Five dumbest questions to Gorsuch, cont’d

Minnesota Senator Al Franken doesn’t belong in the United States Senate, let alone on the Senate Judiciary Committee. A little short in the self-awareness department, Franken sought to show up Judge Gorsuch in the committee’s confirmation hearing this week. Instead he showed himself him up (although you’d never know it from reading the Star Tribune).

Brendan Kirby recognized Franken for asking two of the five dumbest questions committee Democrats served up to Judge Gorsuch in the course of the hearing. The edited CNN video below captures the lowlights of one exchange.

In the exchange Franken highlighted comments made by White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus to the effect that Gorsuch will overturn Roe v. Wade. “Was Mr. Priebus suggesting that you go back and change 40 years of settled law or have an effect on the law moving forward?” Franken asked.

“Respectfully, Senator, Mr. Priebus doesn’t speak for me and I don’t speak for him,” Judge Gorsuch responded.

Franken couldn’t leave it alone. Thinking he was somehow playing a winning hand, he asked Gorsuch whether Priebus “was lying” and whether Gorsuch was comfortable with his nomination “being described in such transactional terms.”

“There is a lot about this process I’m uncomfortable with,” Gorsuch replied. “A lot. But I’m not God. No one asked me to fix it.”

Now this exchange is illuminating in several respects. It shows that the Democrats have no case against Judge Gorsuch. It therefore indicates that the filibuster they are mounting to oppose his confirmation has its roots in something other than the merits of the case against him. And it proves yet again that Al Franken is one creepy clown.

Finally, as for Judge Gorsuch, unflappability has its limits. Appearances to the contrary notwithstanding, he doesn’t suffer fools gladly.

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