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Trump Nominee Judge Affirmed Despite Anti-Gun Past 23 Republican Senators voted for him.
AllOutdoor ^ | 7/13/18 | Russ Chastain

Posted on 07/25/2018 1:55:29 PM PDT by LibWhacker

Trump Nominee Judge Affirmed Despite Anti-Gun Past

Posted July 13, 2018 in Legal Issues by with No Comments

A recent article the Washington Free Beacon is headlined, “Senate Confirms Trump Nominee with Questionable Gun Record Despite Majority of Republicans Voting No.” So, what about Mark Bennett’s record is “questionable,” and why did so many Republicans vote against his confirmation to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals?

Questions about Bennett’s record were first raised during hearings in the Judiciary Committee. Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) described the record of the former Republican attorney general of Hawaii as ‘troubling.’

‘He was an aggressive advocate, as attorney general [of Hawaii], for gay marriage. He was an aggressive advocate demonstrating hostility to the First Amendment and political speech,’ Cruz said in a committee meeting on Thursday. ‘Most significantly, he has been an aggressive advocate for undermining the Second Amendment.’

Remember the Heller case, when the Supreme Court affirmed the “individual right” aspect of the Second Amendment? Well, Mark Bennett opposed it.

Cruz said he was particularly concerned by Bennett’s involvement with an amicus brief in the Heller case arguing that the Second Amendment was only intended to protect state militias from federal interference and should not apply to state laws.

Bennett claimed that he will abide by all Supreme Court decisions.

During his hearing, Bennett told the committee that he would abide by all Supreme Court precedents.

‘If I am fortunate enough to be confirmed on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the decision of the Supreme Court in Citizens United and all other cases dealing with the First Amendment, an obviously important right in our Constitution, would be binding precedent that I absolutely commit to follow,’ Bennett said. ‘The Supreme Court’s decisions in Heller and McDonald are absolutely binding on the circuit courts of appeal and, if I were fortunate enough to be confirmed, I would absolutely apply and uphold them as with all other precedent of the Supreme Court.’

Most Republicans didn’t buy it, but many did — and every Democrat voted to confirm this Trump appointment.

In a vote of 72 to 27, the Senate confirmed Bennett. Twenty-three Republicans voted for Bennett while 27 voted against him. All 49 Democrats in the Senate voted for Bennett’s nomination.

I feel I must change my earlier question to “why did so many Republicans vote for his confirmation?” He’s certainly no representative of conservative values.

As for his involvement in the Heller case, some folks say he was only doing his job.

Some of the Republicans who voted for Bennett said they believed he was a qualified nominee and didn’t judge him by actions he took on behalf of the state of Hawaii.

‘Bennett was acting as a lawyer representing his client,’ Conn Carroll, a spokesman for Republican senator Mike Lee of Utah, told the Free Beacon after Bennett’s nomination passed through committee. ‘We always say you can’t necessarily draw conclusions about a lawyer’s views from his or her advocacy, and we mean it.’

GOA is certainly not convinced, having posted this about him on July 3, 2018:

Bennett opposed the Heller Court’s finding that the Second Amendment is an individual right. He also opposed GOA’s right to participate in the political process, which was recognized in the Citizens United case.

~~~~~

Donald Trump and the senate GOP owe us an obligation to ensure that their judicial picks unreservedly support the right to keep and bear arms.

Mark Bennett is NOT such a pick.

I guess we will just have to wait and see what comes of this questionable appointment. Color me skeptical.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Hawaii
KEYWORDS: affirmed; antigun; banglist; bennett; judge; markbennett; past
Revisiting this nomination.
1 posted on 07/25/2018 1:55:29 PM PDT by LibWhacker
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To: LibWhacker

Why are we reliving one of Trump’s mistakes?


2 posted on 07/25/2018 1:59:14 PM PDT by Yo-Yo (Is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
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To: LibWhacker

Sticky situation.


3 posted on 07/25/2018 1:59:49 PM PDT by heterosupremacist (Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God. - (Thomas Jefferson)
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To: LibWhacker

Trump needs to NOT GIVE AN INCH on his judicial nominees. This particular judge is more than an inch. I’m sure a better nominee could be found In Hawaii. Let’s hope Trump doesn’t do this again.


4 posted on 07/25/2018 2:00:03 PM PDT by House Atreides (BOYCOTT the NFL, its products and players 100% - PERMANENTLY)
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To: LibWhacker

Why the jell did we approve this guy. This is not what we want!!


5 posted on 07/25/2018 2:04:34 PM PDT by raiderboy (Trump has assured us that he will shut down the government to get the WALL in Sept.ith the solar)
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To: House Atreides
I’m sure a better nominee could be found In Hawaii.

Conservative Republicans are not exactly thick on the ground in Hawai'i. A RINO is probably the best you can find.

6 posted on 07/25/2018 2:15:18 PM PDT by Lurking Libertarian (Non sub homine, sed sub Deo et lege)
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To: LibWhacker

Nice shirt. Where’d he study law; picking up seashells on the beach?


7 posted on 07/25/2018 2:24:07 PM PDT by Jack Hammer
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To: LibWhacker

When ALL Democrats vote for and 27 Republicans vote against, I have to wonder where Trump gets some of his advice. This will not improve the Ninth Circus’ track record at all. What was Trump thinking?


8 posted on 07/25/2018 2:27:54 PM PDT by originalbuckeye ('In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act'- George Orwell.a)
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To: LibWhacker

My question is why, to begin with, did Trump nominate this guy??


9 posted on 07/25/2018 2:34:47 PM PDT by Wuli
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To: raiderboy

FAIL!


10 posted on 07/25/2018 2:35:12 PM PDT by shanover (...To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.-S.Adams)
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To: LibWhacker

I’d vote against his nomination solely because of the shirt he’s wearing in that picture.


11 posted on 07/25/2018 2:41:33 PM PDT by MplsSteve
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To: originalbuckeye

Frankly Trump is scared of guns, it shows


12 posted on 07/25/2018 2:47:20 PM PDT by JudgemAll (Democrats Fed. job-security Whorocracy & hate:hypocrites must be gay like us or be tested/crucified)
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To: Yo-Yo

Remember when IKE admitted making mistakes? He said his mistakes were “both on the Supreme
Court.”


13 posted on 07/25/2018 2:51:23 PM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: All

Dreadful pick period


14 posted on 07/25/2018 2:57:21 PM PDT by gibsonguy
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To: LibWhacker

Bennett was a horrible pick for Ninth Circuit.

Kathleen M. O’Sullivan is an even worse pick. She’s being nominated to be a U.S. District Court Judge for the state of Washington.

The Republican party has been nominating a lot of left-wing candidates for judicial positions lately.


15 posted on 07/25/2018 3:13:25 PM PDT by Mr. N. Wolfe
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To: LibWhacker
He is a member of the Federalist Society and it's quite possible he felt obligated to defend Hawaii law but would rule another way as a judge.

This the only questionable judge among the 23 for the appeals courts.

16 posted on 07/25/2018 3:24:35 PM PDT by Kazan
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To: originalbuckeye
When ALL Democrats vote for and 27 Republicans vote against, I have to wonder where Trump gets some of his advice.

Probably from his lib Federal Judge sister or Ivanka and Jared, I love Trump, but he sometimes relies on the advice of those close to him and doesn't do his own research...

17 posted on 07/25/2018 3:39:33 PM PDT by apillar
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To: JudgemAll

I don’t think so.....


18 posted on 07/25/2018 4:02:30 PM PDT by originalbuckeye ('In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act'- George Orwell.a)
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To: LibWhacker

anyone have a list of the 23?


19 posted on 07/25/2018 4:36:52 PM PDT by Trteamer ( (Eat Meat, Wear Fur, Own Guns, FReep Leftists, Drive an SUV, Drill A.N.W.R., Drill the Gulf, Vote)
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To: JudgemAll

According to multiple sources, including his own words, he’s held a concealed carry permit for decades. He also supports national reciprocity for concealed carry.


20 posted on 07/25/2018 5:28:59 PM PDT by catbertz
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