Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07), the Republican nominee in this November’s U.S. Senate race, released a strong statement of support for President Trump’s nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh, on Tuesday, the day the Senate Judiciary Committee held its first hearing on the decision to confirm him.
“Judge Brett Kavanaugh is a strong constitutionalist with a proven track record of upholding the rule of law,” Blackburn said in the statement.
“I am certain we will see his respect for the rule of law displayed throughout his confirmation hearings. Judge Kavanaugh will serve honorably as a Supreme Court Justice. Though Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats will do everything they can to stall Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation, I urge the Senate to consider his nomination expeditiously. I also urge the Senate to continue to confirm judges to the federal court,” Blackburn added.
The Democrat members of the Judiciary Committee hearing turned the proceedings into a chaotic circus within minutes of the 9:30 am opening bell.
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) immediately demanded the hearings being adjourned, but was ruled out of order by Committee Chairman Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA).
Democrats interrupted the proceedings with similar obstructionist objections 62 times during the first 60 minutes of hearings.
Blackburn’s Democratic opponent in the November election, former Gov. Phil Bredesen, failed to offer any comment condemning the obstructionist antics of his fellow Democrats when contacted by The Tennessee Star.
Bredesen is running in a state Donald Trump won by 25 points in 2016.
The Democrat former governor has attempted to persuade Tennesseans–and in particular Republicans and independents who voted for Donald Trump–that he is a “non-partisan” who will be “fair-minded” when considering President Trump’s policies and nominations.
The hyper-partisanship of his political mentor on the national stage, and the man who persuaded him to run for the Tennessee U.S. Senate seat–Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), however, belies that claim.
Schumer was recorded at a rally in New York over the weekend calling for the impeachment of President Trump if Democrats take control of the House of Representatives in the November midterm elections.
The Senate Minority Leader spent the rest of the weekend putting together the Democrats obstructionist plans for Tuesday’s Kavanaugh confirmation hearings.
Despite his close ties to Schumer, Bredesen continues to hide from the public when it comes to commenting on the chaotic disruption his mentor orchestrated on Tuesday.
[…] has voiced support for embattled Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Bredesen has said he needs more time to […]
[…] opponent, U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-0-7) has expressed her support for […]
Bredesen is talking out of both sides of his mouth. He says he would be willing to work with both dems and Republicans, however, his silence in not supporting a highly qualified Judge Kavanaugh proves that he will only work with his own party. He will not represent me.
I wonder if Bredesen is handcuffing his right hand boy Will Pinkston from commenting as well? No doubt Willy would be lathering on the pablum if unrestrained by his boss.
Bredesen’s silence on Kavanaugh could hurt him not only with Blackburn’s supporters but with the small number of progressive voters in Tennessee who could tilt the election in a very close race. If progressives interpret Bredesen’s silence about Kavanaugh as a rebuff to them, they might either stay home, vote for a third or fourth-party candidate (or even for Marsha Blackburn herself–not out of any love for her but over frustration against Bredesen’s attempt to have his cake and eat it too). Conservatives will be angry with Bredesen for refusing to make a stand. This refusal to make a stand on issues came back to haunt North Carolina’s conservative Democrat governor, Tim Hunt, when he ran unsuccessfully against Senator Helms in 1984.
The possibility of a disaffected minority of progressive voters tilting a razor-close election in Tennessee is not unheard of. In the late sixties and early seventies, the small group of liberal black lawmakers temporarily defected to the Republican side of the aisle not out of any love for conservatism, but to get back at conservative Democrats who had arrogantly taken them for granted. The strategy worked and the conservative Democrats made some major concessions to the liberal black lawmakers.
Progressives in Tennessee might decide to take a page from the black state lawmakers.