Republicans hatch a plan
Orrin Hatch should be ashamed of himself.
The Republican Senator from Utah has become the poster boy for boldfaced hypocrisy.
Twenty-seven years ago, in October 1991, he was one of the Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee who ran interference for Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas.
Law professor and Yale Law School graduate Anita Hill testified that she’d been the victim of Thomas’ seriously improper behavior when she worked for him in the early 1980’s.
Hatch was one of the committee members who grilled Hill like she’d really been an overeager schoolgirl with a crush.
It was an unseemly spectacle played out in front of a national television audience.
Hatch wanted to have an FBI investigation into Hill’s claims back then.
“I want you to order an FBI investigation. I want some people who aren’t affiliated with the Senate to look into this matter.,” Hatch said during the open hearing.
That investigation only lasted two days.
The hearing proceeded, and Thomas was handed his seat on the high court, despite Hill’s testimony that he’d been engaged in some highly unseemly behavior.
Hatch is still on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
There are a lot of similarities between Anita Hill’s claims and those of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford regarding Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
But Hatch changed his tune about the efficacy of FBI investigations that could support or refute claims of inappropriate behavior by Supreme Court nominees.
“The FBI does not do investigations like this. The responsibility falls to us. We should proceed as planned,” Hatch tweeted last week.
Hatch probably had no idea that video tape of him expressing the direct opposite is readily available.
Nor is Hatch aware that he sounded just like a Neanderthal when he was asked if Ford’s claims that she’d been nearly raped by Kavanagh are legitimate.
“No, I don’t. I think this woman, whoever she is, is mixed up,” he told a reporter.
Without ever meeting the woman, hearing the woman speak or even seeing more than a fuzzy picture of her – Hatch believes she probably wasn’t telling the truth. Or, that she has a foggy memory of an unbelievably devastating event that, in reality, she can never forget.
Yeesh!
Unsurprisingly, he does give Brett Kavanaugh high marks.
“I know the judge very, very well. I know how honest he is; how straightforward he is. I know how he stands up for what he believes, and what’s right. Frankly, if you were going to believe anybody, you’d believe him,” Hatch beamed.
I don’t know where to start with that kind of statement.
Let’s start here: How many times have you seen the next-door neighbor of a murderer interviewed, and they tell the reporter, “He was quiet. He didn’t bother anybody. I can’t believe he did it”?
That’s how ridiculous it sounds for a longtime U.S. Senator to declare that a man is “honest” after he’s been accused of trying to force himself on a woman.
Hatch should have been told during one of his 84 years that you can’t judge a book (or a judge, for that matter) by its cover.
Hatch isn’t the only Republican still on the Judiciary Committee after standing in judgement of Anita Hill back in 1991.
The current chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Charles Grassley of Iowa, was a member then, too.
Grassley has taken a hardline toward Ford. (although he claims he hasn’t)
He’s in a rush to get his (and the president’s) nominee confirmed so that he can be seated on the first day of the upcoming court session – Oct. 1.
Democrats aren’t enthusiastic about filling the ninth seat on the court – especially in a hurry.
Republicans refused to hold hearings for President Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland, thus the court functioned with only eight justices for 420 days, until their nominee Neil Gorsuch was seated.
Democrats believe Republicans stole that seat.
These are different times than in 1991.
But are they?
Some of the Republican players are still the same.
Edward A. Owens is a multi-Emmy Award winner, former reporter and anchor for Entertainment Tonight and 20-year TV news veteran. Email him at freedoms@bellatlantic.net.