Facing re-election in November and pressure from his base, Ohio’s Democrat U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown put aside all pretense and let it be known he will not be voting for President Trump’s nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court.
Brown came out Friday and announced he’d already made up his mind to vote against Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
Trump chose Kavanaugh to replace the retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, a Reagan-appointee who has been the swing vote on key cases over his 30-year career on the court. Kennedy’s replacement could remake the ideological tilt of the court for years to come, on a host of issues from abortion to gun rights and immigration.
After “careful” consideration and “listening to Ohioans,” Brown announced on his website he would reject Kavanaugh, who has a solid conservative record on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
“After thoroughly reviewing his record, meeting with him face-to-face, and listening to Ohioans, I am convinced Judge Kavanaugh would side with special interests over working people and threaten the rights of Ohioans,” he said.
It’s not clear which Ohioans Brown is listening to, but according to the nonpartisan Pew Research Center’s 2014 landmark study on American opinions about abortion, only 48 percent of Ohio adults think abortion should be legal in “all or most cases.”
Similar results have been found to exist on the issue of Second Amendment rights. In an online survey by ISideWith.com that asked, “Should there be more restrictions on the current process of purchasing a gun?” 52 percent of Ohioans said no while 48 percent said yes.
Republicans have no wiggle room in trying to get Kavanaugh approved in the Senate, where they hold a one-vote majority, 50-49, due to the death of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. They can’t afford a single defection on Kavanaugh if every Democrat votes no.
The two most likely Republican defectors could be Sens. Barbara Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine.
According to LifeNews.com, abortion activists are “flooding Senate offices against Brett Kavanaugh” and these are more likely the voices Brown has been listening to.
“Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, along with NARAL, EMILY’s List, Planned Parenthood, and many others don’t like Brett Kavanaugh because they know he will apply the actual words of the Constitution, and will not abuse his judicial power to strike down laws passed by the people’s representatives,” writes Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life, for LifeNews.
“Tens of millions of dollars are being spent by pro-abortion, liberal groups to convince senators to vote against Judge Kavanaugh. They are encouraging office visits and phone calls by constituents to urge a ‘no’ vote.”
Tobias encouraged pro-life voters to call their senators. Whether they are liberal Democrats or Conservative Republicans, “they still need to hear from you,” she said.
The number for the Capitol switchboard is 202-224-3121 and callers should ask for their senator’s office.
