Republican US Sen. Flake delivers poignant message

In the midst of the virulent rhetoric in Congress surrounding the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, there emerged a voice of reason that provided some solace to thoughtful, fair-minded Americans who worry about the future of this country.

U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who has asserted his independence since Republican President Donald J. Trump took office in January 2017, delivered a speech Wednesday that should be required reading on Capitol Hill.

What Flake said about the highly contentious Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on the allegations of sexual assault against Kavanaugh is a reminder of the dangerous path the nation is following.

Here’s a portion of what the senator, who will be retiring at the end of his term this year, offered from the floor of the Senate:

“I rise today to say a few words about the two human beings who will be providing extraordinarily important testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow – Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who will testify in that order.

“Two human beings. It feels a bit odd in this political setting to specify their humanity that way, doesn’t it? And I admit it feels strange to have to do that. But we in this political culture and in this city and in this building and even in this chamber – we seem to sometimes forget that before this woman and this man are anything else, they are human beings.

“We sometimes seem intent on stripping people of their humanity so that we might more easily disregard or defame them and put them through the grinder that our politics requires. We seem, sometimes, to enjoy that.”

Flake, who has drawn national attention for his willingness to criticize President Trump on an array of issues, pointed out in his speech that senators have created a “grotesque caricature” of Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Ford and of lawmakers themselves. He offered a comment from President John F. Kennedy to bolster his argument:

“We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.”

HEARING JUSTIFIED INVESTIGATION

The Judiciary Committee hearing Thursday that featured Judge Kavanaugh and Ford showed why the FBI investigation now underway is justified.

While the accuser and the accused stuck to their guns and presented stout defenses of their positions, the hyper partisanship on the part of the Republican and Democratic committee members overshadowed the gravity of the situation.

Ford, a psychology professor from California, has alleged that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers more than 30 years ago. The judge has strongly denied the allegations. Two other women have come forward to make claims of sexual assault or sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh.

After Trump and the Republican majority on the judiciary committee refused repeated demands by Democrats for an FBI investigation, Sen. Flake forced the issue.

On Friday, after he had joined the majority in voting to send the nomination to the floor of the Senate, he made it known that an FBI probe was essential in order for him to cast his ultimate vote.

Other GOP senators joined their colleague from Arizona in calling for the investigative agency’s involvement.

As a result, the president, who has derisively dismissed his critic as “a Flake,” was hard-pressed to ignore the new developments. He, therefore, gave the green light for the probe. The agency was given a week to report back to the White House.

Because of the she said-he said nature of the case, an apolitical review was essential from the outset. The fact that Republicans refused to recognize the importance of having a Supreme Court justice serve without a dark cloud hanging over his head speaks volumes about the nature of politics today.

The GOP was determined to win at any cost until a fair-minded senator said, “Enough!”

The following observation from Flake about the Senate’s confirmation process for Judge Kavanaugh aptly summarizes what has occurred:

“While we can only vote yes or no, I hope that we in this body will acknowledge that we don’t have all the answers. We are imperfect, and we make imperfect decisions. This monumental decision will no doubt fit that description. Up or down, yes or no, however, this vote goes, I am confident in saying that it will forever be steeped in doubt. This doubt is the only thing of which I am confident in this process.”

It is to be hoped that the FBI will ease some – if not all – of that doubt.