OPINION:
Rep. John Garamendi, a California Democrat with white skin, went on a curious rant against his congressional white male colleagues, calling out the senators in charge of Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination proceedings as — what, racism against Christine Blasey Ford? Misogyny?
It’s hard to figure. You decide.
Here’s what he said on CNN, about Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley’s insistence Ford testify by Monday about her allegations against Kavanaugh, or not testify at all.
“Women for decades have faced this situation,” Garamendi said, Breitbart reported. “They have always when they come forward with an accusation of assault or rape. They become the victim in the hearing. And we have to put a stop to that. Women across this nation should be outraged at what these white men senators are doing to this woman. This woman needs a fair hearing, as every woman does who brings forth a charge such as professor Ford is bringing forth.”
Joy Behar, co-host of “The View,” made a similar charge against the senators on the Judiciary Committee, calling them out for being “white men, old by the way,” protecting a man, Kavanaugh, who’s “probably guilty,” she said.
But Garamendi is a white guy — taking political potshots at his fellow white guys. Odd argument to make, it would seem. Moreover, he’s calling on his female House mates — ostensibly, the white ones, too — to mount a sort of rebellion against these white senators. (So perhaps it is misogyny, not racism, that he’s alerting to here?)
His words: “I would expect to see the women representatives in the House of Representatives rise up in anger and disgust at what the Senate Republican men are doing. Ramming through this hearing without an adequate opportunity for professor Ford to gather together the witnesses that she may need, that the public needs, that the Senate needs, and the investigation that can be done by the FBI. I would expect the female members of the House … joined in by members such as myself to march over to the Senate and to protest loudly and clearly on behalf not only of professor Ford, but on behalf of the women of America.”
Wow.
This whole Kavanaugh Supreme Court process has simply devolved into a hatchet job on a man with a reputation that, by all accounts, prior to his nomination, has been impeccable. But a white male lawmaker calling on the females of the House to stormtroop across the congressional aisle and publicly protest the senators of the Judiciary Committee — the “white men senators,” specifically?
That’s just absurd.
Absurd and, for Democrats, a new low that’s going to go down in history as one of the most ridiculous moments of what’s supposed to be a time-honored, esteemed political tradition. These batch of Democrats, partisan and angry to the core, they are record-breaking, if nothing else.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley.
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