I watched Trump’s ceremonial swearing in of Brett Kavanagh as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on Monday night, and I thought to myself that Trump’s victory was now complete. Oh, I don't mean Kavanagh’s nomination. No, that’s small potatoes. That’s just a tiny piece of the puzzle. No the Trump victory of which I speak is much larger than that. It was Trump’s outright theft of the Republican Party, founded by Jefferson and Madison, which has played such an important role in our country over the last 225 years. The theft of this once great American institution was now complete. Donald Trump had won. And the real irony here, was that the real victims, the Trump Republicans, thought this was a good thing ….for them.
This is my fourth and, I am expecting, will be my last post on this incredibly divisive topic that has gripped the country for the better part of the last couple of months. And the only certain thing I have concluded, the only thing, is that there are no winners here. Sure, Republicans got a small chest-bump from the approval of Kavanaugh to the Court, but let’s get real. It should have been a cake walk, and it was anything but.
I have said that reasonable people on both sides of aisle will have different takes on the issues brought forth in the Ford v. Kavanagh. That’s understandable as this alleged event happened over 35 years, when both of them were young teenagers. But that hasn’t stopped Republicans and even Democrats from doing what they do best, playing politics.
Beginning with McConnell’s failure to move Merrick Garland’s nomination forward with 10 months to go in Obama’s term, we see Dianne Feinstein’s delay in surfacing the Ford story, followed by Cory Booker wanting to play Spartacus or Tony Curtis, I’m not sure which, then we have Lindsey Graham’s maniacal rant, and it was all topped off by an investigation by the now, all of a sudden…incredibly talented FBI. Apparently they are no longer the cause of THE Witch Hunt…until tomorrow or the day after anyway.
It was one shameful exhibition after another, and it all went according to the script of our reality TV president.
When Clarence Thomas’s nomination was approved back in 1991, then President George H.W. Bush’s instinct was to calm the waters, knowing that it was important to bring the country together. I know, because I listened to his 17 minute introduction of Thomas. Bush began his speech with the opening “Welcome all” and there was no reference to the contentious battle over the nomination. There was no desire to stoke the divisiveness that had ensued, and in the year that followed, while Bush was on the campaign trail for re-election, he chose to ignore the battle over Justice Thomas. Looking back on that now, we didn’t know how good we had it. We now have a deeper appreciation for Bush’s actions, which were filled with equal parts integrity, compassion and patriotism, and stemmed from his strong desire to be President to all Americans. Please, allow me to say that one more time…all Americans. I’m sorry, it just feels so good, I can’t help myself. That’s the way it used to be anyway. Yes, those were the good ol’ days.
Donald Trump and his dedicated followers of merry men have made the calculated choice that they don’t want or need to represent all Americans, they have opted for minority rule today. And they are thrilled with the results. But as these Trump Republicans will eventually learn, it’s very easy to go down this path now, but good luck trying to reverse course.
There was so much wrong with Kavanaugh’s swearing in ceremony, it can’t be captured in one post. So I will just focus on the opening line of this pseudo campaign rally where Trump introduced Kavanaugh stating that “On behalf of our nation, I want to apologize to Brett and the entire Kavanaugh family for the terrible pain and suffering you have been forced to endure”.
On the surface, independent observers might find this comment as fair and acceptable, if only there was some compassion exhibited for all the others who were hurt in this process as well, but there was none. They were not mentioned or referenced. They were simply forgotten.
There was no apology on behalf of the country for Christine Blasey Ford for her pain and suffering. Worse, in the days leading up to the final vote, Trump had gone on the offensive, mocking Ford’s inability to remember certain facts from her ordeal, and he and the mini-Don, Donald Trump Jr. went on to lament the injustices caused to their kind, the real victims in all of this, angry (and entitled) white men.
There was no apology on behalf of the country for Renate, you know Renate of the Renate Alumni, who apparently received special commendation from Kavanaugh, Squi and all the other guys with 14 references in their Georgetown Prep yearbook. Kavanaugh claimed his reference related to their attendance together at a social event, but it would have been more believable if he just claimed they were bridge partners.
Renate Schroeder Dolphin told the New York Times days earlier “I learned about these yearbook pages only a few days ago, I don’t know what ‘Renate Alumnus’ actually means. I can’t begin to comprehend what goes through the minds of 17-year-old boys who write such things, but the insinuation is horrible, hurtful and simply untrue. I pray their daughters are never treated this way. I will have no further comment.”
Can you blame her? But President Trump offered no apology on behalf of our nation for Renate.
Because there was no sympathy, no compassion, no acknowledgment for the pain and suffering by the other Americans hurt in this process, when Trump closed his introduction asking “us to renew the bonds of love, loyalty, and affection that link us all together as one great American family.. let us pray that all of America's children will grow up in a country that is fair, and just, and safe, and strong, and free.”
...the only ones who heard it, were the Trump Republicans…and they believed it all.
Thus, Trump’s victory this night was complete. His takeover of this once great institution was over. The Republican party was no longer recognizable, even to itself,
President George H.W. Bush who understood the importance of being President to all Americans was now 94, and in weak and in failing health. Sadly, the same could also be said of the few real Republicans still out there, many of whom are my friends.
I shall miss them all. I shall miss my friends.
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