July 11, 2018
WTAS: Democrat Senators’ State Editorial Boards Praise Judge Kavanaugh
What Senate Democrats Are Hearing Back Home: “Ideal Résumé,” “Intelligent And Deliberate,” “Exemplary Record,” “One Of The Top Legal Minds Of His Generation,” “Well Within The Judicial Mainstream,” “Brilliant Thinker,” “First-Rate Legal Mind”
Editorial boards across the country have praised President Trump’s nomination of Judge Kavanaugh — including from states such as West Virginia, Michigan, Virginia, Nevada, New Hampshire, where they are calling on their Democrat Senators to put politics aside, and consider his confirmation:
West Virginia – Sen. Joe Manchin
The Intelligencer: Wheeling News-Register Editorial Board: “Kavanaugh has said that if confirmed to the Supreme Court, his allegiance will be to the Constitution as it is written, not to his personal preferences. That is precisely what the nation needs. That, not how Kavanaugh may rule on any single issue, ought to be Manchin’s concern. And if he determines the nominee will be an impartial arbiter, Manchin should vote for confirmation.” (Editorial Board, “Manchin Should Back Nominee,” The Intelligencer: Wheeling News-Register, 7/11/18)
Michigan – Sens. Debbie Stabenow & Gary Peters
Detroit News Editorial Board: “Brett Kavanaugh is an intelligent and deliberate judge who is poised to become a conservative thought leader on the U.S. Supreme Court. His record on the appellate court suggests that President Trump’s nominee to succeed Justice Anthony Kennedy will maintain a commitment to interpreting the law as it is written, and not how he may wish it had been crafted.” (Editorial Board, “Our Editorial: Kavanaugh’s Record Defies Challenge,” Detroit News, 7/10/18)
Virginia – Sens. Tim Kaine & Mark Warner
Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial Board:“If one were to create an ideal résumé for the position of Supreme Court justice, it would not look terribly different from Brett Michael Kavanaugh’s curriculum vitae. President Trump’s nominee to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy is more than qualified for the job.” (Editorial Board, “Editorial: A Good And Decent Choice For Supreme Court Justice,” Richmond Times-Dispatch, 7/11/18)
The Washington Post Editorial Board:“Mr. Kavanaugh meets the basic qualifications for high court service. A Yale Law School graduate who clerked for Mr. Kennedy, he has served for 12 years on the powerful U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The country certainly could have expected worse from President Trump. (Editorial Board, “What Sneators Need From Mr. Kavanaugh,” The Washington Post, 7/9/18)
Nevada – Sen. Cortez Masto
Las Vegas Review Journal Editorial Board: “Judge Kavanaugh is eminently accomplished. A graduate of Yale Law, he clerked for Justice Kennedy before working in the George W. Bush White House. He was confirmed for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2006 and has written more than 300 opinions during his 12 years on the bench. Judge Kavanaugh is firmly in the judicial mainstream, although Democrats will no doubt try to twist him into a rabid, dangerous extremist.” (Editorial Board, “EDITORIAL: Donald Trump Nominates Brett Kavanaugh To The Supreme Court,” Las Vegas Review Journal, 7/11/18)
Las Vegas Review Journal Editorial Board: “Mr. Trump’s first selection to the tribunal, Neal Gorsuch, has so far delivered as a defender of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Nobody can predict a justice’s evolution on the bench, but Judge Kavanaugh appears cut from the same cloth, making him an excellent choice.” (Editorial Board, “EDITORIAL: Donald Trump Nominates Brett Kavanaugh To The Supreme Court,” Las Vegas Review Journal, 7/11/18)
New Hampshire – Sens. Jeanne Shaheen & Maggie Hassan
New Hampshire Union Leader Editorial Board:“Kavanaugh is an experienced, well-qualified pick, and would have easily won confirmation if that were the criteria used. But that standard has eroded to nothingness since Democrats smeared Robert Bork 31 years ago. Judges, including Supreme Court justices, should be weighed on their ability to interpret the law as written, not the political preferences of those voting on their nominations.” (Editorial Board, “Qualified Kavanaugh: A Prudent Pick For The Court,” The New Hampshire Union Leader, 7/10/18)
Massachusetts – Sens. Elizabeth Warren & Ed Markey
Boston Herald Editorial Board:“Kavanaugh is a solid pick for the Supreme Court. He is a true conservative and considered a brilliant thinker by his contemporaries.” (Editorial Board, “Editorial: Nix The Toxic, Give Brett Kavanaugh A Shot,” Boston Herald, 7/10/18)
New York – Sens. Chuck Schumer & Kirsten Gillibrand
The New York Post Editorial Board:“Once again staying true to his campaign promises, President Trump just nominated Brett Kavanaugh to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court. He’s an excellent choice – though the coming wave of fear-mongering may hide that fact for a while. Judge Kavanaugh, 53, is widely seen as one of the top legal minds of his generation – so much so that now-Justice Elena Kagan recruited him to teach at Harvard Law, where students across the spectrum rave about him. Though firmly committed to interpreting the Constitution as written, he’s no ideologue” (Editorial Board, “An Excellent Pick,” The New York Post, 7/10/18)
The New York Post Editorial Board: “Indeed, he’s more than just qualified. In his 12 years on the federal appeals bench, he’s built an exemplary record that’s left a decided impact on the law: The Supreme Court has fully adopted the logic behind 11 of his decisions in its own rulings. And while that record is reliably conservative, he’s far from the “hard right” extremist described by, among others, New York’s own Chuck Schumer.” (Editorial Board, “Democrats’ Demented Assault On Brett Kavanaugh,” The New York Post, 7/10/18)
The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board: “Judge Kavanaugh has an exemplary record that suggests he will help to restore the Supreme Court to its proper, more modest role in American politics and society.” (Editorial Board, “Kavanaugh For The Court,” The Wall Street Journal, 7/10/18)
California – Sens. Dianne Feinstein & Kamala Harris
The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board:“In choosing Brett Kavanaugh — a judge on the Washington, D.C., U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals — to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, Trump has chosen a deeply experienced nominee with 300 opinions under his belt who appears well within the judicial mainstream.” (Editorial Board, “Why Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh May Be More Independent Than You Expect,” The San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/9/18)
The Los Angeles Times Editorial Board: “With his nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, President Trump has chosen an experienced federal judge with a conservative record whose profile is less ideological than those of some other candidates he considered.” (Editorial Board, “Trump Bets On Kavanaugh; But Can The Bitter, Hyperpartisan, Dysfunctional Process Of Selecting Supreme Court Justices Be Fixed?,” The Los Angeles Times, 7/10/18)
Illinois – Sens. Dick Durbin & Tammy Duckworth
The Chicago Tribune Editorial Board: “Kavanaugh’s record suggests that by these standards, he’s highly qualified. In 12 years on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, which deals with especially complex regulatory cases, he’s authored some 300 decisions. Taken as a body of work, they reflect a great allegiance to the words of the Constitution.” (Editorial Board, “Editorial: Judging Judge Kavanaugh,” The Chicago Tribune, 7/9/18)