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The Lawfare Podcast

Special Edition: Kavanaugh vs. the Committee with No Bull, Part I

The Lawfare Podcast

The Lawfare Institute

Law, Terrorism, History, Politics, News, National Security, Foreign Policy, Intelligence, Diplomacy, International Law, International Relations, Constitutional Law, Rule Of Law, Current Events, Government, Military

4.76.4K Ratings

🗓️ 6 September 2018

⏱️ 133 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Judge Brett Kavanaugh faced the Senate Judiciary Committee in Day 1 of a two-day marathon Q&A session for his nomination as an associate justice of the Supreme Court. We sat through it all so you don't have to. We've cut out all the garbage and are bringing you just the questions and answers on legal matters related to national security, presidential power, and presidential investigation.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

The following podcast contains advertising.

0:04.0

To access an ad-free version of the LawFair podcast,

0:08.0

become a material supporter of LawFair at patreon.com slash law fair.

0:14.0

That's patreon.com slash law fair.

0:18.0

Also, check out LawFair's other podcast offerings,

0:22.0

rational security, chatter, law fair no bull, and the aftermath.

0:29.0

I'm Benjamin Wittis and this is the LawFair podcast special edition September 5th, 2018.

0:37.0

Judge Brett Kavanaugh faced the Senate Judiciary Committee today in the first of two Marathon Q&A sessions for his nomination to serve on the Supreme Court.

0:48.0

There was a lot of garbage in today's hearing. There were protests. There were irrelevant questions. There were softball questions.

0:56.0

There were hostile questions. There was a lot of problem on subjects.

1:01.0

We don't care about here at LawFair, but there was also a lot of discussion of national security law,

1:06.0

of investigations of the president, of executive power, and things we care about very much.

1:12.0

So we did the work for you listeners. Don't ever say we don't love you.

1:17.0

We sat through all of the Brett Kavanaugh hearings to bring you just to the parts that you care about

1:24.0

because you read LawFair. Every question and every answer on matters that LawFair listeners and readers care about,

1:32.0

it's here with nothing else. It's the LawFair podcast special edition Kavanaugh versus the committee with no bull part one.

1:43.0

Because we're going to do it again tomorrow.

1:46.0

So, Judge, let's discuss judicial independence from the executive branch.

1:51.0

No one, not even the president, is above the law. Some of my colleagues have criticized your views of presidential authority suggesting wrongly in my opinion that your views of presidential authority would not allow any meaningful check on the president, particularly this one.

2:10.0

Please tell us what judicial independence means to you, including whether you have any trouble ruling against the president will point you to and against the executive branch in any case before you.

2:23.0

You've partly talked about independence, but apply it specifically to a ruling against the president or the executive branch generally.

2:32.0

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

...

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