Kick the audience out of the Brett Kavanaugh hearing already

Before the Senate Judiciary Committee really even got going, protesters started screaming about the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. And then they kept hollering and hollering.

After shouting into his own microphone just to be heard over one protester with particularly exceptional lung capacity, an exasperated Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, blurted at Capitol Police to “get this loud mouth out of here.” They obeyed, only to remove more shriekers minutes later. Hatch ended his remarks in a huff suggesting that all the protesters be removed “from the doggone room.”

Hatch is right. This is an obnoxious and pointless exercise. This screaming adds nothing to the proceedings and this shouting will continue throughout the entire confirmation process if the senators let it. The Senate Judiciary Committee should make a standing policy of clearing the room of the entire audience after the first outburst.

Capitol Police shouldn’t have to wrestle with protesters every time a senator starts talking. They shouldn’t be asked to carry them out of the room by their hands and feet because this isn’t what democracy looks like. This looks like washed out hippies screaming into the primal void because they are out of political power at the moment.

It is embarrassing, and so it was refreshing to see Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., to call it out. “Mr. Chairman I do not intend at any point to continue what I have to say with such interruptions,” the former Senate Judiciary Committee chairman said after a particularly bad audience outburst. “I don’t care whose side they are on.” More Democrats should follow his example.

Enforcing good behavior won’t infringe on the rights of the protesters to petition their government. They can call still protest outside the committee room, call their senators to berate unpaid interns over the phone, and rally on Capitol Hill. They cannot be allowed to shut down the process. Kick the whole lot out before they can even shout.