New Twist on SCOTUS Nominee

For John, BLUF:  Senator Booker, Democratic Party Presidential Timber, doesn't like President Trump's nominee for the US Supreme Court.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

Democratic Desperation on Kavanaugh Is Showing

From National Review, by Mr Dan McLaughlin, 21 July 2018.

First off they have this quote:

Democratic Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.) is calling on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to recuse himself from any cases that might involve special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.

The problem is, that isn't how things have worked in the past.

Neither of Bill Clinton’s Supreme Court appointees, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer, recused themselves in the 1997 Clinton v. Jones case, which personally involved the president and whether he could be forced to participate in a civil lawsuit while in office.  Breyer had been nominated just eleven days after the Paula Jones lawsuit was filed, and after Clinton was already facing an independent-counsel investigation.

In 1998, when the Court decided an appeal involving Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr’s “Travelgate” investigation — and ruled in favor of Clinton by upholding the attorney-client privilege for notes of a conversation with former White House counsel Vince Foster before his 1993 death — Breyer and Ginsburg did not recuse; instead, they sided with Clinton.

So Senator Booker, following in the footsteps of the Sage of Searchlight, former Senator Harry Reid, wants to change precedent.  But, he is, as the title suggests, desperate.  And, he isn't willing to risk the roll of the dice to see if Nominee Kavanaugh turns out to be a follower of the Constitution.

Recusing himself with regard to issues surrounding the Special Counsel would be like just delaying the nomination.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff