Editor,

The Kavanaugh confirmation hearing demonstrates that the Republican leadership is willing to nominate and defend a wholly unfit nominee to our highest court. I am not basing my judgement of Kavanaugh’s fitness for the Supreme Court on sexual assault allegations or his dubious diary, though these may prove to be the most personally damning aspects of his nomination. No, I base my view on undisputed observations: his vengeful, aggressive attitude toward those who would question his veracity, his continuous evasion of Senators’ questions and his diversionary tactics under oath, as well as his commitment to expansive presidential powers. Is any one in doubt how what side Kavanaugh would take if the Supreme Court were to decide on the constitutionality of Mueller issuing a subpoena for Trump to testify under oath?

Kavanaugh’s confirmation would place the entire nation in jeopardy. It could allow President Trump to gain a constitutional basis for underming the U.S. Constitution itself. Such a decision would essentially give complete legal immunity to a sitting president, permitting Trump to be effectively above the law. Accordingly, Trump’s meddling in the FBI investigation of Kavanaugh is directly related to his efforts to eliminate the so-called Russia investigation after numerous campaign officials and business associates of Trump have been found guilty of a variety of crimes related to political and financial corruption.

Kavanaugh’s position that Roe v. Wade is “settled law” does not match his statement calling it “the worst decision in our history.” His espousal of conspiratorial theories in his confirmation hearing is a clear indication that he wants revenge on Democrats. If he is confirmed, we will have both a president and a swing-vote Supreme Court justice who believe – without a shred of evidence – that a Democratic conspiracy is part of a deep-state plan to undermine Trump’s presidency.

One way or another, there is one very positive element that will come out of this confrontation between Republicans and Democrats: Americans, for the first time in recent history, will be able to see how corrupted the two-party system is. Perhaps, then, we can challenge the institutionalized political parties and open political space for new voices with a vision that government should actual serve the interests of the people, not corporate funders and their political puppets.

John Ripton

Kennebunkport