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Guilded Lilly

(5,591 posts)
Fri Sep 7, 2018, 05:09 PM Sep 2018

Opinion: Al Franken on the Kavanaugh Supreme Court Hearings.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/09/07/brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court-hearings-showcase-republican-hypocrisy-column/1215578002/

“Recall that, in his opening remarks at the White House ceremony announcing his nomination, Judge Kavanaugh praised President Donald Trump’s diligence, declaring that “no president has ever consulted more widely, or talked with more people from more backgrounds, to seek input about a Supreme Court nomination.”

Kavanaugh's lie should disqualify him
This was extremely untrue. President Barack Obama, for example, had taken a month or close to it to pick both Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. Trump had taken just 12 days to make his pick. And, of course, he made that pick from a list of 25 names presented to him by the right-wing Federalist Society.


If judgment matters, and if we want judges who make their judgments based on a full and fair understanding of the facts, a big, fat, easily debunked lie like Kavanaugh’s should have been instantly disqualifying. Instead, it became just the first example of how Kavanaugh’s selection to the Supreme Court represents a perfect illustration of what the conservative movement has been doing to the judicial system for decades.

Kavanaugh is the very model of a young, archconservative judge who has been groomed for moments like this one precisely because conservative activists know that he will issue expansive, activist rulings to further their agenda. Advancing the goals of the Republican Party and the conservative movement — starting by lavishing obviously nonsensical praise on a president whose own staff, per this week’s anonymous New York Times op-ed, considers him to be an unstable idiot who operates out of whim — that’s what Kavanaugh is there to do.

And no matter how much civics-class pabulum we get from Republicans on the Judiciary Committee this week, make no mistake: They’re in on it.”
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Opinion: Al Franken on the Kavanaugh Supreme Court Hearings. (Original Post) Guilded Lilly Sep 2018 OP
Love Al, this reminds me of when the GOP would say Obama the MOST divisive least Eliot Rosewater Sep 2018 #1
Amen, Senator. A effing men. yonder Sep 2018 #2
I hope this is a sign that he's working to rehabilitate his public image and rebrand procon Sep 2018 #3
Hear, hear! BigmanPigman Sep 2018 #4
I see no problem SCVDem Sep 2018 #12
Franken is smart, he's doing what has to be done to get back into politics. nt procon Sep 2018 #14
Who else SCVDem Sep 2018 #15
Run for President Al -- we need you and your words. KPN Sep 2018 #5
This person would be making life and death decisions pecosbob Sep 2018 #6
Thank you Al.. mountain grammy Sep 2018 #7
I will never forgive a certain person, who shall remain unnamed, for the loss of Al Franken to rzemanfl Sep 2018 #8
+1. Onward towards victory in 2018 and 2020, and we haven't seen the last of the Senator from Minn. FreepFryer Sep 2018 #11
i agree. I felt sick when she started aggressively attack Senator Franken. trueblue2007 Sep 2018 #13
It's certainly something I still have a hard time forgiving. calimary Sep 2018 #16
Women who falsely accuse do a hideous injustice to the millions... Guilded Lilly Sep 2018 #20
Miss you Senator. zentrum Sep 2018 #9
k&R BlueJac Sep 2018 #10
Yepper, spot on.................Just say it ....................Senator Al Franken turbinetree Sep 2018 #17
Take out a couple of words from the header, Le Grand Pronounceur Sep 2018 #18
I don't believe he has a law degree, and that would be a big hurdle FakeNoose Sep 2018 #19
Yeah, Frankin only has a B.A. from Harvard in political science. maddiemom Sep 2018 #25
Damn, I miss him karin_sj Sep 2018 #21
We need his voice. It was a BIG mistake to railroad him like that. I'll never forget (or forgive). NurseJackie Sep 2018 #22
Wish Al was still on the front lines. Nitram Sep 2018 #23
Thank you Al. maddiemom Sep 2018 #24

Eliot Rosewater

(31,087 posts)
1. Love Al, this reminds me of when the GOP would say Obama the MOST divisive least
Fri Sep 7, 2018, 05:14 PM
Sep 2018

across the aisle prez in history , when the FACtS were he was the MOST those things

No prez in history tried harder than he did to bridge the gap but all they could see was skin tone and they hated his skin tone

procon

(15,805 posts)
3. I hope this is a sign that he's working to rehabilitate his public image and rebrand
Fri Sep 7, 2018, 05:23 PM
Sep 2018

himself to build a new political career. He should write more essays and op ed pieces, slowly get on the talk show circuit in advance of running again in 2020.

 

SCVDem

(5,103 posts)
12. I see no problem
Fri Sep 7, 2018, 07:02 PM
Sep 2018

With his public image.

He did nothing to warrant being railroaded by a bunch of cowards! Now they have regrets?

Fuck them!

pecosbob

(7,482 posts)
6. This person would be making life and death decisions
Fri Sep 7, 2018, 05:29 PM
Sep 2018

for 300,000,000 people. I'm beyond despair...I'm to the point where I'm hoping for divine intervention like a meteor striking the White House.

rzemanfl

(29,523 posts)
8. I will never forgive a certain person, who shall remain unnamed, for the loss of Al Franken to
Fri Sep 7, 2018, 05:47 PM
Sep 2018

the party. "Guilty when charged" is not the American way, lady.

trueblue2007

(17,111 posts)
13. i agree. I felt sick when she started aggressively attack Senator Franken.
Fri Sep 7, 2018, 07:04 PM
Sep 2018

I don't like it when anonymous attacks take down good people. How in the world can a person defend themselves against ;;;;; well anonymous said this or anonymous did that ???

calimary

(80,522 posts)
16. It's certainly something I still have a hard time forgiving.
Fri Sep 7, 2018, 09:03 PM
Sep 2018

Last edited Sat Sep 8, 2018, 05:02 PM - Edit history (1)

OR forgetting.

Especially considering his “accusers,” Miss Alt-“right” hate radio Roger Stone dirty-trickster and the woman at some Minnesota county fair who sought a photo with him and then whined that “he touched my waist.”

Full disclosure - I believe the many women who came forward with real, genuine, and legitimate complaints. I believe those who felt the need to seek counsel from attorneys like Gloria Allred. I know enough about Gloria Allred, personally, to regard any case in which she’s involved as rock-solid, carefully considered and researched, and credible. I fully support the #metoo movement. I know too many women who’ve had serious encounters not to be taken lightly, who deserve to see justice done.

But when partisan character assassins conspire to exploit the legitimate attention and corrective response that legitimate victims have AND deserve, it just cheapens the whole crisis. And robs it of credibility. And makes a total mockery of the efforts of actual victims of sexual assault and exploitation, and sets back the serious claimants trying to seek justice.

Besides, anything that has Roger Stone involved with it - intrinsically stinks to high Heaven.

Guilded Lilly

(5,591 posts)
20. Women who falsely accuse do a hideous injustice to the millions...
Sat Sep 8, 2018, 01:58 PM
Sep 2018

upon millions who are harassed and abused daily. Hourly. The liars are not to be respected. Either gender.
The entire Franken pile-on made me sick to my stomach.
Especially from those in the Democratic Party.
Especially from those in the party who may have political ambition that just “might” have been affected by the strength of Senator Franken.

Nah, I won’t forget very soon.

 
18. Take out a couple of words from the header,
Sat Sep 8, 2018, 12:52 PM
Sep 2018

and you're left with Al Franken on the Supreme Court. I could definitely live with that.

FakeNoose

(32,202 posts)
19. I don't believe he has a law degree, and that would be a big hurdle
Sat Sep 8, 2018, 01:49 PM
Sep 2018

Just sayin'

I do love Al Franken and I hope he gets a chance to return to Congress.
However I doubt he'll ever become a federal judge or SCOTUS justice.

karin_sj

(799 posts)
21. Damn, I miss him
Sat Sep 8, 2018, 03:24 PM
Sep 2018

Al Franken should still be in the Senate, helping to fight this terrible threat to the future of our country and democracy. We lost such a great mind and strong voice when he was unfairly booted out of the Senate because some Democrats decided to lump him together with some truly horrific abusers of women in order to gain points with the Me Too movement. He wanted to have an investigation but wasn't allowed to. I'm glad he is still speaking out as a private citizen.

maddiemom

(5,106 posts)
24. Thank you Al.
Sat Sep 8, 2018, 04:42 PM
Sep 2018

I'm so glad that you are keeping involved and speaking out. DON'T STOP. You came to the public's attention as a comedian, albeit on a politically oriented show. I'm well aware that your educational background is more impressive in terms of politics than many who hold national office (hey, my state actually sent Rick Santorum to the Senate). I guess you had your reasons for buckling under to what was a real "witch hunt," but no Republican would have given up under the circumstances. Just stay with us, OK?

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