There is a role in a democracy for reliable partisan operatives to carry out the wishes of their masters, arguing for their policies, right or wrong, as best they can. Policy makers need functionaries to be effective.
Brett Kavanaugh has spent years in just such a partisan role. As part of the Starr Commission, he did the bidding of the right. In arguing Bush v. Gore, he did the bidding of the GOP, and in the Bush White House, likewise.
It is not wise to fill the court with people who are this deeply reliably partisan. It can lead to an undermining of the legitimacy and efficacy of the judiciary, as decisions like Bush v. Gore illustrate.
At a time when divisions between Republicans and Democrats are more contentious than ever, we should all call upon the Senate to come together around putting people on the court who can heal the divides we experience and get our democratic process back on a more sound footing.
Jeanne K. Strole
Winthrop
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