Catholic Magazine Withdraws Endorsement for Kavanaugh
According to The Guardian: America Magazine, the only Catholic weekly magazine in North America, has withdrawn its previous endorsement of Kavanaugh. “While we previously endorsed the nomination of Judge Kavanaugh on the basis of his legal credentials and his reputation as a committed textualist, it is now clear that the nomination should be withdrawn,” the editors wrote. They continued:
If this were a question of establishing Judge Kavanaugh’s legal or moral responsibility for the assault described by Dr Blasey, then far more stringent standards of proof would apply. His presumption of innocence might settle the matter in his favor, absent further investigation and new evidence. But the question is not solely about Judge Kavanaugh’s responsibility, nor is it any longer primarily about his qualifications. Rather it is about the prudence of his nomination and potential confirmation. In addition to being a fight over policy issues, which it already was, his nomination has also become a referendum on how to address allegations of sexual assault.
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) has also been involved heavily in commenting.
The Supreme Court "should be above politics", Leahy says.
Kavanaugh will change that.
"Every one of us who's been a prosecutor has seen how hard it is sometimes for victims to come forward, and are we sending the signal - you stay there! Don't come forward!" Leahy says, impassioned, gesturing.
"How this committee handles this nomination will be viewed as a reflection of how seriously our society views credible claims of sexual misconduct."
"Remember, Dr Ford is not backed by the most powerful officials in our nation's government," he says.
"She did not testify with a job promotion on the line. She did not evade our questions and she did not demean our motives, of either Republicans or Democrats. She instead, plainly, with grace, and at times emotionally, recounted the trauma she experienced as a 15-year-old girl."
Leahy says Kavanaugh is worse than Clarence Thomas, the current serving Supreme Court justice who was narrowly confirmed after being accused of sexual assault in the 1991.
Senator Leahy continues to say that "as a member of this committee, as a former prosecutor, as a husband, as a parent" he found Ford's testimony credible. As did everyone on the committee."
"The same cannot be said for Judge Kavanaugh," he says.
The senator says the nominee cannot be depended upon to tell the truth under oath.
"Time and time again when confronted under oath about his involvement... in controversial matters, Judge Kavanaugh misled the Senate. The fact that he's misled the Senate over and over again does not make him guilty of sexual assault as a 17 year old. Nor does the fact that he minimised the heavy drinking in his youth and misrepresented the misogyny in his yearbook."
"But it does go to the heart of Judge Kavanaugh's truthfulness."
"He falsely claimed over and over again that every other person in the house said the assault didn't happen. That's just not true!" Leahy says, raising his voice.
"The only person who has claimed this incident didn't happen is Brett Kavanaugh - the others say they have no knowledge or memory of it. Just as Dr Ford assumed they'd say given for them, it was an ordinary night."
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