While the manner in which several of the Republican senators behaved during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court nomination was measured and appropriate, the behaviors displayed by Sens. Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Tom Cotton and Marsha Blackburn were anything but. Aside from being disgraceful and, at times, truly despicable, their antics constituted nothing more than puerile – and transparent – displays of histrionics.

Clearly, Graham still felt chafed by what he viewed as the unfair treatment of Brett Kavanaugh at his hearing, and that the innumerable public complaints following that episode in 2018 – made by Graham and others – had not adequately smoothed his ruffled brow. Thus, he took great pains to manufacture a large dose of outrage so he could take his public revenge on Judge Jackson. At the same time, he did what he probably considered to be a good job of posturing for the Republican base.

Likewise, the other four senators seized their own opportunities to burnish their own bona fides with Tucker Carlson and others at Fox News – as well as the QAnon wing of the MAGA crowd.

Having just announced – after Judge Jackson’s impressive performance in the hearing – that she will vote “yes” to confirm the judge to a seat on the Supreme Court, Sen. Susan Collins apparently has maintained the positive impression of Judge Jackson that she spoke about before the hearing.

Tom Berry
Kennebunk