Kavanaugh wins, U.S. loses the moral corner

It’s all over -- including the fighting -- Brett Kavanaugh was approved and confirmed in a 50-48 vote, Saturday, by the Senate Judiciary Committee - that ended a bitter and partisan fight that showed the intensity and high stakes for both the Republicans and the Democrats, especially with a hard right candidate, bound with a 5-4 majority for a conservative court, for generations.

The allegation, and testimony of Dr. Christine Ford, a California based psychologist, who left the quiet corridors of academia to expose herself, on the Hill, with her testimony, saying that in their high school years, Kavanaugh had tried to rape her, saw record viewing audiences, and in an echo of the Clarence Thomas, and Anita Hill charge decades ago, once more showed that the closed ranks of male politicians took a strongly partisan one, that was evident in the shrieking rampage, of denial, by Kavanagh after Ford’s testimony.

Seconding that emotion, was the unbridled tongue of South Carolina senator, Lindsey Graham, who lost the total demeanor of not only, a senator, but that of a southern gentleman, shocking many, but which most viewers saw as confirmation of the intense partisanship that has gridlocked Washington for many years.

Further exposed was the loss of the judiciary as an independent, if interdependent part of American democracy, that surely has the founding fathers spinning in their graves.

This seems to be the greatest fall out from this beleaguered candidate, whose testimony in his hearings seemed to be contrived to not answer any direct questions, and even, trod the line between misrepresentation, or perjury, and who seemed to delight in another partisan battle, instead of behaving, as any job candidate should do, especially one with the prestige of the United States, and for a lifetime appointment.

When contrasted with Ford’s professional, and lady like, demeanor, many began to question the veracity of his denials; and, it also led to a palimpsest of alcohol abuse and women, and in what was never explored by the FBI, a strong history of sexual predatory behavior.

At first blush, when the letter forwarded to Sen. Feinstein appeared, some felt that it might have been a sexual indiscretion that would be dealt with, behind closed doors, only to see that it was far more, than many believed, or wanted.

Moral exhortation came from Sens. Jeff Flake and Susan Collins, only to have them, especially the latter, cave to naked partisanship, to the embarrassment of those aligned with justice.

If as Lincoln, noted, long ago, in an appeal to the better angels of our nature, all was lost as it sent the credible allegations of Ford, from a rigged confirmation hearing, to a rigged FBI investigation, whose short scope gave even some of Kavanaugh’s defenders pause.

The pause button could not be hit and the politicization of the process for a member of the nation’s Supreme Court, was tattered.

CNN, on Monday revealed that a poll taken showed that: “Overall, 51% in the poll oppose Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court, up from 39% who opposed it in early September, after his initial confirmation hearing but before accusations of sexual misconduct emerged. Support for Kavanaugh's confirmation has merely inched up, by contrast, from 38% backing him in early September to 41% now.”

While Kavanaugh's supporters all pointed to his qualifications, (this was not a routine job in an office cubicle), they failed to take in the equally important aspect of a judicial temperament that at times seemed like a beast unleashed, or unfed.

“All told, 52% of Americans say they believe the women accusing Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct over the judge's denials of those accusations (38% said they believed him more than the women). And half (50%) said they thought he lied about his alcohol use as a young adult, more than thought he was telling the truth about it (37%). Half say Kavanaugh's personal conduct has disqualified him to serve on the court, and 53% say his professional qualifications do not outweigh any questions about his personal conduct,” said CNN.

Supporters of the judge, like himself, pointed to conspiracy theories -- the Clintons once again ---but also charges that they demeaned the man, ring hollow for a party that used Willie Horton, as the scary black man, to win an election, or the struggle with alcohol of Kitty Dukakis, to win, rings very hollow indeed.

Legions of protestors at every corner, virtual, or not, like a Greek Chorus showed that above all, many men, and one woman, were forgetting that women who are sexually assaulted are not believed, at any time, no matter their professional status, or affluence. And, this is what sent the protestors to the streets and Capitol Hill.

In the aftermath, no one knows if Kavanaugh will sink into juridical quiet, like Thomas, or will he be a demon to legislation such as Roe. v. Wade, Obergefell, and the continued dilution of voting rights for Black Americans?

All of this also confirms that in the U.S. equality of women is not here, and that our history of not having a female head of state, unlike Western Europe, or even Southeast Asia, must lead to an examination of conscience for a nation, that seems to have lost it.