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Democrats set precedent

In a letter, in the Sunday, Sept. 23, newspaper, a writer criticized the Senate Republicans, for not giving Obama Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, a confirmation hearing. This writer needs a trip down Supreme Court nominee memory lane.

It was the Democrats, who set the precedent of smearing Supreme Court nominees, in the 1980s, with Ronald Reagan’s nominee, Robert Bork. Hence the term “Borking.” It was Massachusetts Senator, Ted Kennedy, the hero, of Chappaquiddick, who lectured Robert Bork on ethics and morals, laughable isn’t it?

Senate Democrats smeared George H.W. Bush’s Supreme Court nominee, Clarence Thomas, in the ’90s, but were unsuccessful in stopping his confirmation.

In the early 2000s, Senate Democrats successfully blocked many of G.W. Bush’s Circuit and Appellate Court nominees, such as Miguel Estrada, a young Hispanic, from the District of Columbia Appeals Court, because Senate Democrats were afraid he would, later, become the first Hispanic Justice, on the SCOTUS. They set a precedent for what, later, happened, in the case of Merrick Garland.

During the Obama Administration, Senate Republicans confirmed nominees Elana Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, because they had the qualifications. At the same time, Senate Democrats invoked the nuclear option, for lower court judges, requiring only, a simple majority vote, for confirmation, instead, of the, previously, required 60 votes. The Senate Democrats, also, ended the use of filibuster, to block lower court confirmations, in anticipation of a Hillary Clinton presidency, to make it easier to get liberal judges confirmed.

The Senate Republicans refused to give Merrick Garland a confirmation hearing rightly or wrongly, but they didn’t give him a sham hearing and smear his reputation, the way the Senate Democrats did Judge Brett Kavanaugh at his confirmation hearing. At Judge Kavanaugh’s hearing, the Senate Democrats put on a circus that would make Barnum and Bailey proud.

With Donald Trump being elected president, the Democrats double standards have backfired on them and they are, now, crying “foul,” because the Republicans are beating them, at their own game. If it were not for their double standard, the far Left Democrats would have no standards, at all.

As I write this, Judge Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination is still pending.

Steve Wolverton

Parkersburg

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