I am a 75-year-old man and a former Republican. Now I am humiliated by confessing to being both. Why? Perhaps nothing is more disgusting than the Republicans’ performance at the recently concluded Supreme Court hearings. 

None of the 11 Republicans, all men, on the committee even had the guts to question Dr. Ford in person, but handed the job over to a female prosecutor to protect the “optics” of 11 men from appearing to smear her. And then, of course, after her testimony, speaking almost unanimously of her being a “creditable” witness and then later discounting her testimony, calling her a liar and a Democratic patsy (as did Judge Kavanaugh), all being cheered on by a president who initially said she was “compelling,” and then two days later mocked her to the glee of his supporters.

Then we had the sham FBI secret investigation, conducted in three days, in which more than a score of witnesses who could corroborate Dr. Ford’s and the two other women’s claims of inappropriate sexual behavior by Judge Kavanaugh were never even interviewed. Admittedly there probably will never be absolute proof of Judge Kavanaugh’s guilt or innocence on these charges, but do we really want someone with this cloud hanging over his head in a lifetime position? 

The President could have easily withdrawn the nomination early on without admitting the validity of the charges and re-nominated another candidate where such allegations would never be an issue; yet he did not (most likely since Judge Kavanaugh has written that a sitting president is essentially protected from any legal action against him). So now we have a second possible sexual predator sitting on an insulated Supreme Court who may very well change the course of history for decades to come. 

It has become obvious that the Republican Party is now completely in the hands of a President who is a pathological liar, a self-confessed sexual predator who now has confided about his “love” for a muderderous dictator (and yes, he actually said he “loved” his BFF Kim Jong-un at a recent rally). What a disgrace to our country. What a legacy for the Republican Party.

[Dr. Robert J. McCallum is a resident of Milford, PA.]