Democrats Sow Protest Chaos at Kavanaugh Hearing

Obviously, the first level of importance is the actual confirmation, which I believe will happen, hence filling a vacancy on the Supreme Court before the Court begins its new term on October 1, and allowing the Court to more effectively carry out its role for the American people.

But beyond that, the hearing really places on display the key choice America faces in the midterm elections and in the presidential race of 2020.

The views of the Republican and Democratic Parties could not be more different on key moral and Constitutional issues, including the one I deal with fulltime: abortion. But they also differ on their view of the role of the courts, and therefore the very nature of the confirmation hearings taking place right now.

Republicans control the Senate, and the Republican Senators on the Judiciary Committee as well as Judge Kavanaugh himself are presenting in their statements this week a stellar explanation of how the Constitution works, as the governing document of our country, and how the Courts are supposed to function — as neutral arbiters, not political, policy-making bodies.

But as one example of the very different approach the Democrats take, Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) asserted in her opening statement, "In normal times we would be here today to determine the fitness of a nominee to the Supreme Court of the United States chosen for his or her legal talent and reputation for fairness. But these are not normal times.…Donald Trump selected a pre-approved name in order to guarantee a 5th vote for his dangerous anti-worker, anti-consumer, anti-women, pro-corporate, and anti-environment agenda."

Newsflash, Senator Hirono: the purpose of this hearing has not in fact changed. Your duty, and that of your colleagues, is not to “stop the Trump agenda.” It’s to advance America’s agenda, by seating qualified judges on the bench who believe, as Judge Kavanaugh does, that the Courts are not meant to be political, policy-making bodies.

Your job is not to impugn unworthy motives to the president, or to the groups which associate themselves with Judge Kavanaugh, or to the Republicans. Nor is your job to imply that people associated with President Trump, with the conservative movement, or with the “right” are, intrinsically and by definition, incapable of exercising impartial judgment required of the courts.

And it gets worse.

When the Democratic forces and the liberal groups that support them realize they are losing at the popular level, they embrace not arguments, but chaos.

As Richard Viguerie reports today at ConservativeHQ.com, "As NBC News Capitol Hill Correspondent Kasie Hunt reported, Democrats plotted coordinated protest strategy over the holiday weekend and all agreed to disrupt and protest the hearing. The Senate’s Democratic leader, Senator Charles Schumer of New York, led a conference call and committee members proceeded to execute the disruption of the hearing."

There were no less than 63 interruptions and 70 arrests on the first day of the hearing.

The disruptions of the hearings, especially at their outset, were completely disgraceful and unworthy of the United States Senate. And even the peaceful remarks of so many of the Democratic Senators contain some of the most exaggerated, misdirected rhetoric on record.

Yet here we have a picture of what Congress would look like in the event of a Democrat victory in November either in the House or the Senate. It would mean a total distraction from the work of the American people, and instead an effort to re-litigate the election of 2016, which they still don’t understand why they lost.

Two practical questions come to mind in the light of this.

First, liberal groups have contacted Senator Schumer this morning saying the Senate Democrats have not come out strongly enough yet against Judge Kavanaugh. They are afraid they are failing in blocking this nominee.

When, however, will the Democratic Senators who present themselves as more moderate condemn the disruptive activity of those who are resorting to chaos to block this confirmation?

And the second question is, will our fellow citizens now step up to the plate, communicate with their U.S. Senators in the next 24 hours, and make it clear to them that they want a confirmation hearing focused on the qualifications of the nominee, and not on partisan hysterics and ideological warfare?

To the first question, I would not hold my breath. To the second, I have the utmost confidence that the answer is yes.

Fr. Frank Pavone is one of the most prominent pro-life leaders in the world. He became a Catholic priest in 1988 under Cardinal John O’Connor in New York. In 1993 he became National Director of Priests for Life. He is also the President of the National Pro-life Religious Council, and the National Pastoral Director of the Silent No More Campaign and of Rachel’s Vineyard, the world’s largest ministry of healing after abortion. He travels to about four states every week, preaching and teaching against abortion. He broadcasts regularly on television, radio, and internet. He was asked by Mother Teresa to speak in India on abortion, and was asked by then-candidate Donald Trump to serve on his Pro-life and Catholic advisory councils. He has served at the Vatican as an official of the Pontifical Council for the Family, which coordinates the pro-life activities of the Catholic Church. To read more of his reports — Click Here Now.