# Can Democrats actually stop the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 4, 2018, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733 "2018-09-04T12:49:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/101 "2018-09-04T22:16:36Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > In a lot of ways it is. I suppose there was less screeching in past SCOTUS nomination hearings. In which ways do you think it represents a significant departure from previous nominations? You already wrote the above. Somewhere in between the second and third sentence you hid the issue. It is a departure from previous nominations in that it didn’t get any hearing at all. So Grassley was being extremely dishonest today in saying there has been consistency in the scotus hearings. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/102 "2018-09-04T22:24:43Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > It’s a rarely use parliamentary tactic known as _kal-if-fee_. Well it’s about damned time. Bring forth the Lirpa! ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/103 "2018-09-04T22:25:27Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > You already wrote the above. Somewhere in between the second and third sentence you hid the issue. It is a departure from previous nominations in that it didn’t get any hearing at all. So Grassley was being extremely dishonest today in saying there has been consistency in the scotus hearings. Senator Grassley’s comment was “This timeline is consistent with how we’ve handled past Supreme Court nominations.” It was about when the questions must be submitted for the record and when the “mark-up” meeting would be held. It wasn’t some broad sweeping statement about how every single SCOTUS nominee has ever been handled. I genuinely don’t understand why this comment is such an issue for you. I gather that you’re still sore about Garland, but he wasn’t making some claim about Garland. It was just a “hey, here’s the schedule for the next few days, and it’s not all that unusual”. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/104 "2018-09-04T22:25:57Z")
> [@The\_Tooth](#): > > Well it’s about damned time. Bring forth the Lirpa! I’ll wait for the ahn-woon. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/105 "2018-09-04T22:27:23Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > There’s some difference, sure. And to me that difference is more important than to you. In one, we have a hundred people expressing their opinions, in the other, we have one person imposing his opinion. I think the former is a better example of the principles of democracy that I would rather live under, YMMV. > [@](#): > > Why? I said “about” because I was feeling a little lazy. There is some small number of swing senators whose votes I don’t know that I could accurately predict. For most of the rest of them, I wouldn’t expect much difficulty. It would only take a few republicans to vote for a rather conservative justice to have confirmed him. It was not a done deal. > [@](#): > > I don’t believe it is a "formal " procedure, but it’s certainly a procedure to make their opinions on the matter known. It is not in any part of the senate rules as a way of making their opinions known. > [@](#): > > An “up-or-down” vote is the final vote for passage. When the Dem Senators filibustered Gorsuch, they were trying to _prevent_ an up-or-down vote. How much value did you place in it in that case? Each and every one of those senators put themselves out there and voted according to their conscience. Their vote on the filibuster is a part of the record, and they will have to live with those consequences, positive or negative. Garland was defeated by the “filibuster” of only one senator. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/106 "2018-09-04T22:34:15Z")
I’m already looking forward to the retirement of RBG or Breyer, hopefully before Trump leaves office. I can’t stand Trump, but man, his judicial nominations make the other shit sandwich ingredients palatable. Today I watched looney Dems accuse a woman of Mexican and Jewish ancestry of flashing white supremacy recognition signs. It was a glorious look at madness. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/107 "2018-09-04T22:39:15Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > … we have one person imposing his opinion. … He wasn’t standing in opposition to the other 99 senators, or “imposing his opinion” on them. That’s not at all what it was. Senator McConnell enacted the will of the majority of the body. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/108 "2018-09-04T22:40:15Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > … Today I watched looney Dems accuse a woman of Mexican and Jewish ancestry of flashing white supremacy recognition signs. It was a glorious look at madness. I missed this, but I’d like to review it (for the lulz). Where / when did this happen? ETA: was it the “OK” sign? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/109 "2018-09-04T22:45:44Z")
And yet, oddly enough, no link… ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/110 "2018-09-04T22:49:24Z")
Oh shit, [it was](https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/kavanaugh-hearings-zina-bash-alleged-white-supremacy-signal/). LOL This is good advice that will not be followed: > [@](#): > > … many liberals are going to have to make peace with the possibility that their political enemies aren’t always the cartoon villains they so desperately want them to be. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/111 "2018-09-04T22:55:32Z")
Jonah Goldberg! Jonah _fucking_ Goldberg! Oh, ye gods and little fishes! And you\* posted\* it! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/112 "2018-09-04T23:11:18Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > I’m not sure how the Dems are feigning their outrage over these documents with a straight face. I don’t care if these documents show Kavanaugh helping old ladies cross the street or volunteering for the special olympics: they will still not vote for him. What are they looking for in these documents? Something that is bad enough that a more moderate Republican might switch sides, of course. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/113 "2018-09-04T23:12:02Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Senator Grassley’s comment was “This timeline is consistent with how we’ve handled past Supreme Court nominations.” It was about when the questions must be submitted for the record and when the “mark-up” meeting would be held. It wasn’t some broad sweeping statement about how every single SCOTUS nominee has ever been handled. > > I genuinely don’t understand why this comment is such an issue for you. I gather that you’re still sore about Garland, but he wasn’t making some claim about Garland. It was just a “hey, here’s the schedule for the next few days, and it’s not all that unusual”. OK let’s make it about the time. Grassley said he read 40,000 docs last night. He’s lying. (His lips would be too tired to speak today.) It occurs to me that in both the Garland, and now the Kavanaugh matters, the republicans are denying the Dems their right to be part of “advise and consent.” For Garland, turtle just decided for everyone, of either party. For K they are refusing to give relevant docs and/or refusing to allocate reasonable time to “advise and consent” for those who aren’t already decided. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/114 "2018-09-04T23:12:39Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Jonah Goldberg! Jonah _fucking_ Goldberg! Oh, ye gods and little fishes! And you\* posted\* it! Well, you can catch the tweet storm that started it: [https://twitter.com/sahluwal/status/1037045576490053632](https://twitter.com/sahluwal/status/1037045576490053632) Or check out someplace called Twitchy: > **[Hot take: Woman seated behind Brett Kavanaugh at hearing flashes white power...](https://twitchy.com/brettt/2018/09/04/hot-take-woman-seated-behind-brett-kavanaugh-at-hearing-flashes-white-power-sign-on-tv-updated-n724405)** > >   Or you can go to Townhall: > **[Losers: The Left Just Had Another Kavanaugh Outrage Bomb Explode In Their Face](https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2018/09/04/no-that-woman-behind-kavanaugh-was-not-doing-a-white-power-hand-signal-and-shes-n2515798)** > >   No clue who NewsOne is: > **[White Supremacy Is Front And Center At Brett Kavanuagh's Supreme Court...](https://newsone.com/3825003/zina-bash-white-power-supremacy-sign-brett-kavanaugh-hearing/)** > > You could be forgiven if you thought you saw a gang sign, since it sort of is. or HotAir: [https://hotair.com/archives/2018/09/04/new-resistance-theory-trump-staffer-giving-white-supremacist-hand-signals-behind-kavanaugh-today/](https://hotair.com/archives/2018/09/04/new-resistance-theory-trump-staffer-giving-white-supremacist-hand-signals-behind-kavanaugh-today/) ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/115 "2018-09-04T23:13:55Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > Something that is bad enough that a more moderate Republican might switch sides, of course. Or preferably any disqualifying act. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/116 "2018-09-04T23:17:54Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > He wasn’t standing in opposition to the other 99 senators, or “imposing his opinion” on them. That’s not at all what it was. Senator McConnell enacted the will of the majority of the body. Ah, enacted the will of the majority. You mean he took a vote to see what the will of the majority was? In any case, the stopping of Kavenaugh comes about not because of the politicians themselves, but due to their constituents. People ask what is the point of the hearings, what is the point of asking for these documents that would reveal his judicial thinking? Well the point is to show it to the public. To show to the public who the senators that they elected are going to vote for. If people like my parents, who are lifelong loyal republicans, start calling their senators and telling them that they have some reservations about this character, then those senators may start to rethink their vote. It is the public that these hearings are for, as it is the public who ultimately is responsible for the government and its actions. And it is the public who should have all of the information needed to decide if this is a man that they can support. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/117 "2018-09-04T23:18:12Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > Anyone watching Lisa Blatt, liberal Dem lawyer who is speaking in favor of Kavanaugh? This is how judicial confirmation proceedings should be had: not listening to hysteria by the left or right. Actually it’s an example of how money in politics even affects the supposed impartial Judicial branch these days. > [@](#): > > On Tuesday, Lisa Blatt—a self-described “liberal feminist lawyer”—will endorse the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court before the Senate Judiciary Committee. > > Why? > > The answer is simple: Blatt works at Arnold and Porter, an elite law firm that often represents wealthy corporations. > > The firm makes its money by representing corporations like BP (which A&P defended following the Deepwater Horizon spill), Exxon Mobil, Monsanto, Novartis, Pfizer, and Philip Morris. (Blatt’s own attorney profile boasts that she helped to overturned the “reinstatement of $10 billion verdict against client Philip Morris in a ‘lights’ cigarette case.”) A&P also represents businesses rather than workers in labor disputes and specializes in breaking up class actions. > > Kavanaugh has a long history of siding with businesses like these over consumers, employees, and the environment. And, as HuffPost’s Amanda Terkel notes, that’s good news for Blatt. While she may get (well-deserved) liberal plaudits for her work on cases like the travel ban, Blatt is better known in the elite world of appellate practice for her vigorous representation of these moneyed interests. Kavanaugh will rule against her when she represents death row inmates, LGBTQ people, abortion providers, and racial minorities. But these aren’t the cases that keep the bonuses flowing at A&P. And when she represents those clients before Kavanaugh’s court—the BPs and Philip Morrises of the world—she’ll have a reliable fifth vote in her favor. > > [Slate](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/09/why-is-lisa-blatt-endorsing-brett-kavanaugh.html) ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/118 "2018-09-04T23:19:12Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > … Grassley said he read 40,000 docs last night. … Cite? > [@drad\_dog](#): > > … It occurs to me that in both the Garland, and now the Kavanaugh matters, the republicans are denying the Dems their right to be part of “advise and consent.” … Not at all. They’re the minority part in both cases, which typically means they’re not going to get their way. Sucks to be them. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/119 "2018-09-04T23:22:57Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I’m already looking forward to the retirement of RBG or Breyer, hopefully before Trump leaves office. > > I can’t stand Trump, but man, his judicial nominations make the other shit sandwich ingredients palatable. > > Today I watched looney Dems accuse a woman of Mexican and Jewish ancestry of flashing white supremacy recognition signs. It was a glorious look at madness. You should have kept your conservative card and voted for him. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/120 "2018-09-04T23:25:24Z")
So, with the conservative card, you get mayonnaise on that sandwich? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733.md?page=7)