WEBVTT

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[ MUSIC ] 

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The 

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dramatic confirmation hearings for Judge Brett 

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Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court reveal a 

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new status quo for how modern day justice Justices are 

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confirmed. The hearings have been a highly partisan 

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spectacle with both party's political goals taking center 

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stage. If Kavanagh is confirmed by the Republican lead 

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Senate, the conservative leaning judge from the US Court 

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of Appeals for the DC Circuit would cement a conservative 

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majority on the high High court for the next generation. But 

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despite their Senate minority status, the Democrats have 

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made it clear that they're not going to just roll over during 

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the process. Time and again they've tried to shut down the 

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hearing by complaining that Republicans are withholding 

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documents around Kavanaugh's extensive legal career. 

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And Need to press the candidate for his viewpoints on 

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abortion rights, affirmative action, and other major social 

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issues. Can you think of any laws that give the government 

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the power to make decisions about the male body? Trump 

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claims he has an absolute right to pardon himself, does 

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he? Meanwhile, Republicans have accused Democrats of 

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political grandstanding Grandstanding as they race to 

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confirm Kavanaugh before the Supreme Court session 

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begins in October. And well before midterms in November 

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to ensure they hold the high courts swing seat. 

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Unfortunately we have all these interest groups screaming 

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from the sidelines and putting pressure on my Democratic 

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collegues to make this hearing about politics. To make it 

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about pretty much anything except Judge Kavanaugh and 

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his qualifications. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg provided a 

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scathing critique of the poppin show as of late saying this at 

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George Washington University. Adversity. The way it was 

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was right. The way it is is wrong. Think 

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of Justice Scoliea who's certainly a known character. The 

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vote was unanimous, every Democrat and every 

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Republican voted for him. But that's they way it should 

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be. Instead of where this has become a highly partisan 

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show. Bug Ginsburg's remarks came prior to Christine 

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Basley Ford's allegation that Kavanaugh sexually 

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assaulted her at a party in the 1980s when they were both 

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teenagers in high school. Kavanaugh denied these 

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allegations saying, this is a completely false allegation. I 

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have never done anything like what the accuser described. 

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To her Or to anyone. The Senate Judiciary Committee 

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moved to push back Kavanaugh's hearing timeline to hold 

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a public hearing on September 24th so both Kavanaugh 

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and Ford can share their testimony on the assault 

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allegations. But the date is not set, because Ford wants a 

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full investigation by law enforcement officials before any 

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senate hearing. Previously, Justice Clarence Thomas' 

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confirmation in 1991 stood alone as one of the most 

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Contentious in U. S. history. The allegations against 

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Kavanaugh draw additional eerie parallels to Thomas's 

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confirmation. Then- nominee Thomas was accused by his 

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former aide, Anita Hill, for sexual harassment. Hill testified 

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Before the Senate judiciary committee and became the 

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face of what was at the time arguably the biggest sexual 

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harrasment case the country ever saw. But conservative 

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Thomas still won the confirmation with a 52 to 48 vote. At at 

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time when the Senate was controlled by Democrats. Since 

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then, there's been a consistent decline in the number of 

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senators willing to cross party lines to confirm a Supreme 

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Court nominee. In 1993, President Clinton's nominee, 

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg won with a 96 to 3 vote. In 

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2005 President George W. Bush's nominee, Chief Justice 

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John G Roberts Roberts Jr. won on a 78- 22 vote. In 2009, 

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President Obama's nominee Justice Sonia Sotomayor won 

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on a 68- 31 vote. And last year, Gorsuch, President 

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Trump's nominee, won by a 54- 45 vote. Senators from 

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both major parties often share their desire for a neutral 

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judge who will follow the law and rule fairly without bias. Is. 

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But their actions tell a different story. In July of 2016, 

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Republicans joined together to block even a hearing for 

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Chief Judge Merrick Garland, of the D. C. Circuit Court of 

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Appeals, who is regarded as highly qualified and was 

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Obama's nominee. The shift from bipartisan governing, and 

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increasingly polarized Supreme Court nominations are 

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what some say is the result of an unhealthy Healthy trend 

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in congress. Nebraska republican senator Ben Sasse 

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summarized the dilemma. Is that this transfer of power 

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means the people yearn for a place where politics can 

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actually be done, and when we don't do a lot of big 

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Through a political debating here. We transfer it to the 

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supreme court. And that's why the supreme court is 

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increasingly a substitute political battle ground in America. 

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It is not healthy, but it is what happen. And it's something 

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that our founders wouldn't be able to make. Make any 

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sense of. As it stands, to block Kavanaugh's confirmation, 

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Democrats would need two Republicans to reject his 

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nomination in addition to unanimous opposition support 

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within their own party.