The Corner

Politics & Policy

‘Overreach,’ Etc.

Fred is right about the “overreach” charge, but one Democrat (albeit a recent convert) who seems to broadly agree is Representative Tom O’Halleran of Arizona, who recently said of the Kavanaugh ordeal: “The Democrats, I thought, went a little bit too far.”

A little bit, eh? Well.

Representative O’Halleran was specifically critical of the Democrats’ grandstanding during Senate questioning rather than, say, the wildly unethical smear campaign organized against Brett Kavanaugh. But, more joy in Heaven and all that.

Representative O’Halleran was first elected as a Republican. When he ran for the House as a Democrat in 2016, his race was a priority for the Democratic party. I wonder how open his new friends will be to his criticism, mild as it was. Moments of mass hysteria such as this one do not lend themselves very well to thoughtful internal criticism among political factions.

O’Halleran’s challenger in November is a woman named Wendy Rogers, an Air Force veteran asking voters to “Send President Trump some backup.” It would be interesting to hear her press O’Halleran a little bit on what exactly it is he means by “a little bit too far.”

Kevin D. Williamson is a former fellow at National Review Institute and a former roving correspondent for National Review.
Exit mobile version