Thursday, August 30, 2018

Kavanaugh Hearing Witness List: Bipartisan Support and Irrelevant Opposition


The Senate Judiciary Committee has released its witness lists for the Kavanaugh hearing starting on Tuesday. On one side are a diverse group of people including leaders of the Supreme Court Bar and the other side is John Dean. Democrats seemingly have no interest in Kavanaugh but are trying to score some sort of larger political point. As the Hill puts it:
Dean is among more than a dozen witnesses selected by Democrats on the Judiciary Committee. The former White House counsel "will speak about the abuse of executive power" during his appearance, according to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), the top Democrat on the panel.
Contrast this with the Majority witness list which includes some of the greats of the Supreme Court Bar:
The Honorable Theodore B. Olson, Partner, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher; Former Solicitor General, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC 
Ms. Maureen E. Mahoney, Former Deputy Solicitor General of the United States, Washington, DC
The Honorable Paul Clement, Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP; Former Solicitor General, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC
But Kavanaugh does not just draw from the conservative or Republican side.  His witness include liberals such as Lisa Blatt who wrote in Politico: “I’m a Liberal Feminist Lawyer. Here’s Why Democrats Should Support Judge Kavanaugh:”
Sometimes a superstar is just a superstar. That is the case with Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who had long been considered the most qualified nominee for the Supreme Court if Republicans secured the White House. The Senate should confirm him. I have argued 35 cases before the Supreme Court, more than any other woman. I worked in the Solicitor General’s Office for 13 years during the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations. Because I am a liberal Democrat and feminist, I expect my friends on the left will criticize me for speaking up for Kavanaugh. But we all benefit from having smart, qualified and engaged judges on our highest court, regardless of the administration that nominates them.
It is really sad that the Democrats' star witness literally has nothing to with Judge Kavanaugh or the current Supreme Court. While those that know Judge Kavanaugh and practice in front of the Supreme Court on both sides of the aisle support him. 


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