I first began paying close attention to Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominees with the Clarence Thomas debacle back in September 1991. Fast forward to March 2017 when I was again drawn to the soap opera of confirmation hearings for Donald Trump’s nominatee, Neil Gorsuch.
If you will remember, Mitch McConnell invoked the so-called “Biden Rule” in blocking Barack Obama’s efforts to fill the vacancy created by the death of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia in March 2016 because it was “too near” the 2016 presidential election.
Not quite two years later, in September 2018, there were the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings and things started to really get nasty.
Then, less than two months before the 2020 election, Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died and even though the vacancy created by her death was five months closer to the election date than Scalia’s death had been, McConnell nevertheless saw fit to ram Trump’s nominee Amy Coney Barrett through before she could even be fitted for her robe – perhaps because even the Sleeping Turtle could see that Trump’s reelection campaign was in deep trouble.
And now, we are again treated to the drama of confirmation hearings for yet another similar spectacle, this time Joe Biden’s nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson to succeed retiring Associate Justice Stephen Breyer.
All of which leads me to three major points:
- Hearings by the Senate Judiciary Committee serve only as a national stage on which pontificating peacocks from both parties are given the opportunity to strut and to appear sage and important while accomplishing nothing more than making complete idiots of themselves. (Did I say both parties? I meant both parties.)
- If we vetted members of Congress as thoroughly and as savagely as we do Supreme Court justices, probably fewer than 10 percent of its 535 combined membership could qualify for their positions (and I’m being generous at 10 percent). If we vetted members of Congress as thoroughly and as savagely as we do Supreme Court Justices, then maybe – just maybe – two members of Louisiana’s eight combined House and Senate members would qualify (at 25 percent, that could be a tad on the high side).
- Perhaps we should give serious consideration to a constitutional amendment that would allow Supreme Court justices to confirm the nominations of members of Congress. Seriously, could they do any worse?
Louisiana Voice 
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It may be hard for him to top Hee Hawley and Graham Cracker, but I have faith in Kornpone to thoroughly embarrass us when he’s up to bat. If he was at all self-aware, he could even embarrass himself.
Definitely race baiting at its extreme by the Republicans using it as a stage to show their constituents that they support their views.
What a job! I agree it’s an awful process, but it is entertaining and really educational, get to learn a lot of new jokes. thanks topgun44, ron thompson
Its reasonable that you should mention “both parties” in this debacle, as there are certainly issues on both sides of the aisle regarding fair play in confirming appointments as such. Your quick review of the reviewing process does leave out much of what is wrong in this process ( i.e. Brett Cavanaugh getting accused of “date rape” by someone who wasn’t even at the party he was accused of committing the offense at ). Still, the Dems dragged “witnesses” out of the corner of a dark closet to make these ridiculous claims, along with many other outlandish claims at Ms.Barrett and Mr. Gorsuch’s hearings…yet they expect stability and reasonable discussion during the current confirmation hearings.
Regardless, I see no real reason why the current nominee would not be confirmed. The idea that Republicans are strictly racist is a foolish notion, as those on the right participating in this confirmation hearing are simply reacting to the clown show that the Democrats initiated during the previous confirmation hearings.
Well, Outlaw, three things: First, it’s Kavanaugh with a “K.”
Second, he indeed was accused by someone who was at the party (unless you think Dr. Blasey Ford, Deborah Ramirez, or Julie Swetnick are nobodies).
Third, and again, I apply this standard to both parties: The juvenile tit for tat attempts are sadly out of place in what is supposed to be the world’s greatest venue of debate. This isn’t debate, its just a silly game of “gotcha” that should be beneath both sides. There’s justification for civilized debate but not for such childish banter as we’re witnessing.
I have not seen/heard LA Senator Kornpone’s performance/attack on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson yet (not glued to the tv today). But something that happened yesterday was very interesting. When a break in the hearing was called, KBJ walked alone down the aisle and was deliberately stopped by our erstwhile senator. Kennedy touched her shoulder briefly, in a friendly, professional manner, and introduced her to a young boy who was at his side. KBJ greeted the child and bent down slightly to speak with him, all very warm and friendly. It’s sad that we should find such a nice experience for a little boy to be suspect, but it’s hard to believe that Kennedy did not have an ulterior motive and that his time to question the nominee would be all sweetness and light, rather than the expected pit bull attack.