Watched a few hours live of each of the three hearings while working out.
My impressions was Kavanaugh didn't have a lot to say. He sat bemused while Senators argued about rules, procedure and who was using negative politics (which in the age of Trump and Twitter is amusing), and was asked easily dismissed questions after long grandstanding political preludes to each question, using up major portions of allotted time. Kavanaugh followed the Ginsburg ritual of saying time after time his only loyalty is to the Constitution, that he couldn't or wouldn't answer political questions or on any issue that he might have to rule upon. (FWIW, the GOP senators also had long intros to questions, usually taking shots at their Democratic counterparts).
Have to say Harris was the only one I saw who asked relevant, get to the point, questions (without long preludes for twitter followers) that made Kavanugh actually have to say something. Not that anyone was likely listening as Booker stole the headlines by releasing e mails that already had been released, and announcing in true Furdie bombast: "I am willing to be kicked out of the Senate for breaking the chamber's rules ."
More than 60,000 documents detailing Kavanaugh's work for the Bush administration were withheld by the White House . Another batch of 40,000 were dumped on the Judiciary Committee (and the media) hours before the first hearing, giving no time for a proper vetting. Problem was the e mails Booker released were from those 40,000 already released to the media, and the point about the lateness of their release was lost in Booker's "I am Spartacus" moment. There is a point to executive privilege of documents, usually to allowing the deliberative process to be confidential. But 60K documents? Really? In any event, none of this seems to matter since Kavanaugh didn't say anything to derail his appointment (he probably even picks up some red state Dems), or for that matter, much of anything period. But man those Senators could talk and talk.
Not an impressive process IMO.
My impressions was Kavanaugh didn't have a lot to say. He sat bemused while Senators argued about rules, procedure and who was using negative politics (which in the age of Trump and Twitter is amusing), and was asked easily dismissed questions after long grandstanding political preludes to each question, using up major portions of allotted time. Kavanaugh followed the Ginsburg ritual of saying time after time his only loyalty is to the Constitution, that he couldn't or wouldn't answer political questions or on any issue that he might have to rule upon. (FWIW, the GOP senators also had long intros to questions, usually taking shots at their Democratic counterparts).
Have to say Harris was the only one I saw who asked relevant, get to the point, questions (without long preludes for twitter followers) that made Kavanugh actually have to say something. Not that anyone was likely listening as Booker stole the headlines by releasing e mails that already had been released, and announcing in true Furdie bombast: "I am willing to be kicked out of the Senate for breaking the chamber's rules ."
More than 60,000 documents detailing Kavanaugh's work for the Bush administration were withheld by the White House . Another batch of 40,000 were dumped on the Judiciary Committee (and the media) hours before the first hearing, giving no time for a proper vetting. Problem was the e mails Booker released were from those 40,000 already released to the media, and the point about the lateness of their release was lost in Booker's "I am Spartacus" moment. There is a point to executive privilege of documents, usually to allowing the deliberative process to be confidential. But 60K documents? Really? In any event, none of this seems to matter since Kavanaugh didn't say anything to derail his appointment (he probably even picks up some red state Dems), or for that matter, much of anything period. But man those Senators could talk and talk.
Not an impressive process IMO.
