Retired Justice John Paul Stevens calls Kavanaugh’s testimony disqualifying - Polidicks

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/retired-justice-stevens-calls-kavanaughs-hearing-performance-disqualifying/2018/10/04/70c4a36e-c81a-11e8-b2b5-79270f9cce17_story.html?utm_term=.c3a448eab290 Retired Justice John Paul Stevens said Thursday that he no longer believes Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh should be confirmed to the Supreme Court, citing Kavanaugh’s heated performance during a Senate hearing last week. Stevens, 98, made the comments in Boca Raton, Fla., before a group of retirees, according to the Palm Beach Post and the journalist who interviewed Stevens at the event. Stevens, who served on the Supreme Court from 1975 to 2010, told the audience that he had praised one of Kavanaugh’s rulings on campaign finance in a book that Stevens wrote in 2014. “At that time, I thought [Kavanaugh] had the qualifications for the Supreme Court should he be selected,” Stevens said, according to the Palm Beach Post. “I’ve changed my views for reasons that have no relationship to his intellectual ability. . . . I feel his performance in the hearings ultimately changed my mind.” At a Sept. 27 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Kavanaugh denied allegations of sexual assault as a teenager and said he was the victim of a “calculated and orchestrated political hit, fueled with apparent pent-up anger about President Trump and the 2016 election.” In his testimony, Kavanaugh angrily defended his honor and was at times contemptuous toward his Democratic questioners. On Thursday, Stevens noted that both senators and commentators said Kavanaugh’s defense of his reputation crossed a line. “I think there’s merit to that criticism and I think the senators should really pay attention to that,” Stevens said at an event held by the Institute for Learning in Retirement. Palm Beach Post columnist Frank Cerabino, who questioned Stevens at the event, said in an interview that he had intended to ask the retired justice about the Kavanaugh confirmation process. But before he could, Stevens “actually brought the subject up,” Cerabino said. “I was surprised.” Stevens was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Gerald R. Ford and was known at the time as a moderate conservative. Over his decades on the court, he became a reliable member of the court’s liberal wing. Since retiring, he has written books and given speeches. He made waves recently by denouncing the Second Amendment in an op-ed for the New York Times. Kavanaugh and his allies have touted the recognition the judge received from Stevens regarding a decision on whether foreigners may contribute to U.S. political campaigns. Kavanaugh, who has served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit since 2006, said in a speech that he was touched to have received a note from Stevens praising the decision. Like almost every other current member of the Supreme Court, Stevens also has hired a former Kavanaugh clerk to work for him.

It seems to me like they (R) kind of fucked up with this whole situation, in that it's far more divisive of an issue than was intended. What most of us saw in that hearing vs what people who decide what to see saw was in very stark contrast. I'm not super pro violence but I'll just say this. If I was at a party and a person came downstairs crying, claiming they were assaulted, and the accused acted (like he was guilty, but also like a dick) like Kav... He'd be lucky if he left there capable of walking home. To be clear, I'm not suggesting it's about get bloody or that Kav should get hurt over an unproven accusation. But from the perspective of someone part of the very poor community, it feels like there's so many pots on the stove about to boil over and Trump and Comp. just added another pot and cranked the heat.

When you have 1,200 law professors, the dean of Harvard law school, and a former justice saying Kav's unqualified, he's unqualified.

They just dont understand the truth and his passion!!!!!!!!! They're trying to ruin his life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! even though whatever victims' lives he's ruined

It's a liberal Democrat globalist deep state conspiracy.

what does this part mean? implications-wise

He's what's known as a feeder judge, in the past justices used to pick clerks right out of law school, but now get them after they clerk for a federal judge. Feeder judges are ones whose law clerks often go work for a justice; others include Merrick Garland and Neil Gorsuch before he was appointed the the court. Various factors affect which judges become feeders. Ideological alignment with justices is usually an important factor, and conservative feeder judges place more clerks with conservative justices and vice versa. In fact, feeder judges are notorious for being on the extremes of the judicial spectrum, with comparatively few ideologically moderate feeder judges.

well too fucking late to change your tune now that the partisan machines are wound up

Maybe Sandra Day O'Connor will say the same, really hammer it in how unprecedentedly bad Kav is.

The reality is that everyone knows Kav is unqualified now, the people who support him don't care.

reality is, if there weren't enough votes then there wouldn't be a vote for it tomorrow. since there is a vote then there's no chance to stop this.

At least it will help Democrats in the midterms, maybe the dozens of investigations they have lined up in the House if they get control will block Trumps future appointments with all the impeachments heading to trial.

Like I said in the other thread, I can't really see how any reasonable person can support his appointment. Even assuming the sexual assault allegations are completely false, the way he acted during the hearing, perjured himself, and on several occassions made his partisan intent clear should be more than disqualifying. If you are a right winger who wants the Supreme Court packed with people who fit your ideological bias then okay but other than that, who thinks this guy is honestly qualified for a lifetime position as judge in the highest court of the land?

He was only being an asshole to Democrats, which Republicans are totally fine with. The sheer contempt for Democrats they have for occasionally slowing down their agenda is insane

Even after Kavanaugh is appointed, if any future left leaning SCOTUS judges were to dare show 1/10th of the partisan bias during their hearings as Kavanaugh did, you know that there would be biblical levels of triggering among Conservatives.

Literally almost everything Republicans have done since 2000 would trigger them if Democrats did it.

shduh there's quite literally not a single other person on the planet earth that might have a single mediocum of a better character, that kind of person simply doesn't exist as kavanaugh is as good of a person as all the congressmen voting for him and as we all know those people are the divine entities of our planet superseded in authority and greatness only by god himself