New Jersey Senator Cory Booker did not come to play on Thursday, when he refused to play along with the ridiculous farce that has been the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings thus far. Instead of letting things go on as they have, or hiding behind an anonymous leak, Sen. Booker took public action, and committed an act of “civil disobedience” that he fully acknowledges could lead to his expulsion from the Senate.
This particular chapter in the saga began late Wednesday, when Sen. Booker asked Kavanaugh about his stance on diversity in higher education and beyond, citing an August 2001 email the nominee had written that was marked “committee confidential.”
Predictably, Kavanaugh claimed no recollection of the email, so Sen. Booker quickly tweaked his question, and focused on how Kavanaugh feels about diversity now. Kavanaugh went back to the email he claims to have no knowledge of writing.
Fast forward to Thursday morning. Sen. Booker woke up still determined to make Kavanaugh’s past known, despite all GOP efforts to keep it hidden and “undermine the process.” Sen. Booker made it clear that he knew the consequences of violating the “committee confidential” rules, and believed the stakes were high enough to risk his job in the interest of civil disobedience.
Note how dismissive Senator Chuck Grassley is—rather than address what Sen. Booker is saying, he mocks him for being repetitive.
Sen. Booker then released the documents, and found he had support in the Senate as several progressive senators vocally declared that they stood with him. Kamala Harris. Mazie Hirono. Chuck Schumer. Chris Coons. Sheldon Whitehouse. Dianne Feinstein.
Senator Dick Durbin said, notably, “Let’s jump into this pit together. I hope that my other colleagues will join me. So, if there’s going to be some retribution against the senator from New Jersey, count me in.”
Emboldened, the senator from New Jersey then dared Sen. Cornyn to come after him—that is, if he’s not just “a tempest in a teapot.”
Bring it, indeed, GOP.
It’s critical that Senate Democrats back their colleagues on the Judiciary Committee in fighting back against this illegitimate nominee and invalid confirmation process. Sign here to tell Senate Democrats to hold strong.
Need a break from the Kavanaugh hearings? Check out our own Wagatwe Wanjuki’s interview with Senator Booker at last month’s Netroots Nation.
