As of this writing, the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is still in some doubt. Due to the tactics of the left, a remarkably good man might still be denied his chance to serve the nation.

I’ve said it before, but it deserves repeating. For the political left in this country, politics is a blood sport. For them, every big issue is either “win or die.” For the past few decades, the left has been aided in their march toward socialism by the so-called “mainstream media,” who are serving as modern-day “useful idiots.” That phrase is usually attributed to Karl Marx, the father of the National Socialist movement, when he referred to the pro-communist citizens living is the U.S, but it applies accurately to the current crop of both print and broadcast “journalists.”

The current debacle is at least the third time that spurious charges of sexual misconduct have been used by the left to attack individuals or cultures that they despise. The nomination of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court in 1991 was delayed, and nearly derailed by charges brought against him by Anita Hill, a lawyer who had worked for Justice Thomas some years before. Although her charges were found to be baseless, Justice Thomas was subjected to vicious attacks from the media. Although Thomas was eventually confirmed, he later referred the treatment he received as “a modern-day lynching.”

In 2006, three Duke University lacrosse players were charged with rape of a stripper who had been hired to perform at a party held by the lacrosse team. The charges were pursued by the Durham county D.A. with the assumption that the three students were guilty without benefit of trial. He frequently referred to the charges as a “hate crime,” and gave numerous interviews with national media where he referred to the students as “privileged white boys.” The university suspended the lacrosse team for two games, the lacrosse coach was forced to resign, and the University president the rest of the lacrosse season.

In due course, the charges against the three students were found to be unfounded, and were dropped. The Durham D.A. was subsequently disbarred and forced to file for bankruptcy. Although the three students were cleared, the stain on their reputations will undoubtedly follow them through the rest of their lives.

The accusations brought against Judge Kavanaugh are brought by a woman who was apparently 15 years old at the time. She cannot recall the location of the party, or even the date of the alleged offense, but the national media, in predictable lockstep with the political left, are demanding that his nomination be either delayed or withdrawn.

It would be fitting that the people leading this modern-day witch-hunt be subjected the same fate as the Durham County District attorney. They should be banished from public life for lacking the minimum virtues of public figures: honesty and integrity.

John Jamieson is a veteran of more than 20 years’ service in the Army who retired to Farmville in 2002. Following retirement, he worked with Farmville Area Habitat for Humanity. His email address is rnco39@gmail.com.