WASHINGTON – At the end of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s second day of questioning, Senate Democrats still haven’t been able to achieve a “gotcha” moment on Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Instead, day two was little more than a continuation of political theatrics that failed to outshine a stellar performance by a highly-qualified nominee for the high court.
“Senate Democrats mounted a last, ferocious attempt Thursday to paint Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh as a foe of abortion rights and a likely defender of President Donald Trump if he makes it to the high court. But their chances of blocking Trump’s nominee seemed to fade away by the end of a second marathon day of testimony in his confirmation hearing.”
“Questioning of the 53-year-old appellate judge wound down without him… making any serious mistakes that might jeopardize his confirmation.”
“Much of the debate among senators has focused more on the disclosure of documents than on Kavanaugh’s record.”
“…Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee and protesters who kept interrupting Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing for a second day Wednesday are engaging in nonstop character assassination of this highly qualified member of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.”
“Instead of making serious inquiries to decide how to cast their votes on Kavanaugh’s nomination, Democratic committee members are using the judge’s confirmation hearing to grandstand before a national TV audience.”
“But despite two days of pummeling by partisan Democrats, Kavanaugh showed Wednesday he was not going to be their punching bag. He more than held his own in responding to hostile questions and long-winded attacks from Democratic senators.”
“Democrats have been acting out at Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing, but Cory Booker is distinguishing himself in a crowded field.”
“None of this offers new insight about Judge Kavanaugh, but it does tell us something about Senator Booker’s presidential ambitions and the degree to which Democrats are willing to demean the Senate to defeat a nominee. You might even say they’re abusing ‘democratic norms.’”
“…senators should spend less time grandstanding with questions that simply highlight Judge Kavanaugh’s well-known ideological positions, and a lot more time trying to assess how he would vote in these much trickier cases.”
“Unless the Democrats come up with something disqualifying, he should be confirmed.”
“Clearly liberals have no respect for the rule of law or the U.S. Constitution — the cornerstone of our democracy. If they did, they would’ve let members of Congress speak and ask Kavanaugh important questions impacting future generations — and given him a chance to answer — without obstruction.”
“In yet another bizarre turn of events at Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing, Republicans have revealed that documents Democratic Sen. Cory Booker published Thursday morning in supposed defiance of Senate rules had already been cleared for release.”
“It came as Kavanaugh entered the final stretch of questioning in his confirmation hearing Thursday with Democrats springing a series of cryptic questions – in an apparent attempt to box the nominee into an embarrassing admission or at least throw him off what has been a relatively steady performance.”
“…lines of questioning from Democrats have been more mysterious, suggesting an effort to lay a trap.”
“In one of the most confusing – and tense – exchanges Wednesday, Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) raised the prospect without offering evidence that Kavanaugh may have spoken about the Mueller investigation with somebody at Kasowitz, Benson and Torres, a law firm that has represented Trump.”
“It turns out Sen. Cory Booker's, D-N.J., self-aggrandizing act of "civil disobedience" was a dishonest stunt.”
“The bottom line is that Booker knew the documents had been cleared, but elected to go through with his misleading melodrama anyway, portraying himself as a bold civil dissident. Why would a senator risk the exposure to win favor with #resisters? Because he wants to run for president.”
“Antics like that are likely to continue all week, as Democrats explore every procedural tool at their disposal to disrupt Republicans, who are determined to confirm Kavanaugh by the end of the month.”
“Democrats are under intense pressure to do all they can to obstruct Kavanaugh’s confirmation despite their minority status and inability to filibuster a Supreme Court pick.”
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