It was the hug heard 'round the world -- the last gasp, some say, of political civility. When Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) dared to show signs that comradery still exists on the Hill, extremists started calling for her head. "It's time for Sen. Feinstein to step down from her leadership position on the Senate Judiciary Committee," Demand Justice tweeted. Why? Because the mere suggestion that she and the Left's mortal enemy, Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), might be friends means war.
To the rest of America, watching the two embrace was a refreshing moment in an otherwise bitter ideological climate. It was a reminder that the two parties could disagree on everything under the sun but still have a cordial relationship. But then, as we were all quick to learn, the Left doesn't believe in relationships, coexistence, or even civility. On "Washington Watch," Senator Graham could only shake his head at how far the radical Democratic Party had come. "Look what happened to Dianne Feinstein. She gave me a hug, a human act of kindness. She didn't agree with the proceedings [for Amy Coney Barrett]. She wouldn't vote for the judge, but she did acknowledge that I tried to be fair. And she gave me a hug rather than a handshake. And they're trying to ruin her life. So you got to understand the energy in the Democratic Party is very nasty and destructive."
Dianne Feinstein, Lindsey explained, is progressive in every sense of the word. But this is "somebody who can find common ground... whose unpardonable sin was to show me some kindness," and for that, she's persecuted by the Left. "She's old school. Well, old school is no longer accepted in the modern Democratic Party. It's just not enough to agree on the issues. You have to hate the people the Left hates. They hate me. They hate my guts for Kavanaugh, and [for daring to] help President Trump. This should be a wake-up call for America. The people driving the Democratic agenda have no tolerance for anything different -- and that means you."
Senator Graham makes an important point. A lot of people out there think we should just set aside our differences and try to get along. But here's the thing: you can't create a culture of respect if only one side shows it. The other side has no interest in coming together, in sharing common truths. The reality is, in an environment as hostile as this one, one worldview is going to dominate. And either Christians and conservatives are going to be dominated by a worldview that's hostile to God and the devastating consequences that flow from it -- or we're going to fight to uphold truth and live it out in the face of opposition. Those are the choices. We can, and should, choose to be kind, but we cannot make that choice for others.
As for Barrett, there's no better example of someone showing calm, poise, and decency in the face of opposition than her. The Left could learn a lot from the courageous and disciplined way she carried herself. As Lindsey said, "The judge was challenged, but she passed with flying colors... [She] shined. My goal was to make it about her, not about any of us, to give her a chance to demonstrate her capabilities in the law, her judicial disposition, and temperament, and the well-rounded life she has led. And I think in that regard, the mission was accomplished, and the hearings were instructive. There's a reason that a majority of Americans approve of her going on the court because she's exactly where she needs to be. She's lived an incredibly good life -- a consequential life."
It's a shame, he agreed, that Democrats didn't have the courtesy to show up and give her the vote she deserved. "They chose to boycott the hearing. I chose as chairman to make sure that she would get out of committee... She has earned the right to be on the floor of the United States Senate." And she will be as soon as Sunday. "I'm not leaving town until she's on the court," Senator Graham vowed.
Do your part to help him. Contact your senators and urge them both to fill that seat!
