But Gonnella isn’t excited about it

by Elliot Gonnella
Columnist

The most powerful check/balance the executive branch has on the judicial branch is nominating a justice to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court of the United States is the most powerful judicial authority in the nation, able to set precedence for decades.

However, the nomination process can be filled with controversy and political bickering.

Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court, went through four days of what could only be called organized chaos. Perhaps most notably, previously withheld documentation was released at the last moment, making it nearly impossible to analyze, let alone use.

Unless something drastic happens during the hearings, I have little doubt that Kavanaugh will be confirmed. Several Republican senators have to vote against Kavanaugh, or he will be confirmed.

Since that is the reality, a closer look at Kavanaugh shows that, for the most part, the criticism is warranted. He has voiced his belief that the wall between church and state should be weakened, especially in schools.  This is concerning because the only religion that goes through that weakened wall is Christianity, and even then, only a select few flavors of it.

His stance on abortion and women’s rights is hypocritical. He claimed the law was settled, but in a released email he said, “I am not sure that all legal scholars refer to Roe as the settled law of the land at the Supreme Court level since Court can always overrule its precedent.” When asked at his hearing if he was aware of any laws restricting the male body, he stumbled.

Kavanaugh has a mixed record on privacy, the right to peacefully assemble and labeling laws. He is, perhaps, a good representation of the current political atmosphere.

On the surface, he does appear to be moderate. He paints himself as a voice of reason in a divided country, someone who interprets the constitution as the founders intended. But looking deeper, he seems to be more of a confidence man, one who is willing to say anything for power.

During the hearing, he dodged questions about Trump’s ability to pardon himself. I cannot hold any hope that if/when that ability is tested in front of the Supreme Court with Trump still in office that Kavanaugh would be unbiased or recues himself. 

If he is confirmed to the court, will he be the worst judge to sit on the esteemed bench? I wouldn’t say so; it would take plenty to be worse than Clarence Thomas or Antonin Scalia.

I think I already know the outcome of this confirmation, but if there is anything to be learned from the past two years, always plan on the unexpected.