On Monday, Donald Trump selected Judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the US Supreme Court — prompting the million-dollar question:  will this pick maintain the status quo or tilt the court completely to the right?

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The 53-year-old Kavanaugh is a federal appellate judge on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. He was once a former clerk for Justice Kennedy and also worked in the George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush administrations.  With that in mind, his selection is being seen as a wink to the Washington elite and a nod to conservatives that their agenda and vision for America is safe and will be in good hands.

Justice Kennedy has historically been the swing vote on such major issues as abortion, same-sex marriage, and affirmative action.  However, Kavanaugh is expected to be a reliable conservative vote who will form a right-leaning 5-person bloc with Justices John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch.  That belief prompted a protest march on the steps of the Supreme Court late Monday night, as well as a host of high-profile personalities to come out in opposition to his selection.

“Now the attention turns to the United States Senate and the Senate needs to hear from you,” Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren told the gathered protesters while announcing she will not support Kavanaugh’s nomination. “Our job is to raise our voices. I know this will be hard but we didn’t get into this fight because we thought it would be easy.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders advised the crowd of protesters to be ready to challenge the nomination.

“Are you ready for a fight? Are you ready to defend Roe vs. Wade?” Sanders said. “This is a tough fight but it is a fight that we can win . . . We have the American people on our side, now we have to go state by state by state to make sure senators do what their constituents want.”

Other Kavanaugh opponents also came out in force.

“All Americans should be treated fairly and equally under law,” said Hillary Shelton, head of the NAACP’s Washington Bureau. “Brett Kavanaugh is a dangerous criminal. His disturbing views on civil rights will launch the Supreme Court to the extreme right.”

Ben Wikler, the Washington Director of the MoveOn political action committee, told the protesters, “Anyone who votes for Kavanaugh is voting to criminalize abortion and punish women.”

Local resident David Gaines said he decided to protest out of “anger and disappointment that the Supreme Court is going to be packed by a child who has no understanding of much less respect for the institution of constitutional law.”  He indicated he is most concerned about Citizens United and Roe v. Wade being in jeopardy with Kavanaugh on the bench.

Senate Republicans have only a razor-thin 51-person majority.  With all Democrats expected to vote NO on his confirmation, some inside the Trump administration are fearful that GOP moderates Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine may also vote NO out of concern for a justice whose confirmation would almost certainly threaten Roe v. Wade.

Will Judge Kavanaugh follow in the footsteps of his predecessor and remain the conservative yet swing vote that Justice Kennedy has reliably been?  Or will Trump’s 2nd high court pick tilt the court so far right and change American lives so drastically that it will take generations to undo?

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Will Judge Brett Kavanaugh tilt the Supreme Court?
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