As Republicans prepare to grill Jackson, they are re-litigating Kavanaugh’s confirmation battle.

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina used his opening assertion on the Supreme Court docket affirmation listening to to air lingering grievances over the remedy of Brett M. Kavanaugh, in an obvious effort to justify Republicans’ powerful questioning of Decide Ketanji Brown Jackson and rebut solutions that difficult the primary Black lady nominated to the courtroom amounted to racism.

Mr. Graham seized on Justice Kavanaugh’s explosive affirmation hearings in 2018 for example of unfair remedy of a Supreme Court docket nominee, asserting that Decide Jackson was already being afforded extra respect and will anticipate a extra civil tone in 4 days of hearings this week.

“None of us are going to do this to you,” mentioned Mr. Graham, referring to Justice Kavanaugh’s hearings. He famous that Republicans couldn’t even get by way of a gap assertion in these proceedings earlier than being interrupted by liberal activists.

Decide Jackson has by no means been accused of committing sexual assault, as Justice Kavanaugh was throughout his affirmation hearings. Christine Blasey Ford mentioned the decide had sexually assaulted her when each have been youngsters, an allegation that Justice Kavanaugh vehemently denied. As the method drew to an in depth, Mr. Graham delivered a fiery speech to the Senate Judiciary Committee denouncing Democrats’ techniques as “probably the most unethical sham since I’ve been in politics.”

The remedy of Mr. Kavanaugh evidently nonetheless grates on Mr. Graham and lots of Republicans, and by invoking that combat greater than three years in the past, they gave the impression to be looking for some political cowl for difficult Decide Jackson, even when the circumstances of the 2 nominations weren’t remotely comparable.

Republicans, who have been initially involved about prompting a backlash in the event that they attacked Decide Jackson too sharply, have adopted an more and more aggressive method in latest days and wish to painting her as smooth on crime, one in all their central assault strains in opposition to Democrats within the upcoming midterm elections.

Senator Charles A. Grassley, the committee’s rating Republican, kicked off the hearings by saying the aim was to keep away from “a spectacle.”

“We shall be honest and thorough, as individuals would anticipate us to be, however we received’t get down within the gutter like Democrats did in the course of the Kavanaugh affirmation hearings,” Mr. Grassley mentioned in his opening assertion. “I’m certain you of us keep in mind how dangerous that bought.”

Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, went even additional, minimizing Ms. Ford’s accusations to the vanishing level.

“Nobody goes to inquire about your teenage relationship habits,” he advised Decide Jackson.

Not one of the Republicans talked about their remedy of Merrick Garland, President Barack Obama’s 2016 Supreme Court docket decide, whose nomination they blockaded for eight months to disclaim Mr. Obama the chance to fill the courtroom emptiness earlier than leaving workplace.

Decide Jackson’s hearings, not like Decide Kavanaugh’s, shall be centered no less than partially on the difficulty of race, which Mr. Graham addressed in unusually unvarnished language on Monday.

He famous that Democrats had opposed judicial nominees of coloration appointed by Republicans, couching their objections as issues of political and authorized philosophy.

“Backside line right here is, it’s about philosophy when it’s somebody of coloration on our facet — it’s about we’re all racist if we ask onerous questions,” mentioned Mr. Graham, a former chairman of the committee.

“It’s not going to fly with us,” added Mr. Graham.

The senator, who has already signaled his opposition to Decide Jackson’s nomination, went on to criticize President Biden for not deciding on J. Michelle Childs, a federal decide from his state who can also be Black, as an alternative of Decide Jackson.