Oregon Congressional Democrats rally against Kavanaugh

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden speaks out against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh at a Thursday rally. Sen. Jeff Merkley, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, and Gov. Kate Brown, also attended.  (Jeff Manning/The Oregonian)

Most of Oregon's congressional delegation and Gov. Kate Brown gathered Thursday for an 11th hour rally to block the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh.

Kavanaugh's positions on abortion rights and campaign finance already have earned him plenty of opposition among Democrats. Last week's bombshell accusation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted a high school classmate three decades ago, vehemently denied by Kavanaugh, has energized opponents.

If Kavanaugh wins confirmation and replaces Justice Anthony Kennedy on the high court, he could become the deciding vote on abortion rights. To underscore that risk, Sen. Ron Wyden and fellow Democrats Sen. Jeff Merkley, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici and Gov. Kate Brown used Planned Parenthood's Northeast Portland headquarters as the backdrop for Thursday's news conference.

Though Kavanaugh called Roe v. Wade "settled" law during his confirmation hearings, the lawmakers are unconvinced the judge will allow the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision to stand.

Kavanaugh wants to bring back "the days when being a woman was a pre-existing condition," Brown said. "We're looking at a future where women have fewer rights than we did in 1973."

Blumenauer said, "There should be no doubt about what's at play here. Donald Trump promised to appoint someone who would repeal Roe v. Wade."

Wyden and Merkley both said Thursday they will vote against Kavanaugh.

Kavanaugh is generally viewed as a brilliant lawyer with all the right qualifications. He's served 12 years on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, clerked for Justice Kennedy, and served in top posts in the George W. Bush administration.

He's also seen as a political partisan. He worked for independent counsel Kenneth Starr during his investigation of President Bill Clinton. And he was part of George W. Bush's legal team in Florida during the dispute over the 2000 election results.

While working for Starr, Kavanaugh argued that Clinton's lies about his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky could be grounds for impeachment. But a decade later, he wrote that presidents should not be subject to "time-consuming and distracting" civil lawsuits or criminal investigations while in office.

Trump critics say it's the latter argument that attracted the president to Kavanaugh.

Given the Republicans' majority in the Senate, Kavanaugh had been seen as a lock. But the landscape changed after Dr. Christine Blasey Ford accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in the early 1980s during a party with other teenagers in Maryland. She told The Washington Post that a drunken Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed, groped her and put his hand over her mouth to stifle her screams as he tried to take off her clothes.

Kavanaugh has categorically denied the allegation and has said he would be willing to testify.

Bonamici called on Senate leaders to allow the FBI the time to investigate Blasey Ford's claims. It took the bureau just three days to investigate Anita Hill's claims about Clarence Thomas 27 years ago, she said.

Republicans have insisted that Blasey Ford, a psychology professor in California, testify next week before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Republicans' demands for a speedy resolution come in glaring contrast to the case of Merrick Garland, an Obama administration nominee to the court. The Republican majority in the Senate refused to consider Garland, arguing that it was not suitable for a president in his last year to appoint a Supreme Court justice.

The stalemate lasted nearly a year and ended when President Barack Obama left office.

"We waited 290 days for a hearing on Merrick Garland," Bonamici said. "Why the rush in this case? Senators need to know the facts."

It's late in the game to stage a grassroots rally. Republicans want a vote. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has given Blasey Ford until Friday to make her decision on whether to testify.

Democrats hope that by enlisting the aid of traditional allies like Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America, they can mobilize enough support to overcome the Republican majority in the Senate. In the era of the #MeToo movement, which has laid low some of the most prominent business executives, entertainers and media figures in the country, Republicans may be persuaded to change their mind and allow an investigation. At least that's the Democratic hope.

"I think the situation is very fluid," Wyden said. "I find it hard to believe that a party already having problems with women will just jam this through."

-- Jeff Manning

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