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Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) blasted Senate Democrats on Twitter Monday morning for what he sees as obstructionist delays to confirming Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
Graham wrote that Democrats in the upper chamber lack are refusing to show Kavanaugh an "ounce of fairness" after the judge angrily denied allegations that he drunkenly tried to rape a woman during a party in high school.
"How would you react if somebody accused you being a sexual predator, a gang rapist, and a bumbling stumbling alcoholic?" Graham asked after Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) said she was "really stunned by how Brett Kavanaugh acted" at a Senate hearing last Thursday.
When it comes to Judge Kavanaugh, there’s not an ounce of fairness left in Senate Democrats. How would you react if… https://t.co/tYoDwHyvDA— Lindsey Graham (@Lindsey Graham) 1538403425.0
Graham then accused Democrats of wanting a "political outcome" by demanding an FBI investigation of the allegations. Democrats want to "keep this seat open and hope they win the midterms," Graham said. "Pathetic."
All they want is a political outcome. Keep this seat open and hope they win the midterms. Pathetic.— Lindsey Graham (@Lindsey Graham) 1538403449.0
Graham is accusing Democrats of the exact same stunt Republicans pulled in 2016 with Merrick Garland, President Barack Obama's nominee to replace Justice Antonin Scalia. And it's not the first time he's done it, tweeting earlier this month:
"Requiring an FBI investigation of a 36-year-old allegation (without specific references to time or location) before Professor Ford will appear before the Judiciary Committee is not about finding the truth, but delaying the process till after the midterm elections.”
Requiring an FBI investigation of a 36 year old allegation (without specific references to time or location) before… https://t.co/j0AxRH7kQz— Lindsey Graham (@Lindsey Graham) 1537357606.0
He added:
It is imperative the Judiciary committee move forward on the Kavanaugh nomination and a committee vote be taken ASAP.— Lindsey Graham (@Lindsey Graham) 1537357642.0
Less than a week later, Graham implied that Democrats were "coaching witnesses" to make Kavanaugh look bad.
When it comes to stopping Pres @realDonaldTrump and his agenda there seem to be no boundaries. Whether it’s coachi… https://t.co/m0CSHRI1L0— Lindsey Graham (@Lindsey Graham) 1537799009.0
Graham said the delays in Kavanaugh's confirmation process amount to "the total collapse of the traditional confirmation process for a Supreme Court nominee. It is being replaced by a game of delay, deception, and wholesale character assassination."
@realDonaldTrump What we are witnessing is the total collapse of the traditional confirmation process for a Supreme… https://t.co/P2YUFgN4QT— Lindsey Graham (@Lindsey Graham) 1537799400.0
Really, Senator?
Obama nominated Garland but Republicans refused to hold hearings to consider Garland's nomination.
Naturally, Twitter went ballistic on Graham for his flagrant hypocrisy.
@LindseyGrahamSC ...said Merrick Garland.— Adrian Todd Zuniga (@Adrian Todd Zuniga) 1538416950.0
@LindseyGrahamSC Hey Lindsey, speaking of keeping a seat open, remember when Republicans abdicated their Constituti… https://t.co/7R2vvQ3IEv— Kat 4 Obama (@Kat 4 Obama) 1538415804.0
Graham and other Republicans also threatened to deny Hillary Clinton a Supreme Court pick if she were elected president.
Their excuse was that since 2016 was a presidential election year, the next president should get to pick Scalia's successor. Scalia died 10 months before the election, and the seat was left empty for more than a year until President Donald Trump tapped Neil Gorsuch to fill Scalia's seat. Gorsuch was confirmed with several Democratic votes.
@LindseyGrahamSC Everyone is mentioning Merrick Garland. I have another name: Neil Gorsuch. We knew that seat was… https://t.co/2ES7Z32pqU— Miss Alissa (@Miss Alissa) 1538413753.0
@LindseyGrahamSC We don’t like Neil Gorsuch either & don’t want him on the Supreme Court. We tried to make that as… https://t.co/tH4yRyp89S— Miss Alissa (@Miss Alissa) 1538413882.0
@LindseyGrahamSC That was EXACTLY what the @SenateGOP did in 2016 with Merrick Garland. This time is different: th… https://t.co/aC2KXxgt3O— Capn Louie 🌊 (@Capn Louie 🌊) 1538415985.0
@LindseyGrahamSC Selective amnesia much? Here I'll help. Merrick Garland— Leah Wood is writing I swear (@Leah Wood is writing I swear) 1538413958.0
@LindseyGrahamSC M E R R I C K G A R L A N D You wanker.— Mo Gaffney (@Mo Gaffney) 1538415823.0
@LindseyGrahamSC POLITICAL OUTCOME? GARLAND. GARLAND. GARLAND. GARLAND. GARLAND. GARLAND. GARLAND. GARLAND. GARLA… https://t.co/uuWNk2uD2z— ebon☠ibex🌊🇺🇸🏳️🌈 (@ebon☠ibex🌊🇺🇸🏳️🌈) 1538416380.0
@LindseyGrahamSC MERRICK GARLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!— Boston Frenchie 🆘 (@Boston Frenchie 🆘) 1538414078.0
@LindseyGrahamSC That’s what McConnell did with Garland. Do you have amnesia?— B. Justice (@B. Justice) 1538415643.0
@LindseyGrahamSC Merrick Garland. End. Of. Story.— Linda 🌊 Horrell (@Linda 🌊 Horrell) 1538413537.0
Republicans were totally transparent in their obstruction of Garland.
“If Hillary Clinton becomes president, I am going to do everything I can do to make sure four years from now, we still got an opening on the Supreme Court,” Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) said in an audio recording in 2016.
Burr wasn’t alone.
“I promise you we will be united against any Supreme Court nominee that Hillary Clinton, if she were president, would put up,” Senator John McCain (R-AZ) said on the Senate floor in October 2016. “I promise you.”
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) suggested having eight justices instead of nine was no big deal:
“There is certainly historical precedent for a Supreme Court with fewer justices. I would note, just recently, that Justice Breyer observed that the vacancy is not impacting the ability of the court to do its job.”
Graham drew the ire of social media, and it was brutal.
Some called Graham "pathetic."
@LindseyGrahamSC what a pathetic man u are graham - have u no decency u partisan slug - u r a national disgrace...… https://t.co/tIxfLyCZCe— ROSIE (@ROSIE) 1538405647.0
@LindseyGrahamSC All you want is to put a repeated perjurer and credibly accused sexual assaulter on the Supreme Co… https://t.co/8iCdQQyNCD— Amanda Guinzburg (@Amanda Guinzburg) 1538415977.0
Why is Graham not interested in the truth? If Kavanaugh is innocent, an investigation could prove that.
@LindseyGrahamSC Why is lying by Kavanaugh acceptable to you? Why is his uncontrolled temper acceptable to you? Why… https://t.co/3O9SMNeOJL— John McCain (@John McCain) 1538403791.0
Kavanaugh's aggressive behavior at the hearing has also raised eyebrows.
@LindseyGrahamSC There are better, more honorable ways to make a forceful defense of one's behavior and character.… https://t.co/zc1dWIsGqE— Tom Dunkel (@Tom Dunkel) 1538415995.0
@LindseyGrahamSC well, first of all, I sure wouldn't lie about things that are easily disproven. second, i wouldn't… https://t.co/YzK5rwApaj— Trump GOP: More Russians than than the ballet (@Trump GOP: More Russians than than the ballet) 1538415185.0
@LindseyGrahamSC If I were a sexual predator, a gang rapist & a bumbling stumbling alcoholic, I would have acted as… https://t.co/FoqNwyUQ5r— Angry Dead Author (@Angry Dead Author) 1538413625.0
@LindseyGrahamSC Translation: ignore the multiple credible sexual assault claims.— Victor Stoddard (@Victor Stoddard) 1538416818.0
Let's not forget this gem, either.
@LindseyGrahamSC https://t.co/zsWpWKELj2— Matthew Bailey (@Matthew Bailey) 1538413333.0
On Friday, Republican leadership in the Senate along with the White House agreed to a "limited in scope" investigation by the FBI. On Monday, Trump said he was "open-minded" and will accept the findings of the FBI, but would not say if he had a "plan B" if Kavanaugh's nomination falls through.