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Mazie Hirono (D-HI) is absolutely brilliant at making herself look like a fool. Yesterday she informed Ninth Circuit nominee Lawrence VanDyke that his Constitutional originalism means women and blacks will lose the right to vote.
I had to watch it twice. The first time I watched, I was laughing at her idiocy. The second time I watched, I realized that she was completely serious about her questioning and really wanted to be applauded for her Constitutional “brilliance.”
HAHAHAHAHA!! NO
She twists the word Originalism into a pretzel. She would have those watching believe that originalism means going back to the year the Constitution became the law of the land. Hey! At least she got the year right…sort of.
She really didn’t like VanDyke’s answer and kept digging.
“”Senator, I believe that we have a system of separation of powers,” VanDyke replied. “I believe that my job as a judge is to apply the law, not to make policy decisions. And I’m very thankful that the Constitution was amended, I think that was the right process to do it.”
“Yes, but you know what, the point I’m making, of course, which you’re trying to get around, is that originalism means that you would interpret Constitution at the time of its enactment, and you would not allow women and blacks to vote because that was not in the Constitution when it was ratified in 1789,” Hirono said.”
Well…that is HER interpretation of originalism. Quite the hair splitting one at that!
In my opinion, Constitutional originalism means applying it AS IT IS WRITTEN. That includes applying the 15th and 19th Amendments when determining a judicial decision.
In attempting a major GOTCHA, Mazie demonstrates her lack of historical knowledge.
Prior to the passage and ratification of the 15th Amendment, blacks in eleven southern states and nine northern states already had the right to vote.
In regards to women’s right to vote? My home state of Wyoming was way ahead of the Constitutional curve. WAY AHEAD. You see, in 1869, right at the time that Congress was working on the passage of the 15th Amendment to the Constitution, Wyoming passed a law that permanently guaranteed that women had the right to vote AND hold office!
In 1870, it is noted that 93 women voted in Wyoming elections. Esther Hobart Morris became the first justice of the peace in South Pass, Wyoming. The state also seated the nation’s first all-woman jury, and Estelle Reel Meyer became the first woman elected to a state position in 1894 – that of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Moreover, when Congress, in 1890, demanded that Wyoming rescind women’s right to vote in order to be granted statehood, the response from the Wyoming legislature was…
““We will remain out of the Union 100 years rather than come in without the women.””
Guess what? Congress caved and Wyoming became the 44th state in the Union and Wyoming women had the right to vote and hold office fifty years prior to the passage of the 19th Amendment.
Just a few pesky facts Mazie. Facts that drive great big holes through your originalism argument!
Again, the is the same US SENATOR that didn't realize it was not merely a civil offense to enter the country illegally.
— James Baker "Liberate Hong Kong" (@JDtheDJ2004) October 30, 2019
Still doesn't top her claim on the Senate floor that the Knights of Columbus were "alt-right". In the context of another judicial nomination, come to think of it. But it's a race between her, Harris, and Whitehouse as to "most inane D member of the Senate Judiciary Committee".
— aYlene_wRight (@AyleneWright) October 30, 2019
I’d say this latest bout of Constitutional “brilliance” is nearly if not completely equal to her calling Ben Sasse “alt-right.”
Then again, this is the same Mazie Hirono who acquitted herself so admirably during the Kavanaugh hearings. Her splitting hairs about originalism is about the same as telling men to SHUT UP about Christine Blasey Ford.
Once again Mazie Hirono has demonstrated just how smart masterfully unintelligent the Democrats really are.
It’s always nice to watch someone attempt a gotcha and get slammed with the rake they stepped on instead.
Feature Photo Credit: Mazie Hirono speaking against Trump’s Muslim Ban via Lorie Shaull at Flickr, cropped and modified
Skillyboo says: The sad part about her stupidity is that there are people out there who actually believe her and the others who make the most outrageous claims. Biden’s “put y’all back in chains”. Hillary claiming Trump followers are White supremacists. Obama’s insinuation that there is “systemic racism” among the nations police forces. And on and on and on. And then the media feeds the narrative with cherry picked isolated incidents to support the outlandish charges so as to give the appearance that what these fools say is actually the norm. And when the claims and accusations are disproven the media makes assertions that although that particular thing has been proven false it really, really, really could happen.
Rockysan says: Sen. Hirono may not be particularly bright, but, the voters here in Hawaii are far more stupid by continuing to elect her and Brian Schatz to the U.S. Senate.
Scott says: There really should be a test on the Constitution, or hell, just an overall intelligence test to serve in Congress. If applied retroactively, it’d really clean house (and senate)!
Nicki says: She is quite literally one of the dumbest Senators on the Hill. I have no idea how she even got that far, because I’ve eaten carrots smarter than this broad.
GWB says: You should have gotten them an apartment in Hawaii and run them for Congress.
Nicki says: They probably would have been better Senators. Carrots are at least good for something!
Anchovy says: She actually is a pretty good argument for why women were excluded from the constitution when it was written.
GWB says: (Except they weren’t)
But it is a good argument against universal suffrage.
Of course, so are Hank Johnson and Alcee Hastings.
Scott says: As are AOC, Talib, Omar, Mad Maxine, and many more on the left (and a few on the right).. Though to Nikis comment about her being one of the dumbest Senators on the Hill, with some of the other examples in that “austere” body, that truly is a high bar to meet…
Joe in PNG says: I don’t see why they are still pretending to be all about voting rights. Their eventual goal is basically the EU, where everything is made up and the votes don’t matter.
GWB says: In my opinion, Constitutional originalism means applying it AS IT IS WRITTEN.
Well, sorta. The idea is that, as written, as the words were defined at the time, and backed by other contemporaneous writings showing the intent, is how it should be interpreted. So, where clear language is adequate, that works. Where clear language is obscured by changes over time, then as those words were used at the time of writing. Where that leaves some ambiguity, then you go to contemporaneous writings to discern intent and meaning. And there’s probably no document in history with so much contemporaneous writing about its intent and meaning, as the U.S. Constitution.
Of course, if you’re poorly educated in history, and you can’t do research, then you’re at the mercy of Howard Zinn and his cabal of history liars.
I do really wish he had looked at her, paused in shock for a moment at her verbal gymnastics, then calmly explained how she was one of the stupidest people ever elected to the US Senate, and she probably shouldn’t be sitting in judgment of people who are significantly better educated than her. Then call her ma’am. Just because.
CaptDMO says: (eg)Ms. Hirono NOT making a good example of why women should be allowed to vote, OR hold office.
Going down the “Women’s Issues” caucus, I’m seeing a FEW folks that make Ms. Collins (Me.) job just THAT much harder!
Randy Wolf says: Women should be outraged when one of these morons spouts off with such inane comments. Terrible examples. Women fought so hard over the decades to get where they are and this is as good as it gets? If women cannot be good, no, great examples to their gender; cannot lead by example; and cannot set the stage for even smarter more motivated women to follow they should stay out of politics. Let the smart super-achievers who are educated, motivated, patriotic, with a resume that shows no ceiling become our leaders of the future. Women like Mazie set women back.
Joe in PNG says: Most Woke Intersectionalism has a core belief that the western white heterosexual male is the Uberman, the absolute Superior of the Human Species.
They just put it in negative terms.
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