Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanugh’s hearings begin today at 9:15AM in front of the Senate Judiciary committee. More than likely Kavanaugh will face a lot of questions about abortion and executive power.
We will cover the hearings live every day.
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Sen. Robert Portman (R-OH), and Supreme Court litigator Lisa Blatt (a liberal who once clerked for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg on the US Court of Appeals) will introduce Kavanaugh o he committee.
Fortune highlighted a few questions Kavanaugh will likely face:
Kavanaugh is likely to face questions about abortion, executive power, and sexual harassment. Given the Republicans’ narrow margin in the Senate, assuring the party’s two pro-choice members of his commitment to protect the abortion rights of Roe v. Wade will be essential to Kavanaugh’s confirmation. That pair, Sens. Susan Collins (R–Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R–Alaska), could tip the 50-49 Republican majority against Kavanaugh.
The judge’s statements about protecting the executive from independent counsel prosecutors will likewise be scrutinized in light of the Mueller investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and its possible ramifications for Trump. Kavanaugh is on record questioning the ruling that required Nixon to turn over his White House recordings, and he’s talked of overturning protections for independent counsels.
Confirmation requires a simple majority, which Republicans have, 50 to 49. We’ll have to keep an eye on moderates Susan Collins from Maine and Lisa Murkowski from Alaska. However, Kavanaugh may receive some Democrat votes since 10 of them are up for re-election in November in states where Trump won in 2016: Senators Joe Donnelly (D–Ind.), Heidi Heitkamp (D–N.D.) and Joe Manchin (D–W.Va.).
Documents
The hearing has started and the Democrats have already demanded an adjournment. Sen. Cory Booker lashed out at the process and said it has not been transparent enough. Sen. Richard Blumenthal agreed.
.@SenBlumenthal calls to adjourn the Kavanaugh hearing.
“We have been denied real access to the documents we need…which turns this hearing into a charade and a mockery of our norms.” #StopKavanaugh #HaltTheHearing pic.twitter.com/jpJsr87Gls
— CAP Action (@CAPAction) September 4, 2018
BREAKING: Democrats interrupt Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearing, calling for postponement until time is given for newly released documents to be reviewed pic.twitter.com/zAa1onp9Mi
— Axios (@axios) September 4, 2018
The Senate Judiciary nomination hearing for Brett Kavanaugh began minutes ago. Senator Harris was the first to object to moving forward with the hearing. This has not been the transparent process the American people deserve.
— Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) September 4, 2018
Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Democratic members quickly lash out at Chairman Grassley at start of Kavanaugh confirmation hearing: Harris, Klobuchar and Blumenthal.
— Ed O’Keefe (@edokeefe) September 4, 2018
Here’s why @JudiciaryDems are asking to adjourn the hearing: 93% of the records from Kavanaugh’s tenure in the White House as counsel and staff secretary are being withheld from the Senate and 96% of the records are being withheld from the public. #WhatsAtStake
— Sen Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) September 4, 2018
Abortion
Sen. Feinstein brings up abortion right away now that the committee can finally question Kavanaugh! She said that saying Roe v Wade is “settled law” is not enough and wants to know the answer whether it’s “correct law.”
.@SenFeinstein lays out why Kavanaugh saying Roe v. Wade is “settled law,” isn’t near enough – because he’s already shown he is “willing to disregard precedent” on women’s Constitutional rights. pic.twitter.com/fTDQbqH0Zu
— Senate Democrats (@SenateDems) September 4, 2018
Sen. Dianne Feinstein to #Kavanaugh: “The president that nominated you has said ‘I will nominate someone who is anti-choice and pro-gun.’ And we believe what he said. We cannot find the documents that absolve from that conclusion.” pic.twitter.com/iziuzc2CxL
— Vox (@voxdotcom) September 4, 2018
Guns, NRA
Feinstein also mentions guns and the NRA in her opening statement.
.@SenFeinstein argues during her opening statement that Kavanaugh’s views on the 2nd amendment are “far outside the mainstream of legal thought” and “surpasses the views of Justice Scalia.”
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) September 4, 2018
Presidents and Criminal Investigations
Sen. Amy Klobuchar tells Kavanaugh that she will want to know where he stands when it comes to presidents and criminal investigation. She wants to know if he thinks the president is above the law and referenced his University of Minnesota law review article.
Here’s the 2009 Minnesota Law Review article Sen. Klobuchar is referring to when she asks Kavanaugh whether a president should never be subject to criminal investigations while in office: https://t.co/tbaeLl6flL
— Ann Marimow (@amarimow) September 4, 2018
Introductions and Kavanaugh Opening Statement
OVER SIX HOURS LATER……Rice, Portman, and Blatt will finally introduce Kavanaugh!
Rice promises the committee that Kavanaugh will uphold and cherish the Constitution.
Portman says he has known the Kavanaughs for years and spoke to President George W. Bush, who called the nominee a class act. Portman, like Rice, believes Kavanaugh deserves to sit on the Supreme Court. He has been described as honest as fair during his time on the Court of Appeals.
Protests
Of course the hearing is almost immediately interrupted by protests. Looks like the anti-Semite Linda Sarsour led the charge.
BREAKING: Protesters arrested at Kavanaugh hearing #StopKavanaugh pic.twitter.com/cQs42LZa85
— Lilia #TheResistance (@LiliTrice) September 4, 2018
USCP arresting protesters interrupting Kavanaugh hearing pic.twitter.com/C0eqyFglx7
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) September 4, 2018
NOW: Waiting outside Kavanaugh hearing room. A silent but rather clear protest. (Re: abortion.) pic.twitter.com/VHku1dDEkS
— Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) September 4, 2018
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Comments
“Watch Live: Day 1 of Brett Kavanaugh Senate Confirmation Hearing”
I’d rather gouge my eyes out with a sharp pencil than watch one minute of that shit show.
Then how will you be able to judge the credibility and accuracy of the various reports about it?
Simple: Consider the source and you will know without watching the credibility
I wonder how Valerie judges the Credibility and Accuracy of an insane asylum which reports that it’s patients all act like lunatics? Without going and watching them all herself?
I have gotten a lot of professional mileage out of actually consulting the underlying documents and evidence when others decided to pull their opinions out of thin air.
Documents that actually have some bearing on the issues being considered, those are worthwhile. But this televised clown show, this farce of a spectacle? I already know the democrats in the Senate are pathetic ideologues that have no sense of shame, understanding of law, or even basic intelligence, so I don’t need to watch that being proved for the umpteenth time. Other than that, there is not going to be one single piece of worthwhile information to come out of these hearings, they are a farce of a joke.
@Tom Servo
Exactly. There is also the small fact that many of the esteemed senators from the left that are making the most noise are the same ones who said they wouldn’t vote for whoever was nominated and/or said they would vote no since he was nominated. Such as future failed presidential candidate Senator Harris.
What’s wrong with you today? You are normally very sensible. I don’t need to watch this Klown Kar howl of angst the the Dems are fielding to determine the truth about the reports from all the usual suspects. Who routinely lie to me. And lie about me.
I would rather gouge my eye out with a dull pencil, fresh out of the box. For emphasis.
http://www.penimprint.com/ProductImages/manf/hub/large/2202.jpg
I work at the Senate. I’ve heard the Handmaids will be out in costume.
UNBELIEVABLE…
The grandstanding, obstructionist theatrics — worse and more infantile than I could have possibly imagined — begin not thirty seconds into Chairman Grassley’s introduction. With much cheering from the gallery.
Demoralizing as hell. The Dumb-o-crats have descended to a level of unseriousness and spitefulness that can scarcely be comprehended. The only conclusion I can come to is that this is the ugly face of petty totalitarianism.
Pfft, I have seen fits similar to this thrown by toddlers in toy stores.
Dems are out to shut down the hearing. Filthy bastards are making us into a third world country.
My grandfather died in one of Stalin’s prisons. This is what Soviet apparatchik Central Committee proceedings must have looked like, to him.
The Dumbs are happy to resurrect the worst traits of totalitarianism, under the guise of self-congratulatory sanctimony and vain posturing.
Yep, it’s as though today’s Democrat playbook was co-authored by Stalin and Mao Tse Tung.
I have to admit I really am now very sympathetic to Judge Kavanaugh after the silly protests. If the democrats think this is a winning strategy they better look for another one.
The Democratic Party is splitting in two. The new party will be renamed the Communist Party while the other assumes the role of the old Republican establishment party that offers nothing but sacrificial lambs to run against the new re-invigorated GOP.
Democrats brought their trash to the hearing room to accompany the Democrat trash on the panel. All this to appease their kook base which is the embodiment of trash.
Sen. Grassley needs to let them throw their tantrum for the media and the public at large and then get on with it. This kind of ‘crack addict’ behavior does not play well with the public.
On a plus note, there is a reason why none of the idiots who are currently acting like idiots are sitting at a table being questioned. As long as Kavanaugh acts like the adult in the room, he will be fine.
From the Wiki (but it checked ok), Act I: “Kavanaugh was first nominated to the Court of Appeals by Bush in 2003. His confirmation hearings were contentious and stalled for three years over charges of partisanship. Kavanaugh was ultimately confirmed in May 2006 after a series of negotiations between Democratic and Republican U.S. Senators.”
The Senate finally confirmed by a 57-36 vote. Kavanaugh was sworn in by then-Justice Anthony Kennedy.
This is gonna be very nasty & very long Act II.
Merrick. Merrick! Get away from that window.
It doesn’t need to be very long at all. At some point, when Grassley thinks he’s had enough, he just shuts down the questioning and calls for a vote, which will be straight party line. And then it goes to the Senate Floor, where McConnell shuts down questioning and calls for a vote. Over/Under is 55 for confirmation. None of the questions matter, none of the documents matter. All of that belongs to another age, which is now past.
One question comes to mind. Why would they let Linda Sarsour into the hearing room? Or anyone else who has previously acted out and been arrested?
Because they have the right to be there until they misbehave.
“…until they misbehave.”
Didn’t she already misbehave? Are we forced to allow her to misbehave again?
As soon as she misbehaves she can be removed. But they do have to wait for it; they can’t exclude her simply because they speculate that she might misbehave.
The correct solution when anticipating a performance like this is to increase the number of officers, have them pay close attention to known troublemakers, and pounce on them the moment they get out of line.
What you are talking about would require the person being banned completely which rarely happens. Which rarely happens
I doubt there is a single person in that gallery who wasn’t specifically invited. And if senators can invite attendees, why shouldn’t the committee chairman be able to rescind the invitation?
How often can Sarsour interrupt our congress? Twice a day? Three times? Does she even get a timeout?
One time and banned for life is the only fair way to go. Allowing these professional protesters unlimited access to disrupt our congress is no way to run our government.
“SARSOUR BACK IN SENATE HART BUILDING HOURS AFTER BEING ARRESTED AT KAVANAUGH HEARINGS”
https://dailycaller.com/2018/09/04/sarsour-back-senate-hart-building-arrest/?utm_campaign=atdailycaller&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter
There’s no reason she shouldn’t be in the building, but I doubt she’ll be let back in the gallery while these hearings are going on.
Sort of a soft right, don’t you think? I mean we can’t squeeze every potentially interested citizen into the room – someone had to facilitate (or invite) her presence (wonder who). I doubt she showed up at 1am Sunday and slept in line to be among the first to be admitted.
The line didn’t start at 1. People showed up in the morning and were admitted.
Personally, I am quite convinced by the Democrat-Socialist Party’s “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGGGH!!! KKK!!! NAZI!!!” position on Kavanaugh being in the US Supreme Court; it’s well thought-out and truly substantive! Anyone else?
Sixty seconds in, and the hearing is already a debacle.
I’ll be in the garage..
They are so over board. I think the organizations behind these protesters should be exposed and held accountable for costing tax payers money and time.
That is part of the reason why we have these broadcast.
Dick Durbin revealed this morning that the Democratic Party itself is advising on and coordinating these “protests”
https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/09/04/dick-durbin-admits-democrats-plotted-to-disrupt-brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court-hearing/
Seems to me that this is an actionable violation of Senate rules. By design, Congress was intended to be a DELIBERATING body, not a contentious party. Conspiring to introduce and coordinate mob rule to the floor is clearly beyond a matter of free speech. It is probably a crime.
So where are the Republicans? Swallowed their tongues?
Feinstein went so far as to say, in a praising tone, that the committee recognize the presence (or attendance – I forget which) of all the rabble-rousers there by group names, all leftists resistance groups, including a big number of well known black, homo and baby killer organizations.
Any good live streaming chat sites?
https://hotair.com/archives/2018/09/04/video-dems-try-adjourning-kavanaugh-judiciary-confirmation-hearing/
Grassly is plowing ahead…
Sen. Feinstein has asked a long series of questions, both related and unrelated. I hope Kavanaugh gets enough time to answer. Her strategy appears to be to pile up so many issues and questions that, no matter what he says, he can be accused of “ignoring” something.
There’s a simple means of dealing with that; which question(s) do you want me to deal with, Senator?
And how will it be reported, assuming he does that? His responsive question will be deleted, and the newsie will run with the narrative.
How is that important in your world? Anyone can torture anything. What does that mean to you?
Sen. Feinstein’s questioning is going to be fun since he help her out with Judaical picks.
This is all political kabuki. The Dems are going into a midterm, with some of them up for reelection in the Senate. They HAVE to publicly oppose Kavanaugh. They have no choice. And, the Republicans know this. So, the answer to all of the Dem demands for postponement, etc, should simply be ignored and Kavanaugh should be confirmed in the next week or two. Whether this will happen with a GOP RINO vacancy and a loony anti-Trump Flake, is still to be seen.
Sen Hatch: So thorough, so many documents. I have the experience to tell whether a candidate is qualified. Please get rid of the jerks in the back. He is well within the judicial mainstream, and let me tell you how many Democratic lawyers agree.
I really like the way the microphone picks up the speaker, leaving the obviously noisy jerks in the background. It’s a good balance: I can hear him, and also know when he feels he needs to speak over them to counter their antics.
McStain funeral part II.
Hey was that right to lifers attacking Leahy?
Mr. Leahy has a history on Presidential investigations. I wonder what it is. He says this candidate is unvetted!!!???!! This is a candidate with a copious public record on a very broad range of issues.
Leahy thinks he’s entitled to Presidential deliberations. This is the basis for his claim Kavanaugh is “unvetted.”
He threatens to stop if the noisy interruptions are not cleared.
He makes a lot of Kavanaugh’s assistant who reviewed records, claiming the assistant is “conflicted.”
This speech should be mined for election campaign ad material.
It used to be that SCOTUS nominees were mainly judged on their character and ideological litmus tests were considered inappropriate. Today, it’s all politics, all the time.
Senators have a duty to conduct themselves in accordance with the rules established by the Senate and in the spirit of how the Senate was designed to work. Washington has descended into the abyss of chaos. The language keeps getting more violent together with the physical violence which is not coordinated by the elected politicians themselves.
“The language keeps getting more violent together with the physical violence which is not coordinated by the elected politicians themselves.”
….which IS coordinated…..
Cornyn is paying attention to the testimony of Feinstein and Leahy.
Who is the women to the left of Kavanugh? That does not look like his wife.
Durbin is an idiot.
It is all about Trump, yea, yea, yea.
Looks like the guy to the left of Kavanugh feel asleep to Durbin’s vomit.
Wow, Durbin call him Forest Gump!
Durbin. oboy.
The source of so much hyper partisan bs is claiming that the bs is justified, because Trump.
So, the fact that the sitting US President has made a nomination is a strike against the nominee, never mind that the only person who has the power and responsibility to make that nomination is the US President.
Durbin is accuses Kavanaugh of having Durbin’s lack of character.
Again, Durbin is demanding documents relating to Presidential deliberations. These may be the only documents that have been withheld. If Democrats get their way, this one will come back to bite them, just as the “nuclear option” has.
Oh, boy! The end of this speech will be golden for dealing with Hillary’s destruction of evidence.
Mike Lee
Responding to Durbin. The importance of reading the underlying documents and the basics of paying attention to the various roles of position in our divided government.
History lesson. Brandeis, Frankfurter, Stewart, Bork
This sounds like a big primer, with broad hints to Kavanaugh. Ginsberg refused to predict her likely outcomes.
This hearing should be about qualifications, character, approach to judging, not about results.
Kavanaugh ruled against the Bush administration multiple times.
Cruz is hitting it out of the park.
Sheldon Whitehouse
Pattern is evidence of bias. Republican appointees to S. Ct. have been ruling on behalf of Republican donors. Some sort of sign being held up behind him. Not clear what it is.
He is alleging some very big numbers. These numbers are so high, I have to wonder why we haven’t heard about this well in advance.
His summation should be looked at thoroughly.
Sounds like he is reciting cases for the names of the parties.
I’ve seen this type of analysis, before, relating to an appellate court. The prejudice comes from the “analyst.”
Oh, the Federalist Society!!! And they dare to file amicus briefs!!!!
Republicans dare to engage in civic activity!!!!
Kavanaugh worked for Republicans!!!! He gave speeches!!!! He decided cases!!!!
He read amicus briefs!!!!
Lots of people support him!!!! And they are all results oriented, in favor of cats and dogs living together!!!
He says he doesn’t have the votes to stop this nomination.
I’d love to see a particularized analysis of his methodology relating to wins. I’ve seen people claim that ANY positive decision on any issue counts as a “win,” regardless of the holdings.
I *love* Senator Cruz.
I’m not gay, but I think I love Ted Cruz.
I don’t think that anybody on this forum would think that you were gay, solely on the basis of professing love for Ted Cruz.
Next time, I would leave out the “I’m not gay” disclaimer — it’s really unnecessary, in this day and age.
The only people who still feel the need to proffer affirmative “no homo” declarations are insecure frat boys and “gangsta” rappers.
Ted Cruz:
This hearing is not about qualifications, or available documents. The Democrats know that the GWB staff will not release privileged Presidential deliberation documents.
This is table-pounding, and attempt to re-litigate the 2016 election, where the direction of the Supreme Court was an issue, and where many voters said the Supreme Court was important to their votes.
Kavanaugh will be confirmed.
Grassly just had a Pelsoi moment and call Kavanaugh “Gorsuch” spy employing Fienstein corrected him. Too Funny, should be held in an old folks home.
Grassley was making a reference to Gorsuch taking too long getting back from lunch in the last hearing, and trying to be amusing before the lunch break.
Probably the case, but it is but is came across differently. It will make the news differently.
Just announced John Kyl has been announced as McCain’s replacement.
I wonder how long it will be till he actually assumes the seat.
Well, swear him in and throw him on a plane. His suitcase can catch the next flight.
Be careful, silly Democrats. The Rule of Law is the only thing between Ginsberg and a nasty fall down a flight of stairs.
“love Ted Cruz”
Good man. Great mind. He would be President if the Republican Party’s spineless Failure Theater hadn’t required Trump as the response to their corruption and cowardice.
They better not monkey this up.
He has a birth issue.
Not actually.
Enough to be a problem.
Chair Grassley:
The charge of venality against the Court is intolerable.
The page counts of the Democrats are lies, and we typically do not receive privileged documents.
Sen Klobuchar
She says nobody can prepare and review 40K pages (corrected by Grassley, 5K documents) in one night. Great. I want this applied to the FBI review of the Hillary Clinton emails.
She is very emotional about the election of DJT. Cats and dogs living together. Trembling voice.
She says no one is above the law.
He is listening intently to her recital of what he said in a law review article about Presidential power.
Ben Sasse is nailing it too.
Sasse
Good news, bad news
Accusations against Kavanaugh are absurd, and do not have anything to do with him.
The hysteria is a 31-year tradition that comes from a fundamental misunderstanding of the Supreme Court. It is not a politicized body.
1. The legislative branch is supposed to be the center of our politics. Protests belong in front of the legislature, not courts.
2. We are delegating too much power to the judiciary through agencies. Congress gives the agencies the right to fill in the gaps in legislation with regulations. People are cut out of the process. They can’t fire people in agencies through elections.
3. This transfer of power means that the people yearn to have a place for political decision-making. They go to the courts to deal with the agencies. This is a political action.
4. We do not need judges as policy makers. We need to restore the balance of powers. Congress needs to write laws. Executive branch should not be writing laws. Judges should not be super-legislators.
If nothing else, Kavanaugh deserves an Academy Award for looking interested and impressed at some of these speeches and by some of these Senators although Blumenthal just called him basically a bigot and shill for President Trump. I especially love those Senators who talk about precedent when the laws re marriage, sodomy, etc. were all overturning of long-term precedent.
Blumenthal
What is at stake: Trump. He is concerned because Trump nominated Kavanaugh.
More Documents!!!! Mush have Presidential privilege documents!!!
Motion to adjourn
Chair: this is not an executive business session.
More Blumenthal:
In overtime: He intended to ask whether Kavanaugh thinks Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided.
Again, his major objection is that this candidate was nominated by DJT.
Cheer up folks. Just imagine what it will be like when Trump nominates the next one.
Senator Kennedy was very impressive and persuasive. Pure common sense.
Kennedy
I want a judge, not a politician.
We would not be here today, people,on the killing floor…unless McConnell thought he had the votes.
Mazie Hirono
This candidate was proposed by DJT, based on a list from radical right-wingers.
Everyone on the other side has vile motivations.
Oh, my!
Mike Crapo
This candidate is well-qualified, applies the law as written, and enforces the Constitution. He uses precedent.
The The Document objections are not well-founded. We have more documentation on this man than for any other Supreme Court nominee to date.
Cites Justice Kagan hearing: Republicans agreed not to request Presidential privilege documents.
This is an effort to re-litigate the 2016 election. The objection is that this is a DJT nominee.
The chaos allowed in the Senate chamber is EXACTLY why we elected Donald Trump and rejected the hacks of the GOPe.
How these GOPe morons allowed crazy leftist “guests” into the hearing to disrupt it leads one to believe that maybe they’re not ‘morons’ after all, but rather they are on the democrat’s side – whether by choice or by extortion.
Just look at sessions.
Booker is Bonkers
Can I get an “Amen”?
Lindsey Graham,
Where do you think the Democratic nominees came from?
Quotes Bret Kavanaugh saying that Clinton should not be indicted while in office.
Quotes Democrats demanding Comey’s firing.
I will try to get a nice clip of this speech.
Here ya go,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKSc_5cilt0&frags=pl%2Cwn
An entire 3 more days of this to come?
I would think the Dem’s aren’t doing a good job of pacing themselves.
What will they have left for tomorrow?
I am done watching it after 10 minutes.
This is about Ginsberg, not Kavanaugh. The Dems know they can’t stop him, so they are ginning up outrage to increase turnout for the midterms, so they can gain enough seats to stop Trump from cementing a conservative majority on the Supreme Court.