Retired SCOTUS justice: Kavanaugh's Senate meltdown disqualifies him

Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens said that Brett Kavanaugh’s angry, petulant performance in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee has disqualified him for the court.

Stevens made his remarks at an event in Boca Raton, Florida.

Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, a lifelong Republican, told a small crowd in Boca Raton that Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s performance at confirmation hearings should disqualify him. “The Senators should pay attention to this.” pic.twitter.com/LdsJTuPGIx

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At the hearing, Kavanaugh publicly melted down, careening from crying to shaking with anger and at times even shouting at the senators on the Judiciary Committee. The privileged Republican nominee complained about the unfairness of life and even claimed he was the victim of a massive Democratic-led conspiracy theory to derail his nomination, perhaps as “revenge on behalf of the Clintons.”

Kavanaugh faces multiple accusations of sexual assault, but his nomination has been widely supported by Republicans after Trump nominated him for the powerful position.

The nominee lamented that the Senate has “replaced ‘advice and consent’ with ‘search and destroy'” because some members wanted an investigation into the serious allegations against him before giving him a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land.

He complained that there has “been a frenzy on the left to come up with something, anything to block my confirmation” and told Democratic senators they had “sowed the wind.”

Stevens, who was appointed by President Gerald Ford and retired in 2010, told the audience at his event that Kavanaugh’s unhinged performance should disqualify him from the court.

“The senators should pay attention to this,” Stevens said.

Stevens noted that he once thought Kavanaugh “had the qualifications” to be a justice, and even praised him in one of his books for his rulings.

“His performance in the hearings changed my mind,” Stevens said.

It is highly unusual for a retired justice to weigh in on a Supreme Court nomination. That Stevens is a Republican, like Kavanaugh, makes his warning about the nominee’s temperament even more notable.

In a high-pressure situation, Kavanaugh debased himself and went wild. A jurist who served on the court for over three decades saw that performance and is now raising the alarm for the entire country.

He is right, and senators should pay attention.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.