Senator JayDee Blind-Sides Rand during Senate Confirmation
By Deepest House
(Europeia – April 11, 2017) - Senator JayDee blind-sided justice-nominee Rand on Discord on April 11, holding an off-the record chat and then presenting the chat log during the senate confirmation as evidence for why the senate should not confirm the nominee.
JayDee and Rand had several exchanges during the confirmation hearing for his position as justice when JayDee continued his interrogation of Rand in a private Discord conversation. Senate confirmation hearings are traditionally held in public for transparency reasons, and for JayDee to continue his line of questioning out the public eye was unusual.
“This is off the record,” Rand said at the time, recognizing that matters and discussion related to the confirmation should take place in the Senate and before the public. Despite this, it appears JayDee posted the conversation shortly after it concluded, much to the surprise of Rand.
JayDee defended the move and the breach of trust committed by posting the record. “I wouldn't have posted it if I thought there was something harmful,” he said, without regard to whether it was appropriate to privately question a nominee outside of the hearing process and then publish the results.
Newly inaugurated, President Calvin Coolidge made sharp comments on the senate floor in defense of his nominee and critical of Senator JayDee. “It seems pretty clear to me that you knew this was going to make it to the confirmation thread, but Rand did not,” he said. “This seems like an ambush to catch Rand off-guard, and I don't appreciate that tactic being used in this way, frankly.”
While perhaps not illegal, having the tactic brought into question by the current president illustrates the moral question. The president clearly thinks that the senator hoodwinked Rand into complacency and lowered defenses in a private conversation, with a clear intent to follow-up by publishing the record in the hearing.
The Constitution requires the Senate to confirm presidential nominees, but makes no mention of where the questioning should take place. One can reasonably infer, however, that the Constitution would have confirmation questioning take place in the Senate.
“I wasn’t aware that conversation was on record,” Rand explained after JayDee presented the Discord chat log. While Rand was surprised by the move, JayDee’s fellow senator, Cerian Quilor, also noted the unusual nature of the public revelation.
“I do think this means we all might want to be a little more careful in our discord chats with [JayDee] from now on,” Senator Cerian Quilor said, while also noting he didn’t necessarily think what JayDee did was wrong.
As the confirmation hearings for cabinet nominees continue, it will be interesting to watch the ongoing feud between Senator JayDee and Rand. While there appears to be no chance for JayDee to vote in favor of Rand, there still may be enough support for the nomination to pass through.
