The Senate Judiciary Committee has been questioning Donald Trump’s second Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh of District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, for three days. The Democrats on the committee have justifiably complained about the vast number of documents pertaining to the nominee’s opinions that have either been arbitrarily declared confidential by the Republican majority or unprecedentedly protected by presidential privilege. Thursday morning Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) announced that he would release the confidential documents in what he called his “I am Spartacus” moment. The documents reveal Kavanaough’s views on affirmative action and racial profiling.
Needless to say this did not sit well with the Republicans on the committee who threatened Sen. Booker with expulsion. Several of his Democratic colleagues stood with him.
Booker Confidential – Kavanaugh Hearing by Senator Cory Booker on Scribd
Justice of the Supreme Court is the most important position that can be held by an American. It is the life long. It is important that Americans know a candidates views and positions on the Constitution and laws that are important to them and our democracy. This nomination is unprecedented in that is being made by a president that is under investigation for conspiring with a hostile foreign government to win the election and obstruction of justice. He has also been named as an unindicted co-conspirator in a criminal case involving his personal lawyer. While his opinions on affirmative action and racial profiling are very important, it is crucial that we know where Judge Kavanaugh stands on the separation of powers and whether any president can pardon himself of a crime. So far, the judge has avoided answering any of those questions and that is a serious issue under the current circumstances.