Kavanaugh accepted the nomination from the biggest liar and worst president to ever occupy the White House. That alone is reason enough not to choose this hand-picked yes man. The country deserves so much better.
22
How low can you go.
7
Nice go Charles Blow. Nice go.
4
Mr. Blow,
I often read but immediately dismiss your rather predictable blindly-biased political positions. For example, today you criticized that “The hearings wrapped up with Kavanaugh having dodged direct answers to questions on major issues like abortion…”. Your comment rather deceitfully implies that this was not usual in such hearings. Do you really believe that none of your readers are aware of the Ginsburg hearings where her Art of Dodging Questions was first mastered?
So, it is a bit of a surprise to find myself writing here to resoundingly applaud you on the part of your column today that was the most refreshingly candid, appropriately balance, objective thing written by anyone on this entire topic. You wrote:
“I know that there are political considerations on both sides: Republicans want a vote before the midterms, and Democrats want to delay one until after. But Republicans are worried that Democrats now have a shot — though still a long one — to flip the Senate. And one could argue about how the release of Blasey’s accusation was handled.”
An honest and excellent summary! I would strongly encourage you continuing in that manner in the future. You clearly have the intellectual skills and oratory ability needed to be both persuasive and productive. But you unfortunately too frequently completely undermine your arguments and your entire credibility by resorting to superficial partisan rhetoric.
But let me close on the positive; great job today!
3
There are currently four Republican female senators. Women from Alaska, Iowa, Maine and West Virginia should flood the communications channels to oppose this confirmation. They must make crystal clear to these senators that their vote will be broadcast over and over again.
Rape victims and all decent folk will vote accordingly.
16
Wow, apparently it shouldn't be an issue unless she was a boy that waited 30 years to tell about how his priest or coach molested them. All those priest should be eligible to become pope despite some lame accusations 30 years ago.
23
Kavanaugh is ALEC and Corporate America's handpicked man ... this is nothing more than play acting by the GOP. Their owners had already told them how to vote before the very first committee hearing. They don't represent the American people and really don't care what any of us think.
13
There is something to be said for the idea that a horrible act committed by a drunk 17 year old is eligible for forgiveness and redemption based on many following years of exemplary behavior. Part of that behavior should include admissions, contrition, apologies, and possibly some sort of restitution for victims. If the charges are true, steadfastly lying about them should be unforgivable and disqualifying for a potential Supreme Court Justice. We the people need and deserve to know the truth about these allegations to a level that removes reasonable doubt one way or the other. On the results of that truth should hang the fate of Judge Kavanaugh. If he's a liar he has no place on the court even if a horrible youthful crime is ultimately admitted and forgiven. The Senate appears poised to rush to a decision that should be, but will not be, objective, measured and deliberative. One way or another the current path will taint the judge, the Senate, the Court and everyone who touches it.
13
To everyone calling for an FBI investigation: Learn how the system works! The FBI does not have the authority to open a case whenever they please, there are criteria that must be met before they are allowed to do so. They investigated Thomas because it was a crime that was still potentially prosecutable and also it happened in a government workplace, neither of those are true in this case. In fact, they have made statements to this effect, yet people are still calling for them to open an investigation. Fake news from all sides is our new reality, the sooner we wake up to that fact, the sooner we can return to some semblance of sanity.
Mr. Blow,
I just saw you participating in a panel on CNN. Thank you for that--you are a brave man.
15
Given that Judge Kavanaugh and his friend Mike Judge have both admitted extreme binge drinking at Georgetown Prep, corroborated by some very damning stuff written in their yearbooks and recent "jokes" like "What happened at Georgetown Preg stays at Georgetown Prep!", any denial that this act of attempted rape at a drunken party couldn't have taken place is simply a lie. Kavanaugh may not actually remember the specifics of this event, but there is no denying he and his buddies were putting themselves at risk of this kind of unhinged behavior - apparently they were proud of it. Whether he remembers it or not, the only credible reaction in 2018 is, yes we were screwed up kids, drinking and out of control, and something like this could well have happened and I regret those years terribly and any hurt I may have caused, even if borderline unconscious which was the case many misspent nights in high school. That would demonstrate honesty, humility, concern for others who may have gotten in his path on one of his worst "escapades" and some modicum of integrity. Based on his 2018 response to these painful charges, he has disqualified himself from any court, frankly.
21
The writer of this article lost me right here:
"But it is impossible to argue that her claim isn’t credible enough to demand a thorough investigation, regardless of the partisan gamesmanship."
Sorry, but it is not only possible, but a certainty. She has no corroboration at all - nobody she told, and nobody who saw what happened. She also says she cannot remember whose house it was or why she was there. It's quite possible that she went to a lot of parties like that, but when an assault like this happens, you simply do not "forget" which house THAT one was. The only way that is believable is if you were extremely drunk yourself, in which case, her rememberance of the whole thing is no longer credible.
Everybody knows what's going on here. The Republicans want to ram this guy onto the court and the Democrats want to forestall that until after the mid-terms. Fine. But Ford's story isn't cutting it.
2
@RedorBlueGuy: she says she had a bathing suit on under her clothing. Was it a pool party? you'd think you would remember that part. Did she already go swimming, or was anticipating swimming later on? Did the house have a pool? was it summer? was the pool outdoors or inside? Or was she coming from swimming lessons or swim class at school or YMCA?
In Maryland, the outdoor swimming season is probably from June to September....wouldn't that create a clear time frame? Most people who own pools in such climates, close them up for the season in September, or at the latest, October.
I can see someone forgetting the address of the house, but you'd think you'd remember things like "it was a big Tudor" or "a new modern house in the suburbs" or something like that.
I remember frat parties in college -- not the exact date either -- but general things about the houses (big, old, not very clean, across from the main campus). And that was longer ago -- early 70s!
1
What a complete reach. Every observation breaks the accusers way and every attempt at rebuttal or clarification is attacked and framed as sexism. It's a stain to true victims
Frankly, I don't believe her at all. The timing is too confident and the method and means in which this all came to light is far too politically convent for certain groups.
Some simple and fair questions-
1. Why did they give her a lie detector test if it was never going to be public?
2. Why did she retain an extremely partisan attorney if she never planned to reveal herself?
3. Why did Feinstein wait with the info for almost 2 months before it "accidently" leaked?
4. Why wasn't this brought up during questioning by senators?
5. Does anybody really expect me to believe that this isn't anything more then a hail marry thrown by a women wearing a MeToo jersey backed by powerful people who will do anything to see the nomination fail?
6. She was at a party which reportedly everyone was inebriated, was she drinking? Is that the reason she can't remember where she was, how she got there, or what happened afterward?
7. Why is everyone so quick to condemn the male? Wasn't feminisms goal to,achieve equality of the sexes? If that's the case then both parties should be seen as equal and not prejudged, yet by virtue of her being a women she is somehow more believable?
Last but far from least, women lie and manipulate too. They have agendas, play politics, smear, distort, bully and betray just as men can and do.
3
@Eric Prof. Blasey put her job, her privacy, her family, her personal safety, her life on the line when she made this accusation. Her credentials are as good as Kavanaugh's and I do believe her.
25
@Eric
Better questions:
Why don't you want to know the truth?
Why would a liar ask the FBI to investigate a false charge when she could get a year in prison for making a false charge?
Why would a liar risk a felony by lying to the US Senate?
Why won't Trump and the GOP permit an FBI investigation when President George H. W. Bush did just that when Anita Hill accused Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment?
23
Republicans are hiding nothing.
They keep saying over and over that our government is their "enemy," and protect monuments to the Confederate traitors that attacked our Republic.
90% of Republicans back a pathological liar who repeatedly and loudly takes the side of a hostile intelligence service against our own intelligence services and our electoral systems as president of the USA.
The Party of Trump is against almost every line in the Constitution and its Amendments. Read it, and compare it to what they do.
Trump does not even pretend to put We the People above his personal interests when making official decisions. That is the definition of corruption, and Republicans love him for it.
Now Trump has nominated a Supreme Court Justice specifically because he has said that a president can only be investigated by Congress.
Trump nominated a Justice to Obstruct Justice! Republicans cheer.
Trump gives his followers permission to Be Worst and they love him for it.
Trump keeps confessing to crimes on TV and and Twitter and Republicans love him for it.
The whole point of the Constitutional prohibitions on forcing self-incrimination and cruel and unusual punishment is to prohibit torture. Republicans are for torture and police brutality. "Bang their head on the car door," Trump tells police.
Nothing Republicans do is a secret. They are ripping up the Constitution on Prime Time TV.
WHY ARE WE THE PEOPLE LETTING REPUBLICANS SHRED OR CONSTITUTION?
12
No self-respecting woman including Senators Murkowski and Collins can ignore this serious charge against Kavanaugh of attempted rape. There must be a formal investigation- not a rush to confirm.
Kavanaugh's overtly lied about overturning Roe v. Wade saying its settled law when he is on record saying that the Court can do what it chooses in any case. The suppression of 10's of thousands of documents about Kavanaugh's direct role in the Bush torture program is designed tyocover up Kavanaugh's perjury.
No honest Congressperson can rubber stamp Kavanaugh into a 30 year term on the Supreme Court. Only those who have no respect for America will do so.
13
Republicans do not care about the truth. They do care about obstructing the confirmation process. This is a disgusting disrespect of the process, and most importantly, the American People.
13
I agree that there were a lot of reasons to vote against Kavanaugh even before these latest allegations. There are too many secrets and too many questions to even consider him for a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court.
Before he's even considered, the FBI needs to investigate the sexual assault charges and the hidden papers from his time as a political activist in the Bush White House need to be released to the Judicial Committee. What is the GOP hiding and why?
5
Perhaps an FBI investigation ought to take a look also at internet attempts to smear and intimidate Kavanaugh's accuser. Reporting on those suggests she has been the recipient of legally actionable true threats. What the FBI finds on the internet could be read into the record of the Kavanaugh hearing, on television. Let Kavanaugh ride onto the Court on a tide of that swill. Nothing else would better demonstrate the underlying political issues being played out in this nomination fight.
6
Secrecy has its privileges.
An FBI investigation is urgently needed. Expanding the existing background check would include interviews with classmates and others. Kavanaugh is a sitting federal judge. Even if he were not a nominee, these are very serious allegations that impact a federal official.
As Anita Hill has suggested, Congress needs a far better system for handling sexual abuse accusations. Keeping it within one senator's staff perusal is ridiculous. Letting a group of all white men - many of whom have already expressed public bias against Dr. Blasey - is political, not keeping an open mind. This requires trained professionals. Maybe do as the New York diocese is doing. Bring in a distinguished consultant to set up a system or have the ABA provide suggestions.
First vote on Merrick Garland. He was nominated first and should be considered first.
6
Our representatives knew exactly how they would vote before the hearings even began, in fact they stated as much as soon as Kavanaugh’s name was announced. These hearings are a charade, they are a show for We the People. No amount of documents released would convince Democrats to vote yes, no amount of allegations are enough to force Republicans to vote no. Yet they are all working so hard to make us believe that documents and allegations matter, and the media, those chasers of attention, are more than happy to play along, even though I am sure many of them are well aware of the farcical nature of the situation. In my opinion, it is a symptom of the belief that We the People are too stupid to choose what is best for ourselves, instead we must be manipulated into making good decisions. Such arrogance!
2
Mr. Blow, this is why I think it is important that the American people take a serious look at the allegations against Kavanaugh.
If today a 17-year old young man committed the sexual assault described by Dr. Ford and the assault was exposed, what would be the chance for that young man to go all the way to where Kavanaugh is now? If the answer to this question is No Way, the American people need to find out the truth about these allegations!
6
I like what Trevor Noah said. I’m paraphrasing: why would we trust that Kavanaugh would respect the rights of all women when he didn’t respect the right of one woman to choose.
We’re not talking about throwing Kavanaugh into jail. We (if only!) are deciding if we trust his intelligence and judgement enough to allow him a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court were he will influence policy and even American culture for years. He always seemed like a right wing stooge who was chosen because he’s malleable enough to further their agenda without regard for how that agenda will negatively affect the majority of us. I never trusted him. Dr. Blasey’s account is just further proof of Kavanaugh’s contempt for women in general.
7
We should know that in this universe Trump would never have recommended Kavanaugh without at least a tacit understanding that he will be Trumps protector and a recording of the conversation for Trump to keep in his pocket just to be sure. Trump learned his lesson when he realized what had happened when he appointed Jeff Sessions and when Comey would not agree to be his man. He will never make that mistake again.
He lies with such ease and constancy that we now find the depth of his dishonor hard to appreciate. Remember who Trump is beholden to. (It's not You)
7
If Judge Kavanaugh is indeed one of the most wonderful people on earth, practically able to walk on water (as Trump seems to be claiming), why should there be any objection at all to an FBI investigation confirming that?
Stormy Daniels' revelations about Trump are considered inconsequential, presumably because she stars in "adult" movies, but Dr. Blasey's reputation is as solid as Judge Kavanaugh's.
4
In regard to the oft-repeated GOP argument that Prof. Ford's allegations should be dismissed because Kavanaugh was then only 17, it's well to remember that it wasn't until 2005 that the Supreme Court ruled in Roper v. Simmons that imposing capital punishment for crimes committed under the age of 18 was unconstitutional. At the time, there were 73 convicted criminals on death row in the US for crimes committed at Mr. Kavanaugh's age or younger.
Before that case was settled and after the SCOTUS reinstated the death penalty in 1976, 21 criminals were executed in the US for crimes committed at age 17.
According to Human Rights Watch:
"We know that the United States leads the industrialized world in the number and percentage of children it locks up in juvenile detention facilities, with over 60,000 children in such facilities in 2011, according to data compiled by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which works on juvenile justice and other children’s rights issues. The US also sends an extraordinary number of children to adult jails and prisons—more than 95,000 in 2011, Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union estimated—with few opportunities for meaningful education or rehabilitation."
The US rejected a call by the United Nations to ban penalties of life without parole for offenses committed under the age of 18. In 2008, there were 2,484 such prisoners in the US.
But Mr. Kavanaugh shouldn't be questioned about an attempted rape because he was "too young."
8
How could the FBI perform a thorough investigation in a timely manner of an incident [exact date unknown] that dates back 35 years and involves a bunch of fancy kids that may have consumed too much. There will not be a satisfactory outcome here and America will be further divided.
2
Once again, what's being covered up in this nomination. Why such a hurry.
Again was Judge Kavanaugh our President Trump's first choice?
Remember our Republic first.
5
The problem is not so much what he did 40 years ago.
The problem is a Supreme court justice who has no problem with lying to further his career.
He cannot possibly have forgotten the episode.
So the lying disqualifies him completely.
8
If Kavanaugh had respect for the rule of law, based on his prior lies, he would withdraw. As controversial as he is, liability for his confirmation is potentially more damaging to our confidence in the court. As for the nomination process, McConnell has already made that laughable, politicized, and an obvious move toward ruling more than governing for us. Vote the lot of them out and let Trump meet his fate, whatever it may be. If everyone is as innocent as they claim, they’ll be fine.
5
@WoeIsUs What are you talking about? Prior to this circus, Kavanaugh was as qualified and uncontroversial of a nominee as they come. The only "controversy" is that his judicial philosophy makes him more likely to rule in opposition to many on the Left's preferred political desires. That is not "controversial"! If it was, every SC nominee would be controversial just for having a judicial philosophy.
He was also on track to be easily confirmed up until 1 week ago. The Senate Democrats who knew about Dr. Ford's allegations THREE MONTHS ago obviously did not find them credible or serious enough to raise them timely or to question Kavanaugh about them and only leaked them at the 11th hour to create political theater and to delegitimize a Supreme Court Justice forever in the eyes of many.
Shameful.
No one's innocence is going to be proved here because the allegations are as impossible to disprove as they are to prove. But we do now know depths of below the belt political behavior in this country extends well beyond the White House.
3
Kavanaugh could shock the world and buttress respect in his honesty and integrity by putting out this statement:
I am hereby requesting an FBI investigation of the allegations against me. The Justices of the Supreme Court should be respected and the process of appointing a Justice should be fair and open. In order to protect the Court, I am asking the FBI to investigate the claims by Dr. Ford quickly and completely. I have nothing to fear in such an investigation. I ask that the investigation be conducted quickly because accusations of this kind should not be used to serve political motivations, but I am ready, willing and able to meet with the FBI at any time to address these issues, and am equally willing to stand before Congress and the American people to answer any questions related to these allegations.
Why would he not do this?
10
@akin: because the investigation would take months...if it DID NOT prove he assaulted Ford, the left would claim it was "fixed".
In three months, the Senate could be flipped Democratic, which would mean they would never confirm Kavanaugh -- even if Ford is proven to be lying -- just as like a GOP Senate would not confirm Garland.
It is stated: "But it is impossible to argue that her claim isn't credible enough to warrant a thorough investigation ...". Well, until she testifies, it isn't, and so it is possible to argue that the claim "isn't credible enough to warrant a thorough investigation". After she testifies, if she does, then such an argument wouldn't be credible. The point is that such groundwork would be utilized by the Democrats to discredit Judge Kavanaugh's fairness, and indicate bias based on religion and political affiliation. As regards "Lucy", we really don't know what the Judge's motivation might have been. It could be that his ruling forcing delays and inconveniences might have been in order to instruct a young person in such a way as to bring about careful thought on her part as regards her future conduct, and not some sort of vengeful retarding of due process based on fanatical religious belief. The latter is the type of hysteria which seeks to malign character, which is what the "claim" from almost thirty years ago seeks to do. A simple appeal to reason would yield what is much more relevant to the committe's task: calling into question The President's capacity to decide what affects the public interest in so far as protection of ideas is concerned. The task would then be to challenge The President's invoking of "Executive Privilege" in court in order to obtain the documents which are being withheld, and which might shed light on the Judge's qualifications.
It is stated: "But it is impossible to argue that her claim isn't credible enough to warrant a thorough investigation ...". Well, until she testifies, it isn't, and so it is possible to argue that the claim "isn't credible enough to warrant a thorough investigation". After she testifies, if she does, then such an argument wouldn't be credible. The point is that such groundwork would be utilized by the Democrats to discredit Judge Kavanaugh's fairness, and indicate bias based on religion and political affiliation. As regards "Lucy", we really don't know what the Judge's motivation might have been. It could be that his ruling forcing delays and inconveniences might have been in order to instruct a young person in such a way as to bring about careful thought on her part as regards her future conduct, and not some sort of vengeful retarding of due process based on fanatical religious belief. The latter is the type of hysteria which seeks to malign character, which is what the "claim" from almost thirty years ago seeks to do. A simple appeal to reason would yield what is much more relevant to the committe's task: calling into question The President's capacity to decide what affects the public interest in so far as protection of ideas is concerned. The task would then be to challenge The President's invoking of "Executive Privilege" in court in order to obtain the documents which are being withheld, and which might shed light on the Judge's qualifications.
Republicans care only about getting what they want, however they can achieve that.
They have descended to a point wherein the ends justify the means, even if that allows men who are sexual predators to be on the Supreme Court. Even if that means that 90% of what a judge has written is hidden from fellow senators who want to see it. Even if most of the citizenry does not trust the man who nominated Kavanaugh. Even if .....
You get the point by now.
4
@Barbara I am confused. What, exactly have the Senate Republicans done wrong here? Diane Feinstein sat on Dr. Ford's allegations for almost THREE MONTHS. She did not ask him a single question about his personal conduct during his extensive Senate hearings, and then finally leaked them a week after Kavanaugh's hearing was completed and on the eve of his confirmation vote.
Republicans on the Judiciary Committee responded by delaying the confirmation vote and inviting Dr. Ford to testify.
I am sorry if I fail to understand how it is the REPUBLICANS that are playing games here or engaging in wrongful means in order to achieve an end.
4
Excellent argumentation.
Being dismayed by lack of interest in truth ought to be persuasive. But power politics weaponizes appeals to truth. So, the reality is a competition of rhetorics in a theater of power plays. Duh.
The paternalism of Republican politics stands on a consumer constituency that doesn't want to be bothered with accountability, let alone evaluation of competing rhetorics. Blame the history of [poor] education in Republican strongholds.
So, speaking power to truth will prevail as long as "citizen" consumers want to be entertained by autocratic assurances.
1
Remember when Kavanaugh was chosen he (Kavanaugh) stood by 45 and hyperbolically said, "No president has ever consulted so widely when choosing a nominee."
Say what??? This whole thing has felt off from that moment. What a ludicrous, bizarre statement to make about your own job search. How could Judge Kavanaugh possibly know/say something so unprovable and (let's face it, probably false)?
4
@Bonnie
A gratuitous, facile show of thanks to the de facto source of the nomination...perhaps hyperbolic. Perhaps it was a private joke between him and himself.
1
Let’s be very clear here - this is good old fashioned political theater. Ford wants more time to prepare for her testimony, not unreasonable request. Besides buying time, A prefatory FBI “investigation” would have no impact on her ability to be prepared for her testimony unless it is leaked to her by a member of the Senate Judiciary Comittee. The sad reality of the situation is that given the circumstances (decades old, no potential of physical evidence) no FBI investigation would move us past our current conclusion: there is a sexual assault allegation against Brett Kavanaugh. Senators will have to take this into account in evaluating the totality of evidence they have on Kavanaugh’s character. However, I believe that putting Ford on the stand will cause significant pain for her and will be an opportunity for divisive, partisan YouTube clips, but will not do anything in terms of discovering new material information (unfortunately).
The Republicans will successfully jam the Kavanaugh nomination through, and put him on the Supreme Court for life. If this costs them the Senate, then Diane Feinstein should begin an immediate investigation of Kavanaugh's perjury and probable sexual assault history. The FBI should be empowered to subpoena everyone and every piece of hidden paper. Then let's see what kind of person the Republicans have put on our court. Can a convicted perjurer serve as a judge? What about a convicted sex offender.
5
@Chazak - she can't do that. check the constitution. i just did.
1
@Chazak: the problem is there is almost certainly NO EVIDENCE anymore....not after almost 4 decades.
This has been hot button news for several days, and yet nobody from Maryland in the 80s has come forward and said "yes, I witnessed that assault and can verify Ms. Ford's story".
She herself says she told nobody -- not her mother, not her friends, not the police.
WHAT evidence could there be after 36+ years?
The Republicans will successfully jam the Kavanaugh nomination through, and put him on the Supreme Court for life. If this costs them the Senate, then Diane Feinstein should begin an immediate investigation of Kavanaugh's perjury and probable sexual assault history. The FBI should be empowered to subpoena everyone and every piece of hidden paper. Then let's see what kind of person the Republicans have put on our court. Can a convicted perjurer continue to serve as a judge? What about a convicted sex offender.
1
Republicans smooth transition to Dictatorship/Mobster rules, some of them refer to this whole charade "we got a little hiccup here with the Kavanaugh nomination", if attempted sexual assault is just a bit of hiccup, what else is so called hiccup Roe vs. Wade could be just a hiccup right, civil rights is just a hiccup, president is above the law and CANNOT be investigated is definitely a hiccup, don't you think.
A hell with democracy, who needs it...definitely not our donors...we just put more billions in their pockets and they always repay us back.
5
I was raped 47 years ago. I have never told anyone. I thought I was responsible.
8
Nonsensical politics. The gold standard is how Democrats reacted to allegations that Bill Clinton raped and sexually harassed women when he was Governor of Arkansas and POTUS. The gold standard is the Democrats' position that minors should be tried in juvenile court, and that records of what minors did should be sealed from public view. If these allegations were made against Bill Clinton or Barack Obama, Blow and all Democrats would be laughing and trashing the accuser. Who knows, one day we may see what happens when another progressive is accused of misconduct when he was in high school.
6
Mr. Blow,
I often read but immediately reject your rather predictable blindly-biased political columns. For example, today you criticized that “The hearings wrapped up with Kavanaugh having dodged direct answers to questions on major issues like abortion…”. Your comment rather deceitfully implies that this was not usual in such hearings. Do you really believe that none of your readers are aware of the Ginsburg hearings where her Art of Dodging Questions was first mastered?
So, it is a bit of a surprise to find myself writing here to resoundingly applaud you on the part of your column today that was the most refreshingly candid, appropriately balance, objective thing written by anyone on this entire topic. You wrote:
“I know that there are political considerations on both sides: Republicans want a vote before the midterms, and Democrats want to delay one until after. But Republicans are worried that Democrats now have a shot — though still a long one — to flip the Senate. And one could argue about how the release of Blasey’s accusation was handled.”
An honest and excellent assessment! I would strongly encourage you continuing in that manner in the future. You clearly have the intellectual skills and oratory ability needed to be both persuasive and productive. But you unfortunately too frequently completely undermine your arguments and your entire credibility by resorting to superficial partisan rhetoric.
But to close on the positive; again, great job today!
2
And the BIG question is, why don't the American people care enough to throw the vast majority of the GOP out of office? The ongoing fiasco in Washington suggests that the fundamental character of approximately half of our fellow citizens is fundamentally flawed and corrupt. We no longer can maintain the illusion of honesty, honor, justice, fairness in our culture. Those concepts have been replaced by "Win at ALL cost, just don't get caught. If caught, deny, deny, deny."
5
The following from a SC Congressman today:
“Did y’all hear this latest late-breaking news from the Kavanaugh hearings?” said U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-Rock Hill. “Ruth Bader Ginsburg came out that she was groped by Abraham Lincoln.”
Clearly, GOPs in Congress don't have any sort of a clue the type of damning message they're delivering to women everywhere. GOP is the Grand Old (Boy Anti-women) Party, just as they have been since well before Anita Hill.
I wonder -- Do Orrin Hatch and Chuck Grassley know women can vote now?
4
What is clear is that Trump wants someone who will prevent him from being indicted, investigated, or removed from office on the Court, and will do literally anything to ensure this. I want more information about the behind the scenes campaign to get Anthony Kennedy to retire and what deals that might have entailed, clearing the way for another of his proteges to ascend to the Supreme Court. I'm sickened by the whole spectacle of how our government has been bought off and degraded.
7
I again disagree with your biased view on this matter. I'm hoping he passes muster with most Senators and is confirmed early next week. The entire affair that Feinstein and Democrats created is laughable and very sad commentary on politics in the USA today. He's extremely qualified to sit on the Court.
6
@Steve sure and those priests should be able to become pope despite 30 y/o allegations by mixed up little boys...
4
Since there's no statute of limitations for felony sexual assault in Maryland, according to my research, Dr. Blasey could bring charges against Kavanaugh (and Judge) and get her criminal investigation started and possibly her claims litigated in court.
See https://victimsofcrime.org/docs/DNA%20Resource%20Center/sol-for-sexual-a...
I'm also assuming that Supreme Court justices could get indicted should he get seated.
Am I wrong?
3
@Sherrie
Let me clarify my last point:
I assume Supreme Court justices are not immune to indictments and thus Kavanaugh could undergo an investigation and possible be charged, even if the vote goes through and he is seated.
3
@Sherrie. Do you really think Maryland authorities are looking forward to investigating a 35 year old claim for which the accuser does not remember the date or place of the alleged incident. Be serious, there is absolutely nothing here that anyone can find that would lead to your desired result.
2
@Sherrie: theoretically .... yes. There is no statute of limitations in Maryland, so yes. If Ford convinces the local prosecutor to authorize a police investigation and they find compelling evidence that she was assaulted, they could bring charges against Mr. Kavanaugh -- try him -- convict him -- and sentence him to jail.
This would of course remove him from the Court and strip him of his law license.
1
Wouldn't it be great if the GOP would be as squarely behind getting Trump to testify in front of Mueller as it is about getting this brave woman to stand in front of a group of political ideologue hacks who already have their "minds" made up?
4
Discussing a personal trauma is difficult enough even in a therapy setting, Dr. Ford is demonstrating so much courage doing so in a setting where she knows that we will be attacked by Republicans and conservatives - people who seem to lack any sense of courage or principle.
8
There is nothing being hidden here and almost surely nothing more to find out.
We are talking about allegations of sexual groping by a 17 year old boy with a 15 year old girl at an alleged drunken party 36 years ago, which were first reported earlier this year. We are never going to get to the truth of the matter. Something probably happened. It probably was traumatic to Dr. Ford. But her memory of it is almost certainly different than reality in many, unknowable ways. Memories are inherently unreliable, especially old ones.
Judge Kavanaugh and his high school buddy are also probably telling the truth in their denials, based on their own memories, regardless what actually happened. And if they aren't we will never know.
And so we have a story that we will never know the truth of, if it actually involved Judge Kavanaugh, or if it was really the kind of assault Dr. Ford remembers. The story would never hold up in any court of law, and it wouldn't be close.
And THAT, of course, is why Diane Feinstein sat on it for so long. And THAT is why Blow and the Democrats are talking process and delay and the need for more investigations and Republicans somehow hiding something. Because they know where this ends ... nowhere. And they are just playing political theater at the expense of Dr. Ford, Judge Kavanaugh, and all of us.
4
Contrarian here. I am so sick about states chipping away on Roe v. Wade. I am starting to think that we should give states the right to forbid abortions. It will be the Republican states (duly elected by their voters) that will do so. Once these voters experience the reality of what they chose, they perhaps will have to reconsider and vote Democratic. After all, it is hard for me to imagine that a state can survive - economically and morally - with laws on the book that criminalize abortions.
In this light Kavanaugh may not be the worst.
1
Why do women even bother? Most of them don't, of course. We think that racism is the original sin of America but it's really misogyny, which is a global phenomenon. Misogyny is the template for all other isms. It infects women's minds as deeply as men's. Many women don't even believe other women or look for all the reasons not to. It doesn't matter how long they wait to tell of their abuse. It doesn't matter how exemplary their character is. It doesn't matter how consistent their telling of the story is or how many people they told about it at the time. Sometimes even their own families don't believe them or blame them. Women who are sexually attacked or harassed are on their own in this country. We may as well live our lives in that reality.
3
Why the rush to confirmation on the part of Senate Republicans? I don't know if it is true but the buzz out there is, they have to make a tee time at the end of the week. Sort of a confirmation celebration down at Lake Norman with the Prez.
5
Perhaps the NYT can start investigative research into The Rape Club - a club that protects men who get into trouble with women. I would even bet there's a hefty buy-in to join the club. A good place to start would be a couple of websites dedicated to hating women. Scary stuff there.
Strange that Trump should want Roe/Wade eliminated. By his own braggadocio, it is reasonable to assume he has taken advantage of its provisions. Again, it's not what he says, but what he does.
2
This will either come out now or will come out later, and in spades. I would think the Reps would rather this get resolved, now, completely, than later when all of the dirt will get out on TMZ, 20/20 or the worst for them, 60 Minutes.
If the Reps want to be identified as the party that hates women, a reputation they are now faced with without this circus, they need to let this "allegation" be investigated by the professionals.
We all already know this nomination is more about the complete looting of the treasury, Social Security and Medicare to enable the complete gutting of the middle class but really, this sounds more like some Central American, Banana Republican operation than something hatched by "patriots". Patriotic to whom and for whom?
Sorry, Mr. Blow, but the FBI is busy investigating important stuff, like whether a low-level agent's text message to her boyfriend proves that the "Deep State" is running a giant conspiracy to prevent Trump from getting elected. Clearly, that is way more important than whether yet another Republican Supreme Court pick sexually assaulted a woman.
3
Why would anyone expect Trump, himself a sexual predator, to call for an investigation? Unfortunately I don't believe that Professor Blasey's testimony will make any difference. I wrote to my senator Rob Portman about this issue this week. I received a form letter praising Kavanaugh that never even mentioned the allegations. Portman has obviously already decided to vote for Kavanaugh regardless of what is revealed. Unsurprisingly he's a Republican. I refuse to support any Senator who is willing to vote for the confirmation of a possible sexual predator to the Supreme Court. Which is why I'll be actively campaigning against Portman when he comes up for reelection.
3
"We can’t have a Supreme Court on which a third of the men have been credibly accused of sexual misconduct."
Really, Charles?? We haven't had a real Supreme Court since 2000, and chances are slim that we will have one again in our lifetime. Gorsuch will need to be imprisoned for impersonating a Supreme Court justice, for one thing.
1
Christine Blasey Ford was 15 years old at the time of her assault, she was underage! Further reason to warrant an investigation.
4
Trump needs his pick in this court because the justices could end up ruling on Trump’s legal problems. Trump will sacrifice anyone in order to protect himself. And so will his party.
How can we get our checks and balances back?
8
What on earth do people think the FBI will investigate with regard to an alleged incident that the media have not already very publicly investigated? The FBI will ATTEMPT (because they have no subpoena power in his matter) to talk to Dr. Ford, Judge Kavanaugh, and the only other person Dr. Ford named as being involved. They will then report their interview notes to the President and to the Senate Judiciary Committee. THE END.
But we have already heard from all three people, and the Senate has invited two of them to testify before them to hear more. That is the best we're going to ever get, folks!
The FBI does not have some magical powers unknown to all of the rest of us (and to all the media bloodhounds) to uncover hidden clues of an incident which allegedly occurred at an alleged high school party in 1982. And we should have no illusions that any calls for such an investigation have ANYTHING to do with finding out the unknowable truth of the thing.
6
This is a nice piece of journalistic writing.
I often cringe at Mr. Blow, who, despite being on the same end of the political spectrum as myself on most issues, often interjects un-journalistic (even for an opinion writer) projections of intent onto his subjects. I expected the same as I begin reading this column and was pleasantly surprised by what I found.
Thanks, and keep it up, Mr. Blow. You're perspective is often excellent, and is far more effective when you avoid devolving in demagoguery in support of your very real points.
1
Perpetrators cry victimization.
Whether the abuse is sexual, political, financial, the abuse is minimized and distorted by the perpetrator.
When the abuse is revealed, the perpetrator will cry victimization. And gain sympathy from his staunch supporters who are True Believers.
This is the phony defense of Trump, his cabinet, his appointees and his party in response to any challenges to their power and exploitation.
4
We observe Obstruction of Justice daily as POTUS acts with impunity daily in plain view. Not to mention treason, illegal financial dealings, racism and misogyny, what the GOP did starting with Garland, and now with Kavanaugh and tons of stuff in between is worse it's "Obstruction of Democracy." Perhaps a harbinger of this end justifies the means attitude gained momentum with Paul Ryan's Randian view that "Unfettered self-interest is good and altruism is destructive." So who cares if a few teenagers are raped, 100s of children are separated from their parents and 3000 brown people die in a hurricane along the way.
4
Yes, there needs to be a neutral, non political independent investigation of the Kavanaugh mess, before this goes any further.
Just as there needs to be an independent commission to draw our voter districts, not leaving it up to political parties to manipulate and gerrymander for power.
Just as there needs to be national voting rules for all states to stop voter suppression by parties.
Just as there needs to be regulation and limits on private money in campaign finance, and more public funding for all candidates of both parties.
This would restore balance to our democracy, returning to the citizen majority the political influence that’s the whole purpose of democracy.
6
@Meredith You obviously think that we as a nation should scrap our existing Constitution which provides rules for apportionment and citizen representation. Regarding "regulation and limits on campaign financing" . isn't Citizens United settled law, every bit as much as Roe v Wade?
1
Diane Feinstein knew about Dr. Ford's allegations in JUNE and did nothing with them. The reason is because the allegations are too old, too fuzzy, and too unprovable to withstand serious scrutiny.
Feinstein instead leaked the allegations AFTER all the Kavanaugh hearings in an effort to stall a vote and create a media frenzy. Mission accomplished, I suppose.
But can we please take a step back and consider what is happening here. We used to consider people innocent before being proven guilty. Even in today's atmosphere of #metoo, we usually wait for some corroboration (multiple accusations, for example) before publicly crucifying a person.
Do we really want to set a precedent where the word of a single person about a single alleged event 36 years ago, with no corroboration, is enough to scuttle a Supreme Court nomination? Even if Dr. Ford believes everything she has said, do we really want to go down that path, with these stakes?
Many people believe the ends justify the means. With all the passion over Supreme Court rulings, how many people would be willing to stand up and tell a lie if that is all it takes to change history? I don't think that is what Dr. Ford is doing, but if the standard is set so low, that will happen the next time, and the time after that.
10
Everyone should consider calling the Senators and asking them to contact the President to ask for an FBI investigation of this matter.
202-224-3121
Feel free to leave messages for Senators from other states.
4
The question is if Dr. Blasey testified whether the all male committee majority will have the temerity to treat her like Anita Hill was treated in 1991 and if they so how will the women Democratic senators make these Republicans look to the American people. This should be televised and it will be fun to see how Judge Kavanaugh slips and slides about his claimed loss of memory.
I know that if a person is a liar, a bully at 17 who has contempt for women he will be so at 27 and 37. The die is cast by 17. Our president is an example of that.
The other day I heard a panelists on MSNBC say the she believes that good men sometimes do terrible things. I actually yelled at the TV no, no, no, if you do terrible things you are not a good man, because good men do not do terrible things like rape.
Thing about what a rapist, even a drunk one thinks he doing to another person’s life. She is not going to forget. He thinks it will be my word against hers. All you have to be is a good liar from a good family. We will see if that works when the damaged victim swears to tell the truth. Since a lifetime appointment is at stake here Kavanaugh has the burden of proof; because he has something to gain versus Dr. Blasey, who has had to surrender her privacy to tell the truth who has nothing to gain. We need no investigation. The public will make their beliefs known within hours. So please take the stand Dr. Blasey and tell the truth and save the Supreme Court further disgrace.
4
What is is most striking and galling to me (actually there is a lot) but these are all the same people that called Tamir Rice, a 12 year old, a thug. These are the same people who have NEVER shown compassion to any child of color murdered by the police or any child period murdered in a school. The disconnect is staggering. The misyogyny, racism and apathy in this country is destroying us.
7
So interrogate him at the Senate hearing. have the GOP vote him through, dems take the Senate and house. Then do the FBI investigation and impeach Kavanaugh for perjury before the Senate.
3
So Kavanaugh hung out with Mark Judge in high school. That should pretty much let you know what kind of person he was at that time.
Judge's memoirs, "Wasted: Tales of a GenX Drunk" and "God and Man at Georgetown Prep," describe school as a "nest of debauchery" and say his drinking and "immorality" began at Georgetown Prep, according to excerpts published by The Washington Post.
9
Kavanaugh weakens the Supreme Court if he is approved due to his smarmy behavior which probably wasn't his only attempt at forcing himself on an unsuspecting girl. I wish other women would come forward. You'll see some pretty sad rulings concerning workers, the environment, indictments against a criminal president, and a woman's right to decide what to do with her own body. With Kavanaugh the court will be filled with 5 Catholics and one Episcopalian raised as a Catholic. The other 3 are Jewish. Give us a break!!! (note: My own feelings are more comfortable with Jewish justices, but imagine the screaming by GOP if there were five of Jewish faith!!!!). And I certainly wish there was one more woman on the court. We women are tired of the good ole boy court.
4
Trump's Supreme Court is filthier than a submerged Carolinian hog farm.
6
Excellent article and analysis Mr. Blow.
1
"if Trump was truly interested in finding the truth about these allegations" huh? if a frog had wings it wouldn't bounce on its behind every time it hopped. He is a creepy, lying, unfit ,sexual predator that is still flirting with treason and collusion. Haven't we all had enough?
4
teenage rapists belong in jail
3
Money is the root of this problem. Due to the Citizens United decision everything is for sale: Presidents, Senators, Representatives. The bought and paid for are all form and no content. What did anyone expect? A bunch of people who know the cost of everything and the value of nothing cannot possibly do their jobs well.
8
@Kate Parina, where were you when Bernie Sanders was enlightening us about this same exact problem you stated so eloquently?
@Kate Parina Huh? Citizens United was an independent political action group that funded a video critical of Hillary Clinton. The Supreme Court ruled that Citizens United was within its First Amendment rights to produce and distribute the video and that the government could not block them based on campaign finance laws.
It has always seemed like a pretty easy decision to me. And not sure how it has anything to do with the allegations by Dr. Ford, which have received more free media attention than any organization could ever pay for.
And what exactly is being bought or sold here, and with whose money? Do you even have any idea what your own point is? Or do you just cry "Citizens United" every now and then because you heard it was bad?
5
@Econ101
Answer: Bought and Sold
1 A supreme court seat
2 Women's rights re their bodies
3 Environmental protections
4 DEMOCRACY
1
What are Republicans hiding? What an odd question. The Republicans on the Judiciary Committee learned about Dr. Ford's allegations for the first time last week, when the rest of the world did. Since then, about 100 news organizations have swarmed to uncover every stone and talk to every possible witness and have reported their findings in hundreds of to-the-minute reports.
What on earth does Blow think Senate Republicans could possibly know that the rest of us don't? Were they at that alleged party in 1982? And what on earth does Blow think the FBI will find that the media have not?
We can all read the papers, and Senate Republicans have already delayed any vote until Dr. Ford at least has an opportunity to speak to them at a (public or private) hearing. Those are reasonable steps, and will be the best any of us can expect as far as trying to find the truth.
Finally, the only ones who have actually hidden something have been the Democrats who sat on Dr. Ford's allegations for MONTHS before springing them as a last minute political ploy to stymie a vote.
4
Sounds like people want more time for a investigation - FBI or whatever - I believe the Honorable Senator Feinstein took a few weeks before informing the world of her anonymous letter. Had she done so before the hearings, I would feel a bit less likely to believe her timing was ALL ABOUT POLITICS.
6
@Mark Martinez
Anonymous? The letter was not but Dr. Blasey asked for it to be confidential. When someone leaked the letter to the press, who then camped out at her home and workplace, Dr. Blasey decided to contact a reporter of her choosing to tell her story and get the details right. We all then became painfully aware of the alleged assault.
How it leaked is something women like Dr. Blasey need to know when their wishes are not respected. She had to realize, though, that at some point, Senator Feinstein would probably request full disclosure in the interest of the country.
2
Judge Kavanaugh has been exhaustively investigated by the FBI on six separate occasions. Sen Feinstein's handling of the "letter" has been extremely questionable and certainly looks like the "letter" was reserved as a "Hail Mary pass" attempt to push any conformation past the elections and thereby give the Democrats an opportunity to revenge themselves on President Trump and Sen. McConnell for blocking Judge Garland. Dr. Ford has been offered the hearing she initially requested . By moving the goal line and demanding a Federal investigation , she gives credence to the opinion that the entire episode is politically motivated fiction.
3
If Dr. Ford cannot get a fair hearing before the stacked Judiciary Committee, I hope that she shares her story on "60 Minutes" this Sunday.
Then the Republican Senators will be the ones who will need to answer questions.
6
@JMT The Judiciary Committee has 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats. And each Senator is allowed equal time for questioning. So I don't know what you mean by "stacked" or why you think the hearing would be unfair.
Also, you want Dr. Ford to skip her invitation to testify before the committee that needs to vote on Kavanaugh's nomination, and to be questioned by those decision-makers, and instead appear on "60 minutes"?
Forgive me for not following your logic there....
5
Here is what we need to hear from Judge Kavanaugh, assuming that he doesn't expect a free pass for drunken behavior, whether he happens to remember it or not:
"I acknowledge having abused alcohol on a regular basis as a young man. As a result, there may have been any number of situations in which I cannot recall or account for my actions, possibly including the sexual assault of which I am accused. At this point I can do nothing but apologize, and withdraw my name from consideration as a Justice on the Supreme Court."
On the other hand, if he somehow thinks that a culture of binge drinking absolves him from personal responsibility for his actions as a young man, he doesn't deserve his judge's robes, on the Supreme Court or any other level.
So which is it?
9
@Bill Levine
So head's he's guilty or tails he's guilty -
3
This is indeed a charade. But if we're being honest, Mr. Blow is just as much a part of it as the the GOP. So let's call this what it is; a political bloodbath. There's nothing particularly fair about any of this. Not the GOP's ridiculous hurry-up offense nor the Democrats' Hail Mary with a minor high school scandal posing as a damnable career ending offense. I know, I know. Everyone is so sanctimonious about it on either side but that's all part of the play. People playing their roles in hope of the best outcome they can achieve.
The GOP wants their seat on the High Court and they want it now. The Democrats want to block it at all costs but it will take more than they've got right now. The only hypothetical way to truly stop a Supreme Court seat going to a hard right conservative judge is, for starters, more accusers surfacing with similar allegations about Kavanaugh. But they need to trickle out. One at a time. All at once would scuttle the nomination entirely and he would bow out, leaving the path open to another, presumably less tarnished nominee. The Democrats need to eat at least 2-3 more weeks of the calendar with this to prevent a new nominee from being confirmed before the election. THEN they have to block something through the lame duck session...and that's assuming another miracle in them taking over the Senate. A very tall order indeed.
4
Judge Kavanaugh could have said something along the lines of "I welcome the review of my entire record, and request that as much documentation as possible be released. The American people should know who I am, warts and all. I'm not a perfect human being. I have made mistakes in my life, and apologize for my behavior as a teenager. I still think I would be a good justice on the Supreme Court, but I will accept the decision of the people. "
Instead, we are seeing sleazy tactics being used to muscle his nomination through. Given his and the senate Republicans' behavior, I doubt I will ever be able to respect any decision with his name on it.
3
The cat is out of the bag. Both for accuser and accused, presuming the accused's confirmation, more information will come out in ever increasing volume, perhaps with even more serious dirt on the accused. So then we'll have TWO justicess on the court who are abusers of women. Good luck with that GOP! SOMEBODY is lying. Who's the likely liar?
3
There is no proof that any of this happened. While she demands an FBI investigation, there is no possible federal crime that would warrant a federal investigation. Her 'witnesses' have denied anything happened.
Every one of you who is crying that Kavanaugh should be denied this position needs to put the shoe on the other foot. How would you feel if you were applying for your dream job and a woman, based on nothing, accused you of something like this?
It is ridiculous that we are even entertaining this. There is actually evidence against Bill Clinton and against Keith Ellison but you probably don't care about this... Hypocrites.
8
@Rich: Neither Bill Clinton nor Keith Ellison are nominated to be on the Supreme Court. President Clinton was impeached (but not convicted) almost 20 years ago, remember? How do you know it's based on nothing? If Kavanaugh wanted this "dream job", then he maybe he shouldn't have assaulted this young woman. I believe her. You want to talk hypocrisy, what about Trump?
2
Silly man. Attempting to cast innuendo against Kavanaugh shows your total bias and lunacy. There is NOTHING about this accusation except politics and lies. You couldnt find a better friend of women than this guy. To give this ANY credibility shows how low you will stoop to support liberalism. You have no ability to lead because you are so biased. But, let's say Kavanaugh actually is guilty - the fact that you would even consider this as disqualifying after seeing his stellar record shows that liberals cannot allow redemption for political correctness - how cruel can you be? He obviously has demonstrated his conduct with women is excellent with hundreds of female recommendations. Are you saying then that sexual misconduct is unforgivable? Forever? Really?
3
I too feel sure that women all over the world thrill to the feeling that a judge who was hand-picked to go after Roe, attack contraception, undercut laws against harassment, justify chopping programs for kids, and so on, has their back as "the best friend women ever had."
Especially since he was nominated by a fat guy with quite the record regarding women.
Myself, I woulda thought Mary Wollestonecraft, Margaret Sanger, DeBeauvoir, maybe Ruth Gunsberg, somebody like that. But doubtless Men Know Best about such things.
4
GOP seeks equal rights for sexual predators with Thomas and Kavanaugh providing a one-two punch to protect sexual assault.
2
Republicans know that people forget. Arguably, no one in America, and definitely no one in Trump's base, really bring up the Clarence Thomas hearings when they decide who to vote for today -- or even, say, who they voted for in the mid 90s. McConnell knows this. In elections, personality wins the moment. The offensive misogyny made by a party decades ago is swept away by modern rhetoric. The calculation is that people will forget years later as Kavanaugh votes hard right on all judicial issues, if put in power. The game will always be the same: win elections in the present, with the best personality, best message, best campaign. No campaign can rely on anger about passed over Garland or muscled through Kavanaugh.
1
Thank you for your clear thinking, Mr. Blow.
2
I find myself returning to the feelings I had the night Trump was elected. How can it be that a known assaulter of women gets to occupy the Oval Office? How can this be happening - a repellant, gross man just became our President. His abhorrent behavior towards women counted for NOTHING! The women’s voices counted for nothing.
And, now Kavanaugh. He gets a free pass, too. He was young; he was drunk; it was oh so long ago; it can’t be held against him. I wonder how much “ locker room talk” he participated in? Democrats, get a spine! Being on our best behavior isn’t cutting it anymore. Republicans are running roughshod over us.
2
Fwd: Brett Kavanaugh: I was his 8th Grade Teacher in English and Religion at Mater Dei School. He terrorized and Bullied Fellow student who was legally blind. The headmaster and I held him for detention and accounting for this scabrous behavior. Brett was without any remorse. This was 14 months before he allegedly forced himself on Ms. Christine Ford from Holton Arms School. Time to draw parallels on this outrageous behavior. I have been sending this to you for two months. I hope you now do something with it.
8
@G.M Stanton
Could someone from the Times PLEASE be good enough to interview Mr. Stanton and the headmaster at length.
2
@G.M Stanton
I had Mr. Stanton as a teacher - he terrorized and bullied me in class.
Why aren't the FBI and the 4th Estate investigating this accusation of bullying? If true, along with the other bad behavior of Kavanaugh, shouldn't it be disqualifying? We can see in this process, good character, doesn't matter much to this compromised GOP. Does it matter at NYT?
1
WANTED!! URGENT!!!! Two (2) Republican senators with sufficient integrity and ethical outrage to demand fair Committee procedures be adopted to:
investigate assault charges, hand over document review to
the National Archives, review and provide 100,000 pages
withheld for national security (?!) reasons with reasonable
redaction and confidentiality strictures and adequate time
for the Committee to review the 140,000 pages ("War and
Peace" x 100).
WANTED, just 2 Republican senators who will not acquiesce in the GoP's toxic effort to ignore precedent, professionalism and justice in their effort to turn the vetting and voting on this nominee to the Supreme Court into an affront to Democracy and to women everywhere.
WANTED, just 2 Republican senators--Flake? Corker? Collins? Murkowski?--not corrupted by power, vested interest or moral bankruptcy to demand as a price for voting on Kavanaugh a fair, just comprehensive Committee process.
WANTED, just 2 decent, fair minded GoP Senators to put an end to this farce.
WANTED...just 2 GoP senators who believe in America and liberty and justice for all....
4
Do you really think that this was the only attempted rape. Sounds like the judge never expected anything about the incident to come out by dint of “What happens at Georgetown Prep stays at Georgetown Prep.” I’m willing to bet that there are more incidents that he never thought would be exposed because of his privileged background. Remind you of anyone else?
2
The charade is the increasingly desperate effort to derail Kavanaugh with no meaningful evidence whatsoever.
3
Everyday, every time, I look or see this story, I cannot rid my mind of what Mitch McConnell did to Obama regarding the nomination of Merrick Garland. It was a blatant betrayal of his Constitutional duty.
" . . . it is impossible to argue that (Christine Blasey Ford's) claim isn’t credible enough to demand a thorough investigation, regardless of the partisan gamesmanship. . . . it must be stated that Republicans have zero space to complain because of the way they blocked President Barack Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland."
Trump and his morally bankrupt cohorts help us all sink lower, everyday, all day, most every time.
2
How many lies does Kavanaugh have to tell before these proceedings come to a judicious halt. Have the Republicans have no decency? I guess today an entirely rhetorical question.
3
Has anyone considered the consequences if the nominee is confirmed and later indicted on criminal charges?
If the Republicans jam this through and it is later determined it is darn near irrefutable that Kavanaugh did what is described and is now lying/perjuring himself. he must be impeached. Period, full stop.
2
Everyday, every time, I look or hear about this story, I cannot rid my mind of what the abhorrent Mitch McConnell did to Obama regarding the nomination of Merrick Garland. McConnell's action was a blatant betrayal of his Constitutional duty. We will not forget.
" . . . it is impossible to argue that (Christine Blasey Ford's) claim isn’t credible enough to demand a thorough investigation, regardless of the partisan gamesmanship. . . . it must be stated that Republicans have zero space to complain because of the way they blocked President Barack Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland."
Trump and his morally bankrupt cohorts help us all sink lower, everyday, all day, most every time.
5
@Paul I agree that the Senate's refusal to consider the Garland nomination skirted the line. But it was nonetheless a legitimate exercise of Senate power, and it also set a political precedent that will become engrained for both parties: if the Senate is not controlled by the president's party and a SC seat becomes open during an election year, it will delay confirmation hearings until after the election.
That purely political move, of course, did not tarnish or malign Judge Garland in any way. The Senate Democrats' handling of Dr. Ford's allegation (which Diane Feinstein sat on for THREE MONTHS) has been utterly shameful and personally unfair to BOTH Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Ford.
2
@Paul not one person had anything negative to say about Garland’s character or background. It was political. If the Democrats were honest enough to admit that’s what they are doing instead of engaging in character assassination, it would be an improvement. To compare what happened to Garland to the present situation is ridiculous.
1
@Econ101: if anything...Garland is now PURE GOLD, and adored by liberals. The next Democratic POTUS will almost certainly offer him a seat on the Court in a few years.
I am waiting for a second woman to come out and say Kavanaugh did the same thing to her. Whether it is Cosby, the priests and cardinals, Weinstein, the Olympic team doctor -- they all do it more than once. That to me would be thing that really sorts through the he said she said on this.
2
When it boils down to it, the ONLY purpose of any further investigation or inquiry into this allegation is to help the Senators decide whether to vote for or against Kavanaugh's nomination. That's it. There is no possibility of criminal or civil charges coming out of this, it is all about what the Senate will do.
In light of that, we should consider what the Senators, particularly on the Democrat side of the isle, think of the allegations. The answer: not much. Diane Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee has known about them since JUNE and too NO ACTION to investigate them further. Instead, she leaked them AFTER the hearings were complete in a purely POLITICAL effort to delay and stymie a vote.
What are Republicans hiding, Blow asks? Almost certainly nothing. They first found out about the allegations when the rest of us did and have since invited Dr. Ford to testify before them (even in private if she wishes) to find out more. That's a lot more than Feinstein did to investigate the allegations she knew about for THREE MONTHS.
The Democrats' handling of these allegations have been purely POLITICAL, including their now demand for a last-minute FBI investigation into an issue that the press has already furiously and publically investigated on their own.
This is a circus and a mockery and, frankly, both Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh are being badly mistreated in the process.
14
@Econ101
"The Democrats' handling of these allegations have been purely POLITICAL..."
So, what you're basically saying is the Republican's handling of these allegations isn't?
Besides it's hard to even speak about a "circus and a mockery", and being mistreated in the process without first remembering the treatment Judge Merrick Garland received.
2
@Econ101
The circus and the mockery is that
TRUMP IS A CORRUPT PRESIDENT APPOINTING A JUSTICE TO OBSTRUCT JUSTICE.
(By the way economics 101 is a introductory course that gives a cursory run through off the basic concepts. Taking economics 101 doesn't mean that you have any in depth knowledge of economics. The next time you want to talk about the invisible hand, for example, try reading Adam Smith's "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations," first, so that you understand his actual arguments instead of a sound bite.
And the next time you think about wrapping yourself in the flag and singing the anthem read the Constitution instead. Capitalism wasn't a word when it was ratified.)
3
If it were found that Kavanaugh really did what Ford claims, there would have to be serious reconsideration of his confirmation.
But let's point out things CB forgot.
1) There has been no corroboration. This has been out there for several days. No one has stepped forward
2) No one has placed Ford and Kavanaugh at the same party. We don't know they even knew each other.
3) Ford can't remember key details like how she got to the party, where it was, when it was, how she got home, or names other than 2 of people.
4) Without those key details Kavanaugh can't refute. Maybe he was out of town.
5) She told no one about this for 30 years. No friends, family. She didn't go to the authorities.
6) Kavanaugh has been vetted by the FBI six times.
7) This is the only accusation of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh.
8) This occurred when both were minors. While bad behavior, this was not attempt rape and may not rise to the level of assault.
9) Memories of past events are not reliable -- Dr. Ford may recall the events this way -- but her memory may not be accurate. It is just as possible she was at a party, flirted with an older boy, got drunk, went into the bedroom willingly, got cold feet and got scared and didn't communicate clearly to the boy. She remembers it as assault by Kavanaugh but how can we know it happened this way or that it was Kavanaugh?
It is he said-she said over something 36 years ago. How can the FBI resolve this?
15
@Ralphie Logic doesn't matter to democrats, they just want to slow it down. (maybe put if off 2-3 year and hope to win 2020)
3
Charles says there’s absolutely no rush here, but of course there is! Despite going without a ninth justice for over a year when Scalia died, these guys desperately want someone confirmed before the midterms. Clearly they picked him because of his history with the whole not indicting a sitting president thing and clearly they made a big mistake and picked the wrong guy. How is it possible that such incompetent people can be in power?
2
A guy with that much credit card debt couldn't pass the test to be a street cop.
3
"There is nothing to fear but fear itself!" In this case, the GOP fear the truth -maybe their right wing, federalist society, god fearing golden boy nominee is nothing more than pyrite.
1
Three points (most commentators have already expressed my thoughts):
I eagerly await any mention of Justice Kennedy's son Justin in Mueller's report and his role at Deutshe Bank vis a vis Trump and Russian money and the timing of Kennedy's retirement
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/28/us/politics/trump-anthony-kennedy-ret...
It is obvious that FBI screening of candidates for any role in government have blind spots. They ask friends, neighbors, employers, etc etc. but very often people are just going to say 'good' things about the person. Perhaps the screening of Kavanaugh found out about a gambling problem & the White House covered it up.
Why do people keep saying "but he's such a great guy - look at all the women he has hired & mentored" or "I never so that kind of behavior"? People are complicated and easily compartmentalize their actions. How many times have we seen murders, rapists, and other violent criminals being described as great fathers, friends, etc and everyone in their social circle being surprised at their crimes? Especially if they are white & affluent.
1
Many comments are blaming Kavanaugh's behavior on the fact that he was a rich, privileged, white preppie. I think this is not the way the issue of sexual assault should be framed. Sexual assault cuts across all racial, economic, and cultural boundaries. It is ubiquitous. I myself was a rich, privileged, white preppie, and neither I nor my similar privileged friends would ever, ever, ever do what Kavanaugh did, stumbling drunk or not. And yes, I believe the victim, Dr. Blasey, 100%.
2
The FBI should investigate Kavanaugh but also, the people who are making life miserable for Dr. Ford. There have been threats against her life, she's been doxed and she's had to move.
Enough.
Of course it isn't surprising that Trump wouldn't want the FBI to investigate. He doesn't seem to realize that the the "I" stands for "investigation" and also, is in the process of trying to destroy the credibility of our intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
This is incredibly dangerous as is the hushed and secretive and hurried attempt to install Kavanaugh, for many years a far right wing political apparatchik, on the Court for life.
Not so incidentally I find the intrusive and frequent ads for Kavanaugh offensive. They generally feature women.
I can't believe they're running ads, featuring women, for this guy who, with or without a misogynist past, is going to damage our rights, putting Church and State inside our private lives and into our very bodies.
3
After the 2000 "non-election" of President Dim-Wit Bush, I have had no confidence or respect for the SCOTUS. Since then, the court has pretty-much given blanket approval for whatever corporations and wealthy elites want. To use the often-repeated Republican/Conservative mantra: it's a court filled with "activists," but not the kind they would have you believe.
So, we will soon have Kavanaugh as the newest Justice. Make no mistake, he was destined to be approved and nothing was going to get in the way.
2
Double standards. Kieth Ellison is accused of worse behavior more than once as an adult than Kavanaugh as a teen once.
In Mr Blows world view, the Lady Justice statue has no blindfold..political, religious affiliation and race seem to matter above all else.
It can be said Judge Garland wasn't given fair consideration, but his reputation was dragged though the cess pool either.
1
@Lane
No double standards here. As an Obama appointee, Judge Garland's reputation was already considered enough of a "cess pool" to not even warrant consideration for the post.
Many have asked "what does Dr. Ford have to gain"
Plenty; she will be looked on as a hero to the Left, one who stopped Kavanaugh's conformation, one who has protected Roe vs Wade. Even if a thorough investigation found nothing to prove her allegations, by delaying this till after the elections there is a probability Dems would gain control of the Senate, and Kavanaugh would not be confirmed, his reputation sullied, while Dr. Ford's reputation in the left, would be admired.
2
This confirmation charade once more demonstrates the contempt Republicans have for democratic processes and institutions.
Their tax cut for corporations and wealthy donors, as well as the failed attempt to destroy the ACA, employed the same tactics: Bypass the normal legislative process of open hearings, exclude nearly half the Senate, and keep everything behind locked doors until they secure enough Republican votes to pass the legislation on a party-line vote (with Mike Pence swooping down from Heaven if necessary). Then rush it to the floor for a vote before anyone has a chance to read it and possibly change their mind.
What those bills have in common with the Kavanaugh nomination is they were highly desired by the billionaires and corporations that fund Republican campaigns, but are otherwise deeply unpopular. Republicans apparently are no longer ashamed to admit that they exclusively represent the donor class. The only other people they care about is the loyal "base" they've brainwashed to consistently and enthusiastically vote against their own interests. They have only contempt for everyone else.
Thus, their only concern is delivering what their donors bought and paid for. The character and qualifications of judges don't matter, nor does the integrity of the Judicial Branch. What matters is appointing judges who can be relied on to uphold and advance the interests of Republicans and their donors, even if Democrats somehow usurp Congress and the White House.
4
Once again, to all those who said there was no difference between Trump and Clinton so they stayed home on election day, thanks for this and many other Trump disasters.
4
If the issue here was a real desire for an investigation of this suggested high school incident, then Ms. Ford might reasonably have requested such an investigation sometime during the ensuing 36 years. Likewise, if the Democrats really were serious in desiring such an investigation themselves then why sit on the allegation for months - never mentioning it during the most recent FBI background check or during the Congressional hearings? No, the truth is that this is simply a well played but, highly destructive gambit intended to forestall Trump's nominee at any cost. Understandably, the taste of Merrick Garland remains bitter in many Democrats' mouths.
3
How about putting pressure on Kavanaugh to ask for an FBI investigation to clear his name?
It could be put to him that surely he would not want to take up such a responsible, elevated position with any clouds hanging over hiss name?
I believe that if he had the integrity necessary for the job he WOULD have asked for it by now-what has he to lose if he is as entirely innocent as he has claimed? If he is innocent, an exoneration would only add to his credibility and standing.
The fact that he has not and most certainly will not now speaks volumes but he need not worry-the whole system seems to be stacked in his favour.
4
@gkropotkin How can Kavanaugh prove that he wasn't at an alleged party in an unknown location on an unspecified date in a year that was probably 1982?
1
All of this could have been avoided if Kavanaugh were held accountable for lying to the committee in previous confirmation hearings. Like Sessions, who also lied to Congress, he is getting away with it and promoted to a more prestigious position.
9
Dr. Ford did not want to come forward and expressly and emphatically requested anonymity. However someone on Senator Feinstein's staff betrayed her by leaking her name as evidenced by reporters knocking on her door. She was thus forced to contact the Washington Post. Thus Dr. Ford has confidence in neither the Democrats who are using her as a pawn, nor the Republicans who will destroy her credibility if she testifies on a national stage. The request for an FBI investigation is a stalling tactic to give her breathing room to see if corroboration will come out. I believe she presented her letter perhaps in the hope that there were other complaints (i.e.: as with Bill Cosby), but she never expected to carry the ball entirely with a 35 year old uncorroborated claim which cannot even name a time and place, and other witnesses deny.
5
@Bill the other hypothetical accusers would have to be living on Mars not to have come out by now but otherwise agree with your assessment.
1
"What are Republicans hiding about Kavanaugh? What don’t they want you to know?"
That Kavanaugh has lie under oath, and he's participated in using stolen Democratic election data. They may also hope that people are not aware that he's callously indifferent to the well-being of women and minorities.
He's obviously an obsequious creep willing to lie to get his judgeship.
4
I watched a former federal prosecutor last night on the Lawrence O'Donnell program. She said it is quite obvious why Dr. Ford and not Kavanaugh is demanding an FBI investigation: to reach the truth. She further commented that as a sitting judge in a situation such as this one, Kavanaugh would never let the two parties testify without bringing in the FBI to conduct a thorough investigation. Blow's use of the word "charade" is perfect. Kavanaugh is desperate to be appointed to SCOTUS, so desperate as to ignore a procedure he would insist upon. Utter hypocrisy demonstrated by Kavanaugh and his sponsors (Grassley, Hatch, et al). Indeed, a charade. And, once again, Trump has it all wrong. His comment that it's up to the senate to bring in the FBI is false, just like everything else that emanates from his mouth. It's up to the president, and if you think this president wants to hear a full accounting from the FBI, I would love to sell you oceanfront property in Nebraska. Kavanaugh is Trump's ticket to freedom from prosecution. Don't bite the hand that feeds you!
7
@nzierler First of all, this is not a criminal case. It is not a case at all. It is an allegation of an incident that will never be prosecuted under any criminal statute and whose only value today is determining the qualifications of Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court.
Second of all, an investigation is already being made into the allegations: by about 100 news organizations. All of the players have been interviewed or have given statements, and they are all out in the open for the public to see. What on earth do you think the FBI will add in this public show-trial? There is no forensic evidence to gather from the house no one can recall at the party only one person seems to remember from 36 years ago.
4
Ms. Ford has made an allegation that may not only deprive Judge Kavanaugh of a job it has also smeared him a a sexual predator. Her unprovable allegation was meant to destroy.
3
@Bill Brennan
"made an allegation that may not only deprive Judge Kavanaugh of a job it has also smeared him a a sexual predator."
That's a time-worn attack used against women who speak up – women are often threatened or coerced, on many levels, to keep quiet (hence the huge problem of addressing sexual abuse). Made to feel guilty, shamed by society because the boy/man accused of attacking them may have his future seriously impaired. No thought for the girls/women who have their future seriously impaired by an attack and being denied.
btw: She did not smear him – the kangaroo court of public opinion is smearing him (and her). People really need to learn how to think critically, grow up and take a step back. An allegation of sexual abuse is serious and should be treated as such not used as a weapon to bash one side or the other.
It would help both sides if there was an investigation. Denying one just greases the wheels of the rumor mill and more so coming hot on the heels of a rushed, disingenuous confirmation hearing that ended up with more questions than answers.
2
This is all about power. Fairness has nothing to do with it. Dr. Ford had to know that crashing the party would only lead to a face down in the center ring. There never was going to be respect. Now, it's up to her.
3
This man, like Gorsuch, was trained for this position. He was trained to be a political hack for the Rupublicans. And the identifying trait for this is lying. He has lied about his debts. He has lied about the stolen emails. He has lied about his intentions as a Justice. It is this last lie that pushes the Rupublicans to rush this. There is a paper trail of his convictions, enough to expose him for the hack that he is. There is so much lying going on here that i have a hard time believing him when he claims innocence to this latest charge. Now that threats and intimidation are being leveled at his accuser it should not require the Chief Lyer to request the FBI to open an investigation. It is a crime to intimidate a possible witness to the Senate. So why isn`t the FBI investigating?
7
Republicans have no argument to make here. What could possibly be the hurry if they could leave a SC seat vacant for over 400 days without blinking an eye or breaking a sweat? They didh't even have a valid excuse like the Democrats clearly do now.
9
I will give Trump this: He has forced us to look at our system and its processes. He has helped reveal the inadequacies and the cracks in all branches.
We now see how those weaknesses can create a totally partisan government where the majority of the people, especially women, are not being represented in any branch of government. It is the processes in place, our own rules and laws that are being used against us. This is a recipe for disaster.
Are elections the only way to balance out these inequities? Do we have other tools to fight off foreign interference and the rot within our own institutions?
It seems that men don't have the stomach for this fight. But I daresay, as women we do. We have a strong sense of survival, of seeking out safety and fairness for those we love, also an ability to put ego aside and to sacrifice our own interests for those of others, and an inner strength that we historically have drawn upon to whether storms through peaceable channels, using our wits, our brains, and our stamina to outlast all evils that threaten us and our families.
Sorry fellas, but a tide is rising and it will be you who have to adjust to a new government of our making, one that will be stronger and more equitable for both our daughters AND our sons.
4
To me, it appears the Democrats are concealing far more about Ford than the Republicans are about Kavanaugh. In fact, compared to Ford, Kavanaugh is an open book (whose supporting witnesses have not backed off their support as Ford's have appeared to do despite a media smear campaign against them.
Tell me, Charles, what in your mind is a "credible accusation of sexual conduct?" It appears to be solely based on the fact you that you disagree politically with the accused. If some girl, whom you might or might not have even met in high school over thirty years, alleged that you at a party that you might or might not have attended alleged you became sexually aggressive with them, would you bill yourself as "credibly accused of sexual misconduct?
3
@Everett: Why would it be Dr. Blasey who calls for an FBI investigation if she has so much to hide? I think it's Kavanaugh who has so much to hide that he fears an FBI investigation and that many Republican senators know perfectly well what he has to hide... Kavanaugh, if appointed, will be an albatross around their necks and if he lets Trump of the hook, the first SC judge to be impeached for obstruction of justice...
3
@Everett
I must wonder just how you come to the conclusion: "Democrats are concealing more about Ford than the Republicans are about Kavanaugh..."
Have you any evidence of this? -- Or even substantial corroboration from any credible news sources, and not FOX or Breitbart.
Why the rush to judgement? -- Let it all unfold.
@Anna Kavanaugh has undergone SIX FBI investigations. As I am writing this, every media operation in the country is questioning everybody who could be imagined to have any knowledge of the accusation. Where is any corroboration?
Charles, Christine Blasey Ford needs to be seriously investigated.
2
The reason Senate Republicans, particularly Judiciary Committee chairman Grassley, are adamantly resisting any F.B.I. Investigation has been “hiding in plain sight”. They are petrified of the prospect that Kavanaugh, in adhering to his posture denying that the subject attempted rape ever took place, could place himself in grave criminal jeopardy, feloniously lying to a federal agent. If this occurs, Kavanaugh not only be summarily eliminated as a Supreme Court nominee but would further face the probable loss of his Circuit Court judgeship. Does this compelling reason remind you of a studied consideration elsewhere at play in this Administration? Why Trump’s lawyers will never permit him to face Mueller investigators and commit perjury in the process.
4
A private home hosting a party for drunk teenagers who try to force a minor into sex? Is the owner of that home responsible for the party and its consequences or is it beyond the statute of limitation?
3
@Montesin: apparently Maryland has no statute of limitations.
"What are Republicans hiding about Kavanaugh? What don’t they want you to know?"
THE TRUTH.
Actually, Charles, the republicans don't want us to know the truth about anything. Why should they want the truth about Kavanaugh to come out? You have to give them a tiny amount of credit for being consistent here...now, don't you?
Yes, they want to ram Kavanaugh down our throats. It's their own version of assault. They stole a supreme court seat from Obama and now they trying to sneak a liar, very political partisan, sexual assaulter on the Supreme Court. In other words, just one of the guys.
What we have here that no one wants to talk about is a constitutional crisis. Republicans are trashing the constitution daily, but not so overtly that the public is fully aware. Time to wake up. This democracy is being overthrown by the party of voter suppression, election theft, tax giveaway to their wealthy donors, and supreme court theft.
What's left? Trump declaring himself god-king and dispensing with elections all together.
While you still can, better
VOTE OUT ALL REPUBLICANS
7
What a spectacle...the evil lurking in the mindless old men whose lives and power are coming to an end. The blatant
contempt and disdain for women veiled in shabby procedural
misrepresentation is glaring, visible to all but those 'holier than thou". Shame on them who bring shame on all of us who once stood tall in the light of "liberty for all", and now have become part of the theater of the absurd.
3
Kavanaugh was an illegitimate nomination from the beginning, as he was appointed by an illegitimate president who lost the popular vote and was materially assisted by a hostile foreign power.
If confirmed, he will be tan illegitimate justice, and as such can morally and ethically be removed by illegitimate means when a new Democratic president assumed office. This is a good time to remind all those bible-thumping Republican a few Biblical verses I'm sure they know.
"he who lives by the sword shall die by the sword"
He who sows wind shall reap a whirlwind"
This means that by their own values and ethics, he who was appointed illegitimately can be removed illegitimately. Sometimes the good guys have to behave like the bad ones, otherwise the bad guys win, and this time the bad guys have democracy itself in their sites.
3
The "Charade" is all orchestrated by Chuck Schumer.
The letter has only heresay allegations. If Dr Blasey wants to be believed at the least she should produce a affidavit under oath (doesn't have to be before the Senate - just swear to any notary),
Moreover, the letter was intentionally withheld by senior Democrats until the last minute in the hearings. They had no interest in getting at the truth, they wanted only to smear Kavanaugh.
5
@Amy: Nonsense. If Democrats have no interest in getting to the truth, why would they call for an independent investigation? It's the Republicans who fear the truth about Kavanaugh coming out.
4
As disturbing as these sexual assault allegations are, Kavanaugh was finished in my books the second he refused to come up with a resounding answer to the question of whether a President had the constitutional right to self pardon. Only a fraud would evade a question with the answer so self evident.
8
Perhaps Republicans are afraid that if the FBI investigates Kavanaugh again, they will come up with even more evidence of......Kavanaugh lying under oath to congress about stolen DNC emails.
5
I am praying Dr. Ford will testify. I believe it will be a great moment for our democracy and for women in general, speaking truth to power.
Not that I think it will make any difference to Kavanaugh's confirmation. We all know the Republicans could care less whether he tried to rape a woman or not.
As for the rest of us, doing everything we can to preserve our democracy is essential. Starting with getting everyone we know to vote Blue on November 6th.
3
Dear Dr. Blasey,
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Diane
6
Mr Blow ... good grief! What an example of character assassination. Not only Kavanaugh; but also the other individual, Mark Judge.
1
@BD
Sorry. But I'm just wondering how the reccommendation of a president who admits to grabbing females by their genitals, can possibly elevate a person who is now being accused of doing practically the same thing.
Trump probably doesn't think that groping women is all that big a deal and he is, after all, an expert in that area.
6
If Clarence Thomas had been fairly appraised, we might have a more balanced Supreme Court today instead of one that paved the way for the Republican power grab and another alleged abuser.
Instead, we will wait another generation for a Supreme Court that draws on the larger pool of eligible candidates who have not been sex abusers. Here we go again.
Fine, Republicans, appoint Kavanagh and get it over with, but be careful what you wish for. He will always be tainted, will always be Justice Kavanagh* with an asterisk. And beware bad karma. When the tables turn, a Democratic government might just impeach him, or inaugurate term limits for justices, or make it a 7-, 8-, 10-, or 11-justice court.
7
Kavanaugh is just the latest perpetrator of the rape culture the GOP has been embracing, and using to destroy this country ever since Nixon.
Forcing your way, with your victim -- be it a woman, our natural resources, someone black or Hispanic sitting in a car or standing in their own yard -- without their having any recourse; knowing you can take whatever you want, including a life, and no-one will blink an eye -- is the Way of the GOP.
This is their culture. This is what they are intensifying in their capture of the US government.
The GOP applauds not only racism, white supremacy, male supremacy; they also applaud rape.
It wasn't long ago that some old white man from the south said, in so many words, that rape was God's way. Other, similarly astonishing, barely justified acts of violence on the part of white males continue to be perpetrated, at mass scale, every day.
Discrimination in the workplace, against everyone except basically 25-39 white males, is rampant. Even our "unemployment statistics" reinforce this brutality.
We live in a brutal, totalitarian dictatorship now; many of us always did, but that fact has been swept under the rug for most of the 20th and 21st centuries.
It is the ultimate form of government towards which capitalism tends, a natural outcome of a system based on profit Uber Alles.
We need to rise up! and get rid of it all. We need to be the next natural disaster to befall those who would impose unnatural disaster upon the rest of us.
3
@Steven Wow, you are so right Steven.
The thing that really kills me is that of the list they’re working off this is the best?
6
The disinfectant of sunlight is illuminating the disease called "corrupt politicians". Both parties are guilty of foisting the awfulness of extreme partisan politics on the American people over many years. We've finally arrived at a place in history where our ability to see rot, sexual deviants, predatory behavior of all kinds, and outright lying over and over again. Incredibly, and fortunately for America, Mr. trump's behavior and the disgusting corrupt and cowardly behavior of virtually 100% of the Repub Senators and most R's in the House has enabled sunlight to shine in places that are dark and hidden at all costs. No more! Time for truth in America.
Issues around women are especially highlighted since the "Access Hollywood tapes", Weinstein madness in 2016 and the "metoo" movement. For some sick reason trump was given a pass on that and all other deviant, sick and predatory behaviors towards essentially all women in his life - from cheating on all his wives to alleged sexual assault as reported by nearly 2 dozen women (he says all are lying - do you really believe him?) to his hourly lies, every day since announced his run for Pres. and every day since. In turn, his claims of "brilliance" in all fields - knowing military strategy better than all the generals to actually believing he knows best about relationships with all the world's players. We're done with men/boys, (like trump) who prey on women, politicians who lie. I'm a straight white male boomer.
3
The key Republicans involved in the Kavanaugh nomination -- correction, all Senate Republicans -- were absent from their High School physics class the day they studied Newton's Third Law of Motion.
A hard, hard rain's a-gonna fall. (Bob Dylan 1962)
6
@S.R. Simon: Thanks! That's what I said as I walked away from the television set this morning: "A hard rain's a-gonna fall".
I just discovered last night that Trump’s nominee and now a Supreme Court Justice,Neil Gorsuch, is also a graduate of Georgetown Prep.
This is shaping up to be a Conservative cabal—making sure that the Supreme Court has two new members whose backgrounds wreak of white, male privilege.
5
Republicans messing with Constitution obligations, throwing ordinary rules of order out the window, subverting voter power and the Democrats have been AWOL and still are. We need and needed a HUUUGE voter registration for years to overcome the disenfranchisement of voters in the South and Midwest. BTW — has anyone noticed whether Evangelical Jerimiahs have pontificated about whether God is punishing the Carolinas for their Republican gerrymandering and generally unethical (but not illegal (!) behavior? If they haven’t done that, it’s clear that they don’t have a fix on what is ethical and moral and what isn’t. They are simply I’m-better-than-you-are criticizers of people who want to live by their own values and not be ruled by sexually uptight and minority fearing individuals who hide behind God.
3
Mr. Blow, this was such a good op-ed. Thank You.
2
It's too bad the American people will not have a chance to hear Senate questioning of Mark Judge, because it would be great for the masses to get a look inside the decadence at the top of American society which has, for decades, been epitomized by the drunken. prgiastic sexual abuse culture of the preppies and the colleges they end up in. The best gloss on cynical, abusive jerks like Kavanaugh and Judge is Tom Wolfe's evisceration of Duke's hook-up culture in I Am Charlotte Simmons. All decadent societies rot from the top down, and ours is no different. Too bad the court will soon have two first-class abusers on it--the perfect legacy of the personification of our decadence and downfall, our abuser-in-chief, Donald J. Trump.
3
Trump has found his Roy Cohn in Brett Kavanaugh, nothing else matters. He has his fixer.
11
@Jacquie
I tend to disagree. Donald Trump has found his fixer in Vladimir Putin -- And in turn, he has become Mr. Kavanaugh's fixer.
1
If Dr. Blasey-Ford files a formal complaint of sexual assault against Kavanaugh, aren't the police or FBI obliged to investigate? If the complaint is then found to be credible, could Kavanaugh be formally charged and the case be heard in court? If found guilty, could he then be sacked - from the Supreme court or any court position he may hold?
1
There is every reason to distrust Kavanaugh, even without Dr. Ford's revelation. There is no doubt he is a tool of the Republicans to take possession of the Supreme Court for many years to come. The creation of our trip-partite government, as we are taught in school, was to provide checks and balances against partisan domination. For some time now it has been the goal of both parties to appoint partisan judges, with consequent furious battles. The primary fault here, as I see it, is in the lifetime conditions of appointments, and the role of chance determined by the timing of these appointments with respect to which party holds majority in Congress. It is past time for an amendment to the Constitution allowing for the extended human life span, and for a better system of confirmation hearing.
All that said, has anyone seen Mr. Kavanaugh smile? His stony, grim expression is the only one I have seen. Maybe he is not happy. (Reminds me of Judge Thomas.)
1
@julia: Stand by for primacy of "sincerely held beliefs" over all establishments of science.
This is a nation under very fallible human beings, not God.
"And it must be stated that Republicans have zero space to complain because of the way they blocked President Barack Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland." Furthermore, had they not blocked Merrick Garland, Kavanaugh might not have been selected now. This is karma in action.
It's been over 20 years since Clarence Thomas was confirmed after Anita Hill testified to what he'd said and done to her. The same accusations are coming from the males in all walks of life. Less has changed than we'd like to think.
Men should go home tonight and ask the women in their lives if they've ever been sexually assaulted, molested, groped, or raped. They'd probably be surprised at how often the answer is yes from the women they know, work with, love, or are raising (if it's their daughter). We don't want to be sexually assaulted or raped or groped. We don't want to be thought of as bodies ripe for the picking. But, all too often that's what happens.
Kavanaugh and his friend, if they were that drunk, may not remember what they did. But the victim will. To some men groping a woman is part of their day. They'll talk about it like it's nothing. To us it's a violation of our bodies, our integrity, and it forces us to think twice about everything we do or say. When women relive what was done it's not with pleasure. We don't wake up and say we want to be groped today.
There is no reason to rush this. The seat isn't vanishing.
4
The committee offered to let Dr. Ford testify. She refused. Thus, there is nothing left to investigate. The FBI won’t find physical evidence. The only evidence that can be gathered is from Kavanaugh, Ford, and Judge. Judge denied that the assault happened. So did Kavanaugh. And Ford won’t talk. There is no point in delaying.
5
@Jake: Ford WILL talk if the FBI investigates. This is a perfectly reasonable request.
Judge has changed his story several times. The FBI needs to pin him down on one version. Lying to them is illegal and can result in jail time, so he has an incentive to tell the truth.
There are also other witnesses, including Ford's therapist, her husband and acquaintances who have come forward with information in the past few days. There could be others. The FBI should try to find out.
If Ford were lying, she wouldn't have placed a witness to the assault in the room--especially a witness like Judge, an outspoken conservative and friend of Kavanaugh's.
If Ford were lying, why would she invite scrutiny from the FBI? If Kavanaugh is telling the truth, why wouldn't he want an FBI investigation to confirm it?
What's the rush? If the FBI takes ten days to investigate, that will still give the Republicans more than a month before the November election to confirm their guy.
Of course, if the FBI investigation doesn't go the way the Republicans want, Kavanaugh's nomination will need to be withdrawn and they'll have to start over. Is that what they're really afraid of?
4
@Jake
Very tight except for a couple of things. She hasn't refused to testify. And you don't know what there is to investigate if you don't look for it. You don't know what evidence can be gathered until you try to look for some.
3
@Jake: Judge is (or was) a person who drank to the point of blackout (by his own admission). Do you really think he is a good witness? Think about the title of his book: "Wasted: Tales of a Gen-X Drunk".
Charles,
I find it to be immensely humorous, in a very disturbing sense, that we are so surprised and having so much discussion on the travesty that has become the nomination and approval process for a Justice of SCOTUS.
This is merely a continuation of the process that was evidenced in the failed Obama nomination of Garland. This was a charade orchestrated by the Republican leadership under the watchful direction of the Oligarchs, that are actually ruling the U.S. Let us not forget the Citizen’s United decision!
The Oligarchs have rightfully determined that the U.S. electorate can be extremely fickle and sometimes difficult to control and predict. Therefore, they have shifted their immediate attention to the body of government that, once in place, is immune to the shifting winds of society – SCOTUS. They realize by controlling SCOTUS one has control of the final arbiter of virtually every legal issue, Past, Present and Future.
As I watch the world we live in changing right in front of my eyes I am often reminded of things during my lifetime. Things that when first introduced were considered to Science Fiction or Fiction are now a reality; i.e.: 2001: A Space Odyssey, 1984, The Manchurian Candidate, etc.
And, in the case of vying for control of SCOTUS to affect anticipated future decisions can anyone say, “THE PELICAN BRIEF”.
1
Of course their is a strict timeline for appointing Supreme Court justices. You can’t apppint a Justice within 14 months of any election. Just ask Mitch McConnell.
2
"There is absolutely no rush here, no timeline that must be adhered to, no deadline that must be met". Of course this isn't true. Trump and the Republicans absolutely have a deadline! They MUST install their 5th conservative on the SCOTUS, one who can be counted on to be Trump's Get Out Of Jail Free card before the midterms because the odds are that the Republicans will lose control of at least the House, if not the Senate, and lose the prize they've been chasing for decades.
This goal supersedes all other considerations. If there is a voter backlash - likely - it will be too late. The Republicans will have succeeded in capturing the most powerful institution besides the Presidency, and will hold it for decades. Marshal all the fact, logic, and moral outrage you want to, but it will not slow or stop Grassley and the Republicans from their sacred mission. And EVERY single Republican, including Collins and Murkowski, has sworn fealty to this cause.
The only antidote to this naked exercise of totalitarian power is to impeach Kavanaugh if the Dems do in fact re-take Congress. This is bare knuckled politics at its bloodiest, but there will likely be much more blood spilled before it's all over.
2
The way this mockery of a hearing is going is shameful. Grassley may as well just say “Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed without further ado because we have the majority.”.
It’s interesting that the timing of Kenedey’s resignation enabling Trump to nominate Kavanaugh seems like it might be more than a coincidence. Kennedy's son has been involved with Trump’s financial relationship with Deutche bank.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a21999314/anthony-kennedy...
4
Republican women need to loudly express their disgust with this candidate and the approval process for his ascendancy to the Supreme Court.
They need to come forward in droves and demand that these allegations be investigated and that witnesses be found and heard.
According to reports, it is Republican women who are leaving the party in record numbers. The time has come to let their party leaders know why. It is 2018 and the good-old-boy network should have been abandoned and abolished long ago.
By not making their collective voice heard, they are giving their approval to its continuance.
2
In fact, if Kavanaugh gets through, half the male justices will have asterisks. Two for sexual misconduct, one for a stolen seat. All brought to us by the party of family values and righteous evangelicalism. When a third of the court carries the stench of illegitimacy, the whole court is affected, and arguably the legitimacy of all three branches are called into question that they could connive to produce such a deplorable affront to our national values.
3
Very persuasive Charles. But political expediency will prevail. Republicans will confirm Judge K. despite obvious character flaws. The Right To Life movement drives this appointment. Voting women please note the Republican distain for women and issues important to women.
You note that "Republicans have zero space to complain because of the way they blocked President Barack Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland."
If only we still lived in times when politicians might recognize such a position and be inhibited by it! Even among non-politicians, such phrases as "I have to admit..." and "I'm in no position to criticize..." seem to have gone on the endangered list.
And Republican politicians? Here are people led by a Senate majority leader who will stoop to anything without batting an eye and a president whose avowed life-long principle is "Never apologize."
It doesn't matter that Republicans have zero space. They'll make what space they want with their elbows.
@Longestaffe One of the points drilled into me as a child, and one which I drilled into my children in turn, is "Two wrongs do not make a right" or "He did it first" is not an excuse for you to do the same thing.
I agree that the refusal to have hearings on Judge Garland was a disgrace, and I claim the trying to delay the confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh would be one also.
I still can't believe that Democrats have not raised the question of Kavanaugh's role in the Starr persecution of the Clintons. I only knew that Kavanaugh was a possible source of illegal leaks of grand jury testimony; David Brock has published an article calling Kavanaugh the "designated leaker". This at least deserves a look. Kavanaugh's role in making the Starr report X-rated has been reported before.
This continuing attack on men will backfire for the Democrats.
1
The Senate went rogue when McConnell blocked Garland, and is now going full-steam ahead on its right-wing mission. Now, under Donald Trump's magnificent leadership, the Koch-fueled GOP has permission to let their greedy ambitions lead them where it may. Pre-Trump, they didn't believe they could get away with such audacious tricks. Now they know they can.
I sincerely hope that Ms. Ford will spare herself the kind of torment Anita Hill had to endure all those years ago, because it will be worse now, and there's no doubt at all that this Justice-wanna-be will be confirmed.
2
The Republican Party audaciously preserves, protects, and defends Caucasian male privilege in the face of increasingly registered skepticism, loudly expressed challenges, and bluntly described doubts about the fitness of the nominee for installment upon the Supreme Court. The Napoleonic display of deliberate avoidance by the besieged chief executive from the bowels of the West Wing to confront and address this serious issue speaks volumes. 45 is aided and abetted in this sordid complicity by the Republican leaders of the Senate and the House, both knowing the terrible high political price they would pay for merely uttering the semblance of a question on this matter. All three strongly believe the absolute necessity to protect not just the nominee but more importantly the institution of Caucasian male privilege the GOP desperately needs to maintain continued political relevancy (and avoid political demise). Mr. Blow's exceptionally worded Op-Ed hits the nail right on the head. What's the rush? President George H.W. Bush immediately ordered an FBI investigation arising from the Anita Hill allegations of sexual improprieties committed by Clarence Thomas. Interestingly in 1991 the issue of race was obviously front and center, covered extensively over those three days and nights of testimony from witnesses from both sides. Fast forward to 2018. The Republican Party and 45 conveniently ignore and summarily reject demands for FBI review. Race matters here, and white skin privilege
4
The only way to stop this perversion is abolishing all life-time judicial positions; the absurdity of accepting the notion anyone is entitled to a life time position has overstayed it Constitutional welcome.
I won't see this in my lifetime but others can if there is the will and sense to change.
4
Average age of death in America was THIRTY SIX when Founders made a SCOTUS seat a lifetime appointment. B. Kavanaugh could still be on the Court when he's 102.
2
@Emma Jane A sound reason for prohibiting research into extending life expectancy.
Overlooked in the Republican Supreme Court vetting charade is the stellar background of Judge Brett Kavanaugh's Accuser.
Dr.Christine Margaret Blasey Ford began work as a research psychologist and biostatistician at Stanford University, one of the most elite Universities in the country. Later she was hired as Stanford professor in consortium with Palo Alto University.
Colleagues said as a biostatistiican and psychologist, Ford was known for her scrupulous and meticulous professional conduct. She has published several books and more than 65 peer-reviewed journal articles. Her work involved analyzing medical studies on depression, opioid addiction and traumatic
brain injury. She reviewed statistics for trials and research being presented to the federal government. This all requires a great deal of integrity. Integrity; The essential component of good character sorely lacking in Kavanaugh and Republicans.
5
There is no question the Republicans are hiding something about Kavanaugh that must be really bad, perhaps even enough to have him impeached. The fact that one student has reported that this incident of Ford and Kavanaugh was the talk of the schools for several weeks should be enough to launch a full investigation. Kavanaugh's appointment to the SC would darken the Court's image for generations.
4
This is only one incident. To be sure, according to his response about how he describes his friends back in the day, he has done this before. Watch his mouth twitch and tighten when he doesn't want to answer a question. And no doubt, Trump and Kennedy know his past and want it hushed and hidden. Why else are they rushing the nomination and swearing in?
3
The GOP has risen to new levels of partisanship since President Obama was elected, now with Trump who offers no brake on their excesses, they feel free to discard all order. One of many Senate responsibilities the GOP chose to make a charade out of, this one for the last three years, is the Supreme Court nomination process. In this environment what is the point of the Senate majority even having a committee hearing and vote, just have a full Senate vote! The GOP can whine about the DEM's setting them up with this eleventh hour sexual assault accusation all they want, but DEM's aren't going take the heat for GOP misogyny. Don't blame the DEM's, GOP, own your attack on our democracy.
1
The Republicans and Trump nominated Kavanaugh for one reason primarily: his writings on presidential protection from criminality accusations for, as I recall, imperfectly, certain charges. The abortion matter of course is another reason Kavanaugh was chosen. And along comes Dr. Blasey Ford, some 30 years after their time in high school and her accusation of rape. No matter how wrong this Judiciary Committee in delaying all documents to the committee was, no matter how wrong the refusal to demand an FBI investigation of Ford and her claims, the fact is that at this current time, Ford must show up Monday. After the reminder of how poorly Anita Hill was treated, Ford may face a different panel, certainly, with women members present at this place in time. It's almost time for the train to leave the station in this matter. The next choice will be to HEAD FOR THE POLLS NOVEMBER and vote the only choice for thinking women and men to make, the Democratic candidate. In my state, it will be Beto O'Rourke for senator, for starters.
3
"We can’t have a Supreme Court on which a third of the men have been credibly accused of sexual misconduct." Where in the world do you get the word "credibly?" Justice Thomas was cleared, and only a simple accusation for Ms Ford is out there; no other witnesses backing up her story. I see no "credible" accusations proved to date. Let's remember, we live in a country where we are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
3
What everyone keeps missing here is that the "charade," if you like, at no point has been about credibility or discovering the truth. A legal proceeding is designed to uncover the truth of allegations. This is a political event not a fact finding mission. Your own editorial today makes the same point, albeit from a different angle and for the opposite purpose:
"The Senate Judiciary Committee is not a court of law; it’s an arena of politics."
The moment for the truth of these sexual misconduct allegations is long past, absent some development akin to a Perry Mason moment where the complainant breaks down and recants or the nominee tearfully admits to it all and worse. That ship, as they, has long ago sailed.
Truth has already been mangled by politics in these hearings (and others) but if a hearing on this matter actually goes forward and you imagine you are witnessing a credibility contest that will flush out the truth you will be badly mistaken. Politics by other means is all. Except expect no winners.
2
I think many people, myself included, view the accusation as no big deal. Who among us have not done something that we regret in our teens, possibly under the influence of alcohol? If there was a pattern of this kind of behavior that would be another matter. There seems to be ample evidence that in his adult life he has consistently treated women with respect and decency. Teenagers do stupid things sometimes, and there is a reason that our legal system treats them differently than adults.
1
@j
As a teenager, did you ever hold down a girl younger than you, try to take her clothes off and cover her mouth so she couldn’t scream? Guess you would regret that! That’s the allegation and it isn’t just a stupid thing teenagers do.
2
Love your Op- Ed. Sadly, Congress is broken. Bi-partisan action is dead. Common sense, honesty and fairness seems to have faded from the political landscape. Good ole boys need to be voted out. New strategies, better optics and careful thought needs to be laid out for our future as a democracy.
@Joy If Congress is broken, it is the fault of the American voter. Especially in the Senate, where claims of gerrymandering do not enter into the picture, we have continued to vote people into office not on the basis of how good will he be for the nation but on the basis of how much pork can he bring to my state/district; not on the basis of how well he will cooperate with the other side to accomplish necessary goals but on the basis of how well can he condemn them for being different.
This is not a characteristic of an intelligent electorate, who considers all sides of each issue and determine which candidate, regardless of party, will do the most to resolve the issues. This is a characteristic of an electorate who vote by sound byte and loyalty to the party above loyalty to the nation.
2
Although it’s true of the male dominated congress and more intensely Republican men and women in congress who were reared with the understanding they have the right to transmute the concerns of girls and women as only they want it. They have claimed the right to mute, ignore, demean and violate women to sustain the patriarchy they worship.
This is a terrifying struggle that rejects change and shared power. It leaves women and girls struggling to secure their fair share of power to correct past wrongs and create true justice. And exponentially more terrifying for Black girls and women and other cultures who are repeatedly stripped dignity, the right to control their own bodies, and the right to give voice to congress and all other politicized and patriarchal institutions.
But at this time Congress fears, more than ever, that girls and women will actually changes the values, beliefs, attitudes and behavior of boys and men in order to implement a balance of worth, power and justice that is so desperately needed.
1
The reason that Republicans are in the drivers seat is decades of 'in the weeds' politicking. First electing state legislators and Senators who would gerrymand the stuffings out of their states. Then running clones who would vote in 'lockstep' to fill those districts. So quit crying, write this one off, and get to doing the hard work that leadership requires.
The Dems need to display clearly the GOP is a pawn of their self-righteous big donors, and have no qualms about it.
1
Hiding? The Senate has 300 Kavanaugh oto evaluate whether he performs his judicial duties honestly and without bias. It has copious testimony as to his character.
What more is needed that is actually relevant to the position he is nominated to fill?
Every paper from every govt position he has ever held where he worked in groups and was not the one with power of decision?
A public dog and pony show about an old, unverifiable accusation for which we have almost certainly already heard everything that anyone has to say about it? (And what people have to say is the only kind of evidence possible.)
3
Amazing. Mr. Blow worries about what Republicans are hiding when it was Democrats who sat on the accusation for months. If Democrats were so interested in getting the truth out and giving Christine Ford the opportunity to tell her story and be heard they wouldn't have sat on it for months. The hypocrisy on this is truly amazing.
Apparently, Mrs Ford only deserved to be heard when all other attempts to derail the nomination failed.
2
There is no defense possible when all “victims” must be believed. Americans are seeing due process disappear, trampled by an angry mob seeking to destroy a man for past republican political abuses. That means that any unproven accusation can be validated on the whim of opinion and the potential political gains at stake. In the world of shakedown hate politics there is no innocence presumed at all.
2
Thank you Charles for an excellent overview of a cynical charade.
If Kavanaugh is confirmed we will have reached a low point in American Democracy:
1. An incompetent and corrupt executive branch
2. A completely dysfunctional congress
and now 3. A kangaroo court
Republicans love to reference the founding fathers. I'm sure the founding fathers would be horrified at the Republican party for
destroying all three branches of government they created.
This is yet another example of how far from normal we are. What happened to the days presidents nominated judges who were slanted toward either a conservative or liberal ideology but were considered by most worthy of support by the senate as a body? Presidents tried to nominate supreme court justices that could get the support of both sides of the aisle and the American public. And senators felt it their duty to leave partisanship behind and support nominations of qualified judges as long as they met the high standards of the bench. As we all know, the most egregious departure from norms was denying Obama his nominee.
Now we are considering a judge who is a hyper-partisan, former political operative, selected for his expansive view of presidential power by a president who will need that view to keep him above the law. There is plenty of evidence that he has lied under oath and failed to report sexual harassment in his workplace. And, now we find out, he is someone who would put his hand over someone’s mouth to keep her from screaming with the help of a friend. (Yes, I believe the accuser and the lie detector test.) Polls show he does not have the support of the American people. This nomination should have been immediately withdrawn. No-one is entitled to a seat on the supreme court.
How do we get back to normal? It’s my new mantra: "Throw the bums out!" We need a sea change in who it is that serves in the Senate and House. May that process begin in 47 days.
1
Even the President has stated, "if there is a little delay then there is a little delay. Fine. Give the FBI one week, no more, to conduct yet another investigation.
I loathe Trump and most other republicans. However, they won and that means they get to appoint judges to the SCOTUS.
Under no conditions whatsoever should the republicans allow this nonsense to continue until the midterms. A one week delay. No more.
*It is past time to end lifetime appointments to anything.*
He will be confirmed. (The hope though is a "no" vote by Sen. Lisa Murkowski will help to change the outcome.)
The simple metric is that Republicans have a unique opportunity (probably to be lost) to push through the whole 'wish list'. (Deficits anyone?)
That is the only principle being followed.
Wait - shouldn't Kavanaugh be the one calling for an FBI investigation? If I was in his position and someone made such an accusation against me, I would want to clear my name and reputation with a thorough, impartial investigation. The fact that SHE is the one wanting the investigation gives huge credence to her claim. And the fact that HE doesn't also speaks volumes.
Without further evidence, and if we must decide as quickly as Republicans want to hold the vote, I would have to side with the accuser, simply by the way each of them are acting. If Republicans refuse an impartial investigation, and push forward with the hearings on Monday with, or without the accuser, you'll know it's just kabuki theater and the fix is in.
2
As far as I can tell it is the Democrats who sat on this allegation for weeks before disclosing it right? And why does this appear to be a case of guilty until being proved innocent? The charade here is the nomination process devolving into fanatical partisan politics on both sides. This behavior should not go unexamined by any voter when electing their next senator.
1
It is a plain fact that reporting any crime can be as demeaning as experiencing the crime itself, here in the US. In a nation awash in guns, few police officers are social workers.
2
The question everyone should be asking is Justice Kavanaugh is the best that the Federalist Society had to offer Trump for the Supreme Court? A Judge who has lied under oath, been a political operative during judicial nominations, a difficult history with finances and accused of sexual assault. The second candidate proposed by the Federalist who have accused of sexual harassment or assault. It casts a shadow over the other Federalists supported judges. The nominations supported by the Federalists include Scalia, Roberts, Alito, Gorsuch and of course Thomas.The Society has benefited greatly from these candidates' nominations with donations from conservatives such Koch Bros, Mercers and Scaife Foundation, and Chevron. But if you are selling the judiciary shouldn't the Federalists produce a better candidate than Kavanaugh or Thomas? If they can why would the Society ever have proposed either of them for Supreme Court? Or are all the candidates the Society proposing exactly like Kavanaugh but not vented enough on background information to make sure they were really qualified? Really hope not.
2
@Jena Then if is as obvious as you claim that he is not qualified, let's hold the vote so he can be rejected and a new, more qualified candidate put forward.
Along with Trump, it is George W bush and his previous administration, who are also pushing for Kavanaugh confirmation. Notice Condoleeza Rice's presence hovering behind Judge Kavanaugh. The democrats have obtained secret notes from Kavanaugh's work in the Bush Jr White House years. The republicans had kept these away from the democrats. Definitely the republicans know much more about Kavanaugh that they are willing to share and the democrats seem unable to twist their arms. The democrats have to learn to be smart(er), work smarter. Come on, we Americans deserve the best, not some hushed up details that the republicans have hidden from we the people.
2
Once again it's all about Trump, his personal interests and the Republicans' greed to obtain full power and control about whatever they want. It doesn't matter if there is a murky past in the Supreme Court candidate. For Trump it's important to have HIS judge in the Supreme Court in order to get away with his misdeeds.
It's evident that in this situation American people's interests, the most important, has been completely forgotten.
5
Without a prior FBI investigation, the hearings cannot possibly be anything more than "he said, she said". But Senator Grassley seems okay with that. For him, this has never been about anything more than packing our courts, all of them, with right-wing conservatives. Being an Iowan, I have voted against Grassley every chance I've had, and yet there he is,still at it.
12
If we leave the Kavanaugh case aside, what we are watching here is a different scenario. The republican party members in both the House and Senate are on one side. We no longer see them executing their responsibility as a separate branch of government. We no longer see the check and balance function. The POTUS sees the legislative branch as an extension or part of the WH or republican party. It is all a party matter. They no longer see themselves being answerable to the people. Instead, both sides are taking care of each other's interests.
Why is there so much rush to confirmation of Kavanaugh? Why are the pending questions on this nominee, not been properly addressed? The Senate cannot call for an FBI investigation. Because, the Senate did not nominate Kavanaugh. However, the POTUS can. Kavanaugh is a presidential nominee.
The Senate did not extend the same respect and interest to president Obama's nominee, Merrick Garland, as they do now to Kavanaugh. We are steps closer to the politicization of the SCOTUS.
This entire confirmation hearing procedure has become a one sided affair. Our democratic beliefs and practices are facing a challenge. This is all very worrisome. We hold all those elected to Office responsible and accountable, for this growing mess.
6
Why are we even having a confirmation hearing? By Mr. McConnell’s precedent, we are well within the 11 month window before the mid-term elections, so we ought to be waiting for the next Congress to vote on a Supreme Court nominee.
Oh, right. I forgot. Never mind.
10
Mr. Blow,
I watched you speak on Cuomo's show last night. I wept as you spoke with stunning elegance about what it's like to be a survivor. You spoke of the courage it takes to come forward, the pain of reliving the trauma, and - most important - the time it takes to process and relate to "the public" a life altering experience like you underwent. I hope we all just stop, as you said, and consider what Dr. Ford is going through... We must set aside political considerations as best we can and ALLOW THE SPACE for all of us to process this. WE should endeavour to collect any information we can about about the incident, have the FBI speak to possible witnesses and demonstrate to the American people that, not only do we take allegations like this seriously, but that we take the Senate's constitutional role of "advise and consent" seriously. Compassion, process and some soul searching is required... The senate should not "push through" this nomination, we (Democrats included), should not rush to judgement. We should all (again, as you suggested last night) take a breath, listen to survivors, listen to experts who are knowledgeable about the the process involved in coming forward, hear from possible witnesses, and hear from the two main protagonists themselves. We owe that to ourselves as a nation and we owe it to Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh.
7
Have Senate Democrats considered leaving the country EN MASSE until the midterms to deny Republicans a quorum? If no Senate business can be conducted Kavanaugh can't be confirmed. Happens in state legislatures all the time.
5
It is not the substance of their policies that is most dismaying about current Republicans (although, don't get me wrong, that is often bad enough), it is their total contempt for what has been considered a fair PROCESS. It is fidelity to fairness process, due process that is the only bulwark against tyranny and the current Republicans have shown over and over again that any fidelity to fair means ti achieve their ends is not anything they value or will abide by. I have never felt more dismay about the course of my country, not even during the Vietnam War and its attendant horrors, although that was bad enough, as I do now. The Nixon threatened impeachment in which Republicans joined in their dismay over his attempted subversion of the democratic process would be impossible in today's political climate with today's Republicans. Poor America. This is how once great nations are destroyed and fall from within.
8
@Rimbaud It's what Senator McCain referred to as "regular order".
I believe Dr. Ford, but I also believe that a 17-year-old with a bit of booze in him could make a mistake that doesn't ruin his life. BUT... I cannot forgive Kavenaugh for lying about it now (and probably lying about the purloined Democratic memos as well). I can forgive the flaws of a teenage; not an adult.
7
Mr. Blow, it's like you and the Times Op Ed stated this morning: that the Supreme Court nomination is a political trophy to be pursued at all costs, even at the cost of truth. This shameful spectacle harkens back to the recent GOP's stalling of Merrick Garland's nomination. It is a nasty business. How do we restore faith and integrity to the nomination system? I don't know, but the current system does not work and it stinks, just like the flooded hog farms in North Carolina. Our country can do better than this sorry state of affairs.
5
Keep in mind that Trump attested to the excellent character of Kavanaugh. Interesting that a man accused of attempted rape would have a character witness like Trump, a self-possessed grabber and a man who cheated on his wife repeatedly, and a known liar.
59
@RB thanks pip. Remember Clinton. He was attested to and attested about other people's characters and he had a LONG history of sexual misconduct. Don't get righteous on us now.
@RB
Yeah, he's Trumps kind of man!
"If Trump TRULY wanted".......there's the rub Charles. Trump doesn't want anything connected with TRUTH. Nor does his complicit GOP. It is positively sickening. He "vowed to appoint judges to overturn Roe v. Wade". Why? Does this vile man actually CARE about "life"? Does anything he says indicate he cares about unwanted babies? Has he (or the GOP) done ANYTHING for children and/or the least among us lately? NO. It's all about money for THEM and keeping their "evangelical" and rabid "pro-birth" (not pro-life) supporters. And THIS is a minority of our great country. VOTE STRAIGHT BLUE until this cancer that has affected our government is eradicated. And as sick as I am of the "news", please do not stop reporting. #FREEPRESS
5
But for this allegation, the Republican-controlled Senate would have quickly voted in Kavanaugh. This nomination is a metaphor for just how utterly divided this nation is, politically, socially and economically.
4
Innuendo and conspiracy. Her vs him. The American people can’t be this ignorant to not see this is not about the nominee or the accuser but who is in control and who is enriching themselves as a result; isn’t it?
Either way the world is watching this folly and what are and have done ourselves. Let’s face it by not demanding results from our lawmakers and representatives, by not voting, we are now in the soup.
1
Bottom line: In the Republican play book rape, or unconsummated rape, is not a reason for denying access to the Supreme Court. Get over it.
3
The hypocrisy by Blow, NYT, and the media in regards to the Ellison case is breathtaking. Kavanaugh should withdraw, teenagers make stupid mistakes.
Grown adult men who abuse women partners, that’s a whole other realm. But for some reason Ellison is innocent and he is applying to the job of top cop in Minnesota?
6
@hawk Another false equivalence, a favorite tactic of Fox News and other Trumpians. Some differences: Ellison is not a candidate for the Supreme Court. He is running for elective office and voters will have the opportunity to express their view about his character and honesty. But more than that, Kavanaugh's accuser is asking for an investigation not merely claiming that he is guilty. The Ellison accuser purports to have a video that she is not willing to release to anyone. That brings into question her credibility.
2
Hey Charles - are you going to defend Keith Ellison or his accuser? You cite 42,000 pages being released (which the Dems chose not to read) but ignore the hundreds of thousands that were released. And why won’t Feinstein release the letter?
5
“If Trump was truly interested in finding out the truth ...”
Trump is NEVER truly interested in finding out the truth.
Trump lies about EVERYTHING. He is ONLY capable of lying.
5
It should not be surprising that a president accused of sexual assault by 20 women and a misogynistic political party (e.g., GOP) are ramming through a judge accused of sexual assault for the 2nd time. There is already one sexual predator on the Supreme Court and the Republican party has learned nothing since 1991. The GOP knows that they won't pay a price for this action because they can count on White women to keep voting for them.
3
Why can’t someone sponsor a GoFund Page to have this investigated? The Senate and President can’t have total control in this. They have shown themselves unworthy to be fair in discovering the truth. We the people should take charge and do this for her-Christine Blasey Ford and all those who have suffered similar to know they have our support in this stain on American culture and we can overcome the aristocracy. It is like contributing to relief after hurricanes, as this is a cultural hurricane that takes years to recover from.
3
@GraceNeed
Private investigators would be turned away at the compound entrance gate, by ex blackwater types, heavily armed, and threatened with having the hounds turned on them.
If Kavanaugh was stumbling drunk with a known drunkard who blacks out, there is a distinct possibility that Kavanaugh was also blacked out. But he is fully and legally accountable even if he can't remember! This is why the FBI needs to investigate. He already has known impulse control problems - his gambling and sports expenditures are known examples. Has openly admitted to drinking illegally before he was 21. This really isn't just a partisan issue, and I think that's what Democrats need to argue.
2
The Vice President of the United States refuses to meet with a woman alone. That should tell you all you need to know about how little respect the GOP has for women.
The GOP sees women as nothing more as breeding bags that should be under complete control of their husbands or fathers. They look to Saudi Arabia and see a model for how women should be treated.
9
And we wonder how Catholic church sex scandals get covered up? This situation is as much "in plain daylight"as it gets. You can't get a conservative to even acknowledge something his (almost all males) paycheck depends on him not even acknowledging. That goes for sex (crimes?) as much as any other inhuman effort on the GOP agenda (guns, climate, women's rights....)
4
All the facts need to come forth. The FBI needs to be involved. She’s asking. The fact that the GOP, White House, and Senate Judiciary Committee are not agreeing smells like they’re hiding something. The the odor of mendacity is stunning.
A sexual predator in the White House is terrible but having two on the highest court is nauseating.
1
God does not like ugly. This is Karma coming on the Republicans for blocking President Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court. No one could have ever predicted that a rape allegation against Kavanaugh would be the reason his confirmation has been jeopardized. I didn't know President Bush called for an FBI investigation regarding sexual harassment accusations against Clarence Thomas. That showed integrity.
2
Subpoena Mark Judge!
With the sickening comments Mark Judge has written about men, their unbridled passion, rape what women really want and drunken escapades, he'll fold like a crying baby.
If Republicans want the TRUTH about this alleged assault, they'll subpoena Mark Judge.
4
Mr. Blow, what is Dr. Blasey hiding? We do not know tons about her. Where was the exact location of the alleged incident? When was the date of the incident? Who were with at the party? Who are the other people that were told about the incident soon after it occurred? Why did you withhold this information for 36 years when Judge Kavanaugh was voted upon before for other government positions? Why did this letter get sent and delayed release? What are Dr. Blasey’s connections with leftist organizations? Who is funding this accusation? What are your connections to the Open Society and other leftist groups? There are lots of unanswered questions!
6
Oh please. Can you imagine the hew and cry if the situation was reversed. The Republicans would be calling for heads to roll. An investigation is warranted under any circumstances.
Obviously, we don’t know what we don’t know but the Republican senators and their comrades surely do. Here is my promise to them:
I’m taking names and memorizing faces. I will never miss a chance to speak or vote against them and their party.
May they reap the wind.
2
We have a reputable woman whose story is not only very believable but who wasn't afraid to take a lie detector test to confirm her honesty. If Kavanaugh and Judge won't testify under oath (with the threat of being tried for perjury if they lie) AND take a lie detector test then we will easily be able to judge for ourselves who is being truthful and who is not.
2
I would have a real hard time ruining a man’s life over 35 year old, unsubstantiated accusation from someone who is a self-proclaimed alcoholic and Trump hater
And for those that are calling for an investigation, I ask you, investigate what ?
She doesn’t remember where the party was, what time it took place, who was there etc. etc.
The only witness that she claims, who actually wasn’t there, wrote a letter saying that Kavanaugh never treated women with anything but respect in his presence.
Wow, based on these facts, is a government supposed to launch an investigation ??
7
Trump himself has been credibly accused of sexually assault. The extreme fundamentalist religious fanatics have no problem with it, the GOP legislators have no problem with it. They have no problem with Clarence Thomas. Why should they have any problem with yet another sex assaulter on the court?
1
I see an old western movie scene, in which two cowboys are sitting in a saloon playing poker. One cowboy is a playing fair and square, while the other cowboy is using marked cards, mirrors, a spy across the room giving him signals, cards up his sleeve, cards in his boots, dance hall girls to disrupt his opponent's concentration, diversions of hired drunken cowboys, free drinks for the democrat........
And I keep waiting for the democrat to flip over the table and start blazing with his six-gun......but he only keeps saying, "Deal me in!"
At what point in all this gerrymandering, poll closing, voter I.D.'s, conspiracy slanders, Russian money, hacks, subterfuge, and good old fashioned demagoguery, ...do the democrats tip over the table?
I saw Hillary on Rachel Maddow the other day and it was like listening to a baked potato. She gives all this dire warning about how the country is being brought down, and then skirts and skates around any real meaningful charges. We hear the bugles blow, and then the democrat on the white horse spends the next half hour smoothing out the uniform wrinkles. I turn on the news and see an endless line of democratic congressmen saying that every minute is "Unprecedented". Really?
Then act like it, you bowls of oatmeal!
5
More than this bewildering are calls to "wake up" and "vote".
Folks, the country has been jerryrigged and gerrymandered eliminating state's rights into district's rights.
Kavanaugh's high school actions would put any black person in jail for attempted murder.
This man is going to determine laws dictating how a woman uses her body.
Chuck Grassley and Orrin Hatch and Mitch McConnell are employing another to operate on ownership of women they wish to control as chattel.
6
@rubbernecking You are aware, I presume, that this hearing is in the Senate where gerrymandering is impossible, as state boundaries are fixed and not subject to legislative change?
@mikecody Are you aware that I wrote "this country has been jerryrigged and gerrymandered"? Nowhere did I write that the Senate was. You are contributing to fake news.
If the lying thieving Republicans try to rush this nomination through, there ought to be massive demonstrations of nonviolent direct action. It is time to take our protest not only to the ballot box but also to the streets.
4
This is about three things:
- White MALE power
- Reduction of female power
- Protecting the current President
5
I am a California attorney and will be marking my 40th anniversary as a member of the California Bar Association. As a member of the legal community, I am saddened by the degradation of the United States Supreme Court and the nominating process. Harken back to the confirmation of Justice Scalia and Justice Ginsburg.
There should be an FBI investigation of the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh. I believe Dr. Ford. On Saturday, when I put down the Washington Post account of Dr. Ford’s experience as a 15 year old, buried recollections of a similar situation in my life, from January or February, 1971, came front and center in my mind and details were revived. I googled the man that attacked my while sober, and found that he had run for Congress as a Republican in 2010.
If there were an FBI investigation, Judge Kavanaugh would withdraw from consideration. Such an investigation would force Judge Kavanaugh, a sitting Federal Judge, to choose between possibly lying to the FBI in maintaining his denial, a crime. He risks someone else coming forward about this incident or perhaps another. There is corroboration in Mark Judge’s book concerning Kavanaugh ‘s high school drinking.The FBI shoulditerview Dr. Ford, Judge Kavanaugh and Mark Judge. The FBI has expertise with witnes credibility and latent.
Judge Kavanaugh and Mitch McConnell know the risks and will avoid FBI involvement at all costs. White male privilege assaults Dr. Ford again and assaults all American women.
14
Really? The fact pattern here is so blatantly political that even I, an ardent supporter of #metoo, am experiencing grave misgivings about the presumption of guilt versus the presumption of innocence. I wasn't there almost 40 years ago so I don't know what happened but I am certain this can only come down to he-said, she-said. In that case, it's unprovable and for the accused that means it didn't happen. If that's not true anymore, then women are rapists too. Of men, their careers, reputations and livelihoods. How does that help create a culture where men are encouraged to treat women fairly? As a woman, I don't want to be regarded as toxic to employ or date or befriend or anything else.
3
Now, now children. Behave yourselves. Do you want Mr. Trump to lose his get out of jail card?
2
The boy, Kavanaugh, appears to have gotten away with underage drinking (of alcohol) at least some time before this wholly believable "party", quite possibly a perennial display carefully orchestrated by partially covert social secretaries at the two sexually restricted schools the parties attended.
However, the contemptible snot has not the manhood, no, none acquired in roughly 30 years of who knows what juvenalia might have entertained him, to be able to own up to the many public times he followed her around like a puppy not yet fixed.
What are Republicans hiding about the little troll? Why, nothing of honor that could be told in daylight on a public street corner with his wife and children in thew buggy by his side.
2
Mr. Blow, such a reasonable Op-Ed.
However, really what Dr. Ford has done with her "allegation" (we have to call I that) is expose the entrenched mysogynistic thinking of the Senate, the House. and the Executive branch of government not to say the Judiciary. Her action has caused a sweeping searchlight that is rolling over every part of the country, and across the spectrum of or society.
She is suffering such extreme personal consequences, but I believe we will all reap the benefits in the years to come. I am grateful to her.
There may be enough defensive white male momentum to carry off this hijacking of the appointment of Kavanaugh, but our collective perspective is now much better informed. Another giant step for womenkind . . .
368
@annpatricia23
I have a dream...that one day the fortified citadel of male white privilege will be replaced by a shining multicolored city.
@annpatricia23
This could indeed become a giant step forward (eventually), but the legal and cultural backsliding that will occur if Kavanaugh gets on the Supreme Court, could be severe, not to mention giving Trump a get-out-of-jail free card, which could be the death knell for our republic. I just hope that the actions of the GOP and Trump administration, during this confirmation process and more generally, so frighten all but the most brainwashed partisans on the right, to see that true fascism is close by, so the blue wave continues in 2018 and beyond.
@annpatricia23. Oh come on. First, I'm a woman. yes, I have been discriminated against, yes, picked on sexually, all of the above. But I'm also smart enough to know that not EVERY man is bad, and EVERY woman is good. In fact, women tend to be the most difficult, emotional, backstabbing. And I love women, but we need to be honest. Yes, I'm sure there are those in ALL branches of government that are mysogynistic. But (and I'm not saying she deserved it) this has been a circus created by women. She doesn't have any details, and yet she is automatically believed. She won't talk to anyone even privately.
We women will NEVER attain the status that men have been afforded with this backward thinking. We have to be rational, and believe equality is for EVERYONE, not just women.
What part of this Kavanaugh charade isn't unreal? It all started off as a farce, only to become one with many more acts than first imagined.
There's no doubt Brett Kavanaugh was a shoe-in as soon as this president got a sworn personal oath of allegiance out of him -- Why else would the White House withhold THOUSANDS of pages of documents involving the Judge's previous decisions, only to hand out the abridged and redacted versions of them the night before the hearings began?
And then there's the entire Republican cabal lined up to vote for him without even taking so much as a second look, or allowing Democrats the chance to ask any relevant questions.
Even now they're standing by him, as allegations of past sexual misconduct continue to swirl above his head.
If only the good Senators had managed to extend the same courtesy to Judge Merrick Garland, we probably wouldn't be in the lamentable state we now find the fate of our country in.
Enough with their posturing and false equivalences.
Let both Mr. Kavanaugh and Dr. Blasey Ford speak for themselves.
183
@N. Smith
If Kavanaugh is innocent, why on earth doesn't the GOP want the FBI to prove it?
Kavanaugh has absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain by having the FBI investigate and discredit Christine Blasey Ford's story.
Obviously the Republicans know there is much more to be revealed! That's why they collected all those women's signatures supporting Kavanaugh way before the allegations of attempted assault were even revealed. And now, after the story breaks, these women are suddenly not available as investigative reporters try to confirm their support of Kavanaugh.
GOP Senators and the WH are deathly afraid the FBI will expose the truth about Kavanaugh and his debauchery-loving buddy, Mark Judge.
That's why Kavanaugh spent 9 hours at the WH yesterday being thorough rehearsed for his lying testimony. If Kavanaugh repeats the lies often enough, he will believe it and maybe even pass a lie detector test.
We all know the ugly truth WILL come out (leaks and guilty accomplices) and these same ole pathetic GOP Senators who eviscerated Anita Hill 37 years ago will finally be railroaded out of the Senate in shame with besmirched legacies.
If you want to be bowled over by the level of sheer incompetence by one of these fossilized Senators, check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2H8wx1aBiQ
@JM
That is completely my point: If Kavanaugh is so innocent, why the rush to get him confirmed without even so much as a consideration to postpone the process until all relevant parties are heard from?
In any case, there's no need to be "bowled over by the level of sheer incompetence of these fossilized Senators..."
That's already all too apparent.
My Articles of Impeachment:
Resolved, Brett Michael Kavanaugh, United States Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit, is impeached for lying while under Oath, and that the following articles of impeachment be exhibited to the United States Senate:
Article I: While providing testimony, Brett Michael Kavanaugh, in violation of his constitutional oath to tell the truth did make false statements, in that:
On April 27, 2004 and May 9, 2006, Kavanaugh willfully provided false and misleading testimony concerning his knowledge and actions regarding (1) illegally derived documents from staff of Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee; (2) the rules governing detention and torture of enemy combatants; (3) involvement with the nomination of William Hayes.
In doing this, Brett Michael Kavanaugh has undermined the integrity of his office, brought disrepute on the United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit, betrayed his trust as a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals, and acted in a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States. Brett Michael Kavanaugh, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States.
So, if I can draft the Articles in an hour, why can my representative???
5
Why won't there be an FBI investigation of Dr. Ford's claims? Simple. Grassley, Hatch, Trump, and Kavanaugh already know what that investigation will uncover.
As an aside, this is the first SCOTUS nomination that I recall seeing an outside group spending $$$$$$$$ on an ad campaign supporting a nominee.
As our own "Dear Leader" might say, "It's a rigged system, It's all rigged."
4
O that the other women he assaulted would speak out.
These predations are rarely isolated incidents.
3
Maybe we should only have Supreme court nominations during Democratic Administrations. This current nonsense about his alleged sexual assault is yet another reason why no one trusts the Washington Elites. a 36 year old claim about a boy in high school is the best the opposition can come up with. So the liberal press jumps on it as a great flaw in someone's record Lets investigate a bizarre claim that has no basic foundation. His history is of helping women not molesting them. Perhaps we can review his Third Grade records for any verbal abuse he had committed, perhaps calling girls names ? Another smoking gun !
4
@John.. Who are you fooling! Brett Kavanaugh is the Elite as defined by Conservatives. Educated, monied and with a clear sense of entitlement. He has been part of the political and business establishment for decades. I question his extensive relationship with K Street and the dark money Donor Class. What ever your feelings are about choice, Choice is the smoke screen. He is appointed to take away the freedoms of the many and enhance the wealth of those in the Republican Establishment who have been shaping his career for this very moment.
Irony has shown its face in these current events. As a lawyer, I learned that motive is an indispensable part of a criminal case. It's ironic that Trump has the power to call for an FBI investigation in the Ford-Kavanaugh matter. He has denied to call for such an investigation. Trump is an unindicted co-conspirator in the Michael Cohen case in New York where Cohen has involved Trump in the Trump Tower meeting. Let's look for motive in Trump's denial of this FBI investigation. It's known through credible evidence that Kavanaugh, if he gets a seat on SCOTUS, will give Trump a free pass on any investigation of Trump's criminality in the Russian investigation while he is president. So this gives Trump skin in the game. His denial of the necessary FBI investigation in the Ford matter is further proof of his obstruction of justice to give Kavanaugh a seat on the Court to save his own skin.
If Trump were a fair-minded person, he would approve of an FBI investigation in the Ford case. But his self-serving motive to put Kavanaugh on the court forces him to take an action that denies justice in the Ford case and adds to his criminality in obstruction of justice in the Russian matter.
6
The real debate is whether the irresponsible actions of a spoiled rich kid teenager should be grounds for disqualifying him from consideration for the Supreme Court job
My view is that if this was a one off mistake we should acknowledge it but then vote on his record as a judge.
There is no evidence that he is a repeat sexual predator. In fact he has a pretty stellar recid if supporting female lawyers. So what is the character flaw we want to assign to him
If politicians want to vote no based on this one experience then let them. But get off the self righteous band wagon.
1
No longer can we call our system of government a democracy. The hostile white patriarchy invaded this country. I'm disgusted beyond belief by this people.
Professor Ford received hundreds of threats to her life, she had to relocate to protect her family from the crazy out of control mob.
She revealed her identity and came forward as she felt strongly it was her civic duty.
What are they doing to this courageous person.
They will drag her through the mud, just to get their federalist on the Supreme Court.
Shameful, dishonorable people at the helm of this
country!!!
5
Republicans are willing to shame themselves over and over.
It begins with their backing Trump and assisting in stonewalling against investigations of what the Russians did to elect him. That should be bad enough.
Now they're recreating the Anita Hill ugliness—after their shameful nominee is known to have lied under oath and to have accumulated massive gambling debts.
Mitch McConnell seems to think that all these degrading acts amount to "winning." Will he never see a line he won't cross, however dishonest and shameful?
4
Imagine this scenario for a moment:
Judge Kavanaugh is accused of attempting to rape a 15 year old boy while a student at Georgetown Prep. The boy, now a man, stayed silent until he felt it was his duty to come forward. He knew that, by telling his truth, he would ruin his life, and that of his family, to do what is right for our country.
Would Grassley and Lindsey and Mitch be sprinting through the same kangaroo court rush to judgment if the victim were male?
Not a chance. Kavanaugh would have been out of the running when the news broke.
3
But Charles, time is of the essence. There are cases to hear. Voting rights to roll back. Gerrymandered congressional districts to uphold. Religious discrimination--oops, I mean "freedom"--to legalize. Labor rights to undermine and consumer protections to render meaningless. Corporate personhood to enshrine throughout the Bill of Rights. Affirmative action to outlaw. And of course reproductive freedom to make the province of entitled men and wealthy women who can leave the country to get an abortion. Let's get busy!
5
@Richard
Richard to Richard
Very well said my friend--- I do wonder why there are so many
mistakes in these commentaries-- doesn't anyone read their
stuff twice?? (PLEASE DO )
Brett Kavanaugh chose to lie when he first introduced himself to America as a Supreme Court nominee, “No president has ever consulted more widely or talked with more people from more backgrounds to seek input about a Supreme Court nomination.”
That told us everything we needed to know about him right there and then.
When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time. — Maya Angelou.
4
we are a nation primarily composed of liberals democrats and independents. republicans through gerrymandering voter suppression and possibly even collusion have seized control of our government. and while they install republican judges across the land to write laws that will govern a majority who oppose them we sit idle. why? what will it take for a revolution? how many years or generations will we sit and complain while republicans play cheat to win winner take all politics?
2
Don't republicans also have daughters? Can they look at their teenage daughter and still vote for a man accused of attempted rape of the 15 year old? I'm sure many readers here have daughters or grand-daughters and that it turns their stomachs to think that someone who attempted to rape a 15 year old could sit on the Supreme Court.
3
How do you call yourself a columnist if all you do is repeat what has already been stated, throw in a CNN poll, and then ask "What don't they want you to know?"
This article offers nothing to the discussion surrounding Kavanaugh's nomination to the highest court in the land. As an opinion columnist, you should offer a unique perspective on the issue at hand. If you have nothing to offer to the discussion, perhaps you should write about something that you are knowledgable about.
3
As a Trump supporter I couldn’t be happier. Elections have consequences and this is what Libs get from the “deplorables” name calling and such. I can’t wait for the new Justices to overturn the overtly racist policy called affirmative action, which discriminated against Asian kids and white kids.
As for this nomination process, everything is being done according to the letter of the law. Same for the Garland non-hearing - it was totally legal and if the people had a problem with it, laws or a constitutional amendment would have been made to prevent it and court action would have compelled a hearing.
3
@Jay Lincoln
The Constitution, which you haven’t read, actually requires the Senate to evaluate the nominee (“Advise and Consent”). Which it failed to do with the president ‘s nominee in 2016. No need to amend the Constitution; but the Senate needed to heed it.
@Loner - you're wrong with your interpretation of the Constitution. And if you were right, then why didn't you (or any one else) bring a lawsuit to compel the Senate to follow the Constitution? There was plenty of time for it. The answer is obvious - the Republicans were on sound legal footing.
Is Brett Kavanaugh going to have his wife and his two teenage daughters sitting in the first row behind him when he defends himself about the sexual assault allegations?
3
Just wow. How utterly, utterly DEPRESSING. The strength of the misogyny never ceases to surprise me.
I was very moved by your appearance on Cuomo's show. If the opposition to Kavanaugh showed half as much passion, his appointment to the Supreme Court would (and should) be dead. He has no business sitting on the highest court in the land. The repubs in 'charge' forget who they work FOR.
2
Bravo Mr. Blow. Indeed! What are they trying to hide? A refusal to ever consider Judge Garland and now this pressurized rush and efforts to demean Christine Blasey Ford. Old white Republican men on the Judiciary Committee will overrule her and degrade her. The pressure seems to be the November elections. I hope the turnout is huge.
2
If the rush to confirm Mr. Kavanaugh to a permanent seat on the United States Supreme Court should occur without a full investigation by the FBI into Professor Ford's allegations, it may well prove to be the death knell for the Republican Party. Mr. Kavanaugh's legacy will be entwined forever with Trump's even long after the latter's total fall from power.
4
@Barbara
Why would the FBI investigate a state matter where the statute of limitations is long past and the accuser can’t remember where or when the alleged event happened?
Be honest and say you oppose this man because you don’t agree with his strict constitutional views.
If he had actually raped a girl, but was as liberal as Sotomeyor he would get every D vote
@stan There is no statute of limitations on felony sexual offenses in Maryland, and someone as young as 16 years old can be tried as an adult for that offense.
Both Grassley and Hatch declared emphatically - on camera - at the Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill hearings that there was no rush, that an FBI investigation must be completed. "It's routine," they said. Why then and not now? It only took about 2 1/2 days. What are they hiding? Do they really not remember? Roll the tape!!!
And why the arbitrary "deadline" of next Monday, with a demand for a "preview" Friday? So that they can spend the weekend trashing Dr. Ford? There is NO deadline, save trying to ram Kavanaugh down the country's throat in time to pack the court for October 1st.
I'm truly sorry for Dr. Ford's travails and grateful to her for stepping forward, but whether or not her situation is what ends this sad charade - which it should - it's Kavanaugh's out-of-touch extreme rightwing positions that are simply wrong in on the issues. That's what disqualifies him outright, in my opinion. Still, it seems most Republicans' minds appear to be made up before all the facts have a chance to be presented, and it's clear that these "old white men" and the rest of the Republican senators are willing to be voluntarily blind and confirm him anyway. All of them, both the aggressive and the complicitly silent, have soiled what little remains of their reputations in this affair. They all deserve to be removed from office for abdication of their responsibilities to ALL Americans, whether by election or impeachment. Shame on them all.
3
not particularly a fan of the judge’s but a definite opponent of underage drinking, the professor’s in this case, but anyone’s in any case...among its. consequences are victinization and behavior that may be difficult to recall next day/yesr/decade...
NYT: We need a thorough investigation into the gambling and debt issue .
1
Commentors please start discerning your belief in voter stats about “white women”!
So......”52%” of “white women” chose trump.
I disagree with the research.
Surveys do not include the entire population of white women voters.
The stats are flawed .
“ white women “ abhor trump.
We will vote for a big switch come November.
"And it must be stated that Republicans have zero space to complain because of the way they blocked President Barack Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland." Something tells me that Mr. Garland plays a much bigger role in this melodrama than the writers are willing to admit. In point of fact, as the plot unravels, I suspect that Mr. Garland may prove to be the protagonist. Kavanaugh has already been cast as the villain. Would that he could quickly grow a mustache to play to the cameras. Mr. Blow is eager to find his victim. And the casting is perfect, a blonde academic with a photogenic memory. Thank God CNN has agreed to produce. I'm dying to read the ratings!
It is so depressing to have such an evil , selfish party in control of our government (hopefully for not much longer, we pray). Everything the party does reflects the bullying, aggressive, and totally dishonest character of the man in charge. The senators who enable this stupid braggart to destroy our economy (trade war, growing deficit, higher cost of living for all but the very, very rich, loss of or greater cost of health care), destroy our environment, and our climate (greater destruction from hurricanes and wildfires--as Trump and fellow Republicans ignore climate change) should be ashamed of themselves. Now with this push of Kavanaugh through as they did with Clarence Thomas, they again show their bullying proclivity. I believe that Republicans are convinced that being a groping bully and insisting on having things your way is the best way to succeed. Just tell lies (follow the leader) and blame everyone else .
4
What a mess. Let's untangle, if we can:
1. I believe this happened. Millions of women can describe similar types of assaults from their youth by boys/young men that they knew. Alcohol was often involved. In some cases, the girl was able to push the guy off and he didn't push back. In others, he kept going, and she either got away eventually or didn't. Most women didn't talk about these incidents. They were embarrassed, guilty, and/or traumatized, and knew nothing would happen if they did complain. But they didn't forget either.
2. What is the statute of limitations on youthful behavior gone terribly wrong? Today girls/young women ARE complaining, and bringing charges against boys/young men who may be convicted of anything from a misdemeanor to a felony, changing the course of their lives forever. Some will never become judges themselves as a result. Should a different standard of justice apply to all the men guilty of such behavior in the past? No. So some investigation into the charges against Kavanaugh is warranted.
3. Of course politics is involved. Feinstein should have brought the letter to the committee when she received it, redacting the name of the accuser. But she was taking a page out of the Republican playbook: stall. The failure of the Republicans to hold hearings for Garland was an epic breach of "advise and consent." Payback.
4. Whether Kavanaugh deserves it or not, he is now caught in a mess that he may or may not have contributed to.
1
Clearly, the GOP is hellbent on shaping SCOTUS in their image .. mendacious, dishonest, corrupt, deviant and antithetical to a working, deliberative democracy.
3
Our democracy is broken but it has not been broken by Trump. He is a beneficiary of the wreck we have become. Who are the culprits? Fox News, Putin supported operatives, and other media who generate and propagate false narratives. The noise and confusion serves to obscure and befuddle. And activists like the Koch brothers who have learned how to use their great wealth to game the system - the tax system, the court system, and foremost of all, the election system. They pour money into the political process, purchase elected officials to gerrymander districts; rewrite voting laws to suppress the vote; and maneuver the Congress to get the judiciary they want. The Kavanaugh fiasco is only the latest symptom of the destruction of our system. The proximate cause of this breakdown, of course, are the Republican leaders in Congress: McConnell and Grassley in the Senate, and the ironically named Freedom Caucus in the House. Scoundrels all.
2
For people saying the FBI would have already found something, this is the very same FBI who can't figure out that a common denominator of mass shooters is abuse of women. This is why having women in leadership positions is so important; for many men, the reality of rape, sexual abuse, domestic violence and child abuse just doesn't register as significant. Therefore, the clues that these patterns of behavior exist are not not recognized. As far as the courts being legitimate - when it comes to those of us who are rape survivors or child abuse survivors (or both), the courts are not legitimate in those areas, and neither is the law enforcement mechanisms that allows so much injustice to go on - see www.rainn.org for statistics on prosecutions and sentences. And if you want to see the effect of having one sexual harasser on the court, read Clarence Thomas's words whenever he has to deal with a case of brutality - he apparently thinks even a broken jaw is not cruel and unusual punishment when administered by a guard to an inmate. Men who behave in such ways are not known for empathy.
As a child abuse survivor myself, all I can say is that these times we are in are like growing up with two abusive adoptive parents - madness, no one believes you, and no help in sight.
5
There were three people allegedly in the room - get all three to take polygraphs. Why are Mr. Kavanaugh and Mr Judge afraid to do so, now that Ms. Ford has done so?
Sure, it can be argued that polygraphs are not reliable, or people can have false memories, but my hunch is that Kavanaugh and Judge are simply lying; and remember this well.
3
@Michael Smith
Polygraphs are not admissible in a court of law
There's the allegation and then there's the political handling of it. With regard to the latter, I find it hard not to place about 95% of the blame on Senate Democrats and in particular Diane Feinstein. She knew about the allegation in JUNE. She had months to bring it to light, to seek an investigation, and to question Kavanaugh at the hearings. Instead, she chose to sit on it until AFTER the confirmation hearings were completed and days before a vote was scheduled.
Feinstein also chose to release word of the allegation publically, rather than seek a confidential investigation into it first. The allegation is now being tried in the court of public opinion, and is being heartily investigated by the press. Under these circumstances, what could the FBI (which has no subpoena power in this case, which involves no allegations of a federal crime) possibly add? Republicans have offered to hear testimony from both Ford and Kavanaugh, either privately or publically to learn more information. If she is credible, if the public believes Kavanaugh is lying, his confirmation may well fall apart, and Trump will have to withdraw the nomination and move on to the next candidate.
That, of course, if not the primary POLITICAL objective of Senate Democrats. Their objectives is to drag things out past the election, in hopes that they can retake the Senate and defeat the next nominee.
In any case, Blow's finger pointing at the REPUBLICANS' political handling of this issue is rich.
5
There is bipartisan blame for this horrible circumstance. Much of it goes to twin combatants--Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell. The inability use regular order for federal court nominees, to require 60 votes to end a filibuster and debate, has pushed us into these cycles of one vote decisions on SCOTUS nominees. Kavanaugh would have little chance to make it--given current allegations and his judicial opinion history--prior to the "nuclear option" imposed by Senate leaders.
This inability to gain consensus on judicial nominees, coupled with life-expectancies far beyond anything the framers anticipated, has brought us to a terrible place. Too much luck is involved in ensuring court balance.
We badly need term limits on the SCOTUS. And we need a way for the Senate to go back to earlier days, when procedures were in place to help force consensus. Nothing will or can be perfect, but that body is now firmly dystopian, with its own form of the Hastert Rule first used in the House (and by Newt Gingrich prior to Hastert).
I do not know how to get out of this. If our national politicians cannot be expected to deal with each other in more balanced ways, things will continue to deteriorate (almost hard to imagine just where things will get worse, but they can). All we will see is partisan bodies going for the kill, compromise be damned.
148
@JSK
No way. Harry Reid was boxed into a corner by McConnell who refused for YEARS to consider any of Obama's judicial appointments.
This popular, honest and reasonable president was denied the opportunity to put judges on the Court.
Then McConnell blockaded Merrick Garland altogether.
Stop the false equivalence. It is a lie.
The Republicans didn't *just* blockade and obstruct President Obama you know. They attacked us. We the People who are the majority of Americans who are not far right wingers, who hate the right wing agenda and vote against it, have been systematically deprived of our voices and our rights by the Republican Party.
This has got to stop along with the both-siderism.
@Sophia
I have heard your version before as well, and for the record, I am a Democrat. That said, the historical record is more convoluted than you allow: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/01/mcconnells-majority... AND https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/mcconnell-went-nuclear-con... .
I do not say any of this to justify what was done to Judge Garland--but the notion that Democrats had no hand in generating these bottlenecks is just wrong.
What Ted Kennedy did to Robert Bork was hardly a lesson in civility: https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/28/weekend-opinionator-ken... .
We could argue these issues endlessly, including whether ends justify means. It will not help anyone come to terms at a negotiating table.
@JSK
Term limits on SCOTUS would require amending the Constitution. To save you time looking it up: that means getting 2/3 of the Senate, 2/3 of the House and 3/4 of the state legislatures to agree on it. And when did last really substantive amendment pass? Nearly half century ago (18 year olds right to vote).
Dumping the two dysfunctional and wrecking ball political parties, Democrats and Republicans, would require no Constitutional amendment, or even legislation. The Constitution makes no provision for parties at all. Because our founders feared and loathed them, for reasons that should be all too obvious today.
This has been a travesty characterized by irregular procedures (refusing to address the previous administration's nominee while concealing documents with this one.) It's frontier justice.
The outcome is pre-determined: Brett Kavanaugh will be appointed. Unguided by concern for justice than by the desire to wrap up it up quickly. And fairness be damned.
As if the appropriateness of the nominee was decided in advance by the GOP--and now, a nature inclination to trust his word over a woman who has said he gravely mistreated her.
A GOP being far more demanding of her in a crudely irregular manner--- compelling her to immediately present herself despite hardships she's experiencing by even letting herself be known!
1
Simply put, this just sucks! Of course there are partisan undercurrents at play here. Republicans want to ram the conformation through as quickly as possible. Democrats would love nothing more than to throw a big enough wrench into the works, one that might in fact delay a nominee being put up for a vote until after the mid-term elections with hopes that they by then will have gained a majority, which in my opinion wouldn't be a bad thing.
The question of whether Judge Kavanaugh did this 35 years ago will most likely never be answered for neither those that imagine that he is the one that assaulted Ms. Blasey or those that believe he never did this. This will only be a "he-said, she-said" issue.
Naturally, if an investigation does show that the two did know each other, that there was a party, and that both were at that said party, then things would change dramatically as Judge Kavanaugh has said he couldn't have done this because he doesn't know her, wasn't at any party with her, and that she is simply mistaken. Unearthing a different reality would be terribly damaging.
Because that would lead us to a discussion on what type of person would do such a thing. I know many young men and I can attest that none of them would have the character to assault a young woman regardless of their state of sobriety.
Lastly, in the event that Kavanaugh was there, then the likelihood of the assault is greater, and the character of this judge cannot be ignored.
1
It’s been more than 25 years since the Clarence Thomas, Anita Hill fiasco but it’s becoming painfully obvious that nothing as significantly changed. Men still, when all is said and done, are able to exercise power over women. There has been some progress in this area but there has also, far too often, been only the illusion of progress.
Judge Kavanaugh appears to be a spoiled brat that is typical of wealthy children. A pricey Prep school that leads to a prestige college, then law school and clerkship. Followed by a political appointment and A JOB AT OUR EXPENSE. They never had to to earn a living at a real job.. Compare the teenage life of your own children that have to choose college with a huge debt, a menial job or a military stint.
Does this gifted life of the wealthy teen make them feel they can do no wrong?
15
Brett Kavanaugh is a judge, so one would assume that he has a commitment to doing what is necessary to get as much information as possible to come to an educated decision on issues. Why isn't he calling for a more complete investigation?
3
@Mark Bishop: US Civil jurisprudence is about avoiding any decision. Litigants are just strung along until they settle.
The G.O.P. position succinctly explained:
"Folks, let me explain a little something about the law: We already have a sexual predator who perjured himself sitting on the Supreme Court. It’s called “established precedent.” Deal with it."
- Roland B. Hedley, Jr.
(Garry Trudeau / Doonesbury)
Hedley may be a fictional "Fox News" character, but he nails the attitude:
"Deal with it.".
The G.O.P. doesn't even pretend to care about the truth.
"Deal with it"
It worked in 1991 with Thomas, it worked in 2016 with Trump, and it will work in 2018 with Kavanaugh. And it will keep working until voters force change.
4
The Republicans and Kavanaugh are hiding everything because they have everything to hide!
1
Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty has been outlawed.
Isaiah 59:14 NLT
Feinstein hid it for several weeks and introduced it in the last minute in an attempt to delay confirmation past the midterms when she's hoping Democrats will gain a majority thus by preventing Kavanaugh from ever being confirmed. If she thought it had any merit she would've pursued it in the proper time and proper channels.
This is what it's all about. Feinstein knows it. Every Democrat senator knows it. I sure hope the people commenting here, feigning public outrage know it. At least to themselves. No one can be that obtuse... can you?
7
Not the full story. Feinstein didn't press it because the accuser wanted to remain anonymous and with that there was little that could be done. She did the honorable thing by sending it to the FBI which then forwarded it to the White House which chose to do nothing. When the accuser's name was revealed/leaked, Kavanaugh denied it decisively. Is he lying? Isn't that important to know?
The Democrats are finally playing hardball. I see it, and I applaud it. Because now, is patently clear that the GOP is willing to ignore a credible accusation and deny an investigation because all they want is power
@PMN If the Republicans are not hiding anything, why are they acting like they are hiding something? I understand power politics and a desire to impose more conservative Supreme Court decisions on the US public, but if Kavanaugh did nothing wrong along the lines of what he is accused of doing, why are the Republicans refusing to investigate further? Won't he end up being approved anyway? (Remember: this is how the GOP treats women.)
We are witnessing raw, naked political power in action. Forget the various rationales the Republicans are spitting out to justify the ramrodding of a deeply flawed political operative on to the Supreme Court. They are doing this because, like the proverbial dog, they can.
3
Mike Davis, Chief Counsel for Nominations at the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, twitted," I personally questioned Judge Kavanaugh under penalty of felony and 5 years of imprisonment, if he lies. I'm still waiting to hear back from the accuser's attorneys, who can't find time between TV appearances to get back to me."
5
@Harif2 "Mike Davis, Chief Counsel for Nominations at the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary"
Yeah, Twitter is an appropriate place for this guy to be sharing his thoughts. He's a Republican staffer. Come on, get real, please.
"...one nation, under God with liberty and justice for all." Some day, perhaps!
3
@WhiskeyJack: The pretense that this ape-run zoo is "under God" is its most ridiculous conceit.
@Steve Bolger Agree!!
A recent Reuters poll shows more people oppose Kavanaugh (35.7%) than support him (31%).
More people "don't know" (33.2%) than support him (31%).
http://polling.reuters.com/#!response/TM1519Y18/type/smallest/dates/20180801-20180918/collapsed/true
Clearing up this sexual assault and attempted rape allegation might convince people one way or the other.
A Nation under the Grip of a “President’s” Vanity,
We merely Watch as he brings to Question our Country’s Sanity.
He gains in Power, with every Hour. That is His Goal..to Have
Control.
No Need to Serve....he Prides His Nerve. Ours is the Sadness.....
As we live Under His Madness.
I repeat....Sometimes the sanest reaction to an insane situation....is Insanity.
Trump has now corrupted the executive, legislative and judiciary branches of our government. Kavanaugh is no surprise, his behavior expected given what's been revealed about trump and down ticket men apparently unable to keep their hands off women....and children. The level of perversion and hypocrisy trump's illegitimate presidency has surfaced should end Republican rule for a generation during which time the public will expect...and deserve...a full legal accounting for every breach of law, act of malfeasance and attempt to undermine U.S. democracy. Those legally charged and convicted should recieve the harshest penalites available to send a clear signal U.S. democracy is dependent on the rule of law - not the whims of a usurper.
Kavanaugh is just another symptom of the rotten core of this presidency and of the Republican party.
2
If Kavanaugh is confirmed under these circumstances, there may be need for more than one impeachment hearing next year.
1
What a charade! The Republicans stopped Garland in his tracks and now they are pushing through Kavanaugh and eliminating due process for the sake of a conservative SCOTUS. What was good for Garland should be as good for Kavanaugh.
3
During the hearings, the only ray of hope I had was that Kavanaugh's daughters particularly the younger dynamo would function as some kind of brake on him. That he cared about their welfare and did not want them to despise him for his misogynist agenda. My guess now his daughters probably hate us.
The idea of losing them brings me great sadness.
1
If the experienced FBI updates its incomplete background investigation, Trump could lose a "pro autocratic Trump" judge on the Supreme Court and GOP wealthy donors. who "own" conservative pols and activists, could lose a very "pro business" judge, in Kavanaugh.
The reasons for the GOP rush to judgment are so obvious.
What an outrageous disgrace! So an innocent 15 year old girl who, for several decades bore in her heavy heart her alleged traumatic attack by drunken 17 year old jocks, will, in effect, be abused again --- for the rest of her life.
Trump, Grassley, and their mysogynistic misfit allies, will protect Kavanaugh and his teenage abettor from risking criminal exposure from making false statements to the FBI.
Kavanagh is just following Trump's lifelong playbook for avoiding resposntibilty for sexual attacks --- deny, deny, deny ... !
Dr. Ford should go on Lawrence O'Donnell's MSNBC show before Monday and tell her story. Let it all hang out.
Kavanaugh is being rewarded with a 30+ year position on the most powerful court in the world.
If there is even a credible claim he has been an attempted rapist, he will have failed to meet his burden that he deserves to be trusted with such permanent power.
The Founding Fathers expected the Senate to "advise and consent" --- not to "lie and connive".
All Senators who support Kavanaugh on this basis should be defeated in their next election, if not impeached before then.
Once again, women and children are being shortchanged!
4
I keep hearing that Kavanaugh's appointment to the bench will result in decades of Republican dominance on the court. However, when Democrats return to the majority, and they will return to the majority at some point in the next ten years, they can impeach him. There are already credible allegations that he's lied multiple times to the Senate, and a long impeachment trial, particularly under the specter of being an alleged attempted rapist, would certainly allow the country to see Kavanaugh in the full light of day, rather than the shadowy character the Republicans are turning him into. Even if he is confirmed, and there's little doubt that will happen regardless of the outcome of the pending allegations, the country is not without options, so long as the Democrats in Congress can develop a little grit.
2
Even the Old White Male Senate Republicans know that if Blasey Ford’s allegations are true, the public consensus would prevent them from granting Kavanaugh a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court. What’s more, the OWMSRs strongly suspect the allegations are true. How else to explain their conduct?
Consider: We have a historically unpopular president representing a party that represents a minority of the electorate, foisting a historically unpopular Supreme Court nominee onto the public and into a position he will hold for life; long after the OWMSRs are dead and gone.
The nominee comes from the corporatist, elitist, religionist, right-wing fringe of his minority party. He reflects Heritage Foundation, Federalist Society and OWMSR opinion very well. But mainstream opinion, not at all. Even more disturbing, he will join the other OWMSR-approved members of the Supreme Court to form a majority. When one entire branch of the federal government becomes so unrepresentative of and disconnected from the mainstream, it no longer deserves the democracy label.
1
Having an FBI investigation beforehand could subject BK to perjury charges if he lies to the FBI, like he has lied to Democratic Senators in his past confirmation hearings.
4
@BigGuy
If Kavanaugh lied under oath to the Senate Judiciary Committee, he has ALREADY perjured himself.
In public.
With video recordings.
As a sitting US Appeals Court for the District of Columbia Circuit judge.
"Lordy, I hope there are tapes."
Regarding the accuracy of Blasey's recall of the traumatic events of that evening, it is well known that negative/traumatic event memories are reliable, much more so than memories that are non-traumatic. See:
Negative Emotion Enhances Memory Accuracy
Behavioral and Neuroimaging Evidence
Elizabeth A. Kensinger, First Published August 1, 2007 Research Article
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2007.00506.x
Any woman who has undergone a sexual assault, no matter at what age, will confirm this.
1
It's up to the Committee - either they accept the fact Judge Kavanaugh may have assaulted the girl when he was a teenager, or they don't.
Mr. Blow, an investigation won't reveal the truth - only an ignoramus would believe that.
It's going to be his word against hers. Who do you believe?
Most people will likely believe her.
So, do you still vote to appoint him? That's a question the politicians will have to decide.....not the FBI.
President Trump has just withdrawn Judge Brett Kavanaugh's name from consideration, tweeting, "I like sexual assaulting, supreme court justices who don't get caught."
2
As we all know the teen brain is not fully formed. So what Kavanaugh did or did not do is not crucial to whether he should be a Supreme Court justice. The bigger issue is his lying about it. He is categorically denying he did this to Dr. Ford. The bigger issue is Judge Kavanaugh a liar. If he is he has no business on the Court.
2
What is also depressing about this story, is that two members that will make the decision on Kavanaugh...Orin Hatch 85 yr old and Chuck Grassley 84 yrs old were on the committee in 1991 when they belittled Anita Hill.
Times and mores have changed over the past 27 years but i bet my bottom dollar Hatch and Grassley are still stuck in 1991.
4
@doug mac donald
Hatch & Grassley are eternally stuck in 1891, not 1991. Worse yet, these fossilized old grifters are being allowed to make a nomination that will adversely affect this country for decades to come, long after their festering carcasses have been chewed up & spit out by the worms.
1
Unfortunately Dr. Blasey has to testify to stop this nomination. If she is half as impressive as her friend on Chris Hayes show last night on MSNBC, she will handle these old misogynistic old Republican men who are questioning her integrity and memory. Shame on them.
2
U.S. Civics 101:
Justices or judges from the American federal judiciary do not hold a “lifetime” appointment. That is an incorrect assumption. Rather, it is merely an American custom. Here is what the U.S. Constitution states under Article III, § 1:
“The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services, a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.”
The question is whether Judge Kavanaugh has shown “good Behaviour” while a member of the American federal judiciary; or, conversely, whether he has shown “bad Behaviour” while a member of the American federal judiciary.
In this case, Justices or judges who received a nomination from an unindicted co-conspirator to a federal crime (i.e., a felony) for his illegal acts before he became the President of the United States of America so that he could become the President of the United States of America are not in “good Behaviour” because they no longer value what is at the heart of the American legal system: to discover the truth.
The American People (i.e., the employer) shall prevail over this moneyed, corporate, minority coup—both foreign and domestic—against the United States of America (i.e., against the American People).
2
Mr. Blow’s appearance last night on Chris Cuomo’s program, where he spoke about being abused himself, should be required viewing for all senators.
1
Please stop the ridiculous charade that somehow the Republicans are playing politics, but the Democrats aren't. This is all about the fact that Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, and people still can't accept that. So if they have to ruin the reputations of Mr. Kavanaugh's and Ms. Ford's reputations in order to do that, they will. The Republicans want to put a conservative on the court and the Democrats want to prevent it, pure and simple. So cut out all this talk about "justice." Stop making this about "old white men" wanting to put a rapist on the court. This country's being torn apart, and both parties are doing everything they can every day to make that happen as soon as possible.
5
Behind the snarky, Prep-School, Frat-Boy, persona of Judge Kavanaugh seems to be a human with an alcohol problem. This isn’t speculation, there is an ample record of his exploits that seem to run from Prep-School through Law-School. Alcohol is a problem for a lot of people and people with alcohol problems make lots of mistakes. Unfortunately, Judge Kavanaugh doesn’t want to admit openly that he has a problem, and that is the real problem.
He sits before the Senate Committee and plays the holier-than-thou persona with the occasional, but distinct, sneer at anyone who would question him. Snarky responses, particularly to women, claiming that “without a complete roster” he cannot say if he ever spoke to a member of a particular high-profile law firm. Yet, he basks in the praises from the Republican men who praise his career and judgment. I’d be tempted to say he’s like Trump but, Trump doesn’t drink alcohol and seems to have a great disdain for those who do.
Did the younger Kavanaugh engage in the alleged behavior as a Prep-School teenager? We will never know for sure. There were no witnesses who are willing to say so other than Dr. Ford and she is the victim. Are there others? If so, were they intimidated by the powerful family who protected their son. My guess is that his parents were well aware of the alcohol problem.
Way too many questions and documented dubious behavior for a Judge, let alone a Justice of the Supreme Court.
The corruption of the Republican party has spread its tentacles through every aspect of our government and made a mockery of our democracy. The saddest truth that I am forced to accept is, as a democratic nation and because we are a democratic nation, we deserved it.
It sounds as though Kavanaugh and Judge had their little buddy act worked out: two of them to get the girl in the room, one to watch while the other does—well, you know. We’ve all known serial creeps like this; sometimes they habitually hunt in pairs or in packs, and their attacks often follow a pattern. So I doubt that Dr. Ford was the only victim of Kavanaugh and Company. Since adolescent creeps invariably boast about their conquests, there must be other people who know about Kavanaugh’s various activities.
Just a guess: the Kavanaugh nomination will stand or fall on whether any other victims or witnesses to his adolescent misbehavior come forward. I hope they do, because a nomination to the Supreme Court is important; but I’ll certainly understand if they don’t. (I hope Dr. Ford has some really good bodyguards and cyber security people.)
1
The idea that if Kavanaugh does get to become a Supreme Court member is chilling. That would make 2 men who have faced and gotten past being accused of sexual assault on the Supreme Court? Then both, Thomas being other man, could rule on if a woman has the right to control and make choices on what she can or cannot do with her own body. Makes your skin crawl.
1
You cite with approval the Bush/FBI investigation of Hill, but of course reject the outcome: there was no support for her story and everyone hates Thomas and thinks he did it, because he is a conservative. You assert the claim is "credible" apparently because it is from a professor and Kavanaugh has joked about being drunk. You are wasting our time and money on your crusade to unseat and weaken Trump, because you don't like the outcome of an election.
2
Though it is shocking, perhaps it should not surprise us that old, white men such as Chairman Grassley and Orrin Hatch are willing to throw fairness overboard and bully Professor Ford.
After all, they were key players in the misogynist abomination otherwise-known as the Anita Hill hearings.
But when I heard Senator Collins participating in this bullying (with the mendacious cover story that "fairness" to Judge Kavanaugh demands it), I felt sick to my stomach.
Please, Senators Collins and Murkowski: come forward and say you will not consider voting for Judge Kavanaugh until their is both an FBI investigation and the fact witnesses are required to appear under oath.
1
Republicans are in such a mad rush because once they have Kavanaugh seated, they can get rid of Trump and go with the very pious President Pence, as Nunes let slip earlier this year.
Trump hasn't worked out as McConnell and Ryan hoped.
They thought they'd be getting a puppet who would sign anything they put in front of him without reading it.
Instead they got spoiled child who throws tantrums and lives in a fantasy world, unable to comprehend anything outside his own demented self.
Nothing is being done for the good of the American people or the good of our country.
The GOP does not work for their constituents, they work for themselves.
And their Russian masters. Putin has plenty of kompromat and the NRA has been passing Russian money along to Republicans. Elected Republicans all took his bribes.
With Kavanaugh seated, they can continue their march back to the glory days of 1860, when women and minorities knew their place and kept their mouths shut, obeying their masters.
It is up to us to save ourselves.
Vote Democratic on November 6th.
Every seat, every office.
Changing Congress is our best course of action.
Vote.
Aren't there any conservative women worthy of a Supreme Court position?
1
Ms Blasey Ford has taken a lie detector test as to her assertions, and has passed. Judge Kavanaugh has taken no such test yet he adamantly denies it ever happened. Speaks volumes doesn't it.
I wasn't a privileged private school boy, but my father sat me down when I was 13 and told me I was responsible for my actions, and told me I was on my own if I got in trouble. "Don't waste your dime on me", he put it. I resented it at the time, yet acted accordingly. I never forced myself upon any woman, but I did get drunk on more than occasion. Apparently privileged white boys didn't have to attend the lecture.
1
Well, of course, there is a simple direct way to proceed and no real need to rush. But the GOP Congress is not in control of its own actions. It is made up of bought-and-paid-for lackeys of a few oddball Oligarchs who tell them what to do: when to jump and how high.
The Dems task is to make this clear to the voters so they, in disgust, will vote the venal lackeys out.
2
With the addition of Kavanaugh SCOTUS becomes just another subsidiary of Koch Bros Inc until at least 2045. So much for American justice being a light unto the world. Meanwhile America's rubber stamp playing Mr President (all he asks is to be admired unreservedly) makes topic secret mental notes plotting his post midterm purge to end all purges. Season three. You ain't seen nothing yet!
The oligarchs are this close to effectively owning all three branches of government. The notion that they're going to let some 30-year-old event get in their way now is ridiculous. And then the pain really begins.
4
I want the media to call attention to the game Trump is playing by saying of the FBI, "it's not really what they do." This is another classic example of his utter contempt for the American people. To not even admit that it is he who is stopping the investigation from happening by refusing to ask for one, and to respond as he has, is so insulting to the public, and is ripped from the first page of the Putin playbook. How utterly degrading this man is to our public discourse and to any civic interaction we have to have about any important matter that affects our country. We have to get rid of this cancer in the Whitehouse at any cost and as soon as possible.
2
Trump is not interested in finding the truth in anything.
1
Hmmm...one would think that Dr. Blasey knows full well the repercussions of calling for an FBI investigation to clear her name, and what the penalties for lying before Congress will be.
One wonders if Judge Kavanagh is as innocent as he professes to be, why he, too, doesn’t also call for an FBI investigation to clear his name?
This is befuddling. Could it simply be the GOP members on the Judiciary Committee, 1) already know the “ facts” concerning his involvement, 2) don’t care, 3) simply wish to ram his nomination through ASAP, or 4) all of the above?
Whatever the answer, given that 31% of the American people think this nomination is a good idea, perhaps the good old boys should stop and actually think about this rather than believe the Anita Hill playbook will work again during the # metoo movement.
1
Charles, the Republicans who didn't want to confirm a prudent jurist Merrick Garland in the Supreme Court, now wants to shove an inferior appellate court judge down the American people's throats without any proper vetting.
Brett Kavanaugh, who'd admitted that he had a drinking and gambling problem, might've pinned down a 15 year old Dr. Ford when he was 17.
His buddy and now author Mark Judge had written that they had a terrible drinking problem while they were in the prep school in Montgomery County in Md.
That is the main reason why I think that he should be called to testify in the Senate along with his drinking buddy, also a character of his book with a slightly different name than Brett Kavanaugh.
And since there is no doubt in most of the Americans' minds that Trump and the Republicans know that there is a very grave problem in getting their candidate confirmed as the Supreme Court Justice, they're just trying to go through a shameless process. They're literally trying to do a hack job in Kavanaugh's confirmation instead of committing to a true vetting.
So if this way if Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed as a SC Justice on Monday as Committee Chairman Charles Grassley has promised, then all the Americans should understand that may be a sexual predator is siting among three female Justices in the S.C.O.T.US.
And if the Democrats get a true majority in the Senate in future,they'll impeach Mr. Kavanaugh after Dr. Ford will be able to give her testimony in the new Senate.
2
What I've gathered from this charade is this:
Democrats and the NYT commentariat are so opposed to Kavanaugh on ideological grounds that they are happy to convict him of sex crimes on the flimsiest of so-called evidence.
Leaving aside the fact that the investigation of such crimes is not in the FBI's purview, the only thing that can come of any such investigation is more delay. What possible evidence can remain of this so-called event 35 years afterwards?
Ford has shown no evidence since the revelation of her identity of being a reliable witness. I doubt Democrats want the spectacle of her being cross-examined on television by an expert questioner, and I'm sure she doesn't either. A private interview session is going to convince no one whose mind isn't already made up.
2
Does the Federalist Society Seal of approval absolve the Judge from past, present or future actions, indiscretions or parking tickets?
A Judge Kosinski pinky ring hall pass.
This nomination is solely about placement on the court to warp, bend and mold decisions through the optics of a “select” few.
Can it be stated clearer?
Between this, and the Democrats being able to document that Kavanaugh lied during his last confirmation, he'll be impeached the nanosecond the D's take the Senate. There's no point in going forward with this confirmation.
1
The sexual assault/attempted rape charge alone is serious enough to demand more time to investigate thoroughly.
But Kavanaugh has demonstrably lied already under oath to the Senate, in the past, and now again. That alone should disqualify him from the post.
And who know what else lies hidden in all the documents the Republicans refuse to have released?
1
Dozens of women in their 50s 60s and 70s every day are volunteering details (most for the first time) in national media of how they were secretly assaulted during their teens.
The consistent patterns in those statements alone are ver similar to Dr. Blasey Ford's account, lending credence to her story.
With its super low trustworthiness rating (11%) we witness the horror of the US Congress Kangaroo court's action to hurriedly set a hearing date so they can besmirch and railroad the accuser.
Don't forget how we got here, who appointed Kavanaugh, and supported the nomination.
If elected, Kavanaugh will sit on the bench knowing full well that he sold his soul to get there. We all will know too, and we will be watching.
#VOTE
1
As usual, everything....First thing Dems need to do when they take back Congress from the russians is expand the number of justices to 11.
1
While the political theater might be at an all-time high here, let us not forget that a young woman, one who has now grown into an older, mature adult, was sexually traumatized over three decades ago and is now expected, by old, Republican Wolves, to just “get over it,” and “tell the story.”
Not so fast, you miserable miscreants. Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s story is not to be rushed along as if she’s in some kind of foot race. She has unwillingly been thrust into the public eye. She must be given due time, measured time to process this sudden, impending visibility. Is it not too much to ask that she be given due space and a reasonable amount of time to get her bearings in order? What’s the rush? What are Republicans so darn afraid of?
Oh, my bad. They’re afraid of the truth.
Apologies.
2
President Clinton was impeached and disbarred because he lied under oath about a voluntary sex escapade.
How is it that anyone could allow Judge Kavanaugh to remain a member of the bar, much less remain a judge, much less be appointed to the Supreme Court if he has lied about trying to force sex upon a non-consenting child.
It's not about the sex (or attempted sex) it's about the lying under oath.
1
"And it must be stated that Republicans have zero space to complain because of the way they blocked President Barack Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland".
Absolutely right!!!
1
All part of a consistent pattern that emanates from the top. The president hides his tax returns. Porter hid his spousal abuse actions. Pruitt had the in-office sound-proof phone booth. No one claims to know who altered the GOP platform language at the 2016 national convention. The president claims executive privilege to keep Kavanaugh's earlier writings hidden. Now there is more secret congressional documentation that is unlikely to be released. Apparently the White House and Congress believe Americans can't handle the truth.
Perhaps it is they who can't handle it.
That most Senate Republicans long ago abandoned any respect for their Oath of Office is no secret. This disgrace merely confirms that obvious fact. The advise and consent of the GOP majority Senate, and five bucks, will probably buy you a cheap beer in a Washington tavern. I am astounded that the few remaining conscientious members of the GOP, Corker, Flake, Collins and Murkowski, are joining Mitch McConnell's cheap farce.
The desparate rush to avoid a meaningful hearing on allegations that, if true, are unquestionably disqualifying given Judge Kavanaugh's categoric denial of them is worse than unseemly. It is unworthy of any serious decision-making body. It demonstrates the unfitness for office of the majority of GOP members, and their complete contempt for truth, their electorate, and their Constitutional duties. For shame, 'honourable members', for shame.
what is the evidence that you are using to believe the allegation is credible before the accuser testifies and or provides legitimate corroboration. The New York Times published numerous opinion pieces stating as a fact the allegations were credible. Why? it concerns an event 36 years ago, when it was not reported at the time or even years later. She can't remember who's house it occurred at,or even the year it happened. She can't identify any witnesses others then one person who did not corroborate it. She reported she passed a lie detector test, but it was not administered by a neutral law enforcement agency and she did not identify the person who administered it so how do we know it was administered by neutral person with the qualifications to administer the test.
She submitted 1 notes to her therapist that she was assaulted but did not identify the name of her attacker. The only item I keep hearing is that if it wasn't true, she would not have made it because of the negative attention she would get. That proves nothing. Stormy Daniels, Paula Jones, the women who brought down Harvey Weinstein have all been feted as heroes by Partisons or who turned their newfound celebrity into cash.
what type of allegations would you consider to be not credible? Remember The FBI investigated Anita Hill's allegations and found them to be unfounded. We're they not credible?
3
Today it dawned on me.
Not only is Trump a danger to our nation and our democratic ways, so is this republican-controlled Congress.
Two out of three parts of our government is controlled by anti-American anti-democratic forces.
The third leg of our government, the Supreme Court, hangs in the balance - a near sure bet that it will be "flipped" also, to become partisan and corrupt.
Brett Kavanaugh has lied. He lied to the Senate Judiciary Committee - about his knowledge of stolen documents from Democrats when he worked for the George W. Bush administration. His lies are proven and public record. Yet republican Senators don't care.
Our government is at a precipice, and the only thing average citizens can do is to "voice" their anger through the vote on Nov 6th. That seems a paltry consolation - for having our government taken over by crooked politicians.
Please, democratic Senators -- if the confirmation hearings are put to a vote -- every Democratic and civic-minded Senator MUST TAKE THE STAND, denounce the vote on the record -- and NOT VOTE AT ALL.
Make this into a public and well-documented rebuke of the Kavanaugh Konfirmations. Let the history books record this republican malfeasance!
Let the vote be:
51 for,
0 against,
49 refused to vote for a travesty.
#SHAMEFUL
5
Judge Garland feels Judge Kavanaugh is being treated so unfairly.
Though it is shocking, perhaps it should not surprise us that old, white men such as Chairman Grassley and Orrin Hatch are willing to through fairness overboard and bully Professor Ford. After all, they were key players in the misogynist abomination otherwise-known as the Anita Hill hearings.
But when I heard Senator Collins participating in this bullying (with the mendacious cover story that "fairness" to Judge Kavanaugh demands it), I felt sick to my stomach.
Please, Senators Collins and Murkowski - come forward and say you will not consider voting for Judge Kavanaugh until their is both an FBI investigation and the fact witnesses are required to appear under oath.
Now it is emerging that he likes female law clerks with a certain "look". All is not what it seems on the cover and never is. The story about running up credit card debt for baseball tickets never did make sense.
kavanaugh is going to be confirmed. trump's criminal associates and family members are going to be pardoned. trump is going to be re-elected.
what are you prepared to do?
This is just Dianne Feinstein trying to manipulate the politics of the Senate as skillfully as Mitch McConnell. It's not working.
Feinstein is clearly acting in bad faith. She had the letter from Ford seven weeks ago, and she withheld it from the 64 Senators that met with Kavanaugh prior to the hearings. She still has not released the full unredacted letter, despite Grassley's request. This is a stalling tactic, there is no merit to Ford's claim. We sit her solemnly talking about the truth and all that, but if Kavanaugh were a black liberal, would Charles Blow be placing any credence whatsoever in the claims of sexual assault? Of course not. This poor woman cannot say where it happened, when it happened, and she never reported it to anyone, including the police (the FBI has no jurisdiction here).
3
The Kavanaugh proceedings are the starkest evidence yet of the true nature of the current GOP. They are sociopaths. They have no values besides seeking and maintaining power. They will do anything that they have to do to that end. The notions of justice, fairness, decency, and even truth, are like a foreign language to them. They will lie and cheat and steal to hang onto power, and they do not feel bad about it. The classic principles of American democracy are simply tropes for them to fool people into accepting them as legitimate.
You can't appeal to their better angels — those have been put to sleep. The only language they understand is the language of power. They will go on until they are stopped. We have to get these people out. Vote in November. Get all your friends to vote. Help them check their voter registrations. Drive people to the polls. Vote!
1
Two Republican Senators ,infamously remembered from assaulting Anita Hill 27 years ago to confirm their Supreme Court nominee, are getting ready to repeat their original sin of emotionally raping a potential witness, who was a victim of the sexual assault their current candidate is accused of.
While conservatives occasionally pretend to say the right thing , they are still stuck in the time when women were second class citizens, hoping to make the America they remember great again.
1
Kavanaugh was appointed to the circuit court as an obvious perjurer about a venality barely worthy of a Nixon operative. The Republicans in the senate could not care less whether they confirm a lying schemer, a rapist, or the Gollum himself. Let us call Kavanaugh Judge Smeagol. It's the most we can do at this point.
2
"There is absolutely no rush here, no timeline that must be adhered to, no deadline that must be met."
Actually a deadline is looming like a locomotive in a tunnel. It is the November elections. Should this hearing drag on due to a truly thorough and potentially long FBI investigation, the fear of GOP defeat in Senate elections would be the greatest disaster, in their minds, to befall Republicans since, well, Bork. Not so much for losing the Senate, but losing their dream and our nightmare of twenty years and more, a packed and radical GOP court.
The FBI investigation will not happen. And even if Dr. Ford appears, it will be all GOP charade. A dog and pony show orchestrated of old and partisan men not believing one word she says. This judge is going to the Supreme court. And for those hoping Susan Collins will ride in on her white horse, forget about it. Susan is a Maine politician. A politician through and through. Beholden to Maine north of Portland for her voting strength. This is District 2. Trumpistan. She is no moderate. She is the usual craven GOP pol.
- Maine Native
Republicans Senators don't need to turn their party into a pro-women party. They just need to be accountable to the 50% of their constituents who happen to be female. Would that be to upsetting for the party that used to claim to have high moral standing? No. It's time to close the chapter on pompous Senators with double standards and misogyny.
1
This whole incident is liable to help Donald Trump, and to set back the cause of exposing and preventing abuse of women.
MeToo started out as a reasonable extension of the original exposures about Harvey Weinstein and the culture of systematic abuse in Hollywood. It has gone way off the rails since then, and urgently needs reining in, lest it become a permanent blot of guilt by association, ruining of careers based on rumor and unproven accusation, etc.
Christine Blasey Ford may justifiably need more time before testifying. If Senate Republicans refuse to budge on that, and vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh without hearing from her, the onus will be on them for having helped cover up sexual abuse: provided that Senate Democrats keep level heads and look at the whole picture of what is going wrong with America's national politics and governance.
If establishment Democrats decide to make this their signature issue for the remainder of the fall election cycle, then the probable result is not clarity, nor a rejection of Kavanaugh, but a tragic and shameful she-said vs he-said soap opera which may include juicy details about the at times disturbing social atmosphere associated with private prep schools, but will no doubt reveal even more about how disgracefully broken and dysfunctional the US government has become. This would rebound to the benefit of populism, Donald Trump, and Republicans this November.
Once again, establishment Democrats look primed to blow it for America.
29
@Sage--The Democrats have been running on other issues--health care, education, gun control, etc--since well before these hearings. There's no reason that they would need to bring up Kavanaugh as a signature issue. Maybe toss him in on the side, but relatively, it doesn't need to be a major topic.
@Sage
More time?
Shes had 35 years. Shes also had 3 months from when she first sent the letter.
She cant expect to make a claim from 35 years ago and upend and entire process.
1
@Sage
I don't see the rebound to the benefit of the GOP. It's just another brick in the wall of their corruption. The GOP sees neither guilt nor shame in this travesty, but I believe the majority of voters will see it it for what it is and see the Republicans for who they are.
If ever there was evidence of how two-faced and corrupt the entire present-day Republican party is, this charade demonstrates it vividly. Apparently, the party cares little about Americans faith in the Supreme Court. Republicans may well win this battle, but they certainly will lose the war in the process. That will become obvious from the election results come November. It is so sad that even those Republicans that we thought may be above raw party loyalty considerations appear to be caving.
Where is John McClain when we need him?
1
Why is Ms. Ford unwilling to testify (under oath) on Monday about her recollection of this alleged abuse at the hands of Mr. Kavanaugh? Regardless of any "assumed" grilling she may undergo it is a very simple matter to raise her right hand and say "I swear that the evidence that I shall give, shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God".
1
Good faith and transparency are of little concern to Grassley and his band of merrymakers. The fear of public outcry pales in comparison to the money, money. money of their backers sure to reward them for ramming Judge Kavanaugh onto the Supreme Court. They will not lose any votes back home. They know their base, have Trump backing them up and are good GOP old white males. Lie, cheat and steal to get what they want.
This may hurt them in national elections but by then the Supreme Court is theirs so who cares they figure.
Since the Anita Hill hearings, it is clear that the Senate has been in a bubble where women's rights is some sort of joke. They appear to have experienced or learned nothing.
I wonder how Bill Shine is helping Kavanaugh. He is spending a lot of time at the White House preparing his 'story'. If he was so innocent, let the FBI investigate as Dr. Blasey has requested and really clear his name.
203
@Elizabeth NO this has Chuck Schmuer and the dems playbook all over it. It is Anita Hill 2.0.
@Elizabeth Just out of curiosity, what would you have the FBI investigate? An alleged assault that she thinks may have occurred in the summer of 1982 (but she's not certain of the year) , at some house with a pool (she is not sure which house) in the greater DC area - possibly near where she lived in Bethesda MD (also not sure about that)? Of the 3 people she has claimed were there, (Kavenaugh, Mr. Judge and a gentleman she identified as PJ) have all come out and denied not only any knowledge of the incident but also any knowledge of the party at all. Where would you suggest they begin? A basic background check? He has sailed through 6 of them already and they have turned up exactly nothing. A 7th one will almost certainly yield the same results. Without some piece of verifiable information - some place to start - there is literally nothing to investigate.
2
@Elizabeth
I get you, and agree with you. But what about the turncoat GOP women in the senate? It is shameful how the OWMs (Old White Men) are behaving but what excuse do the women ( There are six) have? What is stopping them from setting an example? Why do they lack concern about this issue? Why are they letting the OWMs run rough shod over them? These are questions that I see no good answer for.
Not only has Trump voiced opposition to an FBI investigation, Trump took it upon himself to declare that the FBI doesn't wish to look into a such claim. It more than strains credulity to think that Trump has any insight into the FBI when he spends so much time trashing them.
Incidentally, just this week, Trump, yes, repeated ludicrous claims against the FBI, and added that he should have fired Comey sooner. Trump is right back at his assault on our top intelligence agency, as a preemptive strike. This way, if they were to conclude that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted Ms. Ford, Trump would have already discredited them.
And Congressional Republicans, predictably, sit on their laurels while the agents who protect us are attacked by the man in our highest office.
146
@NM There is NO federal crime. There are allegations. Dr. Ford should have came out when Judge Kavanaugh was voted on for many other federal jobs before a Senate committee. And predictably, the dems play games to obstruct.
1
I would think at least 2 of Flake, Corker, Collins, or Murkowski could simply announce that if the FBI does not investigate Ford’s allegations, then they will just vote no. This would be a safeguard against appointing a Supreme Court Justice who may have (a) committed sexual assault and (b) lied under oath about that and other matters. And while at it, they should vote no because of the refusal by Grassley to allow full and timely review of Kavanaugh’s entire document record.
A further safeguard is that because of the likelihood of Kavanaugh’s falsehoods and of eventual Democratic control of Congress, impeachment of Kavanaugh is likely. Without an investigation, Kavanaugh will be damaged goods. Even if not confirmed, he now faces possible impeachment from his position on the Court of Appeals. That he is not himself requesting an FBI investigation is telling about his honesty, his blind ambition, and his political obeisance to Trump and Trump’s extremism.
Unfortunately, there is no good reason to believe any of them will vote against confirmation. This is the extent of the GOP corruption of the confirmation process.
However, there will arise an impeach Kavanaugh movement, and the truth will come out and it will set us free. These GOP senators doing Trump’s bidding are fools because all who do Trump’s bidding dirty themselves for eternity. The stink never washes out. Their legacies will be ignominious despite their many years of service.
330
@M.i. Estner
Time to fight is now. Write,call, email your Senators and Grassley. Demand they delay hearings until have a full FBI investigation report.
@M.i. Estner
" there will arise an impeach Kavanaugh movement, and the truth will come out and it will set us free." I certainly hope you're right on that one.
@M.i. Estner: I’m embarrassed to admit that it would give me great pleasure to see both trump and Kavanaugh impeached by the same Democratic Congress.
1
Trump wants and expects Kavanaugh to protect him from the near certainty of a criminal indictment. The abortion issue is only one ripple in his ocean of corruption and incompetence.
Given his praise of the president and the fact that he has been using the White House as his personal war room during the past three days, one could be forgiven for wondering whether Kavanaugh has pledged his loyalty in exchange for the nomination.
The GOP senators think that we will still have a democracy after Trump is done blowing it up. They are marching like willing participants in their own destruction. These petulant octogenarians should not allow any Trump nominee to be confirmed until after the Mueller investigation is completed.
Suspected criminals don’t appoint their own judges. We don’t have an abortion issue; we have a national security scandal.
302
@Hipolito Hernanz For what law breaking activity?
@Hipolito Hernanz
Thank you. Someone that sees through the smoke to the real issue.
This nomination is corrupt because of Trump's intent in making it. Trump wants to protect himself from investigation. That is corrupt intent. It is a corrupt nomination. Everything else is irrelevant.
They don't think that we will still have a democracy after Trump. They think they will be Lords in the new Corporate Theocracy.
1
The fix has been in on Trump GOP “Judge” Kavanaugh from the beginning. He could openly support the death penalty for doctors performing abortions and he has 51 Senate Republican votes. Collins and Murkowski are phonies. Corker is a phony. Flake is a show pony.
The whole point is Kavanaugh will destroy the nationwide right to abortion (whether gradually or all at once), seek to protect Trump from the law, completely unleash big money, destroy the last remnants of Obamacare, and render the federal government’s ability to effectively regulate air, water, climate change, and pollution impossible. That’s his radical mandate, and he has 4 comrades to do it.
The only thing that can happen now is for the Trump GOP to lose badly in November and in 2020. Then Democrats need to expand the Supreme Court by 4 to bring this country back to sanity.
174
@Demosthenes
Court-packing did not work out too well when FDR tried it during the Great Depression.
1
@Demosthenes
The GOP has long lists of judges that would overturn Roe V Wade.
Trump ignored the lists to pick Kavanaugh. Why?
Because Kavanaugh has said that a president can only be investigated by Congress.
Trump picked Kavanaugh to end the Mueller investigation.
Trump appointed a Justice to obstruct justice.
It is an unconstitutional appointment, because of Trump's corrupt intent.
It's an utter disgrace that the Republicans are trying to jam this nomination down our throats. What a kangaroo court it has become. If Kavanaugh had any sense of honor or integrity, he should be the first to demand a FBI investigation. We're talking 3-5 days' delay, not months or years. Give Dr. Ford due process. Allow a full investigation to be completed before making her testify.
230
@Sharon Exactly. If he's innocent of this accusation, he should be vocally in favor of the FBI investigating the allegation to prove said innocence. The only reason for him to oppose an investigation, is if he is afraid of what it might find.
@Sharon
We are barely distinguishable from a true banana republic anymore.
'If Trump was truly interested in finding out the truth of these allegations'
Trump and Truth is an oxymoron
I can see the reluctance of Dr. Blasey to appear before a committee with an agenda of attacking her character and making the whole thing seem like "he said, she said" and a wash.
On the other hand, she's in the spotlight now anyway so she might as well go all the way. Kavanaugh will be confirmed anyway, but if Dr. Blasey doesn't appear, Republicans can move to a confirmation vote with much less political damage. I really hope she changes her mind.
1
Confirming Kavanaugh without Blasey's testimony is political suicide. The outcome isn't impossible. Republicans might estimate the political price is worth the cost knowing they are about to be thrown out of power anyway. However, a Kavanaugh confirmation without Blasey could place Republicans in a minority for decades. I can't imagine any woman under 35 ever voting Republican after this administration and this Congress. Republicans will win the present but they'll lose the future in the process.
124
@Andy Dr. Blasey not coming to testify is political bad stunt for democrats. They called the dems bluff. I cannot imagine people voting for liberal totalitarianism.
Bring all the witnesses and attorneys to Washington.
Seat them in the gallery.
Have each and every Democratic senator point them out by name and title and information that they might give.
Information that needs further investigation.
Shame those that have no shame.
What I remember is Kavanaugh’s continual prurient questioning of the relationship between Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton. Not satisfied with what occurred, he wanted how, when and how much. That in itself was almost as disturbing as Clinton’s behavior.
And my memory is not confused.
2
Republicans are really the minority party and lost the popular vote yet they had gerrymandered their way to power in state houses and Congressional districts at the expense of the majority. They have lots to hide as they just want power.
Vote this November like your country depends on it...because it does. Vote for Democrats and let's take back Congress.
3
Yesterday Senator Cornyn said words to the effect the situation with Kavanaugh and now Blasely is making the judiciary committee look like a three ring circus. You've got to be kidding. The entire senate looks and behaves like a circus. If ever there was a reason for term limits, this is it. Grassley, Cornyn, Feinstein, Hatch, Collins, et al. all need to go. They are collectively and individually incompetent. To think the worlds
strongest nation is being led by people le
1
So tired of this political charade. As a woman, I am not impressed with the woman's accusation. Teenagers get drunk and out of control--including young women who attend such parties. She wasn't raped. And if the story were true, they were both kids who make mistakes. It is the reason the drinking age has been changed to 21. Quite frankly, even if she had come forward and told her parents, it would not have gone to court. Probably a formal apology would have been the most expected and a grounding on his partying/drinking. Let's judge the man by his ADULT record and behavior both professionally and socially. Enough!
2
The villain of the story is not the Republicans on the committee. The villain is Diane Feinstein. How dare she hold this information for six weeks, and the release it right before the confirmation vote. She does not care one bit about the accuser. She only cares about getting reelected (yes, her race is competitive).
1
Professor Ford has received death threats. I find it appalling that she is expected to testify without getting protection.
1
Here's what the Republicans are really worried about. If Bret Kavanaugh did assault Christine Blasey Ford, then odds are there were other similar incidents. So if you know something please step forward and tell your story before it's too late..
1
I have been led by almost daily events in congress and in American social discourse to see the present-day GOP congress and voters as being evil, ignorant and traitors to the constitution of the United States. I do not say this lightly, having lost both family and best friends to madness as a price for my vision. I honestly see no difference between the evils of war that I witnessed fifty-plus years ago, and the organized treachery and deceit I witness the GOP practicing today. #45 is the epitome of this ideology.
The one bright spot I see is the talent, energy and commitment of young Americans, black, hispanic, white, muslim, women, gays, refugees of all sorts, who envision a future here such as I once hoped for myself, one where we all were going to "get it al together," in love and peace, nationally and globally. Their courageous efforts and beliefs I share and these keep me from giving up on America.
1
I go back and forth on this.
I just read the article and saw the picture of
Blasey then and now.
Not to excuse Kavanaugh and what he did
but this is not the first case and it will not be
the last case of drunken males throwing themselves
on women they desire.
Would this have come to light if Kavanaugh was
a liberal and had the same political views as
Blasely and was the last chance liberals would have
to put a liberal on the Supreme Court for a long time ?
Diane Feinstein, Nancy Pelosi and many other Democrats defended Clinton when he denied having relations with
"That Women", and if I recall correctly they did not demand that Clinton resign the Presidency when Clinton finally admitted he lied to the nation and did what he did.
The question no one seems to be addressing is
why teenagers are allowed to have these parties
and why allegations that are so far, unsupported are
given such power to destroy a career and reputation.
Polygraph tests only tell you if the person believes what they say is true, it does not prove that what they say is true. Nervousness can make you appear to be deceiving but anyone charges with a serious or life changing crime is liable to be very nervous while answering questions.
As for an F.B.I investigation - what might they find ?
Blasey admits she told no one, and is unsure of who was at the party, in that part of the house.
Unless an unknown person saw the event in question or heard a confession about the events - who can say ?
1
Al Franken. Ousted with the help of his own party, for a seemingly lesser event.
Republicans can't win anything playing by the rules on an even field. Gerrymandering, voter suppression, help from the Russians, rushing through this process but stalling it when Obama was trying to get a supreme court pick. The character of the right is abysmal and it looks as if their prep school poster boy is cut out of the exact same mold. It's all so very pitiful and embarrassing.
2
How absurd. Do we really want the FBI to become a "McCarthy" like tool once again? Be careful what you wish for. I point his out expressly because I am a liberal Democrat, NOT because I support Judge Kavanaugh. The only place for us to survive is on the "high ground."
2
This is my understanding:
A man who lost the popular vote by millions of votes, admitted to sexual predation on tape and is accused by numerous women of sexual assault has nominated and defended another accused sexual predator to a lifetime appointment on the country's highest court to overturn laws so that the men on this court can control and assault American women's bodies.
Paternalism indicates these judges must be wiser and better qualified to make health decisions for women. Will they jail pregnant women who conspire to obtain abortions?
Two of the five judges voting to accomplish this assault on women are accused sexual predators. The third of the five votes needed will be cast by a man appointed by an admitted sexual predator.
The above is only possible because structurally a majority Republican congress can be appointed to office by a minority of voters. Our constitutional system is marred by the compromise with slavery that created the electoral college and state representation that allows some 20% of the population to appoint a majority in the senate.
The platitude of faith in our institutions is tired and contrary to evidence. Unilateral Republican cynicism, bad faith actions throughout the Obama years at great economic cost to all Americans,the diminution of democracy–voter suppression as policy, for goodness sakes–These should be addressed. Dems should add seats to the court when next in power.
1
Republicans will win at any cost. Just look at the last SCOTUS appointment for proof positive. All we see now is pure theater. If theater it is, then make it play as long and ugly for them as humanly possible. Testify, put their ugliness on display for all to see.
It's all useless. The Republicans have no moral code unless power and wealth are moral codes.
They have shown themselves to be dishonorable men who care not for the people of this Country nor the Constitution. They trade in fear and repression for the sake of power. They lie about their purposes and policies. Just look to the past to see the truth or consider their continued support of a President who is unfit for office but will sign the bills they send him. That is proof enough.
2
I never thought in my lifetime I would be witnessing a Russian style show trial. But here we are...no evidence, no witnesses, allowed---just a one day hearing where the accused---that would be Dr. Ford---is given time to admit her guilt--and then on to sentence---the confirmation of Mr. Kavanaugh.
1
The whole abortion thing, like so much else about the right-wing revolution, has been baffling me for some time and causing me to rethink its place in our politics. I now highly doubt whether even one male Republican in the Senate cares very much about abortion himself. It's never made sense to me that this less than sensitive or caring group of men loses sleep over the tender lives of fetuses. For them, it's just a way to rile up the white electorate and pull them to the far right. That's the main point. But looking further: what about that electorate? Do *they* care about abortion, really? Yes, some do. I take the Catholics seriously on this and give them moral credit, though I disagree with them, because (despite huge scandals in the Church) the have a large and serious operation of charitable works. The rest? As a moral stance, it's not persuasive, since they obviously care so little about people otherwise. So what's it all about? I think it all comes back to anger about (1) Brown v. Board (desegregation) and (2) sexual freedom. Abortion is partly a voodoo doll for the real irritant, which is desgregation and equal rights for blacks. What about the sexual freedom part? It's about men, and women too, punishing women for having sex - especially, as the perception was in the early days post-Roe - black women, not white women. "You made your bed, now you're going to lie in it." Not much to do there with caring about anyone, born or unborn.
Kavanaugh knows that he assaulted Professor Ford. He still has a chance to resign and keep whatever dignity he has by saying he's doing it for the good of the country. No admission needed.
2
If Kavanaugh gets confirmed he will always be viewed as the “ teenage molester” judge. This degrades the Supreme Court, another nail in the coffin of this supposed democracy.
2
Mr. Blow repeats Democratic talking points about the FBI that have already been debunked. The FBI was involved in the Anita Hill case because her claims had not been made public, and because her claims occurred on federal property. The FBI has no legal role to play in the Kavanaugh allegations, and the agency has said that. But now Mr. Blow wants Trump to order the FBI to get involved when it says it has no role to play. So much for the rule of law!
2
It's true, as the column says that " Republicans have zero space to complain because of the way they blocked President Barack Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland," but they don't need to complain. They have the votes, and they have no shame; they'll just do what they intend and say, in the words of Boss Tweed, "So, what are you going to do about it?"
Republicans will do anything to hold on to power. The first things to go are the principals they claim.
2
A lot has been said about Sen Feinstein releasing this info at the last minute, but it is my understanding that she turned the letter over to the FBI who then put it in Kavanaugh’s file and passed it on to the White House. How Blasey Ford’s anonymity was compromised and the details were made pubic I don’t know and neither do many others writing here.
I do know that there has been sufficient corroborating evidence to require some investigation, the very minimum being that the judiciary committee should at least interview under oath Mark Judge, Dr. Ford’s husband, some of the students who may have attended these parties. This is better conducted by the FBI with a report to the committee and probably can be done more quickly that way. However, it appears for some strange reason, the GOP seems to have hung their hat on Brett Kavanaugh ( afraid to upset Trump further?) and will confirm him no matter what.
2
Well, Thomas and Clarence would at least keep each other company. Imagine the stories of their conquests they could tell each other and at times even entertain other colleagues. Like adversity, hyper-sexuality perhaps also seeks company. Confining desires bubbling within themselves can cause explosions that can be a health hazard to near and dear ones.
Usual GOP hypocrisy. When Democrats are in power we should wait for after the next election to let people voice their opinions through ballot. When Republicans are in power decisions should be rushed before the next election to avoid the consequences of negative ballot.
1
All comity, and worse, all respect for the spirit of the constitution have been jettisoned by the GOP. I can only guess at the justifications these miscreants recite before going to bed at night. For those Christians who excuse the rampant greed in return for their Faustian bargains, let's remember Paul's words to Timothy: "For the love of money is the root of all evil..." (1 Timothy 6:10 KJV). Perhaps McConnell thinks he's first mate on an unsinkable ship. But the Titanic was unsinkable until it sank. And we really hope for safer trip after the shoals of November. But I'm tarring and caulking a lifeboat.
1
WE THE PEOPLE has lost its meaning. Al Gore and HRC were elected by the people. In many ways we are not united states. The 3 branches of government are not checking and balancing. Some are abdicating and others obfuscating. The system is broken.
A solution? If you were to combine California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts into one country it would be the 3rd largest economy in the world. If you take Iowa (Grassley)and Kentucky (McConnell) together their economy barely registers as a third world country. Secession anyone?
1
Any chance Senator Hatch and Senator Grassley would require their daughters sit at the same table with a man they claim sexually assaulted them? Trump is not the only one lacking empathy.
Evidently, Ms. Collins thinks it is correct that a psychologically scarred assault victim share a table with the perpetrator she accused of the physical assault and be grilled by his champions with no recourse to other witnesses, discovery or investigation. The Repubs will either attack her character or patronize the poor, little woman as remembering incorrectly. Does Ms. Collins believe she is not actively assauting this woman yet again?
4
It's simple. Kavanaugh has an unusually generous view on the scope of presidential power. Sort of a "get out of impeachment free" card for POTUS.
1
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This vaccine has been tested exclusively in Venezuela, The Philippines, Syria, Iran, Egypt, and Myanmar.
1
Elevating Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court will be another step, and an enduring and significant one, in the transition of America from a democracy into a theocracy. When you think about it, it is the hilarious consequence of putting the presidency in the hands of the most amoral, immoral man to hold the office.
I'm not sure this is quite what God had in mind when he put the idea of Manifest Destiny into the mind of the white man.
What we are watching now, on a nearly daily basis since January 2017 is the war between those who want the truth to be told and those who are doing everything possible to keep it from being told. I think it’s important that for the moment we go beyond the partisan notion of the Democrats and Republicans here . What we are witnessing has gone beyond a political crisis or stalemate and now has become the equivalent of a spiritual and moral crisis in our country.
America has a history of enacting and adhering to laws that are legal but not moral . This is in itself, a version of dishonesty , but we have now gone beyond that .
Unfortunately the dis ease or disease if you prefer , starts from the top - in this case with President Trump who lies on a daily basis to the American people for the purpose of protecting his own interests. The world outside America knows that we have a liar, a man with no moral foundation in the White House. How many Americans truly know this, and how many of us know that the Republicans in Congress in the most outrageous way imaginable have decided to tie their fortunes to this president.
The good news is that the truth shall come out , and it will indeed set us free, sooner or later .
What are Democrats hiding about Ford? Why did they hide from Republicans, and the public, the unsubstantiated charges she made in a letter? Why did they take 45 days after receiving it to say anything? Why do they continue to hide some of the contents of the letter from their GOP colleagues? Conservatives now know for certain that there is no level too low for liberals to stoop in pursuit of their goals. I once could vote for Democrats as well as Republicans. I will never again cast a vote for any Democrat anywhere at any time. They should be here on known as the Despicable Party.
2
Lots of good questions here, Allen. I say we conduct a full investigation and get them all answered— before we take an irrevocable vote. But Republicans don’t want an investigation because the truth might come out— and today, the truth is to the GOP like sunshine to a vampire.
1
I detest Trump and don’t support Kavanaugh. But one witness bringing up a suppose it incident that happened far long ago and while in school is a relevant in my opinion. If the tables were turned in this type of accusation was brought up against Obama’s nominee, Democrats would be Halloween but one witness bringing up a suppose it incident that happened far long ago and while in school is a relevant in my opinion. If the tables were turned in this type of accusation was brought up against Obama‘s nominee, Democrats would be howling. I’ll never vote Republican again and as I said I completely the test Trump and for that matter this nominee. But dredging peoples name through the mud on the basis of one incident (real or imagined) that happened years ago when we were all much younger and made many areas of judgment is just ridiculous. Where does it end? Does every single person need to have their entire life examined in my new details to see if they’ve ever made any mistake in their entire life? And then see if this is true. It’s more likely everyone was drunk and a regrettable incident happened. To think that that should mark a man (or women) for life but dredging peoples name through the mud on the basis of one incident (real or imagined) that happened years ago when we were all much younger and made many areas of judgment is just ridiculous. Where does it end?
At this point, both the victim and sexual assaulter’s status are “alleged”; however, what does it say about where we are as a nation vis-a-vis these issues when the former receives death threats, is harassed on social media and elsewhere, is forced to move her family out of her own home—while the worst the latter endures is the president and others feeling that he’s being treated unfairly. So much for having our priorities in order.
It appears that unless something really explosive comes out, GOP Senators in the Judiciary Committee will proceed with their planned vote if Ms. Blasey Ford does not testify on Monday. Why did Ms. Blasey Ford risk her reputation, move out of her house to avoid harassment, put her security at risk, and drag her brother’s name into this mess? I understand she did not want to get involved, but she should have known that her claim was just too juicy not to be revealed. So I fervently want to believe that she is sincere because no sane person, no matter how hyper partisan he or she may be, would risk so much just for the fun of it. Her supporters claim that she should not be required to put herself through the agony of reliving such a traumatic experience without the benefit of the FBI investigation. Her lawyers have put their line in the sand. But they are getting this all wrong. She should call the Senators bluff and show up for a public hearing and with her head held high tell her story as she recalls it. What will they do? Humiliate her? Harass her? Call her names? Let them do it! After the spectacle of Anita Hill 27 years ago, the advent of the #MeToo movement, and the anticipated uprising of women voters, those GOP Senators will do so at their peril. And because having power is the thing these Senators crave most, who knows, they may conclude that losing it over Kavanaugh is not worth it.
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All of this rush to confirm Kavanaugh before the mid-terms presupposes that the Republicans in the Senate won't proceed with confirmation if they loose their majority. Based on their brazenness in dealing with the nomination of judge Garland, there is no reason to doubt that they will confirm Kavanaugh anyway, even if they will become the minority in January. This is especially true since they will see it as their last best chance to stack the court in Trump's (and their own) benefit.
Might they not be better off to avoid risking the ire of most of the country and wait for confirmation until after the election? They could avoid the animosity of voters, and not have to justify ignoring the facts for partisan gain.
If I were a member of the GOP, I would be asking for an FBI investigation so that election day would pass without having to my having to own the vote in Kavanaugh's favor.
Look we know what this is all about. Republicans want him in at all costs and will do anything and say anything to make this happen. So save your breath. As long as they have a majority, they rule. The only thing that can change this is the November elections.'They can use all the excuses, fancy rhetoric and false statements they want and there is little we can do. When the American people decide to take their power back things will change.
3
Dr. Ford took and passed a lie detector test administered by an FBI agent. She told the truth.
Why is Brett Kavanaugh still being considered for the Supreme Court?
And if Brett Kavanaugh is innocent as he twice declared, then he should take a lie detector test too. If he is innocent, a lie detector test will make his protestation of innocence that much stronger.
What is Kavanaugh, Trump, Grassley and Hatch afraid of? Oh yeah...lying to the FBI is a crime.
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@sonyalg Polygraphs are largely meaningless; they're not admissible in court because it's so easy to game the results.
I'm not trying to imply that I don't believe her; I believe she is completely telling the truth. But having passed a polygraph or not has very little actual bearing on that fact.
1
@sonyalg What questions was she answered? She does not even know the exact location, when exactly it was or who was there. Lying under oath is a crime. Might be why she is not willing to showup.
@sonyalg
What questions were asked in that lie detector test? Was she asked if she was sure it was Kavanaugh?
What do the psychiatrist's notes say there were 4 attackers and now she claims there were only 2?
1
There's no statute of limitations in Maryland for Sexual Assault, yet Christine Ford hasn't filed a complaint there. She started the accusation in July (or earlier), yet now says Monday is too soon for her to testify to Congress. Katz, Ford's attorney, as said she's willing to do whatever it takes to bring her story forth. Yet, when then asked about specific questions to aid in finding witnesses, Katz said it's not Ford's job to corroborate her story. Kavanaugh, Judge, and now a third named witness have all said "this never happened."
If Ford filed a police report opening a criminal investigation, I think that would warrant the FBI reopening their background investigation, even though there is no Federal crime here. But barring that, I don't think the FBI should be manipulated and compelled to open investigation because someone writes a letter, or Tweets something.
Neither the accuser nor the accused get to set the court date. It's Monday. Show up, or don't, but the vote should be 5:00 pm Monday if she doesn't.
1
Whether or not Kavanaugh is an attempted rapist is only an aside to the larger issue of the despoilation of our Supreme Court and our system of justice. The system by which we choose our top justices has been broken by the Republican party and the far right. They will destroy our democracy to obtain their goals because they realize that that is the only way that they can do it. If the Republican party is in its death throes, please let its end be mercifully swift. We deserve better.
11
A hearing should be held Monday. A Committee vote Tuesday. A Senate vote by next Friday. This mess should be behind us by the next Monday.
2
The real charade is that this kerfuffle has anything to do with a specific nominee, with Kavanaugh in particular.
This is simply part of the process of putting in another reliable reactionary judge in the mold of Scalia, who will kill Roe v Wade and who will go far beyond that with his brethren to turn back the clock to 1950, and make America greatly like that time of lynching, discrimination in public places, schools and accommodation and the SCOTUs will be the tool of the right to do what they cannot do with 435 unruly Congressmen.
It does not matter whether it's Kavanaugh or the next name on the Federalist Society list of nice names. The SCOTUS will be locked in place.
UNLESS--the Court can be packed.
This would require:
1/ Dems to capture the White House and the Congress
2/ Dems to have the spine to actually reverse the "rule from the dead" and pack the Court with new Justices who will vote for progressive causes.
But this would require the American public set aside its cherished delusion that the Court is apolitical, which is about as true as the moon is made of green cheese.
We do cling to our fantasies here in the USA--and look where and who living in unreality has got us.
2
I applaud Dr. Ford's courage in stepping forward. akin to Anita Hlll. But what I don't fathom, after several days of accessing different news formats on this, is why anyone thinks an FBI investigation will produce something meaningful. The one precedent with Anita Hill does not support this expectation. Clarence's march to the Supreme Court proceeded over her body. I see no reason to think anything different will happen here. A woman's abuse vs multi-privileged men with political power seeking supreme power? At this point, I see no point to Dr. Ford giving more of her precious time or voice to this swamp roll out.
2
The GOP has Christine Blasey Ford right where they want her. If she appears on Monday at their let-the-little-lady-have-her-say-so-we-can-vote exercise she will be even further humiliated by yet more entitled men who seek not the truth but her annihilation. If she does not, they will dismiss her has nothing more than a political stuntster who sought to delay the confirmation process.
What should concern us all is the GOP’s unwillingness to treat an allegation of the gravity of Dr. Blasey’s with the seriousness and thoughness it deserves. Why tee up an issue of this magnitude as nothing more then a “he said/she said” when further investigation and real hearings with real witnesses—such as Mark Fudge or cognitive experts on the memories of sexual assault victims—could bring us closer to knowing the truth? And why on earth would they not want to hear Fudge—who saw it all and who is apparently now refusing to speak?
The American public deserves a Supreme Court of the highest caliber and honor, a Court that bears no cloud of a serious integrity failing, whether recent or decades old. The Senate had no problem leaving Antonin Scalia’s seat vacant for a year. Why are they so unwilling to spend the time this question demands when what’s at issue is the respect and honor of the Supreme Court for the next generation?
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@Steel Magnolia: "The American public deserves a Supreme Court of the highest caliber and honor, a Court that bears no cloud of a serious integrity failing, whether recent or decades old."
In order to have a Supreme Court of the highest caliber, we need to have a President and members of Congress who are of the highest caliber. In order to have that, we need to have an electorate who can say "ENOUGH!" to two power-hungry political parties.
5
@Steel Magnolia
Fudge has already indicated that no such incident took place to his knowledge. So called experts on sexual assault are advocates, not witnesses. This is nothing but farce dressed up as serious drama to please an increasingly angry, misguided and deranged Left Wing determined to impose its will on the nation no matter the cost to civility, logic or common sense.
1
@Steel Magnolia "The American public deserves a Supreme Court of the highest caliber and honor, a Court that bears no cloud of a serious integrity failing, whether recent or decades old. " Yes we do, but Clarence Thomas set the precedent for blowing that up, so here we are. Plus the unbelievable circus we've had to endure since the 2016 election, and the GOP's utter contempt for anything resembling truth in order to maintain their hold on our government. We're at that moment when true Americans take to the streets and protest. Sadly that will not happen, apathy, fear, laziness, have taken hold on the vast majority of citizens. Maybe we don't deserve democracy.
Blow is absolutely right and articulates it all nicely. The FBI should do an investigation. And it would have been done by now if the Republican's had any scruples. Why isn't the Democratic leadership yelling this from the rooftops.
Kavanaugh definitely lied to Kamala Harris during the hearings. His statements about 'Drinking' are troubling. The 'what happens Georgetown" thing really bothers me. He doesn't seem like a deep thinker. And really has that privileged Prep school thing about him. Another commenter a few days ago compared him to the Phillip Seymour Hoffman character in "Scent Of A Woman', (the hearing scene towards the end). I think that's correct. Someone else called him 'creepy'. He is a bit weird, and not in a pleasant way.
Kavanaugh has been a loyal Republican soldier. And they want to get him through. Because if it's shown that he is lying about this incident, which he probably is, they will have to pick someone else. Then they will have to wait till after the elections and the whole stacking the court thing will be put in jeopardy. Once again the Democrats (Schumer) should be on every talk show and holding press conferences, hammering away at this. Just like if the situation was reversed. The Republicans stole the pick from Obama, and now they want to put this partisan 'chump' on the court for life. As it stands it looks like they will get away with it again.
4
If, and I state "if" Judge Kavanaugh has a gambling problem and it is kept secret we will all pay dearly. The difference between alcohol and/or drug addiction and a gambling addiction is that you do not ingest any liquid or pills or use needles to get high with gambling. For that to be investigated is almost as important as knowing the truth of Judge Kavanaugh's misconduct with Prof. Blasey.
6
The Republicans are making a mockery of the name "Senate Judiciary" as they try to slam this nominee onto the Supreme Court bench.
Obviously (to me, anyway) Dr. Ford's charge deserves to be investigated and she needs to be heard, however long that takes. And why in the world would Judge Kavanaugh not wish to clear his name if he's innocent as claimed?
As for Trump's involvement -- let him continue to hand out hot dogs and wish "have a good time" to flood victims.
How did we ever get here?!
2
@Preserving America
We got here because a great many people aren't very smart or a great many people aren't very nice. Their lack of intelligence or lack of empathy and compassion is reflected in their voting habits.
Nobody seems to be focusing on the fact that this "responsible, learned, man" nearly bankrupted his family by purchasing season tickets to the Washington Nationals. If anything defines his character, it would be his profligate spending.
Toss in the accusations that paint Kavanaugh as just another pampered rich kid who thinks woman's bodies are his playground (hmm, that sounds familiar), going from pool-party to pool-party, drinking it up along the way, as is the privilege of the rich teenager and you pretty much have a man who should be facing the bench, instead of sitting behind it.
9
This bum's rush to appoint Kavanaugh is obviously embarrassing to Republicans, specifically because McConnell denied Merritt Garland's confirmation hearing to hear from "the voters" in 2016.
So America needs to wait to consider a Supreme Court justice because America "may change political tempo" in 2016 but now needs to be rushed in 2018 because that same political tempo may shift in another direction.
Hypocrites is too kind a word.
6
Whether Republicans were intentionally hiding anything or--more likely--trying to rush him through without significant questions that might cause debate coming to light--remains to be seen. The Ford allegations--supported by some corroboration and a lie detector test--and other previous hearings raise some questions about the honesty of this judge. One cannot argue--as some have--that lying about one's personal life and conduct is a problem for a President (Clinton) but not for a Supreme Court justice. If you want to learn the truth, you have competent investigators perform a real investigation, you do not have a show hearing that allows both sides to claim that the hearing reinforced their pre-existing beliefs.
6
Kavanaugh is the justice that Trump promised the far right: he will overturn Roe, make sure Citizens United remains the law, and do the bidding of their extremist agenda like the partisan hack and ideologue he is. Republicans will do anything to complete this task. Their base demands it and they know that remaining in power requires they do whatever is necessary to give their religious fanatics and oligarchs their man. To think that any of this talk about due process or serious investigation means anything to the Republicans is pure delusion. We can rightly criticize Democrats for living in some alternative universe but in fact it doesn't matter what they do or say. Nothing will slow the Republican Party's authoritarianism but removal by election. But even if that happens Republican pathology remains. Eric Cantor, Ryan, and McConnell proved that when President Obama was elected and they committed to his failure at any cost. Trump is merely their inconvenient tool. They will tolerate him because he's the red meat that feeds their circus of low information voters with single issues: guns, god, and their continued failure in a changing world. When Trump delivers Kavanaugh he is half way or more to reelection. "Conservatism" in America is a disease rooted in our long history of authoritarianism, bigotry, racism, oligarchy, and religion that will remain, win or lose come this November.
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@Rover So well said Rover.
@Rover Ginsberg and Sotomayor were the Justices that Obama promised the Liberals. So what's your points? Sorry, you didn't win and don't get to pick someone. There's apperantly a "standard" when it's conservative being picked but then when it's a liberal conservatives can't complain about it or else they look like "bigots" or hate women (the case in the last two justices.). Such rubbish.
Being accused of hyprocrisy cuts no ice with people like Grassley and McConnell. They play hard ball and if Democrats do not like it as far as they are concerned they can wait their turn. It is unfortunate, but Republicans have learned that they can get what ever they want by breaking any unwritten rules that Democrats abided to in the vain hope that they would be obeyed when out of power. Politics has never a particularly nice game but it is going to get much uglier in the future . We can thank the Repubiicans for that.
3
Senator Grassley, who swore to uphold the Constitution, slow walked Judge Garland's nomination to the point of never getting his nomination out of the Judiciary Committee for 10 months. And now Grassley is in a big hurry to get Kavanaugh confirmed in less than 2 months in spite of serious allegations of sexual assault. Grassley is aiding and abetting the demise of judicial impartiality. If he rams this nomination through, the repercussions, the taint of his actions, will stain the legitimacy of the Supreme Court going forward.
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@Colbert Not True! Over the last 42 years, 14 Court nominees who went to a full Senate confirmation vote waited, on average, 67 days.
We are over 80 days now.
1
@Colbert Grassley never scheduled a single Judicial Committee meeting for Garland. That's not a slow walk, that's a no walk.
I am not a fan of the current administration but I find myself conflicted on Kavanaugh. It is inconceivable that the FBI has not found anything in numerous background checks of this man. Additionally, men who assault women don't usually stop at one. Lastly, I don't know anyone who did not make a mistake in their youth. From all accounts Kavanaugh has been an upstanding citizen his whole adult life. Perfect people do not exist.
29
@tlcnews
I completely agree with you that perfect people don't not exist, but many observes of the Kavanaugh hearings believe that Mr. Kavanaugh has not been completely honest about such issues of settled law, Roe vs. Wade, etc. The question is not whether or not Mr. Kavanaugh is perfect, but weather or not he has demonstrated the highest level of honesty and integrity that a that should be required of a member on the highest court in America.
2
@tlcnews
If Kavanaugh did commit assault years ago, as a very young man, I might be able to forgive that. What is unforgivable is lying about it now. That is completely unacceptable.
Grassley and his gang might be able to push Kavanaugh through. If that is done without a complete investigation, it will be one more stain on the US Supreme Court.
2
@tlcnews I would agree with you had Kavanaugh, instead of categorically denying Professor Blasey's allegation, admitted that he was a wild teenager with bad judgment (we have some credible evidence of that) but that he did not remember such an assault and regretted any possibility of such a thing. I doubt the FBI, on its own, investigates a person's background pre-adulthood. And, most judicial nominations, which are made for federal district courts and appellate courts, don't get anywhere near the publicity that Supreme Court nominations do. Hence, it is unlikely that allegations of this sort would have been revealed in the past as a result of investigation or publicity. The professor's accusation is very serious. Will additional women come forward? Of course, I don't know, but a professional investigation could at the very least confirm the likelihood that Blasey is telling the truth. No one is perfect, but a mature, responsible adult with integrity will admit imperfection. Kavanaugh's evasiveness when questioned by Democrats on the Committee, coupled with his categorical denial, suggest to me a person who has something to hide.
2
I find myself asking "What would John McCain do?"
If the Kavanaugh hearings prove anything, they prove that Congress’ eleven percent approval rating is well deserved. But, it’s unfair to point the finger at Congress. We elected them and we keep re-electing them! So, let’s kick out the bums. The bums who are leading our country down the path to demise.
Trump says the “treatment” Kavanaugh has received is unfair. What about the unfairness to survivors of sexual assault? What about the unfairness to people of color in everything from voter disenfranchisement to incarceration? What about the unfairness to families whose children have been killed in school shootings? What about the unfairness to college students who are paying usurious interest rates on student loans? What about unfairness to most Americans who struggle everyday to pay for rising healthcare costs while their income remains flat? What about the unfairness to the next generations who are going to have to deal with more droughts, fires, floods, and extreme weather due to our government’s willful negligence in addressing climate change?
We’re living in a defining moment in history and have a choice to do the right thing: to act. Let’s act out of fairness to our fellow Americans - they deserve nothing less from us - that's what John McCain would do.
votercapital.org
2
@Luis
John McCain would, of course, grandstand! He always (alive or dead) liked to be in the limelight.
2
Here's the thing about honesty in this circumstance. Kavanaugh has everything to lose by being honest if he did what he is said to have done. Blasey, on the other hand, has nothing to gain by being honest. The differences are stark, and being lost in the sturm and drang of it all.
The bigger problem is that if the truth is hidden, America loses, and Republicans don't seem to care. Trump, for all of his bloviating, appears to hold few true convictions, instead taking positions such as that on Roe vs. Wade, which seems to be motivated solely by political opportunity rather than patriotism.
It is all about government-by-obfuscation. Never have so many Americans been hoodwinked by a president. It should be no surprise, then, that Republicans feel safe in holding their hands over the eyes of Americans, with a president who holds his hands over his own ears, while their Supreme Court nominee is alleged to have held his hand over the mouth of his alleged victim of sexual assault.
How handy.
4
There are thousands of other people, no doubt with better legal qualifications and fewer personal clouds hanging over their heads, who could have been nominated instead of Kavanaugh, or even now in place of him, if only The People's so-called representatives in Washington put country over party.
As it stands, it's more of Trump's "best people." It should make all of us want to cry....all the way to the polls in November.
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@A Yank in the UK "Thousands of people ? That's a bold statement to say at the least. Kavanaugh has an impeccable resume from an academic and professional perspective, was vetted by the FBI numerous times, appointed and served well on the second highest court in the US, written close to 300 case that are available review.
The vitriolic false descriptions of him is a new low. The left doesn't like his politics, rejected him from the onset and have attempted to delay and obstruct his appointment in a poorly visual and embarrassing manner.
The urgency to appoint him is that SCOTUS nominees are now going to be near straight up party line votes, bi-partisanship is now over and we won't recover from this nightmare. The Democrats act like they wouldn't be doing the same thing which is the height of hypocrisy.
2
@A Yank in the UK
The DC Circuit Court has thousands of Judges on it? Wow, thanks for the update didn't know that.
1
And yet, they always win, don't they? Clarence Thomas, Gorsuch in lieu of Garland, and--soon--Brett Kavanaugh.
Instead of all our endless singing to the choir, isn't it time we ask ourselves why and do something about it?
2
I am tired of reading ruminations of "pundits' " on imaginary minutiae of the political maneuvering of GOP and Dems, while the truth is obvious and staring us in the face. It is clear to anyone who lived under Russian boot, like myself, for 6 post-war years in Eastern Europe. What we are witnessing is following Soviet and now FSB's playbook. Russians did not need to install their agent or another Manchurian Candidate. They never wanted to take over USA. After all, where would they send their industrial spies or trade experts to get modern products? What they needed was to corrupt our system, national cohesiveness, will and inner strength and they achieved it by enabling appointment by Electoral College of a president who would do all that, together with witless, power hungry GOP. Now, they need to appoint a Supreme Court majority that would protect their gains. The Dems, being traditionally inept are not a threat to them. God Help America!
3
The details on everything (the blocked documents, sexual assault allegations, debt repayments, etc) will eventually leak out. Better to address them head-on now, rather have a (further) compromised court.
And it shouldn’t be just the “ladies call”, it should be everyone’s.
3
So now the standard for confirmation to the SCOTUS is that you have never been ACCUSED of sexual misconduct? 30 years of Jurisprudence and career advancement, stable family life and healthy relationships with women throughout his adult life are not relevant? Wow.... seems really easy to derail a candidate now. A few bucks under the table to a "victim" to come foward and - voila, the candidate goes away in shame. That is not exactly the way to get the best candidates to volunteer for this process. Ford should have come forward years ago. This is not the first promotion that should have scared this victim into trying to prevent his advancement up the judicial ladder. A trial with evidence and cross examination should be the standard, not hearsay!
1
I am growing weary of hearing that we are now "stuck" with Clarence Thomas for a lifetime and that Kavanaugh would also be with us forever. If the Democrats take the reins of government again, they should both be investigated then. Donald Trump has done many unprecedented things. There is no reason not to investigate sitting justices if they are sitting on the Supreme Court with clouds hanging over them.
If they are found to have committed past abuses that never came to light, the Democrats should impeach them and restore the Court to one without men who have committed sexual crimes against women. We do not have to put up with these men. We do not. Even if the current bullies manage to push another Clarence Thomas (i.e. Kavanaugh) through. What is done can be undone. Look at how Trump has undone environmental regulation.
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@Deborah Ann Impeachment requires a majority in the House; conviction requires a 2/3-majority in the Senate. The Republicans who vote to confirm Kavanaugh will never vote to convict him if he is impeached ... so, in practical terms, his nomination cannot be undone.
@Deborah Ann so you're advocating for the very thing that you fear about DJT: Fascism. Attacking your political enemies and punishing people for different views?
@Deborah Ann
The point is not for both parties to start showing unprecedented things to rio up the Constitution.
The point is to protect the Constitution now by stopping this corrupt appointment by a corrupt president before it happens.
Some things change and some don’t. Today, if Kavanaugh was a Catholic clergyman, this charge would be investigated ASAP. These changes apparently do not yet apply to conservative judicial darlings or to Republican senators that are too old to be deemed credible.
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@MSJ
Interesting analogy. But if history is a guide, Kavanaugh the clergyman would NOT be investigated; his crimes and character would be covered up and he would be instead promoted. Come to think of it, that's what's happening.
Sen. Feinstein has sabotaged your argument by waiting to the 11th hour to release the assault allegation. She cut off any debate on what to do about the issue now before the committee. The Republicans have only one real choice. They'll hear Kavanaugh on Monday and call for a vote. This dysfunction of our government gets tougher to watch everyday. The two party system appears to be out of moral gas on both sides of the isle. You mention that the Supreme Court could have two men accused of sexual misconduct on the bench. That's great point but you've apparently overlooked the fact that the United States Congress settled harassment cases behind closed doors and silenced victims from speaking about what happened. The list of those predators has never been released to the public and in this era of #MeToo it seems like outright hypocrisy that the people making law in this country got away without held being accountable for their actions. Maybe that explains why we're dealing with another harassment allegation on a Supreme Court nominee. The Harassment Culture breeds more predators. I've read that right here in the in New York Times.
4
Kavanaugh is the poster boy for everything wrong in this nation now. Another privileged, white and entitled adherent to draconian codes that are throwbacks to mid-twentieth century America.
The Republicans have rushed this man's process knowing full well there are many skeletons closeted away in his past.This current accusation aside, the gambling, the drinking, credit card debt sketch a shady character.
He was evasive in answering some significant questions about presidential authority, immunity, and women's rights.
This entire process is necessitating a complete do-over.
8
Dr. Christine Blasey Ford has to testify Monday if Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination is going to be stopped. That being said,she can use her opening statement to 1) excoriate the Republican controlled Judicial Committee for its cynical, unnecessary, rush to judgement. 2) attack the limitation of witnesses which is an obvious attempt to avoid the descriptions of the alcohol and drug fueled party culture that permeated D.C.area elite prep schools at that time 3) address those Senators whose public comments about her being " mixed up" ,without hearing her testimony, should require them to recuse themselves from the hearing, unless the Senators personal ethical sense is "mixed up " 4) address what is sure to be a line of attack that she "misidentified" her attacker. She should state that "as a victim of sexual assault she has absolutely no doubt or difficulty identifying her attacker, it was without question Brett Kavanaugh and she is here today to inform the American public of that indisputable fact.
Sent from my iPad
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The undisguised intellectual dishonesty and bad faith on display in the Kavanaugh affair is breathtaking. Republicans are defining new lows on a continuous basis, evidently taking their cues from their man in the Oval Office.
Republicans also appear desperate to inflict all the damage they can while in control of Congress and the Executive branch of government. Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court would be one of their biggest coups.
4
The Republican calculus seems wrong to me. If Kavanaugh squeeks through Senate confirmation with a party line vote then, surely, the next time Democrats in congress have subpoena power they will reopen the Kavanaugh case with an eye towards impeaching him.
7
There is no "unreasonable haste", except that created by the choice of Dianne Feinstein. She withheld this scurrilous allegation, which has no evidence and no corroboration, for 2 months. Finally, after releasing it without the name, it is now public. And what do the lawyers of this person want? More delay.
If she shows on Monday, and testifies publicly, we may listen. That is the only thing that will happen. I have little faith in a 35 year old allegation of something that happened in high school. But we'll see. I expect that Judge Kavanaugh will be confirmed. My only objection is that we already have 5 Catholics on the high court. We need non-Catholics too.
2
This column outlines the basis for articles of impeachment if the Republicans continue to violate every norm and rush ahead with confirming Judge Brett Kavanaugh to be Associate Justice Kavanaugh. Federal judges have been impeached under the Constitution, most recently as 2010. If the Republican charade continues, it should be viewed for what it is--an illegitimate pyrrhic victory that should be immediately reversed. Democrats may not want to talk about impeaching Donald Trump, but they are being given very strong grounds for impeaching Brett Kavanaugh.
2
Any investigation by the FBI will be crippled fatally by a 35- year delay. There is, in fact, a reason for the old legal saying "Justice Delayed is Justice Denied" and this is a real life example of it.
1
Imagine, just imagine, if the good Judge actually did what he is accused of doing, admitted as much, apologized for his egregious
behavior and then asked the American people who are supposed to trust him for the next several generations to also forgive him for what he had done a generation ago.
Just imagine ...
1
I write again: Kavanaugh has been groomed to be a GOP political operative. The Supreme Court is no place for a political operative let alone a partisan, which he is, his papers prove that fact. He is less a jurist than he is a partisan. (That’s what those 42,000 pages of documents show.) That’s the state of things before this accusation. Those of us who were around in the 80s and adolescents know how plausible the accusation is. And by the way, nearly no one reported their assaults back then.
3
The charade is on the Democratic side. The Republicans are supposed to reject a Supreme Court nominee because a woman, who's testimony has been conflicting, who won't testify under oath, who can't remember when or where the event supposedly happened -- who couldn't even remember an event that happened in 1982 until 2012, didn't remember how many people were in the room, couldn't remember who the kids were (until later) and somehow her testimony is "credible?" Yeah, right.
1
I hope that Dr. Ford somehow can face the mob and the assault on her reputation on Monday if the Republicans hold pat. There is so much there for them to hide, and billions to be stolen while hiding it.
In the madness we have today it might be necessary for her husband, therapist, and others to step forward before the hearing and have a prequel played in public.
Bring them to D.C. over the weekend
Start the fight on your calendar in the media here in Columbia. If everyone is in D.C. and in the gallery there is no reason not to call them. Then federally investigate their claims, and Kavanaugh's.
I can well understand their declining, knowing that they all will be facing credible death threats against themselves and their families by persons and groups armed and experienced with military grade weaponry.
1
The Blasey Smith debacle should make us consider the limited issues, but also the broader national implications. Yes, Republicans are rushing the appointment to prevent consideration of basic, investigative concerns. Are there other witnesses who can attest to K's presence? Did the victim make contemporaneous statements to others (as has now been confirmed0? Is there any truth to the nonsensical victim character smears floating around the internet? And many others.
But there should be broader concerns. How many poor minorities were there in K''s exclusive prep school? How does his life experience enable him to comprehend the issues facing poor Blacks, Latinos and others? What can we learn about his views on social justice and equality (religious, racial, LGBTQ, etc.) from his background and behavior, particularly when young?
Unfortunately, unlike the statements K has made with regard to his conduct in prep school and college, what happens in the Supreme Court does not stay in the Supreme Court.
2
We have learned a lot about him --- he has issued 100's of official opinions and acted with integrity and character. The nomination time frame is within the average for past SCOTUS picks. For many this is about stopping someone who has different positions on core issues. And they will use any tool to stop him.
I hope Dr. Ford testifies and tells what she knows, but if she is not willing to tell her story under oath, then it is time to move on.
The Kavanaugh Charade is proven by the fact that he himself has not asked for a full investigation into the allegations against him. He clearly does not care that his name will be forever linked with the allegations, nor does he have the integrity to sit on the Supreme Court.
4
Hiding? Who is hiding what? Looks to me that the accuser is hiding. As for the general scheme of things, look at this extract for today's editorial: "What matters is that Dr. Blasey has made a serious, specific and credible allegation." Is it a credible allegation? I don't think so. It has the appearance of Democratic theater.
3
And it must be remembered that only Dr. Ford has taken and passed a polygraph test. Why don't the republicans require Kavanaugh to take one? It can be done in a day with instant results.
1
"We can’t have a Supreme Court on which a third of the men have been credibly accused of sexual misconduct. Thomas and Kavanaugh, if confirmed, would be two of the six".
Unfortunately, Mr. Blow, the US has a president who's been credibly accused of sexual misconduct by several women over many years. No wonder he doesn't want an FBI investigation into the Kavanaugh matter.
5
No one is entitled to a seat on the Supreme Court. A nominee is entitled to a fair hearing. Kavanaugh and his sponsors don't want a fair hearing, they want a "show" hearing. His blanket denial of the sexual assault charge is boiler plate show hearing script.
To what are we, the American people, entitled? That may be debated, but it is surely not this.
10
Thanks for writing about this. Everyone in the press should be laser focused on this issue right now, as well as the flooding in NC. The R's lies need to be exposed and their cheating called out. It makes me nauseated and I feel so helpless.
1
The idea, kindly stated at the end of Blow's editorial, that if Donald Trump cares about transparency and the law he would set the FBI to investigate, is of course patently absurd. There is no president in U.S. history who hates the law, law enforcement, and America more than Donald Trump.
3
Just to make it perfectly clear, the possibility that Kavanaugh might have been blackout drunk and as a result have no recollection of behaving as he is accused does not take him off the hook.
He really needs to be asked point-blank and under oath if his teenage drinking habits were as have been described by his friend Mark Judge, and if so, why he thinks his denials carry any weight.
11
@Bill Levine
It is WORSE than you describe.
Brett Kavanaugh's record as a binge drinker is plain for all to see.
He bragged about being in the keg city club and commented “100 kegs or bust” on his high school yearbook page, posted on Twitter by @wusa9.
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/brett-kavanaugh-high-school-...
It is reported that he was a member of a secret society at Yale called Truth and Courage, which had a reputation for drinking and trying to have sex with coeds.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/mollyhensleyclancy/the-yale-secret-...
Kavanaugh gave a talk at the Yale Law School Federalist Society in 2014 in which he admitted that while in Yale Law School, he was a binge drinker. The text, all 8 typewritten pages, is available on Twitter as posted by @feliciasonmez.
So we have a pattern: ADMITTED binge drinking in high school, college and law school.
Dr. Ford tells us that Kavanaugh was “stumbling drunk” when he attacked her.
Kavanaugh says he wasn’t there. But if he was bombed, maybe he just can’t remember the party or what he might have done there.
Who do you believe? I believe Dr. Ford.
3
Republicans nominated Donald Trump, ignoring a past of marital infidelity. After inauguration and revelations of other sexual impropriety came to light, Republican leaders were either silent or mildly miffed.
Of course, the presidency is an elective office with term limits.
Appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court is for a lifetime, and Judge Brett Kavanaugh is accused of trying to rape a 15-year-old girl.
The same G.O.P. leaders who winked at Trump are ready to hand his nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, a lifetime appointment.
The Judiciary Committee has offered Kavanaugh’s accuser only the chance of telling her story and being subjected to cross-examination by senators who already have said they do not believe her.
A phony deadline was set up to rush Kavanaugh’s confirmation through the Senate. The woman accusing him asked for an investigation by the F.B.I. before appearing, but the request was laughed at, even though President Trump has the power to order the investigation, which could be completed in two weeks.
In spite of this, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford should show up with her lawyer and begin by telling how a conservative group had publicized her home address, leading to threats made against her and her family.
She should recite in detail the Judiciary Committee deadlines, her request for the F.B.I., her need to compel witnesses to appear and for attendance of recognized experts on reactions of young sexual assault victims.
She should then walk out in protest.
132
@sdw
I anticipate that Grassley would try to shut her up, telling her that her comments are not relevant. She should then persist, and if he threatens to shut down the hearing tell him that to do so would simply show that the Republicans do not want to hear from her. They can walk out if they choose, but she will continue and read her comments to the American public. I'm so sorry you are put in this position professor Ford, but please do your best to demonstrate how awful Kavanaugh, and the Republicans, truly are.
1
@Eero
You capture the hostile mood and fatuous nonsense of Grassley perfectly. The men on the Judiciary Committee have no use for patriotism -- it is a concept no longer in their lexicons.
NOTHING ! he has been on the bench for many years with more than enough actual rulings to look at.. This is no trojan horse candidate with some dark side. He is exactly what he appears to be.. Highly qualified, highly intelligent, and highly revered by his peers.
3
@rocket -
He may be “qualified” in the sense of being a well educated attorney with many years on the bench. Just as you or I might be qualified job candidates at, say, Home Depot or Nationwide Insurance (just examples).
But whereas what you or I believe about anything, let alone the application of the law, would have minimal impact on our jobs or colleagues, not so for a Supreme Court Justice. His opinions, past and future, may affect how our laws are created, interpreted, and applied.
Forget what political party he belongs to. A Justice must display honestly, consistency, and integrity. Kavanaugh has been sketchy on all three counts. The failure to disclose factual information about his views and a history of his actions suggests something is being concealed. Perhaps not, but as Giuliani says, if you’re innocent you have nothing to hide.
Even this alleged assault isn’t really the story. The Judiciary Committee didn’t want transparency, and that’s a problem for this role. Yes, law evolves, but to say he affirms precedent and then writes that he’s likely to undermine precedent is what worries so many people, especially women and their legal protections.
So while he’s “qualified” he’s not a good fit for the country.
2
@rocket - So was Merrick Garland - please explain.
@rocketWhat about the gambling debts that suddenly disappeared? Even more than the alleged sexual assault and periods of binge drinking, it is the money that IMHO disqualifies Kavanaugh from being on the Supreme Court. As well of course as his lies and evasion about his judicial "philosophy".
1
If the Senate GOP leadership succeeds in ramming Brett Kavenaugh's Supreme Court appointment through the Senate without an independent investigation of Dr. Blasey-Ford's allegations, there will always be a cloud of illegitimacy hanging over Kavenaugh's head.
Rightly or wrongly, people will question his legitimacy. They will question whether or not he belongs on the Court.
If Brett Kavenaugh is innocent of these allegations, then he should also demand an independent investigation of these charges just to unequivocally clear his name. If he doesn't feel comfortable with an independent investigation, then he should just withdraw his name now.
Our confidence in the Supreme Court is at stake.
190
@liceu93 No, it's up to the accuser to bring proof and the burden of proof is not on the Judge. And that's a talking point for the left to delay this process for 2-3 years just like the Muellers investigation that hasn't found one ounce of collusion and it's been 2 years.
@ISM You think Mueller's found nothing? Where have you been? As of 9/14 Mueller’s team has either indicted or obtained guilty pleas from 32 people & three companies. Of the 32, four are former Trump advisers, 26 are Russian nationals, three are Russian companies, one is a California man, & one a London-based lawyer. Six of these people (including the four former Trump aides) have pleaded guilty so far. As for the length of Mueller's investigation, it's about the same length as Watergate and less, a lot less, than Whitewater or Iran Contra. So, sit tight, it isn't over yet. As for Kavanaugh, why the rush? Just what are Senate Republicans afraid of? That they'll lose the Senate in November? Or that there's even worse info about Kavanaugh that might come out? If he's as good as they claim he is, he'll still be as good next week, next month or even next January.
The Republicans have been successful in preventing Garland from having a hearing when Obama nominated Garland.
So far they are successful at ramming Kavanaugh's appointment.
through.
Unless all witnesses are called, including Mark Judge, there will not even be a sense of fairness in this hearing. This is Standard Operating Procedure for the Republicans.
However, I still question why Feinstein did not bring this up privately with the Chair of the Committee at least.
I understand the confidential aspect of the Ms.Blasey-Ford's request, but surely the contents of the letter with her identity redacted could have possibly made a difference in this case.
But then I maybe given too much credit that someone on the Republican side would have done the right thing and investigated the claim.
5
Yes, this is a charade, but on the part of both parties. Republicans' motivations are clear, but it's also important to note that Democrats' goal is to delay the process to avoid a difficult vote for some senators until after the election.
3
@J. Waddell Whatever the motivation a lifetime appointment requires a serious process. He certainly can wait a few weeks until everybody is aware who is the one being appointed and what one expect him to be like on the court. Rushing is disgraceful. It takes almost two years of campaigning before the voters have a choice for President to serve 4 years, but a couple of weeks to shove a nominee to a lifetime position? Delaying tactics may be politically motivated but they serve a legitimate purpose.
4
@J. Waddell
Well, yes, but the Democtats are not in charge of the process.
The Republicans are, and they have made a disgraceful sham of it for all to see, in their hurry to pack the Supreme Court.
They have demonstrated in just 2 short years that they don't deserve, neither are they fit, to govern our country.
1
Kavanaugh’s appointment, no different than any other is a political appointment made by the sitting president and ruling party. Stalling is also a political tactic, now known as the Garland method.
In addition, there’s historical precedent for FBI investigation regarding a nominee’s background. Rachel said it better than anyone, if Ford is lying, the last thing she wants is the FBI, yet she’s the one requesting further investigation. It’s the same pattern as the Mueller investigation. Truth seekers vs. truth hiders.
7
Politics have no place in nominations for SOTUS and can only cheapen the entire process. Therefore, I suggest that nominations be made by a panel of experienced and distinguished jurists who will base their nominations solely on an individual's demonstrated competence and understanding of the law. I suggest that the panel be chosen by one or more professional organizations or societies, not by the congress. Furthermore, appointment to SCOTUS should NOT be a life-time appointment. Perhaps a term of 12 years might be reasonable.
8
@Phillip J. Baker
Like most commenters, I usually read the last few posts. Until I got to your last two paragraphs, I started humming 'over the rainbow'. The shortcoming in 12 year appointments, beside requiring an amendment of the scared document, is brought to light when viewing the US, over the last 12. The American people, even bodies with influence in governance, are with increasing frequency exhibiting extreme emotional swings -- from even to event. The stability of traditional minded, might be all that buffers America from her frenzied self.
(I use 'her' when referring to a fickle Progressive America; 'it' or 'him' for steadfast. E.g, "maybe Monday, but right now so overcome with emotion couldn't say". )
Even putting aside the specific allegations against Kavanaugh, the Republican hypocrisy is astounding in insisting on a confirmation vote before the November election in the aftermath of their treatment of Obama's nomination of Judge Garland.
At the same time, the "believe the woman" rhetoric has gone too far in view of the scanty evidence supporting Professor Ford's accusation and is being disturbingly misused by some who were already opposed to Kavanaugh.
Many liberal pundits seem convinced this controversy will help Democrats in the midterm elections, but I am less certain what the effect will be. The biggest lose/lose would be the confirmation of Kavanaugh and disappointing results for the Dems in November.
Two of the six men on the Supreme Court, if Kavanaugh is seated, will have been credibly charged with sexual misconduct, one of harassment, the other of assault.
Two of six. That's probably about the proportion of men in the general population who could be or have been credibly charged. Perhaps Trump, McConnell, Cornyn, Grassley, Graham, et. al., could argue these men deserve representation on the Court, too. After all, in this Congress, they already have it.
13
@Rose "Credibly charged"??? Please define that term. Both instances, so far, were simply he said, she said, with NO facts or evidence to back up either claim. Ms Ford has offered nothing but an accusation lacking in detail, and is now balking at offering any more. But for liberals, it's not about any evidence or proof, simply the "seriousness of the charge". When your father, husband, son or brother is brought down by unproven accusations for political or financial gain, get back to me with your thoughts.
@Rose
This is America "Innocent til proven guilty". Can you please ask Senator Feinstein to turn over the letter. This is a sham and a farce to delay by the Dems. It will backfire on them. If this charge is so credible where is the evidence. It occurred 36 years ago at a perty not sure where.
Lets compromise Kavanaugh can withdraw and Trump can nominate Hillary. How might that FBI background check workout.
Of course this is the expected next move in the liberal playbook: Take an unsubstantiated claim, accept it as an almost proven fact that will JUST take some months to investigate to find proof of its absolute truth, then when those demands are logically dismissed say something is being hidden. More than 300 written rulings, six FBi background checks, a life led in public for decades, hundreds of endorsements by individuals and organizations, liberal and conservative, and hundreds of thousands of documents provided for review, it's clear and evident that nothing will ever satisfy the Left that seems truly to be seeking an uprising by using any means at their disposal to usurp the democratic process. Conservatives tend not to want to rush to the barricades and to debate ideas rather than impose their will, but the intolerance on the Left is turning into a demand to dictate policies and results which sooner or later is going to bring them out to the streets in numbers that won't be ignored.
6
@Allen I don't understand this "nothing will ever satisfy the Left”tenor of your comment. Why is investigating an allegation that could not have been picked up in any prior background check evidence of the liberal playbook and the Left turning into imposing their well. I think these are shorthand condemnations you can post on right wing blogs and everyone understands you and agrees but they are a series of non s equities here. Unfair and unresponsive to the specific points made in this article.
1
@Allen
The "liberal playbook," is competent governance.
The "liberal playbook" is a Senate that lives up to its Constitutional responsibilities.
The "liberal playbook" is a confirmation process that doesn't reek of Republican partisan expediency and covering up the truth.
Please spare us the false meme of conservatism not wanting to "rush the barricades" and wanting to debate ideas rether than impose their will.
These last two years have put the lie to that idea as Republicans have made it their mission to violate democratic norms and tear down democratic principles, squashing debate, refusing to get at the truth as they run this government into the ground in their rush to remake America in their own image.
If the Republicans continue to dismantle our democracy and flout the rule of law in this country, liberals might well take to the streets in peaceful protest, in numbers too big to ignore.
After all, free speech, peaceful assembly, and the right to petition the government for redress of grievances are all rights of the people under our Constitution. And *liberal* principles.
@Allen
Transcribing Tucker Carlson again.
The real charade is being fostered by the Democrats. The goal by the Democrats was to delay the proceedings until after the midterms and the GOP is not taking the bait. The alleged incident was only remembered recently and lacks the specifics of time or place. The FBI has done 6 background checks on the nominee without a hint of scandal. The committee has offered to go to California to interview Dr. Ford or a private or public hearing in Washington. It seems more than fair. Why would the Democratic leadership sit on this powder keg until the 11th hour if not for a stunt. The GOP has wisely said it will vote if Dr. Ford does not testify. Stunts usually have a way of backfiring with the public and there is little doubt this will hurt the Democrats in the midterms.
8
@dudley thompson
"The goal by the Democrats was to delay the proceedings until after the midterms"
Very funny. I offer as a rebuttal these two words: Merrick Garland.
Republicans are proving that they are HYPOCRITES who have no regard for the will of the people.
3
@dudley thompson so was holding Judge Garland’s nomination a stunt? If so, it was held for over 200 hundred days with the sole rationale being to wait until after the election. As they say “stunts happen.” Your assertion that this was only remembered recently is incorrect, and even if so, irrelevant. Having worked in mental health for over 40 years, I can’t tell you how many people, mostly women, were damaged by sexual assault. Most of the time it wasn’t recent, many were assaulted as a child or teen, none forgot it and usually the perpetrator was not punished. But they were not elevated to a lifetime appointment to the SC either. I believe the woman, her story sounds credible and there’s plenty of evidence it wasn’t “recently remembered.” Besides, even if this is a stunt, what’s your rush? It would be a sick perversion and permanent stain on the SC, which has already been a Republican footbal and thus stained, if this goes forward without investigation.
3 days! That’s how long the Anita Hill investigation took...3 days! Seriously, what’s your rush?
@dudley thompson
Notably absent from your high-minded pontification is the shameless refusal by Republicans to process the Garland nomination.
Democrats want to delay? Poor Republicans...one's heart aches for them.
And eat this: if the Republicans somehow ignore established precedent and refuse an FBI investigation before the vote on Kavanaugh, or if they treat Ford like they did Anita Hill (they will, no doubt about it), they *will* lose the Senate in Nov.
We are not a one-party country. The majority is *not* Republican and it favors "liberal", humane policies specifically. The majority *did not* vote for Trump, and but for voter suppression and gerrymandering, Republicans would hold no majority anywhere but the most extreme places (all of which are dependent on welfare from the federal government). The hubris of Republicans, their lust for total power, their unAmerican tactics, will bring them down.
With a hushed up confirmation of highly controversial judge Kavanaugh the Senate Republicans perhaps want to blur any distinction between the White House and the Supreme Court in so far as the public probity and ethical standards are concerned.
14
I am a current trial attorney and former AUSA.
The FBI is the exact wrong entity and agency anyone should be looking at to be involved in an obviously-partisan based inquiry into stale dated unenforceable criminal or civil charges of misconduct. The Senate Committee is the proper forum. That is the venue for vetting candidates for this particular office. What Bush did for partisan purposes in 1991 in deploying the FBI with Hill’s allegations was out of bounds and improper. If the alleged conduct was closer in time, the local Bethesda law enforcement agents and potentially the local DA would investigate and prosecute, if reasonable. Alternatively, if closer in time, a civil action could have been brought in Maryland state court. I think we (and our democracy) would all benefit by having government entities (especially elements of our federal government) apply restraint rather than assert so-called jurisdiction with a broad brush under some feigned explanation that only the federal law enforcement agents can properly vet purported evidence and craft credible reports and recommendations.
7
mig...did you not notice the Senate Committee, the Senate and the House are a Russian-Republican Duma as incapable of investigating all things Republican as the Russian Duma is incapable of investigating the Kremlin, the oligarchs and Vladimir Putin ?
Do you actually think that 2018 Republicans have something approaching a conscience, a sense of ethics and a sense of right and wrong ?
That ship sailed decades ago.
The Grand Old Putinistas don't give a damn about this country or any of its non-oligarchs.
19
Folks aren’t calling for a criminal proceeding, just a non-political vetting of witnesses and facts. The Senators in the committee have already demonstrated that they can’t do that. There are more than two witnesses.
2
@mig
Common sense escapes many of these folks. By perusing through these comments its painfully clear why Democrats and their cohorts in the media would call for an FBI investigation - because they have plenty of folks that believe them. We all know why they want one, to get them past the midterms, but of any of these folks were sincere about suggesting there should be an investigation, the simple exercise of putting yourself in a potential witness shoes should suffice. Besides expending the colossal resources to track down Blasey's classmates, ask the question - Did you ever attend a party where Blasey and Kavanaugh were in attendance, 35 years ago? That question in of itself should be enough for anyone with an ounce of common sense to realize an investigation is an impossible waste of time.
David Brock had an interesting article about the young political operatives groomed by conservative think tanks to assume and wield power in various ways back in the Bush administration. He bluntly includes Kavanaugh as an operative. The decision to hide a lot of his record and minimize his odd finances and frankly bizarre list of questions for Lewinsky are political as well instead of a search for the best candidate. Americans see Kavanaugh for what he is- political cover for Trump and a chance to gut Roe v Wade not a brilliant legal mind.
42
The Blasey allegations must be examined thoroughly, both by the FBI and in Judiciary Committee hearings.
First, Judge Kavanaugh is being considered for a lifetime appointment and rigorous due diligence is warranted.
Second, both parties— Judge Kavanaugh, Dr. Blasey— deserve a full investigation and hearing. If Judge Kavanaugh is innocent, he should be given the chance to prove it. If Dr. Blasey has been wronged, she should be given the chance to prove it.
Third, Senate Republicans delayed consideration of Merrick Garland for 8 months, ultimately scuttling his nomination. If timeliness wasn’t a concern then, it isn’t a concern now.
Similarly, the November 2018 vote is as important as the November 2016 vote. If it was important enough to await election results before acting on the Garland nomination, it is equally important to await election results before confirming the Kavanaugh nomination.
25
@ANetliner NetLiner No, they dont.. If this was anything other than a political hail mary to slow the proceedings, Feinstein would have introduced this during the confirmation process. There is NO other explanation of her actions. She knows it by her admission that even she doesnt know the validity of the claims. Three of the 4 people that were supposedly at this party have publicly stated they have no recollection of this event. There is no end game here but to stall.
4
@rocket
So -- not that it's that simple, but -- what's wrong with stalling? Or is that another of the in-your-face, dare-me-not-to do it Republican hypocrisies?
I lived in Bethesda for some time. I was fortunate enough to own a $60,000 home that had an insulated purchase price of $300,000. Consider it a neighborhood buffer to million dollar plus estates. White Privilege, yes, however my career at the time was as a service worker, doing long hours to scrape by in an enclave of white wealth. I encountered the residents of Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Georgetown, Kensington during the day, as dismissive, spoiled adults, raising similar, obnoxious children. My child was enrolled in a private Catholic school. I witnessed and rolled with inherited wealth, elitist business professionals and foreign diplomats. I kept my day job vague, like others that I met, some assumed I probably had some kind of clearance.
The life of a black out drinking, private school kid was and is a reality inside the beltway. Usually with deep family ties to the community, people look the other way, or if they are observing, have each other's backs.
I don't hesitate to believe that this pillar of the community, the son of a judge and a lawyer and a fine Catholic, committed assault.
The question is what is going to be done about the situation, and unfortunately, it will be an appointment to the Supreme Court.
46
Once again the right chooses to defy convention in favor of the surreal. They choose to ignore standards they themselves swore by in the past. There is only one side here that is displaying any sort of integrity and credibility. It certainly is not the senate. What is it they fear so much that proper procedure is out of the question? I think we all deserve to know exactly what they are hiding. There can be no other reason why only the accuser does not fear an FBI investigation.
13
@Rick Beck Reminds me a pivotal scene in Mad Men where Roger complains to Bert Cooper "There are rules!" to which Bert smilingly replies "There are other rules..." Powerful people are powerful because they make the rules we live by, but will not to be held accountable to those same rules when doing so becomes inconvenient for them. I've seen many instances of this in my life, but it still stings to have it so blatantly thrown in your face.
@Mark Could not agree more. The right obviously has chosen the absurd path of alternate reality politics. Truth integrity and credibility no longer have any grounding force in their twilight zone reality. It is as though they consider the bulk of Americans as incredibly gullible and foolish. We no longer matter to them unless we have the money to demand their attention.
Justice is the last thing on the minds of Republicans on the Judiciary Committee. Ms. Ford has come under an unimaginable level of scrutinity. Her character,
personal backgroound and political history wil be fair game for Kavenaugh's supporters.
Whether or not Ms. Ford decides to testify, this will give the Democrats every reason to escalate the controversy.
and to push it to the limit. They only need two Republican senators to defect.
7
Trump made two overarching claims during his candidacy.
One was: Drain the swamp.
The other was: The fix is in.
Regarding the first: He filled the swamp. He did the opposite.
Regarding the second: The fix was and is most certainly in. He tried to make us believe that Hillary rigged everything. No, Trump and the Russians rigged the election just like Trump and the Republicans have rigged this Supreme Court nomination.
So Trump isn't just a liar. He's the truth inverter. He's the upside down talker. If you want the truth, invert whatever he says.
Bret Kavanaugh fits right in. He demonstrated his ability at truth inversion during his fixed confirmation hearings. He's doing it now.
Of course he doesn't remember. Attackers aren't filled with dread when they assault people. This is sport to them. Then we have the drunken stupor to deal with. What kind of goody two shoes behaves like this?
I'll tell you what kind. A privileged, wealthy, well connected white boy who thinks his daddy will be able to get him out of any jam he finds himself in. Gosh, sounds just like Trump!
And also, just like Trump, there were most likely many incidents. I wonder how much bullying and hazing our goody two shoes participated in? This wasn't a one off. Like our accused richie rich said, What happens in Georgetown stays in Georgetown.
40
“Sober as a Judge..”
I guess we will have to retire that saying if Kavanaugh is confirmed.
When new information comes to light, of course an investigation should be reopened.
The Senate Republicans are once again showing that their loyalty is to the Party and not to the Constitution or to the country.
42
All the GOP wanted from Trump is to get a far right majority on the Supreme Court and a tax cut. If Kavanaugh is confirmed, they can say "mission accomplished" and let the Democrats take the House (and possibly the Senate) in 2018. And then if the Democrats take over the Presidency on January 20, 2021, anything they try to do will be blocked by (a) a Senate filibuster and (b) a 5-4 vote in the Court.
9
Assuming the Democrats take Congress in the mid-terms, what is to to stop them from then opening an investigation into the evidence of Kavanaugh’s perjury and then removing him from the bench by impeachment?
70
@J.
Conviction of an impeachable offence requires a ⅔ majority in the Senate. They probably could impeach, but it is unlikely they can get ⅔ of the Senate, even if they get a majority there.
Your comment does underline the incredible damage the GOP is doing to the legitimacy of the Supreme Court as the final decision-maker on Constitutional issues. Because if even a substantial minority of Americans find the allegations credible, Kavanaugh as the fifth deciding vote on many issues will destroy any moral effect of the decision -- it will bind solely by its finality.
Neither the Court nor the nation can afford such an outcome. It takes us back to Dred Scott v. Sanford and the Court that struck down the first New Deal legislation. If you think you have a constitutional crisis now, you haven't seen anything yet. Americans do not yet believe that might makes right.
6
@J.
The problem is that to convict in the Senate, you need a 2/3 majority or 67 votes. That is not going to be possible after this election if Senators vote the "party line."
In 2020, 22 Senate seats held by Republicans up for election, and the Democrats will have 12.
After that election it might be possible to have 67 Democrats in the Senate. Maybe.
But if it can be shown that Kavanaugh lied in order to get confirmed, maybe some Republicans will "man up." Ones like Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski.
@J.
If Schumer is the leader, it won't happen. He is in bed with Wall Street and they tell him what to do.
"Republicans want a vote before the midterms, and Democrats want to delay one until after. But Republicans are worried that Democrats now have a shot — though still a long one — to flip the Senate."
If Republicans fast-track the vote and the Kavanaugh is confirmed, the Democrats' chances of flipping the senate will only rise. And if the mechanism by which he's confirmed involves Mike Pence voting, the will rise even more.
22
"But fortunately, we had a good saying that we've held firm to, to this day, as the dean was reminding me before the talk, which is, 'What happens at Georgetown Prep, stays at Georgetown Prep'.
That's been a good thing for all of us, I think."
-----Brett Kavanaugh in 2015
Just Say No....to creepy, boozy, secretive, Federalist Society stooge and Republican Frat Boy Brett Kavanaugh.
280
ENOUGH. This just can't be allowed to happen. By what right or duty do these men deny the American electorate a full investigation of these allegations? It is up to them to present a nominee in whom we can have full confidence. WHY WON'T THEY ALLOW THE FBI TO INVESTIGATE?
47
This is clearly a band of brothers who has promised behind closed doors that they've got each other's back. Trump and the Republican Senate leadership likely know far more about Kavanaugh than we do, but his character is not a matter of concern to them. I am a Democrat, and hold little hope that my party will regain control of congress, or that we can stop the Republicans from nominating judges to the Supreme Court that represent my point of view. What I would hope is that the Republican Leadership would have the decency to nominate people of outstanding character and integrity. That is their duty to our country. They have shunned that duty, and I am angry, alarmed, and disappointed by these men. I know I am not alone, and I continue to believe that we are better than this, despite them. We must get them out of office.
107
While this is another monumental question that possibly will be another eroding instance to our national as well as our fundamental principles there is something of a stubborn under current that is more devastating to the future of the country.
It rests in every American - some of whom see it more readily than others.
It is this infernal ( and thousand years old)
sense that many men see as their lives - for whatever reasoning - as superior to women. It will certainly be denied but that's because for many it resides deep in their subconscious selves.
It may be centuries before it is rooted out but it will be necessary to have it rooted out. Once out, namely, the equality of women, the country will then also have resolved its other greatly undermining issue, namely the racial issue.
20
Roe v. Wade. That's all they care about, although Trump's lawyers also care deeply that Kavanaugh sees the president as above the law. And, as all women must know, Roe is as much about privacy rights as it is about abortion. So, here we have a nominee who is about to be rammed through to a lifetime Supreme Court seat, and who is an accused sexual assaulter, in whose hands Roe's fate will rest. Ladies, on November 6 it's your call.
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@Michael Sorry, but it is not just the "Ladies Call" as you put it. There are thousand of courageous men who believe in equal rights and personal responsibility. Many of them have grown up with sisters. Many are fathers involved in raising daughters and sons who will grow up to move this country forward I hope and pray that they will also step forward, speak out, show up at the polls and vote. The integrity of our nation is the responsibility of every American Citizen.
78
Sorry Michael, it’s not only about Rowe. It’s also about the nominee’s lifetime of support by Big Money patrons who groomed him and now are salivating about repayment of those debts.
1
Why would Dr. Ford be willing to reopen and essentially re-experience a decades old trauma?
I know how painful that is.
The only answer I come up with is: Patriotism
284
@Jeff Caspari you misspelled patriotism...
correction: partisanism
Let's have this play out and proof be shown. This is a last minute thing and after 35 years? Are you serious? Why didn't she come out during Clinton's sexual escapades, or Kennedy's (who killed a woman), or Weinstein, or Ellison, or many of the other slime bags that have actually done horrible things to women?
Kavanaugh will be confirmed, charade or not. If Ford does not show up on Tuesday it will be all over within 48 hours, or so. And many of the GOP Senators will probably stand and unctiously proclaim that, "She had her chance."
If Ford does show up on Monday, her integrity will be impugned. And when it is time for the Senate to vote, many of the GOP Senators will probably stand and unctiously proclaim that, "She had her chance, but I did not find her credible."
Kavanaugh and Gorsuch are a direct result of Harry Reid's Nuclear War I. And the Senate has been changed forever.
21
@athenasowl,
Why did Reid go nuclear?
In the entire history of the nation, only 20 judicial appointments were subjected to the filibuster. . .In just 4 years the GOP filibuster was used 30 times as yet another way to say NO to the black man President Obama.
It is McConnell that then lowered the vote to a simple majority to pack the SCOTUS with judges to hobble change, progress, and stop the threat of non white male groups who are the future of the nation.
1
@athenasowl
The Senate has not been changed....the Supreme Court has been changed.
@athenasowl
Selective memory at work here...Reid had no choice but to end the 60-vote rule just to populate the federal bench. McConnell used that as a pretext for doing it to get Gorsuch. And in his intractable extremism and unConstitutional power-grab by refusing hearings and a vote on Garland, McConnell is the father of any further travesties regarding the Court AND the Senate.
No one seems to be aware that the impending take over by Democrats of the House in this year's election will give the House the opportunity to have its Judiciary Committee investigate the charge against Kavanaugh. Even better, if the Democrats win back the Senate, an investigation by the Senate Judiciary Committee will be a natural. There is a danger that either process will diminish the legitimacy of the Supreme Court. Why is there no concern among our Republican senators about this possibility?
42
@Blackie17...Because it will not happen. Six weeks is an eternity in politics, and a House takeover is not a slam dunk, although I tend to believe that it is highly likely.
If the Dems do end up controlling one or both chambers, the Committees will be investigating Trump and his minions. Kavanaugh will be yesterday's news, even as he, like Clarence Thomas, twists in the wind for the rest of his professional career.
12
@Blackie17
You imagine that Republicans might have any concern for "legitimacy"? Have you spent the last 30 years on a desert island?
Their only concern is for power and the wealth is brings those who can use it for personal and tribal ends.
2
@Blackie17
Indeed! Should Kav be installed and the dems take control of the House, and given the credible evidence against him, couldn't Kav be subject to impeachment?
1
Charles, the problem for Republicans is that this charade only plays into the hands of those of us who have had enough and are prepared, when the time comes, to demand that our elected officials think completely outside the box - and expand the Courts to the extent that we completely dilute the impact of Trump's appointments.
There was a set of precedents that guided the selection of judges - and while both sides tugged at those precedents for partisan advantage, it was only Republicans in 2016 who completely abandoned them, by categorically refusing a President who won both the popular vote and electoral college by overwhelming margins in two consecutive elections the right to seat a fully qualified, utterly uncontroversial, centrist Judge.
The Republicans desperation to seat Kavanaugh now, after depriving Obama of his right to name a centrist Justice, can only fuel our equal determination to undo the Trump - Federalist Society judicial putsch of 2017-2020, by any constitutional means necessary, as the possible opportunity.
All it would take are a Democratic President, House, and Senate - which I expect by 2021 - coupled to a willingness to do away with the profoundly undemocratic filibuster, the parliamentary appendage most responsible for undoing Obama's first term as President.
Conservatives' push for radicalized Supreme and Federal Courts can only fuel Democrats desire to undo them, again, by any constitutional means necessary, at the earliest possible opportunity.
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@Matthew Carnicelli
Kavanaugh's truthfulness was in serious doubt even before Dr. Blasey Ford's revelation. The Dems should have made it clear then, and should do so now, that whenever they control the House and the Senate again he will be exposed to investigation and possible impeachment if he is on the Court.
65
@Matthew Carnicelli
Yes, but Republicans have no intention of allowing things to get so out of their control that we end up with a Democratic House, Senate and President. This is war, and we, being decent human beings with consciences, just don't have the same gut-seriousness about it and tend to stop short of doing anything unseemly. Republicans will do anything and everything possible to keep the power they have achieved by lies and corruption. Kavanaugh is part and parcel of that determination. They need him.
@Matthew Carnicelli: If Gabriele d'Annunzio were alive today, believe he would give a nod of approval to the left wing authoritarianism which you advocate.FDR tried to pack the Court when New Deal legislation which he was trying to push through was judged unconstitutional,and today, when things are not going the way Democratic socialists would like them to go,party proposes something similar!Problem posed for Dems. is they offer no viable alternatives to The Donald's policies which have brought back jobs,kept out to the extent possible "indocumentados" who compete with the citizenry and lower wages for everyone!Never understood reasoning behind those who favor sanctuary cities,open borders, yet claim they represent interests of American workers, and put forth false premise that importing the poor, uneducated, makes us a wealthier country.Just think how fortunate u r to be an American and have as your chief of state a man who defends your interests and mine. Partisan politics helps no one.Vacuousness of the Dem. Soc. party is nowhere more graphically illustrated than the photo of Ocasio Cortez posing in a $5,000 pants suit. That's your party,Mr. Carnicelli, and Ocasio Cortez has been called by Sanders, 1 percenter by the way, as personifying the party's future!
But the issue is that the accusation comes from a member of the Democrats and about an alleged incident when the accused was 17 yrs old.
Sorry, but I have the impression that this just a plot in order to delay the confirmation after November.
And still, we have to see that blue wave. I assume many first generation Americans have to reach the voting age until the blue wave will sweep over the US.
5
This "process" is a total perversion. Garland was approved to his previous post by 100% of Republicans and chosen by Obama as someone who would be broadly accepted. Now this. The lifetime appointment to SCOTUS should be eliminated and term limits brought in. This man is a GOP apparatchik. The right wing crazies don't make any bones about it.
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@Realworld...I can accept your frustration but killing off lifetime appointments is a terrible idea. I would argue that when Harry Reid went nuclear, it paved the way for Neal Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. What would be the future unintended consequences of eliminating the lifetime appointments?
@Mark Thomason: false equivalency. Merrick Garland didn't even get hearings, let alone votes. McConnell held seat open for 11 months in hopes a Republican president got elected. It worked.
Dems are trying to make sure an unfit nominee doesnt get seated--irrespective of the charge by Dr. Blasey. they know Trump will get his pick, whoever it ends up being.
Moreover, this hearing has broken all the norms on providing his paper trail, which would provide more evidence about the fact Kavanaugh has likely lied several times during confirmations for judgeship.
Again: Dems are not trying to scuttle nominee for the sake of preserving the seat but to make sure a justice has the character and temperment for the job.
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Republicans do not want done to them what they did to Merrick Garland.
Meanwhile, the people so outraged over what they did to Merrick Garland want to do the same thing right back to them.
It feels good to get back at them, but doing the same thing is the same thing.
A partisan may love it, find it sweet. Someone concerned for dysfunction of our government can only shake his head at the lot of them, and their hypocritical cheerleaders.
The sides are not "the same" but they are both diving into the same holes here, and dragging us down with them.
15
@Mark Thomason..I have been reading your comments with a certain amount of interest over the past few months. But, I believe this one is rather naive. Modern day politics has become a blood sort since Newt Gingrich was the Speaker. And, nothing will change.
4
@Mark Thomason
Understood, but how do you propose dealing with a power-group which observes NO norms, conventions, rules, regulations or even laws in its pursuit of absolute control? Roll over and complain while they abuse and destroy without shame nor conscience?
While you deny it, I think you partake of the "both sides are equally bad" fallacy. Democrats are not seeking to delay because "it feels good" to return the favor to McConnell and the Republicans, they are doing it because Kavanaugh is a generational game-changer with regard to the SCOTUS (and so our entire culture and civic life) and very, very legitimate questions and concerns about his history of partisanship, behavior, self-control (not just sexually but financially and regarding alcohol) and his basic character exist and need to be investigated and evaluated in a way that is not a bums-rush onto the Court.
Republicans act as though they have a mandate to do anything regardless of propriety, consensus or law. They don't.
6
@fairwitness -- "Equally bad?" No.
However, the best response, the response Democrats should use, is the one of dignity that brought down McCarthy, "at long last, have you no decency."
This is a deeply flawed nominee. He is there because he made certain indirect (and perhaps direct) promises to Donald Trump regarding the Mueller investigation that other potential nominees would not.
The gambling debts alone disqualify him. (Who paid his $250k credit card bill just before his nomination?)
This MUST be stopped.
Dr. Ford: Perhaps a 60 minutes interview?
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@Will. gambling? I didn't know you can gamble with CCs. No not a 60 min interview, she brought allegations and has to bring the proof now. She can't slander/libel and get away with it.
What are Republicans hiding about Kavanaugh? He’s actually a Russian mole bent on influencing Trump in his trade decisions to obtain serious tariff benefits for canned borscht. No, no! I mean in efforts to destabilize us by getting the Supreme Court to outlaw the Democratic Party (hmmmm). No, no! I mean they’re trying to hide the fact that this is all an attempt to resuscitate Sigourney Weaver’s career by introducing a new “Alien” strain to sit beside Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Republicans, ashamed at Mitch McConnell’s torpedoing of Merrick Garland, can now cease being ashamed, since Democrats definitely have pulled even – in the outrageousness of their attempts to get their way, anyway, if not yet in their outcomes. Demanding Carl Sagan’s “billions and billions” of pages of documentation to be gathered on Kavanaugh wasn’t enough, because, hey, what’s a politically-motivated fishing expedition without Robert Mueller, access to every aspect of the private lives of all sentient creatures on Earth, and an endless “investigation”? Now, we not only need to accept a bare, undetailed claim of sexual predation by Kavanaugh 35 YEARS AGO that did not result in rape or significant physical harm to the accuser, when he was 17 and the girl 15, in a Maryland suburban house the accuser doesn’t remember, when he was claimed to be “stumbling drunk” (and, of course, she was stone-cold sober), and when no similar escapade has been documented about Kavanaugh in the ensuing decades …
5
… while 65 women who have worked for and with him have testified to his decency with them.
Oh, and let’s not forget that Prof. Blasey won’t testify as requested by the Senate on Monday until her conditions are met – an FBI investigation that’s supposed to find witnesses (and maybe locate the house) after 35 years of a she-said-he-said drunken episode that did not result in a rape. The Anita Hill investigation ordered by Pappy Bush took three days because it concerned allegations of adults who were both public figures working for government and where the alleged actions took place only a few years in the past. Perhaps, after the three MONTH investigation, Prof. Blasey can arrange to be questioned only by Democratic senators on the Judiciary Committee while we put Kavanaugh in one of those cells in the middle of the trial chamber, as the Egyptians do.
Yes, this is a Kavanaugh charade indeed. I suspect that he’ll be confirmed by the full Senate within three weeks at the outside. Better luck next time, folks.
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@Richard Luettgen -- The Republicans did do a late night document dump of a huge volume the very night before the hearing.
The Republicans do seem to be overlooking a debt history, well documented, that should cause concern. Who paid off his $250,000 credit cards, and why did they do that for him?
I've already written that an attempt to delay in hopes of a blue wave that might complete a payback for Merrick Garland is also going on.
Nobody is behaving well here. No Profiles in Courage to be found.
22
@Richard Luettgen, distorting the issues again. Thanks for the smile.
@Mark Thomason, there is no "payback". Dems don't even do it when they should. There is serious question about Kavanaugh's fitness to be a judge at any level, more so the Supreme Court.
1
With Kavanaugh's alleged drinking and gambling issues, it's believable that there are at least one or two more Christine Blasey Ford's out there who have stories to tell. Whether they have the guts to do so remains to be seen. Given the events of 2018, we should be expecting more "surprise revelations" by Saturday. You can bet on this: Kavanaugh's statement to withdraw his nomination is already drafted.
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@Stop and Think
Who paid his gambling debts? Trump, no, too stingy and selfish. That leaves either Koch and his bunch, the most probable answer, or Putin through the NRA. Want to bet on it? No, not you Kavanaugh. Your bets have a wait another week or two.
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@Stop and Think
As if a week, a month, or a year would have changed one democrats mind! They were all no's no matter the time line. Where is the proof of all this gambling and drinking? Probably heard it on CNN. Must be true!
@Bill uh, the drinking history if from Kavanaugh's own accounts, see his talks before Georgetown Prep and Yale Law School groups, "what happens at Georgetown Prep stays in Georgetown Prep" wink wink. The gambling debt has been been well documented, who and how it was paid off is still no known.
Another thing that needs to be said here:
When the President was a black man, the Republican Senate, led by McConnell and Grassley saw no need to ever even hold confirmation hearings for his nominee, whom everyone agreed was eminently qualified to serve.
But when a Republican nominee proposed by a white President -- who made it very clear that the appointment would be based on political ideology -- is accused of sexual assault, then according to Grassley, "It would be a disservice to Dr. Ford, Judge Kavanaugh, this Committee, and the American people to delay this hearing any further."
This isn't just hypocrisy. It is clear, open evidence of the fundamental ethos of the modern Republican Party.
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@Clay -- Yes, it is Republican hypocrisy.
And it is now hypocrisy right back at them.
There is a problem with governing that way.
@Mark Thomason, it is not. If it were, Gorsuch would have faced much greater opposition.
@Clay Well said....McConnell is an absolute crook who has stolen the will of the people by his shenanigans. I just wish we could impeach senators.
1
The Republicans continue to drag our American democracy into the mud with their disgraceful lies and deceit. Brett Kavanaugh would not be hired as a public school teacher if creditable charges surfaced about his character and behavior as a teenager. Any "cloud" of this nature would disqualify him for a position of responsibility in a private corporation. It is up to Kavanaugh, Trump, and his toadies to provide substantive proof that he was not involved--- otherwise, Trump should do what right---there's a "cloud of doubt" about this man's character-- find someone else for the position.
18
We the people have a say in who gets a lifetime appointment to our highest court. Don't want Kavanaugh to be seated without an FBI investigation? Troubled by his political CV? Don't trust his newfound protection of a president's impunity? For that matter, unimpressed even with Kavanaugh's cagey answers to Congress? Call your Senators and speak your mind! They're supposed to represent us. No Senator should be off the hook for irresponsible confirmations.
And remember in November, too. Kennedy's seat likely won't be the last one Trump fills.
23
@NM I agree. Every American Citizen needs to CALL & email their Senators and Representatives and tell them this. It is their responsibility to stand up today and insist on reopening an FBI Investigation of Judge Kavanaugh. The vote for this Supreme Court Nomination needs to be delayed. If your elected officials do not take this action, let them know they will not be reelected. It is time for our elected officials to serve the people they represent.
1
In many aspects, Kavanaugh's dilemma amounts to a boomerang from Mitch McConnell's ill-conceived, sinister-tempered decision to artificially block President Obama's legitimate nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court two and a half years ago.
If ever there was a time when we really do need to take long a pause, and soberly exam serious, if contentious, charges against Trump's nominee, exhaustively investigating all persons who may be potential witnesses, this is it. Yet, we now are witnessing the spectacle of these same pious Republicans executing a full about-face, and insisting that in the interests of the Republic their pretense of a full, fair, and impartial hearing must proceed at flank speed, with participation confined only to the accuser and the accused.
The unprecedented cynicism with which the public regards politicians in general, and Congress, in particular, has been hard-won and richly-earned. Hopefully, Americans will see through these audacious Republican ruses, and show up at the polls in record numbers to return both houses of Congress to Democratic control in November. Republicans have wasted the last ten years reinforcing their unwillingness and inability to govern equitably and effectively.
But Democrats, beware. Should you fail to learn the hard lessons of the past quarter-century, and fail to consequentially revamp how we are governed to meet contemporary standards, you will fail just as surely as the Republicans. May the Force be with you!
25
I'm teaching the "Fall of the Roman Empire" this week to my students. Number one and two reasons: corruption and incompetence.
Sounds familiar?
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@ajarnDB
And the excuse they used was terrorism.
Sound familiar?
1
Who or what exactly does Kavanaugh represent?
Someone from an ordinary background who struggled and succeeded in reaching his own aspirations and fulfilling his family's hopes and prayers? Someone who grew up with hardworking parents who worried about making ends meet, living in an economically mixed neighborhood and schooling at public institutions charged with the impossible mission of rectifying the baked-in injustice and inequality left unattended for most of our history?
That's not who he is. His mother was a judge, his father the head of a trade association lobby. He attended a private boys school, with Justice Gorsuch as a fellow student. He went to Yale and became a DC lawyer hardwired to Republican elitism, fast-tracked through partisan extremism that has become the toxic strategy to seize and hold power by any and all means, even it rips the Constitution to shreds.
The only common experience he shares with lesser America is binge alcoholism and massive gambling debts. And if allegations prove true (not that he can deny anything having been blotto drunk when it happened) he's a closet predator who emerges when opportunity presents itself.
His signature achievement was as a lead participant in Starr's cynical sabotage of a moderate presidency, a political hijacking of history when it held promise, a template for future initiatives to thwart democracy.
So what does he represent?
Just everything that's gone wrong and every intention to keep it that way.
623
@Yuri Asian -- All true, and all good sound reasons to oppose him. Add in his gambling debts paid so mysteriously. Add in the late document dump the night before the hearing.
Is "Merrick Garland back at you" the best that we can do, the way to run our government? Or #MeToo based on one incident in high school?
4
Why not have a "Go Fund Me" or equivalent to pay for PI's Private Investigators look into the 65 or so members of Kavanaugh and his accuser's backgrounds? If the press can give info that started the Anita Hill inquiry, perhaps this can be done if Trump refuses to have the FBI do what they did in the FBI case?
17
I have so many concerns about Kavanaugh - in addition to my concerns about his jurisprudence. My second biggest concern is his $250,000 in credit card debt that was suddenly cleared up. Who is all this dark money behind him - working so hard to push him through? Who is he beholden to? What cases are they anticipating to call in their markers. I don't recall Kagan, Ginsberg or John Paul Stevens having such a well funded, organized campaign by power brokers behind them. IT turns my stomach, to be honest. Then there is his actual jurisprudence which is pure activism - and very little actual judicial thought. But as Scalia so successfully branded his conservatism activism as "originalism" - Kavanaugh is easily able to sell the same garbage. And last - but most importantly - Ms. Blasey's accusation. In 2018 - we should be taking it seriously and investigate it thoroughly. We do know that Kavanaugh was a party boy drunk from high school to law school - in his own words. We do know the statistics on what happens when young people this age are fall down drunk - and we do know that wealthy white boys are rarely held accountable for these misdeeds. It is doubtful that Ms. Beasley's encounter was the only one of this nature. Let the FBI investigate. Let's see what they find. I will trust their findings - despite the FBI being a right leaning organization - I still believe in law enforcement's integrity despite Trunpm's smear campaign.
630
@Dana-That debt disappearance was mighty convenient and is a huge red flag-who paid it off and why? This is a lifetime position-who will he be beholden to? And the Ford charges demand an FBI investigation. I cannot help but remember Anita Hill's treatment by the Senate Judiciary Committee in 1991 and understand Dr. Ford's wish to remain anonymous. The Democrats have four female Senators on the Committee now, but the GOP have none. There is no need to rush this confirmation process-and why is it being pushed at lightening speed? What is being hidden about Kavanaugh?
24
@Dana "Who is he beholden to?" The Koch Brothers for one.
1
@ Dana. Dark money behind Kavanaugh: The Koch brothers. Those in the know about the Kochs say Kavanaugh was their hand picked candidate. The one thing the Koch's and their Republican sycophants didn't count on though was - Ms. Ford.
2
I heard an interesting argument on the evening talk shows. If Kavanaugh and Blasey Ford testify under oath on Monday before the Senate Judiciary committee, and if they swear to diametrically opposed versions of what happened during the night in question, then one of them is possibly--perhaps probably--lying. This would constitute a federal crime that the FBI would be duty bound to investigate ASAP.
Wouldn't it be a kick in the head if on Monday at the conclusion of the hearing Attorney General Jeff Sessions orders the FBI to figure out who's lying and belongs behind bars?
50
So we can add "feet of clay" to the description of the GOP as "spineless". But the real problem is their brazen disregard for law, justice, & the American way.
32
“We are a nation of laws, not of men.” —John Adams, 1780
Fortunately, the one law even the Republicans in Congress can’t avoid is the Law of Unintended Consequences. There is simply no way this ends well for them.
Whether they vote to appoint Kavanaugh or pull his nomination, they’ll alienate a broad spectrum of the electorate (on opposite sides of the aisle, but that’s almost coincidental). The repurcussions in the midterms will be immense. I predict a record turn-out among women as well as blacks, given the obvious connection to Anita Hill’s similarly misogynistic treatment during Thomas’ confirmation hearing.
Schadenfreude comes home to roost for the lying, deceitful, hypocritical GOP. Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of guys (and they’re all guys on the Senate Judiciary Committee, in case you haven’t noticed).
28
Pure power politics. They do, because they can. And the consequences will last generations.
And with pure power politics like this, do you think the rational opposition has a chance in the near term?
We've entered what Brecht called "the times of illegality" and soon that illegality will be the arbiter of the law of the land (though let's be real, he's just joining a few others just like him).
10
Yep, these so-called representatives of the American people, paid to be such, will stop the opposition outright from even nominating someone, then will lie and cajole and smear to get an obvious partisan elected to a lifetime oversight role.
The GOP never had good faith. Their media has whipped up a tsunami of partisan hatred for the principles of our nation's founding, and led a 30-year smear campaign without which the present character at the helm could not have been elected.
They cannot get elected without cheating. Kavanaugh cannot be placed on the SC without cheating, as his putative colleague can attest to.
We're witnessing a coup. There is no other way to describe the rule of the minority over the people through propaganda, deception, and outright theft.
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Spot on. Great succinct comment.
Before Dr. Ford's accusations surfaced, Brett Kavanaugh was shown to have committed perjury more than once. That alone should disqualify him. Dr. Ford's story, which is completely credible, verifies that Brett Kavanaugh is lacking the character one must possess to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court.
68
There is absolutely no reason for this professor to be lying. She has no dog in this fight, no lawsuits, no paid articles by tabloids.
She is about my age; I am 59, and I certainly remember unwanted groping and harassment when I was in my teens and older.
Why didn't she say anything sooner? You didn't say things in those days. Nobody would believe you, or they would dismiss it, saying well, that happens. Seriously, that was life for women even until the '80s.
When a friend of mine got raped and murdered in the '70s, the local newspaper would not report the rape part. I guess it was considered too controversial.
The MeToo movement has a big background, and big history.
When I was a kid, my mother got appointed the Lt Governor of the women's movement in government in CT. One reason she got appointed was because she wrote in her application, "We always have to work with the men, not against them."
An original '70s feminist, my Mom.
39
@Pat -- "When a friend of mine got raped and murdered in the '70s, the local newspaper would not report the rape part. I guess it was considered too controversial."
The concern then was not to degrade the memory of the victim nor add to the grief of the family's loss. We also don't reveal the names of living victims of sex crimes.
There is something to that, even though the truth of crimes is also important to protecting others from more.
Sometimes is is just prurient interest at the expense of those innocents who are suffering and who deserve better.
The trade off is not automatic. It deserves discussion, but not automatic assumptions and condemnation. Canada for example treats information about many crimes differently, in an interest they find in justice.
8
@Pat Yep, when a family friend groped me when I was 15, I spoke to my mother. She did not believe me- typical of the treatment of young girls by older women and men. So I let it go until now- 57 years later. I am not confused and can remember all aspects of the event. How slowly the wheels of mutual respect turn!
4
@Pat
She cant recall the house or what party. Thats a big detail necessary for an investigation.
2
This is a landmark moment. How it’s handled will be meaningful for the foreseeable future.
Right, wrong, logic and even truth are being abandoned by the Republicans. Sorry. That IS true.
If the truth can prevail we will be ok. That must be discovered.
As far as Kavanaugh goes, until now, he just does not exhibit the strength of character needed to the job he seeks. He hesitates, he makes puckery faces and assumes a subservient posture as he looks around the room, seeking answers only he can provide. These are unscientific observations. The little I know about his work on the bench and with Ken Starr, he seems vindictive and arrogant as well as having little regard for human compassion. Yep, one of Trump’s posse. Like most things with Trump, I hope he does not succeed with this nomination.
46
Republicans are railroading Kavanaugh's confirmation through like it's a shot-gun wedding with no concern about the impact it will have on the Supreme Court. The reputation of the Court is presently regarded as nothing more than a political rubber stamp machine, and if Kavanaugh is forced through without a hearing in good faith, thinking Americans will lose confidence in the court altogether.
36
@Whole Grains, WILL lose confidence? I already have for at least three and possibly four members of it. This nomination and the ensuing circus is a sham of democracy. It should be beneath us. Sadly, it doesn't seem to be....
I do not doubt that the Republicans are hiding disqualifying character traits of Kavanaugh’s which in the past have “slipped through the cracks” during his journey to the top. Even before this latest shameful allegation, his hearings last week were artful and devious exercises of evasion and saying a lot about nothing. He is a fraud nominated by another fraud.
But beyond this, it is the Republican attempt to not only keep control of the Senate but also to gain seats. They covet for themselves what is Manchin’s and other Red State Dems’ who are up for re-election. They are salivating while envisioning the dilemma these Democrats are faced with concerning a Kavanaugh vote. Their manipulations and ploys are obvious to a thinking American. But who bothers to think nowadays?
20
the republicans seem intent on soiling themselves. why they don't see it is hard to understand..... it seems it will be up to others to save them from themselves and us from them.
13
“But it is impossible to argue that her claim isn’t credible enough to demand a thorough investigation...”
A thorough investigation based on what?
Location of alleged incident: unknown
Date of alleged incident: 36 years ago but date unknown
Names and number of people at party: unknown
People confided in at time of alleged incident: none
People confided in for 29 years after alleged incident: none
When alleged incident was first mentioned during couples therapy was Kavanaugh named: no
A ‘thorough investigation’ based on the above? Why not just be honest and admit you are looking for a reason, any reason, to delay the confirmation vote?
4
@JB A thorough investigation would answer at least some of those questions.
1
Christine Blasey Ford was violently silenced by Brett Kavanaugh more than three decades ago, and, in essence, he, along with Trump who has sexually assaulted women, and Grassley and Hatch, who cackled mercilessly at Anita Hill, victimizing the victim, now have silenced her again. By not respecting her request for an FBI investigation so that the pertinent facts are known, they are violating her rights and the American public’s rights to know the full truth.
They are pushing Kavanaugh at us in a similar vein to how he pushed himself on Christine Blasey, forcibly and violating all decency.
The FBI should be investigating the death threats against Professor Blasey, and take all measures to protect her and her family.
If there’s any question about how safe women are in this country, we need look no farther than how Blasey was treated in the past and today. Professor Hill knows first hand that not much has changed in this country with the good old boy network still having a stranglehold over women. Vote the GOP out in November.
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@Ichabod Aikem You have no idea whether Professor Ford was violently silenced by Brett Kavanaugh more than 3 decades ago! (Neither do I.)
I very much hope that the decision to fill Kennedy's vacancy is decided by the Senate elected in November and not the current Senate. Republican hypocrisy about the "Thurmond rule" is astounding.
But it is also deeply disturbing that the notion of "believe the woman" has gone so far that it can destroy a career based on such scanty ancient evidence.
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Trump will not call for an FBI investigation. He knows that if he does, the investigation will turn up the truth about Kavanaugh, and Kavanaugh MAY not be confirmed. And Trump absolutely cannot risk that. He needs Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court to protect *himself* from investigation. The whole thing is sickening.
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The "Republicans" and "President" Trump have so sullied the United States Supreme Court of the United States that the dignity of the institution will be tarnished for decades. The only hope is that revelations past Mr. Kavanaugh's farcical seating will end up as Abe Fortas' tenure on the Court.
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@howtrue7 -- That happened with Bush v Gore, and has spiraled down since with things like the defense of torture and war crimes and imprisonment of alleged terrorists forever without trial.
It is bad, but we are far down that road, not just starting on it with this.
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Regardless of the sexual assault issue, there is already an preponderance of the evidence showing that Kavanaugh lied under oath--i.e., committed perjury-- at both his confirmation hearings, and it is beyond a doubt that he purposely misled the Senate Judiciary committee on both occasions with regard to his role in receiving stolen documents, prepping judicial candidates who were not approved for reasons of racial bigotry, and working on Bush administration detainee policies. In any less partisan environment, his nomination would have been sunk long ago, and he would be facing impeachment as a judge.
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I strongly urge the Republicans to pursue a call for an FBI investigation of the allegations. Following a published report, the Judiciary Committee should then interview under oath Dr. Blasey, Judge Kavanaugh, and all other witnesses uncovered in the FBI investigation. At that point, it should be clear what further actions are appropriate.
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Two of six would be 33.3%. To be truly representative of American men, that fraction should probably be higher.
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I would love to see a massive march on Washington DC this weekend. How about many cities?
Revive the pink knitted hats!
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Chuck Grassley and Orin Hatch were all too eager to have the FBI investigate Anita Hill's allegations of sexual harassment by Clarence Thomas. They stated that it was "very, very important" they investigate - that it was their obligation to have none other than the FBI investigate.
Now, according to Grassley, "it's not what they [FBI] do".
(Kavanaugh has already perjured himself,by claiming no knowledge of documents stolen from democrats in 2006, when email records prove otherwise.)
They have to be hiding something, and based on what we already know about him and the lengths to which the republicans are going to keep it hidden, it must be serious.
I hope Dr. Blasey will call their bluff and testify. She and her family have already been put through the unconscionable. If she backs down now, all she's suffered will have been for nothing, and another predator will have escaped justice, to become justice.
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What the Republicans are planning to do next Monday will be a circus and an insult to every woman and every victim of sexual assault. It will also consolidate the undemocratic character of an increasingly authoritarian government.
The Democrats need to be prepared to really play hardball to stop this confirmation from being rammed through before a proper investigation of Dr. Blasey's accusation can be conducted. (The fact that every single one last one of them voted for Trump's grotesquely bloated Military Spending bill is not auspicious. The only opposition came from 6 Republicans presumably motivated by deficit concerns, and Bernie Sanders.) In the coming days the Dems need to shut down every other function of both Houses of Congress to support Blasey's demand for a FBI investigation before she testifies. No committee meetings or any other function should be allowed to proceed.
The Republicans will likely ram through the confirmations anyway. The Democrats should therefore also plan on adding four more seats to the Supreme Court when they retake Congress in 2020 to counterbalance the four seats held by appointees of the two presidents (Bush Jr. and Trump) that didn't even get a plurality of the popular vote.
They should also prepare to revise the legislation governing the allocation of seats in the House (and thus electoral votes too) eliminating the cap of 435 seats and making the population of the smallest state (now Wyoming) the basis for district populations.
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