Eminent Domain

Okay, I know. This is the worst hiatus ever. I just can't stay away from my beloved blog, especially when Harry Reid is spewing crap from the hole in his face. He had some remarks about appeals court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Care of Ed Whelan at Bench Memos...

Senator Harry Reid is an irresponsible mudslinger. Here's what he has just been reported to have said today about Brett Kavanaugh's nomination:

"Here's a person who has been involved in a lot of things dealing with torture, and his experience is nonexistent, basically - 41-years old. I'm not sure he's ever been in a courtroom."

Whelan says that he knows from a reliable source that Kavanaugh didn't have anything to do with any torture policies. I haven't seen anything that points in that direction either. Maybe it's true and I'm just not privy to this information. But I know for a fact that Reid is full of crap on the "his experience is nonexistent" remark.

Kavanaugh has argued cases in appeallate courts across the country. He was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis (a major DC law firm) where he worked in the appellate section. Kavanaugh represented the Adat Shalom congregation in Montgomery County, Maryland against the attempt to stop construction of a synagogue. He also represented Elian Gonzalez after the Immigration and Naturalization Service decided to return him to Cuba. He took on both of those cases pro bono. Kavanaugh clerked for Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, Judge Alex Kozinski of the Ninth Circuit, and Judge Walter Stapleton of the Third Circuit. I'd call all of that "experience". He has also argued cases before the Supreme Court. So yes, Harry, he has been in a court room, the highest one in the nation.