Susan Collins gave Senate Democrats the scolding they deserve

[mystery-ak]

Susan Collins gave Senate Democrats the scolding they deserve
by Nicole Russell
 | October 06, 2018 08:37 AM



In her nearly 45-minute speech that rocked the Senate floor and the country, Collins walked America through her logic and gave a stern scolding, calling the confirmation process something “that has become so dysfunctional it looks more like a caricature of a gutter-level political campaign than a solemn occasion.”

With clarity, candor, and ferocity, Collins laid out her reasoning for voting “yes” for Kavanaugh. Largely: “The four witnesses she named could not corroborate any of the events of that evening gathering where she says the assault occurred.”

Collins also did not hesitate to utterly skewer Democrats in their handling of this nomination, admonishing them. She spared no criticism for the Democrat who leaked Dr. Ford’s letter to the press originally and she said she hopes the last month’s antics will propel the Senate to ditch the current nomination process and find a new method of confirming judges.

“I suspect, regrettably, we will never know who did it. To that leaker, who I hope is listening now, let me say that what you did is unconscionable. You have taken a survivor, who is not only entitled to your respect, but who also trusted you, and you have sacrificed her well-being in a misguided attempt to win whatever political crusade you think you’re fighting. My only hope is that your callous act has turned this process into such a dysfunctional circus that it will cause the Senate and, indeed, all Americans to reconsider how we evaluate Supreme Court nominees. If that happens, then the appalling lack of compassion you afforded Professor Ford will have some unintended positive consequences."

Collins makes an interesting point that few politicians, particularly on the Senate floor, have had the chutzpah to make: Not only was there little, if any, evidence corroborating Ford’s claims, but the more time passed, the more the FBI looked into the allegations, and the more the media seemed to collude with Democrats, the more the process looked like a dysfunctional circus masquerading as a political crusade.

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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/susan-collins-gave-senate-democrats-the-scolding-they-deserve

[RetBobbyMI]

Good points from what I can read here. Too many ads and unwanted pop ups on site to read the rest.

[Sanguine]

Something really odd is happening to our Senators. 

[skeeter]

Well I agree with Sen Collins. In fact the current process should be dumped in favor of about an hour of ‘advise and consent’ of the floor of the senate followed by an immediate up or down vote. This committee hearing crap has been a clownshow since Bork.

[RetBobbyMI]

Well I agree with Sen Collins. In fact the current process should be dumped in favor of about an hour of ‘advise and consent’ of the floor of the senate followed by an immediate up or down vote. This committee hearing crap has been a clownshow since Bork.

Good point since most made up their mind the minute the nominee was made public, if not before. I would make it 100 minutes of “debate”, one for each Senator so no one can say they didn’t have a chance to weigh in. The an immediate vote. The whole process done in 2 hours. Next item of business.

But...like everything else in Congress, they will NEVER impose change upon themselves, unless it’s pay raises.

[dfwgator]

Something really odd is happening to our Senators.

Trump has set the example for them.   I know they may have cringed at some things that Trump has said.   But what they've had to notice is that it never seems to hurt him all that much.   And the reason that is is because we are just happy to finally have somebody who is fighting back,  even if sometimes he does go overboard.

[Sanguine]

Trump has set the example for them.   I know they may have cringed at some things that Trump has said.   But what they've had to notice is that it never seems to hurt him all that much.   And the reason that is is because we are just happy to finally have somebody who is fighting back,  even if sometimes he does go overboard.

I can agree with that.  I don't like Trump the man, but I do like Trump the results. And, it feels so good to have someone flip them the virtual bird and fight back.  What the hell was wrong with us for the last, what, 50 years?

[Bigun]

What the hell was wrong with us for the last, what, 50 years?

The swamp!  Do you remember the story about how to boil frogs? 

[Cyber Liberty]

I watched her whole speech yesterday.  I didn't think she had it in her.

[Sanguine]

The swamp!  Do you remember the story about how to boil frogs?

I hear you, @Bigun, but the frog boiling scenario depends on the frogs not understanding what is happening.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Something really odd is happening to our Senators.

Led by Lindsey Graham.

He seems to be a whole new person since he got away from McCain's shadow.

[Bigun]

Led by Lindsey Graham.

He seems to be a whole new person since he got away from McCain's shadow.

Yep!  It's like McCain had him under a spell or something.

[Bigun]

I hear you, @Bigun, but the frog boiling scenario depends on the frogs not understanding what is happening.

@Sanguine

And most didn't understand what was happening for the last 50 years and those who think they do have difficulty getting their minds wrapped around how bad it really is.   It's really hard to accept the idea that there are some of our fellow countrymen who are outright evil.

[Cyber Liberty]

@Sanguine

And most didn't understand what was happening for the last 50 years and those who think they do have difficulty getting their minds wrapped around how bad it really is.   It's really hard to accept the idea that there are some of our fellow countrymen who are outright evil.

It's not as difficult to understand how these evil people rose to political power.  Just have a look at their constituents. 

[Bigun]

It's not as difficult to understand how these evil people rose to political power.  Just have a look at their constituents.

They took a very active hand in creating that constituency my friend!  Need I remind you of the now famous words of LBJ?

[Cyber Liberty]

They took a very active hand in creating that constituency my friend!  Need I remind you of the now famous words of LBJ?

I guess it's a chicken/egg thing....

[Bigun]

I guess it's a chicken/egg thing....

Not really.  But you need to be a real student of history - real history instead of what passes for it in public shcool these days - to fully understand what happened.

[Cyber Liberty]

Not really.  But you need to be a real student of history - real history instead of what passes for it in public shcool these days - to fully understand what happened.

Bribing voters with other peoples money isn't difficult to understand.  The immorality of stealing, even if the government is used rather than a gun, is well-known.  There is plenty of blame to go around.

[Bigun]

There is plenty of blame to go around.

Yep!  No doubt about it!   There are few,  if any, honest statesmen left on the political scene in this country today and the downward trend started much longer ago than most will admit.

[Cyber Liberty]

Yep!  No doubt about it!   There are few,  if any, honest statesmen left on the political scene in this country today and the downward trend started much longer ago than most will admit.

The ink wasn't even dry on the Constitution before politicians went to work to undermine its principals.

[Bigun]

The ink wasn't even dry on the Constitution before politicians went to work to undermine its principals.

Bingo!!!

And the absolute truth of the matter is that the Constitutional convention was itself a rogue affair.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

The ink wasn't even dry on the Constitution before politicians went to work to undermine its principals.

At least the first chief Justice saw things differently.

“The wise and the good never form the majority of any large society and it seldom happens that their measures are uniformly adopted.... [All that wise and good men can do is] to persevere in doing their duty to their country and leave the consequences to him who made men only; neither elated by success, however great, nor discouraged by disappointments however frequent or mortifying.”
― John Jay

“Among the strange things of this world, nothing seems more strange than that men pursuing happiness should knowingly quit the right and take a wrong road, and frequently do what their judgments neither approve nor prefer.”
― John Jay

“We must go home to be happy, and our home is not in this world. Here we have nothing to do but our duty.”
― John Jay

[Wingnut]

Yep!  It's like McCain had him under a spell or something.

His death was felt today.  SO glad that asshat is gone.

[Frank Cannon]

His death was felt today.  SO glad that asshat is gone.

So you finally made bail? I had a collection going for you but I ended up blowing it at the casino last night trying to double it. My bad.

[Wingnut]

So you finally made bail? I had a collection going for you but I ended up blowing it at the casino last night trying to double it. My bad.

My 5th DUI.  The Judge had a hard-on for me this time.