Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina used his opening assertion on the Supreme Court docket affirmation listening to to air lingering grievances over the remedy of Brett M. Kavanaugh, in an obvious effort to justify Republicans’ robust questioning of Choose Ketanji Brown Jackson and rebut ideas that difficult the primary Black lady nominated to the courtroom amounted to racism.
Mr. Graham seized on Justice Kavanaugh’s explosive affirmation hearings in 2018 for example of unfair remedy of a Supreme Court docket nominee, asserting that Choose Jackson was already being afforded extra respect and will count on a extra civil tone in 4 days of hearings this week.
“None of us are going to try this to you,” stated Mr. Graham, referring to Justice Kavanaugh’s hearings. He famous that Republicans couldn’t even get by means of a gap assertion in these proceedings earlier than being interrupted by liberal activists.
Choose Jackson has by no means been accused of committing sexual assault, as Justice Kavanaugh was throughout his affirmation hearings. Christine Blasey Ford stated the decide had sexually assaulted her when each have been youngsters, an allegation that Justice Kavanaugh vehemently denied. As the method drew to a detailed, Mr. Graham delivered a fiery speech to the Senate Judiciary Committee denouncing Democrats’ ways as “essentially the most unethical sham since I’ve been in politics.”
The remedy of Mr. Kavanaugh evidently nonetheless grates on Mr. Graham and lots of Republicans, and by invoking that combat greater than three years in the past, they seemed to be searching for some political cowl for difficult Choose Jackson, even when the circumstances of the 2 nominations weren’t remotely comparable.
Republicans, who have been initially involved about prompting a backlash in the event that they attacked Choose Jackson too sharply, have adopted an more and more aggressive strategy in current days and need to painting her as smooth on crime, one in every of their central assault traces towards Democrats within the upcoming midterm elections.
Senator Charles A. Grassley, the committee’s rating Republican, kicked off the hearings by saying the objective was to keep away from “a spectacle.”
“We will probably be truthful and thorough, as individuals would count on us to be, however we received’t get down within the gutter like Democrats did throughout the Kavanaugh affirmation hearings,” Mr. Grassley stated in his opening assertion. “I’m positive you of us keep in mind how unhealthy that bought.”
Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, went even additional, minimizing Ms. Ford’s accusations to the vanishing level.
“Nobody goes to inquire about your teenage courting habits,” he informed Choose Jackson.
Not one of the Republicans talked about their remedy of Merrick Garland, President Barack Obama’s 2016 Supreme Court docket choose, whose nomination they blockaded for eight months to disclaim Mr. Obama the chance to fill the courtroom emptiness earlier than leaving workplace.
Choose Jackson’s hearings, in contrast to Choose Kavanaugh’s, will probably be targeted at the least partly on the problem of race, which Mr. Graham addressed in unusually unvarnished language on Monday.
He famous that Democrats had opposed judicial nominees of colour appointed by Republicans, couching their objections as issues of political and authorized philosophy.
“Backside line right here is, it’s about philosophy when it’s somebody of colour on our facet — it’s about we’re all racist if we ask onerous questions,” stated Mr. Graham, a former chairman of the committee.
“It’s not going to fly with us,” added Mr. Graham.
The senator, who has already signaled his opposition to Choose Jackson’s nomination, went on to criticize President Biden for not choosing J. Michelle Childs, a federal decide from his state who can also be Black, as an alternative of Choose Jackson.
