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The former dean of Yale weighs in on Kavanaugh?
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Oct 8, 2018 13:39:00   #
tactful Loc: just North of the District of LMAO
 
Gatsby wrote:
Nobody can honestly predict how they will react in such "heat of combat", until they have!


nearly every one of us knows this! it is like thinking you "know" what's hurricane is going to do - NOT

Reply
Oct 8, 2018 13:50:59   #
tactful Loc: just North of the District of LMAO
 
Blade_Runner wrote:
Law professors?? Right, if you can't practice law, teach it.


blade,are you suggesting lawyers,judges do not need teachers to hone their respective craft?
if so please explain,because if I couldn't play guitar anymore I know or think I know I'd be alright with teaching it
just as former professors strive to churn out the best of what they did and know best? ✌🏻️

Reply
Oct 8, 2018 14:05:48   #
pafret Loc: Northeast
 
tactful wrote:
1ST - Don't shoot the messenger,Thanks!
I got this in a news feed that seemed awfully unclear so I investigated.
this is the result of said investigation:
really getting s**k of this,should have been viewed by the committee prior IMO along with the 650 law professors who signed a similar document at both Yale and Harvard ( where he taught).

ON THE BENCH
Brett Kavanaugh Cannot Have It Both Ways

As the former dean of Yale Law School, I’m shocked by the judge’s partisan turn.

By ROBERT POST

October 06, 2018


Brett Kavanaugh and I differ on most fundamental questions of constitutional law. Nevertheless, as a former dean of the institution where he received his law degree, I have withheld comment on the merits of his appointment. I am proud of the rich diversity of views that Yale Law School has produced.

Over the past decade, Kavanaugh has been a casual acquaintance. He seemed a gentle, quiet, reserved man, always solicitous of the dignity of his position as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. It was therefore with something approaching unbelief that I heard his speech after Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony.

With calculation and sk**l, Kavanaugh stoked the fires of partisan rage and male entitlement. He had apparently concluded that the only way he could rally Republican support was by painting himself as the victim of a political hit job. He therefore offered a witches’ brew of vicious unfounded charges, alleging that Democratic members of the Senate Judicial Committee were pursuing a vendetta on behalf of the Clintons. If we expect judges to reach conclusions based solely on reliable evidence, Kavanaugh’s savage and bitter attack demonstrated exactly the opposite sensibility.

I was shell-shocked. This was not the Brett Kavanaugh I thought I knew. Having come so close to confirmation, Kavanaugh apparently cared more about his promotion than about preserving the dignity of the Supreme Court he aspired to join. Even if he sought to defend his honor as a husband and father, his unbalanced rantings about political persecution were so utterly inconsistent with the dispassionate temperament we expect from judges that one had to conclude that he had chosen ambition over professionalism.

His performance is indelibly etched in the public mind. For as long as Kavanaugh sits on the court, he will remain a symbol of partisan anger, a haunting reminder that behind the smiling face of judicial benevolence lies the force of an urgent will to power. No one who felt the force of that anger could possibly believe that Kavanaugh might actually be a detached and impartial judge. Each and every Republican who v**es for Kavanaugh, therefore, effectively announces that they care more about controlling the Supreme Court than they do about the legitimacy of the court itself. There will be hell to pay.

I was in the end prompted to write this essay because, on Thursday, Kavanaugh published a remarkable op-ed in the Wall Street Journal in which he apologized for his rash words and attempted to reclaim for himself the “independence and impartiality” so necessary for judges. But judicial temperament is not like a mask that can be put on or taken off at will. Judicial temperament is more than skin-deep. It is part of the DNA of a person, as is well illustrated by Merrick Garland, who never once descended to the partisan rancor of Kavanaugh, despite the Senate’s refusal even to dignify his nomination with a hearing.

Judge Kavanaugh cannot have it both ways. He cannot gain confirmation by unleashing partisan fury while simultaneously claiming that he possesses a judicial and impartial temperament. If Kavanaugh really cared about the integrity and independence of the Supreme Court, he would even now withdraw from consideration.

But I see no evidence that he is about to withdraw. Kavanaugh will thus join the court as the black-robed embodiment of raw partisan power inconsistent with any ideal of an impartial judiciary. As the court moves to the right to accommodate Trump’s appointments, Kavanaugh will inevitably become the focus of distrust and mobilization. His very presence will undermine the court’s claim to legitimacy; it will damage the nation’s commitment to the rule of law. It will be an American tragedy.


Robert Post is Sterling professor at Yale Law School. This article is adapted from its original version, which appeared on the blog Take Care
1ST - Don't shoot the messenger,Thanks! br I got t... (show quote)


Professor Post provided no new information on Kavanaugh's suitablility other than what was apparent after the vetting process was complete and the scurrilous charges had been made by Partisan politicians via their stalking horse Ford.

Disagreement on Constitutional issues means only one of them was correct and the other wrong In view of Professor Post's self-lauding approbation of multiple views of the Constitution at Yale, his remarks are discardable. There cannot be a plethora of correct interpretations of the Constitution and such diversity is a sign of very poor scholarship.

What he characterized as Kavanaugh's outburst as devious Partisan faux rage was in fact rage against the very partisanship, of which, Professor Post accuses him. A man's reputation and career is in shambles, his family is receiving death threats and it is all due to a scheme to generate this uproar and destroy his nomination at the same time violating his due process rights. Post thinks it is "partisan"of him to protest.

In the Burr Hamilton days this would have been pistols at dawn. In the early wild west it would be settled in blood on the dirt streets. In our times we have courts and this was no court or semblance of any court ever known. Sneaky introduction of unprovable accusations designed to agitate the loonie sector of our populace who would have you believe a woman never lies or practices deceit, particularly about matters sexual.

No woman eve had a "headache", no man ever wore the "horns" or heard the call of the cuckoo.

Reply
 
 
Oct 8, 2018 14:13:29   #
Liberty Tree
 
tactful wrote:
huh? a former dean is motive for not speaking out?so called fluff has merit as do all the Law professors.
one would think at least in my opinion they all can't be wrong on many points made throughout what 650 of them signed that should have been seen at some point before.


Hand searched liberal law professors. You believe they all came up with this independently with no outside coordination?

Reply
Oct 8, 2018 14:14:09   #
son of witless
 
tactful wrote:
1ST - Don't shoot the messenger,Thanks!
I got this in a news feed that seemed awfully unclear so I investigated.
this is the result of said investigation:
really getting s**k of this,should have been viewed by the committee prior IMO along with the 650 law professors who signed a similar document at both Yale and Harvard ( where he taught).

ON THE BENCH
Brett Kavanaugh Cannot Have It Both Ways

As the former dean of Yale Law School, I’m shocked by the judge’s partisan turn.

By ROBERT POST

October 06, 2018


Brett Kavanaugh and I differ on most fundamental questions of constitutional law. Nevertheless, as a former dean of the institution where he received his law degree, I have withheld comment on the merits of his appointment. I am proud of the rich diversity of views that Yale Law School has produced.

Over the past decade, Kavanaugh has been a casual acquaintance. He seemed a gentle, quiet, reserved man, always solicitous of the dignity of his position as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. It was therefore with something approaching unbelief that I heard his speech after Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony.

With calculation and sk**l, Kavanaugh stoked the fires of partisan rage and male entitlement. He had apparently concluded that the only way he could rally Republican support was by painting himself as the victim of a political hit job. He therefore offered a witches’ brew of vicious unfounded charges, alleging that Democratic members of the Senate Judicial Committee were pursuing a vendetta on behalf of the Clintons. If we expect judges to reach conclusions based solely on reliable evidence, Kavanaugh’s savage and bitter attack demonstrated exactly the opposite sensibility.

I was shell-shocked. This was not the Brett Kavanaugh I thought I knew. Having come so close to confirmation, Kavanaugh apparently cared more about his promotion than about preserving the dignity of the Supreme Court he aspired to join. Even if he sought to defend his honor as a husband and father, his unbalanced rantings about political persecution were so utterly inconsistent with the dispassionate temperament we expect from judges that one had to conclude that he had chosen ambition over professionalism.

His performance is indelibly etched in the public mind. For as long as Kavanaugh sits on the court, he will remain a symbol of partisan anger, a haunting reminder that behind the smiling face of judicial benevolence lies the force of an urgent will to power. No one who felt the force of that anger could possibly believe that Kavanaugh might actually be a detached and impartial judge. Each and every Republican who v**es for Kavanaugh, therefore, effectively announces that they care more about controlling the Supreme Court than they do about the legitimacy of the court itself. There will be hell to pay.

I was in the end prompted to write this essay because, on Thursday, Kavanaugh published a remarkable op-ed in the Wall Street Journal in which he apologized for his rash words and attempted to reclaim for himself the “independence and impartiality” so necessary for judges. But judicial temperament is not like a mask that can be put on or taken off at will. Judicial temperament is more than skin-deep. It is part of the DNA of a person, as is well illustrated by Merrick Garland, who never once descended to the partisan rancor of Kavanaugh, despite the Senate’s refusal even to dignify his nomination with a hearing.

Judge Kavanaugh cannot have it both ways. He cannot gain confirmation by unleashing partisan fury while simultaneously claiming that he possesses a judicial and impartial temperament. If Kavanaugh really cared about the integrity and independence of the Supreme Court, he would even now withdraw from consideration.

But I see no evidence that he is about to withdraw. Kavanaugh will thus join the court as the black-robed embodiment of raw partisan power inconsistent with any ideal of an impartial judiciary. As the court moves to the right to accommodate Trump’s appointments, Kavanaugh will inevitably become the focus of distrust and mobilization. His very presence will undermine the court’s claim to legitimacy; it will damage the nation’s commitment to the rule of law. It will be an American tragedy.


Robert Post is Sterling professor at Yale Law School. This article is adapted from its original version, which appeared on the blog Take Care
1ST - Don't shoot the messenger,Thanks! br I got t... (show quote)


Wasn't this guy at Berekely Law school before Yale ? Berekely ?????????

Reply
Oct 8, 2018 14:44:10   #
Blade_Runner Loc: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
 
tactful wrote:
blade,are you suggesting lawyers,judges do not need teachers to hone their respective craft?
if so please explain,because if I couldn't play guitar anymore I know or think I know I'd be alright with teaching it
just as former professors strive to churn out the best of what they did and know best? ✌🏻️


The greatest teacher is experience. I am a musician, guitar and bagpipes, and I was taught by experienced musicians. I practiced and played for years before I was able to begin effectively teaching students. If you were no longer able to play the guitar, if you could not demonstrate fingering and picking techniques, chords and chord progressions, scales, riffs and licks, in other words, show and tell, how could you expect your student to learn anything?

Reply
Oct 8, 2018 15:38:23   #
pafret Loc: Northeast
 
Blade_Runner wrote:
The greatest teacher is experience. I am a musician, guitar and bagpipes, and I was taught by experienced musicians. I practiced and played for years before I was able to begin effectively teaching students. If you were no longer able to play the guitar, if you could not demonstrate fingering and picking techniques, chords and chord progressions, scales, riffs and licks, in other words, show and tell, how could you expect your student to learn anything?


Point well made and a good refutation of the old saw "Those who can -- do and those who can't -- teach."

Reply
 
 
Oct 8, 2018 15:57:18   #
zillaorange
 
crazylibertarian wrote:
Amen! It's one thing to sit & soberly evaluate evidence against someone else and very difficult to assess it against yourself.


It's the academons try to subvert AMERICA from the inside ! Lincoln gave us FAIR WARNING !

Reply
Oct 8, 2018 20:21:51   #
Doctor Dave Loc: Madisonville, Tx.
 
Also, if you practice law when you be good enough to apply it?

Reply
Oct 9, 2018 05:56:15   #
Peewee Loc: San Antonio, TX
 
tactful wrote:
1ST - Don't shoot the messenger,Thanks!
I got this in a news feed that seemed awfully unclear so I investigated.
this is the result of said investigation:
really getting s**k of this,should have been viewed by the committee prior IMO along with the 650 law professors who signed a similar document at both Yale and Harvard ( where he taught).

ON THE BENCH
Brett Kavanaugh Cannot Have It Both Ways

As the former dean of Yale Law School, I’m shocked by the judge’s partisan turn.

By ROBERT POST

October 06, 2018


Brett Kavanaugh and I differ on most fundamental questions of constitutional law. Nevertheless, as a former dean of the institution where he received his law degree, I have withheld comment on the merits of his appointment. I am proud of the rich diversity of views that Yale Law School has produced.

Over the past decade, Kavanaugh has been a casual acquaintance. He seemed a gentle, quiet, reserved man, always solicitous of the dignity of his position as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. It was therefore with something approaching unbelief that I heard his speech after Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony.

With calculation and sk**l, Kavanaugh stoked the fires of partisan rage and male entitlement. He had apparently concluded that the only way he could rally Republican support was by painting himself as the victim of a political hit job. He therefore offered a witches’ brew of vicious unfounded charges, alleging that Democratic members of the Senate Judicial Committee were pursuing a vendetta on behalf of the Clintons. If we expect judges to reach conclusions based solely on reliable evidence, Kavanaugh’s savage and bitter attack demonstrated exactly the opposite sensibility.

I was shell-shocked. This was not the Brett Kavanaugh I thought I knew. Having come so close to confirmation, Kavanaugh apparently cared more about his promotion than about preserving the dignity of the Supreme Court he aspired to join. Even if he sought to defend his honor as a husband and father, his unbalanced rantings about political persecution were so utterly inconsistent with the dispassionate temperament we expect from judges that one had to conclude that he had chosen ambition over professionalism.

His performance is indelibly etched in the public mind. For as long as Kavanaugh sits on the court, he will remain a symbol of partisan anger, a haunting reminder that behind the smiling face of judicial benevolence lies the force of an urgent will to power. No one who felt the force of that anger could possibly believe that Kavanaugh might actually be a detached and impartial judge. Each and every Republican who v**es for Kavanaugh, therefore, effectively announces that they care more about controlling the Supreme Court than they do about the legitimacy of the court itself. There will be hell to pay.

I was in the end prompted to write this essay because, on Thursday, Kavanaugh published a remarkable op-ed in the Wall Street Journal in which he apologized for his rash words and attempted to reclaim for himself the “independence and impartiality” so necessary for judges. But judicial temperament is not like a mask that can be put on or taken off at will. Judicial temperament is more than skin-deep. It is part of the DNA of a person, as is well illustrated by Merrick Garland, who never once descended to the partisan rancor of Kavanaugh, despite the Senate’s refusal even to dignify his nomination with a hearing.

Judge Kavanaugh cannot have it both ways. He cannot gain confirmation by unleashing partisan fury while simultaneously claiming that he possesses a judicial and impartial temperament. If Kavanaugh really cared about the integrity and independence of the Supreme Court, he would even now withdraw from consideration.

But I see no evidence that he is about to withdraw. Kavanaugh will thus join the court as the black-robed embodiment of raw partisan power inconsistent with any ideal of an impartial judiciary. As the court moves to the right to accommodate Trump’s appointments, Kavanaugh will inevitably become the focus of distrust and mobilization. His very presence will undermine the court’s claim to legitimacy; it will damage the nation’s commitment to the rule of law. It will be an American tragedy.


Robert Post is Sterling professor at Yale Law School. This article is adapted from its original version, which appeared on the blog Take Care
1ST - Don't shoot the messenger,Thanks! br I got t... (show quote)


1. What is a "Sterling" professor?

2. Bang, bang!


Reply
Oct 9, 2018 07:22:10   #
slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas
 
Peewee wrote:
1. What is a "Sterling" professor?

2. Bang, bang!


Morning, Peewee!

'Sterling Professor' is the highest academic rank at Yale University, awarded to a tenured faculty member considered one of the best in his or her field. It is akin to the rank of university professor at other universities.

https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2002/02/26/sterling-professorships-distinguish-yales-top-scholars/

Reply
 
 
Oct 9, 2018 08:38:32   #
valkyrierider Loc: "Land of Trump"
 
tactful wrote:
1ST - Don't shoot the messenger,Thanks!
I got this in a news feed that seemed awfully unclear so I investigated.
this is the result of said investigation:
really getting s**k of this,should have been viewed by the committee prior IMO along with the 650 law professors who signed a similar document at both Yale and Harvard ( where he taught).

ON THE BENCH
Brett Kavanaugh Cannot Have It Both Ways

As the former dean of Yale Law School, I’m shocked by the judge’s partisan turn.

By ROBERT POST

October 06, 2018


Brett Kavanaugh and I differ on most fundamental questions of constitutional law. Nevertheless, as a former dean of the institution where he received his law degree, I have withheld comment on the merits of his appointment. I am proud of the rich diversity of views that Yale Law School has produced.

Over the past decade, Kavanaugh has been a casual acquaintance. He seemed a gentle, quiet, reserved man, always solicitous of the dignity of his position as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. It was therefore with something approaching unbelief that I heard his speech after Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony.

With calculation and sk**l, Kavanaugh stoked the fires of partisan rage and male entitlement. He had apparently concluded that the only way he could rally Republican support was by painting himself as the victim of a political hit job. He therefore offered a witches’ brew of vicious unfounded charges, alleging that Democratic members of the Senate Judicial Committee were pursuing a vendetta on behalf of the Clintons. If we expect judges to reach conclusions based solely on reliable evidence, Kavanaugh’s savage and bitter attack demonstrated exactly the opposite sensibility.

I was shell-shocked. This was not the Brett Kavanaugh I thought I knew. Having come so close to confirmation, Kavanaugh apparently cared more about his promotion than about preserving the dignity of the Supreme Court he aspired to join. Even if he sought to defend his honor as a husband and father, his unbalanced rantings about political persecution were so utterly inconsistent with the dispassionate temperament we expect from judges that one had to conclude that he had chosen ambition over professionalism.

His performance is indelibly etched in the public mind. For as long as Kavanaugh sits on the court, he will remain a symbol of partisan anger, a haunting reminder that behind the smiling face of judicial benevolence lies the force of an urgent will to power. No one who felt the force of that anger could possibly believe that Kavanaugh might actually be a detached and impartial judge. Each and every Republican who v**es for Kavanaugh, therefore, effectively announces that they care more about controlling the Supreme Court than they do about the legitimacy of the court itself. There will be hell to pay.

I was in the end prompted to write this essay because, on Thursday, Kavanaugh published a remarkable op-ed in the Wall Street Journal in which he apologized for his rash words and attempted to reclaim for himself the “independence and impartiality” so necessary for judges. But judicial temperament is not like a mask that can be put on or taken off at will. Judicial temperament is more than skin-deep. It is part of the DNA of a person, as is well illustrated by Merrick Garland, who never once descended to the partisan rancor of Kavanaugh, despite the Senate’s refusal even to dignify his nomination with a hearing.

Judge Kavanaugh cannot have it both ways. He cannot gain confirmation by unleashing partisan fury while simultaneously claiming that he possesses a judicial and impartial temperament. If Kavanaugh really cared about the integrity and independence of the Supreme Court, he would even now withdraw from consideration.

But I see no evidence that he is about to withdraw. Kavanaugh will thus join the court as the black-robed embodiment of raw partisan power inconsistent with any ideal of an impartial judiciary. As the court moves to the right to accommodate Trump’s appointments, Kavanaugh will inevitably become the focus of distrust and mobilization. His very presence will undermine the court’s claim to legitimacy; it will damage the nation’s commitment to the rule of law. It will be an American tragedy.


Robert Post is Sterling professor at Yale Law School. This article is adapted from its original version, which appeared on the blog Take Care
1ST - Don't shoot the messenger,Thanks! br I got t... (show quote)





Even a mouse will roar like a lion to defend himself when he is about to die. Kavanaugh roared loud enough to save his and did not give up. I commend the man for roaring. Way better than laying down and crying to die.

Reply
Oct 9, 2018 08:39:16   #
padremike Loc: Phenix City, Al
 
byronglimish wrote:
Kavanaugh fought fire with fire, no need for all of the hoopla.


Kavanaugh was sucker punched and he fought back. I'd expect it. Democrats have been dirty, full of lies and deceit for so long it's become their expected normal behavior. One party has normalized violence and lies and ain't the GOP.

Reply
Oct 9, 2018 08:59:06   #
badbobby Loc: texas
 
tactful wrote:
1ST - Don't shoot the messenger,Thanks!
I got this in a news feed that seemed awfully unclear so I investigated.
this is the result of said investigation:
really getting s**k of this,should have been viewed by the committee prior IMO along with the 650 law professors who signed a similar document at both Yale and Harvard ( where he taught).

ON THE BENCH
Brett Kavanaugh Cannot Have It Both Ways

As the former dean of Yale Law School, I’m shocked by the judge’s partisan turn.

By ROBERT POST

wonder which party Prof Frost belongs to????

October 06, 2018


Brett Kavanaugh and I differ on most fundamental questions of constitutional law. Nevertheless, as a former dean of the institution where he received his law degree, I have withheld comment on the merits of his appointment. I am proud of the rich diversity of views that Yale Law School has produced.

Over the past decade, Kavanaugh has been a casual acquaintance. He seemed a gentle, quiet, reserved man, always solicitous of the dignity of his position as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. It was therefore with something approaching unbelief that I heard his speech after Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony.

With calculation and sk**l, Kavanaugh stoked the fires of partisan rage and male entitlement. He had apparently concluded that the only way he could rally Republican support was by painting himself as the victim of a political hit job. He therefore offered a witches’ brew of vicious unfounded charges, alleging that Democratic members of the Senate Judicial Committee were pursuing a vendetta on behalf of the Clintons. If we expect judges to reach conclusions based solely on reliable evidence, Kavanaugh’s savage and bitter attack demonstrated exactly the opposite sensibility.

I was shell-shocked. This was not the Brett Kavanaugh I thought I knew. Having come so close to confirmation, Kavanaugh apparently cared more about his promotion than about preserving the dignity of the Supreme Court he aspired to join. Even if he sought to defend his honor as a husband and father, his unbalanced rantings about political persecution were so utterly inconsistent with the dispassionate temperament we expect from judges that one had to conclude that he had chosen ambition over professionalism.

His performance is indelibly etched in the public mind. For as long as Kavanaugh sits on the court, he will remain a symbol of partisan anger, a haunting reminder that behind the smiling face of judicial benevolence lies the force of an urgent will to power. No one who felt the force of that anger could possibly believe that Kavanaugh might actually be a detached and impartial judge. Each and every Republican who v**es for Kavanaugh, therefore, effectively announces that they care more about controlling the Supreme Court than they do about the legitimacy of the court itself. There will be hell to pay.

I was in the end prompted to write this essay because, on Thursday, Kavanaugh published a remarkable op-ed in the Wall Street Journal in which he apologized for his rash words and attempted to reclaim for himself the “independence and impartiality” so necessary for judges. But judicial temperament is not like a mask that can be put on or taken off at will. Judicial temperament is more than skin-deep. It is part of the DNA of a person, as is well illustrated by Merrick Garland, who never once descended to the partisan rancor of Kavanaugh, despite the Senate’s refusal even to dignify his nomination with a hearing.

Judge Kavanaugh cannot have it both ways. He cannot gain confirmation by unleashing partisan fury while simultaneously claiming that he possesses a judicial and impartial temperament. If Kavanaugh really cared about the integrity and independence of the Supreme Court, he would even now withdraw from consideration.

But I see no evidence that he is about to withdraw. Kavanaugh will thus join the court as the black-robed embodiment of raw partisan power inconsistent with any ideal of an impartial judiciary. As the court moves to the right to accommodate Trump’s appointments, Kavanaugh will inevitably become the focus of distrust and mobilization. His very presence will undermine the court’s claim to legitimacy; it will damage the nation’s commitment to the rule of law. It will be an American tragedy.


Robert Post is Sterling professor at Yale Law School. This article is adapted from its original version, which appeared on the blog Take Care
1ST - Don't shoot the messenger,Thanks! br I got t... (show quote)

Reply
Oct 9, 2018 09:58:29   #
popparod Loc: Somewhere else.
 
Just like with airfArce one and Kevie,
Who really gives a crap what they think.







tactful wrote:
1ST - Don't shoot the messenger,Thanks!
I got this in a news feed that seemed awfully unclear so I investigated.
this is the result of said investigation:
really getting s**k of this,should have been viewed by the committee prior IMO along with the 650 law professors who signed a similar document at both Yale and Harvard ( where he taught).

ON THE BENCH
Brett Kavanaugh Cannot Have It Both Ways

As the former dean of Yale Law School, I’m shocked by the judge’s partisan turn.

By ROBERT POST

October 06, 2018


Brett Kavanaugh and I differ on most fundamental questions of constitutional law. Nevertheless, as a former dean of the institution where he received his law degree, I have withheld comment on the merits of his appointment. I am proud of the rich diversity of views that Yale Law School has produced.

Over the past decade, Kavanaugh has been a casual acquaintance. He seemed a gentle, quiet, reserved man, always solicitous of the dignity of his position as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. It was therefore with something approaching unbelief that I heard his speech after Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony.

With calculation and sk**l, Kavanaugh stoked the fires of partisan rage and male entitlement. He had apparently concluded that the only way he could rally Republican support was by painting himself as the victim of a political hit job. He therefore offered a witches’ brew of vicious unfounded charges, alleging that Democratic members of the Senate Judicial Committee were pursuing a vendetta on behalf of the Clintons. If we expect judges to reach conclusions based solely on reliable evidence, Kavanaugh’s savage and bitter attack demonstrated exactly the opposite sensibility.

I was shell-shocked. This was not the Brett Kavanaugh I thought I knew. Having come so close to confirmation, Kavanaugh apparently cared more about his promotion than about preserving the dignity of the Supreme Court he aspired to join. Even if he sought to defend his honor as a husband and father, his unbalanced rantings about political persecution were so utterly inconsistent with the dispassionate temperament we expect from judges that one had to conclude that he had chosen ambition over professionalism.

His performance is indelibly etched in the public mind. For as long as Kavanaugh sits on the court, he will remain a symbol of partisan anger, a haunting reminder that behind the smiling face of judicial benevolence lies the force of an urgent will to power. No one who felt the force of that anger could possibly believe that Kavanaugh might actually be a detached and impartial judge. Each and every Republican who v**es for Kavanaugh, therefore, effectively announces that they care more about controlling the Supreme Court than they do about the legitimacy of the court itself. There will be hell to pay.

I was in the end prompted to write this essay because, on Thursday, Kavanaugh published a remarkable op-ed in the Wall Street Journal in which he apologized for his rash words and attempted to reclaim for himself the “independence and impartiality” so necessary for judges. But judicial temperament is not like a mask that can be put on or taken off at will. Judicial temperament is more than skin-deep. It is part of the DNA of a person, as is well illustrated by Merrick Garland, who never once descended to the partisan rancor of Kavanaugh, despite the Senate’s refusal even to dignify his nomination with a hearing.

Judge Kavanaugh cannot have it both ways. He cannot gain confirmation by unleashing partisan fury while simultaneously claiming that he possesses a judicial and impartial temperament. If Kavanaugh really cared about the integrity and independence of the Supreme Court, he would even now withdraw from consideration.

But I see no evidence that he is about to withdraw. Kavanaugh will thus join the court as the black-robed embodiment of raw partisan power inconsistent with any ideal of an impartial judiciary. As the court moves to the right to accommodate Trump’s appointments, Kavanaugh will inevitably become the focus of distrust and mobilization. His very presence will undermine the court’s claim to legitimacy; it will damage the nation’s commitment to the rule of law. It will be an American tragedy.


Robert Post is Sterling professor at Yale Law School. This article is adapted from its original version, which appeared on the blog Take Care
1ST - Don't shoot the messenger,Thanks! br I got t... (show quote)

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