The Daily - Thursday, October 4, 2018 (PM)

THE KAVANAUGH QUESTION: JUSTICE OR POLITICS?

With the FBI brief investigation completed, and with the ultra-secret handling of the report, the whole nomination vote comes down to this: will senators act based on what is just or based on what the party affiliation dictates?

It is not hard to imagine that the accusations on Judge Kavanaugh were politically motivated. It would not be the first time that dirty politics are used as a means to an end.

Yet, it is also not difficult to imagine that these acts did happen more than three decades ago. If so, the acts are not justifiable. And we must ask ourselves: is the Kavanaugh of 30 years ago the same Kavanaugh of today? Did we not all make mistakes in our youth, some of them serious, mistakes that we would never make today?

I am not condoning, in any way, sexual assault or misconduct such as Judge Kavanaugh has been accused of. But I also recognize that the accusations were for actions that happened in a very different place and time culturally. They were wrong then, as they are wrong today, and if Judge Kavanaugh indeed conducted himself in such despicable fashion, he needs to deal with that sooner rather than later.

The other part of this whole process is the lack of evidence. Even the best FBI investigation would be suspect without evidence. Interviewing a thousand witnesses would only offer minor clarity to one side or the other. Law enforcement almost always needs evidence to make determinations about possible criminal offences. 

And so it comes down to politics. Will senators decide the nomination based on Judge Kavanaugh's legal merits and career? Or will this be a partisan vote regardless of obvious facts?

My heart goes out to Doctor Blasey Ford and all other victims of sexual attacks. As a man, I apologize to all of you for the hurt that other men have inflicted on you.

As a liberal, I resent the fact that President Obama was cheated of the opportunity to appoint a Supreme Court judge when he had every legal right to do so. Dirty politics were certainly played then.

I suspect Judge Kavanaugh will be the newest Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. That will impact our country for decades, possibly for generations.

In the grand scheme of things we need to remember that "this too shall pass."