Guy W. Farmer: What we learned from Kavanaugh fiasco

Democrats tried to substitute Mob Rule for the Rule of Law in their frantic, ugly and unfair effort to keep Judge Brett Kavanaugh off the U.S. Supreme Court.

Fortunately, they failed and Kavanaugh was sworn-in as our newest Supreme Court justice last Saturday. What did we learn from this fiasco?

First, we learned many Democrats believe women always tell the truth about sexual assault and sexual harassment while men always lie. We also learned men accused of sexual crimes are guilty until they prove themselves innocent. Moreover, men can be convicted without any corroborating evidence or testimony, thereby turning American justice and jurisprudence upside down.

And finally, we learned a mere unsubstantiated allegation can ruin a person’s life and brand them as a sexual predator forever. How sad, and what a betrayal of fundamental American values because the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution guarantees no person shall be “deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law.” Apparently, Democrats overlooked those constitutional guarantees when they went after Kavanaugh in a shameful 11th hour judicial/political ambush.

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, perhaps the Senate’s most moderate Republican, spoke for me and many independent voters when she defended the presumption of innocence. “In evaluating any claim of misconduct, we will be ill-served in the long run if we abandon the presumption of innocence. Protecting this right is important to me,” she said in an eloquent and persuasive floor speech. “You did a good thing,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, an outspoken South Carolina Republican. “The one thing you (Collins) wouldn’t do is play politics with the law. God bless you.” Amen!

Democrats then directed their unbridled fury at Collins. “This shameful vote will be Susan Collins’ legacy,” said Michael Keegan, president of liberal People for the American Way, as an angry mob shouted and screamed its support. Frankly, the protesters who invaded Capitol Hill sounded semi-deranged and looked unhinged on national TV, which will help moderate Republicans in upcoming midterm elections.

Bad behavior by the rent-a-mob (some protesters were paid) also damaged the MeToo movement, which supports victims of sexual assault and sexual harassment, as all of us should. Victims of sexual crimes should always be heard and deserve their day in court, but those accused of sexual crimes have rights too. It was unfair to compare Kavanaugh to sexual predators Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein.

Actually, former President Bill Clinton, who groped a young White House intern in the Oval Office, is more like Cosby and Weinstein, but don’t tell that to Clinton’s wife, Hillary, an alleged women’s rights champion who mocked her husband’s victims. She has no credibility on this important issue. Despite the assertion women always tell the truth in sexual assault cases, Collins and many other strong, independent women — including several strong women in my life — side with Collins and Kavanaugh who, by the way, hired an all-female staff of law clerks.

And finally, what about Kavanaugh’s alleged lack of “judicial temperament?” Well, how would you react if someone accused you of being a serial rapist? Was he supposed to sit there like a meek, mild “girly man” (thanks, Arnold) while they called him a drunken rapist? As for accusations he drank beer in high school and once threw an ice cube at someone, give me a break. I don’t suppose Senate Democrats ever did anything like that. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) lied about his service in Vietnam, but that’s another story.

I’m glad Kavanaugh is on the U.S. Supreme Court, where he will uphold the Constitution.

Guy W. Farmer is the Appeal’s senior political columnist.