Why it's spineless
Louisiana's Sen. John Kennedy demanded answers "head-on": "I expect him to address all of these issues head-on and tell us, tell the committee, and, more importantly, the American people in front of God and country, what his position is on vaccines." Kennedy then watched the nominee refuse, repeatedly, to say vaccines don't cause autism — and voted yes anyway. "In front of God and country" turned out to mean whatever the nominee felt like saying.