to anyone but Trump, and that she had even a decent shot of losing to him. Many of us saw the writing on the wall in the summer of 2016 and hoped that she would retire for "health reasons". Had she not owned the Democratic Party apparatus, we would have had a healthy primary and healthy candidate who would have wiped the floor with Trump. Instead, no candidates bothered to jump into the race, and we got the power-hungry candidate that completely lacks qualities of self-reflection; one that elevated herself above the common good. By letting hubris dictate her actions and obscure her weaknesses, she has brought this country to it's knees. If a baseball player is a .185 hitter but is a good buddy of the manager, does he demand to pinch hit in a critical game over a regular starter (who is available) that hits .335 and is clutch? If he is a team player, no. He wants to see the team win above all else. But the greedy, selfish player wants the glory, results be damned. Clinton is the .185 hitter, barely holding onto the roster spot. Any number of neutral observers saw this. Heck, I was rooting for Trump in the Republican Primaries, as I figured he was the ONE guy Clinton could beat. Yet, the Clintons' I-Me-My attitude and her refusal to acknowledge that she could send this country into a disastrous spiral has played out.
16
I would like to blame Trump and McConnell for the mess we are in.
But they aren't really to blame.
It is the pro-illegal immigration groups that have caused this situation. It is every court ruling preventing the ending of TPS programs. It is every illegal immigrant article in the paper.
I dislike Trump. I am very unhappy that Kavanaugh will be appointed to the Supreme Court.
But I, and tens of millions of people like me, are going to go ahead and vote Republican- because we know if the Democrats win 20,000,000 illegal immigrants will be granted citizenship and another 20,000,000 will be allowed to sneak into the country and will be given citizenship because 'sad stories.'
I cannot support any politician that does not push for the immediate deportation of all here illegally and ending TPS programs and H1B visa programs.
I am tired of it. The Republicans only care about the wealthy and powerful- but at least their constituents are citizens. The Democrats care about everyone except citizens and are determined to turn the United States into a third-world country.
6
You can thank three Progressives for Kavanaogh's confirmation:
1. Harry Reid, for killing the filibuster, to pack the DC court re Obamacare (what a waste of effort),
2. George Soros, for funding those over-the-top protesters, who merely alienated Senators and the public alike; and
3. Cory Booker, whose Spartacus-not performances epitomized the near-hysteria of the hearings.
A more restrained approach by the Dems would have been much more likely to succeed. Hope someone learns the lesson, before Amy Coney Barrett becomes the next nominee.
14
For all of us who remember those dark days before Roe V Wade, there is still hope. It's a long shot, but there is one thing we can do to drag our laws back from the bunch of angry old white men and religious fanatics who gleefully return us to the days when as many as 1.5 million American women DIED each year as a result of trying to end pregnancies, and all US hospitals had a Septic Abortion Ward, for the maimed and dying victims of womens' universal response to unwanted pregnancy.
If we flip both Houses and then, the presidency, there is NO LAW designating an exact number of justices on the SCOTUS. Only that we have such a court and where it sits in the three branches of government. A president can increase the number of the court from nine to eleven by appointment. FDR did this, thus bringing us to our current nine justices.
And for god's sake, get some more women on that court and in our governments, starting November 6th, 2018.
17
The issue is not about allegations of an out-of- control youth with a faulty memory . The issue is about America and our future with a biased Supreme Court judge in a right-wing court, a partisan congress, and a corrupt President. Will this imbalance of power force us to distrust our neighbors, honor guns and war in the name of freedom, and bring unwanted babies into a world burdened by famine, human displacements, and changing climate? Is this America we want to live in?
11
Not at all sure that "we" (?) "have the power to call [our …???] government to account" considering mcconnell's democracy-desecration campaign -- begun when, before Pres. Obama had so much as 'embarked' upon his first-term, he 'bragged' that ... regardless any merit in any Obama 'pursuit' ... he would be singularly focused upon efforts to 'make sure' the Obama presidency would be a one-term presidency.
'Tis fortunate that in this respect, mcconnell was unsuccessful … but and alas ... and making that failure almost irrelevant … it is the GREATEST of "our" MISFORTUNES that his democracy-desecration campaign -- 9 years 'in,' counting still -- has been in almost all other respects 'successful.'
3
I’m still waiting for even one credible accusation or any evidence at all of even the slightest misconduct by Justice Kavanaugh
15
Kavanaugh lost his legitimacy forever with his hysterical, paranoid tantrum blaming the "left" for all his problems. Typical Republican - always looking for someone else to blame for problems they themselves caused by their actions. We now will have an SC that is grossly mis-representative of the American People. And all branches of our government will be dominated by a Party that in each body gets less popular votes than the Dems. It is sad day for Democracy when the ultra right wing minority gets control of the country. The MAJORITY of Americans must now do whatever it takes to save ourselves from this disaster.
21
Trump and the blind support for Kavanaugh are the result of 20 years of changing right-wing traditional American conservatism, into radical conservatism that is today - based on xenophobia, racism, and hate. Facts don't matter, like the Kavanaugh debacle has proven once again. From Fox News, conservative radio, Alex Jones conspiracy-theorist types, and the backlash of a two-term black President, the dark side of America has come out of the shadows and is now a very visible and significant minority. Sadly, it's not just Trump. Many of them are also senators and congressmen following Trump's lead, that in turn get their supporters happily and loudly following their cult leader's voice. Sound familiar? (hint: think somewhere in Europe 80 years ago)
I see a country transforming into serious moral decay. The heart and soul of America is being been pulled out. What happens in a few weeks, the Mueller investigation, and the 2020 election will have reverberations for a generation to come. Which path will be taken? Only time will tell.
The only way I see things settling down, is the Mueller investigation finding damning concrete proof of Trump breaking laws and/or colluding with Russia. Trump eventually in prison will be how America gets the last word on American justice. This will be the enlightenment needed, similar to 1945-1946 Germany had in recognizing the errors in its ways.
12
Don’t let Donald Trump and Brett Kavanaugh have the last word about American justice, as there will be another chance for a good conservative justice real soon!
2
Having stolen TWO SCOTUS SEATS & defiled the High Court with illegitimate nominees (Gorsuch & Kavanaugh), Senate GOP leader McConnell & Judiciary Chair Grassley have the effrontery to call for "mending things so we can do things in a collegial way." Senator Hatch told victimized women to "grow up." Conservative-Republicans & Trump have infected our nation with corruption, lies, hypocrisy, hyper-partisan words & deeds & continue to project onto members of the Democratic party the iniquity regularly practiced by Conservative-Republicans & they have the gall to mischaracterize Americans who call them out?
I recall six or so years of Tea Party protesters who screamed at members of Congress (mostly Democratic). These same shouting protesters were never characterized as threats to our political system or public safety even though their language was laced with--and dripped with--epithets of vicious hatred. Conservative-Republican disrespect of President Obama for 8 long years provides incontrovertible evidence of this.
Conservative-Republicans shall long know & well be informed that this is only the continuation of the struggle to determine whether a political party, ideology & cabal of rightwing extremists who kowtow to religious bigots & demagogues, who slavishly serve at the alter of radical & reactionary invidious billionaires, will prevail by destroying our Middle Class as well as subverting our Constitutional system to serve the greedy few at the expense of the needy many.
19
Mitch McConnell, ending up the arbitrary hearing with his laughable scold about "obstruction" while being the very hand behind the Merrick nomination obstruction is the very embodiment of the "white-washed sepulcher" he would make of the highest court in America. He even looks like the poster boy for gallows humor with his expressionless face devoid of an animating conscience.
His historical corollary is Strom Thurmond, the staunch segregationist with a black daughter he supported and hid. The partisanship keeps these politicians small and for what? for a shot at two sentences in some homeschool history workbook in a couple of years? No heroes here for America.
24
Sometimes I wonder if Lincoln, the last honest Republican, was wrong.
4
There is no question that Brett Kavanaugh lied under oath during his testimony before the Judicial Committee on Sep 27. For that reason the FBI was prohibited by the White House from interviewing Kavanaugh (and Blasey) as part of their one week follow-up "investigation". It is probably true that the FBI did not find anything new in their last investigation, but only because they were deliberately prevented from looking for anything new by the White House. Kavanaugh will always be tainted just as Clarence Thomas was and still is tainted by his confirmation hearing. And the Supreme Court has once again been further besmirched by the Republicans in this Congress and this White House. Long term consequences for short term political game. How sad for America!
20
Some have suggested expanding the Supreme Court by a few more seats. That's insufficient since Kavanaugh would still have influence over decisions. If the Supreme Court were expanded by a thousand, his vote would be insignificant. But the Democratic hacks will not do that.
Please vote all Democrats and Republicans out!!!
2
When will we ever recover from the nightmare that is trump?
17
I hope/strongly suggest that someone or group assemble the sworn statements of all the witnesses who asked to be interviewed about Ms. Ford and Mr. Kavanaugh (and later, just Mr. Kavanaugh) who the FBI, constrained by the President (after promising an open investigation) and the Republicans, was not allowed to speak to.
While that may not keep Mr. Kavanaugh off the Supreme Court, the citizenry will have a deeper understanding of how and why the Republicans/Trump put him there him.
20
As a #MeToo woman, I am grieving this moment in US history. I guess I cannot say much more than that - it seems the people in power who should deeply care about such travesties inflicted on women all across this country - indeed, all across the globe - do not care after all.
So today I will turn off the news, ignore all my email and selfishly try to regain a sense that maybe my own life will be ok. I'll watch the leaves turning yellow outside my window and smell the long-awaited rain finally falling to our parched earth, nourishing it. Nourishing me. It's the "denial" phase of grief; yeah, I know. But that's where I am today.
Tomorrow though - tomorrow - the coming anger will spur my action. Be warned, Republicans. Be thoroughly warned. I will then be doing everything in my power to speak my own "truth to power," to unseat you from any power whatsoever, and to put in your place within all elected offices those who do listen, those who do care, those who live lives of personal integrity.
So be warned. I am coming. We all are coming.
17
Senator Collins says she believes Dr. Ford. Then she votes for Kavanaugh.
No. that is a horrid bit of corruption. Those two items are opposites and have no moral existence together. Another good example of the impossibility for having e a real democracy. Plato studied and wrote on this . Democracy seldom works; most people want Kavanaugh out; most people did not vote for Trump. Democracy and capitalism cannot co-exist together. Corporations and the "good ole boys" run the country. Get smart folks!
18
This is the biggest disgrace ever in my lifetime. It goes beyond party loyalty. We are picking a Supreme Court Justice who does not qualify for this appointment. No one who has lied about his past should sit on this court. No one who has disrespected women belongs on the bench. He is not trusted by the overwhelming majority of our citizens. Shame on all those who have allowed this .
What have you done to our country?
16
United we stand, divided we fall. With a nation turning on itself, our enemies need do nothing but watch and wait.
9
This is a ridiculous editorial. How in the world is Justice Roberts "to steer the court away from cases, and rulings, that could deepen the nation’s political divide" ? The entire purpose of the Supreme Court is resolve the deepest issues that divide the country.
A little history might help. In Norman England the King was himself the Judge. As the country grew, he appointed members of his Council to carry his work load. These judges in turn appointed lower ones to handle common pleas. Eventually, the judiciary grew to be a separate branch of government. However, the most important appeals were reserved to the House of Lords. Why? Because it was recognized that the most important appeals *are* intrinsically political. Under our system this function of the Upper House got consolidated with the separate judiciary.
At all times in our history the High Court has existed to resolve fundamental political-economic issues that define the nation from economic regulation, to war powers to the scope and reach of the Bill of Rights. To steer the Court away from controversial issues is to deny the Court its essential purpose.
The G.O.P. has stacked the Court in pursuit of its anti-social, corporate rights agenda. The Democrats, if they would be worth their salt, will have to unstack it by imposing limits on tenure or pursuing other suggestions for reform of the court and its selection process.
7
It is truly frightening exactly how the "1%" has taken control of the entire government. It is an ongoing war against the average middle/poor class' that can only seem to end in some kind of revolution if these "1%'s" do not wake up, and, literally, back off. They seem to believe that the other 99% of us are perfectly content with part time minimum wage jobs, poisoned environment, reduced for-the-rich taxes, little or no health care, cold wars with (what used to be) our allies, embracement of petty "leaders" (Putin included), multiple standards of (alleged) justice (depending on your income level), and so much more. Face it. This Democratic Republic has two options: accept the force fed "status quo", or if in November we do not stand on our two feet and tell this government that is no longer of the people by voting, we are taking it back-one way or another. A sieve cannot hold water. This situation has occurred so many other times throughout history (Rome, France, all over Asia, etc), and the rich never seem to learn. When money has become power, the only power, then power becomes worthless.
10
"And if we disapprove of the direction of the courts, we can put the lessons Mitch McConnell taught us to work — and vote."
We can also contribute to McConnell's opponent and rid ourselves of his seditious and invidious undermining of democracy. We can fly to Kentucky—as many teachers on break do—and knock on doors, inform people, volunteer to drive people to the polls, so reduced in minority areas.
The justice system is so onerous and expensive; it sank into injustice long ago. The courts are a toy in the hands of Trumpers who use them to threaten people into bankruptcy. Bankruptcy awaits the majority of Americans who go near a court. Corporations and credit agencies have just about herded everyone into arbitration, and have shut down class action suits.
The "perception" of unfairness gave way to the reality a while back.
19
From the point when Kavanaugh is sworn into the Supreme Court, the Roberts Court's place in history will be taking a nosedive. And I have to say, serves him right.
11
I think what makes me the saddest is that, the only reason I've ever heard right-wing lay people cheer this toxic, destructive, contradictory ugliness on is because, 'If it makes liberals cry, I'm all for it." That is the level of intellect in a huge portion of our electorate. That scares me more than anything.
33
I see one ray of hope in the swamp of mendacity called "The Kavanaugh Confirmation Hearings": If the American Bar Association would find its moral compass to DISBAR Judge Kavanugh for moral turpitude, true justice would be done.
I'm sure we can argue the bases for declaring moral turpitude, but Kavanaugh's lying about known facts and his personal demeanor before the Committee should be more than sufficient grounds for denying him a seat on the Supreme Court of the United States.
I invite the American Bar Association to step forward and do the right thing.
17
The world laughed at Trump last week, now it can increase its laughter at the ridiculous Supreme Court.
9
Sadly, this is just another in a long line of false and divisive opinion articles. First off, Judge Kavanaugh has a lot of experience on federal benches and his ratings are less conservative than all but one conservative justice and less partisan than any of the liberal justices. Additionally, this minority representation argument is false. It takes the full constituency of Democrat Senators states and compares it to that of Republican Senators states. The problem is that there are significant numbers of Republicans and Democrats in every state. The percentage of Republicans and Democrats in this country are fairly even with neither party having a majority position. Also, Federal judges and Supreme Court Justices are not directly elected for a reason. They are not intended to reflect a majority or minority opinion. They are intended to make rulings based on the constitution and law, independent of whatever the current cultural or political opinion is.
9
From start to finish this nomination has been tainted:
Justice Kennedy retires when Trump agrees to nominate someone qualified.
A nominee selected by a right wing think tank. And the nominee talking about how wonderful the selection process was.
A rushed confirmation process with 3 am document dumps and most of the nominee’s work withheld.
A shoddy, truncated investigation.
An embarrassing and, disqualifying, exhibition of whining, lying and bitter partisanship by the nominee.
All of which casts a dark shadow on the nominee, the Senate and the Judiciary.
This is an ugly victory for the nominee, for Trump and the unprincipled Republican Party. And a defeat for those who believe in fair process.
20
I keep looking at those pictures of him at his recent appearance before the Committee -- full of anger, hate, bitterness, contempt and a thirst for revenge -- and I say to myself “Uh-oh, watch out for this guy, he doesn’t ever forget, forgive, compromise or let-loose of his enemies.
https://frontnews.eu/news/en/37568/Trump-orders-FBI-to-reopen-investigat...
12
If any Democratic president put forward a nominee for the SCOTUS with one tenth the allegations no Republican Senator would allow the nominee to get so much as a committee hearing.
Judges are evaluated on perception not actual crimes. However, it seems that the political class wants to end any idea that the SCOTUS is anything but an arm of the party that put the majority of Justices on the bench.
9
"And they have the power to call their government to account."
Actually, NYT, and the majority of your commenters, don't have the power. Independents do. Independents now have a slight edge over Democrats and a huge edge over Republicans.
Sure, the parties decide the nominees, but independents decide who wins.
My wife and I voted for Hillary. We hate Trump. But with what the Democrats did with this nomination process, you kissed our votes goodbye. (No, we won't vote for Trump. Probably a third party.)
This paper and many commenters here like to point to similarities between the right and the Fascist movements of the 30's. True. And in similar vein, many on today's left are similar to the Marxist of the 30's. (Let's not forget that the Marxist ended up murdering many more people than the Fascist.) The Democrats tried to run the confirmation hearings like a Stalin show trial and ended up turning #MeToo into #MaCarthyToo.
17
What is it that you think that the majority who disagree can do? The Constitution, through the electoral college, ensures that the votes of the few can outweigh the votes of the many. A voter from Wyoming has 3.6 times more weight than mine from California. This is why, even though we did vote and Trump got 3 million fewer votes than Clinton, Trump is in office. Even without Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court passed Citizens United, ensuring the ability of corporate money to crush the voices of individual voters. And the divide between right and left has become so intractable that we can't even agree on "Good morning." So what exactly is your advice?
15
In Mandinka society, men have commonly had multiple wives. Children with the same father and different mother (fadenya) tend to compete viciously with one another, while children of the same mother (badenya) tend to cooperate. Fadenya and badenya are male orientation/ female orientation, patriarchy/ matriarchy, autocracy/ democracy. In America, the Kavanaugh confirmation completes a patriarchal coup of the judicial branch, which follows a patriarchal coup of the executive branch (Trump).
This is a historical moment. The power of democracy, a badenya power, has been sharply curtailed by a coalition of folks who are simply most comfortable with patriarchy, within their homes and within their nation. Badenya spirit, inclusiveness, sharing, and true democracy threaten their fundamental structure of power—patriarchy. Patriarchy is the comfort zone. Patriarchy is himpathy for Kavanaugh, tolerance for Trump.
November of 2018 will also be historic: a surge of female candidates and inspired voters, a tsunami of badenya energy is about to hit America.
https://www.sfreporter.com/columns/leeonliterature/2018/10/05/confrontin...
6
The controversy over Judge Kavenaugh’s nomination is less about whether accusations against him can be proved, but all about whether his elevation to a position where he sits in judgement of the rest of us - for life - is wise. His testimony before the Judiciary Committee was, after all, a job interview. If you were considering an applicant who behaved the way Judge Kavenaugh did, would you hire them or just move on to the next candidate? Remember, he will be appointed for life. If you get it wrong you can’t fire him.
In Judge Kavenaugh I saw a candidate who dodged questions, refused to answer questions, verifiably lied in response to others, and acted overall as though he was entitled to the position rather than seeking consent to be hired.
Even if you believe the accusation was timed with partisan intent, that intent hasn’t been proven either, and it wouldn’t obviate the need to thoroughly investigate the accusation before making a decision on Judge Kavenaugh’s appointment. That has not been done and the ramifications of that decision will taint the court for at least a generation.
14
There is a graphic of the blindfolded Lady Justice grimacing as she hears the pleas of millions of people crying out for safety, health, and happiness for all and smelling the stench of Big Money outweighing the needs and will of the people. See
https://www.legalreader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Neils-Graphic-equ...
4
“if particular care and attention is not paid to the Ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice, or Representation.”
- Abigail Adams, 1776
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/abigail-adams-asks-her-husba...
2
Our Supreme Court is going to be the laughing stock of the rest of the world. The rest of the world has not still recovered from our the shock of our presidential election. This is what the beginning of the end of democracy. The world is seeing a model of what not to do.
7
The majority of Americans "have the power to call their government to account" in the streets, but not at the polling booth, where the call could really matter.
The Electoral College's tilt to low-population states and the power of the U.S. senators from those states gave the slave-owning aristocracy of the South control of national government until the Civil War, and since then the same factors have enabled the undoing of the New Deal, including the recapture of the Supreme Court by the rich.
It took the extended national crisis of the Great Depression to limit, but not end, the unfair political advantages of "the forces of interposition and nullification," to quote Dr. King.
When enough Americans again recognize the divide and conquer techniques of the rich and the right wing for what they are, it may be too late.
10
George Fisher brought up a very good diversionary remark. He claimed the Democrats were going to attempt legislating in the court, but I submit my observation of years that that is precisely what the Republicans have been doing most notably in Bush v. Gore and Citizen's United in which the legislative process was bypassed and cases brought to the court for favorable action expediently and with less effort. That is why the Republicans fought so hard to block Garlands nomination and accomplished their goal of packing the court with two of their people in two instances. The attack on democracy by Republicans has been ongoing and is nearly complete with the ascension of Judge Kavanaugh. Why else did they fight so hard and ignored the pleas of "The People"?
15
I agree completely with this editorial, and assuming that the voluntarily blind Republican senators and their DINO pal Manchin follow through on their promised votes, I will always remember this day as the one in which America capitulated to minority rule and the sacrifice of its democracy and its principles on the altar of hard-right partisanship.
Our last best hope, yea, our only hope, is a blue wave in November. What we really need, of course, is a blue tsunami if we hope to contain the insidious virus of Trumpism to any degree, although (to mix metaphors) that ship is already sailing and is armed with nuclear cannons while Democrats have traditionally "made nice" and shown up to the battle with pop-guns. I agree with Michael Avenatti: it is time to fight fire with more fire. All hands on deck! This is about defending our country against the enemy attack from within, at every level and in every branch of government. God save America. Please!
8
So we vote? Yeah, I guess so. Sadly, though, with Kavanaugh on the Court, the Republicans can engage with even more impunity than usual in whatever election meddling and shenanigans are required to "win" (read: fix) the elections, knowing full well that no legal remedy can touch them. By voting to confirm, Collins and Manchin have virtually ensured our descent into tyranny.
8
This is also about Mitch McConnell's own abuse of power and disingenuousness. Maybe that makes it a good time to point out that Kentucky ranks #41 out of 50, and in the lowest percentile in all things other than crime. So yay! Let's celebrate McConnell and Republicans and their effort to bring the entire country into the lowest percentile, modeled after McConnell's Kentucky.
14
Can we really consider ourselves a democracy without following the principle of “one man, one vote”? Is our representative democracy honestly representative?
9
We live in a very sick country. We must abolish the Electoral College in favor of a popular vote for the Presidency; we must overturn Citizens United; we must vote against those politicians who represent special interests rather than the people they vowed to serve and the Constitution they promised to uphold; we must restructure the SC and eliminate lifetime appointments. We must do many things to right this sinking ship but I fear that far too many Americans are more enticed by the reality show Donald Trump puts on daily than they are about participating in change.
12
VOTING IS NOT ENUF! The Gorsuch & Kavanaugh appointments are not illegal but ILLEGITIMATE. McConnell & Congressional Republicans united and transformed the process of SCOTUS appointments into one of raw and naked power politics. Unless you are prepared to wait patiently and passively for 25-30 years accepting the gesture of a bone thrown to you occasionally by the Roberts court-like his vote on Obamacare- there is I think only one hope, which sadly may not be very realistic: A DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS AND PRESIDENT PASSING A SIMPLE BILL INCREASING THE # OF JUSTICES TO 11 and then and then acting on it to appoint 2 justices.But it's clearly unlikely that the Congressional Democrats will be as strongly united as the Republicans have been and bring this about, if past history is any guide.
The Republicans attack (metaphorically) with AK47's. The Democrats respond with water pistols. Compare the Republicans strong , intense, vociferous denunciations of Democratic opposition to Kavanaugh with Obama and the Democrats relatively milquetoast response to Republican blockade of Garland's appointment. Unless the Democratic centrists both inside and outside the government
become more aggressive vis a vis the Supreme Court, the future will be one limited to nodding sadly while reading future NYT editorials lamenting SCOTUS decisions.
8
I am no longer a religious person, but two bible verses from my catechism days kept rattling around in my head as I watched the Republicans in the senate posture and preen for their evangelical base:
"Jesus wept."
"Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
6
If the new standard is "credible accusations" then I fear the day that Meryl Streep or Tom Hanks accuses me of some unspeakable crime I committed in their presence decades ago.
They can credibly tell a fictitious story.
Even worse if they provides no details that allow me to provide evidence in my defense (since the burden of proof is now on the accused).
7
My holiday wish? Term limits for the Supreme Court.
3
It's all about which northeast Ivy League school, Harvard (Justices Roberts, Breyer, Kagan, Gorsuch), Yale (Justices Thomas, Alito, Sotomayer, Kavanaugh), or Columbia (Justice Ginsburg) will control the US Supreme Court. When Kavanaugh gets confirmed the court will be balanced with 4 Harvard grads and 4 Yale grads, and 1 Columbia grad will be left over to cast the deciding vote. This actually increases the power of Columbia, as Harvard and Yale will have to compete to bribe Columbia to cast its vote in their favor. What about the other 234 law schools in the USA you ask? Why is there no diversity on the US Supreme Court? For the same reason that all US Presidents since 1989 have been either Harvard or Yale grads. The northeast Ivy League controls the US government (or at least 2/3 of it).
4
The GOP senators on the Judiciary Committee have fully embraced Trump's character, rudeness, and win at all costs mentality. They let Kavanaugh disrespect the committee's Democrats with his Trump-like rhetoric, evasive answers, lies, and challenging retorts. They weren't interested in any of those things because they aren't interested in Trump's lies, character, deceit, etc.
They were mainly interested in three things: power, next month's elections, and Roe vs. Wade.
10
Trump fills a room and is so transparent that while toxic we know what we have. The real villain is Mitch McConnell. We saw it when he announced on Obama's first inauguration day that (to paraphrase) Republicans would see to it that Obama would be a one-term President. He was instrumental in creating and giving life to the extreme partisan politics that has strangled the efficacy of Congress. He held open the Supreme Court seat that is being filled today with the person he supported. He doesn't get the publicity that would expose him, thus, allowing him to scheme and use his vile and venal power that affects every citizen. Whatever was good in the U.S. government is being destroyed by him and his minions. Trump and other presidents come and go, but McConnell, in his place of power, stays as long we "let" him. Sadly, it takes a crisis such as we are experiencing to wake us up and act.
11
With the confirmation of Kavanaugh who demonstrated not that he can be fair and impartial but exactly the reverse, the US is looking more and more like Putin's Russia where also the truth is shun and propaganda is king. Indeed, even if Mueller finds very serious crime on the part of Trump, no one now can be reasonably sure that the truth and the facts will be pursued at the highest court. The level of corruption in the US government is getting higher and this situation seems to become more and more pronounced each week. But the worse for me is that it seems that a substantial portion of the American electorate is fine with all that falsehood and corruption albeit the majority is appalled, disgusted and can't do (for the moment) a darn thing about it. We can't say anymore that the 2018 election will change things as the new polls show. I guess the only thing left is pray for a miracle...
4
No longer sure we can call them to account in a state like Georgia, where we have hackable voting machines without a paper trail and a profoundly corrupt Secretary of State (who coincidentally is running for governor).
9
The mask on Lady Liberty has been ripped off revealing a disfigured and diseased face.
America has been living under false pretenses. We tell everyone how exceptional we are when we aren't, we tell everyone how good we are to others when we aren't (Trail of Tears, Iraq), we tell everyone how fair we are when we aren't (Supreme Court), our Department of War is renamed Department of Defense to make peace through war.
America needs to come to terms with itself. Turn off the TV, go outside, look around, talk with a neighbor, look in the mirror. Was Ward Churchill right? Are we all just "little Eichmann's". I'm beginning to believe so.
America needs some reinvention, humanistically deal with our past, look at our ecological footprint, and live by the Golden Rule within and in our relationship to others in the World. That is the beginning. It will be up to future generations to make this happen, the present ones are too corrupt.
10
Sexual assault aside, and I believe the allegations of all three women are the truth, Kavanaugh’s nomination should have been abandoned based solely on his disqualifying behavior. No reasonable person with a moral compass would confirm his nomination. So what we have here is one-party rule in America in the 21st century, and the Republicans are just getting started. Yes, we can vote, but in the face of Republican gerrymandering, the will of the American people is a thing of the past.
11
Our only hope is that the other eight justices can bring him back in line with American judicial norms.
The Republicans have been destroying the country ever since they first came to power. It all started with Abraham Lincoln not allowing the Confederacy to leave when it wanted to. Now it seems we're stuck with it.
6
Though nowhere near Alaska and not a Republican, I will be contributing to Senator Murokowski. She has acted honorably.
13
As an outsider I can see the US democracy crumbling under the leadership of president Trump. Gutting regulations to protect health and benefit polluters is so irresponsible. I am both sad and fearful of the impact because Canada will be collateral damage. The USA can no longer claim to be the leader of the Free World.
9
Outrageously, Americans do not have the power to call our government to account. All three branches of our "democratic" government are controlled, legally, by a minority of citizens. This entrenched power is inherent in the structure of the Senate and the presidency by way of the electoral college. Gerrymandering of House districts results in the de facto rule of the minority. The seeds of the dissolution of the United States have been written into the Constitution. Where is the power of the American to call our government to account?
10
@Elizabeth
Welcome to the road of fascism. Anyone with a basic 8th grade understanding of world history knows how it starts and where it leads. The good news for those with some savings in the bank is that there have been better countries to emigrate to for several decades now. Time to go. Our family has decided to do just that, for the adults and to insure a safer, better life for a teen daughter.
5
The problem we have is that the framers of the constitution assumed that future generations would be governed by reasonable people. For 200 years or so that was true but the constitution is full of generalities and short on specifics. These are now being exploited by politicians intent only on gaining power at the expense of "the others".
We've already seen how "freedom of speech" and "freedom of religion", both of which had specific meanings in the 18th century, have been exploited for political ends. The latest fiasco is the result of giving the Senate the power of "advice and consent" without defining important rules like the number of votes required. The Senate self-imposed a rule that 60 votes were required but a self-imposed rule can easily be revoked, as we've seen. From now on every Supreme Court nomination is going to be a political slug fest.
Separation of powers is too important to be left to the whim of politicians. We need to put the 60 vote requirement into the constitution.
10
"Bush v. Gore, which handed the White House to a Republican president"
As I recall, major news organizations did their own recount of every ballot cast in Florida, and found that Bush did in fact win the state. So the Supreme Court decision did not change the ultimate result.
4
@HurryHarry Without the actual ballots news organizations could not have accurately counted every ballot.
The electoral officials would not make them available to unauthorized persons so their is no way your could claim can be validated.
5
@HurryHarry even the Times did a recount and found that George Bush did indeed win
3
The Senate has given us a new definition of “Devil’s Triangle” with Trump, McConnell and Kavanaugh at the apices. What they are about to do to the country is obscene.
5
"Credible accusations of sexual assault" The authors of this editorial cannot be serious. These accusations were contrived and coordinated from the beginning with absolutely no evidence or corroboration of her story and attempted intimidation of supposed witness statements to get them to follow the "narrative". The plan was obvious and with the Democrats, Clinton lawyers and Ms. Ford's FBI agent friend working together was to get this supposed credible accusation out there, using all the intimidation tactics available along with a compliant media to get the Republicans and the President to cave and pull the nomination. The left wing media even launched an attack on Mr. Kavanaugh's 10 year old daughter, calling her "fair game"because he spoke of her prayers in his testimony. This strategy has always worked in the past with the spineless Republicans. Unfortunately for the Democrats this President fights back and fights back hard against the bullies that populate the Democratic party. Their is an honest reporter out there working on this story as I am typing this comment. The resulting truth will be devastating to everyone who was involved in this shameful attempt to destroy a man's life and his family.
9
"I don't really care. Do you?" Said by powerless American women everywhere.
This shows what a weak office the FBI truly is. They're like an abused spouse, still ready to help the abuser over anything else
1
As disgusting and unfit as Kavanaugh and Trump show themselves to be, their enablers are the ones who really terrify. They are the worst of all. Collins & Manchin. Perfectly willing to do away with standards and integrity and not fight unfairness and dysfunction. I hate them for their evil actions. Their words mean absolutely zilch.
What an alcoholic Kavanaugh is, to rage and lash out and then come forward with a lame I-didn’t- mean-it apology in the form of an op-ed.
He has been enabled by Kool-aid drinkers.
11
The only good thing I can say about Kavenaugh's confirmation is that I don't feel as bad as when Trump was elected. I guess I've had two years of "President" Trump to get used to the stench.
5
Collins does such a nice job of playing a reasoned, thoughtful senator on tv.
9
Perhaps the three women Justices and justice Bryer should, go fishing or get a collective migraine and not show up for Kavanaugh installation.
Or quit the court in mass and let trump nominate his daughter and son-in-law, and his hair colorist.
Disgusted!!!
6
“ ... the virus of Trumpism ...” is the virus of white male Republicanism in the United States. It’s an epidemic, and it has been spreading for a long time. In the federal government. In the state governments. In the towns. Across the rivers. And in many churches.
It attacks the heart. It destroys a person’s heart by transforming it into an odd organ that behaves like a chained, snarling pit bull.
2
I am not a victim of sexual assault. But, I feel akin to the situation by Kavanaugh’s placement on the Supreme Court. He is assaulting the USA by thrusting himself to onto the highest court.
2
No one ever said “Democracy is easy!” It takes “Blood, Sweat & Tears” just like the musical groups namesake. What just happened didn’t start yesterday, or last week, or even the last election. It’s been growing like a cancer for years. So–who started it? We all did. Complacency is the root of all evil. If you want something that is really important to you, then be willing to fight for it. The Republican Party has followed that Matrix for years. In just over a month, one of the most important elections ever is going to be upon us. Here’s my advise to all of you, myself included. “Vote as though not only your life, but the life of this country depends on it!”
We can take back our country if everyone of us really believes this and is willing to sacrifice all to make it happen. Talk about it to everyone who will listen to you, and that includes your Republican family and friends.
5
Whenever this paper wants to sour it's readership on anyone or anything, they tie it to Trump.
I dislike the president as much as the next NYTimes reader, but this cynical tactic is disgusting to me.
Kavanaugh is NOT a trumpian. No federal appellate judge is. Kavanaugh's judicial opinions are remarkably in-line with the Supreme Court over the duration of his time on the bench.
Please try being honest. I'm rapidly questioning my decision to continue giving this paper my money.
12
it's time for the political media to drop the pretense that susan Collins is anything other than a republicon eager to fall in line and retain her ever dwindling 'influence'.
she's not the thoughtful, deliberate, moderate pol you love to promote. this decision proves it.
she conveniently ignored the petition by over 1000 law professors and a former supreme court justice that Kavanaugh wasn't qualified;
she conveniently ignored disgraceful behavior before the senate committee; and his contempt esp directed at the women senators was undeniable;
she conveniently ignored the testimonies of the drunken blackouts and obnoxious behavior while drunk.
there's nothing to admire about her; she's as duplicitous and dishonest as the next republicon.
6
Another example of how powerless everyone...
- media with their troops of big name reporters, columnist investigating & writing day and night.
- people with intelligent & unbiased opinions.
- protesters, both celebrity and commoners.
- majority of population; democrats in senate
...are against a president and 51 - 49 majority senate.
What else is dictatorship?
1
Mark my words, leftists need to be very careful when riding this monster of "accusation equals guilt" and mob justice. It'll take up a life of its own and destroy randomly.
See the Chinese "Cultural Revolution."
16
@ML: You're attacking a straw man. All Dr. Blasey wanted was a thorough FBI investigaton, not the sham she got. The Republicans and Kavanaugh didn't want such an investigation.
Why not an editorial piece about how the Democratic Party is alienating millions of moderate liberals like ourselves as it drifts to the extreme hysteria-driven Left...how they only have themselves to blame for the loss of the election to the likes of Donald Trump....how the endless chaos they’ve been sowing since the election has actually worsened, rather than impressed, their chances of winning the next election....
18
@Shenoa: You are not a liberal, and not moderate either. And what I see of the more left-wing (i.e., social democratic part) of the Democratic Party is not hysteria, but a reasonable program representing the interests of regular Americans, such as affordable health care and education for all, protection of social security, medicare and medicaid, infrastructure programs, environmental and consumer protection, rational immmigration policies, a livable minimum wage, etc., etc., Nothing hysterical about that. Just what many Western democracies already practice.
13
Maybe it's time for New York and California to secede. I'm only half kidding.
6
Trump lost the popular vote to the coastal states of NY, NJ, CA. Trump won the electoral college vote which included most of the remaining states representing the true will of the people. Americans rejected Hillary for many credible reasons, but one of the most important, is Americans were fed up with the liberal judicial policies of the democrats snd the far left. Our biggest nightmare is having our states and country turn into the hellholes of our coastal brethren. Amen.
5
Really! Even now you won’t let up!!!
Susan Collins very fine speech was a primer on how advice and consent should work, and a plea for civility in the nation.
The NYT’s Trump derangement seems to continue to require you to define anyone who disagrees with you as not just wrong, but either evil or stupid or both.
18
You mean advice and consent like refusing to hold hearings on Garland? Please. Give me a break.
1
You must’nt have read Robert Pinsky’s op-ed today before you wrote this. But, please spend your ink on how our country should bridge the dilemma of the subjective harm and objective proof. We all can move forward, we all love our country (most of us anyway) ...
3
It wasn’t partisanship to shove Obamacare down the throats of the American people?
3
Susan Collins is unfit for public office; she acts like Kavanaugh was on trial and his accusers failed to prove their assertions.
She failed to include his obvious lies about his high school drinking bouts, which are corroborated by his yearbook and his own writings. She apparently believes his "little" lies will not affect his decisions on big issues, such as Roe v. Wade.
She is deluded on that point; no less an authority than Jesus, who Bret claims to call his "Lord", logically advised that anyone who cannot be trusted with the small things cannot be trusted with the great.
Susan Collins will go down in American history as the naive enabler of an anti-democratic political hack. I can only hope that enough women stay angry enough to throw her and her fellow Republican trolls out of office.
10
America is dead. Avarice and power rules the land.
8
By the Democratic Caucus. There, finished the headline for you.
3
Senator Collins reasoned that Dr. Ford’s allegation did not meet Senator Collins” highly probable” standard in part because her friends recalled nothing about the incident involving Mr. Kavanaugh.
Yet Senator Collins herself similarly said she had “no idea” about sexual abuse experienced by even some of her own closest friends.
Uhh-Senator Collins—do you see the contradiction here?
11
Susan Collins is the day's most pathetic symbol of the hypocrisy of the Republican Party. She knows full well that the so-called FBI investigation was a complete sham. Kavanaugh's own college pals, ignored by the FBI under Trump/Republican orders have come out in public and testified to their first hand knowledge of Kavanaugh's frequent blind, falling down drunkeness. He lied, he perjured himself before the nation and Susan Collins supports him wholeheartedly after pretending to have made an objective review of Kavanaugh.
People of Maine - you are better than this by far. Throw Collins out in 2020 - she is not worthy of your support..
25
I don’t know exactly how, and I don’t know when, but I intend to get OUR country back through every legitimate means possible. I’m just plain tired of having this teensy slice of old white guys act like their the ones who own it. VOTE and SPEAK.
3
The Republicans have broken America.
8
As revolting as the climate in DC has become, this confirmation episode will seem quaint compared to what happens if the Mueller report comes back with damning evidence against the President.
Not only is there the potential to have an illegitimate resident in the Oval Office, we will also have illegitimate life-time appointees sitting on the highest court.
Legislation can be re-written. Executive orders can be revoked. How this divided country deals with Gorsuch and Kavanaugh if Trump is removed is an absolute powder keg.
8
Trump has infected the GOP unto death, and now with "Bart", the Supreme Court is about to catch a bad cold. If Kavanaugh is confirmed, the Court will become a full-house right-wing old-boys club, and the American oligarchs will be in good hands.
The rest of us--especially anyone on the margins--had better get out and vote. And raise hell and vote and spread the word and raise hell and vote and raise hell and vote. No more not voting, please.
Since the GOP prevented the FBI from actually *investigating* Dr Ford's allegations, the House Democrats must do so if they take the House in November. The GOP will keep lying that this was all done and "refuted" Dr Ford's testimony (it did no such thing), and they'll do so even if evidence surfaces that confirms her accusation is true. So buck up, and do what the FBI wasn't allowed to do, House Dems! (So much for the "crooked" FBI being in league with Democrats, eh Donald?)
The only member of the "gang of 4" who comes out looking principled here is Sen. Murkowski. Jeff Flake made no difference except to provide cover for his party's deception, and he can be absolutely sure that he did nothing to stop the nation from continuing to "tear itself apart". Ditto for Collins. A Bernie-type Democrat should take on Manchin next primary in WV; if he loses, Manchin could still run as a Republican--where he'd probably feel less precarious, which is how he really likes it..
10
You staged the political fight you wanted. Not very ably or intelligently as it turned out, but at least on the terms you selected. You lost. And now, predictably, you're sore losers.
7
What is most important is not giving up on revealing more about Kavanaugh's disgusting life and character, even though enough of those things known about them have already been revealed. Keep revealing the miscreant for what he is and how the party of old and new evil people (aka republicans, as more and more people are coming to understand) just love him. Don't allow a Kavanaugh who is an ignoramus about life's decencies and values parade his torch of hot academics and other combustibles to illuminate its way through the dark night of its twisted soul in order to claim a place in the noon day brightness of wisdom emanating from the two women on THE court who struggle to save the trust and dignity of the SCOTUS daily.
3
If anyone can believe a C. Thomas or a B. Kavanaugh have not, will not, carry their scars into their legal decision making you might as well believe in Santa Claus,Virginia (pun intended).
4
... Been saying it all week long and for months' longer...
VOTES are POWER.
REGISTER to VOTE before November 6, 2018.
VOTE on November 6, 2018. BRING a VOTING friend with you.
VOTE your POWER.
9
Weobserve: Interesting juxtaposition to today's article about the rapes and raping in the Congo. It appears that the only difference between the current republican (sic[k]) party members and the Congolese rape perpetrators, in majority, is the color of their skin. Remember that tRump is a symptom of the depravity of those who paid for his position.
2
All that's left to ask is, does he beat his wife -- even verbally as he did Sen. Klobuchar?
Well, does he?
5
Vote blue. Flip the House and the Senate. Impeach Kavanaugh and convict him for perjury.
9
Dems --- now get in and pack the court.
Or we are all finished.
2
Kavannaugh, in his Diatribe last Thursday made an interesting ominous comment "what goes arond, comes around". During Obamas administration when Democrats controlled the senate, the 60 vote requirement rule, although informal, was used by the minrity leader McConnell to block all Obamas nominations to Hederal Courts. at te time, liberals, including commentators like Rachel Maddow and Obrien suggested the "nuclear optio" meaning replacing 60-40 rule with simple majority of 51+ and cheered when Reid used it to approve Obama's nominations to the Supreme Court. And they all cheered when it happened. Now it has come to haunt us as McConnell has used it to coronet the KIng Trump. The law of unintended consequence. Can any one put the "genie" back in the bottle? may be two thirds majority? I doubt it.
2
The nuclear option for supreme court nominees was invoked by McConnell not Reid. Reid used it for all other judges.
4
It’s divisive politics and most sane people are disgusted. But I would offer a perspective that views procedural tactics vs character assasination and individual exploitation as the party difference today. The latter tactics employed by Democrats have today (and in the past) tumbled into a new low. The NYT has failed to see this, and trumps poor behavior aside, it only garnets fission when the editors fail to understand what is emerging before them. It will only empower the republicans.
2
Sexual assault aside, Kavanaugh lied under oath. That should have sent him packing. End of story. Disgraceful
31
Dear NYT Editorial Board: there is nothing credible about a woman claiming an assault 36 years after the fact. Trump said the obvious the other day: No place - no date - heck not even a specific year. She lied about the polygraph, she lied about not knowing the Senate investigators would go to CA so she wouldn't have to testify. The FBI investigation found out that her friend, the same woman her ex boyfriend said she coached on beating a polygraph, pressured an alleged witness to revise her statement.
We are truly a divided nation when a McCarthy-like smear campaign fails and the liberal press still shoulders on to support a false narrative.
8
This was written the moment the spoiled racist brat took power. Trump is a malignant disease, spreading vitriol, disrespect and stupidity. My tax dollars at work: his constant "rallies" which served to primp up his ego and stir the cauldron of hatred.
I was surprised it took such a short time to terminally infect the whole country. He has not been in office for even two years.
However, there is a kernel of light and hope still, evidenced by the honesty of Senator Murkowski. Perhaps there are more mighty oaks growing. Thank you Senator for showing the dark forces did not infect everyone.
6
Credibly accused? What are you talking about? Why do you persist.
Not one of 4 people, including a best friend, corroborated her story. Does the EB understand that? All were re-interviewed by the fbi. No story changed. Her best friend claims she was pressured, not sure by who, but we do know by which side.
Your use of the word credible is ABSURD. And BTW you all are becoming not credible!
15
Again on his words alone threatening the people against him "what goes around comes around" is enough to keep him from the SC.... unfit to sit... I hope the other 8 shun him...
14
The only thing to save the nation is the bold truth about Trump's and many Republican's corruption. The New York Times needs to blare out the truth from the top of the mountain. The New York Times needs it's own TV station. Tell the true story, convince people to vote, right the sinking ship.
2
Why no outrage over Ruth Ginsberg's highly charged defamatory statements about Trump? Calling Trump "faker" and saying also in interviews with NY Times in 2016 "I can't imagine what this place would be -- I can't imagine what the country would be -- with Donald Trump as our president".
That was the height of political involvement by a Supreme Court
Justice in the middle of an election season.
Please stop the sermons about "The High Court Brought Low" when not even a peep was heard from your ilk about outrageous involvement in politics by Ginsberg.
Your hypocrisy has brought you to a new low!
12
Like most Canadians, I couldn’t tell you who the judges on the Supreme Court in Canada are, or how many there are. We don’t appear to have the big money yet in our politics, where potential judicial appointees run ads on TV. It appears to be less possible to run a successful culture, gender or religious wars in Canada, because all federal parties must appease to the unique cultural identity and status of Quebeckers, which make up an important constituency in federal politics. Canadians still have a government-sponsored news channel in the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC), which promotes moderation and tolerance, diversity and a platform for minority voices. We are a smaller country that depends on trade with our southern neighbor, so we have to be conciliatory rather than bellicose and cocky. Canada might still head towards the extreme tribalism and all the fear mongering that pervades all US politics including Supreme Court nominations as our Southern neighbors. But I hope and think not.
2
There is so much wrong with this editorial I don't know where to start. These were completely uncorroborated allegations that supposedly occurred many years ago. No one backs up any story. It is not a foregone conclusion that Kavanaugh will be injudicious in his opinions on the SC. All one needs to do is study his over 300 opinions that are already on record. He as much as promised that he would not vote to overturn Roe v, Wade. The problem for the left is that with another conservative on the SC they can't get their radical and unconstitutional policies through because they don't pass muster legislatively.
97
@George Fisher
What you accuse the Democrats of planning to do in the court is precisely what the Republicans have been doing the last decade, most notably, the Citizen's United case that was brought to the court. It bypassed the Congress and went to the Court for expediency. The Republican party strategy is to legislate in courts absent democracy.
I view your comment as a deliberate diversion from the truth.
1
@George Fisher: Kavanagh remembers it. It is written in conduct.
I never used force in my own teen-age fumbling with sex, but I might have been too insistent once or twice. I understand how two rowdy young men could terrorize a girl by trying to strip off her clothes. And I would accept and respect an understanding apology by an adult who had processed the event and learned from it.
@George FisherI don't recall Jones's claim being corroborated, and in fact, I do recall it being thrown out by the judge for lacking merit. I don't recall Republicans defending Clinton by saying he was "fighting for his life" (republican term, apparently, for not getting a seat on the US Supreme Court or the like), or being okay with perjury because he was falsely accused. It has been interesting to watch the evolution of the Republican view of perjury, though, hasn't it?
6
The Republicans often claim they are safeguarding the vision of the Founding Fathers.
They are.
They are safeguarding the oligarchical vision, fearful of true democracy, that led the Founding Fathers to create the Senate, a profoundly anti-democratic institution, and make rural votes more valuable than urban votes.
The supposed ideals of American democracy have always been at odds with a political structure that constitutionally favors the rich at the expense of the poor.
This is the real scandal of American government, which has enabled the lies that are going to install Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court.
6
Perhaps Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. will be more concerned than ever about the Supreme Court’s reputation and legitimacy after Brett Kavanaugh hysterical testimony last week. He is known to seek consensus on the Court, and had cast votes that departed from the views of other conservative justices. Those cases include landmark rulings on voting rights, campaign finance, public unions and partial-birth abortion, among others. Those rulings might now be in jeopardy.
But in the vast majority of the highly influential and controversial cases Roberts voted with the other conservatives. It remains to be seen how Kavanaugh fits in. With Clarence Thomas on the bench, he’s now in good company.
5
Neither the Garland matter nor the Kavanaugh nomination would have happened if the Senate maintained the judicial filibuster rule. By needing 60 votes to confirm, partisan radicalism would have been mitigated and, by necessity, there would have had to be a bipartisan consensus on any nominee. The Democrats started by eroding this rule for lower court nominees, and the Republicans finished the process. Both parties are to be blamed, not just the Republican. And we now have to live with the results of these political machinations.
6
@Romeo Salta
And why did the Democrats erode the filibuster rule? Because the republicans were filibustering EVERY nominee by Obama. And the filibuster was not meant to be used to stonewall a president on EVERYTHING. WIthout removing it for lower court justices, only ONLY lower court justices it is important to note, McConnell would have even more empty seats to fill.
How McConnell can think he is serving the interests of representative democracy is beyond me. Corporate tyranny, sure, but not representative democracy.
6
@Lon Zo
Mr. Salta’s point is well taken....you simply can’t have it both ways. Rules are rules. This becomes an ends justify the means defense because ...let’s face it we know we are in the right...and nothing more. The Times board seems to take the same attitude with a non stop journalistic slant.
1
A Democrat majority pledged to end Citizens United is the last best hope for an America that remains a beacon of hope and freedom.
Second chances are rare, don't just stand by.
Act!
8
The Failure of Republican Women
When I was growing up in the 60's my mother and aunts and their friends were among many middle-class women who were Moderate Republicans, conservative on fiscal issues and national defense, active in their churches and in their communities, and hard-working. They were also liberal on social issues, especially women's rights, civil rights, Right to choose, and gun reform. Where have all those brave women gone?
Murkowski's profile in courage today stands alone among the 6 R women in the senate. She will doubtless face retaliation for her 'defiance'. "Agree to disagree" is no longer allowed among Republicans. T'was not always thus. 5 R women will vote to confirm a dubious man to maintain party discipline. '5 to 1, baby.'
Sandra Day O'Conner was a hero to my mother and aunts. They did not live to see her actions from election night, 2000 through Bush v. Gore. Trump had highly qualified women to choose from. Instead he chose to insure male domination of SCOTUS for at least a decade.
So I guess we don't have to 'fear for our sons'. The Patriarchy survives another round. Just Win, Baby. Sad.
16
The claims that the accusation are "credible" lower that bar as low as it could go. She told a terrible and sympathetic story, with every other element lacking any credibility. Every "witness" denies it took place, and does not even remember the party. The story was crafted with a lot of partisan assistance. She lied about the reason she could not appear earlier. Offers to interview her at her home were rejected, possibly by her legal team, aiming to make a bigger splash in Washington. While it is POSSIBLE it occurred, by this standard, anything is possible. I think we'd all have much more to fear if we could be condemned on the inaccurate and contradictory claims of one individual, even if contradicted by many other facts or factors.
4
@james s. biggs
If you are over 40, think of something embarrassing that happened to you 30 years ago. You have a clear memory of the moment sure, but can you remember the date, everyone around you, everyone you told? No? Then I guess it didn’t happen.
2
Let us not forget that Trump's election was aided and abetted by Russian interference. The indictments issued against Russian oligarch's and military figures by Mueller strongly support that assertion. What we do not know yet is whether in any way Trump or his campaign conspired with the Russians in that interference. Notwithstanding, it is inarguable that many voters for Trump were persuaded by the Russian interference.
Therefore, a fair argument for Trump's illegitimacy as President can be made. Thus a fair argument can be made that the appointment of Kavanaugh is also illegitimate.
We await Mueller's conclusion of his investigation.
There is no existing constitutional provision that if a President is determined to have engaged in criminal acts to achieve the Presidency then all of his actions as President are null and void. It is left to future Presidents and Congresses to undo the actions where possible.
Let us hope that those future Presidents and Congresses will have at long last the decency to do the right thing.
8
The existing Supreme Court majority has already demonstrated its right-wing ideology, and Kavanaugh is politically and personally in Trump’s pocket. The Court conservatives, members of the Federalist Society that believes in separation of powers, will maintain the appearance of independence as they cherry-pick laws and cases to reverse decades of women’s, civil, and voting rights progress. If Trump bends or breaks the law in his power-grab and cases reach the court, I think they’ll ignore it or support him. Ideology and politics trump Constitutional law.
4
I'm outraged and saddened by Kavanaugh's appointment to SCOTUS. It's true, as Sen. Collins says, that we have not proven his guilt in the sexual assault allegations - for a variety of reasons that seem to involve senior members of the Republican Party as well as Mr. Trump. But that's not really the issue, as noted by former Justice Stevens and a couple of thousand law professors. What is proven is that Kavanaugh does not have the temperament and impartiality needed to be a Supreme Court Justice. And it's also clear that Republican Senators care little for our country and our people. They fail to represent us. It's all about power and self interest. While our politics have always been about these things and protecting the wealthiest among us, I've never seen it worse than now in my 75 years.
7
Pakistan has a Supreme Court, so does Russia and Nigeria. The problem is, they don't really matter. Until this moment, our Supreme Court has mattered. Lacking armies or the power of the purse, it has nevertheless been invested with awesome power by our collective faith in the rule of law.
If a handful of corrupt senators representing money and a fading demographic think they can frustrate the hopes of a young and ascendant progressive majority by putting a hammerlock on the Supreme Court, they should think again. Duly elected, that majority may decide to change the court or simply ignore what it decrees.
11
@Max
“Americans are free, in short, to disagree with the law but not to disobey it." - JFK
1
It is a disgrace! Political affiliation aside, I am stunned that anyone in that hearing room, let alone those of us sitting at home or at work riveted to the television screen, could vote for this man for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court, or even a local justice court.The Judge was rude, arrogant, dismissive, entitled and a bore to boot. He went to Yale so that makes him golden?
Senator Flake had the chance to vote NO in committee and shut this whole thing down instead he pushes a fake compromise that leads to a bogus FBI backround check and leaves Dr.Blasey Ford standing alone while the Senate Majority claims she was wronged at some time, some place by someone but the man she was naming with 100 percent certainly did not do it. Disgraceful.
11
This unhappy affair shows that a single person crying "abuse" can push the entire nation into a crisis.
7
@jns An abuser will be the push for the nation’s crises, not the abused.
2
Times Editorial Board says, "And if we disapprove of the direction of the courts, we can put the lessons Mitch McConnell taught us to work — and vote" and "And they [Americans] have the power to call their government to account."
Um, we already have minority rule in the White House, the Senate, and the House. The Senate represents dirt more than it represents people. In the House, GOP gerrymandering has made it necessary for *average* Democratic member to have received 1.5 votes for every 1 vote that the GOP member has received. Minority rule has now spread to the Supreme Court.
Yes, we have a democratic republic where the concept of simple majority power has checks and balances against mob rule and against the majority punishing minorities. The democratic part, where in the political sphere the majority gets to have the levers of power, has been hijacked by people who actually don't believe in the American way of democracy with limits. They believe in the limits, just not the democracy.
By their own words, "government is the problem." (Can you think of a more cynical position than putting people in charge of government who believe it's "the problem?") And that they want government to be small enough to "drown in the bathtub." (Is there any doubt about who -- oligarchs -- are going to do the drowning and whose agenda will be served by the killing -- of the government, of, by, and for the people?)
2
It’s the individual battles that we fight that will save us. Otherwise, we will look back and rue our missed opportunities.
This is the “when you’re a star you can do anything you want” presidency.
We must resist at every step or it will be the end of America as we know it.
And, if you want to know what we mean by “resist” and why we are resisting come and talk to us, Donald. Not entertain those Yahoos at your rallies who can’t remember the last time they took a stand on a worthy principle. And instead laugh at a sexual assault survivor, who’s conducted herself with dignity and grace, not with frat boy entitlement...
5
Susan Collins said the accusation did not meet the standard of "more likely than not."
The issue here is whether accusations that do not meet the standard of more likely than not should be allowed to derail a nomination for Supreme Court Justice.
The editorial board seems to be saying insufficient evidence is not a sufficient defense.
The problem with this position is that it encourages false claims of sexual assault.
We can argue whether such claims are frequent or rare. But using unproven claims to derail a nomination will seem to many as going too far.
It detracts from the MeToo movement. There are many reasons that a woman might make a false claim.
She might feel that the end justifies the means. That removing patriarchs from power justifies the making of such false claims.
Most women wouldn't do this, but can one say no woman would do this? Particularly in a toxic political environment in which the politicians themselves seem to be maintaining that the end justifies the means.
Do we want to subject public officials to charges of sexual harassment when we don't agree with their political views?
How far does this go exactly?
Make no mistake. Trump is a terrible president. But do Democrats need to descend to the same level and then go beyond?
The NY Times was once a voice of reason. It seems to have become hyperpartisan. Don't the editors or journalists who work at the Times see the fallacy of excessive partisanship?
6
It was always probable that the R's could and would force Kavanaugh on us. Now it's up to the D's - especially the establishment and leaders of that party - to see that the R's pay a heavy price for that in November. The progressives in the D Party, much of the rank & file of the Party and most independent voters are up for the fight to hang Trump with his practices and his judges around the neck of the R Party with a log chain. But many of the leaders of the party seem mostly concerned with hedging their own status as leaders against the risks of actually engaging in that fight. They prefer to substitute lip service aimed at helping D's feel good about themselves while losing. The rank & file will, sooner or later, tire of these useless people and replace them. Hopefully, that won't require another failure to actually fight over the next month with more losses at the end.
1
Among the hallmarks of Trumpism not mentioned is white male rage. Of all the political movements in history, the reaction to shared power is the most absurd.
The clear image of Trump and his administration is that powerful white men, no matter how heinous or venal, will be neither challenged nor discredited by the institutions of government.
It's more likely that Kavanaugh will sway the court to the reactionary right than that the court will moderate his views. We have recent experience.
I can still hear President George H W Bush telling us Clarence Thomas was the most qualified candidate in the country.
5
Trump's law of the Jungle prevailed and I expect vicious results coming from the Supreme Court that will include a Justice Kavanaugh, known partisan warrior and Republican plant.
The Supreme Court will no longer be credible or have any moral authority to look to for grievances. I will have no confidence in the Court and will never go before it for redress.
Trump's law of the Jungle is now the law of the land.
5
It didn't have to be Kavanaugh. The GOP had lots of well-qualified conservative judges on their list who weren't credibly accused of sexual assault, who didn't threaten more than half the country with revenge, who didn't lie under oath. Kavanaugh brings his heavy baggage to the Supreme Court, which, through no fault of its own, will never be regarded again as a beacon of fair and impartial justice.
2
"Credible accusations of sexual assault, lies told under oath..." If there were credible accusations, the outcome would not be confirmation.
10
Two things must be undertaken as soon as possible. If the Democrats win the House the Judiciary Committee must begin impeachment proceedings against Justice Kavanaugh. He perjured himself repeatedly in the confirmation process and that cannot be allowed to stand. Second, when the Democrats have control of the Senate, it must begin proceedings to expel Mitch McConnell. His refusal to consider Merrick Garland was unconstitutional, lawless, and violated his oath of office. There must be a cost to perjury and lawlessness or else it will continue to plague the Congress and continue to undermine the legitimacy of the government. We are going down the road to losing the rule of law and we must demand our Congress stop and turn around lest we become Russia, China, Iran, or N. Korea.
2
Do you think the Dems should restore due process in your list of fantasy actions as well? Or should they only apply that when it’s conveniently appropriate and it supports their situations.
Why not stop supporting identity politics, raising taxes so they can continue to buy the votes of minorities and poor and develop a message that is less divisive ?
4
Basically, Kavenaugh owes Trump. How will he return/pay back the favor to Trump?
5
@Edgar
Kavanaugh will probably return/pay back the favor to Trump the same way Trump will return/pay back the favor to Vladimir Putin.
5
I’m so sad for America. Your ancestors fled distant shores to seek a better life with liberty, happiness and justice. Unhappy people has now empowered a party and a president and his nominees who doesn’t bring justice and will restrict women’s freedom.
4
How do the Dems think they are going to impeach Kavanaugh with 2/3 of the Senate?
Grounds for impeachment will be...drinking too much in college...uncorroborated sexual assault in high school? I believe this fiasco will deliver a larger Republican majority in the Senate.
One writer says that we can blame Harry Reid & Avannati for this mess...he is correct.
6
Our democracy at this point will only be saved by young people and women. I really hope to god every person 18 will think it's WORTH an hour to stop by a polling station on November 6th. Please young people you really need to save your future from the ravages of my generation (I'm 52). Remember the presidential race might seem like the big one but the people who will control most major aspects of your every day life, even what medical services you will be allowed to have, is determined at the mid-terms. This is the election that really counts. Every year the republicans and Putin's pick for our president are chipping away at voting rights, gerrymandering to the point where they a!most can't be voted out and failing to protect our elections from hostile foreign powers. Every time they chip away at our process for passing power peacefully they increasingly only leave violence as the option for the people's will to get done. Putin will love that but after seeing republicans ignore our laws and due process to get their way it wouldn't surprise me if a bullet will someday be the only way the majority will be able to reclaim our voice. We are a country that is being ruled by the minority. This is an aspect of tyranny, however, our will and voice was surrendered without a wimper. Donald J Trump and the republicans were ushered into power by more than any demographic the people that stayed home. You didn't make a stand, you surrendered your voice.
4
By giving a pass to the Feinstein led smearing of a good man, and the Democratic effort to make this a battle about Trump and about politics, you miss the shared responsibility the Democrats have in this escalation of the nonimation process into a full scale social battle. Not a vote changed, but the way Feinstein leaked and managed the accusations, knowing they were uncorroborated was civic malpractice. By picking this man as the basis for Left base mobilization in 2018, the Democrats have both overreached and poisoned the Supreme Court. It is primarily on their heads, and a terrible precedent (of Borking) has been extended.
7
What percentage of eligible voters turned out to vote in the last election, and the last four preceding it? That tells you more than all the pundits combined. The mice don't have to play while the cat is away in our political system if the cat just lays around and lets the mice do as they please.
1
Welcome to the banana republic formerly known as the United States of America. From this day forward, caring Americans should refrain from telling themselves “It can’t happen here.” It just did, right before our eyes. It will be a long road back to restoring our national pride, dignity and honor. The journey begins on November 6, 2018. Vote as if your country depended on it. Now, more than ever, it does.
6
The fundamental flaw in our system is that every state, independent of is population, gets two senators. If that is the case, the only way to punish senators is to boycott their states - just don't spend your vacation money in any of these states. Most of the sparsely populated red States don't produce anything, they depend on tourism. There's a large world out there, avoid the red States.
9
What now?
The country has moved out of the judicial mainstream with the elevation of Kavanaugh to the high court.
Thousands of brown kids languish in cages. Many may never see their parents again.
People of color and of Muslim religion are banned from coming here.
Just a few examples of who and what we’ve become.
While these actions are presumably antithetical to the values of the majority of Americans, politically we are in the minority, so what can we do about it. The mid term elections are no guarantee that we will take back the House, much less the Senate. If we do, we have more power than before the 2016 election. We can then investigate, subpoena witnesses, find out the truth.
If we don’t, we are powerless to effect change, so vote, people!
If we don’t, we still have a voice outside of government and the time has come to raise our voices-forcefully to counter the lies, the insults hurled by our president. The time has come to counter him on the public stage. The notion that the lower he gets the higher we shoud
go doesn’t seem to be working.
We need passionate, courageous leaders who will confront his lies,
his obstruction, his ignorance and his possible criminality. No more mister nice guys, Democrats, independents, former Republicans.
If there is an enemy of the people, it’s not the free press: the enemy is in plain sight. The time has come to make that clear.
4
It is only further polarizing for the Times and other voices on the left to cry, "The sky is falling," over Kavanaugh's confirmation. And it's equally unproductive to make this a referendum on the *MeToo movement. Kavanaugh may well turn out to be a fine justice with a deep respect for precedence (e.g. Roe v. Wade and the decision on Obamacare). Indeed, he may vote with the liberal minority on occasion if only to show that he's not the knee-jerk partisan he appeared to be at the Ford hearing. From this point forward, the Democrats need to put this behind them and focus on taking back Congress."The sky is falling" is the worst campaign theme I can think of.
3
To recap:
An unindicted co-conspirator to a federal crime (i.e., a felony) for his illegal activities before he became the President of the United States of America so that he could become the President of the United States of America nominates American citizens who are members of the American Bar Association to serve as members of the American federal judiciary (at the expense of the American taxpayers), while simultaneously members of the United States Senate (at the expense of the American taxpayers) aid and abet an unindicted co-conspirator to a federal crime (i.e., a felony) for his illegal activities before he became the President of the United States of America so that he could become the President of the United States of America.
Rule of law.
Indeed.
Daily, mass acts of civil disobedience are required now. Plus, as an added bonus, the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America guarantees such civic acts of defiance: "the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Never forget, my fellow Americans:
Oligarchies are quite unconstitutional within the United States of America.
4
The true coward for me was Obama, who was too weak and hum-drum to fight back against a man who proudly said he was going to make sure Obama failed. I hope he now realizes that you need more than character and optimism to be a great president: you need courage. These people and their con man president don't respond to civil discourse. The respond to a punch in the face.
6
Call the government - this government - to account??? You jest!
Trump has taught Republicans the lesson that there really is no one to hold them to account as long as you are wealthy enough and refuse to share power.
They can run roughshod over all of us even their own base, the environment, science, allies, the truth, and now the justice system and Constitution without consequence. You can lie, cheat and steal and behave treasonously without consequences all the way into the presidency and congress.
With evangelicals snookered, they can do unto others but woe be to others as they feign being done onto the by others.
As Bill Maher said last night, yet again - he does not believe trump will give up the presidency if he loses in 2020. Indeed, he has subverted all branches of government in his image - and his side has the guns. I fear he is right. For McConnell and trump it is payback time for electing Obama - we now have a Sham Court Of The US to live with for most of our lives.
The blue wave thet is coming had better be orders of magnitude larger than the minority red mob the GOP and Russians throw at us to actually remove the scourge ruling us into the ground.
Don’t pray - Vote!
8
REPORT THE COURT.
It very rarely happens until a decision has been made. Find writers who can make Supreme Court cases interesting to the public. State what the results mean.
Example Gamble v United States means Trump et al will never be held accountable for their crimes.
Start reporting in the cases who the players are and what their stake is in the outcome. It’s a heck of a lot easier than trying to get IRS reporting. They HAVE to publicly state their positions. Shouldn’t it be front page how these cases affect the lowly masses?
5
My first thought was, 'Great, now we have two Republican Supreme Court Justices who have been accused of sexual misconduct.' Then I realized that the Court is designed to be impartial, and not have Democrat or Republican Justices. But that was then.
2
It is easy to imagine a democrat-controlled congress impeaching Kavanaugh. The man committed perjury, which is a felony. He can still be held to account. It ain't over yet.
10
I have been a subscriber of your paper for 50 years. Many of my conservative friends ask me why and this editorial has answered that question. Your editorials, biased opinion writers and one sided reporting are perhaps the very best thing that Conservatives and Moderates have to enflame them that something very wrong is occurring in this great country and needs to be changed beginning with the election in November. Your paper has for me as one subscriber become the catalyst for change in the Conervative movement from apathy to action. Thank you and please keep it up.
10
@KBM
Like this is believable, you subscribe to be angry. Right.
It’s comments like this that enflame voters everywhere that something very wrong is occurring in this great country and needs to be changed beginning with the election in November. Vote out the GOP.
1
@KBM. Same here!
3
Yeah, just like Fox News for the rest of us.
Citizens United is the death of democracy. The theft of the Supreme Court was conducted by those who serve the donor class. The GOP is a radical, broken party bereft of ideas other than serving the wealthiest, the polluters, the racists and the intolerant. Without unprecedented gerrymandering, dark money, Fox Propaganda, and voter suppression, the GOP would already be finished.
Collins must never win another term. Manchin must be destroyed by a primary challenger. Trump must be impeached, tried for his many crimes, convicted and jailed. All who aid and abet Russian interference in our elections must be tried, convicted and jailed.
Those who cheer the confirmation of a party hack like Kavenaugh need to watch his contempt for precedents. Watch the GOP appointed "justices" as they rule that social security, medicare and medicaid are unconstitutional.
As with the fate of the planet, our democracy may well be past the tipping point.
6
The author wants to assure victims of sexual assault that if they come forward they will be believed.
What about the fathers, brothers and sons who are falsely accused?
The left continues to bring forth criminally insane arguments against the rule of law which requires evidence the left believes they don't need. Don't be fooled. Don't Fear the Smear!
7
It is ironic that the Times is willing to suborn principles of justice to its political opinions and yet claim the high moral ground. The key item here is that we are all entitled to the presumption of innocence unless there is a preponderance of incontrovertible evidence to the contrary. Whereas Dr. Ford seems credible, there are enough holes in her testimony to create a reasonable doubt, and there is no corroborating evidence or eyewitness accounts. Imagine the Times reaction if an underprivileged minority was treated this way - it would be apoplectic. So apparently justice should be different for the underprivileged than for the educated. Some country you want - organized by public opinion and mob rule, flowing with whatever the passion of the moment is - this is exactly what the Constitution is designed to protect against.
It is just as reasonable to expect Kavanaugh to try to repair, to the extent possible by behaving as he has on the Appellate court in which he is respected by all sides and recommended by Elena Kagan to Harvard as a brilliant legal mind. And mind you he was highly praised at Harvard until politics was involved.
If he doesn't take this high road, shame on him. Though apparently the Times has declared him guilty for eternity, beyond redemption. So sad - what a failure of the paper to educate or even present a story as to why probably half the country believes him to be unjustly accused.
6
@Andy
It was also reasonable to expect the FBI to interview the 2 people involved. The WH interfered with that.
And reasonable to have all the materials to vet Kavanaugh.
4
The Supremes lost credibility with Citizens United. They have been political hacks since.
7
If you are outraged then VOTE. If Democrats sit at home as usual we will have more of the same.
4
A Senate vote to elevate Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is tacit approval of the man’s aggressive and inappropriate behavior during the Sept. 27 hearing. By elevating Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, the Senate is telling every man in this country that it is okay to lie, discredit, slander, ridicule, cheat and insult one’s way through job interviews, difficult discussions and stressful moments. By elevating Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, the Senate is telling every woman in this country to “quit your bellyaching and grow up,” as my father used to say, and that, beyond a lame apology, a woman should not expect any recourse for incivility, mistreatment, discrimination, abuse, assault or any other perceived injustice to her body or mind. By elevating Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, the American government has pushed back to the Dark Ages any gains of gender equality that have occurred in this country during the past 242 years.
5
"And the slim majority of senators who said they would vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh on Saturday represent tens of millions fewer Americans than the minority of senators who voted to reject him."
There you have it: there is no democracy in America.
6
One popular definition of insanity is to keep doing the same injurious thing over and over again, expecting different results. Well, guess what, we've been sending the same politicians back to Washington over and over again, and we expect different results? Until we get the lot of them out it will remain as such: "the beatings will continue, until morale improves."
3
We are no longer one country with two political parties, but two countries held together in an increasingly shaky union. Bipartisanship is now impossible, we are in a state of hostility with the GOP. The next move has to be an impeachment of Kavanaugh, followed by the packing of the Supreme Court. If the GOP want war, we will give it to them. If they do come to their senses and rid their party of the virus of Trumpism we can welcome them back.
2
I certainly don't feel that I have the power to call my government to account. Especially since I live in the District of Columbia and lack a senator to affirm a Supreme Court nominee.
4
@Mary Gibbons: No vote I can cast in the forthcoming election could possibly even matter.
1
Can a Supreme Court Justice be removed from the bench by a judicial review board? I know that can happen at the state level. For example, a Vancouver Washington Judge, John Wulle was removed from his Superior Court position because of unprofessional conduct toward defendants in his courtroom, and unprofessional conduct at a Bar meeting. Brett Kavanaugh’s outbursts in front of the world and at a legal proceeding certainly qualifies for unprofessional conduct. I presume that is why the ABA is investigating. They can make a referral to the state Bar where Kavanaugh is licensed, or the state judicial review board. At the very least he can be censured and offerred probation. If a judge at the highest level is allowed to berate our national legislators and private citizens, why not our local judges?
7
As this piece cites, the Senate vote for Kavanaugh represents a minority of the country. This is the root of the basic problem the U.S. is now confronting: there is a political bloc with probably less than a 40% approval rating shoving its policies down the throats of the other 60% of Americans. The minority is doing this with glee, more like marauding invaders, rather than a representative government.
9
The elevation of the Supreme Court to be our final arbitrator on legislative decisions affecting us and the country needs to be reconsidered.
These are not, for the most, none partisan jurists in black robes but politicians making decisions for a right wing conservative moneyed class of people.
If their decisions on issues affecting the welfare of the country is damaging, we should ignore their ruling.
7
WE THE PEOPLE must elect veto-proof, Socially Conscious, Gutsy democrat/independent U.S. House and Senate representatives who will take off the gloves and increase the size of OUR U.S. Supreme Court by two then stack it with progressive, honorable, FEMALE justices like Ruth Bader Ginsberg. WE must do it Right NOW.
Women are over half the population of OUR United States of America and must demand equal representation in every segment of society.
There is an article in today's NYT that suggests The Con Don "won" something. He won nothing. He and his International Robber Baron Mafia brethren broke all the rules, cheated and paid their operatives in OUR government to shaft 99% of us.
They won nothing except extreme contempt from the vast majority of Americans and people around the world who are aware of their corruption and the damage it is doing to OUR America and the world.
This must not stand. WE THE PEOPLE must stop them before they can start WW3 and destroy OUR lives.
NOW.
7
I should also have mentioned that they should increase other federal judge positions - district and appeals - and stack them with Progressive Women.
Then they should pass a LAW that says that every federal judge must have a 60% of more senate vote - at federal and state levels - before they are seated. Right now OUR U.S. Senate is working with rules and Traitor Mitch McConnell has proven that rules can and will be broken. He's ramming Kavanaugh through - and rammed Gorsuch through by breaking the rule that kept OUR U.S. Senate working. A LAW will stop that and require that parties work together for the good of 99% of us instead of insatiably greedy, morally bankrupt, socially unconscious, power hungry Robber Barons.
5
In the latest Gallup survey, only 37 percent of Americans had substantial confidence in the Supreme Court. When Brett Kavanaugh gets sworn in as the newest justice, that number almost certainly will fall even lower. The hallmark of Donald Trump's presidency has been to reduce public confidence in government institutions--from the FBI, to the Justice Department, to the State Department, to the Environmental Protection Agency. Now the Trump virus has infected an entire branch of government. The tyranny of the minority continues.
14
I find the conclusion unconvincing. In fact, I'd argue that the root cause of our present problem is that the majority who dislike Trump do not, in fact, have the power to call their government to account. Our Constitution unfortunately prevents it. Quite simply, our Constitution gives the minority of the population that lives outside the country's lager metropolitan areas the ability, if unified, to control every branch of government and to implement policy with complete disregard to the will of the metropolitan majority. This is what's happening today. At best, the dominant party of the metropolitan areas—the Democrats—may win back the House in 2018. But the Presidency, the Senate, and the Supreme Court will all remain in control of the Republicans. Without some radical change in the attitudes of the 30% to 40% who currently support Trump, the chance of the Democrats ever gaining enough of a foothold in all branches of government to stem the tide—begun during the Reagan administration—of Republican dominance is slim. The majority of us who want the country to move in a different direction from that in which it has been moving in since the 1980s have a tough decision to make. Our Constitution disempowers us. How much longer can we consent to live under a Constitution and a government that rules us without really representing us?
8
@617to416: This entire episode rubs our noses in the enduring structural features of slavery that define the political processes of this schizoid land.
3
How do you figure that the Supreme Courts "credibility has endured" in the wake of Bush v Gore? Could there have been a more partisan-driven decision that affected the course of our history? The justices have made it clear that the decision was not based on any judicial philosophy that they had ever supported previously, and they even went so far as to proclaim that it somehow could not be viewed as a legal precedent, which is a legal fiction. So please... how quickly we forget.
14
If we want different results than what this Republican controlled Senate is providing, then we need to vote out these individual Republican Senators starting with Susan Collins.
In addition, Citizens United must be gutted with Congressional imposed regulations since this GOP Supreme Court is unlikely to repeal it.
Most important, voters need to Democrats put in charge of the Presidency and Congress until Trump and the Trumpsters are driven from public life. The Republican Party needs several years in the political wilderness to heal itself.
We voters have a big job to get done over the next few years.
8
With Kavanaugh, we may be entering the era of a Subprime Court.
Bush v. Gore, Heller on gun violence, Citizens United on campaign finance, Janus on labor unions are regressive decisions with more likely to come.
Remember, remember the 6th of November.
10
Actually, when Kavanaugh is almost certainly confirmed later today Trump will have had the last word like it or not. Apparently, another "witness" was revealed according to today's news, but his contribution is that Ford told him of the alleged assault, not that he was actually present or knows of other individuals who were present. Moreover, why wasn't this brought up sooner? Why did Feinstein sit on Ford's letter for months and only bring it up at 11:59 PM into the process? The FBI can investigate for the next 5 years and odds are that we will only be left with an allegation. There is an element of US culture that someone is innocent unless proven guilty in either a criminal or civil trial, or as a function of any other process including a "job interview". If we operate merely on the basis of an allegation unsupported by physical evidence or eyewitnesses, we've regressed to the horrible days of Sen. McCarthy when a mere allegation that one was a communist could ruin the lives of entire families. The process is over, done, and it's time to move on.
12
With many young women AND young men who did not report abuses due to fear or shame or inability to provide definite evidence, surely technology is now advanced enough to provide a DNA swipe that can easily be available for victims to obtain, before going to the police? Is this a matter for health, scientific, medical professionals to pursue ?
2
The events that occurred this week in Washington have reinforced the need to vote in the mid-terms this November more than ever. Women's fight to make men realize that assualt is real and continuing today is a battle that has to be won, or at least recognized by those who doubt the truthfulness of those brave enough to come forward with their stories. Two steps forward and one step back is like slogging through mud, the goal line is continually moving ahead, but like those brave women who fought for the right to vote, we must not give up. It behooves voters today to carefully study the candidates and their platforms and voting records because therein might lie a hint of how they perceive the importance of fair treatment of not only the women in our society, but of all individuals, male or female.
5
One word: gerrymandering. That is the situation that will keep many of them in their seats.
10
Brett Kavavnaugh’s confirmation represents the Koch brother’s/Federalist Society’s dream come true: The preservation of the status quo in terms of wealth, power, and privilege. A perpetuation of the values implicit in the Citizens United decision whereby the wealthy are entitled to more “free” speech than the poor; whereby the corporations have the same rights as living, breathing individuals plus all of the exemptions from the justice system that money can buy; whereby property rights trump human rights.
The agenda of the Supreme Court will now become indistinguishable from the agenda of the Republican Party. Brett Kavanaugh has so stated: publicly and under oath.
Democrats need to clearly spell out and advance an agenda of their own which promises to bring democracy and majority rule back to America. If they recapture the House this November, they can start the process with a thorough investigation into the allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, including whether or not he lied under oath.
15
The Republicans have staged a coup led by McConnell. They now control three branches of government by a simple plurality in the Senate. At the same time the electoral college gave us an unqualified President. The founding fathers feared direct democracy by uneducated population. Currently the American public is now aware enough to evolve into one person one vote and eliminate the electoral college. The Senate should now return to the 60 vote rule for Supreme Court confirmation. Moreover, something should be done to mitigate the power of the leader of the Senate. I sincerely hope that this country will not turn into an illiberal democracy where a slim plurality will deny the rights and freedoms to many of our citizens and residents.
11
There is indeed a warning in this editorial, but it is in the subtext of it. The warning is that there is deep growing discontent amongst those who do vote but whose votes are not counted.
How is it possible that as a federal nation, the majority votes of its citizens mean nothing? We’ve been plagued by presidents not elected by a majority and a senate entrusted to do what is best for the nation, instead doing best for a minority of its citizens so as to ensure their own re-election hopes.
No, the danger is not in the selection of this clearly unfit judge, it is in the dissolution of the nation as the majority begins to feel enraged towards a system stacked against them. That is the warning.
5
I'm disgusted with Republican senators' stated decisions, regarding Kavanaugh, who has the temperament of a playground bully. The court is now a laughing stock but worse because they make important decisions. He will set the women's movement back to prehistoric times. Sell women's respect and decency out in favor of white, privileged frat boys, who like beer. I hope you swing vote Senators change your mind by tomorrow but I know you won't listen to me when you won't listen to respected common sense voices. Nor will you listen to hundreds of law professors throughout America. Nor will you listen to Justice Stevens. I can't tell you how disappointed I am in you Senators who'd vote for a belligerent man to sit on the high court. Morality, decency, fairness... vestiges of America are no more. I believe this decision will haunt many Senators for the rest of their lives. It's a mistake to vote for Kavanaugh and Senators know it. Shame on you.
8
According to the Times, Ford is a credible accuser who should be believed. I presume that if there were evidence that Ford and Kavanaugh did know each other and that they were at the same location and there was a witness, then it would be a slam dunk. I anticipate the writers of this editorial leading a movement to ban TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD from the curricula of American schools. In retrospect Mayella Ewell was savaged by Atticus Finch who refused to believe her and the witness (her father Tom Ewell). Are we to disbelieve the fiction of Harper Lee and believe the fiction of Christine Ford? The credibility standards that the Times laid down in this editorial are, shall we say, incredible.
4
@qazmun
You have to take her word for it. That's right. You have to trust a woman. Why would she lie? She's a democratic operative? You really believe that? So funny that the Republicans, who have a track record of political stunts for their gain, like trying to scare people about activist judges, do the exact things they accuse others of doing. Did you watch his testimony? You want that guy to be on the Supreme Court?
3
It’s interesting how your attack on Kavanaugh is based on what you call being credibly accused. Not charged or convicted, but credibly accused, which evidently is judged by you. That’s not a standard of law for judgement. The rule of law and evidence required should always be the ruling reason. You’re wrong in this instance. Of course, I think this all began when the Democrats defended Bill Clinton when he was obviously lying about his use of women. They gave up the right to the higher ground with that display of partisans politics. I’m deeply saddened that The New York Times has sacrificed its morals in service of a political party and its agenda as you have here.
4
This has made me a permanent activist and a never-Republican. Kentucky-please wake up and spare this nation from more of Mitch.
9
You put on the SCOTUS a person who has a grudge against democrats and as my grandson used to say when he started to talk and wanted to do something inappropriate,"what will happen?". Let me guess, gerrymandering is ok, regulations are bad, abortions are illegal, gay rights are not a right, climate change is a hoax, and here is the scary part, the president its above the law. The only hope is to overwhelm the house and senate with democrats. Vote, vote,vote,..!!
8
The editorial board is far removed from the sentiments and beliefs of large swathes of the American people who admire a man who aggressively defends his honor and that of his family against scurrilous and unjust attacks.
6
@Lester B Sorry Lester you are wrong. Our country has candidates more qualified and more representative of our whole nation. Your large swath and their believes is really the minority of the population. We as a country need to expand the opportunity for its citizens to vote. This scares the powers that be. How can you aggressively defend getting drunk. Read his yearbook passages or listen to his roommate from college. I would not let my daughter near this man. I have high standards and think our country should too.
2
If memory serves, after Arlen Spector trashed Anita Hill on Clarence Thomas’s behalf, he lost his Senate seat. After trashing Dr Blasey Ford on Kavanaugh’s behalf, Susan Collins deserves to lose hers. I hope Maine voters will be as ready to stand for justice as Pennsylvania voters were 2 decades ago.
7
We are living through the ending of everything we hold dear. It's time to throw in the towel and give the country to the people who have no respect for it.
2
I had believed that Truth and Science would prevail over Myth and Politics, but now my belief is shaken.
I once though justice would prevail, but Trump cheated on his wives and his taxes with no adverse consequences, and Bart Kavanaugh lied under oath and made manifest his anti-Democrat revenge, with no adverse consequences.
For Kavanaugh's attempted rape, Dr. Ford got a lifetime of PTSD; Kavanaugh got a lifetime job on the Supreme Court where he can erode the rights of women, minorities, workers, LGBT, and immigrants, pursuant to Trump's guiding hand.
History will treat Jeff Flake and Susan Collins very badly.
10
Trump always puts Trump above We the People.
If you listen to him talk you have to admit that this is true. The job of president is to do the business of We the People, not to increase his personal wealth and power.
Every official decision Trump makes is corrupt, by definition, because he measures the outcome by how it affects Trump.
Trump picked this nominee to help shut down the Mueller investigation, since Kavanaugh has said that only congress can investigate the president. That is a corrupt reason to seat a Justice. The Republican Party is 90% behind this corrupt president and this corrupt nomination.
A few Democrats mentioned these uncomfortable facts in the initial hearings, but didn't really press the issue.
That was a pathetic dereliction of duty. Constitutional issues are moot if the Supreme Court is corrupted by a corrupt president and a corrupt judge, who just lied under oath. For the Democrats to focus on things like abortion, and then rely on the MeToo movement and last minute sexual allegations, which are extremely important and disqualifying, but do not rise to the level of the corruption of the very court itself, is to essentially help Trump corrupt the court.
You keep telling me to vote for Democrats to save the Supreme Court, but when the chips are down the "moderate" Republicans you have been courting all of these years vote with Trump, and traitor Joe Manchin votes to corrupt the court.
SHUT DOWN THE SENATE UNTIL TRUMP IS THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED!!!
5
flake and collins have shown their true colors......pale and paler. they are vile republicans and have been from the start. how can one stay with a party that deprives a president of his supreme court selection? how can one stay with a party that condones the likes of trump and allows him the freedom to lie day after day after day? how can one stay with a party that allows trump to praise russia and north korea while thrashing our allies? you can't justify what flake and collins have done, not just this, but to our country. traitorous to the end. flake is wise to leave, collins will find her career at an abrupt end come 2020.
3
Judge Kavanaugh is the fifth of five Conservative Justices now sitting on The Supreme Court, His nickname is already Zeppo.
1
The Times as usual has it wrong. To call Ms. Ford’s accusations credible is an act of faith. If the Times were honest it would have to admit that there is just as much chance that Ms. Ford was a very good liar. Defeating Kavanaugh’s nomination could have been a powerful incentive for someone to lie. No one can know the truth here and the handling of these accusations by the committee was appalling.
The idea that women never lie about these things is bonkers and only the liberal left believes such a thing. This belief and the whole #metoo movement will hurt Democrats in November.
When Ms. Ford’s letter was received by the Democrats they should have been able to go to the majority sure that they would investigate the charges thoroughly without making them public unless there was credible evidence found. But there is no trust between the parties, the fault of McConnell and his party. Instead, we were left with the spectacle of dueling narratives without any corroborating evidence when Ms. Ford’s letter became public and Feinstein’s and the committee’s hand was forced. Add to that a President who lives to ratchet up division every chance he gets, and you get this sad spectacle of a dying democracy.
This editorial and much of the Times editorials and columns lately only add to the polarization that is killing our democracy. I wish the Times knew better. There was a time when it did.
5
Vote them all out and then start a real investigation of Kavanaugh.
7
A couple days ago the Times Editorial Board published a piece entitled "How Brett Kavanaugh Failed."
A bit premature.
And now, a resentful, bitter screed about how the nation is doomed and the court is doomed and the founders erred in their design and none of this aligns with what Americans think, etc.
Yet, by my metrics this result is in perfect alignment with what Americans think.
This, because I look at election results for guidance and metrics, instead of the Opinion page.
Also, because I still count people who are not radical leftists as Americans - unlike the Times.
Following the election of the statist collectivist Barack Obama, Americans have responded to his leftist agenda and Constitutional overreach by revoking the progressive Democrat's leadership privileges in the House, the Senate, the Presidency, 39 of 50 governor seats, and countless state congressional seats.
And now, the final debacle for the Progressives: their majority on the Supreme Court is also revoked. Instead, it the Court will be balanced again.
Those pesky deplorables.
If only Hillary had won, and rounded them up and put them into re-education camps like Alinsky would have suggested.
That way they would never again spank the Progressives for ignoring what Madison explained in detail in the Federalist Papers: The Supreme Court is there to defend the Constitution, not to respond to the whims of a noisy crowd.
19
Don’t forget: Clinton beat Trump by 3 million votes. And the GOP gerrymandered a lot of those victories.
2
@Ziggy
The republicans in the house did win 3 million more votes than the democrats http://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2016/11/11/memo-to-liberals-repub... .
Voting is hard when ones vote does not count. The legacy of slavery and white supremacy burdens us all. Voting is hard when the GOP engages a foreign hostile power to tip the scale of power to their advantage . The legitimacy of the Supreme Court was smashed today for all the tens of millions of people who opposed this illegitimate president. The entire judicial system has lost all credibility. It will not return for decades.
A half million Iraq’s died because republicans had to quickly hide a fraudulent vote count in Florida. Election fraud has consequences. Millions more may now die, as the Christian Right tries to reconstruct some image of a White Christian Nation. They worked hard to rig the process to install their stooge. Election fraud has consequences.
6
"For want of a nail..."
The current state, the abominable state, of American politics began in 2016 when The New York Times canonized Hillary Clinton as the Democratic candidate for president, almost without examination of her negatives. Despite Bernie Sanders' popularity, despite voters' support for his campaign, the Times refused to cover his campaign and his policies credibly.
We can blame Russian hacking for Trump's victory, we can blame the Electoral College system. I blame the New York Times (and to a lesser extent CNN) for getting behind Clinton so shamelessly. It was all about protecting the status quo. (Well, the status quo of Times' investors and readers.) Even now, while you lament the Trump attacks on liberal social values I suspect you're relieved that the economic status quo still seems protected from real change that might make things more equitable. Come the 2020 campaign you will still fail to examine our tax system, our property laws, how wealth is created, amassed and protected in our economy. You dabble in a sexual assault scandal here, a nursing home scandal there. You fail to report on justice issues in depth, which in the end means economic issues. You fail to call for the shift in national priorities that we need so badly. Instead you bemoan Trump's abominable values and you think this passes for responsible journalism. Wake up. Our nails are coming loose.
"Brought Low" is this Opinion which, blinded by strong partisanship, dismisses the rights of the accused.
Throughout world history, many millions of innocent individuals have been unjustly accused of crimes,treasonous acts or dangerous thoughts and then exterminated or imprisoned.
5
It was a big mistake strategically to tie his unfitness for SCOTUS to the sexual assault allegations or even his drunken antics in high school and at Yale. Instead, his longstanding work as a GOP operative should have been what disqualified him.
12
When this newest appointment is confirmed, I can hear it ~ if only in the quiet of Clarence Thomas' own home: "Free at last ! Free at last !! Thank God A'mighty, I'm free at last !!!
3
“As Lincoln said, ‘From whence then will danger come? If this nation is to be destroyed, it will be destroyed from within.....
14
How about an editorial by the NYT taking Senator Collins argument apart, piece by piece? Quite honestly, I don't think they will (or can) do so.
18
@J. Waddell - Anyone who needs more than 45 minutes to defend their vote knows they don’t have a leg to stand on. Kavanaugh perjured himself, that is an indisputable fact. The Republican Party is now the crime party.
6
@J. Waddell There are a lot of opinion pieces throughout the media which already do that. Perhaps you can do an HONEST search and find one.
1
The light at the end of our tunnel of democracy is flickering. First, it was Trump stealing the election with help of Republicans. Next were his racist remarks against Latinos, Blacks, and Muslims. Now we have a Supreme Court Justice that has stained the sacrosanct image of the court. Soon, that light will stop flickering. It will go out,and there will be darkness. Instead of a democracy we will have a neo fascist government run by a man who is immoral, and criminal. What was Senator Collins thinking when she threw women under the bus. Why didn't she factor Trump's horrible record or misogyny, racism, greed, and immorality into the question. Why did she believe whatever Kavanaugh, a Trump clone and parasite, said. Is she that naive? No.She put herself above the people,and let McConnell pimp her. The spread of Trump's cancer has to be stopped.On November 6,2018 it will. The Republicans and Trump were involved in a cover up. Mueller will prove it and so will Democrats. Kavanaugh won't last. He'll be impeached when the truth comes out.
8
May be the Chief Justice can refuse to swear him in.
1
Many look to this mid-term election
To bring about a mid-course correction.
But I fear it's too late
We have sealed our own fate.
'Trumpism' is a fatal infection.
5
@Al Tecacca: An untaxed body of rentiers now employs a political cadre of hundreds of thousands of loyal operatives and infiltrators to tell us all what we think.
1
October 5th will always be a date that will live in infamy. It will have the samae significance as Dec 7th, and September 11th, days that my country experienced tremendous threats.
The only difference is that the two previous dates were brought on by forces foreign to our soil. The destruction to our country on Oct. 5th is being wrought by Americans who care more about their political futures, and the protection of a worthless individual masquerading as a President than the preservation of this once beautiful, and respected country. These traitors are knowingly destroying the system of checks and balances established by our forefathers.
7
To paraphrase Obama, elections have consequences. It is called democracy. Get over it.
5
Another one of the pillars of American democracy is being destroyed by the GOP "confederacy" and by this disgusting excuse for a president. Mc Connell and cohorts will have much to answer for. As with the previous Confederacy, the GOP confederacy is best handled the way Gen. Ulysses S. Grant dealt with his: Keep throwing troops at them until they are utterly decimated.
6
Brett and Clarence will be able to laugh together at their stories of discomfitting or assaulting women.
12
I don’t like Trump, or BK.
I don’t like unlimited corporate donations, or even corporations donating at all to political campaigns.
I don’t like the Republican leadership, the tax cuts for the rich, or the $1.5 trillion deficit.
That being said, I was prepared to vote for whatever Democrat the party nominated - until I witnessed the last-minute, scurrilous, outrageous attack against BK, accusing him of sexually attacking someone 3 decades ago, and trying to support the unsupportable accusation by dredging up, (of all things), his high school yearbook. As a white male, with sons, I refuse to support a party that has declared war on me and my children because of our race and gender. Suddenly, me and my sons are privileged, racist, misogynists simply because of our race and gender. The fact that I believe BK’s accuser can’t be because years of investigative experience as a detective have taught me to be cautious about accepting any accusation at face value - no, it must be because, as a white male, I hate women. Suddenly, these accusations must be “credible” because after all, the accuser has “suffered” by becoming the Left’s poster child, (book deal, movie and millions of dollars to follow).
Once again the Democrats have found a way to alienate a huge percentage of the population. You’d almost think it was their plan to intentionally keep losing.
18
But it goes beyond this. The Democrats have already announced that if they take the House they will launch an investigation into Kavanaugh with the intention of impeaching him. They haven't just alienated a huge number of voters by their antics with Kavanaugh, they plan to keep on continuing this strategy and to let you know in advance that that's their plan. It's literally like these people never learn from a defeat. Maybe they'll run Hillary Clinton again in 2020.
9
This is incredibly disheartening. The right (including senators, the nominee and the president) sees a “left wing conspiracy” funded by George Soros; a completely fabricated theory with a frightening echo of anti-Semitism from before WWII which saw Jewish bankers pulling all the strings. The left sees a brazenly dishonest man, covering his sordid and possibly criminal past and sneering at anyone who deigns to question him. The FBI investigation, which had the potential to uncover some semblance of facts, seems to have been a smoke screen, not even allowing witnesses which knowledge of events to take part. When we look at other countries, Turkey, say, we see a democracy having been transformed, step by step, into an authoritarian regime, with the courts, the representatives, and the press brought to heel. Today we moved one step further in that direction.
7
The SCOTUS is dead now. It started with Bork, a poorly thought out nominee, followed by Thomas (silent and weak), Gorsuch (stolen seat) and now Kav (partisan hack and protector of Trump). The latest abomination was brought to you by Citizens United and the broken Supreme Court of the United States. Not for the little man, but for the big corporation, filling the pockets of the rich at the expense of the average citizen, who in his weakness cannot tell truth from fiction. Our democracy has not been challenged like this since 1860.
Welcome to the new banana republic that is the USA. Please vote like your life depends on it November 6.
11
If Rowe is overturned, then poor, backward red states will become more backward. Thus, companies won’t headquarter there, the young will move away, and these states will become more backward, and poorer.
Also, be careful what you ask for, because any gov’t that can force you to have a child, can also force you to NOT have a child. *see ‘China’
4
"The degrading spectacle of Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation process is behind us," The NYT lead the charge to the bottom. You were joined there by both Democrats and Republicans, but this was awful. I would say that you should be embarrassed by your performance, except we seem to have lost the capacity for embarrassment.
Lastly, don't panic, this is part of the normal give and take of our system. There have been liberal courts and conservative courts, the pendulum is swinging, but that is the thing about pendulums, they swing back. To quote that great philosopher of the human dynamic "Don't have a cow, man!" - B. Simpson
7
While I mainly feel disgust at this decision, I think it also makes me ask: "is this really the BEST that the conservative movement has"? This political hack of a judge? A frat bro who now lies about his past? A creepy guy who hides behind his job as a softball coach to protect him from the sexual assaults he committed earlier in life? This is your guy? When you read the stupid letters he wrote when young, I can't help but thinking - how underwhelming below average he sounds. His actions this month only confirm that nothing has changed. He isn't a "great judge". He isn't a smart or wise man. He isn't a decent person. He isn't honest. And yet, despite all this, he was picked over every other conservative judge in the country. A movement so thoroughly devoid of talent and wisdom and decency is can survive briefly, but eventually it will be naturally selected out of society. Enjoy the new job Brett, history will condemn you. I hope your daughters never meet a man like you.
3
Credible?
No date. No location. All “witnesses” either deny it or have no memory of it. And on top of it, not a single word of it to anyone for over 30 years.
Clearly you are not credible.
18
To prevent Brett Kavanaugh overturning Roe v. Wade he needs to be impeached and removed from this country.
4
I am both pro choice and pro gay marriage. But it is the left in this country that delegitimized the Supreme Court by circumventing the political process and creating constitutional “rights” out of the ether that would have made the hair on our Constitution’s drafters’ powdered wigs stand on end, elevating policy over legal principle. (Yup - I’m a lawyer too.) Somehow, reliably liberal justices manage to get Republican votes without being smeared while perfectly qualified conservative judges are dragged through the mud and have their lives ruined by scorched earth tactics. This process didn’t begin with Merrick Garland; he was merely the victim of the “Biden” rule, a rule the left created when it suited them but now finds appalling when applied to them. This ugly process began with Robert Bork, an otherwise decent man whose politics did not coincide with that of the left. While unfortunate, the Republicans (dim witted though they might be) finally learned to fight back and resist these unscrupulous tactics. The Democrats and the left have reaped what they’ve sown. You decry Donald Trump but your myopic hypocrisy is more responsible for his presidency than any basket full of deplorables. Je suis deplorable.
6
The NYTimes is culpable in this nonsense we wittnessed these past weeks, they may want you to believe they are giving you truth, justice and the American way, they are not.
Each and every day they subtly and not so subtlu attempt to sway your opinion with one nightmarish story after another, some of these stories they leave up for days, possibly believeing will we take it more seriously, what they don't tell you is the average citizen of this country is sick and tired of the lambasting and denigration the NYTimes, CNN, WAPO and other liberal media organizations bombard us with on a daily basis.
Rarely do we see in your news reporting the truly great changes that are occuring that your organization is missing. Trump is doing what he was elected to do, clean out the debris and take out the garbage. For decades we have been the laughing stock of the world, they aren't laughing now !
For the NYTimes to talk about the degrading spectacle of the Kavangh hearings makes me laugh, especially knowing they are complicit in the misery Christine Ford went through, they ran with the wild now they have to deal with the madness of the crowds.
9
The EB can't let go. You claim Kavanaugh was credibly accused of sexual assault. That's garbage. He had someone accuse him:
But:
There is no proof & no one corroborates her story:
-She didn't tell anyone at the time
-No one noticed behavioral changes
-she can't remember place & time (not even year) that would allow K to exonerate himself
-Embellishments to her story don't add up (turning up the music in a bedroom when the party is in the living room where 99% of people keep their loud stereo).
-Her house was 7 miles away, someone had to give her a ride, she doesn't remember nor has anyone come forward.
-Her story has shifted over time
-In 2012 when this came out in therapy she nor her husband took no legal action
-She continued partying in HS
-As a trained psychologist she knows polygraphs are pseudoscience yet she took one & her ex bf noted she trained a girl on how to pass one.
-she lied to the senate re fear of flying & other things like why she wanted two doors
-with all the coverage no one has come forth to corroborate
-She is an activist dem
-she has much to gain coming forward (go fund me acct, books, speaking engagements, lefty hero)
-someone is paying her lawyers, so there's an orchestrated effort here
-Feinstein sat on it in order to use it as a smear
-No credible person has accused K of sex crimes in his life
- Rachel Mitchell says the case is weaker than he said- she said.
-She may believe her story but memories conflate over time.
Yes he must be guilty.
5
Your approach on temperament is truly hollow. Had a liberal been accused of something equally heinous (if such a thing exists) you would applaud his or her “firery defense in response to uncorroborated allegations from the appalling republicans “. You would cite ad nauseam the plight of Black men in prison unjustly. The Innocent Project would be known to most Americans. You know it. I know it and America knows it.
15
@Dady: Projecting yourself tells us only that you don't even know us, and never want to. This was quite an opening to discuss teen age sexual adjustment in detail, and take some of the over-reaction out of it. Too bad it was all stonewalled with lies like "I have never done anything while drunk that I can't remember".
2
From a Canadian perspective, what a spectacle!! Is there no centrist judge left?? I'm sure the role of the Chief Justice is even more crucial than it was before!! If you're interested in moving to Canada, you're most welcome!!
5
Well, I would share my thoughts, if I had reasonable expectation of email notification of my comments being published, as I used to have. And I hardly think that lack of civility can be the issue.
2
The metaphorical bear has been poked... now democrats had better slay it. Otherwise, we have 6 more years of this presidency and congress.
3
I am sickened and not surprised.
6
When over 2400 law professors of every ideological bent, the people who know your work best and who know what's required of a Justice, sign a public letter saying you shouldn't be confirmed, and you don't withdraw, you truly are suffering from a gross sense of entitlement.
12
If the Senate votes on Kavanaugh's nomination as each member declares it will, Uncle Sam will again be revealed as a money-grubbing huckster.
5
@Angus Cunningham: A nation born in slavery is now owned and run by rentiers.
3
Did the NYTs editorial writers blush when they accused Trump and the Republicans of partisanship? The confirmation process was pure partisan politics on the Democrats part, dredging up at the last minute uncorroborated accusations of sexual assault to attempt to derail and smear a good man with an exemplary judicial record. And after this despicable act, Democrats are shocked that Kavanaugh got mad. Now he does not have the judicial temperament. The bottom line is the FBI investigation found no one that could corroborate Ford’s story which was full of holes. She is no hero, and probably has issues to deal with. But now you refer to K as a credibly accuses sex offender. The basis of our law and our free society is bases on the presumption of innocence, you have dispensed with that, to the detriment of the country. And you have done so to support your partisan agenda on abortion and guns. The NYTs and the Democrats are far more dangerous to our Democracy then Trump will every be. All thinking people, vote Republican in the fall, and give Trump and Kavanaugh the last word on our justice system.
11
@Mark V
Exactly. Journalism Brought Low.
1
@Mark V It is worse than you state. I could live with "credibly accused by one person" as I found Ford to be credible (i.e. I believe there is a good chance she is not lying, not necessarily that she is correct). This cannot be said for the other two, one of whom could not be sure it was Kavanaugh who assaulted her until she had spent 6 or 7 days consulting with her attorney (Democratic DA of Boulder) and the other having attended 9 gang rape parties before she was raped at the 10th, although not one person has corroborated what must have been attended by many if it occurred. That the NYT would say there are credible allegations is FAKE NEWS.
3
The issue increasingly appears that a minority of the country, who how ever hold outsized political influence, seek to assert their values and beliefs on the lives of the rest of us. Their other worldly ideology opposes the tide of social progress toward greater equality, human rights, and self-determination. Whether he likes it or not, Kavanaugh has made a deal with the Devil in aligning himself with Trump's base that will haunt his career.
6
"The result was a confirmation process, and now almost certainly a justice, tainted by dishonesty, shamelessness, self-pity, indifference to women’s fears and calculated divisiveness — the hallmarks, in other words, of Mr. Trump’s politics."
And we've seen enough of Trump's odious, self-centered thought process to easily imagine that, most importantly to him, Kavanaugh represents his get out of jail free card.
7
Senators representing less than half the country are about to confirm a justice opposed by the majority of people in the country.
There in lies the problem.
We are entering an era where government is no longer representative of the people governed.
It won't end well.
11
Having lived inside a country divided by Communist rule I've seen up close what it is like to live in a one-party state.
I never thought it would happen here, but it has.
This is particularly concerning because this country was built on the premises of Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press, and those are the very things that have come under attack under this current administration.
With the natural 'checks-and-balances' system of the U.S. government thus compromised, we are literally at the will of a president for whom absolute power is not enough -- this much we have seen with the recent nomination and all but assured confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh, which was brought to the level of partisan and political farce the moment he first opened his mouth at his hearings.
That this president and this Republican Senate can so intentionally, and almost gleefully ignore the voices and the will of the majority of the American people whom they are sworn to protect, says far more bout them and their real intent than anything else.
Now is the time for Americans to come to the aid of our country.
We are the only ones who can save it.
14
Anger in the country appears to be at a all-time high. But most people, we are told, won't bother to vote in the midterms. Young people talk a good game, but in the end they, like Sen. Collins, won't deliver.
What's wrong with us? Why, for the first time in my life, do I hate my country?
I'll vote. But if so many more stay home because they just don't care enough to ward off illiberal democracy, I have to wonder what circle of Hell this is.
8
"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation..."
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness..."
"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness..."
"But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."
Vote. Throw off this government, and provide new guards for our children's future security.
11
And in some sort of weird cosmic coincidence, Kavanaugh is likely to be confirmed on the almost two year anniversary of the Access Hollywood tape release. How fitting. He’s probably hosting a rager in his backyard tonight. Bottoms up, Brett.
It has been a long, exhausting, demoralizing two years.
Despite it all, I still believe that change will come. On days like today, I am not sure why.
Midterms in 32 days. Chance to end this hell. Vote America.
11
You must be forgetting President Obama’s unceasing divisiveness. Eight awful years of his insistence on balkanizing our population and villainizing any dissenters has paid off! Donald Trump is the result.
5
Your standard to disqualify, "credibly accused" is novel and dangerous. Clearly the white patriarchy that controls this country is in trouble if your wisdom prevails.
3
Presumption of guilt, disregard for fact, and no respect for the victim whose wish for anonymity was callously ignored. I hope the Times and the writers on the left have a long hard thought.
5
The "virus of Trumpism" was made possible by millions of Americans.
3
It's clear that if Democrats don't take both the House and Senate in November, that the US is in a final death phase as a republic.
My entire life has been hampered by white men and a few women in power who couldn't tolerate intelligence, integrity and independence in a woman. I've been molested, threatened and terrorized - all by fellow Americans.
I'm done. It makes absolutely no difference for anyone to engage without an oligarch's financial and political direction.
Republicans have made it clear that they are warring against America. No one is acknowledging that we are being attacked, have been under attack, and are losing the undeclared war.
3
Obama wasted so much time and good will trying to play nice with the republicans.
10
@Paulie,
Yes, he was naiive and ill-prepared for national politics. He came out waving a handkerchief when he should have come out swinging. LBJ knew how to get things done in Washington, but Obama squandered his political capital trying to compromise with people who do not operate in good faith. And Obama showed more care for corporations than for people.
1
America has no moral grounds to criticize the misogyny of other countries and cultures when it has a system in place to protect and advance degenerate fratboys like Trump and Kavanaugh.
7
This High Court was brought low by an unfit, dishonest, amoral and lying President, his ilk and by a minority of Americans who voted this president in. The majority of Americans did and do NOT support this President. Therefore, presently the majority of Americans are held hostage by the minority of Americans and under the thumb of a quasi dictator supported by a Republican held House and Senate.
Just like the other two branches, Judge Kavanaough is NOT supported by the majority of Americans.
This then explains plain and simple why the Supreme Court is brought low and will have lost its credibility because it now will no longer be seen as impartial but as a partisan institution like the other two branches of government. Let's face it, this country is no longer a true democratic Republic. We are a divided country ruled by an oligarch which is too bad for the vast majority of Americans and good for the the very well to do.
7
There's nothing in the Constitution that requires the Executive branch to enforce the SCOTUS decisions. Given that 2 justices have been appointed by traitor Trump - who has committed a massive number of crimes before he nominated anyone to SCOTUS, enforcing any decision where Gorsuch/Kavanaugh provide the margin is to be questioned. Especially by future presidents.
Trump and these 2 are puppets of Vladimir Putin.
2
I'm sure Kavanaugh's proud parents will be hosting an extravagant party and raising toasts — or kegs — in honor of their wonderful son's historic achievement.
After all, it isn't just anyone who can repeatedly lie under oath on national TV, disparage over half our country's citizens, spin bizarre conspiracy theories, grovel to a criminal president, and still "plow right through" to the Supreme Court. He must be something really special.
What an ugly, elitist little private world these people live in.
10
This is Trumps Court now for the next 1/2 century. All this winning is tiresome. lol
2
Fair is not what Republicans do. What they do is to take care of their own. Divided!
1
Time to send more money to my favorite candidates.
1
Your opinion note speaks of a "degrading spectacle." In my view, the most degrading spectacle was the deceit and treachery practiced by the Democratic bloc vis-a-vis Christine Ford.
You seem to be relying on a crystal ball when you foretell a "degrading era of his service on the Supreme Court." Certainly, there is not a scintilla of evidence of a degrading performance throughout his extensive judicial career.
Democrats foresaw the weakness of their sex and booze charges, which is why they suddenly switched to "judicial temperament" as the hearings came to a close. On that note,
have you unearthed any complaints from the numerous lawyers and litigants whose cases he has participated in deciding alleging that he was intemperate, rude, condescending, dismissive and plain incompetent. Also, it appears that not a one of his many law clerks - who are among the brightest in the crop of young lawyers - has had anything but the highest respect for Kavanaugh as a human being and as a judge. Did he pull the wool over all those young eyes? In short, what tangible evidence do you have to support what is otherwise simply reckless speculation?
Whether "most Americans" are "where this Senate majority is" will be revealed in a few weeks.
Your opinion reflects the puerile anger of the sore loser. It is not worthy of an NYT editorial.
Peter Kelly
Palominas, Arizona
8
Great commentary Peter. Just spot on. But unfortunately you're voice is in the NY Times wind. It was published but not heard by them. Perhaps one day the wind will shift from a maelstrom of left wing irrationality to a gentle breeze of centrist reality. Let us hope the change occurs sooner than later.
2
What more evidence do you need than Kavanaugh’s own testimony? How many jobs have you gotten by yelling at your interviewer?
He presents himself as choir boy, but when challenged, turns into a whiny, self-righteous brat. He’s supposed to be above politics, but finds the case against him the product of Democrats and a left-wing conspiracy. “What goes around comes around “, he said. Like Don Corleone, he makes a threat and pretends is just a warning.
Maybe he was unjustly accused. So what? Every American has been turned down for a job because the person hiring wasn’t sure they were a “good fit”, often based on unspoken assumptions they could never prove. Kavanaugh would have kept his job and livelihood. He just wouldn’t be in a position to impose his pinched view of women’s rights on underage immigrants in federal custody.
Except for Collins, the opinion on Kavanaugh divides cleanly along Roe v. Wade: if you’re opposed to legal abortion, you support Kavanaugh, else not. I predict that when Roe is overturned or eviscerated, and congress moves to outlaw abortion, every senator’s vote will mirror their Kavanaugh vote. For self-righteous moralistic misogyny, there’s no such thing as settled law.
2
Supreme Court under a shadow.
4
Have you no shame.
Donald Trump is The President of The United States of America.
He deserves respect.
The office deserves respect.
You have lost.
Admit it and learn.
Rarely have wee seen such blatant disregard for fact as you have displayed in this matter.
You (The Editorial Board) are fond of mendacity to an extent rarely seen heretofore.
3
You want change? Start winning some elections. Stop writing off half the country as deplorables.
Try to figure out why mean-spirited, Trump-style politics appeals to so many people by educating yourselves about their grievances.
Try to see the world through their eyes—then offer them something better.
You may not like them but you need some of their votes if you ever want to regain power.
Calling them names and hyperbolically predicting the end of the Republic will get you nowhere, which is where you are now.
8
@John but it's not about political difference and hyperbole. It's about corruption at the highest level of our government. The Kavanaugh hearings have all been smoke and mirrors, obscuring that fact.
The GOP no doubt have been happy to engage the Ford testimony and controversy because it views sexual assault as a lesser offense and likely not a disqualifying one (Thomas managed it). They know a look at who paid off Kavanaugh's debts recently will reveal who owns him.
From the London Review of Books: "As a matter of public interest, Kavanaugh’s drunken adolescent assault has now eclipsed his extremely murky personal finances, including a lifestyle far beyond his salary and up to $200,000 of debts that recently suddenly vanished; his possible addiction to sports gambling; his unequivocal opposition to reproductive rights and unions; his belief that a president is exempt from criminal indictment; the list of sexually graphic questions he prepared for Kenneth Starr to ask Bill Clinton during the Clinton impeachment proceedings; and the hundreds of thousands of pages of documents relating to his work in the Bush administration which the Republicans are refusing to release – covering, among other things, his role in formulating torture policy, the theft of Democratic Party papers and authorising warrantless wiretapping."
https://www.lrb.co.uk/v40/n20/eliot-weinberger/ten-typical-days-in-trump...
3
Well said, John, but here’s the thing...I cannot figure out the attraction or the grievances. Obama brought the country back from the brink of economic catastrophe, and went a long way to ending the Bushwars. What in the name of all that’s holy is attractive about this miserable, mean spirited, unfaithful, bloviating, ignorant soul crushing wannabe tyrant in the WH?
retired attorney F/70:
Jerry Brown, CA's Governor, is about to retire . . .again. He and I came up the ranks with Vietnam protests and VP Rockefeller on the White House speaker system saying to marchers in freezing rain: "Don't worry parents of America." These kids will hit 30. Get married, get a job, and have kids. "Settle down . . .just like we did."
Brown never did. I never did. And many more like us are teaching and funding stunningly and sadly astute kids like FL's Parkland High School anti-gun cadre. That said, as a retired attorney, I know what is coming for decades if Kavanaugh is not stopped at the 11th hour by truth emerging and emerging boldly within hours.
I may decide to relocate to CA. Better to be taken out by a real earthquake than the contrivances of old white men escaping to private Senate elevators and snarling over their shoulders to protesters that they need to "grow up." This from Orrin Hatch, delivered with contempt and annoyance that was the antithesis of Lisa Murkowski's and Heidi Heitkamp's real listening and brave stands for decency.
Were CA to decide to secede from the rest of this country, it would have the sixth largest economy in the world and, in many ways, reflect the open society many of us fought to achieve for our lifetimes. It would be a good place to have a good life with friends to my end day.
16
win back control, pack the court if you cannot impeach Kavanaugh. No more other cheek.
3
The electoral college system MUST be eradicated/repealed by Amendment.
2
You write that most Americans don’t like trump and what happened in the nomination of Kavanaugh, but those “most” Americans didn’t vote!
2
History will mark 10/6/2018 as a dark day in US history for two reasons:
1. If citizens can't look to an impartial justice system for redress, then our Constitution is meaningless; and the Republicanazi Party is stocking the justice system - at all levels - with partisan judges.
2. This day will mark the beginning of a Civil War, between overt (unwealthy) and covert (wealthy) white supremacists and everyone else in this country. The Republicanazi Party has truly become full-frontal the party of Trump, and nothing less than its complete obliteration can preserve what's left of our Democracy.
On November 6th, vote like America's future depends on YOU.
It DOES..........
2
Why aren’t women more organized in getting women to vote and speak up for their causes and the abuse they’ve had to endure? They need to organize and get people of wealth to help out much like aarp. They are a huge voting population. Come on Cynthia pour some energy into this.
2
As McCarthyism makes a raging comeback, bigger, nastier, and with the willing participation of the dishonest press.
2
Don’t be moved to sympathy when you hear the laments from moderates [sic] like Collins and Murkowski, after Kavanaugh overrules Roe v. Wade and unleashes corporate polluters onto their favorite national park. The “moderates” will say, “But Kavanaugh said he respected settled law! We didn’t know what he would do!”
Wrong. You DID know. Even a non-politician like me, whose field of study is pre-Shakespearean drama, had it all figured out. Roe is dead. When it’s big business versus the environment, the environment is toast. If you have a pre-existing condition, you can forget about getting health insurance for anything like what you can afford to pay. And so on. There will a lot of important questions up before the Court very soon, and unless you’re hard right, you won’t be happy with the way the Court rules.
And the so-called moderates knew it would happen. Anyone who can read above the third-grade level knew. The Republicans knew. Why else do you think they rushed the half-baked nomination of Kavanaugh through, with such indecent haste?
4
Thank you. Much needed on another dark day.
1
“Credible accusations of sexual assaults”? Surely you must recognize that as much as you or I may like to believe the assaults took place, we have so far lacked any “credible” evidence to back these accusations. Surely that is why all of our protests so far have produced more heat than light? This editorial goes beyond being partisan. It is downright delusional. Here’s what has happened— because we lacked any credible evidence, but behaved as if we did, the Democratic Party now looks like the party that is ready to ignore any semblance of due process or fairness. Isn’t this supposed to be a bedrock principle for a liberal democracy? Is the NYT editorial board also joining one of the dueling mobs? Not being part of the Trump mob is not a sufficient excuse when such basic principles are at stake.
5
Trump and the Republican party now hold the immoral high ground.
6
Susan Collins glory days are over, she was played and as she stood there in her expensive leather coat with her 45 minutes speech
as she sold out honorable men, women and most importantly – her career.
6
According to your editorial, "Mr. Trump had plenty of qualified, highly conservative lawyers to pick among". Am I really supposed to believe that the New York Times editorial board would have supported any of them? Sorry, I'm not that naive.
5
No, but perhaps more than one Democratic senator might? Even Gorsuch got almost 60 votes.
1
And make no mistake about it: Susan Collins has never, ever been a moderate. Her support of abortion rights does not make her a moderate in any other sense. She is an old-school, white, privileged Republican woman. She is as responsible as anyone else for Trump and everything he does. Let’s stop calling her anything but what she is: a far-right, Trumpist Republican. Lisa Murkowski, Joe Donnelly, and Heidi Heitcamp were the only ones in the group showing any courage. Flake simply set up the sham FBI investigation - I’ve never believed for one minute he wanted anything but a “show” and a sham to foster his own self promotion. He’s all talk and self promotion. He could have turned this tide but didn’t. West Virginia Democracts need to get woke - they need a new Senatorial candidate. I can’t believe West Virginia needs Joe Manchin for anything. He’s a Republican disguising himself as a Democrat because he sees some advantage - another sham with no courage. He is despicable.
4
Might come back to haunt him.
Might come back to haunt all of them.
1
Never forget this is a man who made OPEN THREATS on the floor of the U.S. Senate.
I'd have had him removed from the room at that point, but the Republican senators groveled.
7
'Sexual McCarthyism': Dershowitz Says Dems Set 'Terrible Precedent' With Kavanaugh Allegations.
Says nominating process being 'destroyed' for future judges.
Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz warned Friday that the left has risked "destroying" the Supreme Court nomination process through uncorroborated sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh.
He questioned why anyone would want to go through this process in the future, noting that Kavanaugh will no longer teach at Harvard due to the unproven allegations against him.
"This kind of sexual McCarthyism is a terrible, terrible precedent," said Dershowitz, arguing that sexual assault claims should be taken seriously but a witness possibly making up a statement "out of whole cloth" must also be taken seriously.
2
what? and give the last word to that lot who trashed him when they failed to best him in aegument? the same lot whose complacency gave us the trump white house in 2016?
Clearly, abortion is on their minds. Well...Alaska, Murkowski’s home state, has one of the highest teen birth rates in the country, slightly higher than South Carolina (Graham), and yet lower than the teen birth capitals of Texas (Cruz, Cornyn) and Louisiana (Kennedy) and Kentucky (McConnell). Indeed, by Murkowski voting “with” Democrats on the Judiciary committee, she’s voting with the members of the committee, along with most of their Democratic Senator colleagues, who come from states with the lowest teen birth rates yet who seem to have the greater interest in parenthood planning. Something to note.
3
We need to wake up and realize how much is wrong with our country .
First vote, second look for a real center, third address the core issue - income inequality and the horror in brings to our HEW system, lastly acknowledge the sins of our fathers and start reparations for African American and Native American communities and amnesty for undocumented immigrants.
But let's do it with love not fear.
As an old, well off white male I hope to see the end of our era before I die.
2
The willingness, even eagerness, of The Editorial Board to create a legal system and political system where evidence does not matter, where uncorroborated (indeed contradicted) allegations are automatically assumed to be Truth, is profoundly depressing for me.
It means the leadership and ownership of one of the great newspapers of the democracy no longer cares about uncovering facts and examining complexity.
There is now no philosophical difference between the Climate Change Deniers and Creationists on the one hand, and The Editorial Board on the other.
American democracy cannot survive if facts and evidence and complex analysis in a search for empirical Truth do not matter, if feelings are treated as facts. Feelings are not facts.
5
The Republicans have insisted on seating a judge on the Supreme Court who does not believe in regulating guns, but insists on the state's ability to regulate women's bodies.
They have also openly declared that the "believe" Dr. Ford, but that it makes no difference to them one way or the other.
Through their votes, Republicans -- including Susan Collins who pretended to be above it all -- have let Americans know what they stand for.
No one can afford to sit on the sidelines as uninformed voters now.
2
I voted for Gore. I voted for Hillary even though my vote belonged to Bernie because I understood how narrow the race would be. My votes didn’t count (in Florida or Louisiana). A partisan civil war of battles: Clintons’ power, Merrick Garland, Judge Kavanaugh, Citizens United decision, gerrymandered districts, hijacked electoral votes, a Congress unable to pass meaningful budgets or legislation (and voting machines built by a company that donates to the GOP) is the norm. Voting won’t fix this. Why don’t we start admitting that our civic norms are dysfunctional? Why don’t we have a real conversation about how to overhaul representative democracy in the age of powerful technology? What about more than 2 political parties? What about more meaningful ways to solve (policy) societal problems than up or down votes?
3
I have lived in Kentucky for the past 20 years, and each time Senator McConnell runs for re-election, I vote against him.
But still, he wins.
I urge anyone my fellow liberals and moderates, to move to the Blue Grass state, just long enough to vote, and unseat the blight that is McConnell.
The future of our country depends on eradicating the blight.
9
Well, the United States is only as good as what its citizens make it.
Values, education, an inclusive culture, the building of institutions that serve citizens over corporations — all these things matter and must be preserved, protected and defended by every generation. That’s the painful lesson here.
We all knew it in our heads as an intellectual truism that we learned to mouth. Now that it is real and realized, and visible and horrifying not just for half the citizens but most of the world, we have to rebuild in the face of opposition from fellow citizens.
This experiment in democracy now enters a new stage with higher stakes: international order, the future of our children and more depend on it.
4
Yes, this is a degrading spectacle, and so is our criminal inequality. Who really has said much about the concentrations of wealth, income, property, power? Marginal few. Nah, not our thing. We like sports and tv and internet and whatever. Politics? Not so much.
Let's talk tax policy. Let's discuss capital gains, and who benefited most from the wall-street government bail-out after Republican de-regulations ( left for Obama to clean-up).
Talk minimum wage, health care, housing, mass transit. Talk real. And yes, talk about contraception and education being most effective at preventing unwanted pregnancies. Talk about the rights of hunters to have guns, and be open to discuss what kind of guns or rifles are legal in a major city. Talk about violence and gun rights. They're both here to stay.
People have been used by the monied. Sold one thing, given another. The shyster. A really good (bad) on in the White House.
Equality, Ecology. Humanity. Not greed or hate. Next step.
1
I'm not sure it's Trumpism that's been spread to the Supreme Court. It's more McConnellism -- ruthless, amoral power politics, with no regard for ethics, fairness or precedent.
1
Every decision of the Supreme court from this point onward will have an asterisk by it. It will take a very long time for all three branches of government to regain any level of respect and legitimacy.
Give Mitch McConnell credit where it's due though. He is relentless, he gets results. I hope the Democrats will learn from his example (minus the extremely dirty, unethical, hypocritical, and cynical tactics).
3
Collins owed nothing to Kavanaugh other than politeness, and even that is questionable after his studied testiness and bonkers rant in the hearing room. She owed everything to the American public. Presuming the innocence of a nominee has no place in this kind of assessment. This wrongheaded topsy-turvy thinking is not “a civic lesson” (as Carl Hulse has it) except in the sense of how to study and detect rhetorical chicanery. Presuming (and protecting) the vulnerability of the public is and was Collins’s primary duty, far far outweighing any quaint idea of “fairness,” and that’s not even considering the brave new parameters of the McConnell era. How much of her argument did Collins actually believe? Hard to say. The border between outward persuasion and inner self-deception is a porous one. I suspect she believes, or has chosen to believe, most of what she said.
What I don't understand in all of this, is why such a hurry to seat him?
Why can't be have a real investigation, instead of a sham. The report was confined to a small secure room, seemingly it's results needed to be contained.
The fact is, it's a purely partisan and political move. America is horrified of how quickly she's losing sight of herself.
Vote!
2
The GOP hasn't been concerned about legitimacy for decades. Legitimacy is is such a small thing compared to power. That is all the Republicans care about, power. The power to impose their minority beliefs on the majority of Americans and reward their oligarchy masters.
2
Democrats are every bit as relentlessly partisan as Republicans. To claim otherwise is just as disingenuous as Brett Kavanaugh claiming he never blacked-out from drinking beer.
2
What’s so special about Kavanaugh that we can overlook immorality? Nothing. Any replacement of Kavanaugh will not weaken America. Do we really have to support statutory rape by ignoring it?
I don’t think so. It’s not like we are going to be a weaker country for his presence or absence; it’s our own weaknesses, like dirty laundry that is at issue. We don’t have to rubber stamp dirty laundry.
3
So uncorroborated allegations ow equals a conviction of statutory rape ?
If that’s the new standard I don’t ever want to see the Dems regain power and eliminate due process for their political opposition.
Scary
1
For many years the Supreme Court has been out of touch with mainstream America, and now, with the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh, it will be further degraded. It's beginning to look like a repository for accused Republican male sex offenders, with a reputation now in the pits. I like Senator Murkowski's comment explaining her no vote on Kavanaugh. She said that we need at least one branch of government that we can respect.
3
America is making a horrible mistake. Brett Kavanaugh will be like a bad tatoo in a visible spot, which you must look at forever.
6
We are justifiably indignant, angry and disappointed. We are dealing with a Congress that cares not a wit about America. They are creating a stacked deck.
We can start the repair by voting and don't forget, Justices can be impeached. BK will be watched carefully and Roberts hopefully sees the danger this new Justice brings to the Court.
3
I have a dream and it isn't the one Dr. King was advancing. My dream includes the impeachment of Trump, the neutralization of Pence by the Mueller report, the removal of Collins from office, Democratic control of both houses, and the expansion of the Supreme Court. You have to have something to keep you going on a day like this.
5
"Credible accusations of sexual assault"
Yes, but the accusations were neither confirmed nor supported by any 3rd-party witnesses. None.
4
@Sumner Madison
neither confirmed nor supported
I take it you've read the FBI whitewash, er, report?
1
That doesn’t matter to the sanctimonious unhinged Left. THEY know better and no longer need due process. A politicized almost 40 year old uncorroborated allegation of disrespectful and stupid teenage behavior is the new bar for negating all the work done in one’s professional.
The Dems have lost sight of how far they have sunk here. They should be embarrassed. History will not judge them well.
2
It’s not enough for Republicans to have won, unfairly, with this nomination. They now are going after the real victim, Dr. Blasey Ford. Grassley is demanding all kinds of private information from her, AFTER this is a done deal. Not only did they punish her for coming forward, they are going to stomp on her and humiliate her GOING forward. If you think any of her private medical records are going to stay private, I have a bridge to sell you.
2
I still don’t understand why Trump and the Republicans were so intend in jamming this obviously flawed candidate down the country’s throat. There are plenty of equally conservative candidates without Kavanugh’s unethical and temperamental baggage that could have won confirmation as easily as Gorsuch did. Why destroy the credibility of the Supreme Court in order to have this one very flawed man on it? What are Republicans thinking?!
2
Republicans thinking is an oxymoron. Mitch McConnell is why this situation arose in the first place by not allowing the nomination of Gorsuch to come forward. McConnell is a lying dishonest, backward partisan hack who doesn’t belong in government.
Voting for Brett Kavanaugh’s placement on the country’s highest court of the land invariably destroys not only the integrity of the Court, but guts any standards and expectations for both honesty and non partisanship for Judicial nominees for many years.
Putting Justice Kavanaugh on the bench emotes the same feeling as when Trump was elected— surreal.
1
You almost wonder... Would McConnell and all the others have taken a different stance had Dr Ford been their wife, sister or daughter? I also wonder how many Republicans in the senate are likewise guilty of assault. It would seem the odds are likely.
For the most part, the Republican senators are cowards.
2
The American people will never accept the overturning of Roe Vs Wade, by such an absurdly tainted Supreme Court. Abortion clinics should ignore such a ruling, and stay open in acts of civil disobedience. What would they even have to lose?
1
As if the Supreme Court wasn't suspect of partisan loyalty already, by disregarding it's function to uphold the constitution and the laws of this country (as justice demands), and not as an afterthought, the election to the Supreme Court of a dubious character to confer majority to the closed-minded G.O.P. will only accelerate the fear, hate and division that Trump has been spreading with 'gusto' (divide to conquer, mafiosi style). Now we know that Trump can count with a firm supporter to protect his salient 'attributes', unscrupulousness (lying whenever he opens his mouth, thievery for self-enrichment at our expense), 'racism', xenophobia and misogyny. Too bad we the public seem unperturbed by all of Trump's 'sins', emotionally complacent with such a devious monster, a sexual predator 'in his own right', shameless to a fault.
1
Republicans, drunk now with ill-gotten power, have declared war on the majority of this country. I'm truly starting to wonder if there can be a peaceful resolution.
3
It was the Senate that was brought low by the ridiculous antics of the Democrats.
I for one will wait for Rep. Nadler and Sen. Blumenthal to keep their promises to expose Brett Kavanaugh for what he is--a liar, a shameless climber and, probably, a sexual assailant--and remove his entitled self from the court. It hasn't been done before? There's a first time for everything.
3
The United States of America of Donald Trump and Brett Kavanaugh.
One a lout throughout his youth, the other a lout throughout his life.
One already hands down the most disreputable and loathsome President in the nation's history.
The other, already the most famous Supreme Court Justice in the nation's history by virtue of his virtuoso angry man performance before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Don't cry for me Argentina.
Cry for the United States of America.
7
... already the most infamous Supreme Court Justice ....
2
It's going to take more than voting. It's going to take kicking the Democratic Party in the rear, ridding it of its Politburo-fossil congressional leadership, getting it clean of its corruption and over-focus on identity politics, and waking it up. Time the Cowardly Lion got a heart. Elections have consequences, a fact seemingly lost on the D's nomination process and campaign management.
Amy Klobuchar comes from Minnesota. Her party there is officially the Democratic Farmer Labor Party. That's a hint of one task of the party: broaden its tent, and focus on economics for all. MLK realized that racial justice would be a hollow victory without economic justice.
"It's the economy, stupid." - James Carville
"Don't judge the recovery by what Wall Street says! Don't too many people live on Wall Street!" - Jesse Jackson, 1992
A cloud will always hang over Kavanaugh from his own past, his demeaning performance (and that's what it was) at the hearings, and his appointment by the tainted Trump. He will be viewed with the same scorn and contempt as is Clarence Thomas, whose tenure on the Court has been to warm a seat and, barring one recent time, never opening his mouth--and casting his votes on cases without, it seems, any thought to them at all.
1
The accusations were credible but not provable. A decent person would have said to the nominee, in private, "we have this letter and will use it because it is relevant. Do you want to back out?," and saved him and the country from... this. But they weaponized it.
The left thinks they are 100% morally right, and the right is always wrong. It is not a difference in opinion, it is right from wrong, and there is the problem. People have different viewpoints. And elections have consequences (just ask Obama who verbalized that as he rammed his agenda through, convinced that he was morally right). The Democrats did not get what they want and have to put up with a conservative Court. That is what elections and luck have dictated. Yes, Garland did not get a hearing, but that was electoral luck too. Obama appointed 2 justices that I think are terrible. Qualified, but terrible, with a left-wing political agenda that I do not like. But that is life. Move on, and be decent. Kavanaugh was never accused of being a Harvey Weinstein. If he did it at 17, he was terrible. But there are no reports of anything over 30 years.
Move on, be nice, and lets try to get along and understand that differences in opinion are allowed and do not make the opposite viewpoint immoral.
1
I can’t imagine ANY woman (with the possible exception of Ivanka Trump) applying for any job in the world while behaving like a banshee with a hangover and actually getting hired. Brett Kavanaugh ought to be held in Contempt of Congress rather than confirmed to the “Highest Court in the Land.”
In Anderson v. Dunn (1821), the Supreme Court of the United States (yes, that old thing) held that Congress' power to hold someone in contempt was essential to ensure that Congress was "... not exposed to every indignity and interruption that rudeness, caprice, or even conspiracy, may mediate against it."
Uh...hello?
Under the concept of stare decisis, once a court has answered a question, the same question in other cases must elicit the same response from the same court or lower courts in that jurisdiction. Why wasn’t that principle applied here? Open and shut case.
3
Yes, most Americans do not agree with McConnell and his intense partisanship that defends the oligarchs that control the GOP. Trump is shameful, but so is McConnell and the rest of the GOP. For that matter, the GOP has been shameful for many years. Kavanaugh's confirmation is just another con job by the GOP to keep their oligarchs in power. The GOP will stop at nothing to destroy America so that it keeps its old white male privilege. This is insane and despicable.
The despicable Sen. Grassley calls protesters a MOB!
What else can we say about this hateful party.
Sen. Collins is a complete sellout, with her hypocritical announcement.
Sen. Flake is just lives up to his name, has been flaking off for years.
Sen. Manchin is a closeted republican.
He must finally face his Republican self.
He doesn't belong to democratic party.
No spine whatsoever, I guess it's more important to get re-elected.
He will definitely support trump for his re-election.
So far only Sen. Murkowski has a strong principles and fortitude to withstand the pressure.
And as Greeks say: The Character is Destiny.
That's all.
1
With her vote for Kavanaugh, Ms Collins will surrender any claim she might have had on the legacy of Margaret Chase Smith, a claim she would have realized had she followed Murkowski's honorable example and voted against him. It is clear to a vast swathe of US citizens that Kavanaugh lied before the Senate, while proving himself a political hack to boot. Collins is not so stupid as to not know that; therefore, we, must conclude, she has put party over the country. What a terrible shame.
I have always said that one of the many things I love about being a Mainer is that even our Republican Senators are decent people. Collins has destroyed that feeling for me. I hope she is proud of yourself, for I am certainly not. She has badly misjudged the sentiments of her constituency, she has surrendered any claim on Chase-Smith's place in history, and she has appalled all but the Trump fan-boys with the pathetic rationale she advanced for her vote. I am sickened to the heart by her and her 'party.'
2
The next phase will be the disenfranchisement of blacks, Hispanics, the poor, and anyone who might be more apt to vote for a Democrat. It’s already begun. The people’s voice is not long for this failing democracy.
1
The United States government system has not been able to solve any problems of note for the last 30 years. It's time to reveal it for what it is: an anachronistic failure. While it is an electoral corporate oligarchy it is not a democracy. A minority at every branch of government rules. It's time to call a lemon a lemon, and for the world to move on.
Americans should interiorize that the so-called "founding fathers" were a male slave-owning dominant aristocracy. It may shock a local to hear this, but many if not most thinking persons on the planet who aren't subject to the self-deluding slogans of Hollywood can easily see that.
For many years accolades and praise came from Western Europe across "the pond." These were really thank-yous for the Atlantic alliance that allowed those smaller, fragmented countries to rebuild, develop and prosper under the US military umbrella. No European country has emulated the American system to any fundamental extent. Do not mistake praise for approval. The economic and political model there seems to be Germany or Scandinavia, not America.
It's time to refound the US republic on democratic terms. The issue of course is time and money. By the time the population can be re-educated and given hope to vote for their own best interests, the country would have been sucked dry by the oligarchs. Hoping and waiting for another Roosevelt is a dicey.
The planet's problems can't wait, and some other power needs to step in.
The Kavanaugh catastrophe has costs beyond the integrity of the Republican Party Court. It is no longer the "Supreme" Court nor the "High" Court. The RPC is a weaponized committee of the Republican Party.
The RPC has no integrity, no legitimacy. The integrity and legitimacy were casualties of Kavanaugh himself. He is a liar, he is a bare-knuckles partisan, he remains accused of very credible allegations of sexual assault.
But there are other costs.
The Senate has no integrity, no legitimacy. Mitch McConnell's declaration of "plowing through" with the confirmation process made the process a sham. That makes the Senate a sham.
American law and order is also a sham. Women can be sexually assaulted and must not come forward in this Republican World. Unless they have a video of the assault the Republican Courts will not believe them (even a video may not be enough - likely called inadmissible by the misogynist RPC).
But sexual assault survivors must also keep quiet or face attack, mockery, ridicule, more victimization by the Republican president, the Republicans in Congress and Republican voters.
The Republican Party is not American. Their leadership and members are lying thugs. They make up a minority of the population, but they are determined to seize power and keep power at all costs.
Democracy itself is a casualty of Kavanaugh. He was nominated by a president who is illegitimate - supported by a minority and he was confirmed by a Congress that represents the minority.
3
Withholding information by Don McGahn under the guise of White House confidential determined the atmosphere of the entire process. During his tenure there Kavanaugh was involved in questionable activity but protected from those actions by preventing any disclosures. His tirade on Thursday he played the victim and thought the initial interviews unfair. There was no transparency during that process, during an ordinary job interview that gap in history would not fly.
The events following cast serious doubt regarding his honesty regarding drinking, blackouts, belligerence, arrogance and sexual behavior. The FBI investigation was a sham.
Each Senator relinquished their cell phones in order to read the one copy of the FBI report that should have been disclosed to the public.
Kavanaugh was shoved down our throats by a a bunch of old men and their sycophants. Susan Collins was flattered this summer by Kavanaugh and made statements she was assured due to precedent Roe vs Wade would be untouched. Listenting to her speech I could only surmise her legacy will be a stupid, naive old woman along with a gutless Manchin changed the course of our country.
3
I agree, and thank you. But I am surprised you did not mention Kavanaugh's views on presidential power, considered by many the main reason he particularly appealed to Donald Trump.
Ugly business.
1
Of all the things that sticks in my mind is when Kamala Harris asked Kavanaugh if he he’d had contact with Trumps law firm.
Trump’s get out of jail free card is secured.
2
Am I putting too much hope in a THOROUGH, presumably non partisan report from Mueller, a report that cannot be ignored from either side?
Its time to start exercising that power to the max until the plague in Washington is expelled. The right wing has declared war on the rest of us. Its time to make them pay.
2
Plain and simple! Clean house in November 6th. The Republicans have consistently demonstrated they are not representative of the people but rather are stooges of big money and right wing ideologues.
2
The rule of 60 votes must be reinstated for SCOTUS nominees if we are ever to ave moderate candidates again.
Donald Trump has always been a lying, cheating, scam artist----so Americans who voted for him got exactly the kind of President they expected. However, Mitch McConnell will be cited by historians as the most craven, dishonest, cynical, unpatriotic man in American Civic History.
13
The Founders designed a system that they believed functioned, in part, to protect us against what was known as "the tyranny of the majority". In an unfortunate (some might say fatal) twist, we have now wrought a tyranny of the minority and loosed it on our Constitution and our democracy. We need to protect our institutions by the only means left to us by voting in every election.
While we still can.
1
It was a shameful day , the very long speech by Susan Collins was an embarrassment to Women. Her excuses were lame as she gave in to Mitch McConnell’s bully and obviously wants desperately to hold on to her seat at any cost.
Shame on her for showing her greed instead of supporting the plea of women who still are treated as second class citizens.
4
"Everything Trump Touches Dies." God help us, I hope our country can survive. But on the other hand, he will be facing a Karmic Reckoning, because he embodies everything that is crass and rotten in our culture, and we as a nation are either going to deal with it or we will become as depraved as his 23% (The Cult).
1
"Having first sickened the White House and then Congress, the virus of Trumpism is about to spread to the Supreme Court itself." A fish rots from the head down and we, the voters, are the tail. We have to stop this, no one else is coming to our rescue. If we don't vote the virus will spread to the populous and I can't spend that much time under a sun lamp. I have things to do. If I could squeeze in one more degraded institution, it would have to be the Evangelical Christian Churches who put up with such cruelty, avarice and mendacity in order to overturn Roe and therefore please Jesus. First of all, it doesn't say much for Jesus' message, if Trump is the messenger. Second, when you try to help Jesus by getting in bed with the devil, you demean both Him and you.
1
Mitch McConnell's obstruction of Garland (though only one of his corrupt acts) allows him to stand next to Joe McCarthy in American History. Just as we recognize "McCarthyism" as reckless and unsubstantiated attacks, we should now recognize "McConnellism" as the irresponsible shirking of duties in order to gain political advantage.
3
Stop with the self pity.
Stop with the "G-d help us"
Ask yourself:
When I saw things I opposed happening over the past years, did I speak up? Did I take action (or was I "too busy")?
Did I vote (or did I say, "it doesn't really count anyway")?
Did I cast a meaningful vote, or a "protest vote" to a candidate who could not win (knowing that would help the opposing party)?
Did I encourage others to register to vote?
Did I encourage others to vote?
Will I vote in November?
Will I cast a meaningful vote?
Will I encourage others to register and vote?
Have I been part of the problem by saying "no" to any of these questions? Could I have "seen this coming" by answering "no" to these questions, knowing that far too few people vote?
November 6, 2018. The day we can start again...if we really want to.
3
Probably the worst thing that might happen with Roe is it might get overturned... but will likely be replaced with something probably keener to a wider variety of values. That might be - for want of a better metaphor - "dry counties". Individual counties will be able to vote whether to allow abortions to be offered at medical clinics in the county. However, a city within the county, where there might be a medical center, could keep the option.
It would give the pro lifers a Pyrrhic victory, as it's likely most of these kinds of counties where the vote would go overwhelming in favor already don't have a medical facility offering the option. The downside for those counties is due to their actions likely they will lose other benefits. New factories, for example, might get built farther away as a result. They can have their values, but they can't have the short drive to jobs at the new car factory.
Kavanaugh's nomination is a Trumpian assault as egregiously offensive as anything he has done. White male predators win again. Social, racial, gender based injustice prevails...women are trophies to be displayed for the benefit of arrogant, dominant white men...Oh how primitive...indeed...disgusting too...really disgusting. Trump is the gravest danger to democracy in our history. VOTE in November...save our Nation...your life and mine and all our fellow Americans need you to VOTE!
American Justice - what an oxymoron. Ha ha ha.
1
We need to do more than vote. We need to organize so that everyone in our neighborhoods and counties who wants to vote is able to vote. This means reaching out to those who need help getting their voter registrations, giving them rides to the polls, doing whatever it takes to make it happen.
The vote is already compromised due to gerrymandering, restrictive and targeted registration laws and the locations of the polls. This administration, the Senate and the Supreme Court they have handpicked has abandoned even the sliver of pretense at justice and democracy. Their next target will be what is left of our ability to elect our officials.
This may be our last opportunity to vote.
It's like we're in a tsunami of discouraging news. What to do? What to do?
Help get out the vote. Talk about it at the supermarket. Talk about it at the post office, and the hardware store. When you go to vote, take along a friend who might not otherwise vote. There are a lot of little things we can all do to increase the voter turnout.
What Republicans always fear is a large voter turnout. Read about the way the Trump campaign used targeted Facebook advertising to reduce turnout in 2016 -- by their own claims it was a program of voter suppression, but soft suppression, by targeted suggestions. They spent millions of dollars on this!
They doubtless targeted young voters by painting Hillary Clinton as part of the status quo. They probably targeted non-white voters by telling them that Hillary didn't care about them. And they probably targeted women by telling them that Hillary was untrustworthy and dishonest. And they doubtless repeated that last lie to everyone on their list.
And it worked! Hillary lost because of low turnout. Not because of gerrymandering, not from turning eligible voters away at the polls (though it happened), and certainly not because of Trump's popularity.
Part of the Republican program is to make people feel cynical and downcast about participating in the democratic process. Because it keeps voters at home, especially voters who lean Democratic. Republicans encourage apathy, because it keeps Democratic voter turnout low.
Have courage!
2
It's not a nation divided, it's not to believe or not Dr. Ford, it is simply injustice: how a political partisan and out of control man is an acceptable candidate for the Supreme court has been accepted goes beyond common sense and has no two sides or more than one interpretation.
7
This is really difficult for me to write, but here goes:
Mitch McConnell will likely go down as one of the most brilliant political strategists in U.S. history. Time and time again, he has managed to outfox the Dems for years. He was particularly successful in de-fanging the Obama Administration which brought us Kavanaugh. Since being elected in 1984, he has managed to push a conservative agenda that has weakened the Dems and brings us closer to the dismantling of FDR's New Deal, environmental protections, worker's rights, etc.
In the end, this would not have happen if Americans didn't want it this way. McConnell (and his benefactors) put their collective finger to the wind in the 1980's and realized that with a powerful, well-funded propaganda media network, lot's of dark money and a disengaged population, they would win. And they were right.
One final thought, after reading the NYT article this week about voter participation, don't hold your breath waiting for a "blue wave" in the mid-terms.
1
@mrfreeze6
Mitch McConnell, brilliant political strategist.
Okay, well I hope he's proud of his life's work. Wonder if he's ever put in an actual honest day's labor, like most of the people whose health care he maneuvers to eliminate.
5
@DW Of course, I wasn't praising McConnell. I believe his cynicism and lack of compassion is fathomless. He is a cancer that has spread to a wide swath of politicians and Americans.
Unfortunately, the Dems have cultivated no one on the opposite end of the spectrum who can counter balance McConnell.
As a long-time admirer of the United States and the role it has played in the world, I have watched US politics with utter disbelief and sadness over the past couple of years as your system of checks and balances has failed almost totally. As the last (?) domino falls, and the Supreme Court receives this ranting beer-loving partisan onto its bench, I still find it hard to believe that America’s institutions could be discredited so completely, so quickly.
It’s incredibly sad. I know it might not mean much, but I just want to remind the US readers that the world is watching, and that there are many millions of us hoping you will find your way back to what you were, and what you represented. I suspect the period of rebuilding will be a lot harder and slower than the period of destruction has been.
18
What is galling is the often-repeated Republican lament, especially by McConnell and Grassley, that the nomination process has broken down and it has hit "rock bottom", blaming, naturally the Democrats.
And this without a hint of irony or awareness that they are the principle responsible for such a situation. If they had not unconstitutionally refused to allow the nomination process of Judge Garland to go forward, there would have not been the understandable and justified reaction by the Democrats. What bothers me is that Democrats do not remind them of what they did every time they utter their hypocritical lamentations.
8
I’m with avenatti
Impeach kavanaugh and put 2 democratic nominees on the Supreme Court.
Impose term limits on justices.
7
"Having first sickened the White House and then Congress, the virus of Trumpism is about to spread to the Supreme Court itself."
Yes, but lets face it, its not really "Trump", its the ethos of many long hiding in the bushes Repubs, and Alt-right white males, and monied donors. An ethos that Trump was able enough to use to win. Not popularly, but thru the loophole of the Electoral College. I wish we could call it something else, as the term gives Trump too much credit as being a man with enough intellect to create a political ideology that no one else had thought of.
What we are witnessing is bigger then Trump, but also smaller then the majority of Americans. What we are seeing is how our political system has been co-opted by those with the means to work the behind the scenes long-game, of manipulation and outright buying of politicians and their legislative agendas. As well as an unrelenting focus on stacking the Supreme Court with conservative judges. (all while ranting how the Dems were seeking to take it over)
What we are witnessing is a strong last-hurrah push for white privilege, a push from a (mostly)white demographic that believes that their freedom to denigrate, and otherwise dismiss the needs and enforced equal justice of minorities, women in general, the poor, and anyone not bowing to their historical Power over them.
Its about the elite males of that structure who deem their behaviors exempt from scrutiny. Its not about fairness, its all about power.
9
Let’s not pretend you would have supported any nominee.
3
People are upset, people disagree, people want to be heard. Fine. But you all know the definition of insanity and this constant and relentless mania of Trump hate is clearly NOT WORKING.
5
I'm hard pressed to remember a more self-righteous editorial. Murkowski is "courageous" because the editors like her vote, whereas Collins couldn't possibly have voted based on an honest evaluation. A more egregious example of filtering reality to suit belief is hard to imagine.
4
Maine voters are clear in their opposition to Kavanaugh. She doesn't represent her constituents. She will lose in 2020.
1
>
This all resides at the feet of Mitch McConnell and his slash and burn Senate tactics.
Get ready to hear 5-4 over and over again.
DJT could potentially pick 2-3 more SCOTUS justices if this country's nosedive continues.
5
The "degrading spectacle of Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation process" rests entirely on the Democrat's plate. (With friends in the press happy to chip in.) The "razor thin margin" is here to stay in our current political climate. One of the few times I largely agree with Brooks. Senator Collins laid it out nicely. I suggest the Times board "sober up" metaphorically and get some fresh air. Stop fanning the flames.
2
If you can't win the White House and you can't win Congress, then you don't have the voted for a constitutional amendment. Talking about the unfairness of the way Senate seats are apportioned ultimately gets you nowhere, just like talking about the unfairness of electoral votes.
Uphill struggle or not, the only way out is through retaking these institutions of government. Please folks, vote, get others to vote, donate, volunteer...it's the only way you're going to wipe that smirk off Donald Trump's face.
2
The Founders created three branches of government to be checks and balances for each other. They did not want anyone branch or individual to accumulate too much power
The Supreme Court, the highest branch of our judicial system is the one branch I held in high regard and trusted. These 9 members are the gatekeepers, the scholars of our United States Constitution. Their responsibility is to decipher laws guided by this most important body of law we all live by, the Constitution of our United States of, for and by all people.
Today I am distraught, and I feel like a fool. I believed that at days end, enough members of this Judicial Committee would vote no to delay this nomination for one simple reason, the questionable credibility of Brett Kavanaugh’s word. The bar is raised regarding the standard of character for this lifetime appointment and, trust in one's character begins with words spoken.
At the risk of overstating a grave concern, I feel like we are moving towards the very thing our forefathers were reacting against, the rule monarchies and aristocracies that existed at the time.
VOTE 11-6-2018
8
I find it so interesting when the NYT comes up with titles like The Court Brought Low, “Low” meaning not a win for the Democrats. I can’t imagine anyone honestly believing that Chuck Schumer would not have done the same thing had the Democrats had the majority and a nominee or worse. What we saw was less about the Supreme Court and more about winning at any cost, the liberal world of guilty till proved innocent and Corey Booker running for President. Why aren’t you talking about that? Who can forget Mr. Booker’s presidential retort, “bring it”. I believe there is enough shame to go around in partisan politics and certainly enough left over for the NYT. Thank you. God bless.
4
@Stephen A You write, "What we saw was less about the Supreme Court and more about winning at any cost,..."
What about Mc Connell holding open the Supreme Court seat for almost a year? How about that?
Oh, I forgot--it's OK if you're a republican.
"A judge is supposed to set personal feelings aside and approach even the most sensitive and emotional matters with a cool disposition and an open mind"
Sure, but Kavanaugh was not there in the role of judge. He was a defendent to be judged publicly as a drunken sexual assaulting buffoon in the court of common opinion surrounded by suspicious leaks, timing, accusations, and dubious, badgering questioning.
If one were concerned with tearing the nation apart politically, why wasn't this handled discretely by the SJC? Although, I am somewhat dubious of the "Biden Rule", I am beginning to see the wisdom in it. Can you imagine how much worse this fiasco would have been if Trump were up for re-election? I strongly suggest that we push the Senate come to a formal agreement on whether the "Biden Rule" will remain.
The darkest day in American history in my seventy-plus years.
We now have a Supreme Court that—by its very composition—stands for the proposition that male privilege trumps female credibility. We now have a Court that has the votes—and apparently the will—to curtail women’s rights over their own bodies. We now have a Court that has the votes—and apparently the will—to curtail the rights of people like my lesbian daughter—and to do so with the imprimatur of religion. We now have a Court that has the votes—and apparently the will—to institutionalize both partisan gerrymandering and voting restrictions that stifle the voices of huge blocks of Americans. We have, in short, a Republican Court—a Court that stands for Republican policies and Republican “values,” one that protects Republican “rights” to the exclusion of those of the majority of Americans and one with the power to institututionalize those policies, those values, those rights as supposedly enshrined by our own Constitution.
It is a day that will live in infamy in American history. And it was not brought on us by foreign bombs, foreign planes, foreign cyberwarfare. It was brought on us by the Republican tribe—one that is proving today, beyond cavil, that it has no overarching patriotism for the good of America or the grand American experiment our forefathers envisioned, that it has no vision for an America that is greater than the sum of our hundreds of millions of diverse parts.
8
Yes, Mr. McConnell, evidently the ends justify the means.
2
Vote in November. We need to make our majority position count. Democrats need to take back the House and Senate. Investigate Kavanaugh. Investigate Trump. Stop another Kavanaugh type nomination.
Vote in 2020. Make our majority voice count. Take back the Presidency.
That’s how we win.
7
Stop! This mess is the fault of we Dems and our arrogantly imposed re 2/3 and the time in which to appoint a justice. Don’t blame Mitch! He just took our mistakes and made them work for him.
3
The moment signifying the defeat of the anti-Kavanaugh camp was when Senator Amy Klobuchar chose to pour her bleeding heart (the travails of an alcoholic father) in front of the passionately and intensively hateful Kavanaugh and so-liberally-gracious accepted his hypocritically-calculated apology instead of rising to her feet and demanding: “have you left no sense of decency, Sir”.
The Liberals wouldn’t hold; nor will the Center -- the beast is slouching towards the Supreme Court.
If the Democrats achieve a majority then an honest FBI investigation into Kavanaugh needs to be opened (which might entail reorganizing the presently politicized FBI; last week's was a sham.) If it is then shown that he lied under oath, Kavanaugh must be impeached.
5
The darkest day in American history in my seventy-plus years.
We now have a Supreme Court that—by its very composition—stands for the proposition that male privilege trumps female credibility. We now have a Court that has the votes—and apparently the will—to curtail women’s rights over their own bodies. We now have a Court that has the votes—and apparently the will—to curtail the rights of people like my lesbian daughter—and to do so with the imprimatur of religion. We now have a Court that has the votes—and apparently the will—to institutionalize both partisan gerrymandering and voting restrictions that stifle the voices of huge blocks of Americans. We have, in short, a Republican Court—a Court that stands for Republican policies and Republican “values,” one that protects Republican “rights” to the exclusion of those of the majority of Americans and one with the power to institututionalize those policies, those values, those rights as supposedly enshrined by our own Constitution.
It is a day that will live in infamy in American history. And it was not brought on us by foreign bombs, foreign planes, foreign cyberwarfare. It was brought on us by the Republican tribe—one that is proving today, beyond any cavil, that it has no overarching patriotism for the good of America or the grand American experiment our forefathers envisioned, that it has no vision for an America that is bigger than the sum of our hundreds of millions of diverse parts.
12
I don't think I'll ever be able to look at Kavanaugh without remembering his hateful, sniveling performance last week, which was pre-prepared and broadcast across the nation for all to hear. And I am not sure I will ever recover from the Republican judiciary committee member's lack of integrity, emotional intelligence, or leadership in the wake of it. Leaders are obligated to lead the country in a fair and productive manner. The ugliness of this process, and the deep divisions left in its wake are the fault of about five white men on the Judiciary committee, plus Mitch McConnell. They and Judge Kavanaugh have proven that they are only interested in serving the interests of people just like themselves...old, white, wealthy males. I hardly call that national leadership.
12
Let's have an ethics investigation of Mitch McConnell....and a national discussion about a mandatory retirement age for all three branches of government.
4
The stress of this process actually sickened me with flu like symptoms. Where do we women go from here?? I for one am supporting any pro choice candidate against Collins and am again sending money to Heidi ‘s N Dakota race.Emily’s List gets another check too.
8
Take control of Congress in November and impeach both Kavanaugh and Gorsuch.
Returning something that was stolen is not theft it's restitution.
3
@Chicago Guy, what do you have against gorsuch?
Susan Collins' vote is worth millions or billions of dollars to someone.
5
I find it strange that the NYT finds no time to blame itself for stoking the flames of divisiveness it now professes to regret. Its long acknowledged power to set the national media agenda that sees a faithful echo in every regional market whipped up a lynch-mob rage on the left against a fine man who was once a teenager. The Times appears to have forgotten the far more tumultuous time of the '70s in its rueful comment on the present. Back then, the mobs awakened the Silent Majority that twice elected Richard M. Nixon and created a conservative era until Bill Clinton won the White House thanks to a third-party candidate that drained right-wing votes into a hopeless candidacy.
3
And just where did the “silent majority” lead us? To a Nixon presidency that ended in disgrace for him and his VP Agnew. Clinton, for all of his personal shortcomings, left us with the largest economic surplus in history, which GW Bush promptly squandered, started 2 wars with spurious justification and no plan for victory, and brought this country to the verge of economic collapse. Obama brought us back from this near catastrophe with aplomb,class, and no hint of impropriety. And now we have...well, you know. In my 71 years, in my opinion, I have seen life in our country much better for the most part with Democrats in terms of fairness, prosperity, rule of law, and respect for fellow man. Sadly, we are now in the most vile period in my lifetime. I pray for a return to normalcy and civility very soon...
I heard Susan Collins and found not a single thread of thought that she had ever doubt about the nominee.
I felt that she wanted to vote and yes (and so Flake) and looked for reasons to justify that.
GOP and it's crew at it's best.
Please take looser Manchin with you as well.
4
Simply put; We are now faced with rule from a monopoly Republican dominated government attained through the most vile ways by the most vile people, born out of carefully cultivated hatred and anger.
Justice Kenndy retired leaving open the seat for his former Law Clerk, Judge Kavanaugh.
Their government is one of privilege, not democracy.
6
Special thanks for the Kavanaugh circus should go to both Harry Reid and Michael Avenatti. Former Senator Reid is the reason justices can now slip in with 51 senate votes instead of 60, and Avenatti's client, Julie Setnick, was so unbelievable that her introduction into the mix only diminished any credible sexual assault claims.
4
In this era of non-accountability for sexual aggression, women must be smarter.
Mothers, know where your daughters are. Do not allow you daughters to go to parties where adults are not present. Suss out if underage drinking is occurring. If you know of underage drinking, call the authorities. Adults can be prosecuted for this.
Drive your daughter to the party. Pick your daughter up from the party.
Have parties in your own home.
Don't allow your daughter to wear revealing clothing.
Pay attention to your daughter's emotions. Is she angry, sullen, withdrawn? Take your time and make the effort to become knowledgeable about what is happening in her life. Mention some names of boys and girls who she knows, observe her reactions to the names.
3
In other words "hide". No. Take your daughters to self defense classes. Teach your sons to respect women. Demand change to the society and system that puts women down.
@NotKidding
Wait, hold on now. I understand you speak from concern for your daughters and everyone else's. But this kind of approach … not only can it backfire, because our daughters are not going to allow us to drive them and pick them up from every party - they will rebel, and rightly so - but also because it focuses on blaming women and putting the responsibility to avoid being assaulted on women.
Maybe instead encourage our daughters to mobilize against rape and abuse - not just remember not to wear revealing clothing.
Brett Kavanaugh is all over the shop. On Fox News he was the docile choir boy, at the second hearing he was the tearful victim, railing at the vast left wing conspiracy , on the WSJ he was rueful and sort of apologetic, at the first hearing he was a dissembling fast talking lawyer. Now he is a Supreme Court justice. Ah but why worry? in one of his many guises he convinced Susan Collins that he would never overturn Roe v Wade. Hmmmmm?
4
@Lisa Murphy
I have a sneaking suspicion his public comportment may depend partly on how many hours since he had his last drink.
3
One could also argue that Susan Collins showed courage in announcing her support of the confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh. Except that we in Maine have watched several times as Collins has pledged her loyalty to the inward-gazing "collegiality club" of the Republican-run Senate—members only—over the opinions of the people on the outside who voted her in.
It does not take all that much courage to make such a decision in a year when Collins is not on the November ballot. One now wonders if Collins will have the courage to run again in 2020.
I, for one, am an independent, not registered as either a republican or a democrat. I voted for Collins the last time around. I will not do so again.
10
Our country has been torn apart by the Citizens United opinion.
It is now time to abandon any hope that we can take our country back without electing representatives to support the ratification of a constitutional amendment overturning it.
Rich, white men with dark money have taken over our country by controlling the messages heard by the electorate, and the evil that is represented by Donald Trump and Brett Kavanaugh will only grow until we return the First Amendment to the people.
822
@Didier
Citizens United is one component in a series of injustices. If Democrats can win a super majority, by all means, amend the Constitution. In the the mean time though, Democrats need to focus on winning state legislatures before 2020. We need to undo the structural fraud caused by the 2010 census. Preferably, Democrats would pass a law banning gerrymandering entirely. You don't need a super majority to accomplish that task. The only question right now is whether Trump would risk vetoing the legislation. We'd need to be careful with the timing.
1
@Didier Well then...stop promoting aggressive violence through proxy groups hired by George Soros for a start.
1
@Didier
Watching too many X-Files reruns, methinks.
The voters have spoken clearly.
The left is not listening.
It's OK.
They are under no obligation to listen.
But, they are out of power, and will be for the foreseeable future.
Anyone who was wavering will look at the three ring circus they created in this matter and remember why they voted for Trump to begin with.
Now, more than ever, it is important for congress to step up and do its job as a co-equal branch of the government. Sadly I doubt that will happen unless there is a huge democratic shift. By abdicating much of its responsibilities over the years, the other two branches have become more powerful. The next election could change this.
The current republican senators and congressmen have shown repeatedly that they are not up to the task of governing. Time for a change! Vote!
1
This editorial is tepid hand-wringing while the fascists storm the gates -- the gates of our democracy. Because of gerrymandering, the Republicans dominate our Congress with a minority of votes. Because of the slaveholder electoral college, they hold the Presidency with a minority of votes. Because of their refusal to confirm numerous nominees to federal courts proposed by President Obama, the federal courts and our Supreme Court are dominated by reactionary conservative ideologues whose views enjoy only minority support.
Nor are they jurists. Kavanaugh exposed them for what they are -- sneering partisan hacks who exude contempt, aggression, and self-entitlement, and who seem never to miss an occasion to make life a little harder, or a lot harder, for ordinary people in all walks of life.
If the Democrats regain Congress and the Presidency, they must enact laws to increase the number of federal judges in all federal courts -- the Supreme Court, the Circuit Courts, and the District Courts. Then they most appoint highly qualified jurists from various walks of life who are not resolved to impose a radical, heartless, profoundly unpopular agenda on our long suffering Republic.
Citizens must be concerned. Citizens must unite to save our democracy from the fascist tyrants who would misrule us into oblivion.
1
Apparently the editorial board believes that only people who agree with them can have the courage of their convictions. Nobody Senator has been more courageous than Susan Collins. She was eloquent in articulating her position, despite threats and despicable disparagement. You may sincerely disagree with her, but to reject the courage of her convictions only serves to further demonstrate your lack of commitment to principles of fairness and your reliance on a tyranny of the mob that has been been the hallmark of your approach to this whole sordid affair.
3
There is plenty going on behind the scenes that will put a stop to what is going on with Kavanaugh and Trump. Neither will escape Scot free from the wrong they have both inflicted upon our great nation.
1
As of this writing, the vote hasn't taken place.
i have a question for all of us;
Why does Joe Manchin, D-W.VA, get a pass??
Why is it two women -- Murkowski and Collins -- who get all the pressure and all the attention?
Right now everyone should be calling Manchin, texting him, tweeting him, to vote NO. Schumer et al should be leaning on him so hard he might break.
Why shouldn't we be demanding that Manchin show the courage of Heidi Heitcamp? He's ahead in the polls in his state. If he changed his vote, money would pour into his campaign.
There's a pattern here that reinforces the whole question of how women are perceived and treated. Three women -- Collins, Murkowski and Heitcamp -- bear all the pressure and attention.
Jeff Flake, like Collins, is a hypocrite of massive proportions. I hope his dear friend Chris Coons, is badgering him to death to vote No.
But no pass should be given to Joe Manchin, none.
Why aren't we demanding that he be a hero, too?
Call, email, tweet, text, yell, while there's still a little time.
4
The fight for justice begins for me on Monday, October 15, 2018. This old man will cast his early vote for every Democratic seat in my district in Georgia.
The way forward for the Democrats is to find and support solid candidates, then get out the vote.
Don't get mad, get even! Vote, vote, vote...
4
@cherrylog754
I will also. Red state or not, Stacey Abrams is doing surprisingly well. Miracles can happen.
4
@cherrylog754. Me too, cherrylog754 and smb, me too. If we can get out the vote, it’s folks like us who have a shot at turning Georgia purple.
4
"And they have the power to call their government to account."
Do we? Given the counter-majoritarian design of the Senate, gerrymandering, and Republican voter suppression laws, we are ruled by an unrepresentative minority, disproportionately old, white, and rural. It is the American version of apartheid and will probably turn out about as well.
3
Today, no one won in America. Survivors lost. Dr. Ford Lost. Congress lost. Kavanaugh lost. Citizens lost. Democracy lost. Our political institutions lost. The Supreme Court lost. Honesty lost, Integrity lost. decency lost. Humanity lost.
The world watched.
I used to believe good over took evil. Now, we live in a time of darkness.
Sad day in our country.
7
Each day more people who knew Kavanaugh at Yale come forward to point out how much he lied about his past. A subplot that is being overlooked - people talk not only about alcoholism and aggression, they also talk about gambling. This is a man who currently has $200,000 in credit card debt and who explained that as money he spent on "baseball tickets". You may never be able to prove sexual assault, but gambling leaves a paper trail as long as today and tomorrow. NYTimes - dig this up. This is a deeply flawed and compromised person. Only someone with so many things to hide would lie about so many trivialities.
2
Why do we vote? We vote to ensure that the will of the majority is honored. In reality, we suffer at the hands of those who have never accepted the New Deal, those playing a long, methodical game. Their prize is now in sight. We are ruled by the few in rural states whose citizens are influenced by Fox News. We are ruled by an elderly woman from Maine, who, for a few moments, will be the most powerful person in America. The unwilling majority must not blindly accept a partisan Supreme Court Justice. The Roberts Court once tried to justify illogical decisions like Citizen United and Gore v Bush. Consider all the worldwide pain that these decisions ultimately brought to this nation: war in the middle east, economic turmoil, foreign influence in our elections, loss of our own brave soldiers in needless wars. We must not misdiagnose the problem going forth. The Roberts Court emboldened the likes of Mitch McConnell. Men like these must be removed from power with surgical precision because this is the one thing we can do. Then we must restore majority rule regardless of who sits on the Supreme Court. Voting rights must be restored in all parts of the nation, including the direct election of our Presidents. Liberal billionaires must step up to and use their money to fight back against propaganda. We do not need them acting like Susan Collins. Challenge the rule of Fox News, fight back against rising fascism, protect democracy.
2
The world is looking in awe and some relief as the US is slowly disintegrating. Let's hope it comes soon.
1
The final “nail in the coffin” that contains the remains of a non biased legally astute Supreme Court. The last resort for the average American citizen to get a fair shake and realize justice is no more!
What we now have are justices guided by the partisan political dogma of their sponsoring politicians rather than reverence for the brilliant concept of 230 years ago codified in the United States Constitution!
Supposedly the best legal minds in the country come to “5-4 decisions” so often it screams bias and/or incompetence. If I went to a panel of the “best and brightest “ doctors for a decision on whether I should have major surgery or not and the decision was “5-4”, I’d have no confidence in that decision or in those making it.
My fellow Americans...we are in big trouble!!
6
The root cause of all this is consumerism predicated on the dominionist theory of a creationist God who gave man both dominance and the right to extract whatever resources deemed necessary for his pleasure. If earth is merely a resource store, to be extracted and depleted at will, then women, who bear the fertility of earth, are likewise a raw material to be consumed by a patriarchal society. Nothing will change until we either ruin earth and society or replace this destructive ideology of consumption based on dominance.
Get a grip. Take a breath. I don’t like that Kavanaugh will be affirmed, but It’s not a big deal.
It was 7 unelected males (5 white, one black) who gave us Roe, with two white males dissenting.
Brett Kavanaugh and Merrick Garland ruled similarly 96% of the time while sitting together on the same appellate court.
The 4% difference is what should be expected by Democrats losing the election.
If you’re unhappy about that, you should be blaming the DNC, super-delegates, and Hillary Clinton for the 2016 election results.
Nothing will change when Roe is finally overturned. The Texas penal statute previously ruled unconstitutional in Roe was repealed by the state legislature long ago. It’s not coming back, but will be endlessly debated and modified within the legislative bodies democratically determined and constitutionally created for that very deliberative process.
If you want a constitutional guarantee for access to abortion, there’s a democratic process for that too.
The Times has this 100% correct. Nothing will send the message clearer than a huge turnout. So if you are a woman and you don't vote, you are saying Trump and Kavanaugh are right. You will keep quiet about what has happened to you and the Federalist society can tell you what to do with your body. If you are a minority and you don't vote, you are saying being blocked from the voting booth is fine with you. If you are a member of the LGBTQ community, get back in the closet and stay there. So if you really want to have a say, put down your placards, stop protesting, stop calling the members of Congress you oppose. Instead, grab a pen and go out and help someone register to vote. Offer rides to your neighbors to go vote. And smile at all the opposition politicians that stop by your house and say "Have a nice day". They will wonder where the anger went. Where all the protesters are. And when you see the Republican ward leaders and such on election day, walk up to them with a smile on your face and say "We have ffffff______ had enough!"
4
Kavanaugh's confirmation means, in the long run, another conservative Catholic Justice will have to step up, put secular law ahead of religious and political ideology and be the new swing vote on some of the social issues as Kennedy was...
2
We need three constitutional amendments - now.
1) Election of the president by popular vote;
2) Term-limits for elected officials;
3) Mandatory retirement age for all judges.
Since our constitutional system provides disproportionate power to the minority population and small states, we dems, once we have both branches of govt. must ram four new justices onto the supreme court. And give no quarter about it.
Soon to be Justice Kavanaugh mentioned the dems were on a "seek and destroy" mission, I say he was half-correct: The dems must go on a "impeach and destroy" mission. Exercise power the way repubs do - without mercy.
Sorry Michelle Obama, the whole "when they go low, we go high" thing doesn't work in 21st century America.
Fight fire with fire.
7
Today is a bad day for America, especially for women all those who believe the environment, justice, health care, workers, children, etc deserve our protection.
Today, I will mourn the Country I love as I watch 51 Senators vote party first, America second.
Today, I will mourn for my teen daughter who will grow up in country that puts boys and men above her. That tells her she will never be smart enough to make her own medical decisions and that sexual assault and drunken antics do not matter.
Tomorrow, we must all fight for our Country - we must donate our time and money (when possible) to eradicate the vile virus that is consuming our country and replace it with people in Congress who will protect our rights.
7
Did anyone really think that Susan Collins would vote against Kavanaugh. She is the ultimate deceiver. Stringing all women along with her folksy smile and Judas words. She earned her pieces of Silver and don't worry Trump will write it off on his secret tax return.
3
Eventually, this editorial board will realize that the more loudly they yell the more likely people will ignore them. If you truly care about the issues you push then it is time to go back to simply reporting the news and letting people make up their own minds. This editorial board’s preferred candidates in the most important elections have all lost and your endorsements are nearly as toxic as Trump’s. Please quit for everyone else’s sake.
2
10 Things I'd like to see happen, but probably won't see in my lifetime (I've got 15 years left...maybe):
1. Term Limits for Supreme Court Justices.
2. Elections go to the person who got the most votes.
3. All citizens 18 and over must register to vote. It's a
responsibility and every citizens' duty, not a 'right'.
4. Make it easier for citizens to register to vote.
5. Make voting REQUIRED. If you are over 18 and choose not
to vote, you are choosing to get fined.
6. Official Voting takes place on a 2 day weekend, and we can
wait a week until they count all the paper ballots. (hack that,
Russia!)
7. The death of the Electoral College.
8. Make Gerrymandering Illegal - divvy up precincts by putting a
grid on a map of each state. Can't be any less fair than what
we have now.
9. Candidates can only campaign for 8 weeks prior to an
election. Ditto TV campaign ads. Say what you're FOR, not
waste our time with negative ads.
10. Stop the 24 hour news cycle - it's killing us all!
4
I also have problems with Kavanaugh's nomination. However, the NY Times editors are over the top in their characterization of Kavanaugh as "tainted by dishonesty, shamelessness, self-pity, indifference to women’s fears and calculated divisiveness."
.
The Times added another level of hyperbole with its dramatic graphic above this editorial (at least in the online version) which pokes at the reader with the command "Don't let Donald Trump and Brett Kavanaugh have the last word about American justice."
.
My concern now is that regardless whether Kavanaugh did or did not commit the acts alleged, the country is too divided on his nomination and that another candidate should be found who can narrow the strident divide between our people.
2
Thank you. I needed to read this today. Thank you.
2
The US Senate is the most irrationally apportioned ersatz democratic legislative body on Earth. This deeply flawed scheme drives the regional segregation that threatens to tear the nation apart.
We have profoundly unequal inputs to the nominations of executive and judicial officials and treaty commitments with other nations, based solely on where we happen to live. It stinks. And this unfairness is exploited to the hilt by folks like Mitch McConnell, whose motivations defy scrutability.
3
It is Democrats who reaped what they sowed. The chickens are coming home to roost for the Democrats. Their party’s incompetence and bewilderment in 2014 and 2016, effectively handing over the senate and executive branches, is now resulting in inevitably handing over the Judiciary to Republicans for the next 30 years. Democrats should have considered these consequences when they failed to put up viable candidates and failed to craft broadly appealing policies. The “worst nightmare” now occurring is largely of their own doing.
3
So it has been decided. As you all can see, I live in Hawaii, the farthest point possible from the sewer that it Washington D.C. and still be considered an American, which these days is as much a saddle of burden than it is of reward. I will enjoy the freedom that entails for myself, especially the right to say what I please in forums like this, but no longer will be there much pride.
Notwithstanding this latest sordid spectacle, look at the standards that this now sets. You can break the law repeatedly through high school and college, but if you don't get caught, it's OK. (Notwithstanding the fact that police NEVER patrol rich white neighborhoods or Ivy League university dorms.) You can wantonly spend money on frivolous matters like baseball tickets, and it's OK. You can write humiliating references about a female acquaintance, mischaracterize it before Congress, and it's OK. You can mislead Congress about your drinking, and it's OK.
Our founding fathers were not paragons of virtue. Many had slaves, probably most of them were rapists, many had affairs, some were not particularly courageous. I'm sure many of them hoisted a few ales to inebriation at some point.
That was 240 years. I thought America and Americans would have evolved by then. With president trump and justice-to-be kavanaugh (lowercase both on purpose, for those of you style gurus), this is clearly not true.
3
The Supreme Court follows the polls. If enough Americans care about their country and go to the polls to vote the white male dominated GOP out of office and vote into office people of color and merit, SCOTUS will bend with the winds of change. If voters continue to put into office these shameless theocrats then the voters deserve the government they get because it is the government that they voted for.
If you don't like it: VOTE. Take a friend to the voting booth. Be sure everyone you know that has a similar political philosophy is registered and makes it to the voting booth this November, Get absentee ballots to those who need them.
Turn this country around. Do not fall for the lies of the GOP.
1
Democrats need to put behind them the nonsense of taking the high road, and start fighting like Republicans. They can start with the old tradition of nullification; Democratically controlled states should just outright ignore or resist suspect Supreme Court rulings. And if Roe v. Wade is overturned, blue states should launch a program to inundate red states with the resources (and medications) they need for women to be free, and should open women’s clinics along all state borders with red states.
1
These have become and will be remembered as the darkest years in American history when criminals and corruption runs rampant throughout or government!
3
books will be written about this.
When we tell the story about what happened, I hope that this very startling, shattering truth will come out: All the women involved, Ms Blasey Ford, Murkowski, the female prosecutor, Senator Klobacher, and yes even Susan Collins were the grownups in the room.
Susan Collins will now be the vilified and will most certainly loose her job because she had the guts to stand for something larger than herself as did all the other women. I do not agree with Senator Collins decision at all- she made a terrible mistake but she showed enormous courage. The men? a disgrace. Especially Mr. Kavannaugh- I can't think of a bigger baby (except maybe our President) And he has a woman to thank for his lifetime appointment to the bench. I wonder if he even has the presence of mind to understand fully what Senator Collins was saying. Sexual assault was an epidemic hiding in plain site. No More. These heartbreaking stories of lives upended by assault will continue. What are we, as a society, as a culture going to do about it? What an awful tragedy for our country
3
I would like to remind Judge Kavanaugh of something he said at the second confirmation hearing that IS TRUE: "what goes around comes around". May he be reminded of this.every dat he serves on this tainted court.
4
We have turned a moral corner, owing to the number of transgressions that used to be considered wrong but which have become OK. Presidential lying was once considered improper, even scandalous. Now it's OK. Overt hypocrisy on the part of legislators used to be offensive, now it's expected, even congratulated. Packing a court was once seen as injudicious, now it's praiseworthy. The highest court is full of political operatives, and folks are OK with that. Our president would work as a caricature of self-serving demagoguery in a political novel, and yet he's doing just fine. Every week there's a "bombshell" that exposes the president's malfeasance, and by the next week, all is well...Our moral compass is pointing south since we've decided to overlook once commonly held principles.
3
I am a life long democrat. I am more “center” than “center-left” or “center-right”. I rue the times when we were more bi-partisans. The 2016 presidential election campaign and times since then, have made us all very angry. These days we are not willing to discuss “politics” without anger. In the offices across America, discussion of politics is taboo. Why have become so angry? I had raised this question in 2017 March, with total strangers I met on the first day of a cruise. Most were from middle America (southern Illinois, Iowa, Montana). The gist of the answers was, “the people” suddenly realized that “they” were in minority, and the “ minority” was in majority and in presidency. “They” can’t accept it. And that is the root cause of the anger on the “right”. But what is the cause of anger on the “left”? Are we willing to look at it rationally, without rancor. If yes, we may still find some bipartisanship. Otherwise, what?
This is about much more than Trump and Kavanaugh. They are pieces on a chessboard. Symptoms, if you will. The result here is yet more evidence of a hostile (or perhaps at times friendly, given the feeble nature of a Democratic Party with its own substantial corruption) takeover of the nation - another example of the raw power of the unholy alliance between "God" and Mammon, the power-besotted, money-corrupted alliance between conservative religionists and big money intent on dragging America back to a near-feudal theocracy.
Democrats, wake up - elections have consequences and you've fumbled several in the last decades. You've allowed your party to be a passive weakling - at times complicit - while watching this looting and sabotage of the American Experiment. Perhaps the cynics are right in wondering whether democracy can survive laissez-faire gangster capitalism. Certainly it cannot survive the seeming inexorability of the authoritarianism of traditional-religion control freaks. And it cannot survive a slumbering opposition party.
3
This is one of the saddest days I have seen during this Trump Presidency. Senator Collins had to jump through hoops to make sense of her pick, when at the end of the day, Judge Kavanaugh doesn’t even qualify to be picked for a neighborhood association board. We can do more than just vote, we can vote for people in both houses who will shut down the activities of this president for the next two years. Then we can look for somebody to occupy the White House will increase the size of Supreme Court to 11 members, and thereby nullify the strategy of these nasty old white men and women.
6
The all nighter by the Democrats was an opportunity missed. Everyone who wanted to talk to the FBI should have been interviewed by the different Senators staff and the Senators should have read the actual transcripts all night on the floor. Then you would have gotten the story first hand from the people that were part of Kavanaugh's life at the time he was accused in highschool and college. Last night we heard just the impressions the Senators have from what they heard we could of had the real story from folks who were actually witnesses to the way Kavanaugh acted .
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Most Americans are also not the NYT. I want to thank Susan Collins for her reasoned-thoughtful senate speech. She demonstrated what great opinion written and delivered well should be about. Not the vitriolic expression that seems to be the content of so many opinion pieces of the day.
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As Yogi famously said, “It ain’t over until it’s over”. The citizenry is depending upon you, NYT, to keep digging and reporting on all the many Republican irregularities, known and yet undisclosed, that critically affected this predetermined confirmation process. The White House/Grassley/McConnell/Kavanaugh machinations must be fully disclosed and laid bare before the American public. “It ain’t over until it’s over”.
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Trump sits atop a white-hot economy yet Republican candidates are supposedly vulnerable?! Something tells me we TIMES readers live in the ultimate echo chamber...
The Midterm Elections will tell us...Is this Trump’s country or not?
I’m dying for Election Day...
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This decision to add Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court has brought American women back to the 1950s. It is as if all the gains women made over the last 60 years have been wiped out by Trump being President and this appointment to the SP.
Well women, you must go vote for anyone but the Republicans in November. And if you have a partner who is Republican, I suggest that you let them know how angry you are by sustained and non-violent means. Change now starts at home.
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"Credible accusations of sexual assault, lies told under oath, explicitly partisan attacks on the senators trying to assess his fitness to serve:"
In what way were the accusations of what may have ocurred 36 years ago "credible"? Please share any corroborating evidence to support those claims which would make them "credible".
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